The NBA Playoffs will arrive on Saturday, and ESPN/ABC, TNT and NBA TV will provide complete coverage of the entire postseason. There are quite a few intriguing matchups, and the league and its TV partners are good at throwing the appropriate amount of televised heft behind each series based on what they think their ratings potential is.
NBA playoff schedule 2013: Celtics-Knicks open postseason Saturday afternoon
Boston and New York will be featured on ABC in the playoffs’ opening game. Celtics-Knicks, Spurs-Lakers and Thunder-Rockets get most featured slots.
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For example, the Celtics-Knicks series is easily the most-highlighted series out of the eight first round sets, with two showcases on ABC in the afternoon, including the first game of the postseason this Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. Oklahoma City/Houston, with its James Harden storyline, gets full primetime treatment on TNT. Atlanta/Indiana will feature a game on NBA TV -- usually reserved for the less intriguing Eastern Conference series -- while Miami/Milwaukee will be on both NBA TV and ABC within the first week. That's also totally perfect, since the Bucks aren't really a draw... but they also face LeBron and co.
The NBA Playoffs have an odd scheduling format, with the first four games of each series being dragged out throughout the first nine or 10 days, and then the last three in an every other day format. It’s also odd in how the TV partners handle it. TNT takes Monday-Thursday, some Saturday games and Sunday night. ESPN gets Friday nights and a Saturday tripleheader on the opening night of the postseason. ABC gets the Celtics-Knicks opener and the two Sundays that follow.
Games five and onward, and in some cases four and onward, of each series will have a TBD next to them because they’ll be assigned a game time and network based on which series have finished by the time those games happen. We’ll update this post throughout the opening round to keep it current with all the latest TV information.
Saturday, April 20
Boston vs. New York, Game 1, 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
Golden State vs. Denver, Game 1, 5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Chicago vs. Brooklyn, Game 1, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Memphis vs. LA Clippers, Game 1, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Sunday, April 21
Atlanta vs. Indiana, Game 1, 1 p.m. ET (TNT)
LA Lakers vs. San Antonio, Game 1, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Milwaukee vs. Miami, Game 1, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Houston vs. Oklahoma City, Game 1, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Monday, April 22
Chicago vs. Brooklyn, Game 2, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Memphis vs. LA Clippers, Game 2, 10:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Tuesday, April 23
Milwaukee vs. Miami, Game 2, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
Boston vs. New York, Game 2, 8 p.m. ET (TNT)
Golden State vs. Denver, Game 2, 10:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Wednesday, April 24
Houston vs. Oklahoma City, Game 2, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Atlanta vs. Indiana, Game 2, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
LA Lakers vs. San Antonio, Game 2, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Thursday, April 25
Miami vs. Milwaukee, Game 3, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Brooklyn vs. Chicago, Game 3, 8:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
LA Clippers vs. Memphis, Game 3, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Friday, April 26
New York vs. Boston, Game 3, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
San Antonio vs. LA Lakers, Game 3, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Denver vs. Golden State, Game 3, 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Saturday, April 27
Brooklyn vs. Chicago, Game 4, 2 p.m. ET (TNT)
LA Clippers vs. Memphis, Game 4, 4:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Indiana vs. Atlanta, Game 3, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Oklahoma City vs. Houston, Game 3, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Sunday, April 28
New York vs. Boston, Game 4, 1 p.m. ET (ABC)
Miami vs. Milwaukee, Game 4, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
San Antonio vs. LA Lakers, Game 4, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Denver vs. Golden State, Game 4, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Monday, April 29
Oklahoma City vs. Houston, Game 4, TBD
Indiana vs. Atlanta, Game 4, TBD
Chicago vs. Brooklyn, Game 5, TBD
Tuesday, April 30
LA Lakers vs. San Antonio, Game 5, TBD
Golden State vs. Denver, Game 5, TBD
Memphis vs. LA Clippers, Game 5, TBD
Milwaukee vs. Miami, Game 5, TBD
Wednesday, May 1
Houston vs. Oklahoma City, Game 5, TBD
Boston vs. New York, Game 5, TBD
Atlanta vs. Indiana, Game 5, TBD
Thursday, May 2
San Antonio vs. LA Lakers, Game 6, TBD
Denver vs. Golden State, Game 6, TBD
Miami vs. Milwaukee, Game 6, TBD
Brooklyn vs. Chicago, Game 6, TBD
Friday, May 3
Oklahoma City vs. Houston, Game 6, TBD
LA Clippers vs. Memphis, Game 6, TBD
New York vs. Boston, Game 6, TBD
Indiana vs. Atlanta, Game 6, TBD
Saturday, May 4
LA Lakers vs. San Antonio, Game 7, TBD (TNT)
Golden State vs. Denver, Game 7, TBD (TNT)
Milwaukee vs. Miami, Game 7, TBD (TNT)
Chicago vs. Brooklyn, Game 7, TBD (TNT)
Sunday, May 5
Houston vs. Oklahoma City, Game 7, TBD
Memphis vs. LA Clippers, Game 7, TBD
Boston vs. New York, Game 7, TBD
Atlanta vs. Indiana, Game 7, TBD
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