When Do the 2021 NBA Playoffs Start?

The 2021 NBA playoffs are set to begin on May 22. The first round will be a best-of-seven series, followed by the conference semifinals, conference finals, and the NBA Finals.

Introduction

The 2021 NBA Playoffs will begin on Saturday, May 22. The Playoffs will follow a familiar format, with the top eight seeds in each conference qualifying for the postseason. From there, the playoffs will be a single-elimination tournament until each conference has a champion.

The first round of the playoffs will feature some fascinating matchups. In the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia 76ers will take on the Washington Wizards, while the Milwaukee Bucks will face the Miami Heat. In the Western Conference, meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors will battle the Memphis Grizzlies.

The second round of the playoffs is where things could start to get really interesting. If both of the top seeds in each conference advance to that stage, we could see some superstar matchups. In the East, that would mean a showdown between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. In the West, it would be LeBron James vs. Kawhi Leonard. Of course, there are plenty of other talented teams in both conferences that could make some noise in the playoffs as well.

All told, it should be an exciting postseason drama unfolding over the next few weeks. So make sure you don’t miss a minute of it!

What Happened in 2020?

The 2020 NBA Playoffs were originally scheduled to begin on April 18. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was suspended on March 11 after several players tested positive for the virus. The seasons resumed on July 30 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida. A modified playoff format was used, in which each conference was seeded #1 through #8, with the top four teams in each conference qualifying for the playoffs. The first round was a best-of-seven series, and the subsequent rounds were best-of-five. The 2020 NBA Finals ended on October 11, with the Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Miami Heat in six games.

The 2021 NBA Playoffs Schedule

The 2021 NBA Playoffs will begin on Saturday, May 22. The playoffs will end no later than July 22.

The first two rounds of the playoffs are best-of-seven series. The NBA Finals is a best-of-seven series.

Schedule for the First Round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs
Eastern Conference
(1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (8) Miami Heat – Game 1: Saturday, May 22 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC
(2) Brooklyn Nets vs. (7) Boston Celtics – Game 1: Saturday, May 22 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
(3) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (6) Atlanta Hawks – Game 1: Sunday, May 23 at 7 p.m. ET on TNT
(4) New York Knicks vs. (5) Charlotte Hornets – Game 1: Sunday, May 23 at 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT

Western Conference
(1) Utah Jazz vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies – Game 1: Sunday, May 23 at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN
(2) Phoenix Suns vs. (7) Los Angeles Lakers – Game 1: Sunday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m ET on ESPN
(3) Denver Nuggets vs.(6) Portland Trail Blazers – Game 1: Saturday, May 22 at 10:30 p.m ET on ESPN
(4) Los Angeles Clippers vs.(5) Dallas Mavericks – Game 1: Saturday, May 22 at 8 p.m ET on ESPN

Conclusion

The 2021 NBA playoffs are scheduled to begin on Saturday, May 22. The playoffs will conclude no later than Wednesday, July 7, with the NBA Finals Game 7 taking place on Sunday, July 11.