Who’s Playing in the NBA Playoffs Today?

The NBA playoffs are in full swing and we’ve got all the info you need to know about who’s playing today.

Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are an American professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of the league’s original eight teams, the Celtics play their home games at TD Garden, which they share with the National Hockey League (NHL)’s Boston Bruins. The Celtics are one of the most successful teams in NBA history; they have won the most championships of any NBA franchise with 17, accounting for 24% of all NBA championships since the league’s founding in 1946.

Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games at the Scotiabank Arena, which they share with the Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team was founded in 1995 as part of the NBA’s expansion into Canada, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies. Since the 2001–02 season, the Raptors have been the only Canadian-based team in the league, as the Grizzlies relocated from Vancouver to Memphis, Tennessee.

The Raptors are owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE), which also owns two Major League Soccer clubs, Toronto FC and Orlando City Soccer Club; and a minor league baseball team, the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League. MLSE was formed after numerous mergers and acquisitions that eventually resulted in several multimillionaires controlling various Toronto sports organizations. In 1998 MLSE bought majority control of Maple Leafs Gardens Ltd., owner of both MLG and Air Canada Centre (ACC). MLG was renamed Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd., which led to a massive renovation of ACC that saw it become one of North America’s premier arenas for entertainment and sporting events.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Atlantic Division and play at Wells Fargo Center. Founded in 1946 and originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA, and one of only eight (out of 23) to survive the league’s first decade.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Central Division. The team began play as an expansion team in 1970, along with the Portland Trail Blazers and Buffalo Braves. Home games were first held at Cleveland Arena from 1970 to 1974, followed by the Richfield Coliseum from 1974 to 1994. Since 1994, the Cavs have played their home games at Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland, which is shared with the arena football team Cleveland Gladiators. Dan Gilbert has owned the team since March 2005.

The Cavaliers opened their inaugural season losing their first 15 games and struggled in their early years, placing no better than sixth in the Eastern Conference during their first five seasons. The team won their first Central Division title in 1976, which also marked their first 50-win season and first playoff appearance. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals that year, losing to the Boston Celtics. The Cavaliers have made 22 playoff appearances since 1975 (through 2019), winning nine Central Division titles and five Eastern Conference championships. Their most recent appearance was in 2018, when they were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

Western Conference

The Western Conference is wide open this year, with any of the top six seeds having a chance to make the NBA Finals. The Golden State Warriors are the clear favorite, but the Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, and Oklahoma City Thunder are all capable of making a run. Today, the Warriors will take on the Trail Blazers, while the Rockets will play the Nuggets.

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are a professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league’s Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home games at the Toyota Center, located in downtown Houston. The Rockets have won two NBA championships and four Western Conference titles. The team was established as the San Diego Rockets, an expansion team originally based in San Diego, in 1967. In 1971, the Rockets moved to Houston.

Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 1946 in Philadelphia, the Warriors relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1962 and took the city’s name, before changing its geographic moniker to Golden State in 1971. They play their home games at the Chase Center.

The Warriors won the inaugural Basketball Association of America (BAA) championship in 1947, and won its second title in 1956 following the establishment of the NBA. The Warriors went on to win five championships in Philadelphia, winning their first NBA Finals in 1956 and repeating as champions in 1975 and 2015. The team’s all-time record at home is 1,102–1,034 (.515), which ranks seventh among NBA teams.

Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Northwest Division. The franchise was founded in 1970, and played its home games in Memorial Coliseum before moving to Moda Center in 1995.

The franchise has reached the NBA Finals three times, winning the NBA championship once in 1977. Their other NBA Finals appearances were in 1990 and 1992. The team has qualified for the playoffs 28 times in their 50-season history, including a streak of 21 straight appearances from 1983 through 2003, tied for the second-longest streak in NBA history. Six Hall of Fame players have played for Portland: Clyde Drexler, Bill Walton, Walt Frazier, Maurice Lucas, Arvydas Sabonis, and Rasheed Wallace. Despite struggling while healthy during his time with Portland (especially during his first two seasons), Walton is still revered by Blazer fans for his impact on the team that ultimately resulted in their lone championship victory.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Northwest Division. The Thunder plays its home games at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Thunder’s formation coincided with the relocation of the Seattle SuperSonics, which was originally announced in October 2006, and occurred following a contentious sale process in which ownership of the SuperSonics was transferred from Howard Schultz to Clay Bennett. In Seattle, the SuperSonics qualified for the NBA playoffs 22 times, won their division six times, advanced to three NBA Finals, and won their lone NBA championship in 1979. In Oklahoma City, the Thunder qualified for their first playoff berth during the 2009–10 season. They followed that success by making two more appearances in the playoffs, but failed to make it out of the first round each time.

The 2012–13 season saw Durant and Westbrook make their first All-Star Game appearances together as teammates; both were named starters. The duo also led OKC to their first ever second-round playoff appearance after defeating the defending champion Miami Heat 4–1 en route to a 4–2 series victory over Memphis. However, they ultimately fell to eventual Western Conference Finals participants San Antonio Spurs 4–2 in Round 2.