The NBA playoffs are finally here. After one of the most exciting regular seasons in recent memory, the field is set. The Golden State Warriors finished with the best record in the league and look like the favorite to come out of the West, thanks to the superb play of Stephen Curry. The Clippers and Rockets appear to be their biggest competition for the conference crown, anchored by Chris Paul and James Harden, respectively.
There are endless story lines to follow in the West. Emerging superstar Anthony Davis will make his playoff debut while the San Antonio Spurs, who will face the Clippers in the first round, are looking to repeat as champions in what could be Tim Duncan's last season. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, remain a dark horse contender, the team no one wants to face. The entire bracket is so competitive that it's hard to predict who will advance in almost every series.
The East is not as volatile. The Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers are a step above the rest, with only the Chicago Bulls looking able to pull off an upset. The Hawks came out of nowhere to claim the top spot in the conference despite lacking the star power other teams boast but the Cavaliers and LeBron James loom large as a road block to the title for Atlanta.
The bottom half of the bracket isn't filled with elite teams but there's enough young talent to make all matchups interesting. The Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Celtics' Isaiah Thomas and the Wizards' Otto Porter are some of the potential stars of the future looking to cut their teeth in the playoffs. And for fans looking for more recognizable names, the Nets have Deron Williams and Joe Johnson on their roster, ready to reclaim their past glory.
The format
The NBA playoffs are comprised of 16 teams, divided evenly by conferences. The winner of a best of seven series advances until the East and the West crown their champions. Once there are only two squads standing, the NBA finals begin.
The teams
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Atlanta Hawks
No. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers
No. 3 Chicago Bulls
No, 4 Toronto Raptors
No. 5 Washington Wizards
No. 6 Milwaukee Bucks
No. 7 Boston Celtics
No. 8 Brooklyn Nets
Western Conference
No. 1 Golden State Warriors
No. 2 Houston Rockets
No. 3 Los Angeles Clippers
No. 4 Portland Trail Blazers
No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies
No. 6 San Antonio Spurs
No. 7 Dallas Mavericks
No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans
Bracket
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(Courtesy of NBA.com)
Schedule
NBA Finals
Golden State Warriors (67-15) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (53-29)
Game 1: Golden State Warriors 108, Cleveland Cavaliers 100, OT (Recap)
Game 2: Cleveland Cavaliers 95, Golden State Warriors 93, OT (Recap)
Game 3: Cleveland Cavaliers 96, Golden State Warriors 91 (Recap)
Game 4: Golden State Warriors 103, Cleveland Cavaliers 82 (Recap)
Game 5: Golden State Warriors 104, Cleveland Cavaliers 91 (Recap)
Game 6: Golden State Warriors 105, Cleveland Cavaliers 97 (Recap)
Western Conference
No. 1 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 2 Houston Rockets
Game 1: Golden State Warriors 110, Houston Rockets 106 (Recap)
Game 2: Golden State Warriors 99, Houston Rockets 98 (Recap)
Game 3: Golden State Warriors 115, Houston Rockets 80 (Recap)
Game 4: Houston Rockets 128, Golden State Warriors 115 (Recap)
Game 5: Golden State Warriors 104, Houston Rockets 90 (Recap)
★★★
No. 1 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies
Game 1: Golden State Warriors 101, Memphis Grizzlies 86 (Recap)
Game 2: Memphis Grizzlies 97, Golden State Warriors 90 (Recap)
Game 3: Memphis Grizzlies 99, Golden State Warriors 89 (Recap)
Game 4: Golden State Warriors 101, Memphis Grizzlies 84 (Recap)
Game 5: Golden State Warriors 98, Memphis Grizzlies 78 (Recap)
Game 6: Golden State Warriors 108, Memphis Grizzlies 95 (Recap)
No. 2 Houston Rockets vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Clippers
Game 1: Los Angeles Clippers 117, Houston Rockets 101 (Recap)
Game 2: Houston Rockets 115, Los Angeles Clippers 109 (Recap)
Game 3: Los Angeles Clippers 124, Houston Rockets 99 (Recap)
Game 4: Los Angeles Clippers 128, Houston Rockets 95 (Recap)
Game 5: Houston Rockets 124, Los Angeles Clippers 103 (Recap)
Game 6: Houston Rockets 119, Los Angeles Clippers 107 (Recap)
Game 7: Houston Rockets 113, Los Angeles Clippers 100 (Recap)
★★★
No. 1 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans
Game 1: Golden State Warriors 106, New Orleans Pelicans 99 (Recap)
Game 2: Golden State Warriors 97, New Orleans Pelicans 87 (Recap)
Game 3: Golden State Warriors 123, New Orleans Pelicans 113 (Recap)
Game 4: Golden State Warriors 109, New Orleans Pelicans 98 (Recap)
No. 2 Houston Rockets vs. No. 7 Dallas Mavericks
Game 1: Houston Rockets 118, Dallas Mavericks 108 (Recap)
Game 2: Houston Rockets 111, Dallas Mavericks 99 (Recap)
Game 3: Houston Rockets 130, Dallas Mavericks 128 (Recap)
Game 4: Dallas Mavericks 121, Houston Rockets 109 (Recap)
Game 5: Houston Rockets 103, Dallas Mavericks 94 (Recap)
No. 3 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 6 San Antonio Spurs
Game 1: Los Angeles Clippers 107, San Antonio Spurs 92 (Recap)
Game 2: San Antonio Spurs 111, Los Angeles Clippers 107 (Recap)
Game 3: San Antonio Spurs 100, Los Angeles Clippers 73 (Recap)
Game 4: Los Angeles Clippers 114, San Antonio Spurs 105 (Recap)
Game 5: San Antonio Spurs 111, Los Angeles Clippers 107 (Recap)
Game 6: Los Angeles Clippers 102, San Antonio Spurs 96 (Recap)
Game 7: Los Angeles Clippers 111, San Antonio Spurs 109 (Recap)
No. 4 Portland Trail Blazers vs. No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies
Game 1: Memphis Grizzlies 100, Portland Trail Blazers 86 (Recap)
Game 2: Memphis Grizzlies 97, Portland Trail Blazers 82 (Recap)
Game 3: Memphis Grizzlies 115, Portland Trail Blazers 109 (Recap)
Game 4: Portland Trail Blazers 99, Memphis Grizzlies 92 (Recap)
Game 5: Memphis Grizzlies 99, Portland Trail Blazers 93 (Recap)
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Atlanta Hawks vs. No. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers
Game 1: Cleveland Cavaliers 97, Atlanta Hawks 89 (Recap)
Game 2: Cleveland Cavaliers 94, Atlanta Hawks 82 (Recap)
Game 3: Cleveland Cavaliers 114, Atlanta Hawks 111 (Recap)
Game 4: Cleveland Cavaliers 118, Atlanta Hawks 88 (Recap)
★★★
No. 1 Atlanta Hawks vs. No. 5 Washington Wizards
Game 1: Washington Wizards 104, Atlanta Hawks 98 (Recap)
Game 2: Atlanta Hawks 106, Washington Wizards 90 (Recap)
Game 3: Washington Wizards 103, Atlanta Hawks 101 (Recap)
Game 4: Atlanta Hawks 106, Washington Wizards 101 (Recap)
Game 5: Atlanta Hawks 82, Washington Wizards 81 (Recap)
Game 6: Atlanta Hawks 94, Washington Wizards 91 (Recap)
No. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 3 Chicago Bulls
Game 1: Chicago Bulls 99, Cleveland Cavaliers 92 (Recap)
Game 2: Cleveland Cavaliers 106, Chicago Bulls 91 (Recap)
Game 3: Chicago Bulls 99, Cleveland Cavaliers 96 (Recap)
Game 4: Cleveland Cavaliers 86, Chicago Bulls 84 (Recap)
Game 5: Cleveland Cavaliers 106, Chicago Bulls 101 (Recap)
Game 6: Cleveland Cavaliers 94, Chicago Bulls 73 (Recap)
★★★
No. 1 Atlanta Hawks vs. No. 8 Brooklyn Nets
Game 1: Atlanta Hawks 99, Brooklyn Nets 92 (Recap)
Game 2: Atlanta Hawks 96, Brooklyn Nets 91 (Recap)
Game 3: Brooklyn Nets 91, Atlanta Hawks 83 (Recap)
Game 4: Brooklyn Nets 120, Atlanta Hawks 115 (Recap)
Game 5: Atlanta Hawks 107, Brooklyn Nets 97 (Recap)
Game 6: Atlanta Hawks 111, Brooklyn Nets 87 (Recap)
No. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 7 Boston Celtics
Game 1: Cleveland Cavaliers 113, Boston Celtics 100 (Recap)
Game 2: Cleveland Cavaliers 99, Boston Celtics 91 (Recap)
Game 3: Cleveland Cavaliers 103, Boston Celtics 95 (Recap)
Game 4: Cleveland Cavaliers 101, Boston Celtics 93 (Recap)
No. 3 Chicago Bulls vs. No. 6 Milwaukee Bucks
Game 1: Chicago Bulls 103, Milwaukee Bucks 91 (Recap)
Game 2: Chicago Bulls 91, Milwaukee Bucks 82 (Recap)
Game 3: Chicago Bulls 113, Milwaukee Bucks 106 (Recap)
Game 4: Milwaukee Bucks 92, Chicago Bulls 90 (Recap)
Game 5: Milwaukee Bucks 94, Chicago Bulls 88 (Recap)
Game 6: Chicago Bulls 120, Milwaukee Bucks 66 (Recap)
No. 4 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 5 Washington Wizards
Game 1: Washington Wizards 93, Toronto Raptors 86 (Recap)
Game 2: Washington Wizards 117, Toronto Raptors 106 (Recap)
Game 3: Washington Wizards 106, Toronto Raptors 99 (Recap)
Game 4: Washington Wizards 125, Toronto Raptors 94 (Recap)