NBA Playoff Schedule 2022: Dates, TV, Live-Stream Coverage for Postseason
The 2021-22 NBA marathon is over.
Now, the sprint to championship bliss begins.
Twenty teams made the initial cut, though only 16 will advance to the actual postseason. The first eliminations will happen this week, as the eight teams who made the play-in tournament will play for the four postseason spots up for grabs.
Once the play-in tournament tips, it will spark a mad dash to the finish line.
Before the clubs come out of the starting blocks, though, let's lay out all the pertinent schedule and broadcast information, then preview each side of the postseason bracket.
NBA Playoff Schedule, Broadcast Information
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Play-In Tournament
All times ET
April 12 | Game 1 | Cleveland Cavaliers at Brooklyn Nets | 7 p.m. on TNT (Live Stream: Watch TNT)
April 12 | Game 2 | L.A. Clippers at Minnesota Timberwolves | 9:30 p.m. on TNT (Live Stream: Watch TNT)
April 13 | Game 3 | Charlotte Hornets at Atlanta Hawks | 7 p.m. on ESPN (Live Stream: Watch ESPN)
April 13 | Game 4 | San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Pelicans | 9:30 p.m. on ESPN (Live Stream: Watch ESPN)
April 15 | Game 5 | Winner of Game 3 at Loser of Game 1 | TBD on ESPN (Live Stream: Watch ESPN)
April 15 | Game 6 | Winner of Game 4 at Loser of Game 2 | TBD on TNT (Live Stream: Watch TNT)
First Round, Game 1
Saturday, April 16
Utah Jazz at Dallas Mavericks | 1 p.m. on ESPN (Live Stream: Watch ESPN)
West No. 7 at Memphis Grizzlies | 3:30 p.m. on ESPN (Live Stream: Watch ESPN)
Toronto Raptors at Philadelphia 76ers | 6 p.m. on ESPN (Live Stream: Watch ESPN)
Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors | 8:30 p.m. on ABC (Live Stream: Watch ESPN)
Sunday, April 17
East No. 7 at Boston Celtics | TBD on TBD
East No. 8 at Miami Heat | TBD on TBD
Chicago Bulls at Milwaukee Bucks | TBD on TBD
West No. 8 at Phoenix Suns | TBD on TBD
NBA Finals
June 2: Game 1 on ABC (Live Stream: Watch ESPN)
June 5: Game 2 on ABC (Live Stream: Watch ESPN)
June 8: Game 3 on ABC (Live Stream: Watch ESPN)
June 10: Game 4 on ABC (Live Stream: Watch ESPN)
June 13: Game 5 on ABC (Live Stream: Watch ESPN) (if necessary)
June 16: Game 6 on ABC (Live Stream: Watch ESPN) (if necessary)
June 19: Game 7 on ABC (Live Stream: Watch ESPN) (if necessary)
Eastern Conference Preview
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The defending champion Bucks only secured the No. 3 seed, but they still enjoy "team to beat" status until proved otherwise.
That's one of the perks of adding a championship ring to the jewelry collection. It's also the reality of any roster featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo, who once again prominently positioned himself in both the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year discussions.
Who could dethrone the champs, though? Well, potentially a lot of teams.
The top-seeded Heat boast a strong nucleus of stingy defenders, and Jimmy Butler has elevated to a superstar level under the bright lights before. The second-seeded Celtics were the Association's best team (by a mile) after the All-Star break, and the talented wing tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown is about as good as it gets.
The fourth-seeded 76ers paired MVP candidate Joel Embiid with 2018 winner James Harden and are as frightening as that sounds. The fifth-seeded Raptors have flown at high altitude the last month-plus, and they're getting All-NBA-caliber play out of Pascal Siakam.
The sixth-seeded Bulls and eighth-seeded (for now) Cavaliers closed on a rough patch, but they spent long chunks of the season ranking among the NBA's elite. The seventh-seeded Nets, finally, pack a powerful two-pronged scoring punch in the form of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and cannot be taken lightly despite what their seeding may suggest.
Western Conference Preview
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The Suns punctuated their season with league-best marks in winning percentage (.780, a franchise record) and net efficiency rating (plus-7.5). So, just go ahead and pencil them into the Finals, right?
Maybe. Devin Booker scored, swished and dimed his way into the MVP race, and Chris Paul might've been in the running had he stayed healthy all season.
But also, maybe not.
The West is heavy on star power, and if those stars get big contributions from their supporting cast, several could knock out the Suns and escape the conference.
The second-seeded Grizzlies got a brilliant campaign from Ja Morant and were somehow also brilliant without him (20-5). The third-seeded Warriors watched Klay Thompson catch fire late (33-plus points in four of his last six outings), which makes them a team to closely track if Stephen Curry can put his left foot sprain behind him.
The fourth-seeded Mavs and sixth-seeded Nuggets have their own MVP candidates in Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic, respectively. The fifth-seeded Jazz struggled down the stretch but still posted the NBA's third-highest net rating.
In other words, while Phoenix has earned the right to be considered the favorites heading into the big dance, a second straight Finals trip is far from a formality.
