It took until the final day of the 2018-19 NBA regular season to decided seeding and final spots in the 2019 NBA Playoffs as up until Wednesday night, a majority of playoff teams didn’t know who they’d be playing in the first round.
In the Western Conference, there was a considerable attempt by the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets to avoid the Golden State Warriors as long as possible, but the Rockets ended up failing to do so.
With everything now officially in place, the playoffs begin on Saturday, April 13 at 11:30 a.m. PT when the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seeded Philadelphia 76ers take on D’Angelo Russell and the No. 6 seeded Brooklyn Nets.
The Warriors are trying to do something only three other franchises have ever done by taking home a third consecutive championship and a fourth in five seasons, something that only the Boston Celtics and the Minneapolis Lakers have ever done.
The Warriors finished the season with the NBA’s third-best record, but good enough for first in the Western Conference. They were challenged for that first spot by the Nuggets all season, but pulled away in the final ten games.
Stephen Curry had a scare and sprained his ankle in the season’s second to last game, but it’s unclear whether or not that will keep him out of Game 1.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks took the first seed with the NBA’s best record and was the only team to reach 60 wins this season. Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors are just two games behind them at No. 2.
The Los Angeles Lakers with LeBron James missed the playoffs for what is now the sixth consecutive season. This will be the first playoffs without James since 2005 and the first NBA Finals without him since 2010.
Included below are all first-round playoff matchups, TV listing (PT), and season series recaps.
Western Conference
Golden State Warriors (1) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (8); Golden State won season series 3-1
Game 1: Clippers at Warriors, Saturday, April 13 at 5 p.m. (ABC)
Game 2: Clippers at Warriors, Monday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m. (TNT)
Game 3: Warriors at Clippers, Thursday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. (TNT)
Game 4: Warriors at Clippers, Sunday, April 21 at 12:30 p.m. (ABC)
Game 5*: Clippers at Warriors, Wednesday, April 24 (TBD)
Game 6*: Warriors at Clippers, Friday, April 26 (TBD)
Game 7*: Clippers at Warriors, Sunday, April 28 (TBD)
Denver Nuggets (2) vs. San Antonio Spurs (7); Season Series tied 2-2
Game 1: Spurs at Nuggets, Saturday, April 13 at 7:30 PM (ESPN)
Game 2: Spurs at Nuggets, Tuesday, April 16 at 6 p.m. (NBATV)
Game 3: Nuggets at Spurs, Thursday, April 18 at 6 p.m. (NBATV)
Game 4: Nuggets at Spurs, Saturday, April 20 at 2:30 p.m. (TNT)
Game 5*: Spurs at Nuggets, Tuesday, April 23 (TBD)
Game 6*: Nuggets at Spurs, Thursday, April 25 (TBD)
Game 7*: Spurs at Nuggets, Saturday, April 27 (TNT)
Portland Trail Blazers (3) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (6); Oklahoma City won season series 4-0
Game 1: Thunder at Trail Blazers, Sunday, April 14 at 12:30 p.m. (ABC)
Game 2: Thunder at Trail Blazers, Tuesday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m. (TNT)
Game 3: Trail Blazers at Thunder, Friday, April 19 at 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 4: Trail Blazers at Thunder, Sunday, April 21 at 6:30 p.m. (TNT)
Game 5*: Thunder at Trail Blazers, Tuesday, April 23 (TBD)
Game 6*: Trail Blazers at Thunder, Thursday, April 25 (TBD)
Game 7*: Thunder at Trail Blazers, Saturday, April 27 (TNT)
Houston Rockets (4) vs. Utah Jazz (5); Season Series tied 2-2
Game 1: Jazz at Rockets, Sunday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m. (TNT)
Game 2: Jazz at Rockets, Wednesday, April 17 at 6:30 p.m. (TNT)
Game 3: Rockets at Jazz, Saturday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 4: Rockets at Jazz, Monday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. (TNT)
Game 5*: Jazz at Rockets, Wednesday, April 24 (TBD)
Game 6*: Rockets at Jazz, Friday, April 26 (TBD)
Game 7*: Jazz at Rockets, Sunday, April 28 (TBD)
Eastern Conference
Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Detroit Pistons (8); Milwaukee won season series 4-0
Game 1: Pistons at Bucks, Sunday, April 14 at 4 p.m. (TNT)
Game 2: Pistons at Bucks, Wednesday, April 17 at 5 p.m. (NBA TV)
Game 3: Bucks at Pistons, Saturday, April 20 at 5 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 4: Bucks at Pistons, Monday, April 22 at 5 p.m. (TNT)
Game 5*: Pistons at Bucks, Wednesday, April 24 (TBD)
Game 6*: Bucks at Pistons, Friday, April 26 (TBD)
Game 7*: Pistons at Bucks, Sunday, April 28 (TBD)
Toronto Raptors (2) vs. Orlando Magic (7); Season series tied 2-2
Game 1: Magic at Raptors, Saturday, April 13 at 2 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 2: Magic at Raptors, Tuesday, April 16 at 5 p.m. (TNT)
Game 3: Raptors at Magic, Friday, April 19 at 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 4: Raptors at Magic, Sunday, April 21 at 4 p.m. (TNT)
Game 5*: Magic at Raptors, Tuesday, April 23 (TBD)
Game 6*: Raptors at Magic, Thursday, April 25 (TBD)
Game 7*: Magic at Raptors, Saturday, April 27 (TNT)
Philadelphia 76ers (3) vs. Brooklyn Nets (6); Season series tied 2-2
Game 1: Nets at 76ers, Saturday, April 13 at 11:30 a.m. (ESPN)
Game 2: Nets at 76ers, Monday, April 15 at 5 p.m. (TNT)
Game 3: 76ers at Nets, Thursday, April 18 at 5 p.m. (TNT)
Game 4: 76ers at Nets, Saturday, April 20 at 12 p.m. (TNT)
Game 5*: Nets at 76ers, Tuesday, April 23 (TBD)
Game 6*: 76ers at Nets, Thursday, April 25 (TBD)
Game 7*: Nets at 76ers, Saturday, April 27 (TNT)
Boston Celtics (4) vs. Indiana Pacers (5); Boston won season series 3-1
Game 1: Pacers at Celtics, Sunday, April 14 at 10 a.m. (TNT)
Game 2: Pacers at Celtics, Wednesday, April 17 at 4 p.m. (TNT)
Game 3: Celtics at Pacers, Friday, April 19 at 5:30 p.m. (ABC)
Game 4: Celtics at Pacers, Sunday, April 21 at 10 a.m. (ABC)
Game 5*: Pacers at Celtics, Wednesday, April 24 (TBD)
Game 6*: Celtics at Pacers, Friday, April 26 (TBD)
Game 7*: Pacers at Celtics, Sunday, April 28 (TBD)
*if necessary
