NBA playoffs 2024: First-round news, schedule, scores and highlights
The Lakers avoided the sweep, while the Thunder, Celtics and Magic rolled on Saturday. Here's what you need to know about the first round, including the latest scores, news and schedules.
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The first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs are underway and expect plenty of drama after a memorable regular season.
The Boston Celtics clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference in March and have homecourt advantage through the entire postseason as they look to return to the Finals for the first time since 2022 and hang an NBA championship banner for the first time since 2008. Among the series in the East to watch will be the No. 2 seed New York Knicks, who will clash against reigning MVP Joel Embiid and the No. 7 seed Philadelphia 76ers.
In the West, the defending champion Denver Nuggets are the 2-seed, behind the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets drew a high-profile matchup for the first round, taking on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
After the play-in tournament, the 16-team NBA playoffs began with four games on April 20 and four more on April 21. Eight teams from each conference reach the first round and face off in a best-of-7 series to advance. All four rounds of the NBA playoffs are best-of-7, and teams are not reseeded after each round. The team with the better regular-season record in each series will have homecourt advantage for that series. All series are played in a 2-2-1-1-1 format, with the team with the better record hosting Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 (if necessary).
We'll have complete coverage of the NBA playoffs all the way through the 2024 NBA Finals, which tip off on June 6 on ABC and the ESPN app.
MORE: Previewing all 16 playoff teams | Offseason guides for every team
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Boston Celtics (1) lead Miami Heat (8), 2-1
Game 1: Celtics 114, Heat 94
Game 2: Heat 111, Celtics 101
Game 3: Celtics 104, Heat 84
Game 4: Monday, April 29 at Miami, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 5: Wednesday, May 1 at Boston, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, May 3 at Miami
Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, May 5 at Boston
'They bullied us': Celts' D answers call in Game 3 rout
Heat torch Celtics with 23 3-pointers to even series in Game 2
Jayson Tatum sparks Celtics to win over Heat, downplays fall
Sources: Heat's Butler (knee) expected to miss several weeks
Holiday lands Celtics contract extension ahead of playoffs
New York Knicks (2) lead Philadelphia 76ers (7), 2-1
Game 1: Knicks 111, 76ers 104
Game 2: Knicks 104, 76ers 101
Game 3: 76ers 125, Knicks 114
Game 4: Sunday, April 28 at Philadelphia, 1 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 5: Tuesday, April 30 at New York
Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday, May 2 at Philadelphia
Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, May 4 at New York (TNT)
Embiid scores 50 in Game 3 win, reveals Bell's palsy diagnosis
Knicks call Embiid's flagrant on Mitchell Robinson 'dirty'
Bontemps: Why the Sixers situaton might not be as dire as it seems
Maxey fouled twice during chaotic Game 2 sequence, L2M report says
Embiid: 76ers 'are going to win this' despite 2-0 hole vs. Knicks
Indiana Pacers (6) lead Milwaukee Bucks (3), 2-1
Game 1: Bucks 109, Pacers 94
Game 2: Pacers 125, Bucks 108
Game 3: Pacers 121, Bucks 118 (OT)
Game 4: Sunday, April 28 at Indiana, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 5: Tuesday, April 30 at Milwaukee
Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday, May 2 at Indiana
Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, May 4 at Milwaukee (TNT)
Lillard aggravates Achilles injury in Bucks' Game 3 loss
Haliburton's winner ices Bucks in OT as Pacers take series lead
Bucks' Antetokounmpo remains out for Game 3; Middleton plays
Haliburton: Brother called racial slur by fan in Milwaukee
Collier: Game balls, Dame Time taunts and the budding Bucks-Pacers beef
Cleveland Cavaliers (4) tied with Orlando Magic (5), 2-2
Game 1: Cavaliers 97, Magic 83
Game 2: Cavaliers 96, Magic, 86
Game 3: Magic 121, Cavaliers 83
Game 4: Magic 112, Cavaliers 89
Game 5: Tuesday, April 30 at Cleveland
Game 6: Friday, May 3 at Orlando
Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, May 5 at Cleveland
Donovan Mitchell, Cavs go cold as Magic even series in Game 4
'Floodgates open' for Magic's Banchero in crucial Game 3 win
Tynes: How tough love (and disrespect) fuels Paolo Banchero
Andrews: How the Cavs' defense locked down the Magic in Games 1 and 2
Magic's Jalen Suggs returns to Game 2 after injuring knee
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Oklahoma City Thunder (1) lead New Orleans Pelicans (8), 3-0
Game 1: Thunder 94, Pelicans 92
Game 2: Thunder 124, Pelicans 92
Game 3: Thunder 106, Pelicans 85
Game 4: Monday, April 29 at New Orleans, 8:30 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, May 1 at Oklahoma City, 8:30 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, May 3 at New Orleans
Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, May 5 at Oklahoma City
OKC shows 'uncommon maturity,' up 3-0 on Pels
Injured Zion: Playoff return 'definitely realistic'
Thunder clinch 1-seed, keep 'eyes on the prize'
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Denver Nuggets (2) lead Los Angeles Lakers (7), 3-1
Game 1: Nuggets 114, Lakers 103
Game 2: Nuggets 101, Lakers 99
Game 3: Nuggets 112, Lakers 105
Game 4: Lakers 119, Nuggets 108
Game 5: Monday, April 29 at Denver, 10 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday, May 2 at Los Angeles
Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, May 4 at Denver (TNT)
Lakers' Ham not changing lineup as Nuggets eye four-game sweep
Lakers falter in Game 3, on brink of another sweep by Nuggets
Lakers try to take positives from Game 2 collapse vs. Nuggets
Police eye Nikola Jokic's brother for reported fan punch
Lakers' LeBron James sounds off on officiating and replay center
Minnesota Timberwolves (3) lead Phoenix Suns (6), 3-0
Game 1: Timberwolves 120, Suns 95
Game 2: Timberwolves 105, Suns 93
Game 3: Timberwolves 126, Suns 109
Game 4: Sunday, April 28 at Phoenix, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 5 (if necessary): Tuesday, April 30 at Minnesota
Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday, May 2 at Phoenix
Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, May 4 at Minnesota
Facing sweep, Kevin Durant hopes Suns use fans' boos as 'fuel'
Timberwolves' Naz Reid wins NBA Sixth Man of the Year award
Suns' Grayson Allen aggravates ankle injury vs. Timberwolves
MacMahon: Why do so many players have beef with Rudy Gobert?
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Dallas Mavericks (5) lead LA Clippers (4), 2-1
Game 1: Clippers 109, Mavericks 97
Game 2: Mavericks 96, Clippers 93
Game 3: Mavericks 101, Clippers 90
Game 4: Sunday, April 28 at Dallas, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 5: Wednesday, May 1 at Los Angeles, 10 p.m. ET (TNT)
Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, May 3 at Dallas
Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, May 5 at Los Angeles
Leonard says knee 'didn't respond' as hoped; status for Game 4 in air
Westbrook, Washington ejected in chippy Mavs' Game 3 win over Clippers
Lowe: Why both the Mavs and Clippers face enormous pressure
Pelton: What history can tell us about the future of the Mavericks-Clippers series
Youngmisuk: The moment that transformed Westbrook and the Clippers' title chase