2019 NBA playoffs

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

2019 NBA playoffs
Tournament details
DatesApril 13 – June 13, 2019
Season2018–19
Teams16
Final positions
ChampionsToronto Raptors (1st title)
Runner-upGolden State Warriors
Semifinalists
← 2018
2020 →

The 2019 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2018–19 season. The playoffs began on April 13 and ended on June 13 with the Eastern Conference champion Toronto Raptors defeating the two-time defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors in 4 games to 2 to win their first title in franchise history. Kawhi Leonard was named the NBA Finals MVP for the first time since 2014.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this was the last postseason until 2022 to be played in its traditional April through June schedule.

Overview

Western Conference

Eastern Conference

  • The Milwaukee Bucks entered the postseason with a 60–win season, their first since 1980–81, and with the best record in the league, the first time that has occurred since 1973–74.
  • The Orlando Magic made the playoffs for the first time since 2012, breaking the longest Eastern Conference playoff appearance drought to date.
  • The Brooklyn Nets made the playoffs for the first time in four years.
  • The Detroit Pistons made the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
  • The Cleveland Cavaliers, despite being the four-time defending Eastern Conference Champions, missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014, largely due to the departure of LeBron James to the Los Angeles Lakers.
  • The Miami Heat missed the playoffs for the third time in five years.

First round

  • In Game 2 of their series against the reigning champion Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers completed the largest comeback in NBA playoff history, overcoming a 31–point deficit.
  • Game 3 of the Bucks–Pistons series was the first playoff game played in the city of Detroit since Game 6 of the 1985 Eastern Conference semifinals, which took place at Joe Louis Arena. Postseason games featuring the Pistons had previously been held in the Palace of Auburn Hills and the Pontiac Silverdome.
  • The Boston Celtics swept the Indiana Pacers in the first round, marking the 43rd straight year a sweep occurred in the NBA playoffs. The last year a sweep did not occur in the playoffs was 1976. It was also the Celtics’ first playoff sweep since 2011.
  • With their first round sweep of the Detroit Pistons, the Milwaukee Bucks won their first series since 2001 when they defeated the Charlotte Hornets in the conference semifinals.
  • Game 5 of the Trail Blazers–Thunder series was extremely notable thanks to Damian Lillard’s 37 foot series winning 3–pointer over Paul George, capping a 118–115 victory for the Portland Trail Blazers. It was the second series winning three pointer made by Damian Lillard (the other being in 2014 against the Houston Rockets). It would also be Paul George’s and Russell Westbrook’s final game as members of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
  • The Nuggets–Spurs series was the first of the 2019 playoffs to have a Game 7, making it the 20th consecutive NBA postseason with a Game 7. The last time a Game 7 did not take place in the playoffs was in 1999.
  • All of the top seeds won the first round for the first time since 2008.

Conference semifinals

  • Game 3 of the Trail Blazers–Nuggets series was the first quadruple overtime game played in the playoffs since 1955 (and second overall), as well as the first quadruple overtime game ever played during the shot clock era.
  • With their conference semifinals victory over the Boston Celtics, the Milwaukee Bucks made the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2001. In addition, this was the first time since 1983 that the Bucks defeated the Celtics in a playoff series.
  • Kawhi Leonard scored the first Game 7 buzzer-beater in NBA history, helping the Toronto Raptors defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 92–90 in the second round.
  • Game 7 of the Nuggets–Blazers series was extremely notable for CJ McCollum’s block on Jamal Murray, evoking memories of a similar block in 2016.
  • With their Game 7 victory Portland Trail Blazers advanced to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2000. They also won a Game 7 on the road for the first time in franchise history.
  • The Warriors–Rockets series is notable for Stephen Curry's 33–point second half. With their series victory, they advanced to the Western Conference finals for the fifth consecutive season.

Conference finals

  • Stephen Curry (Warriors) and Seth Curry (Portland Trail Blazers) played each other in the Western Conference finals, becoming the first set of brothers to face each other in an NBA playoff series.[1]
  • With their Western Conference finals sweep against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Golden State Warriors earned their fifth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals, making them the second franchise in the NBA postseason history to do so after the Boston Celtics did it in ten consecutive years, starting from 1957 to 1966.
  • The Portland Trail Blazers earned the dubious distinction of losing three straight games to the Golden State Warriors despite posting double digit leads in Games 2, 3, and 4.
  • With their Eastern Conference finals victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, the Toronto Raptors advanced on to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
  • Stephen Curry surpassed Shaquille O'Neal for most points in a sweep with 146 points.

NBA Finals

Format

Within each conference, the eight teams with the most wins qualified for the playoffs. The seedings were based on each team's record.

Each conference's bracket was fixed; there was no reseeding. All rounds were best-of-seven series; the series ended when one team won four games, and that team advanced to the next round. All rounds, including the NBA Finals, were in a 2–2–1–1–1 format. In the conference playoffs, home court advantage went to the higher-seeded team (number one being the highest). Seeding was based on each team's regular season record within a conference; if two teams had the same record, standard tiebreaker rules were used. Conference seedings were ignored for the NBA Finals: Home court advantage went to the team with the better regular season record, and, if needed, ties were broken based on head-to-head record, followed by intra-conference record.

Playoff qualifying

On March 1, 2019, the Milwaukee Bucks became the first team to clinch a playoff spot.[2]

Eastern Conference

Seed Team Record Clinched
Playoff berth Division title Best record
in conference
Best record
in NBA
1 Milwaukee Bucks 60–22 March 1[2] March 21 April 4 April 4
2 Toronto Raptors 58–24 March 9[3] April 1
3 Philadelphia 76ers 51–31 March 17
4 Boston Celtics 49–33 March 26
5 Indiana Pacers 48–34 March 22[4]
6 Brooklyn Nets[a] 42–40 April 7
7 Orlando Magic[a] 42–40 April 7 April 7
8 Detroit Pistons 41–41 April 10

Western Conference

Seed Team Record Clinched
Playoff berth Division title Best record
in conference
Best record
in NBA
1 Golden State Warriors 57–25 March 16 March 31 April 7
2 Denver Nuggets 54–28 March 18 April 5
3 Portland Trail Blazers[b] 53–29 March 25
4 Houston Rockets[b] 53–29 March 24 March 31
5 Utah Jazz 50–32 March 28
6 Oklahoma City Thunder 49–33 March 30
7 San Antonio Spurs[c] 48–34 March 30
8 Los Angeles Clippers[c] 48–34 March 26
Notes
  1. ^ a b Brooklyn clinched #6 seed over Orlando based on 2–1 head-to-head record.
  2. ^ a b Portland clinched #3 seed over Houston based on 2–1 head-to-head record.
  3. ^ a b San Antonio clinched #7 seed over L.A. Clippers based on 30–22 record against teams in Western Conference (as opposed to L.A. Clippers 28–24 record).

Bracket

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. 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. The division champions are marked by an asterisk.

First round Second round Conference finals NBA Finals
            
E1 Milwaukee* 4
E8 Detroit 0
E1 Milwaukee* 4
E4 Boston 1
E4 Boston 4
E5 Indiana 0
E1 Milwaukee* 2
Eastern Conference
E2 Toronto* 4
E3 Philadelphia 4
E6 Brooklyn 1
E3 Philadelphia 3
E2 Toronto* 4
E2 Toronto* 4
E7 Orlando* 1
E2 Toronto* 4
W1 Golden State* 2
W1 Golden State* 4
W8 LA Clippers 2
W1 Golden State* 4
W4 Houston* 2
W4 Houston* 4
W5 Utah 1
W1 Golden State* 4
Western Conference
W3 Portland 0
W3 Portland 4
W6 Oklahoma City 1
W3 Portland 4
W2 Denver* 3
W2 Denver* 4
W7 San Antonio 3
  • * Division winner
  • Bold Series winner
  • Italic Team with home-court advantage

First round

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

Eastern Conference first round

(1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (8) Detroit Pistons

April 14
7:00pm (6:00 pm CDT)
Detroit Pistons 86, Milwaukee Bucks 121
Scoring by quarter: 18–38, 25–32, 18–27, 25–24
Pts: Luke Kennard 21
Rebs: Andre Drummond 12
Asts: Ish Smith 6
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 24
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 17
Asts: Sterling Brown 7
Milwaukee leads series, 1–0
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 17,529
Referees: Tony Brothers, Pat Fraher, Kevin Cutler
April 17
8:00pm (7:00 pm CDT)
Detroit Pistons 99, Milwaukee Bucks 120
Scoring by quarter: 27–38, 32–20, 17–35, 23–27
Pts: Luke Kennard 19
Rebs: Andre Drummond 16
Asts: Reggie Jackson 8
Pts: Eric Bledsoe 27
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 12
Asts: Khris Middleton 8
Milwaukee leads series, 2–0
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 17,513
Referees: Eric Lewis, Mike Callahan, Rodney Mott
April 20
8:00pm
Milwaukee Bucks 119, Detroit Pistons 103
Scoring by quarter: 32–24, 35–30, 33–24, 19–25
Pts: Khris Middleton 20
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 10
Asts: Bledsoe, Hill 5 each
Pts: Blake Griffin 27
Rebs: Andre Drummond 12
Asts: Reggie Jackson 8
Milwaukee leads series, 3–0
Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Attendance: 20,520
Referees: James Capers, Kane Fitzgerald, Curtis Blair
April 22
8:00pm
Milwaukee Bucks 127, Detroit Pistons 104
Scoring by quarter: 26–28, 30–34, 39–23, 32–19
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 41
Rebs: Sterling Brown 13
Asts: Sterling Brown 6
Pts: Reggie Jackson 26
Rebs: Andre Drummond 12
Asts: Reggie Jackson 7
Milwaukee wins series, 4–0
Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Attendance: 20,332
Referees: Ken Mauer, Tony Brown, Derrick Collins

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning all four of the previous meetings.[5]

(2) Toronto Raptors vs. (7) Orlando Magic

April 13
5:00pm
Orlando Magic 104, Toronto Raptors 101
Scoring by quarter: 25–30, 32–19, 18–27, 29–25
Pts: D. J. Augustin 25
Rebs: Aaron Gordon 10
Asts: D. J. Augustin 6
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 25
Rebs: Pascal Siakam 8
Asts: Kyle Lowry 8
Orlando leads series, 1–0
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 19,937
Referees: Mike Callahan, Eric Lewis, Ben Taylor
  • In Game 1, D. J. Augustin hit the game-winning three-point shot with 3.4 seconds left.
April 16
8:00pm
Orlando Magic 82, Toronto Raptors 111
Scoring by quarter: 18–26, 21–25, 27–39, 16–21
Pts: Aaron Gordon 20
Rebs: Michael Carter-Williams 9
Asts: D. J. Augustin 4
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 37
Rebs: Pascal Siakam 10
Asts: Kyle Lowry 7
Series tied, 1–1
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 19,964
Referees: Marc Davis, John Goble, Kevin Cutler
April 19
7:00pm
Toronto Raptors 98, Orlando Magic 93
Scoring by quarter: 26–21, 22–24, 28–20, 22–28
Pts: Pascal Siakam 30
Rebs: Pascal Siakam 11
Asts: Kyle Lowry 10
Pts: Terrence Ross 24
Rebs: Nikola Vučević 14
Asts: Aaron Gordon 7
Toronto leads series, 2–1
Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 19,367
Referees: Tony Brothers, Sean Wright, Michael Smith
April 21
7:00pm
Toronto Raptors 107, Orlando Magic 85
Scoring by quarter: 28–26, 30–16, 24–28, 25–15
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 34
Rebs: Serge Ibaka 8
Asts: Kyle Lowry 9
Pts: Aaron Gordon 25
Rebs: Aaron Gordon 7
Asts: Aaron Gordon 5
Toronto leads series, 3–1
Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 19,087
Referees: Zach Zarba, Tom Washington, Karl Lane
April 23
7:00pm
Orlando Magic 96, Toronto Raptors 115
Scoring by quarter: 19–35, 28–32, 23–32, 26–16
Pts: D. J. Augustin 15
Rebs: Khem Birch 11
Asts: Michael Carter-Williams 5
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 27
Rebs: Marc Gasol 9
Asts: Fred VanVleet 10
Toronto wins series, 4–1
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 19,800
Referees: Scott Foster, Jason Phillips, Tyler Ford

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Magic winning the first meeting.[6]

(3) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (6) Brooklyn Nets

April 13
2:30pm
Brooklyn Nets 111, Philadelphia 76ers 102
Scoring by quarter: 31–22, 31–32, 31–28, 18–20
Pts: D'Angelo Russell 26
Rebs: Ed Davis 16
Asts: Dudley, Russell 4 each
Pts: Jimmy Butler 36
Rebs: Joel Embiid 15
Asts: Tobias Harris 6
Brooklyn leads series, 1–0
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 20,437
Referees: Scott Foster, Jason Phillips, Tyler Ford
April 15
8:00pm
Brooklyn Nets 123, Philadelphia 76ers 145
Scoring by quarter: 28–34, 36–31, 23–51, 36–29
Pts: Spencer Dinwiddie 19
Rebs: Jarrett Allen 6
Asts: Jarrett Allen 4
Pts: Joel Embiid 23
Rebs: Embiid, Simmons 10 each
Asts: Ben Simmons 12
Series tied, 1–1
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 20,591
Referees: Mike Callahan, Kevin Scott, Gediminas Petraitis
April 18
8:00pm
Philadelphia 76ers 131, Brooklyn Nets 115
Scoring by quarter: 32–24, 33–35, 32–31, 34–25
Pts: Ben Simmons 31
Rebs: Tobias Harris 16
Asts: Ben Simmons 9
Pts: D'Angelo Russell 26
Rebs: Caris LeVert 7
Asts: Russell, Hollis-Jefferson 4 each
Philadelphia leads series, 2–1
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City
Attendance: 17,732
Referees: James Capers, Courtney Kirkland, Scott Wall
April 20
3:00pm
Philadelphia 76ers 112, Brooklyn Nets 108
Scoring by quarter: 24–33, 33–30, 28–28, 27–17
Pts: Joel Embiid 31
Rebs: Joel Embiid 16
Asts: Ben Simmons 8
Pts: Caris LeVert 25
Rebs: Jarrett Allen 8
Asts: LeVert, Russell 6 each
Philadelphia leads series, 3–1
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City
Attendance: 17,732
Referees: Ed Malloy, David Guthrie, Ben Taylor
April 23
8:00pm
Brooklyn Nets 100, Philadelphia 76ers 122
Scoring by quarter: 15–32, 16–28, 33–35, 36–27
Pts: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson 21
Rebs: Jarrett Allen 9
Asts: Shabazz Napier 10
Pts: Joel Embiid 23
Rebs: Joel Embiid 13
Asts: T. J. McConnell 7
Philadelphia wins series, 4–1
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 20,595
Referees: Zach Zarba, Tom Washington, Brian Forte

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, but the first since the New Jersey Nets relocated to Brooklyn and became the Brooklyn Nets in 2012, with each team winning one series.[7]

(4) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Indiana Pacers

April 14
1:00pm
Indiana Pacers 74, Boston Celtics 84
Scoring by quarter: 20–20, 25–18, 8–26, 21–20
Pts: Cory Joseph 14
Rebs: Domantas Sabonis 9
Asts: Thaddeus Young 6
Pts: Irving, Morris 20 each
Rebs: Al Horford 11
Asts: Kyrie Irving 7
Boston leads series, 1–0
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: James Capers, Kane Fitzgerald, Brian Forte
April 17
7:00pm
Indiana Pacers 91, Boston Celtics 99
Scoring by quarter: 33–29, 17–23, 29–16, 12–31
Pts: Bojan Bogdanović 23
Rebs: Bojan Bogdanović 8
Asts: Sabonis, Matthews 5 each
Pts: Kyrie Irving 37
Rebs: Al Horford 10
Asts: Kyrie Irving 7
Boston leads series, 2–0
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Sean Wright, Tony Brothers, Kevin Scott
April 19
8:30pm
Boston Celtics 104, Indiana Pacers 96
Scoring by quarter: 41–28, 18–33, 21–12, 24–23
Pts: Jaylen Brown 23
Rebs: Al Horford 8
Asts: Kyrie Irving 10
Pts: Tyreke Evans 19
Rebs: Thaddeus Young 9
Asts: Domantas Sabonis 6
Boston leads series, 3–0
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 17,923
Referees: Zach Zarba, Pat Fraher, Tyler Ford
April 21
1:00pm
Boston Celtics 110, Indiana Pacers 106
Scoring by quarter: 21–23, 26–26, 26–23, 37–34
Pts: Gordon Hayward 20
Rebs: Al Horford 12
Asts: Kyrie Irving 7
Pts: Bojan Bogdanović 22
Rebs: Thaddeus Young 9
Asts: Darren Collison 5
Boston wins series, 4–0
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 17,923
Referees: Marc Davis, John Goble, Courtney Kirkland

This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning three of the first five meetings.[8]

Western Conference first round

(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (8) Los Angeles Clippers

April 13
8:00 pm (5:00 pm PDT)
Los Angeles Clippers 104, Golden State Warriors 121
Scoring by quarter: 27–36, 29–33, 23–29, 25–23
Pts: Montrezl Harrell 26
Rebs: Danilo Gallinari 8
Asts: Lou Williams 9
Pts: Stephen Curry 38
Rebs: Stephen Curry 15
Asts: Curry, Green 7 each
Golden State leads series, 1–0
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Ed Malloy, Courtney Kirkland, Mark Lindsay
April 15
10:30pm (7:30 pm PDT)
Los Angeles Clippers 135, Golden State Warriors 131
Scoring by quarter: 25–33, 25–40, 44–35, 41–23
Pts: Lou Williams 36
Rebs: Montrezl Harrell 10
Asts: Lou Williams 11
Pts: Stephen Curry 29
Rebs: Andrew Bogut 9
Asts: Draymond Green 9
Series tied, 1–1
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Ken Mauer, Josh Tiven, Nick Buchert

The Clippers trailed 94–63 with 7:31 remaining in the third quarter of Game 2. They would go on to outscore Golden State 72–37 en route to overcoming a 31-point deficit, the largest comeback in NBA playoff history.[9]

April 18
10:30pm (7:30 pm PDT)
Golden State Warriors 132, Los Angeles Clippers 105
Scoring by quarter: 41–24, 32–28, 36–24, 23–29
Pts: Kevin Durant 38
Rebs: Andrew Bogut 14
Asts: Draymond Green 10
Pts: Ivica Zubac 18
Rebs: Ivica Zubac 15
Asts: Lou Williams 6
Golden State leads series, 2–1
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 19,068
Referees: Scott Foster, Jason Phillips, Scott Twardoski
April 21
3:30pm (12:30 pm PDT)
Golden State Warriors 113, Los Angeles Clippers 105
Scoring by quarter: 32–22, 30–32, 25–30, 26–21
Pts: Kevin Durant 33
Rebs: Bogut, Curry 10 each
Asts: Stephen Curry 7
Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 25
Rebs: Patrick Beverley 10
Asts: Patrick Beverley 5
Golden State leads series, 3–1
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 19,068
Referees: Tony Brothers, Sean Wright, Brent Barnaky
April 24
10:30pm (7:30 pm PDT)
Los Angeles Clippers 129, Golden State Warriors 121
Scoring by quarter: 37–41, 34–22, 33–31, 25–27
Pts: Lou Williams 33
Rebs: Patrick Beverley 14
Asts: Lou Williams 10
Pts: Kevin Durant 45
Rebs: Green, Looney 7 each
Asts: Andre Iguodala 8
Golden State leads series, 3–2
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Marc Davis, John Goble, Pat Fraher
April 26
10:00pm (7:00 pm PDT)
Golden State Warriors 129, Los Angeles Clippers 110
Scoring by quarter: 35–31, 37–22, 30–25, 27–32
Pts: Kevin Durant 50
Rebs: Draymond Green 14
Asts: Draymond Green 10
Pts: Danilo Gallinari 29
Rebs: Patrick Beverley 14
Asts: Beverley, Williams 7 each
Golden State wins series, 4–2
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 19,068
Referees: Mike Callahan, David Guthrie, Kevin Scott

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Clippers winning the first meeting.[10]

(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (7) San Antonio Spurs

April 13
10:30pm (8:30 pm MDT)
San Antonio Spurs 101, Denver Nuggets 96
Scoring by quarter: 25–20, 34–31, 13–17, 29–28
Pts: DeMar DeRozan 18
Rebs: DeMar DeRozan 12
Asts: DeMar DeRozan 6
Pts: Gary Harris 20
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 14
Asts: Nikola Jokić 14
San Antonio leads series, 1–0
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,520
Referees: Ken Mauer, Josh Tiven, Tom Washington
April 16
9:00pm (7:00 pm MDT)
San Antonio Spurs 105, Denver Nuggets 114
Scoring by quarter: 26–21, 33–28, 23–26, 23–39
Pts: DeMar DeRozan 31
Rebs: Rudy Gay 9
Asts: Patty Mills 5
Pts: Jamal Murray 24
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 13
Asts: Nikola Jokić 8
Series tied, 1–1
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,520
Referees: James Capers, Kane Fitzgerald, Derrick Collins
April 18
9:00pm (8:00 pm CDT)
Denver Nuggets 108, San Antonio Spurs 118
Scoring by quarter: 22–31, 36–30, 26–27, 24–30
Pts: Nikola Jokić 22
Rebs: Malik Beasley 9
Asts: three players 7 each
Pts: Derrick White 36
Rebs: Aldridge, Gay 11 each
Asts: three players 5 each
San Antonio leads series, 2–1
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,354
Referees: Ed Malloy, David Guthrie, Mark Lindsay
April 20
5:30pm (4:30 pm CDT)
Denver Nuggets 117, San Antonio Spurs 103
Scoring by quarter: 22–34, 32–20, 37–25, 26–24
Pts: Nikola Jokić 29
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 12
Asts: Nikola Jokić 8
Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge 24
Rebs: Aldridge, Pöltl 9 each
Asts: DeRozan, White 5 each
Series tied, 2–2
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,354
Referees: Scott Foster, Rodney Mott, Brian Forte
April 23
9:30pm (7:30 pm MDT)
San Antonio Spurs 90, Denver Nuggets 108
Scoring by quarter: 19–26, 23–27, 21–32, 27–23
Pts: Aldridge, DeRozan 17 each
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 10
Asts: Jakob Pöltl 4
Pts: Jamal Murray 23
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 11
Asts: Nikola Jokić 8
Denver leads series, 3–2
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,520
Referees: Mike Callahan, Eric Lewis, Kevin Scott
April 25
8:00pm (7:00 pm CDT)
Denver Nuggets 103, San Antonio Spurs 120
Scoring by quarter: 24–34, 36–30, 25–26, 18–30
Pts: Nikola Jokić 43
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 12
Asts: Nikola Jokić 9
Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge 26
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 10
Asts: DeMar DeRozan 7
Series tied, 3–3
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,354
Referees: Zach Zarba, Josh Tiven, Tony Brown
April 27
10:00pm (8:00 pm MDT)
San Antonio Spurs 86, Denver Nuggets 90
Scoring by quarter: 13–23, 21–24, 27–25, 25–18
Pts: Rudy Gay 21
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 11
Asts: DeMar DeRozan 6
Pts: Jamal Murray 23
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 15
Asts: Nikola Jokić 10
Denver wins series, 4–3
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,725
Referees: Marc Davis, Tony Brothers, John Goble

This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning five of the first six meetings.[11]

(3) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (6) Oklahoma City Thunder

April 14
3:30pm (12:30 pm PDT)
Oklahoma City Thunder 99, Portland Trail Blazers 104
Scoring by quarter: 25–39, 23–15, 21–22, 30–28
Pts: Paul George 26
Rebs: Westbrook, George 10 each
Asts: Russell Westbrook 10
Pts: Damian Lillard 30
Rebs: Enes Kanter 18
Asts: Damian Lillard 4
Portland leads series, 1–0
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 19,886
Referees: Zach Zarba, Rodney Mott, Tre Maddox
April 16
10:30pm (7:30 pm PDT)
Oklahoma City Thunder 94, Portland Trail Blazers 114
Scoring by quarter: 31–26, 23–28, 21–37, 19–23
Pts: Paul George 27
Rebs: Adams, Westbrook 9 each
Asts: Russell Westbrook 11
Pts: CJ McCollum 33
Rebs: Maurice Harkless 9
Asts: Damian Lillard 6
Portland leads series, 2–0
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,041
Referees: Scott Foster, Jason Phillips, Karl Lane
April 19
9:30pm (8:30 pm CDT)
Portland Trail Blazers 108, Oklahoma City Thunder 120
Scoring by quarter: 22–21, 17–28, 43–37, 26–34
Pts: Damian Lillard 32
Rebs: Al-Farouq Aminu 9
Asts: CJ McCollum 7
Pts: Russell Westbrook 33
Rebs: Steven Adams 7
Asts: Russell Westbrook 11
Portland leads series, 2–1
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Marc Davis, Tony Brown, Nick Buchert
April 21
9:30pm (8:30 pm CDT)
Portland Trail Blazers 111, Oklahoma City Thunder 98
Scoring by quarter: 26–24, 24–22, 29–22, 32–30
Pts: CJ McCollum 27
Rebs: Harkless, Kanter 10 each
Asts: Damian Lillard 8
Pts: Paul George 32
Rebs: Paul George 10
Asts: Russell Westbrook 7
Portland leads series, 3–1
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Mike Callahan, Eric Lewis, Mark Lindsay
April 23
10:30pm (7:30 pm PDT)
Oklahoma City Thunder 115, Portland Trail Blazers 118
Scoring by quarter: 37–29, 23–32, 30–27, 25–30
Pts: Paul George 36
Rebs: Russell Westbrook 11
Asts: Russell Westbrook 14
Pts: Damian Lillard 50
Rebs: Enes Kanter 13
Asts: Damian Lillard 6
Portland wins series, 4–1
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,241
Referees: James Capers, Kane Fitzgerald, Courtney Kirkland

Damian Lillard scored 50 points in Game 5 and finished off the series by hitting a 37-foot three at the buzzer to break a 115–115 tie, sending the Blazers through to the conference semifinals. This was Lillard's second series-winning 3-pointer; his first came against Houston in 2014. He is the only player besides Michael Jordan to hit two series-winning field goals. This was also the last Thunder game to feature both Russell Westbrook and Paul George.

This was the fifth playoff meeting between the SuperSonics/Thunder and the Blazers, but the first since the Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder in 2008. The two teams have split their previous four playoff matchups.[12]

(4) Houston Rockets vs. (5) Utah Jazz

April 14
9:30pm (8:30 pm CDT)
Utah Jazz 90, Houston Rockets 122
Scoring by quarter: 24–31, 20–28, 27–24, 19–39
Pts: Rudy Gobert 22
Rebs: Rudy Gobert 12
Asts: Ricky Rubio 6
Pts: James Harden 29
Rebs: Clint Capela 12
Asts: James Harden 10
Houston leads series, 1–0
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,055
Referees: Marc Davis, John Goble, Michael Smith
April 17
9:30pm (8:30 pm CDT)
Utah Jazz 98, Houston Rockets 118
Scoring by quarter: 19–39, 25–31, 23–25, 31–23
Pts: Rubio, O'Neale 17 each
Rebs: Gobert, Favors 12 each
Asts: Ricky Rubio 9
Pts: James Harden 32
Rebs: James Harden 13
Asts: James Harden 10
Houston leads series, 2–0
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,055
Referees: Tony Brown, Zach Zarba, Tom Washington
April 20
10:30pm (8:30 pm MDT)
Houston Rockets 104, Utah Jazz 101
Scoring by quarter: 28–30, 22–25, 24–21, 30–25
Pts: James Harden 22
Rebs: Clint Capela 14
Asts: James Harden 10
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 34
Rebs: Gobert, Ingles 8 each
Asts: Ricky Rubio 6
Houston leads series, 3–0
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 18,306
Referees: Ken Mauer, Josh Tiven, Kevin Scott
April 22
10:30pm (8:30 pm MDT)
Houston Rockets 91, Utah Jazz 107
Scoring by quarter: 24–32, 23–21, 32–23, 12–31
Pts: James Harden 30
Rebs: Chris Paul 8
Asts: Chris Paul 7
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 31
Rebs: Favors, O'Neale 11 each
Asts: Ricky Rubio 11
Houston leads series, 3–1
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 18,306
Referees: Tony Brothers, David Guthrie, Pat Fraher
April 24
8:00pm (7:00 pm CDT)
Utah Jazz 93, Houston Rockets 100
Scoring by quarter: 20–20, 22–26, 27–29, 24–25
Pts: Royce O'Neale 18
Rebs: Crowder, Gobert 10 each
Asts: Ricky Rubio 11
Pts: James Harden 26
Rebs: Clint Capela 10
Asts: James Harden 6
Houston wins series, 4–1
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,055
Referees: Ed Malloy, Sean Wright, Rodney Mott

This was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning five of the first eight meetings.[13]

Conference semifinals

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

Eastern Conference semifinals

(1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (4) Boston Celtics

April 28
1:00pm (12:00 pm CDT)
Boston Celtics 112, Milwaukee Bucks 90
Scoring by quarter: 26–17, 26–33, 36–21, 24–19
Pts: Kyrie Irving 26
Rebs: Al Horford 11
Asts: Kyrie Irving 11
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 22
Rebs: Khris Middleton 10
Asts: Khris Middleton 6
Boston leads series, 1–0
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 17,341
Referees: James Capers, Ed Malloy, Tyler Ford
April 30
8:00pm (7:00 pm CDT)
Boston Celtics 102, Milwaukee Bucks 123
Scoring by quarter: 30–25, 25–34, 18–39, 29–25
Pts: Marcus Morris 17
Rebs: Horford, Rozier 8 each
Asts: Kyrie Irving 4
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 29
Rebs: Pat Connaughton 11
Asts: Eric Bledsoe 5
Series tied, 1–1
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 17,536
Referees: Marc Davis, Tony Brothers, Tom Washington
May 3
8:00pm
Milwaukee Bucks 123, Boston Celtics 116
Scoring by quarter: 25–30, 30–26, 40–31, 28–29
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 32
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 13
Asts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 8
Pts: Kyrie Irving 29
Rebs: Jayson Tatum 11
Asts: Kyrie Irving 6
Milwaukee leads series, 2–1
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Ken Mauer, Kane Fitzgerald, Tony Brown
May 6
7:00pm
Milwaukee Bucks 113, Boston Celtics 101
Scoring by quarter: 22–30, 25–19, 33–23, 33–29
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 39
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 16
Asts: Khris Middleton 7
Pts: Kyrie Irving 23
Rebs: Marcus Morris 14
Asts: Kyrie Irving 10
Milwaukee leads series, 3–1
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Zach Zarba, John Goble, Pat Fraher
May 8
8:00pm (7:00 pm CDT)
Boston Celtics 91, Milwaukee Bucks 116
Scoring by quarter: 19–22, 20–30, 23–28, 29–36
Pts: Kyrie Irving 15
Rebs: Marcus Morris 11
Asts: Al Horford 6
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 20
Rebs: Mirotić, Connaughton 11 each
Asts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 8
Milwaukee wins series, 4–1
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 17,701
Referees: Mike Callahan, David Guthrie, Rodney Mott

This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning five of the first six meetings.[14]

(2) Toronto Raptors vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers

April 27
7:30pm
Philadelphia 76ers 95, Toronto Raptors 108
Scoring by quarter: 31–39, 21–22, 29–31, 14–16
Pts: JJ Redick 17
Rebs: Tobias Harris 15
Asts: Tobias Harris 6
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 45
Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 11
Asts: Kyle Lowry 8
Toronto leads series, 1–0
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 19,800
Referees: Ken Mauer, Kane Fitzgerald, Nick Buchert
April 29
8:00pm
Philadelphia 76ers 94, Toronto Raptors 89
Scoring by quarter: 26–17, 25–21, 18–25, 25–26
Pts: Jimmy Butler 30
Rebs: Butler, Harris 11 each
Asts: three players 5 each
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 35
Rebs: three players 7 each
Asts: Kawhi Leonard 6
Series tied, 1–1
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 19,800
Referees: Mike Callahan, David Guthrie, Scott Wall
May 2
8:00pm
Toronto Raptors 95, Philadelphia 76ers 116
Scoring by quarter: 29–32, 24–32, 28–25, 14–27
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 33
Rebs: Gasol, Green 6 each
Asts: Kyle Lowry 5
Pts: Joel Embiid 33
Rebs: Joel Embiid 10
Asts: Jimmy Butler 9
Philadelphia leads series, 2–1
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 20,658
Referees: Scott Foster, Jason Phillips, Tre Maddox
May 5
3:30pm
Toronto Raptors 101, Philadelphia 76ers 96
Scoring by quarter: 24–21, 23–24, 28–30, 26–21
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 39
Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 14
Asts: Kyle Lowry 7
Pts: Jimmy Butler 29
Rebs: Jimmy Butler 11
Asts: Joel Embiid 7
Series tied, 2–2
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 20,639
Referees: Marc Davis, Tony Brothers, Josh Tiven
May 7
8:00pm
Philadelphia 76ers 89, Toronto Raptors 125
Scoring by quarter: 26–27, 17–37, 27–28, 19–33
Pts: Jimmy Butler 22
Rebs: Ben Simmons 7
Asts: Jimmy Butler 7
Pts: Pascal Siakam 25
Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 13
Asts: Kyle Lowry 5
Toronto leads series, 3–2
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 20,287
Referees: James Capers, Eric Lewis, Sean Wright
May 9
8:00pm
Toronto Raptors 101, Philadelphia 76ers 112
Scoring by quarter: 21–29, 22–29, 24–29, 34–25
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 29
Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 12
Asts: Kyle Lowry 6
Pts: Jimmy Butler 25
Rebs: Joel Embiid 12
Asts: Jimmy Butler 8
Series tied, 3–3
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 20,525
Referees: Zach Zarba, John Goble, Tom Washington
May 12
7:00pm
Philadelphia 76ers 90, Toronto Raptors 92
Scoring by quarter: 13–18, 27–26, 24–23, 26–25
Pts: Joel Embiid 21
Rebs: Joel Embiid 11
Asts: Ben Simmons 5
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 41
Rebs: Siakam, Gasol 11 each
Asts: Kyle Lowry 6
Toronto wins series, 4–3
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 20,917
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Jason Phillips

As Game 7 came down to the final seconds, Joel Embiid cut a three-point Raptors lead to one with two free throws, then after Kawhi Leonard split his free throws, Jimmy Butler led the fast break and made a layup with 4.2 seconds left to tie the game. After a Toronto timeout, Leonard was given the ball, dribbled around the perimeter and shot it from the baseline, just inside the three-point arc. The shot bounced four times on the rim before going in to give the Raptors the series win. It was the first buzzer-beater to win a Game 7 in NBA history, and only the second such shot in a winner-take-all playoff game, after Michael Jordan's shot to win the Chicago Bulls' 1989 first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. (In 1989, first-round playoff series were best-of-5 instead of the current best-of-7.)

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with Philadelphia winning the first meeting in the 2001 Eastern Conference semifinals.[15]

Western Conference semifinals

(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (4) Houston Rockets

April 28
3:30pm (12:30 pm PDT)
Houston Rockets 100, Golden State Warriors 104
Scoring by quarter: 19–28, 34–25, 23–30, 24–21
Pts: James Harden 35
Rebs: Clint Capela 6
Asts: James Harden 6
Pts: Kevin Durant 35
Rebs: Draymond Green 9
Asts: Draymond Green 9
Golden State leads series, 1–0
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Zach Zarba, Josh Tiven, Courtney Kirkland
April 30
10:30pm (7:30 pm PDT)
Houston Rockets 109, Golden State Warriors 115
Scoring by quarter: 20–29, 29–29, 26–24, 34–33
Pts: James Harden 29
Rebs: Tucker, Capela 10 each
Asts: Chris Paul 6
Pts: Kevin Durant 29
Rebs: Draymond Green 12
Asts: Draymond Green 7
Golden State leads series, 2–0
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Scott Foster, Ed Malloy, Eric Lewis
May 4
8:30pm (7:30 pm CDT)
Golden State Warriors 121, Houston Rockets 126 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 26–25, 23–33, 35–33, 28–21, Overtime: 9–14
Pts: Kevin Durant 46
Rebs: Draymond Green 11
Asts: Draymond Green 10
Pts: James Harden 41
Rebs: P. J. Tucker 12
Asts: Chris Paul 7
Golden State leads series, 2–1
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,169
Referees: James Capers, John Goble, Sean Wright
May 6
9:30pm (8:30 pm CDT)
Golden State Warriors 108, Houston Rockets 112
Scoring by quarter: 28–25, 26–36, 30–32, 24–19
Pts: Kevin Durant 34
Rebs: Draymond Green 10
Asts: Stephen Curry 8
Pts: James Harden 38
Rebs: Harden, Tucker 10 each
Asts: Chris Paul 5
Series tied, 2–2
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,055
Referees: Mike Callahan, David Guthrie, Kevin Scott
May 8
10:30pm (7:30 pm PDT)
Houston Rockets 99, Golden State Warriors 104
Scoring by quarter: 17–31, 26–26, 29–15, 27–32
Pts: James Harden 31
Rebs: Clint Capela 14
Asts: James Harden 8
Pts: Klay Thompson 27
Rebs: Draymond Green 12
Asts: Draymond Green 11
Golden State leads series, 3–2
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Ken Mauer, Jason Phillips, Kane Fitzgerald
May 10
9:00pm (8:00 pm CDT)
Golden State Warriors 118, Houston Rockets 113
Scoring by quarter: 27–28, 30–29, 25–30, 36–26
Pts: Stephen Curry 33
Rebs: Draymond Green 10
Asts: Draymond Green 7
Pts: James Harden 35
Rebs: Chris Paul 11
Asts: Chris Paul 6
Golden State wins series, 4–2
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,055
Referees: Marc Davis, Eric Lewis, Pat Fraher

All 6 games in the series finished with a differential of less than or exactly 6 points, making it the first playoff series in NBA history to accomplish this feat.

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Golden State winning the previous three meetings.[16]

(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (3) Portland Trail Blazers

April 29
10:30pm (8:30pm MDT)
Portland Trail Blazers 113, Denver Nuggets 121
Scoring by quarter: 32–32, 23–26, 29–35, 29–28
Pts: Damian Lillard 39
Rebs: Aminu, Turner 8 each
Asts: Damian Lillard 6
Pts: Nikola Jokić 37
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 9
Asts: Jamal Murray 8
Denver leads series, 1–0
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,520
Referees: Ken Mauer, Sean Wright, Ben Taylor
May 1
9:00pm (7:00pm MDT)
Portland Trail Blazers 97, Denver Nuggets 90
Scoring by quarter: 28–23, 22–12, 28–29, 19–26
Pts: CJ McCollum 20
Rebs: Al-Farouq Aminu 10
Asts: CJ McCollum 6
Pts: Nikola Jokić 16
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 14
Asts: Nikola Jokić 7
Series tied, 1–1
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,520
Referees: James Capers, Pat Fraher, Michael Smith
May 3
10:30pm (7:30pm PDT)
Denver Nuggets 137, Portland Trail Blazers 140 (4OT)
Scoring by quarter: 17–23, 30–25, 29–33, 26–21, Overtime: 7–7, 9–9, 11–11, 8–11
Pts: Jamal Murray 34
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 18
Asts: Nikola Jokić 14
Pts: CJ McCollum 41
Rebs: Enes Kanter 15
Asts: Damian Lillard 8
Portland leads series, 2–1
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,193
Referees: Mike Callahan, Eric Lewis, Rodney Mott
May 5
7:00pm (4:00pm PDT)
Denver Nuggets 116, Portland Trail Blazers 112
Scoring by quarter: 29–33, 28–30, 27–14, 32–35
Pts: Jamal Murray 34
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 12
Asts: Nikola Jokić 11
Pts: CJ McCollum 29
Rebs: Enes Kanter 10
Asts: Damian Lillard 7
Series tied, 2–2
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,146
Referees: Scott Foster, Jason Phillips, Derrick Collins
May 7
10:30pm (8:30pm MDT)
Portland Trail Blazers 98, Denver Nuggets 124
Scoring by quarter: 25–31, 22–34, 18–28, 33–31
Pts: Damian Lillard 22
Rebs: Enes Kanter 8
Asts: Damian Lillard 4
Pts: Nikola Jokić 25
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 19
Asts: Jamal Murray 9
Denver leads series, 3–2
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,520
Referees: Marc Davis, Tony Brothers, Josh Tiven
May 9
10:30pm (7:30pm PDT)
Denver Nuggets 108, Portland Trail Blazers 119
Scoring by quarter: 34–26, 20–32, 26–29, 28–32
Pts: Nikola Jokić 29
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 12
Asts: Nikola Jokić 8
Pts: Damian Lillard 32
Rebs: Enes Kanter 14
Asts: Evan Turner 7
Series tied, 3–3
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,022
Referees: James Capers, Ed Malloy, Sean Wright
May 12
3:30pm (1:30pm MDT)
Portland Trail Blazers 100, Denver Nuggets 96
Scoring by quarter: 17–29, 22–19, 32–24, 29–24
Pts: CJ McCollum 37
Rebs: Enes Kanter 13
Asts: Damian Lillard 8
Pts: Nikola Jokić 29
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 13
Asts: Jamal Murray 5
Portland wins series, 4–3
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,725
Referees: Mike Callahan, John Goble, David Guthrie

Game three became the second playoff game in NBA history to go into quadruple-overtime, joining a 1953 game between the Boston Celtics and Syracuse Nationals.[17]

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series.[18]

Conference finals

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

Eastern Conference finals

(1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (2) Toronto Raptors

May 15
8:30pm (7:30 pm CDT)
Toronto Raptors 100, Milwaukee Bucks 108
Scoring by quarter: 34–23, 25–28, 24–25, 17–32
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 31
Rebs: Marc Gasol 12
Asts: Marc Gasol 5
Pts: Brook Lopez 29
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 14
Asts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 6
Milwaukee leads series, 1–0
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 17,345
Referees: Zach Zarba, John Goble, Sean Wright
May 17
8:30pm (7:30 pm CDT)
Toronto Raptors 103, Milwaukee Bucks 125
Scoring by quarter: 21–35, 18–29, 39–31, 25–30
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 31
Rebs: Serge Ibaka 10
Asts: Kyle Lowry 4
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 30
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 17
Asts: Eric Bledsoe 7
Milwaukee leads series, 2–0
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 17,570
Referees: Mike Callahan, Eric Lewis, Rodney Mott
May 19
7:00pm
Milwaukee Bucks 112, Toronto Raptors 118 (2OT)
Scoring by quarter: 21–30, 30–28, 24–19, 21–19, Overtime: 7–7, 9–15
Pts: George Hill 24
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 23
Asts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 7
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 36
Rebs: Marc Gasol 12
Asts: Marc Gasol 7
Milwaukee leads series, 2–1
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 19,923
Referees: Scott Foster, Ed Malloy, Tom Washington
May 21
8:30pm
Milwaukee Bucks 102, Toronto Raptors 120
Scoring by quarter: 31–32, 24–33, 26–29, 21–26
Pts: Khris Middleton 30
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 10
Asts: Khris Middleton 7
Pts: Kyle Lowry 25
Rebs: Serge Ibaka 13
Asts: Marc Gasol 7
Series tied, 2–2
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 20,237
Referees: James Capers, Ken Mauer, Kane Fitzgerald
May 23
8:30pm (7:30 pm CDT)
Toronto Raptors 105, Milwaukee Bucks 99
Scoring by quarter: 22–32, 24–17, 26–26, 33–24
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 35
Rebs: Pascal Siakam 13
Asts: Kawhi Leonard 9
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 24
Rebs: Malcolm Brogdon 11
Asts: Khris Middleton 10
Toronto leads series, 3–2
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 17,384
Referees: Marc Davis, Tony Brothers, Pat Fraher
May 25
8:30pm
Milwaukee Bucks 94, Toronto Raptors 100
Scoring by quarter: 31–18, 19–25, 26–28, 18–29
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 21
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 11
Asts: Eric Bledsoe 7
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 27
Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 17
Asts: Kyle Lowry 8
Toronto wins series, 4–2
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 20,478
Referees: Mike Callahan, David Guthrie, Eric Lewis

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Raptors winning the first meeting in 2017.[19]

Western Conference finals

(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (3) Portland Trail Blazers

May 14
9:00pm (6:00 pm PDT)
Portland Trail Blazers 94, Golden State Warriors 116
Scoring by quarter: 23–27, 22–27, 26–23, 23–39
Pts: Damian Lillard 19
Rebs: Enes Kanter 16
Asts: Damian Lillard 6
Pts: Stephen Curry 36
Rebs: Draymond Green 10
Asts: Stephen Curry 7
Golden State leads series, 1–0
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Marc Davis, Tony Brothers, Tony Brown
May 16
9:00pm (6:00 pm PDT)
Portland Trail Blazers 111, Golden State Warriors 114
Scoring by quarter: 31–29, 34–21, 24–39, 22–25
Pts: Damian Lillard 23
Rebs: Aminu, Leonard 6 each
Asts: Damian Lillard 10
Pts: Stephen Curry 37
Rebs: Draymond Green 10
Asts: Stephen Curry 8
Golden State leads series, 2–0
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: James Capers, Ken Mauer, Josh Tiven
May 18
9:00pm (6:00 pm PDT)
Golden State Warriors 110, Portland Trail Blazers 99
Scoring by quarter: 27–29, 26–37, 29–13, 28–20
Pts: Stephen Curry 36
Rebs: Draymond Green 13
Asts: Draymond Green 12
Pts: CJ McCollum 23
Rebs: Zach Collins 8
Asts: Damian Lillard 6
Golden State leads series, 3–0
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,214
Referees: Zach Zarba, David Guthrie, Pat Fraher
May 20
9:00pm (6:00 pm PDT)
Golden State Warriors 119, Portland Trail Blazers 117 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 36–35, 29–34, 22–26, 24–16, Overtime: 8–6
Pts: Stephen Curry 37
Rebs: Green, Looney 14 each
Asts: Curry, Green 11 each
Pts: Meyers Leonard 30
Rebs: Meyers Leonard 12
Asts: Damian Lillard 12
Golden State wins series, 4–0
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,064
Referees: Mike Callahan, Jason Phillips, Kevin Scott

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with Golden State winning the first two meetings.[20]

NBA Finals: (E2) Toronto Raptors vs. (W1) Golden State Warriors

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.
May 30
9:00pm
Golden State Warriors 109, Toronto Raptors 118
Scoring by quarter: 21–25, 28–34, 32–29, 28–30
Pts: Stephen Curry 34
Rebs: Draymond Green 10
Asts: Draymond Green 10
Pts: Pascal Siakam 32
Rebs: Leonard, Siakam 8 each
Asts: Kyle Lowry 9
Toronto leads series, 1–0
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 19,983
Referees: James Capers, Jason Phillips, John Goble, (Alternate) Josh Tiven
June 2
8:00pm
Golden State Warriors 109, Toronto Raptors 104
Scoring by quarter: 26–27, 28–32, 34–21, 21–24
Pts: Klay Thompson 25
Rebs: Cousins, Green 10 each
Asts: Draymond Green 9
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 34
Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 14
Asts: Pascal Siakam 4
Series tied, 1–1
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 20,014
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Ed Malloy, (Alternate) Josh Tiven
June 5
9:00pm (6:00 pm PDT)
Toronto Raptors 123, Golden State Warriors 109
Scoring by quarter: 36–29, 24–23, 36–31, 27–26
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 30
Rebs: Pascal Siakam 9
Asts: Kyle Lowry 9
Pts: Stephen Curry 47
Rebs: Stephen Curry 8
Asts: Stephen Curry 7
Toronto leads series, 2–1
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Marc Davis, David Guthrie, Kane Fitzgerald, (Alternate) Sean Wright
June 7
9:00pm (6:00 pm PDT)
Toronto Raptors 105, Golden State Warriors 92
Scoring by quarter: 17–23, 25–23, 37–21, 26–25
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 36
Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 12
Asts: Kyle Lowry 7
Pts: Klay Thompson 28
Rebs: Draymond Green 9
Asts: Draymond Green 12
Toronto leads series, 3–1
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Mike Callahan, Zach Zarba, Eric Lewis, (Alternate) Sean Wright
June 10
9:00pm
Golden State Warriors 106, Toronto Raptors 105
Scoring by quarter: 34–28, 28–28, 22–22, 22–27
Pts: Stephen Curry 31
Rebs: Draymond Green 10
Asts: Draymond Green 8
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 26
Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 12
Asts: Leonard, Lowry 6 each
Toronto leads series, 3–2
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 20,144
Referees: James Capers, Jason Phillips, Ed Malloy, (Alternate) Kane Fitzgerald
June 13
9:00pm (6:00 pm PDT)
Toronto Raptors 114, Golden State Warriors 110
Scoring by quarter: 33–32, 27–25, 26–31, 28–22
Pts: Lowry, Siakam 26 each
Rebs: Pascal Siakam 10
Asts: Kyle Lowry 10
Pts: Klay Thompson 30
Rebs: Draymond Green 19
Asts: Draymond Green 13
Toronto wins series, 4–2
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Marc Davis, David Guthrie, John Goble, (Alternate) Eric Lewis

This was the first meeting in the NBA Finals between these two teams.[21]

Statistical leaders

Category Game High Average
Player Team High Player Team Avg. GP
Points Damian Lillard
Kevin Durant
Portland Trail Blazers
Golden State Warriors
50 Kevin Durant Golden State Warriors 32.3 12
Rebounds Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks 23 Nikola Jokić
Andre Drummond
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons
13.0 14
4
Assists Nikola Jokić
Russell Westbrook
Denver Nuggets
Oklahoma City Thunder
14 Russell Westbrook Oklahoma City Thunder 10.6 5
Steals James Harden Houston Rockets 6 Thaddeus Young Indiana Pacers 2.8 4
Blocks Rudy Gobert Utah Jazz 7 Rudy Gobert Utah Jazz 2.6 5

Media coverage

Television

ESPN, TNT, ABC, and NBA TV broadcast the playoffs nationally in the United States. During the first two rounds, games were split between TNT, ESPN, and ABC regardless of conference. TNT primarily aired games on Saturday through Wednesday, while ESPN on Friday and Saturday. For Thursday games, TNT had them in the first round and ESPN in the second round. ABC then aired selected first and second round games on Friday through Sunday. NBA TV also televised selected games in the first round on Tuesday through Thursday. Also in the first round, regional sports networks affiliated with the teams could also broadcast the games, except for weekend games televised on ABC.[nb 1] The Western Conference finals were televised on ESPN, while TNT televised the Eastern Conference finals. ABC had exclusive television rights to the 2019 NBA Finals, which was the 17th consecutive year for the network.[22]

In Canada, the home market of the Toronto Raptors, national broadcast rights were split approximately equally between the Sportsnet and TSN groups of channels, with some conflicting non-Raptors games airing on NBA TV Canada. Separate Canadian broadcasts were produced for all games involving the Raptors regardless of round or U.S. broadcaster. One TSN telecast of a conference semifinal game involving the Raptors was simulcast over the co-owned CTV broadcast network.[23] For the NBA Finals, in addition to the Canadian cable telecasts, most games also aired on either Citytv, CTV, or CTV 2 (broadcast networks co-owned with Sportsnet and TSN respectively), using the ABC feed for simultaneous substitution purposes.

Notes
  1. ^ Game 3 of the Celtics–Pacers first round series aired nationally on ABC and co-existed with the teams' respective regional sports networks.

See also

References

  1. ^ McEvoy, Colin (February 9, 2023). "The Ultimate Sibling Rivalry: 8 Sets of Brothers Who Faced Off in Sports Championships". Biography. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Andrews, Malika (March 1, 2019). "Bucks' Eric Bledsoe, fresh off contract extension, scores 31 to help Bucks to playoff-clinching win". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  3. ^ "Raptors clinch playoff berth for 6th straight season". CBC.ca. March 9, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  4. ^ "NBA India Games: Indiana Pacers clinch 2019 playoff berth". in.nba.com. March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  5. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Milwaukee Bucks versus Detroit Pistons (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  6. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Toronto Raptors versus Orlando Magic (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  7. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Philadelphia 76ers versus Brooklyn Nets (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  8. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Indiana Pacers versus Boston Celtics (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  9. ^ "Clippers vs. Warriors - Game Recap - April 15, 2019 - ESPN".
  10. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Golden State Warriors versus Los Angeles Clippers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  11. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Denver Nuggets versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  12. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Portland Trail Blazers versus Oklahoma City Thunder (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  13. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  14. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Milwaukee Bucks versus Boston Celtics (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  15. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Toronto Raptors versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  16. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Golden State Warriors versus Houston Rockets (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  17. ^ "Instant Classic: Blazers Top Nuggets in 4 OT". NBA.com. May 4, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  18. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Denver Nuggets versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  19. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Miluwaukee Bucks versus Toronto Raptors (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  20. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Golden State Warriors versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  21. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Toronto Raptors versus Golden State Warriors (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  22. ^ "2019 NBA Playoffs Schedule". Sportsmediawatch.com. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  23. ^ Bell Media Public Relations (April 25, 2019). "TSN Announces Broadcast Schedule for Eastern Conference semifinals: Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers (press release)". The Lede. Retrieved April 30, 2019.

External links