NBA Playoffs 2015: TV Schedule, Guide, and First Round Preview

The NBA Playoffs starts today, and as a result, the most exciting part of the NBA Season begins! Let's get you all the info you want, in one place:

• SB Nation's 2015 NBA Playoff Guide
• NBA Playoff Schedule
• SB Nation Team Blog Individual Previews
• NBA Game-by-Game Odds

As a Utah Jazz fan I'm hyped for the NBA Draft, but man, the Western Conference playoffs is where it's at. Watch this video, and then recognize that you don't want the basketball season to end just yet.

Anyway, let's get to the games....

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Eastern Conference:

	Atlanta Hawks (1) vs. Brooklyn Nets (8)
1	Nets	@	Hawks	-	SUN	April	19	3:30 PM MT	TNT
2	Nets	@	Hawks	-	WED	April	22	5:00 PM MT	NBATV
3	Hawks	@	Nets	-	SAT	April	25	1:00 PM MT	TNT
4	Hawks	@	Nets	-	MON	April	27	TBD	TBD
5	Nets	@	Hawks	-	WED	April	29	TBD	TBD	*
6	Hawks	@	Nets	-	FRI	May	1	TBD	TBD	*
7	Nets	@	Hawks	-	SUN	May	3	TBD	TBD	*
	* = if necessary
	Hawks Roster						Nets Roster
	Jeff Teague					PG	Deron Williams
	Kyle Korver					SG	Markel Brown
	DeMarre Carroll					SF	Joe Johnson
	Paul Millsap					PF	Thaddeus Young
	Al Horford					C	Brook Lopez

Nets worked hard to make the playoffs, the Hawks have been in cruise control for about a month now, but I don't think the North East Jazz can beat the South East Jazz.

	Cleveland Cavaliers (2) vs. Boston Celtics (7)
1	Celtics	@	Cavaliers	-	SUN	April	19	1:00 PM MT	ABC
2	Celtics	@	Cavaliers	-	TUE	April	21	5:00 PM MT	TNT
3	Cavaliers	@	Celtics	-	THU	April	23	5:00 PM MT	TNT
4	Cavaliers	@	Celtics	-	SUN	April	26	11:00 AM MT	ABC
5	Celtics	@	Cavaliers	-	TUE	April	28	TBD	TBD	*
6	Cavaliers	@	Celtics	-	THU	April	30	TBD	TBD	*
7	Celtics	@	Cavaliers	-	SUN	May	2	TBD	TBD	*
	* = if necessary
	Cavaliers Roster						Celtics Roster
	Kyrie Irving					PG	Avery Bradley
	J.R. Smith					SG	Marcus Smart
	LeBron James					SF	Evan Turner
	Kevin Love					PF	Brandon Bass
	Timofey Mozgov					C	Tyler Zeller

King James and his jester's court go up against the traditional Kings of the NBA. These games are going to be slow, gritty, and not fun to watch.

	Chicago Bulls (3) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (6)
1	Bucks	@	Bulls	-	SAT	April	18	5:00 PM MT	ESPN
2	Bucks	@	Bulls	-	MON	April	20	6:00 PM MT	TNT
3	Bulls	@	Bucks	-	THU	April	23	6:00 PM MT	NBATV
4	Bulls	@	Bucks	-	SAT	April	25	3:30 PM MT	TNT
5	Bucks	@	Bulls	-	MON	April	27	TBD	TBD	*
6	Bulls	@	Bucks	-	THU	April	30	TBD	TBD	*
7	Bucks	@	Bulls	-	SAT	May	2	TBD	TBD	*
	* = if necessary
	Bulls Roster						Bucks Roster
	Derrick Rose					PG	Michael Carter-Williams
	Jimmy Butler					SG	Khris Middleton
	Mike Dunleavy					SF	Giannis Antetokounmpo
	Pau Gasol					PF	Ersan Ilyasova
	Joakim Noah					C	Zaza Pachulia

Speaking of slow and painful basketball . . . I don't expect any upsets so far in this playoffs yet.

	Toronto Raptors (4) vs. Washington Wizards (5)
1	Wizards	@	Raptors	-	SAT	April	18	10:30 AM MT	ESPN
2	Wizards	@	Raptors	-	TUE	April	21	6:00 PM MT	NBATV
3	Raptors	@	Wizards	-	FRI	April	24	6:00 PM MT	ESPN
4	Raptors	@	Wizards	-	SUN	April	26	5:00 PM MT	TNT
5	Wizards	@	Raptors	-	WED	April	29	TBD	TBD	*
6	Raptors	@	Wizards	-	FRI	May	1	TBD	TBD	*
7	Wizards	@	Raptors	-	SUN	May	3	TBD	TBD	*
	* = if necessary
	Raptors Roster						Wizards Roster
	Kyle Lowry					PG	John Wall
	Terrence Ross					SG	Bradley Beal
	DeMar DeRozan					SF	Otto Porter
	Amir Johnson					PF	Nene Hilario
	Jonas Valanciunas					C	Marcin Gortat

I'm going to go with the Raps here, most of the world seems to agree as well, for whatever reasons. I'd love to see these guys get out of the first round, it's been a long time since that happened. So I'm expecting the top four seeds to all advance to the next round, out East.

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Western Conference:

	Golden State Warriors (1) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (8)
1	Pelicans	@	Warriors	-	SAT	April	18	1:30 PM MT	ABC
2	Pelicans	@	Warriors	-	MON	April	20	8:30 PM MT	TNT
3	Warriors	@	Pelicans	-	THU	April	23	7:30 PM MT	TNT
4	Warriors	@	Pelicans	-	SAT	April	25	6:00 PM MT	ESPN
5	Pelicans	@	Warriors	-	TUE	April	28	TBD	TBD	*
6	Warriors	@	Pelicans	-	FRI	May	1	TBD	TBD	*
7	Pelicans	@	Warriors	-	SUN	May	3	TBD	TBD	*
	* = if necessary
	Warriors Roster						Pelicans Roster
	Stephen Curry					PG	Jrue Holiday
	Klay Thompson					SG	Eric Gordon
	Harrison Barnes					SF	Tyreke Evans
	Draymond Green					PF	Anthony Davis
	Andrew Bogut					C	Omer Asik

It's fun not to see the Thunder there, but this series is going to be the end of a monster movie where the highly trained specialists come out and succeed against a huge man-beast.

	Houston Rockets (2) vs. Dallas Mavericks (7)
1	Mavericks	@	Rockets	-	SAT	April	18	7:30 PM MT	ESPN
2	Mavericks	@	Rockets	-	TUE	April	21	7:30 PM MT	TNT
3	Rockets	@	Mavericks	-	FIR	April	24	5:00 PM MT	ESPN
4	Rockets	@	Mavericks	-	SUN	April	26	7:30 PM MT	TNT
5	Mavericks	@	Rockets	-	TUE	April	28	TBD	TBD	*
6	Rockets	@	Mavericks	-	THU	April	30	TBD	TBD	*
7	Mavericks	@	Rockets	-	SAT	May	2	TBD	TBD	*
	* = if necessary
	Rockets Roster						Mavericks Roster
	Jason Terry					PG	Rajon Rondo
	James Harden					SG	Monta Ellis
	Trevor Ariza					SF	Chandler Parsons
	Terrence Jones					PF	Dirk Nowitzki
	Dwight Howard					C	Tyson Chandler

This is going to be lots of fun because of star calls. Rondo can't shoot. Parsons is gimpy. And we just saw the Rockets, and are aware of their flaws -- even if we're not able to capitalize on them.

	Los Angeles Clippers (3) vs. San Antonio Spurs (6)
1	Spurs	@	Clippers	-	SUN	April	19	8:30 PM MT	TNT
2	Spurs	@	Clippers	-	WED	April	22	8:30 PM MT	TNT
3	Clippers	@	Spurs	-	FRI	April	24	7:30 PM MT	ESPN
4	Clippers	@	Spurs	-	SUN	April	26	1:30 PM MT	ABC
5	Spurs	@	Clippers	-	TUE	April	28	TBD	TBD	*
6	Clippers	@	Spurs	-	THU	April	30	TBD	TBD	*
7	Spurs	@	Clippers	-	SAT	May	2	TBD	TBD	*
	* = if necessary
	Clippers Roster						Spurs Roster
	Chris Paul					PG	Tony Parker
	J.J. Redick					SG	Danny Green
	Matt Barnes					SF	Kawhi Leonard
	Blake Griffin					PF	Tiago Splitter
	DeAndre Jordan					C	Tim Duncan

LETS GO SPURS!

	Portland Trail Blazers (4) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (5)
1	Trail Blazers	@	Grizzlies	-	SAT	April	18	10:30 AM MT	ESPN
2	Trail Blazers	@	Grizzlies	-	TUE	April	21	6:00 PM MT	NBATV
3	Grizzlies	@	Trail Blazers	-	FRI	April	24	6:00 PM MT	ESPN
4	Grizzlies	@	Trail Blazers	-	SUN	April	26	5:00 PM MT	TNT
5	Trail Blazers	@	Grizzlies	-	WED	April	29	TBD	TBD	*
6	Grizzlies	@	Trail Blazers	-	FRI	May	1	TBD	TBD	*
7	Trail Blazers	@	Grizzlies	-	SUN	May	3	TBD	TBD	*
	* = if necessary
	Trail Blazers Roster						Grizzlies Roster
	Damian Lillard					PG	Mike Conley
	Arron Afflalo					SG	Courtney Lee
	Nicolas Batum					SF	Jeff Green
	LaMarcus Aldridge					PF	Zach Randolph
	Robin Lopez					C	Marc Gasol

The Blazers don't have come court, and are kinda gimpy right now. I don't think they are going to advance.

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So I have all Top Seeds advancing, as MEM is the top seed here. The games start today at 10:30 AM on ESPN!

• WAS @ TOR -- 10:30 AM (ESPN)
• NOP @ GSW -- 1:30 PM (ABC)
• MIL @ CHI -- 5:00 PM (ESPN)
• DAL @ HOU -- 7:300 PM (ESPN)

Woo! Basketball that's star call based! I can't wait! (Also you can take this in as a scouting experience for the Jazz . . . for next season . . . you can bet that Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, and Rudy Gobert will be watching.)