DETROIT – The NBA Playoffs are finally here. It's been a long season but 16 teams are left - and it'll be fun to watch it unfold.
Are the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors heading for a third straight NBA Finals matchup?
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The first round starts on April 15. The NBA Finals should be starting on May 14 or May 15.
Here's everything you need to know:
2017 NBA Playoffs First Round Schedule:
Eastern Conference - First Round
(1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Chicago Bulls
Game 1 – Sun. April 16 Chicago at Boston, 6:30 p.m., TNT
Game 2 – Tue. April 18 Chicago at Boston, 8 p.m., TNT/R
Game 3 – Fri. April 21 Boston at Chicago, 7 p.m., ESPN
Game 4 – Sun. April 23 Boston at Chicago, 6:30 p.m., TNT
Game 5 * Wed. April 26 Chicago at Boston, TBD
Game 6 * Fri. April 28 Boston at Chicago, TBD
Game 7 * Sun. April 30 Chicago at Boston, TBD
(2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (7) Indiana Pacers
Game 1 – Sat. April 15 Indiana at Cleveland, 3 p.m., ABC/R
Game 2 – Mon. April 17 Indiana at Cleveland, 7 p.m., TNT/R
Game 3 – Thu. April 20 Cleveland at Indiana, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 4 – Sun. April 23 Cleveland at Indiana, 1 p.m., ABC/R
Game 5 * Tue. April 25 Indiana at Cleveland, TBD
Game 6 * Thu. April 27 Cleveland at Indiana, TBD
Game 7 * Sat. April 29 Indiana at Cleveland, TBD, TNT
(3) Toronto Raptors vs. (6) Milwaukee Bucks
Game 1 – Sat. April 15 Milwaukee at Toronto, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 2 – Tue. April 18 Milwaukee at Toronto, 7 p.m., NBA TV
Game 3 – Thu. April 20 Toronto at Milwaukee, 8 p.m., NBA TV
Game 4 – Sat. April 22 Toronto at Milwaukee, 3 p.m., TNT
Game 5 * Mon. April 24 Milwaukee at Toronto, 7 p.m., NBA TV
Game 6 * Thu. April 27 Toronto at Milwaukee, TBD
Game 7 * Sat. April 29 Milwaukee at Toronto, TBD, TNT
(4) Washington Wizards vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks
Game 1 – Sun. April 16 Atlanta at Washington, 1 p.m., TNT
Game 2 – Wed. April 19 Atlanta at Washington, 7 p.m., NBA TV
Game 3 – Sat. April 22 Washington at Atlanta, 5:30 p.m., TNT
Game 4 – Mon. April 24 Washington at Atlanta, 8 p.m., TNT
Game 5 * Wed. April 26 Atlanta at Washington, TBD, TBD
Game 6 * Fri. April 28 Washington at Atlanta, TBD, TBD
Game 7 * Sun. April 30 Atlanta at Washington, TBD
Western Conference - First Round
(1) Golden State vs. (8) Portland Trail Blazers
Game 1 – Sun. April 16 Portland at Golden State, 3:30 p.m., ABC/R
Game 2 – Wed. April 19 Portland at Golden State, 10:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Sat. April 22 Golden State at Portland, 10:30 p.m., ESPN/R
Game 4 – Mon. April 24 Golden State at Portland, 10:30 p.m., TNT/R
Game 5 * Wed. April 26 Portland at Golden State, TBD
Game 6 * Fri. April 28 Golden State at Portland, TBD
Game 7 * Sun. April 30 Portland at Golden State, TBD
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Memphis Grizzlies
Game 1 – Sat. April 15 Memphis at San Antonio, 8 p.m., ESPN
Game 2 – Mon. April 17 Memphis at San Antonio, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Thu. April 20 San Antonio at Memphis, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 4 – Sat. April 22 San Antonio at Memphis, 8 p.m., ESPN
Game 5 * Tue. April 25 Memphis at San Antonio, TBD
Game 6 * Thu. April 27 San Antonio at Memphis, TBD
Game 7 * Sat. April 29 Memphis at San Antonio, TBD, TNT
(3) Houston Rockets vs. (6) Oklahoma City Thunder
Game 1 – Sun. April 16 Oklahoma City at Houston, 9 p.m., TNT
Game 2 – Wed. April 19 Oklahoma City at Houston, 8 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Fri. April 21 Houston at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m., ESPN/R
Game 4 – Sun. April 23 Houston at Oklahoma City, 3:30 p.m., ABC/R
Game 5 * Tue. April 25 Oklahoma City at Houston, TBD
Game 6 * Thu. April 27 Houston at Oklahoma City, TBD
Game 7 * Sat. April 29 Oklahoma City at Houston, TNT
(4) L.A. Clippers vs. (5) Utah Jazz
Game 1 – Sat. April 15 Utah at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 2 – Tue. April 18 Utah at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Fri. April 21 L.A. Clippers at Utah, 10 p.m., ESPN2
Game 4 – Sun. April 23 L.A. Clippers at Utah, 9 p.m., TNT
Game 5 * Tue. April 25 Utah at L.A. Clippers, TBD
Game 6 * Fri. April 28 L.A. Clippers at Utah, TBD
Game 7 * Sun. April 30 Utah at L.A. Clippers, TBD
* = if necessary
How to watch the NBA Playoffs on TV, or online
Live Streaming
Games on ABC and ESPN channels can be watched here online.
You can watch NBA TV games online here.
Games on TNT can be watched here online.
2017 NBA Playoffs preview:
The NBA playoff picture is set, but not much has changed from a year ago.
Similar questions remain: Can anyone stop the Golden State Warriors? And can the Cleveland Cavaliers get back to the NBA Finals?
The NBA playoffs start Saturday. Sure, LeBron James and the Cavaliers are the defending NBA champions, and they're a favorite to return to the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year. But the talk all season has been about the super team assembled in the Golden State, having added Kevin Durant to an already-loaded roster with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.
A year after notching an NBA record-setting 73 regular season wins, the Warriors are once again at the top of the Western Conference. As in 2016, Golden State has home-court advantage for the postseason.
The Warriors also have Durant, who had missed 19 games because of a sprained medial collateral ligament and bone bruise in his left knee, back for the postseason. But even if he wasn't available, the 2016 runners-up and 2015 champs are still title favorites.
"It's more subdued this year, more businesslike," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Wednesday. "It's similar to two years ago in terms of the way the season ended. We had the 1-seed locked up for the last week or two seasons ago, and we were able to kind of decide how we wanted to go into the postseason. The difference was, now, we've been doing this for a few years. That year, it was brand new. There was a freshness about it. This year, it's more businesslike."
Golden State isn't the only obstacle for the Cavaliers to overcome. The Boston Celtics edged Cleveland for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and having home-court advantage could be pivotal should the two teams face each other in a best-of-seven series in the Eastern Conference finals.
And lately, Cleveland hasn't rocked. The Cavaliers have a 10-14 record since March 1.
Still, James said following practice on Thursday, the Cavaliers "have a good chance to win it all."
"I think through everything that went on with our team, we're in a position where we can do something special," James said.