2024 NBA playoffs: Schedule, times, TV info with dates set for first round, Play-In continues Wednesday night (2024)

The NBA postseason has arrived. Two months of postseason basketball got started on Tuesday night with the opening games of the Play-In Tournament, and the playoffs will keep going through the NBA Finals in June. Most playoff seeds were determined on Sunday in a hectic day to close the regular season, but the Play-In Tournament -- which features big names -- will set the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in both conferences.Here's a look at the complete playoff picture.

The Lakers and Kings were victorious in the Play-In Tournament on Tuesday night. The Lakers grabbed the West's No. 7 seed in the process, and the Kings ousted the Warriors. It will be Kings vs. Pelicans on Friday night to determine the West's No. 8 seed.

The first pair of Eastern Conference Play-In gamesare set for Wednesday. The 76ers host the Heat with the No. 7 seed and a first-round playoff date with the Knicks on the line, before the Bulls host the Hawks in the 9/10 game.

The five first-round series set in stone right now are Nuggets-Lakers, Timberwolves-Suns, Clippers-Mavericks, Bucks-Pacers and Cavaliers-Magic. The NBA recently unveiled dates for every first-round game, including game times and TV/streaming info for the first four games of every series.

Below is all the up-to-date 2024 NBA playoffs schedule.

All NBA playoff games airing on ABC, ESPN and NBA TV will be streaming on fubo (try for free).

Play-In Tournament schedule, scores

(All times Eastern)

Tuesday, April 16
No. 8 Lakers 110, No. 7 Pelicans 106
No. 9 Kings 118, No. 10 Warriors 94

Wednesday, April 17
No. 7 76ers vs. No. 8 Heat, 7 p.m., ESPN/fubo
No. 9 Bulls vs. No. 10 Hawks, 9:30 p.m., ESPN/fubo

Friday, April 19
East No. 7/8 vs. East No. 9/10, 7 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Pelicans vs. Kings, 9:30 p.m., TNT

2024 NBA playoffs schedule: First round

(All times Eastern)

Saturday, April 20
Game 1: Cavaliers vs. Magic, 1 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Game 1:Timberwolvesvs. Suns, 3:30, ESPN/fubo
Game 1: Knicks vs. East No. 7, 6 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Game 1: Nuggets vs. Lakers, 8:30 p.m., ABC/fubo

Sunday, April 21
Game 1: Celtics vs. East No. 8, 1 p.m., ABC/fubo
Game 1:Clippersvs.Mavericks, 3:30 p.m., ABC/fubo
Game 1: Bucks vs. Pacers, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 1: Thunder vs. West No. 8, 9:30 p.m., TNT

Monday, April 22
Game 2: Cavaliers vs. Magic, 7 p.m., NBA TV/fubo
Game 2: Knicks vs. East No. 7, 7:30 p.m., TNT
Game 2: Nuggets vs. Lakers, 10 p.m., TNT

Tuesday, April 23
Game 2: Timberwolves vs. Suns, 7:30 p.m., TNT
Game 2: Bucks vs. Pacers, 8:30 p.m., NBA TV/fubo
Game 2: Clippers vs. Mavericks, 10 p.m., TNT

Wednesday, April 24
Game 2: Celtics vs. East No. 8, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 2: Thunder vs. West No. 8, 9:30 p.m., TNT

Thursday, April 25
Game 3: Magic vs. Cavaliers, 7 p.m., NBA TV/fubo
Game 3: East No. 7 vs. Knicks, 7:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3: Lakers vs. Nuggets, 10 p.m., TNT

Friday, April 26
Game 3: Pacers vs. Bucks, 5:30 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Game 3: Mavericks vs. Clippers, 8 p.m., ESPN/fubo
Game 3: Suns vs. Timberwolves, 10:30 p.m., ESPN/fubo

Saturday, April 27
Game 4: Magic vs. Cavaliers, 1 p.m., TNT
Game 3: West No. 8 vs. Thunder, 3:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3: East No. 8 vs. Celtics, 6 p.m., TNT
Game 4: Lakers vs. Nuggets, 8:30 p.m., ABC/fubo

Sunday, April 28
Game 4: Knicks vs. East No. 7, 1 p.m., ABC/fubo
Game 4: Mavericks vs. Clippers, 3:30 p.m., ABC/fubo
Game 4: Pacers vs. Bucks, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 4: Suns vs. Timberwolves, 9:30 p.m., TNT

Monday, April 29
Game 4: East No. 8 vs. Celtics, TBD
Game 4: West No. 8 vs. Thunder, TBD
Game 5*: Nuggets vs. Lakers, TBD

Tuesday, April 30
Game 5*: Knicks vs. East No. 7, TBD
Game 5*: Bucks vs. Pacers, TBD
Game 5*: Cavaliers vs. Magic, TBD
Game 5*: Timberwolves vs. Suns, TBD

Wednesday, May 1
Game 5*: Celtics vs. East No. 8, TBD
Game 5*: Thunder vs. West No. 8, TBD
Game 5*: Clippers vs. Mavericks, TBD

Thursday, May 2
Game 6*: East No. 7 vs. Knicks, TBD
Game 6*: Pacers vs. Bucks, TBD
Game 6*: Suns vs. Timberwolves, TBD
Game 6*: Lakers vs. Nuggets, TBD

Friday, May 3
Game 6*: East No. 8 vs. Celtics, TBD
Game 6*: Magic vs. Cavaliers, TTBD
Game 6*: Mavericks vs. Clippers, TBD
Game 6*: West No. 8 vs. Thunder, TBD

Saturday, May 4
Game 7*: Knicks vs. East No. 7, TBD
Game 7*: Bucks vs. Pacers, TBD
Game 7*: Timberwolves vs. Suns, TBD
Game 7*: Nuggets vs. Lakers, TBD

Sunday, May 5
Game 7*: Celtics vs. East No. 8, TBD
Game 7*: Cavaliers vs. Magic, TBD
Game 7*: West No. 8 vs. Thunder, TBD
Game 7*: Clippers vs. Mavericks, TBD

2024 NBA playoff dates

  • April 20-21: Start of first round
  • May 4-7: Start of second round
  • May 19-22: Start of Conference Finals
  • June 6: NBA Finals Game 1
  • June 23: NBA Finals Game 7 (if necessary)
2024 NBA playoffs: Schedule, times, TV info with dates set for first round, Play-In continues Wednesday night (2024)

FAQs

What teams are in the NBA playoffs in 2024? ›

2024 NBA playoffs roundtable: What to watch heading into massive Game 6 matchups
  • Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers (IND leads series 3-2)
  • New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers (NY leads series 3-2)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers at Orlando Magic (CLE leads series 3-2)
  • LA Clippers at Dallas Mavericks (DAL leads the series 3-2)
15 hours ago

How many games are in the 1st round of the NBA playoffs? ›

The NBA playoffs consist of four main rounds: the First Round, Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals, and the NBA Finals. Each series within these rounds adheres to a best-of-seven format, where a team must win four games to advance to the next stage.

What channel is the NBA Finals on? ›

NBA Finals schedule

The 2024 NBA Finals will begin June 6, airing on ABC.

Did the Lakers make the playoffs in 2024? ›

The top-seeded Celtics are moving on and will face either the Cavaliers or Magic in the second round. The Timberwolves, Nuggets and Thunder are all moving on in the West. Minnesota and Oklahoma City swept the Suns and Pelicans, respectively, while Denver took out the Lakers in five games.

Who will be MVP NBA 2024? ›

This season's finalists are Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. After Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid won the award last year, Jokic is the favorite this time.

What is the format for the NBA first round playoff series? ›

All rounds are best-of-seven series. Series are played in the 2–2–1–1–1 format, meaning the team with home-court advantage hosts games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while their opponent hosts games 3, 4, and 6, with games 5, 6 and 7 being played if needed.

How does the first round of the NBA playoffs work? ›

Each playoff series is played as the best of seven games, with the team having the best regular-season record enjoying home-court advantage. This means that this team hosts games 1, 2, 5, and 7 at home, while the opposing team hosts games 3, 4, and 6.

Who is going to the playoffs in 2024? ›

Ranking the 8 first-round matchups in the 2024 NBA playoffs
  1. Los Angeles Clippers vs.
  2. Milwaukee Bucks vs. ...
  3. Minnesota Timberwolves vs. ...
  4. New York Knicks vs. ...
  5. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. New Orleans Pelicans. ...
  6. Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers. ...
  7. Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat. ...
  8. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic. ...
Apr 20, 2024

Where can I watch the NBA Finals 2024? ›

The 2024 NBA Playoffs will air on TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBA TV, Some in-market games will air on your area's local affiliate.

Will the Mavs make the playoffs in 2024? ›

The Mavericks return to the postseason, having booked the fifth seed in the playoffs in the Western Conference. They'll face the LA Clippers in the first round.

What is the cheapest way to watch the NBA games? ›

  • DIRECTV STREAM's CHOICE plan and above comes with ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV. ...
  • Sling TV is one of the most affordable streaming services on the market and one of the cheapest ways to watch primetime NBA games.

How do the NBA playoffs work in 2024? ›

Each conference's bracket is fixed with no reseeding. All rounds are a best-of-seven series; a series ends when one team wins four games, and that team advances to the next round. All rounds, including the NBA Finals, are in a 2–2–1–1–1 format with regards to hosting.

Who is the best NBA team right now? ›

Boston holds the top spot and Minnesota is on the rise to No. 2 after NBA All-Star 2024 in Indianapolis.

Who has the best record in the NBA right now? ›

Eastern Conference
TeamwL
1 Celtics - e6418
2 Knicks - x5032
3 Bucks - c4933
4 Cavaliers - x4834
11 more rows

How many teams are in the NBA playoffs? ›

How many teams make the NBA playoffs? Sixteen teams in total make the NBA playoffs, eight teams from both the Eastern and Western Conference. The top six seeds in each conference advance based on the regular season record.

What city is the NBA All Star Weekend in 2024? ›

The 73rd NBA All-Star Game will be played Feb. 18, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NBA All-Star 2024 will take place in Indianapolis on Feb. 16-18, 2024. Below is the current schedule of events.

Are the Milwaukee Bucks out of the playoffs? ›

Bucks Eliminated from Playoffs By Pacers as NBA Fans Lament Giannis, Lillard Injuries. The Indiana Pacers eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks from the NBA playoffs on Thursday night, winning Game 6 by the final score of 120-98.

Where is the NBA All Star Game going to be in 2024? ›

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