NBA 2020 Playoff Schedule; St. Louis Connections

With no St. Louis sports teams playing during a time at the beginning of COVID-19 some fans who might not have been pro basketball fans turned to the NBA as they had already started their season and during the break began talking about the unique “bubble” approach to playing.

There are not a lot of players currently in the NBA with ties to St. Louis, but Chaminade grad Jayson Tatum, who was drafted No. 3 overall in the 2017 NBA draft after spending one season with Duke plays for the Boston Celtics. The Celtics will be facing the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs.

Wellston native Ben McLemore also has ties to St. Louis. McLemore, who after playing three years in St. Louis finished his senior year out of state now plays for the Houston Rockets after previously playing for Sacramento Kings. He was selected with the seventh overall pick by the Kings in 2013 after attending Kansas University.. He spent three seasons with the Kings, followed by the Memphis Grizzlies, back with the Kings and now with the Rockets. Houston opens up their first round play agains the Oklahoma Thunder.

Chaminade High School graduate Bradley Beale has become a star in Washington, but is currently injured and not playing.

In the coaching ranks, Blake Ahearn, who played at De Smet and then Missouri State was named an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies in June and joined the team in the bubble. The Memphis Grizzlies are in the play-in game this Saturday against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Thursday night thanks to a great last minute defensive play by Carmelo Anthony, the Portland Trailblazers earned themselves a spot in the post-season play-in game vs. the Grizzlies.

The bubble or Disney (Orlando) Bubble as it is sometimes referred to is worth mentioning as 22 teams were invited to Walt Disney World in Florida to participate in regular season and playoff games being held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. To this date, the unique venue has worked in keeping the virus out of the NBA — and they are getting ready to start their playoffs.

Fans will remember when the NBA was one of the first sports groups to pull the plug after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.

When the NBA Board of Governors voted 29-1 to approve returning to the season in Orlando the lone dissenter was the Portland Trail Blazers.

There are a few former Mizzou players in the NBA: Demarre Carroll (Houston Rockets), Michael Porter, Jr. (Denver Nuggets), Jontay Porter (Memphis Grizzlies),

2020 NBA Western Conference Play-In

(8) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (9) Memphis Grizzlies

Game 1: Sat, Aug 15 Memphis at Portland, 2:30 ET, ABC
Game 2: Sun, Aug 16 Memphis at Portland, 4:30 ET, ESPN*

2020 NBA Western Conference First Round

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Play-In Winner

Game 1: Tue, Aug 18 Play-In Winner at Los Angeles, 9 ET, TNT
Game 2: Thu, Aug 20 Play-In Winner at Los Angeles, 9 ET, ESPN
Game 3: Sat, Aug 22 Los Angeles at Play-In Winner, 8:30 ET, ABC
Game 4: Mon, Aug 24 Los Angeles at Play-In Winner, 9 ET, TNT
Game 5*: Wed, Aug 26 Play-In Winner at Los Angeles, TBD, TBD
Game 6*: Fri, Aug 28 Los Angeles at Play-In Winner, TBD, TBD
Game 7*: Sun, Aug 30 Play-In Winner at Los Angeles, TBD, TBD
(2) LA Clippers vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks

Game 1: Mon, Aug 17 Dallas at LA, 9 ET, ESPN
Game 2: Wed, Aug 19 Dallas at LA, 9 ET, TNT
Game 3: Fri, Aug 21 LA at Dallas, 9 ET, TNT
Game 4: Sun, Aug 23 LA at Dallas, 3:30 ET, ABC
Game 5*: Tue, Aug 25 Dallas at LA, TBD, TBD
Game 6*: Thu, Aug 27 LA at Dallas, TBD, ESPN
Game 7*: Sat, Aug 29 Dallas at LA, TBD, TNT
(3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Utah Jazz

Game 1: Mon, Aug 17 Utah at Denver, 1:30 ET, ESPN
Game 2: Wed, Aug 19 Utah at Denver, 4 ET, TNT
Game 3: Fri, Aug 21 Denver at Utah, 4 ET, TNT
Game 4: Sun, Aug 23 Denver at Utah, 9 ET, TNT
Game 5*: Tue, Aug 25 Utah at Denver, TBD, TBD
Game 6*: Thu, Aug 27 Denver at Utah, TBD, ESPN
Game 7*: Sat, Aug 29 Utah at Denver, TBD, TNT
(4/5) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (4/5) Houston Rockets

Game 1: Tue, Aug 18 Oklahoma City vs. Houston, 6:30 ET, TNT
Game 2: Thu, Aug 20 Oklahoma City vs. Houston, 3:30 ET, ESPN
Game 3: Sat, Aug 22 Oklahoma City vs. Houston, 6 ET, ESPN
Game 4: Mon, Aug 24 Oklahoma City vs. Houston, 4 ET, TNT
Game 5*: Wed, Aug 26 Oklahoma City vs. Houston, TBD, TBD
Game 6*: Fri, Aug 28 Oklahoma City vs. Houston, TBD, TBD
Game 7*: Sun, Aug 30 Oklahoma City vs. Houston, TBD, TBD

2020 NBA Eastern Conference First Round

(1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (8) Orlando Magic

Game 1: Tue, Aug 18 Orlando at Milwaukee, 1:30 ET, TNT
Game 2: Thu, Aug 20 Orlando at Milwaukee, 6 ET, ESPN
Game 3: Sat, Aug 22 Milwaukee at Orlando, 1 ET, TNT
Game 4: Mon, Aug 24 Milwaukee at Orlando, 1:30 ET, NBATV
Game 5*: Wed, Aug 26 Orlando at Milwaukee, TBD, TBD
Game 6*: Fri, Aug 28 Milwaukee at Orlando, TBD, TBD
Game 7*: Sun, Aug 30 Orlando at Milwaukee, TBD, TBD
(2) Toronto Raptors vs. (7) Brooklyn Nets

Game 1: Mon, Aug 17 Brooklyn at Toronto, 4 ET, ESPN
Game 2: Wed, Aug 19 Brooklyn at Toronto, 1:30 ET, NBATV
Game 3: Fri, Aug 21 Toronto at Brooklyn, 1:30 ET, NBATV
Game 4: Sun, Aug 23 Toronto at Brooklyn, 6:30 ET, TNT
Game 5*: Tue, Aug 25 Brooklyn at Toronto, TBD, TBD
Game 6*: Thu, Aug 27 Toronto at Brooklyn, TBD, ESPN
Game 7*: Sat, Aug 29 Brooklyn at Toronto, TBD, TNT
(3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) Philadelphia 76ers

Game 1: Mon, Aug 17 Philadelphia at Boston, 6:30 ET, ESPN
Game 2: Wed, Aug 19 Philadelphia at Boston, 6:30 ET, TNT
Game 3: Fri, Aug 21 Boston at Philadelphia, 6:30 ET, TNT
Game 4: Sun, Aug 23 Boston at Philadelphia, 1 ET, ABC
Game 5*: Tue, Aug 25 Philadelphia at Boston, TBD, TBD
Game 6*: Thu, Aug 27 Boston at Philadelphia, TBD, ESPN
Game 7*: Sun, Aug 29 Philadelphia at Boston, TBD, TNT
(4/5) Miami Heat vs. (4/5) Indiana Pacers

Game 1: Tue, Aug 18 Miami vs. Indiana, 4 ET, TNT
Game 2: Thu, Aug 20 Miami vs. Indiana, 1 ET, ESPN
Game 3: Sat, Aug 22 Miami vs. Indiana, 3:30 ET, TNT
Game 4: Mon, Aug 24 Miami vs. Indiana, 6:30 ET, TNT
Game 5*: Wed, Aug 26 Miami vs. Indiana, TBD, TBD
Game 6*: Fri, Aug 28 Miami vs. Indiana, TBD, TBD
Game 7*: Sun, Aug 30 Miami vs. Indiana, TBD, TBD

* – If Necessary
TBD – To Be Determined
Additional scheduling information, including tip times for each game, will be furnished as soon as possible consistent with the need to fulfill league obligations.

All games in the First Round, except those televised on ABC, are available to be televised locally.

The 2020 NBA Draft Lottery will be televised on Thursday, Aug. 20 at 8:30 ET by ESPN.