The Boston Celtics have clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and will have home-field advantage throughout the postseason as they aim to return to the Finals for the first time since 2022 and win their first NBA championship since 2008. In the first round, they will face the Miami Heat, who secured the No. 8 spot after advancing from the play-in games.
The Celtics will await the results of the play-in games to find out their first-round opponent, along with the second seed, the New York Knicks. The 16-team NBA playoffs will feature eight teams from each conference meeting in a best-of-7 series in each round. The team with the best regular-season record will have home-field advantage for each series.
The NBA playoffs will begin on June 6, with coverage available on ABC, ESPN Deportes, and the ESPN app in the United States. Fans can watch all the games on ESPN Deportes, ESPN, and ABC, and access exclusive original series and articles from NBA experts by downloading the ESPN app or signing up for ESPN+.
In the Eastern Conference, the Celtics will face the Miami Heat in a best-of-7 series, with the first game scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN3. The series will continue with games on TNT and potentially Game 7 on May 5 if necessary.
In the Western Conference, matchups include the Lakers vs. Nuggets and Suns vs. Timberwolves, among others. The playoffs promise to be an exciting time for basketball fans, with top teams and rising stars competing for a shot at the championship. Stay tuned for more coverage and updates as the NBA playoffs progress.