The 2016 NBA playoffs season is started from 16th April. First Round schedule is announced with the NBA Playoffs bracket. This is the postseason tournament for NBA 2015-16 season. After the Playoffs NBA 2016 Finals are played. As the regular season are over and it’s now time for playoffs. Toronto Raptors will start the first match of NBA Playoffs against Indian Pacers on 16th April.
Golden State Warriors finished the regular season with the best season in the history of NBA with 73 Games won breaking the record of Chicago bulls of 72 wins in 1995-96. This is Warriors 4 consecutive playoffs entry.
Format:
The NBA playoffs consist of 16 teams, with eight in each conference. From the each conference, 3 Division winners and 5 non-division winners having the most no of wins will qualify for the playoffs. The seedings are based on team’s record in regular season. All round are played with best of 7 series including the NBA Finals are in 2-2-1-1-1 format.
Seeding:
The 8 playoffs qualified teams are seeded on the records of the regular season. If two teams finish the regular season with same records than the team who wins regular season series will be seeded. If regular season series is tied than division champions are seeded.
Qualified Teams:
| Eastern Conference | Western Conference |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Golden State Warriors |
| Toronto Raptors | San Antonio Spurs |
| Miami Heat | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Atlanta Hawks | Los Angeles Clippers |
| Boston Celtics | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Charlotte Hornets | Dallas Mavericks |
| Indiana Pacers | Memphis Grizzlies |
| Detroit Pistons | Houston Rockets |
Bracket:
The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team’s seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round.
Complete first-round schedule
1. Warriors vs. 8. Rockets
GAME 1 - Warriors 104, Rockets 78
GAME 2 - Warriors 115, Rockets 106
GAME 3 - Warriors at Rockets: Thu. April 21, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
GAME 4 - Warriors at Rockets: Sun, April 24, 3:30 p.m., ABC
GAME 5* - Rockets at Warriors: Wed. April 27, TBD, TBD
GAME 6* - Warriors at Rockets, Fri. April 29, TBD, TBD
GAME 7* - Rockets at Warriors, Sun. May 1, TBD, TBD
2. Spurs vs. 7 Grizzlies
GAME 1 - Spurs 106, Grizzlies 74
GAME 2 - Spurs 94, Grizzlies 68
GAME 3 - Spurs at Grizzlies, Fri. April 22, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
GAME 4 - Spurs at Grizzlies, Sun. April 24, 1 p.m. ET, ABC
GAME 5* - Grizzlies at Spurs, Tue. April 26, TBD, TBD
GAME 6* - Spurs at Grizzlies, Thu. April 28, TBD, TBD
GAME 7* - Grizzlies at Spurs, Sat. April 30, TBD, TBD
3. Thunder vs. 6. Mavericks
GAME 1 - Thunder 108, Mavericks 70
GAME 2 - Mavericks 85, Thunder 84
GAME 3 - Thunder at Mavericks, Thu. April 21, 7 p.m. ET, TNT
GAME 4 - Thunder at Mavericks, Sat. April 23, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
GAME 5* - Mavericks at Thunder, Mon. April 25, TBD, TBD
GAME 6* - Thunder at Mavericks, Thu. April 28, TBD, TBD
GAME 7* - Mavericks at Thunder, Sat. April 30, TBD, TNT
4. Clippers vs. 5. Blazers
GAME 1 - Clippers 115, Blazers 95
GAME 2 - Blazers at Clippers, Wed. April 20, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
GAME 3 - Clippers at Blazers, Sat. April 23, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
GAME 4 - Clippers at Blazers, Mon. April 25, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
GAME 5* - Blazers at Clippers, Wed. April 27, TBD, TBD
GAME 6* - Clippers at Blazers, Fri. April 29, TBD, TBD
GAME 7* - Blazers at Clippers, Sun. May 1, TBD, TBD
1. Cavaliers vs. 8. Pistons
GAME 1 - Cavaliers 106, Pistons 101
GAME 2 - Pistons at Cavaliers, Wed. April 20, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
GAME 3 - Cavaliers at Pistons, Fri. April 22, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
GAME 4 - Cavaliers at Pistons, Sun. April 24, 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT
GAME 5* - Pistons at Cavaliers, Tue. April 26, TBD, TBD
GAME 6* - Cavaliers at Pistons, Thu. April 28, TBD, TBD
GAME 7* - Pistons at Cavaliers, Sat. April 30, TBD, TNT
2. Raptors vs. 7. Pacers
GAME 1 - Pacers 100, Raptors 90
GAME 2 - Raptors 98, Pacers 87
GAME 3 - Raptors at Pacers, Thu. April 21, 7:30 p.m ET, NBATV
GAME 4 - Raptors at Pacers, Sat. April 23, 3 p.m. ET, TNT
GAME 5 - Pacers at Raptors, Tue. April 26, TBD, TBD
GAME 6* - Raptors at Pacers, Fri. April 29, TBD, TBD
GAME 7* - Pacers at Raptors, Sun. May 1, TBD, TBD
3. Heat vs. 6. Hornets
GAME 1 - Heat 123, Hornets 91
GAME 2 - Hornets at Heat, Wed. April 20, 7 p.m. ET, NBATV
GAME 3 - Heat at Hornets, Sat. April 23, 5:30 p.m. ET, TNT
GAME 4 - Heat at Hornets, Mon. April 25, TBD, TBD
GAME 5* - Hornets at Heat, Wed. April 27, TBD, TBD
GAME 6* - Heat at Hornets, Fri. April 29, TBD, TBD
GAME 7* - Hornets at Heat, Sun. May 1, TBD, TBD
4. Hawks vs. 5. Celtics
GAME 1 - Hawks 102, Celtics 101
GAME 2 - Hawks 89, Celtics 72
GAME 3 - Hawks at Celtics, Fri. April 22, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2
GAME 4 - Hawks at Celtics, Sun. April 24, 6 p.m. ET, TNT
GAME 5* - Celtics at Hawks, Tue. April 26, TBD, TBD
GAME 6* - Hawks at Celtics, Thu. April 28, TBD, TBD
GAME 7* - Celtics at Hawks, Sat. April 30, TBD, TNT
