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NBA Playoff Schedule: Partial info on Game 1s revealed

Originally posted on Hoops Wire | By Sam Amico | Last updated Apr 14, 2025 9:50 AM ET

The NBA has yet to release all of the specifics of the first weekend of the playoffs, but it did reveal the times and broadcast information of the Game 1s being played Saturday. Only Sunday has some mystery to it.

The league has not yet announced the entire series schedules for the first round. Below is what we know so far, with the play-in schedule at the bottom (all times Eastern).

Saturday, April 19

Milwaukee at Indiana, 1 p.m., ESPN
LA Clippers at Denver, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Detroit at New York, 6 p.m., ESPN
Minnesota at LA Lakers, 8:30 p.m., ESPN

Sunday, April 20

East No. 8 seed at Cleveland, TBD
East No. 7 seed at Boston, TBD
West No. 8 seed at Oklahoma City, TBD
West No. 7 seed at Houston, TBD

In a release announcing the schedule, the league only said that “additional scheduling information will be provided as soon as possible consistent with the need to fulfill league obligations.”

Play-In Schedule
Tuesday

Hawks at Magic, 7:30 p.m., TNT
Grizzlies at Warriors, 10 p.m., TNT

Wednesday

Heat at Bulls, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Mavericks at Kings, 10 p.m., ESPN

Some around the NBA have suggested that the NBA will wait to see what the Warriors do Tuesday before scheduling Sunday’s times, though that’s just speculation. Guess we will find out if that’s actually the case late Tuesday night.

As for games involving the Cavaliers and the Thunder, it remains up in the air. There’s been talk that each could play an evening game. Generally, the NBA has preferred to keep games involving the No. 1 overall seeds in prime time.