Basketball

NBA play-offs first round: Full fixtures with Australian times, live stream guide, key details

Everything you need to know for the first round of the NBA play-offs.

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The 2024 NBA playoffs have been locked in, with eight first-round series' to shatter the dreams of eight teams, and send the other eight a step closer to the championship.

The play-in tournament held over the last four days has seen the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans - all of the seventh and eighth ranked teams at the end of the regular season - through to the play-offs propr.

That came with the Lakers beating the Pelicans, before the Pelicans used their double chance to beat the Sacramento Kings in the west, while in the east it was the Philadelphia 76ers beating the Miami Heat for the first spot, before the Heat rebounded to knock over the Chicago Bulls for the other spot.

Here are all the first-round match-ups, with times and dates AEST (New South Wales/Victoria/Queensland/Tasmania/Australian Capital Territory). For those in South Australia or the Northern Territory, subtract 30 minutes, and for those in Western Australia, subtract two hours.

For all match-ups below, the higher-ranked team hosts Game 1, 2, 5 and 7, while the lower-ranked team hosts game 3, 4 and 6.

Western Conference first-round fixtures

Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs New Orleans Pelicans (8)

Game 1: Monday, April 22, 11:30am
Game 2: Thursday, April 25, 11:30am
Game 3: Sunday, April 28, 5:30am
Game 4: Tuesday, April 30, TBC
Game 5: Thursday, May 2, TBC
Game 6: Saturday, May 4, TBC
Game 7: Monday, May 6, TBC

Denver Nuggets (2) vs Los Angeles Lakers (7)

Game 1: Sunday, April 21, 10:30am
Game 2: Tuesday, April 23, 12pm
Game 3: Friday, April 26, 12pm
Game 4: Sunday, April 28, 10:30am
Game 5: Tuesday, April 30, TBC
Game 6: Friday, May 3, TBC
Game 7: Sunday, May 5, TBC

Minnesota Timberwolves (3) vs Phoenix Suns (6)

Game 1: Sunday, April 21, 5:30am
Game 2: Wednesday, April 24, 9:30am
Game 3: Saturday, April 26, 12:30pm
Game 4: Monday, April 29, 11:30am
Game 5: Wednesday, May 1, TBC
Game 6: Friday, May 3, TBC
Game 7: Sunday, May 5, TBC

Los Angeles Clippers (4) vs Dallas Mavericks (5)

Game 1: Monday, April 22, 5:30am
Game 2: Wednesday, April 24, 12pm
Game 3: Saturday, April 27, 10pm
Game 4: Monday, April 29, 5:30am
Game 5: Thursday, May 2, TBC
Game 6: Saturday, May 4, TBC
Game 7: Monday, May 6, TBC

Eastern Conference first-round fixtures

Boston Celtics (1) vs Miami Heat (8)

Game 1: Monday, April 22, 3am
Game 2: Thursday, April 25, 9am
Game 3: Sunday, April 28, 8am
Game 4: Tuesday, April 30, TBC
Game 5: Thursday, May 1, TBC
Game 6: Saturday, May 4, TBC
Game 7: Monday, May 6, TBC

New York Knicks (2) vs Philadelphia 76ers (7)

Game 1: Sunday, April 21, 8am
Game 2: Tuesday, April 23, 9:30am
Game 3: Friday, April 26, 9:30am
Game 4: Monday, April 29, 3am
Game 5: Wednesday, May 1, TBC
Game 6: Friday, May 3, TBC
Game 7: Sunday, May 5, TBC

Milwaukee Bucks (3) vs Indiana Pacers (6)

Game 1: Monday, April 22, 9am
Game 2: Wednesday, April 24, 10:30am
Game 3: Saturday, April 27, 7:30am
Game 4: Monday, April 29, 9am
Game 5: Wednesday, May 1, TBC
Game 6: Friday, May 3, TBC
Game 7: Sunday, May 5, TBC

Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs Orlando Magic (5)

Game 1: Sunday, April 21, 3am
Game 2: Tuesday, April 23, 9am
Game 3: Friday, April 26, 9am
Game 4: Sunday, April 28, 3am
Game 5: Wednesday, May 1, TBC
Game 6: Friday, May 3, TBC
Game 7: Sunday, May 5, TBC

How to watch the NBA play-offs in Australia on TV

A number of games throughout the first round of the NBA play-offs will be broadcast on ESPN.

To watch ESPN, you'll need to have a Foxtel TV subscription complete with the sports package.

How to live stream the NBA play-offs in Australia online

If you'd prefer to live stream the NBA play-offs online, then you can either use Kayo Sports or the Foxtel App for the games ESPN hold the rights to in Australia.

The other alternative if you'd prefer to watch every game of the NBA play-offs is to sign up for the NBA league pass.

Who plays who in the second round?

The second round - also known as the conference semi-finals, will see the winners of the 1 vs 8 fixture in each conference play the winner of the 4 vs 5 series, while the winner of the 2 vs 3 series in each conference will play the 3 vs 4 series.

If all the top-ranked teams won their first-round series, the Eastern Conference semi-finals would see the Boston Celtics play the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Milwaukee Bucks play the New York Knicks, while the West would see the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Minnesota Timberwolves clash with the Denver Nuggets.

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