The NBA playoffs continue this Sunday with four games. The best teams in the East will begin their journey early in the afternoon. The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks will look to start on the right foot when they face the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets, respectively. After that, the shorthanded Portland Trail Blazers will look to steal the first game of the series in Memphis against the Grizzlies. Closing the day is the best game in the first round: the Los Angeles Clippers vs. the San Antonio Spurs.
NBA playoff schedule 2015: Clippers vs. Spurs headline Sunday’s slate
The second day of the 2015 NBA playoffs offers some interesting games, including the much anticipated clash between the Spurs and the Clippers.
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In theory the Cavaliers and Hawks should advance easily against opponents that lost more games than they won in the regular season. Yet, Brad Stevens has the Celtics playing as a team and the Nets have playoff-tested veterans on their squad, who could step up their game. How well the newly assembled Cavaliers and the starless Hawks handle the first round could tell us a lot about their ceiling.
Memphis vs. Portland would have been a fantastic series if not for all the injuries. Wesley Matthews is out for the season, while Arron Afflalo, C.J. McCollum and Nicolas Batum suffered injuries in the end of the regular season that could linger into the playoffs. The Grizzlies have concerns of their own, as Tony Allen and Mike Conley missed time before the postseason. It will still be a great battle featuring LaMarcus Aldridge, Damian Lillard, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, so entertainment is guaranteed.
Finally, the Clippers will host the Spurs in a clash of legitimate contenders. The Clippers boast the best offense in the league and two superstars in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. The Spurs brought back the same core that won it all last year and finished the season on a tear. It's really a luxury to have a series featuring such accomplished teams in the first round.
Schedule (all times ET)
Boston at Cleveland, Sunday, April 19. 3 p.m. (ABC)
Brooklyn at Atlanta, Sunday, April 19. 5:30 p.m. (TNT)
Portland at Memphis, Sunday, April 19. 8 p.m. (TNT)
San Antonio at Los Angeles, Sunday, April 19. 10:30 p.m. (TNT)
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