2024 NBA playoffs: Difference between revisions
Chong Yi Lam (talk | contribs) Undid revision 1220357449 by 116.15.250.106 (talk): In the same section it states that San Antonio has missed the postseason for the fifth straight season, during which they reached the play-in twice but never qualified for the playoffs. Hence it can be seen that the term "postseason" includes only playoff appearances. |
Chong Yi Lam (talk | contribs) Undid revision 1220357469 by 116.15.250.106 (talk) |
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===Updates to postseason appearances=== |
===Updates to postseason appearances=== |
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* The [[2023–24 Boston Celtics season|Boston Celtics]] entered the postseason for the tenth consecutive season, currently the longest such streak in the NBA. They also won the [[Maurice Podoloff Trophy]] for clinching the best record in the NBA for the first time since [[2007–08 Boston Celtics season|2008]]. |
* The [[2023–24 Boston Celtics season|Boston Celtics]] entered the postseason for the tenth consecutive season, currently the longest such streak in the NBA. They also won the [[Maurice Podoloff Trophy]] for clinching the best record in the NBA for the first time since [[2007–08 Boston Celtics season|2008]]. |
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* The [[2023–24 Oklahoma City Thunder season|Oklahoma City Thunder]] entered the postseason for the |
* The [[2023–24 Oklahoma City Thunder season|Oklahoma City Thunder]] entered the postseason for the first time since [[2019–20 Oklahoma City Thunder season|2020]]. They also clinched the number one seed in the Western Conference for the first time since [[2012–13 Oklahoma City Thunder season|2013]]. |
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* The [[2023–24 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee Bucks]] entered the postseason for the eighth consecutive season. |
* The [[2023–24 Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee Bucks]] entered the postseason for the eighth consecutive season. |
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* The [[2023–24 Philadelphia 76ers season|Philadelphia 76ers]] entered the postseason for the seventh consecutive season. |
* The [[2023–24 Philadelphia 76ers season|Philadelphia 76ers]] entered the postseason for the seventh consecutive season. |
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| Line 31: | Line 31: | ||
* The [[2023–24 Los Angeles Clippers season|Los Angeles Clippers]], [[2023–24 New York Knicks season|New York Knicks]], [[2023–24 Cleveland Cavaliers season|Cleveland Cavaliers]] and [[2023–24 Los Angeles Lakers season|Los Angeles Lakers]] entered the postseason for the second consecutive season. |
* The [[2023–24 Los Angeles Clippers season|Los Angeles Clippers]], [[2023–24 New York Knicks season|New York Knicks]], [[2023–24 Cleveland Cavaliers season|Cleveland Cavaliers]] and [[2023–24 Los Angeles Lakers season|Los Angeles Lakers]] entered the postseason for the second consecutive season. |
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* The [[2023–24 Dallas Mavericks season|Dallas Mavericks]] and [[2023–24 New Orleans Pelicans season|New Orleans Pelicans]] returned to the postseason after missing the playoffs the previous year. |
* The [[2023–24 Dallas Mavericks season|Dallas Mavericks]] and [[2023–24 New Orleans Pelicans season|New Orleans Pelicans]] returned to the postseason after missing the playoffs the previous year. |
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* The [[2023–24 Orlando Magic season|Orlando Magic]] and [[2023–24 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana Pacers]] entered the postseason for the first time [[2020 NBA playoffs| |
* The [[2023–24 Orlando Magic season|Orlando Magic]] and [[2023–24 Indiana Pacers season|Indiana Pacers]] entered the postseason for the first time since [[2020 NBA playoffs|2020]]. |
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* The [[2023–24 Sacramento Kings season|Sacramento Kings]] |
* The [[2023–24 Sacramento Kings season|Sacramento Kings]] missed the postseason after making the playoffs the previous year. |
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* The [[2023–24 Golden State Warriors season|Golden State Warriors]] |
* The [[2023–24 Golden State Warriors season|Golden State Warriors]] missed the postseason for the first time since [[2020–21 Golden State Warriors season|2021]]. |
||
* The [[2023–24 Memphis Grizzlies season|Memphis Grizzlies]] and [[2023–24 Atlanta Hawks season|Atlanta Hawks]] missed the postseason for the first time since [[2020 NBA playoffs|2020]]. |
* The [[2023–24 Memphis Grizzlies season|Memphis Grizzlies]] and [[2023–24 Atlanta Hawks season|Atlanta Hawks]] missed the postseason for the first time since [[2020 NBA playoffs|2020]]. |
||
* The [[2023–24 Brooklyn Nets season|Brooklyn Nets]] missed the postseason for the first time since [[2017-18 Brooklyn Nets season|2018]]. |
* The [[2023–24 Brooklyn Nets season|Brooklyn Nets]] missed the postseason for the first time since [[2017-18 Brooklyn Nets season|2018]]. |
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Revision as of 14:56, 23 April 2024
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 20 – June 2024[a] |
| Season | 2023–24 |
| Teams | 16 |
The 2024 NBA playoffs is the ongoing postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2023–24 season. The playoffs began on April 20 and will conclude with the 2024 NBA Finals in June.
Overview
Updates to postseason appearances
- The Boston Celtics entered the postseason for the tenth consecutive season, currently the longest such streak in the NBA. They also won the Maurice Podoloff Trophy for clinching the best record in the NBA for the first time since 2008.
- The Oklahoma City Thunder entered the postseason for the first time since 2020. They also clinched the number one seed in the Western Conference for the first time since 2013.
- The Milwaukee Bucks entered the postseason for the eighth consecutive season.
- The Philadelphia 76ers entered the postseason for the seventh consecutive season.
- The Denver Nuggets entered the postseason for the sixth consecutive season.
- The Miami Heat entered the postseason for the fifth consecutive season.
- The Phoenix Suns entered the postseason for the fourth consecutive season.
- The Minnesota Timberwolves will enter the postseason for the third consecutive season.
- The Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers entered the postseason for the second consecutive season.
- The Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans returned to the postseason after missing the playoffs the previous year.
- The Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers entered the postseason for the first time since 2020.
- The Sacramento Kings missed the postseason after making the playoffs the previous year.
- The Golden State Warriors missed the postseason for the first time since 2021.
- The Memphis Grizzlies and Atlanta Hawks missed the postseason for the first time since 2020.
- The Brooklyn Nets missed the postseason for the first time since 2018.
- The Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs missed the postseason for the fifth consecutive season.
- The Charlotte Hornets missed the postseason for the eighth consecutive season, currently the longest active postseason drought in the NBA.
Notable occurrences
- This is the first playoffs to not feature Chris Paul since 2010.
- With an average of 23.9 years old, the Oklahoma City Thunder became the youngest team to earn the 1-seed in NBA history.[2]
- The Thunder also became the seventh different Western Conference 1-seed in the last seven years, the longest stretch in the West since the 16-team format began in 1984.[3]
- The Boston Celtics finished first in the Eastern Conference standings by 14 games, which is the largest margin between No. 1 and No. 2 in either conference since 1976.[4]
- All home teams in the first round matchups won game 1, the first time this has happened since 2013.
Format
Eight teams from each conference participate in the playoffs. The top six teams in each conference, based on winning percentage, directly qualify for the playoffs; the seeding order of those teams is also based on winning percentage. If two or more teams had the same record, standard NBA tiebreaker rules are used.
The NBA Board of Governors adopted a format starting in 2021 to have a play-in tournament involving the teams ranked 7th through 10th in each conference. The 7th place team and 8th place team participate in a "double-chance" game, with the winner advancing to the playoffs as the 7-seed. The loser then plays the winner of the elimination game between the 9th place and 10th place teams to determine the playoff's 8-seed. The NBA's regular playoff format then proceeds as normal.[5]
Each conference's bracket is fixed with no reseeding. All rounds are a best-of-seven series; a series ends when one team wins four games, and that team advances to the next round. All rounds, including the NBA Finals, are in a 2–2–1–1–1 format with regards to hosting. In the conference playoffs, home-court advantage goes to the higher-seeded team (number one being the highest). For the NBA Finals, home-court advantage goes to the team with the better regular season record, and, if needed, ties are broken based on head-to-head record, followed by intra-conference record.
Playoff qualifying
On March 14, 2024, the Boston Celtics became the first team to clinch a playoff spot.[6] While noted in the below tables, division titles have no bearing on seeding.[7]
Seeds 7 and 8 in each conference were determined via the first-stage play-in tournament, held April 16–19.
Eastern Conference
| Seed | Team | Record | Clinched | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Play-in berth | Playoff berth | Division title | Best record in conference |
Best record in NBA | |||
| 1 | Boston Celtics | 64–18 | — | March 14[6] | March 20[8] | March 24[9] | April 3[10] |
| 2 | New York Knicks | 50–32 | — | April 10[11] | — | — | — |
| 3 | Milwaukee Bucks | 49–33 | — | April 7[12] | April 14[13] | — | — |
| 4 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 48–34 | — | April 12[14] | — | — | — |
| 5 | Orlando Magic | 47–35 | — | April 14[15] | April 14[15] | — | — |
| 6 | Indiana Pacers | 47–35 | — | April 14[16] | — | — | — |
| 7 | Philadelphia 76ers | 47–35 | April 14[16] | April 17[17] | — | — | — |
| 8 | Miami Heat | 46–36 | April 14[16] | April 19[18] | — | — | — |
Chicago (39–43) and Atlanta (36–46) also secured play-in berths but did not advance to the playoffs.[18][19]
Western Conference
| Seed | Team | Record | Clinched | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Play-in berth | Playoff berth | Division title | Best record in conference |
Best record in NBA | |||
| 1 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 57–25 | — | March 31[20] | April 14[16] | April 14[16] | — |
| 2 | Denver Nuggets | 57–25 | — | March 31[21] | — | — | — |
| 3 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 56–26 | — | April 1[22] | — | — | — |
| 4 | Los Angeles Clippers | 51–31 | — | April 9[23] | April 9[23] | — | — |
| 5 | Dallas Mavericks | 50–32 | — | April 9[23] | April 10[24] | — | — |
| 6 | Phoenix Suns | 49–33 | — | April 14[16] | — | — | — |
| 7 | Los Angeles Lakers | 47–35 | April 10[25] | April 16[26] | — | — | — |
| 8 | New Orleans Pelicans | 49–33 | April 14[16] | April 19[18] | — | — | — |
Sacramento (46–36) and Golden State (46–36) also secured play-in berths but did not advance to the playoffs.[18][27]
Play-in tournament brackets
Eastern Conference
| Play-in games | No. 8 seed game | Final seeds | |||||||||||
| 7 | Philadelphia | 105 | 7 | Philadelphia | No. 7 seed | ||||||||
| 8 | Miami | 104 | 8 | Miami | No. 8 seed | ||||||||
| 8 | Miami | 112 | |||||||||||
| 9 | Chicago | 91 | |||||||||||
| 9 | Chicago | 131 | |||||||||||
| 10 | Atlanta | 116 | |||||||||||
Bold Game winner
Italic Team with home-court advantage
Western Conference
| Play-in games | No. 8 seed game | Final seeds | |||||||||||
| 7 | New Orleans | 106 | 8 | LA Lakers | No. 7 seed | ||||||||
| 8 | LA Lakers | 110 | 7 | New Orleans | No. 8 seed | ||||||||
| 7 | New Orleans | 105 | |||||||||||
| 9 | Sacramento | 98 | |||||||||||
| 9 | Sacramento | 118 | |||||||||||
| 10 | Golden State | 94 | |||||||||||
Bold Game winner
Italic Team with home-court advantage
Bracket
Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Teams with home court advantage, the higher seeded team, are shown in italics.
| First round | Conference semifinals | Conference finals | NBA Finals | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Boston* | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E8 | Miami | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E | |||||||||||||||||||
| E | |||||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Cleveland | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Orlando* | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E | |||||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| E | |||||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Milwaukee* | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E6 | Indiana | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E | |||||||||||||||||||
| E | |||||||||||||||||||
| E2 | New York | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E7 | Philadelphia | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E | |||||||||||||||||||
| W | |||||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Oklahoma City* | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W8 | New Orleans | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W | |||||||||||||||||||
| W | |||||||||||||||||||
| W4 | LA Clippers* | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Dallas* | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W | |||||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| W | |||||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Minnesota | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W6 | Phoenix | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W | |||||||||||||||||||
| W | |||||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Denver | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| W7 | LA Lakers | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
First round
- Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.
Eastern Conference first round
(1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Miami Heat
April 21
1:00 pm |
| Miami Heat 94, Boston Celtics 114 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–26, 24–34, 14–31, 35–23 | ||
| Pts: Bam Adebayo 24 Rebs: Adebayo, Jović 6 each Asts: Herro, Jaquez Jr. 4 each |
Pts: Jayson Tatum 23 Rebs: Jayson Tatum 10 Asts: Jayson Tatum 10 | |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 | ||
Jayson Tatum recorded his first playoff triple-double, leading the Celtics to a 114–94 Game 1 victory over the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat. Tatum's performance of 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists was complemented by his teammates, as they knocked down 21 of Boston's 22 three-pointers. Derrick White added 20 points and four assists for Boston, which finished with six players in double-figures. The Heat, who were without Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier, never held a lead and trailed by as much as 34 points. Bam Adebayo had a game-high 24 points, while Delon Wright and Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished with 17 and 16 points respectively.
| Boston won 3–0 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This is the seventh playoff meeting between the two teams, with the Heat winning four of the first six meetings.[28]
| Miami leads 4–2 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(2) New York Knicks vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers
April 20
6:00 pm |
| Philadelphia 76ers 104, New York Knicks 111 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 34–25, 12–33, 36–21, 22–32 | ||
| Pts: Tyrese Maxey 33 Rebs: Tobias Harris 9 Asts: Joel Embiid 6 |
Pts: Brunson, Hart 22 each Rebs: Josh Hart 13 Asts: Jalen Brunson 7 | |
| New York leads series, 1–0 | ||
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Attendance: 19,812 Referees: Scott Foster, Brian Forte, Sean Corbin |
With the Knicks' starters struggling, the New York bench outscored the 76ers' bench 42–7, with Miles McBride, Bojan Bogdanović and Mitchell Robinson leading the way to win Game 1. McBride scored 21 points and outscored Philadelphia 13–12 in the second quarter, as he brought the Knicks out of an early 13-point deficit. Josh Hart recorded a double-double and hit multiple three-pointers late in the fourth quarter, while Jalen Brunson had seven rebounds and seven assists. A hobbled Joel Embiid scored 29 points, alongside eight rebounds and six assists, while Tyrese Maxey had a game-high 33 points. Despite a higher field goal percentage, the Sixers were outrebounded, as they conceded 23 offensive rebounds to New York.
April 22
7:30 pm |
| Philadelphia 76ers 101, New York Knicks 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–18, 28–31, 21–30, 27–25 | ||
| Pts: Tyrese Maxey 35 Rebs: Joel Embiid 11 Asts: Tyrese Maxey 10 |
Pts: Jalen Brunson 24 Rebs: Josh Hart 15 Asts: Jalen Brunson 6 | |
| New York leads series, 2–0 | ||
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Attendance: 19.812 Referees: John Goble, Courtney Kirkland, Gediminas Petraitis |
| New York won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
This is the tenth playoff meeting between these two teams, and the fifth since the Syracuse Nationals relocated to Philadelphia in 1963, with the 76ers winning six of the first nine meetings.[29]
| Philadelphia leads 6–3 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(3) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (6) Indiana Pacers
April 21
7:00 pm (6:00 pm CDT) |
| Indiana Pacers 94, Milwaukee Bucks 109 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–30, 21–39, 29–14, 23–26 | ||
| Pts: Pascal Siakam 36 Rebs: Pascal Siakam 13 Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 8 |
Pts: Damian Lillard 35 Rebs: Bobby Portis 11 Asts: Patrick Beverley 8 | |
| Milwaukee leads series, 1–0 | ||
In his first playoff game in three years, Damian Lillard scored all 35 of his points in the first half to give the Bucks a 27-point halftime lead and ultimately secure a 1–0 series advantage without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Khris Middleton also had 23 points and 10 rebounds on 64% shooting for the Bucks, while Bobby Portis added 15 points and 11 rebounds. The Pacers, who averaged a league-high 123.3 points per game, finished with a season-low 94 points and shot 8-of-38 (21%) from three-point range. Pascal Siakam finished with a game-high 36 points and 13 rebounds on 60% shooting, center Myles Turner shot 5-for-17 from the field, and Tyrese Haliburton finished with nine points and eight assists in his playoff debut.
| Indiana won 4–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
This is the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pacers winning the first two meetings.[30]
| Indiana leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Orlando Magic
April 20
1:00 pm |
| Orlando Magic 83, Cleveland Cavaliers 97 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–33, 15–20, 17–20, 25–24 | ||
| Pts: Paolo Banchero 24 Rebs: Banchero, Wagner 7 each Asts: Paolo Banchero 5 |
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 30 Rebs: Jarrett Allen 18 Asts: Darius Garland 8 | |
| Cleveland leads series, 1–0 | ||
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH
Attendance: 19,432 Referees: James Williams, Mark Lindsay, Pat Fraher |
The Cavaliers led wire-to-wire to take the series opener. Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, Jarrett Allen grabbed 18 rebounds, Darius Garland had eight assists, and Evan Mobley notched a double-double. Paolo Banchero, the first overall pick in 2022, scored 24 points in his playoff debut but committed nine turnovers, contributing to the Magic's offensive struggles, as they shot 33% from the field and missed 11 free throws. The Cavaliers, who are 17–1 all-time in playoff series after winning Game 1, set the tone for the game after making five three-pointers in the opening five minutes of the game, giving them an early 12-point lead that they rode for the remainder of the game.
April 22
7:00 pm |
| Orlando Magic 86, Cleveland Cavaliers 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–30, 26–28, 21–22, 21–16 | ||
| Pts: Paolo Banchero 21 Rebs: Franz Wagner 7 Asts: Jalen Suggs 5 |
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 23 Rebs: Jarrett Allen 20 Asts: three players 4 each | |
| Cleveland leads series, 2–0 | ||
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH
Attendance: 19,432 Referees: James Capers, Ben Taylor, Brent Barnaky |
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
This is the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Magic winning the first meeting.[31]
| Orlando leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Western Conference first round
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) New Orleans Pelicans
April 21
9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT) |
| New Orleans Pelicans 92, Oklahoma City Thunder 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–17, 26–26, 25–31, 24–20 | ||
| Pts: Trey Murphy III 21 Rebs: Jonas Valanciunas 20 Asts: CJ McCollum 6 |
Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 28 Rebs: Chet Holmgren 11 Asts: Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams 4 each | |
| Oklahoma City leads series, 1–0 | ||
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 28-point performance, including a go-ahead basket in the final minute, secured the Thunder's first home playoff win in five years. Rookie Chet Holmgren delivered a double-double to go along with five blocks, while Jalen Williams provided 19 points. For New Orleans, CJ McCollum had 20 points, Trey Murphy III finished with a team-high 21 points, and Jonas Valančiūnas grabbed 20 rebounds in addition to his 13 points. The game stayed close with 20 lead changes and 13 ties, as no team held a lead bigger than 10. After a Holmgren free throw made it a two-point game with 14 seconds left, Thunder rookie Cason Wallace forced McCollum into a difficult three-pointer that missed as time expired.
| Oklahoma City won 2–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||
This is the first playoff meeting between these two teams.[32]
(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (7) Los Angeles Lakers
April 20
8:30 pm (6:30 pm MDT) |
| Los Angeles Lakers 103, Denver Nuggets 114 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 33–25, 27–32, 18–32, 25–25 | ||
| Pts: Anthony Davis 32 Rebs: Anthony Davis 14 Asts: LeBron James 8 |
Pts: Nikola Jokić 32 Rebs: Nikola Jokić 12 Asts: Jamal Murray 10 | |
| Denver leads series, 1–0 | ||
In a rematch of last year's Western Conference Finals, the Nuggets won their ninth consecutive game against the Lakers, fueled by Nikola Jokić's 32 points and 12 rebounds on 65% from the field. Jamal Murray contributed 22 points and 10 assists, as the two-man game of Jokić and Murray yielded 17 assists to zero turnovers. Aaron Gordon secured a double-double while Michael Porter Jr. finished with 19 points and eight rebounds. On the Lakers' side, LeBron James scored 27 points and Anthony Davis added 32, as Los Angeles led for the majority of the first half. But a 13–0 run late in the third quarter by the Nuggets, which included three Kentavious Caldwell-Pope three-pointers, allowed them to seize control of the game.
April 22
10:00 pm (8:00 pm MDT) |
| Los Angeles Lakers 99, Denver Nuggets 101 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–24, 31–20, 20–25, 20–32 | ||
| Pts: Anthony Davis 32 Rebs: Anthony Davis 11 Asts: LeBron James 12 |
Pts: Nikola Jokić 27 Rebs: Nikola Jokić 20 Asts: Nikola Jokić 10 | |
| Denver leads series, 2–0 | ||
The Nuggets came back from a 20-point deficit to win it at the buzzer. The Lakers dominated in the first half, cruising to a 59–44 lead at halftime. However, Denver, led by Nikola Jokić's 27-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist triple double, fought their way back into the game. Michael Porter Jr. scored 22 points, while Jamal Murray finished with 20. Anthony Davis led the scoring for the Lakers, scoring 32 points while grabbing 11 rebounds. D'Angelo Russell made 7 3-pointers en route to scoring 23 points, while LeBron James notched 26 points and 12 assists. Porter made a clutch game-tying 3-pointer with 1:15 to go. LeBron James tried a wide open 3-pointer with the score at 99–99, but it rimmed out. The Nuggets secured the rebound, and Murray scored the game-winning fadeaway jump shot at the buzzer to extend Denver's winning streak against the Lakers to 10 games.
| Denver won 3–0 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This is the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning seven of the first eight meetings.[33]
| LA Lakers lead 7–1 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(3) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (6) Phoenix Suns
April 20
3:30 pm (2:30 pm CDT) |
| Phoenix Suns 95, Minnesota Timberwolves 120 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–27, 23–34, 21–31, 23–28 | ||
| Pts: Kevin Durant 31 Rebs: Kevin Durant 7 Asts: Bradley Beal 6 |
Pts: Anthony Edwards 33 Rebs: Rudy Gobert 16 Asts: Mike Conley 7 | |
| Minnesota leads series, 1–0 | ||
Anthony Edwards scored 18 of his 33 points in a pivotal third quarter to help the Timberwolves take a 1–0 series lead. Edwards led a 19–4 run to close the third quarter, as Minnesota held the Suns to zero field goals in the final seven minutes of the quarter. Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in with 19 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker contributed 18 points and four steals off the bench, while Rudy Gobert anchored the defense with 14 points and 16 rebounds. Despite Kevin Durant's 31-point performance on 65% shooting for the Suns, alongside Bradley Beal's 15 points on 60% from the field, the Wolves outrebounded Phoenix 52–28 and outscored them in the paint 52–34. The Minnesota bench also outscored the Suns' reserves 41–18.
| Phoenix won 3–0 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This is the first playoff meeting between these two teams.[34]
(4) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (5) Dallas Mavericks
April 21
3:30 pm (12:30 pm PDT) |
| Dallas Mavericks 97, Los Angeles Clippers 109 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–34, 8–22, 34–31, 33–22 | ||
| Pts: Luka Dončić 33 Rebs: Luka Dončić 13 Asts: Luka Dončić 6 |
Pts: James Harden 28 Rebs: Ivica Zubac 15 Asts: James Harden 8 | |
| LA Clippers lead series, 1–0 | ||
In their playoff series opener, James Harden and Ivica Zubac led the Clippers to a 109–97 victory over the Mavericks, with Harden recording 28 points and eight assists in his playoff debut for the Clippers, while Zubac achieved a playoff career-high of 20 points alongside 15 rebounds. Despite Luka Dončić's 33 points and Kyrie Irving's 31 (with 20 of those points coming on 100% shooting in the third quarter), the Mavericks had only one other player finish in double figures. Meanwhile, the Clippers, who were missing Kawhi Leonard due to injury, limited Dallas to their fewest points in a playoff half, as they held them to 22% from the field and 2-of-18 from beyond the arc in the first half to secure a commanding 26-point halftime lead.
| LA Clippers won 2–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||
This is the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Clippers winning the first two meetings.[35]
| LA Clippers leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Statistical leaders
| Category | Game High | Average | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | High | Player | Team | Avg. | GP | |
| Points | Pascal Siakam | Indiana Pacers | 36 | Pascal Siakam | Indiana Pacers | 36.0 | 1 |
| Rebounds | Jonas Valančiūnas Jarrett Allen Nikola Jokić |
New Orleans Pelicans Cleveland Cavaliers Denver Nuggets |
20 | Jonas Valančiūnas | New Orleans Pelicans | 20.0 | 1 |
| Assists | LeBron James | Los Angeles Lakers | 12 | LeBron James Jayson Tatum |
Los Angeles Lakers Boston Celtics |
10.0 | 2 1 |
| Steals | Kelly Oubre Jr. | Philadelphia 76ers | 5 | Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Minnesota Timberwolves | 4.0 | 1 |
| Blocks | Chet Holmgren | Oklahoma City Thunder | 5 | Chet Holmgren | Oklahoma City Thunder | 5.0 | 1 |
Media coverage
Linear television
ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV will broadcast the playoffs nationally in the United States. For the first time, TruTV will simulcast selected TNT games. Each team's regional broadcaster will also televise local coverage of first-round games, with the exception of weekend games on ABC. In general during the first two rounds, ABC will air Sunday afternoon games, TNT will broadcast Sunday through Wednesday night games, and ESPN will televise Friday night games (including a rare Friday Tripleheader on April 26).[36] For Thursday night games, TNT has them in the first round and ESPN in the second round. NBA TV will also televise selected Monday through Thursday night first-round games. Saturday first- and second-round games will be split by ABC, ESPN, and TNT. As per the alternating rotation, ESPN/ABC has exclusive coverage of the Eastern Conference finals while TNT has exclusive coverage of the Western Conference finals. ABC has exclusive coverage of the NBA Finals for the 22nd straight year.
Streaming
This will be the first playoffs that the streaming service Max will have live access to TNT's games on its Bleacher Report Sports Add-on tier.[37] NBA TV games will be available on NBA League Pass as part of its normal streaming service for that channel. Only selected ESPN/ABC games may stream live on ESPN+.
Sponsorship
For the third straight year, the playoffs will be officially known as the "2024 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel". During the multiyear agreement with Google Pixel, this sponsorship provides the logo branding inside the venues and in official digital properties on-court, as well as commercial inventory during ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV's telecasts of the playoff games.[38]
Notes
References
- ^ "2024 NBA Playoffs Schedule". NBA.com. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ Sweet, Randall (April 15, 2024). "OKC Thunder Enter Postseason as Youngest One Seed in NBA History". si.com. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ "Starting 5, April 15: The bracket's set. Here's what to know (now)". NBA.com. April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ Goss, Nick (April 15, 2024). "Celtics hit some amazing milestones, set franchise records in 2023-24". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ Reynolds, Tim (July 12, 2022). "NBA adopts Play-In Tournament on full-time basis". Las Vegas: Warner Bros. Discovery Sports. Associated Press. Archived from the original on July 28, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ a b Geagan, Matt. "Celtics become first team to clinch spot in NBA playoffs". CBS News. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ Moore, Matt (September 9, 2015). "5 Things to Know: NBA division winners not guaranteed playoff spot". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- ^ "Celtics open big lead, hold on to beat Bucks without Giannis, 122-119". ESPN.com. March 20, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ Mckeone, Liam. "Boston Celtics Clinch No. 1 Seed in Eastern Conference". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ "Celtics clinch NBA's best record with runaway win against OKC". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- ^ Botte, Peter. "Knicks clinch top-6 playoff spot after Heat fall to Mavericks". nypost.com. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ King, Tom (April 8, 2024). "Bucks Slump Continues With Two Weekend Losses". wsau.com. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
- ^ Gamble, Luke (April 14, 2024). "Bucks win central division; clinch 3 seed in eastern conference to set matchup vs Pacers". wkow.com. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ Fedor, Chris. "Cavs clinch playoff spot with 129-120 win over Indiana Pacers". cleveland.com. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ a b Beede, Jason. "Magic clinch No. 5 seed in NBA playoffs with win vs. Bucks". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Botkin, Brad. "2024 NBA playoffs bracket: Postseason picture with matchups set for first round, Play-In Tournament". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ Tim, Bontemps. "Sixers outduel Heat down stretch to clinch No. 7 seed in East". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Kasabian, Paul. "NBA Playoff Picture 2024: Final Bracket Set After Heat, Pelicans Clinch Final Spots". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- ^ Kasabian, Paul. "Trae Young Trade Eyed by NBA Fans as Hawks Eliminated from Playoffs in Loss to Bulls". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- ^ Gorman, Denis (March 31, 2024). "Thunder clinch first playoff spot since 2020, beat Knicks on Gilgeous-Alexander's jumper". AP News. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ^ Brooks, Matt (March 31, 2024). "Nuggets clinch playoff spot with blowout win over Cavaliers". NBA.com. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ^ Buckley, Zach (April 2, 2024). "NBA Playoff Picture 2024: Timberwolves Clinch Postseason Berth; Updated Standings". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Starting 5, April 10: Clippers, Mavs clinch; Knicks, Pelicans climb". NBA.com. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ Trigg, Dalton. "Dallas Mavs Win Southwest Division, Lock In NBA Playoff Series vs. LA Clippers: 'We're Just Getting Started'". si.com. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ "It's official: Lakers, Warriors headed to play-in; Clippers vs. Mavericks set for first round". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ "Lakers hold off Pelicans for play-in win to earn playoff rematch with Nuggets". nypost.com. April 16, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ Kasabian, Paul. "Stephen Curry, Warriors Eliminated by Kings as NBA Fans Call Out End of GSW Dynasty". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
- ^ "Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat Head-to-Head in the NBA Playoffs - All-Time". landofbasketball.com. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ "New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers Head-to-Head in the NBA Playoffs - All-Time". landofbasketball.com. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
- ^ "Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers Head-to-Head in the NBA Playoffs - All-Time". landofbasketball.com. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic Head-to-Head in the NBA Playoffs - All-Time". landofbasketball.com. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "Oklahoma City Thunder vs. New Orleans Pelicans Head-to-Head in the NBA Playoffs - All-Time". landofbasketball.com. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ "Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers Head-to-Head in the NBA Playoffs - All-Time". landofbasketball.com. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Phoenix Suns Head-to-Head in the NBA Playoffs - All-Time". landofbasketball.com. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "Los Angeles Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks Head-to-Head in the NBA Playoffs - All-Time". landofbasketball.com. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
- ^ "NBA Playoffs: Schedule, how to watch and things to know". NBA.com. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
- ^ Roth, Emma (September 19, 2023). "Max will start offering a live sports tier in October". The Verge. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ^ "NBA reaches deal to make Google Pixel first presenting partner of NBA playoffs". TheAthletic.com. October 18, 2021. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
