After a thrilling Play-In Tournament, 16 teams entered the postseason with dreams of hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy in June.
But with the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs in the books, will the Golden State Warriors be able to successfully defend their crown? Or will a different team reach the mountaintop?
From the matchups to the schedule and more, here's everything you need to know about Round 1 as the road to the Finals begins.
When do the 2023 NBA playoffs start?
The playoffs begin on Saturday, April 15.
How do the NBA playoffs work?
All playoff series are best of seven with the higher seed holding home-court advantage. The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 5 and 7, while the lower seed gets Games 3, 4 and 6.
NBA
There is no reseeding in the NBA playoffs. So the winner of the 1-8 matchup meets the winner of the 4-5 series in the second round, while the winner of the 2-7 matchup meets the winner of the 3-6 series.
What are the 2023 NBA playoff matchups?
East
No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 8 Miami Heat
No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Atlanta Hawks
No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 6 Brooklyn Nets
No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 New York Knicks
West
No. 1 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 8 Minnesota Timberwolves
No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers
No. 3 Sacramento Kings vs. No. 6 Golden State Warriors
No. 4 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers
What is the schedule for the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs?
Here are the updated schedules for each first-round series (all times Central, * = if necessary):
No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 8 Miami Heat
Game 1: Heat 130, Bucks 117 (MIA leads 1-0)
Game 2: Bucks 128, Heat 122 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3: Heat 121, Bucks 99 (MIA leads 2-1)
Game 4: Heat 119, Bucks 114 (MIA leads 3-1)
Game 5: Heat 128, Bucks (MIA wins 4-1)
No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Atlanta Hawks
Game 1: Celtics 112, Hawks 99 (BOS leads 1-0)
Game 2: Celtics 119, Hawks 106 (BOS leads 2-0)
Game 3: Hawks 130, Celtics 122 (BOS leads 2-1)
Game 4: Celtics 129, Hawks 121 (BOS leads 3-1)
Game 5: Hawks 119, Celtics 117 (BOS leads 3-2)
Game 6: Celtics 128, Hawks 120 (BOS wins 4-2)
No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 6 Brooklyn Nets
Game 1: Sixers 121, Nets 101 (PHI leads 1-0)
Game 2: Sixers 96, Nets 84 (PHI leads 2-0)
Game 3: Sixers 102, Nets 97 (PHI leads 3-0)
Game 4: Sixers 96, Nets 88 (PHI wins 4-0)
No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 New York Knicks
Game 1: Knicks 101, Cavaliers 97 (NYK leads 1-0)
Game 2: Cavaliers 109, Knicks 90 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3: Knicks 99, Cavaliers 79 (NYK leads 2-1)
Game 4: Knicks 102, Cavaliers 93 (NYK leads 3-1)
Game 5: Knicks 106, Cavaliers 95 (NYK wins 4-1)
No. 1 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 8 Minnesota Timberwolves
Game 1: Nuggets 109, Timberwolves 80 (DEN leads 1-0)
Game 2: Nuggets 122, Timberwolves 113 (DEN leads 2-0)
Game 3: Nuggets 120, Timberwolves 111 (DEN leads 3-0)
Game 4: Timberwolves 114, Nuggets 108 (OT) (DEN leads 3-1)
Game 5: Nuggets 112, Timberwolves 109 (DEN wins 4-1)
No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers
Game 1: Lakers 128, Grizzlies 112 (LAL leads 1-0)
Game 2: Grizzlies 103, Lakers 93 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3: Lakers 111, Grizzlies 101 (LAL leads 2-1)
Game 4: Lakers 117, Grizzlies 111 (LAL leads 3-1)
Game 5: Grizzlies 116, Lakers 99 (LAL leads 3-2)
Game 6: Lakers 125, Grizzlies 85 (LAL wins 4-2)
No. 3 Sacramento Kings vs. No. 6 Golden State Warriors
Game 1: Kings 126, Warriors 123 (SAC leads 1-0)
Game 2: Kings 114, Warriors 106 (SAC leads 2-0)
Game 3: Warriors 114, Kings 97 (SAC leads 2-1)
Game 4: Warriors 126, Kings 125(Series tied 2-2)
Game 5: Warriors 123, Kings 116 (GSW leads 3-2)
Game 6: Kings 118, Warriors 99(Series tied 3-3)
Game 7: Warriors 120, Kings 100 (GSW wins 4-3)
No. 4 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers
Game 1: Clippers 115, Suns 110 (LAC leads 1-0)
Game 2: Suns 123, Clippers 109 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3: Suns 129, Clippers 124 (PHX leads 2-1)
Game 4: Suns 112, Clippers 100 (PHX leads 3-1)
Game 5: Suns 136, Clippers 130 (PHX wins 4-1)
The 2023 NBA playoffs have been quite the rollercoaster, haven't they? I've followed the NBA for years, keeping tabs on teams, matchups, and player performances. Let's dive into the concepts woven through the article you provided:
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Play-In Tournament: This thrilling prelude to the playoffs saw teams competing for the final spots. It's a recent addition to the NBA postseason, offering teams ranked 7th to 10th in each conference a chance to secure a playoff berth.
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Seeding and Home-Court Advantage: The playoffs are structured as best-of-seven series. The seeding determines which team hosts more games, with the higher seed hosting Games 1, 2, 5, and 7. This layout grants the team with the better regular-season performance the advantage of playing more games on their home court.
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No Reseeding: The NBA doesn't reseed teams after the first round. This means the winner of specific matchups will face a predetermined opponent in the subsequent round, regardless of their regular-season seeding.
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Matchups and Series Results: The article details the matchups in both the Eastern and Western Conferences, along with the results of each game in the first round. The format shows the wins and losses for each team in a best-of-seven series.
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Schedule and Game Results: It provides the schedule for each series, listing the game outcomes and the progression of the series until a team secures the required number of wins to advance or is eliminated.
It's evident that the Golden State Warriors faced a nail-biting first-round series against the Sacramento Kings, ultimately emerging victorious in a thrilling Game 7. This playoff picture paints an intense journey toward determining who will reach the NBA Finals and contend for the coveted Larry O'Brien Trophy.
