2023 NBA playoffs schedule, bracket, scores: Play-In Tournament wraps Friday with Bulls-Heat, Thunder-Wolves

For the most part, road teams are loving the NBA’s Play-In Tournament. The visiting Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder survived the first leg of their postseason/pre-playoff tests Wednesday, sending the Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans into the lottery. No. 10 Chicago mounted a huge second-half comeback to stun No. 9 Toronto, 109-105, and now head to Miami to face the Heat in Friday’s early game. The winner will get the East’s No. 8 seed and open a first-round series against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday afternoon. 

In the West, No. 10 Oklahoma City defeated the No. 9 New Orleans, 123-118, and will now head to Minnesota, who’ll try to bounce back from some misadventures, both on and off the court. The Thunder-Timberwolves contest will determine which squad will meet the Denver Nuggets, the West’s top team in the last of the eight first-round games this weekend.

Below is the playoff schedule, including dates, times and TV info for the play-in tournament and what we know of the first round so far. All games on ESPN, ABC and NBA TV can be streamed on fuboTV (try for free).

NBA postseason schedule

(All times Eastern)

Friday, April 14

• Play-In Game 5: Bulls at Heat, 7 p.m., TNT
• Play-In Game 6: Thunder at Timberwolves, 9:30 p.m., ESPN

Saturday, April 15

• Game 1: (6) Nets at (3) 76ers, 1 p.m., ESPN
• Game 1: (7) Hawks at (2) Celtics, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
• Game 1: (5) Knicks at (4) Cavaliers, 6 p.m., ESPN
• Game 1: (6) Warriors at (2) Kings, 8:30 p.m., ABC

Sunday, April 16

• Game 1: (7) Lakers at (2) Grizzlies, 3 p.m., ABC
• Game 1: (8) Heat or Bulls at (1) Bucks, 5:30 p.m., TNT
• Game 1: (5) Clippers at (4) Suns, 8 p.m., TNT
• Game 1: (8) Timberwolves or Thunder at (1) Nuggets, 10:30 p.m., TNT

Monday, April 17

• Game 2: Nets at 76ers, 7:30 p.m., TNT
• Game 2: Warriors at Kings, 10 p.m., TNT

Tuesday, April 18

• Game 2: Hawks at Celtics, 7 p.m., NBA TV
• Game 2: Knicks at Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m., TNT
• Game 2: Clippers at Suns, 10 p.m., TNT

Wednesday, April 19

• Game 2: Lakers at Grizzlies, 7:30 p.m., TNT
• Game 2: TBD at Bucks, 9 p.m., NBA TV
• Game 2: TBD at Nuggets, 10 p.m., TNT

Thursday, April 20

• Game 3: 76ers at Nets, 7:30 p.m., TNT
• Game 3: Kings at Warriors, 10 p.m., TNT
• Game 3: Suns at Clippers, 10:30 p.m., NBA TV

Friday, April 21

• Game 3: Celtics at Hawks, 7 p.m., ESPN
• Game 3: Cavaliers at Knicks, 8:30 p.m., ABC
• Game 3: Nuggets at TBD, 9:30 p.m., ESPN

Saturday, April 22

• Game 4: 76ers at Nets, 1 p.m., TNT
• Game 4: Suns at Clippers, 3:30 p.m., TNT
• Game 3: Bucks at TBD, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
• Game 3: Grizzlies at Lakers, 10 p.m., ESPN

Sunday, April 23

• Game 4: Cavaliers at Knicks, 1 p.m., ABC
• Game 4: Kings at Warriors, 3:30 p.m., ABC
• Game 4: Celtics at Hawks, 7 p.m., TNT
• Game 4: Nuggets at TBD, 9:30 p.m., TNT

Monday, April 24

• Game 5: Nets at 76ers, TBD (if necessary)
• Game 4: Bucks at TBD, TBD
• Game 4: Grizzlies at Lakers, TBD

Tuesday, April 25

• Game 5: Hawks at Celtics, TBD (if necessary)
• Game 5: Clippers at Suns, TBD (if necessary) 
• Game 5: TBD at Nuggets, TBD (if necessary)

Wednesday, April 26

• Game 5: Knicks at Cavaliers, TBD (if necessary)
• Game 5: TBD at Bucks, TBD (if necessary) 
• Game 5: Lakers at Grizzlies, TBD (if necessary)
• Game 5: Warriors at Kings, TBD (if necessary)

Thursday, April 27

• Game 6: 76ers at Nets, TBD (if necessary)
• Game 6: Celtics at Hawks, TBD (if necessary) 
• Game 6 Nuggets at TBD, TBD (if necessary)
• Game 6: Suns at Clippers, TBD (if necessary)

Friday, April 27

• Game 6: Bucks at TBD, TBD (if necessary)
• Game 6: Cavaliers at Knicks, TBD (if necessary) 
• Game 6 Grizzlies at Lakers, TBD (if necessary)
• Game 6: Kings at Warriors, TBD (if necessary)

Saturday, April 28

• Game 7: 76ers at Nets, TBD (if necessary)
• Game 7: Celtics at Hawks, TBD (if necessary) 
• Game 7 Nuggets at TBD, TBD (if necessary)
• Game 7: Suns at Clippers, TBD (if necessary)

Sunday, April 29

• Game 7: Bucks at TBD, TBD (if necessary)
• Game 7: Cavaliers at Knicks, TBD (if necessary) 
• Game 7: Grizzlies at Lakers, TBD (if necessary)
• Game 7: Kings at Warriors, TBD (if necessary)

NBA playoff scores

Wednesday, April 12

• Play-In Game 3: Bulls 109, Raptors 105
• Play-In Game 4: Thunder 123, Pelicans 118

Tuesday, April 11

• Play-In Game 1: Hawks 116, Heat 105
• Play-In Game 2: Lakers 108 Timberwolves 102