Kevin C. Cox / Associated Press
The NBA playoffs are set to begin in four days, and 15 of the 16-team field teams have been decided.
The final spot will go to the Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns, who will participate in a play-in tournament to decide the eighth and final seed of the Western Conference. Memphis will play Portland if the Trail Blazers defeat the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday or Phoenix if the Trail Blazers lose.
The winner of the play-off tournament will face 4-time NBA MVP LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, who are the no. 1-seed of the Western Conference possession.
Reigning NBA MVP (and probably back-to-back MVP) Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks lead the East. They are one place ahead of defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors, who finished with the second seed despite losing leading score and reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard to the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency.
Speaking of Leonard’s Clips, they sit second in the West and could set up a Los Angeles battle for the right to advance to the NBA Finals.
At this point, however, that is far away. A play-in tournament and a few postseason rounds must take place in advance.
Here’s a look at what we know about the NBA playoff schedule so far, in addition to quick examples and picks for the league’s top team through win-loss record in the Bucks and the defending champions in the Raps.
NBA Playoff Schedule Dates
August 15: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Phoenix Suns of Portland Trail Blazers, 2:30 p.m. ET on ABC
Aug 16: Memphis Grizzlies Vs. Phoenix Suns of Portland Trail Blazers, 16:30 ET on ESPN (if needed)
August 17: First round start
August 31: Conference semifinals focused on start date
Sept. 15: Conference Finals straight start date
September 30: NBA Finals straight start date
October 13: Game 7 of the NBA Finals (if needed)
Eastern Conference Matchups
1. Milwaukee Bucks vs. 8. Orlando Magic
Toronto Raptors Vs. 7. Brooklyn Nets
3. Boston Celtics vs. 6. Philadelphia 76ers
4 as 5. Miami Heat vs. 4 as 5. Indiana Pacers
Western Conference Matchups
1. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 8. Portland Trail Blazers / Phoenix Suns / Memphis Grizzlies
Los Angeles Clippers Vs. 7. Dallas Mavericks
3. Denver Nuggets Vs. 6. Utah Jazz
4 of 5. Houston Rockets vs. 4 as 5. Oklahoma City Thunder
First round schedule
Quadrupleheaders will be held Monday and Tuesday, with games taking place at 1:30 pm, 4 pm, 6:30 pm and 9 pm ET.
ESPN will televise games on Monday, and TNT will do the same on Tuesday.
ESPN, TNT, ABC and NBATV will air the post-season television. ESPN will handle the Eastern Conference Finals, and TNT will do the same for the Western Conference Finals. ABC will broadcast the NBA Finals.
Picks for top matches in East
1. Milwaukee Bucks vs. 8. Orlando Magic
The Milwaukee Bucks were once 52-8, but will come into the playoffs limping with a record of 56-17.
Is it cause for concern as a rule? It could be if other Eastern Conference teams have played much better leading in the postseason.
But it should be no problem against the Orlando Magic, who made the playoffs despite eight games under .500.
All-Star big man Nikola Vucevic would have to win the battle low with the Bucks big man Brook Lopez, and guards Evan Fournier and Terence Ross can get hot from three-point range and help keep the Magic offense pace.
But no one on the Magic (like the league) has an answer for probably the biggest talent of the game in Antetokounmpo, which is a matchup for nightmares. The same goes for Lopez, who may not be as adept as Vucevic, but can hit deep three-pointers and block shots in droves.
Add All-Star winger Khris Middleton and a group of tough guards running out on defense, including Eric Bledsoe and Donte DiVincenzo, and you have a team that shouldn’t have much of a problem in Round 1.
Orlando’s X factor to change that narrative is Aaron Gordon, who should step up as the secondary score of the team behind Vucevic. At his best, Gordon can throw in points, grab a ton of boards and fly the court up and down for opponent-deflated dunks. If that Gordon appears in the playoffs, then the Magic may have the chance to steal a game or two, especially considering that there is no real advantage of home court in Disney World.
The advice here is that Orlando will be good enough to win one game against a lethargic Bucks team, just as the Magic won one prize against eventual champion Raps in their first round last year. But Giannis and the Bucks are just too strong and should win the series by no more than five games.
Choose: Outside in 5
2. Toronto Raptors vs. Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are 5-2 on the NBA campus despite missing a host of talent, including leading scorer Kyrie Irving, second leading scorer Spencer Dinwiddie, big man DeAndre Jordan and others. The Nets replaced their roster for the bubble, and under interim coach Jacque Vaughn, it all came together when Brooklyn beat some of the top teams, including the Bucks and Clippers.
The guess here is that it is not a fluke.
The Nets beat the Lakers on the road in their final game before the league was suspended for more than four months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sure, that team had Dinwiddie, Jordan and others who did not make it to Florida, but this team clearly plays hard for Vaughn, who helps everything off his roster because it’s in the face of insurmountable odds.
The issue that the Nets have is that they are perhaps the best team in the league in the Raptors, who are good, deep, tough and talented.
They just have no weakness, and they are strong at both ends. They do have a tight rotation, but players at the back end of the bench have died at times, such as when Chris Boucher threw a casual 25-point, 11-rebound stat line against the Bucks in the bubble.
Toronto should take the series, but it will not be easy. Look for the Nets to take a few games and make this one interesting. Eventually, it will be impossible for the Nets to do anything but make Vaughn their full-time coach.
Choose: Raptors in 6
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