#How to watch 2021 NBA Playoffs: Full first-round schedule

NBA Playoff season is here.

On Saturday, the road to the 2021 NBA title begins, with 16 teams vying for 16 wins and the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

The Utah Jazz earned the Western Conference’s top seed with a 52-20 record, but will have to get past Ja Morant and the surprising Memphis Grizzlies to advance. LeBron James and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers have their work cut out for them, earning the No. 7 seed with a dramatic play-in win over the Warriors and drawing a matchup with the vaunted Phoenix Suns.

In the East, the Philadelphia 76ers edged out the Brooklyn Nets for the top spot in the conference, but Brooklyn’s vaunted Big 3 — Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving — are all healthy and ready to make their title push. Their run starts against the rival Boston Celtics. The neighboring Knicks, back in the playoff for the first time in eight seasons, aren’t content just to be here. The No. 4 seed will host the Atlanta Hawks for at least a pair of games in front of 15,000 fans at Madison Square Garden.

Here’s how to catch all the NBA Playoff action:

When do the NBA Playoff start?

The postseason officially kicks off on Saturday, May 22, with a 2 p.m. Eastern matchup between the No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks and the sixth-seeded Miami Heat. Each series opens with one game this weekend.

How can I watch the 2021 NBA Playoffs?

Fans can catch all the playoff action through various streaming services, including WatchESPN, WatchTNT, Sling TV, Hulu Live TV and fuboTV, which offers a free 7-day trial. ESPN, TNT and ABC will carry the majority of the first round, with streaming available on both desktop and mobile devices by downloading the respective apps. 

What are the first-round matchups?

Conference seeding in (parentheses)

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Philadelphia 76ers (1) vs. Washington Wizards (8)
Brooklyn Nets (2) vs. Boston Celtics (7)
Milwaukee Bucks (3) vs. Miami Heat (6)
New York Knicks (4) vs. Atlanta Hawks (5)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Utah Jazz (1) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (8)
Phoenix Suns (2) vs. L.A. Lakers (7)
Denver Nuggets (3) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (6)
LA Clippers (4) vs. Dallas Mavericks (5)

How do the NBA Playoffs work?

The top eight teams from the Eastern and Western Conferences are seeded 1 through 8 by their regular season record. Teams with the highest seeds in every matchup get home-court advantage for the first two games of their best-of-seven series, with the lower seed hosting Games 3 & 4 and potential Games 5-7 alternating sites.

What is the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy and who is it named for?

The award — shaped like a ball going into a hoop — is given to the winner of the NBA Finals and named for the league’s former commissioner who served from 1975-1984.

The trophy has seen a few designs and name changes in its history: Originally called the NBA Finals trophy and renamed the Walter A. Brown trophy for the late owner on the Boston Celtics in 1964, it was originally a bowl design. The current look was created for the 1977 NBA Finals, still under the Walter A. Brown moniker. That was changed to the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy in 1984.

The 15.5-pound prize stands two feet tall and is made of sterling silver and vermeil with a 24 karat gold overlay. Winning teams have their names engraved on it.

What is the full first-round schedule?

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Philadelphia 76ers (1) vs. Washington Wizards (8)

Game 1: Sunday, May 23 | Washington at Philadelphia, 1 ET, TNT
Game 2: Wednesday, May 26 | Washington at Philadelphia, 7 ET, NBA TV
Game 3: Saturday, May 29 | Philadelphia at Washington, TBD, ESPN
Game 4: Monday, May 31 | Philadelphia at Washington, TBD, TNT
Game 5: Wednesday, June 2 | Washington at Philadelphia, TBD, TBD (if necessary)
Game 6: Friday, June 4 | Philadelphia at Washington, TBD, TBD (if necessary)
Game 7: Sunday, June 6 | Washington at Philadelphia, TBD, TBD (if necessary)

Brooklyn Nets (2) vs. Boston Celtics (7)

Game 1: Saturday, May 22 | Boston at Brooklyn, 8 ET, ABC
Game 2: Tuesday, May 25 | Boston at Brooklyn, 7:30 ET, TNT
Game 3: Friday, May 28 | Brooklyn at Boston, 8:30 ET, ABC
Game 4: Sunday, May 30 | Brooklyn at Boston, 7 ET, TNT
Game 5: Tuesday, June 1 | Boston at Brooklyn, TBD, TBD (if necessary)
Game 6: Thursday, June 3 | Brooklyn at Boston, TBD, TBD (if necessary)
Game 7: Saturday, June 5 | Boston at Brooklyn, TBD, TBD (if necessary)

Milwaukee Bucks (3) vs. Miami Heat (6)

Game 1: Saturday, May 22 | Miami at Milwaukee, 2 ET, ESPN
Game 2: Monday, May 24 | Miami at Milwaukee, 7:30 ET, TNT
Game 3: Thursday, May 27 | Milwaukee at Miami, 7:30 ET, TNT
Game 4: Saturday, May 29 | Milwaukee at Miami, 1:30 ET, TNT
Game 5: Tuesday, June 1 | Miami at Milwaukee, TBD, TBD (if necessary)
Game 6: Thursday, June 3 | Milwaukee at Miami, TBD, TBD (if necessary)
Game 7: Saturday, June 5 | Miami at Milwaukee, TBD, TBD (if necessary)

New York Knicks (4) vs. Atlanta Hawks (5)

Game 1: Sunday, May 23 | Atlanta at New York, 7 ET, TNT
Game 2: Wednesday, May 26 | Atlanta at New York, 7:30 ET, TNT
Game 3: Friday, May 28 | New York at Atlanta, 7 ET, ESPN
Game 4: Sunday, May 30 | New York at Atlanta, 1 ET, ABC
Game 5: Wednesday, June 2 | Atlanta at New York, TBD, TBD (if necessary)
Game 6: Friday, June 4 | New York at Atlanta, TBD, TBD (if necessary)
Game 7: Sunday, June 6 | Atlanta at New York, TBD, TBD (if necessary)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Utah Jazz (1) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (8)

Game 1: Sunday, May 23 | Memphis at Utah, 9:30 ET, TNT
Game 2: Wednesday, May 26 | Memphis at Utah, 10 ET, TNT
Game 3: Saturday, May 29 | Utah at Memphis, TBD, ESPN
Game 4: Monday, May 31 | Utah at Memphis, TBD, TNT
Game 5: Wednesday, June 2 | Memphis at Utah, TBD, TBD (if necessary)
Game 6: Friday, June 4 | Utah at Memphis, TBD, TBD (if necessary)
Game 7: Sunday, June 6 | Memphis at Utah, TBD, TBD (if necessary)

Phoenix Suns (2) vs. L.A. Lakers (7)

Game 1: Sunday, May 23 | L.A. Lakers at Phoenix, 3:30 ET, ABC
Game 2: Tuesday, May 25 | L.A. Lakers at Phoenix, 10 ET, TNT
Game 3: Thursday, May 27 | Phoenix at L.A. Lakers, 10 ET, TNT
Game 4: Sunday, May 30 | Phoenix at L.A. Lakers, 3:30 ET, ABC
Game 5: Tuesday, June 1 | L.A. Lakers at Phoenix, TBD, TBD (if necessary)
Game 6: Thursday, June 3 | Phoenix at L.A. Lakers, TBD, TBD (if necessary)
Game 7: Saturday, June 5 | L.A. Lakers at Phoenix, TBD, TBD (if necessary)

Denver Nuggets (3) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (6)

Game 1: Saturday, May 22 | Portland at Denver, 10:30 ET, ESPN
Game 2: Monday, May 24 | Portland at Denver, 10 ET, TNT
Game 3: Thursday, May 27 | Denver at Portland, 10:30 ET, NBA TV
Game 4: Saturday, May 29 | Denver at Portland, 4 ET, TNT
Game 5: Tuesday, June 1 | Portland at Denver, TBD, TBD (if necessary)
Game 6: Thursday, June 3 | Denver at Portland, TBD, TBD (if necessary)
Game 7: Saturday, June 5 | Portland at Denver, TBD, TBD (if necessary)

LA Clippers (4) vs. Dallas Mavericks (5)

Game 1: Saturday, May 22 | Dallas at LA Clippers, 4:30 ET, ESPN
Game 2: Tuesday, May 25 | Dallas at LA Clippers, 10:30 ET, NBA TV
Game 3: Friday, May 28 | LA Clippers at Dallas, 9:30 ET, ESPN
Game 4: Sunday, May 30 | LA Clippers at Dallas, 9:30 ET, TNT
Game 5: Wednesday, June 2 | Dallas at LA Clippers, TBD, TBD (if necessary)
Game 6: Friday, June 4 | LA Clippers at Dallas, TBD, TBD (if necessary)
Game 7: Sunday, June 6 | Dallas at LA Clippers, TBD, TBD (if necessary)