If the NBA playoffs on Sunday are anything like Saturday, we're in for a treat. The intensity has clearly stepped up, which has led to some exciting games so far, and we have even more coming your way on the second day of the 2018 playoffs. We'll get our first look at LeBron James and the Cavaliers as they try for a fourth straight finals, and we'll also get to see the No. 1 seed Rockets for the first time.



This schedule will be updating every morning so you'll have the most up-to-date information for each day's games, so be sure to keep checking back as the postseason goes on.
• Game 2: New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
• Game 3: Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans, 9 p.m. ET, NBA TV
• Game 4: Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans, 5 p.m. ET, TNT
• Game 5 (if necessary): Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 5 (if necessary): Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 5 (if necessary): San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 5 (if necessary): New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 5 (if necessary): Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 5 (if necessary): Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 5 (if necessary): Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 5 (if necessary): Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 6 (if necessary): Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 6 (if necessary): Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 6 (if necessary): Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 6 (if necessary): Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 6 (if necessary): Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 6 (if necessary): Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 6 (if necessary): Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 6 (if necessary): Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 7 (if necessary): Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers, Time TBD, TNT
• Game 7 (if necessary): Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics, Time TBD, TNT
• Game 7 (if necessary): New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers, Time TBD, TNT
• Game 7 (if necessary): San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors, Time TBD, TNT
• Game 7 (if necessary): Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 7 (if necessary): Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 7 (if necessary): Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Game 7 (if necessary): Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder, Time TBD, TV TBD
• Conference semifinals begin (possible move up to April 28-29, depending on how quickly first-round series end)



Tuesday, May 15 or Wednesday, May 16
• Conference finals begin (possible move up to May 13-14, depending on how quickly conference semifinals end)</s>INDEPENDENCE >> With the playoffs just days away, Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue typically would have his lineup rotations set by now.

Nothing has been typical about this season for the Cavs.

Lue said Thursday that he plans to use a 10-player rotation for Cleveland’s opening-round series against the Indiana Pacers, but that things could change depending on injuries, matchups and performances.

“I will play 10,” Lue said after the Cavaliers watched film on the Pacers, who went 3-1 against Cleveland this season. “We’ll just see how it looks and if one guy is not great this round, then it might be nine.”

Lue and his staff have been juggling lineups and using different combinations on the floor for months, forced to adjust and re-adjust, first because of injuries and then by a slew of trades that transformed the team.

>> The Cavaliers have had 29 different starting lineups in the 2017-18 season

Lue refused to name his full starting lineup for Sunday’s Game 1. He revealed previously that four of them will be LeBron James, Kevin Love, Jeff Green and George Hill. The other spot could go to veteran shooter Kyle Korver, who has been slowed by a foot injury and whose status remains uncertain.

“He’s getting better,” Lue said of Korver, who also missed time recently following his brother’s death. “I’m not sure if he’s 100 percent yet, but he’s getting better and that’s all you can ask for.”

>> Trials of regular season will toughen Cavaliers for playoff run

If Korver isn’t ready, Rodney Hood, one of four players acquired at the trade deadline, will likely start. He’s been slowed by a sore left Achilles, but Lue said Hood’s “ready to go.”

As for Cleveland’s reserves, Jordan Clarkson, J.R. Smith and Jose Calderon are in the rotational mix, with forwards Tristan Thompson and Larry Nance Jr. being used depending on whom Indiana has on the floor.

One of the holdovers from Cleveland’s past three Finals teams, Thompson played extended minutes in the second half of Wednesday’s loss to New York while Nance rested, a sign that Lue might be leaning toward him playing more.

Thompson was excused from Thursday’s practice because of the birth of his daughter.

Lue trusts all his players. He’s had no choice following a turbulent regular season in which he didn’t always know who would be available until moments before tipoff. But Lue has depth and intends to use it.

Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley’s philosophy in the playoffs was: “You rotate eight players. You play seven. You use six and you trust five.”

Not Lue. Not this year.

“You usually go nine,” he said. “I think we’ve been nine in the past, but I think it’s going to be important to go 10 for us because I like Clarkson being on the floor with a point guard, so that makes us play 10.”

Hill, who has plenty of playoff experience with San Antonio, Indiana and Utah, said Cleveland’s versatility may give the Cavs an advantage.

“I’ve been on a team that played a 10-man rotation in the playoffs, but I haven’t been on a team this deep, so I think we’ll have a lot of great guys that we can throw out there on the court with big lineups, small lineups,” he said. “I think we can play any type of style.”

For Hill, the matchup against the Pacers represents a homecoming, as he played for IUPUI and spent five years with the Pacers. It’s also a chance to win a championship with James, a former playoff nemesis.

>> Cavaliers open against Pacers on April 15 at The Q

Hill played on those Pacers teams that were eliminated in three straight postseasons by James and the Miami Heat.

“The good thing is we got the best player in the world playing for us,” Hill said. “So I’m very excited about that. I don’t got to get put out by him this year, which I did a lot in my career. So, I’m happy to be on the other side.”</s>For the second year in a row, the Cavaliers and Pacers are facing off in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but the result this time around might be different. The Pacers dominated Cleveland in a Game 1 stunner that left everybody shocked at the 98-80 final score.

This promises to be an interesting series. The Cavaliers have struggled to play consistent basketball all season and this is the first time a LeBron James-led team has dropped the opening game of the opening series. The Pacers, on the other hand, have been one of the NBA's biggest surprises. Led by Victor Oladipo, they shocked everybody with their prolific offense and high energy.

No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers (50-32) vs. No. 5 Indiana Pacers (48-34)

Last season's playoff results: Cavaliers were eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in NBA Finals; Pacers were swept by the Cavaliers in the first round

Injury report: Rodney Hood returned from an Achilles injury in Game 1.

The Cavaliers win if they flip the switch. They've been an up-and-down team all season, but they finished the season with flashes of who they want to be come postseason time. Larry Nance Jr. gives them a lot of versatility off the bench and is a game-changer for them. However, none of this matters if they can't flip the switch and look like the team everybody expects them to be. That will depend on LeBron James.

The Pacers can win this series if the Cavaliers' D doesn't improve in the playoffs. Cleveland has been one of the NBA's worst defensive teams this season and ranks 29th in defensive efficiency. The Pacers have a fast-paced offense that can exploit the Cavs in a hurry. They're an average defensive team, though, so they'll need to outscore the Cavs to have a chance.

According to SportsLine data scientist Stephen Oh, the Cavaliers have a 50 percent chance to win the conference and an 11.1 percent chance to win it all. Meanwhile, the Pacers have a 2.4 chance of winning the conference and 1.0 percent chance to reach the Finals. SportsLine will have game-by-game gambling advice for every playoff series here.</s>INDEPENDENCE >> With the playoffs just days away, Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue typically would have his lineup rotations set by now.

Nothing has been typical about this season for the Cavs.

Lue said Thursday that he plans to use a 10-player rotation for Cleveland’s opening-round series against the Indiana Pacers, but that things could change depending on injuries, matchups and performances.

“I will play 10,” Lue said after the Cavaliers watched film on the Pacers, who went 3-1 against Cleveland this season. “We’ll just see how it looks and if one guy is not great this round, then it might be nine.”

Lue and his staff have been juggling lineups and using different combinations on the floor for months, forced to adjust and re-adjust, first because of injuries and then by a slew of trades that transformed the team.

>> The Cavaliers have had 29 different starting lineups in the 2017-18 season

Lue refused to name his full starting lineup for Sunday’s Game 1. He revealed previously that four of them will be LeBron James, Kevin Love, Jeff Green and George Hill. The other spot could go to veteran shooter Kyle Korver, who has been slowed by a foot injury and whose status remains uncertain.

“He’s getting better,” Lue said of Korver, who also missed time recently following his brother’s death. “I’m not sure if he’s 100 percent yet, but he’s getting better and that’s all you can ask for.”

>> Trials of regular season will toughen Cavaliers for playoff run

If Korver isn’t ready, Rodney Hood, one of four players acquired at the trade deadline, will likely start. He’s been slowed by a sore left Achilles, but Lue said Hood’s “ready to go.”

As for Cleveland’s reserves, Jordan Clarkson, J.R. Smith and Jose Calderon are in the rotational mix, with forwards Tristan Thompson and Larry Nance Jr. being used depending on whom Indiana has on the floor.

One of the holdovers from Cleveland’s past three Finals teams, Thompson played extended minutes in the second half of Wednesday’s loss to New York while Nance rested, a sign that Lue might be leaning toward him playing more.

Thompson was excused from Thursday’s practice because of the birth of his daughter.

Lue trusts all his players. He’s had no choice following a turbulent regular season in which he didn’t always know who would be available until moments before tipoff. But Lue has depth and intends to use it.

Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley’s philosophy in the playoffs was: “You rotate eight players. You play seven. You use six and you trust five.”

Not Lue. Not this year.

“You usually go nine,” he said. “I think we’ve been nine in the past, but I think it’s going to be important to go 10 for us because I like Clarkson being on the floor with a point guard, so that makes us play 10.”

Hill, who has plenty of playoff experience with San Antonio, Indiana and Utah, said Cleveland’s versatility may give the Cavs an advantage.

“I’ve been on a team that played a 10-man rotation in the playoffs, but I haven’t been on a team this deep, so I think we’ll have a lot of great guys that we can throw out there on the court with big lineups, small lineups,” he said. “I think we can play any type of style.”

For Hill, the matchup against the Pacers represents a homecoming, as he played for IUPUI and spent five years with the Pacers. It’s also a chance to win a championship with James, a former playoff nemesis.

>> Cavaliers open against Pacers on April 15 at The Q

Hill played on those Pacers teams that were eliminated in three straight postseasons by James and the Miami Heat.

“The good thing is we got the best player in the world playing for us,” Hill said. “So I’m very excited about that. I don’t got to get put out by him this year, which I did a lot in my career. So, I’m happy to be on the other side.”</s>The Eastern Conference playoffs, for the last eight seasons, have revolved around one player, LeBron James. And with good reason: James has been on the Eastern Conference champ in every postseason since 2011. He will face his toughest challenge, though, this spring, trying to lead a roster that was rebuilt on the fly with a series of deadline-day trades back in February, and doing so under the specter of his looming free agency.

James only got better as the rest of the roster got more scrambled — in 28 games after the trades, he averaged 29.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 10.1 assists. The Pacers went 3-1 against the Cavs during the season, giving them at least the sense that beating Cleveland is not impossible. But with a highly motivated James on board, the Cavs are sure to be a different team in the postseason, just as they were down the stretch of the season.

There was no bigger game this year for both the Pacers and breakout star Victor Oladipo than the win over the Cavaliers back on Dec. 8, a game in which Oladipo signified that his outstanding first month was not a fluke, finishing with 33 points, eight rebounds and five assists while shooting 6-for-13 from the 3-point line.

But Oladipo was a much more average player after the All-Star break this season, dropping in scoring (from 24.4 points before the break to 20.3 after), rebounds (5.3 to 4.9) and shooting (48.4 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from the 3-point line to 46.0 percent and 34.2). If the Pacers have a shot at an upset, Oladipo — who is nursing a foot injury — will need to look like his first-half self.

109.5. Thank goodness for the Suns — they’re the only team that ranked worse defensively than the Cavaliers this year, whose defensive rating was an ungodly 109.5. Minnesota (108.4) is the only other playoff team that had a defensive rating that was not among the top 16 in the NBA. The Pacers are not a juggernaut, but they’re the 12th-rated offensive team in the league, and Indiana will test Cleveland’s scattershot defense all series.

It’s hard to imagine this being a total Cavaliers romp, not against an Indiana team that has surprised all year with its resilience. But it’s also hard to figure how the Pacers will slow down James from night to night, and he should be able to break through enough to push Cleveland to four wins here.</s>CLEVELAND– Round 1 of the NBA playoffs kicked off for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday against the Indiana Pacers.

The Cavs were out of sorts to start, missing allof their 3-pointers in the first quarter. That paired with the Pacers 14-point run put Cleveland in a double-digit deficit.

LeBron James didn’t attempt a shot until there were under 2 minutes left in the first. The Cavs trailed Indiana 14-33 to end the quarter.

In the second, the Cavaliers started to turn it around. George Hill put up a 3 and the Cavs went on a 7-0 run.

Game 2 of the series is Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Q.

More stories on the Cleveland Cavaliers here</s>The Cleveland Cavaliers got their playoff campaign off to a shaky start against the Indiana Pacers, losing Game 1, 98-80, marking the first time LeBron James had lost a first round game since 2012.

Despite the lackluster effort on thier home floor, James insists that there is no time for panic.

"I'm down 0-1 in the first round. I was down 3-1 in the Finals," he said post-game.

"I'm the last guy to ask about how you're going to feel the next couple of days."

While the Cavs defense has been the glaring issue heading into the playoffs, today they couldn't seem to get going offensively either.

As a team, they shot just 8-of-33 (23.5%) from the three-point line, and just 38.5% from the field. While LeBron did his thing, posting his 20th post-season triple-double, no other Cavs starter scored in double figures and Jeff Green, Kyle Korver, Jordan Clarkson and Jose Calderon combined to shoot just 1-for-17.

There's no situation LeBron hasn't seen in the post-season, but this upstart Pacers unit is definitely not to be underestimated.

After dropping a hame-high 32 points, Victor Oladipo said he had a little extra motivation, explaining that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert's comments about the off-season trade for Paul George had added some fire to his game.

The Pacers won three of their four games against the Cavs this season and after stealing home court, anything is possible.</s>CLEVELAND– It’s time to get pumped for the playoffs.

The Cavaliers are rallying around the motto “Whatever it takes” and that intensity carries over to the team’s new hype video.

The clip debuted before Cleveland hosted the Indiana Pacers at Quicken Loans Arena for Game 1 of the opening round of the playoffs. It is set to Apashe’s “The Landing.”

More stories on the Cleveland Cavaliers here</s>CLEVELAND—Victor Oladipo scored 32 points and the Indiana Pacers held off Cleveland’s second-half rally for a stunning 98-80 victory Sunday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference series, handing LeBron James and the Cavaliers’ their first loss in the opening round in eight years.

Indiana was in control from the outset, opening a 21-point lead in the first quarter and leading by 23 in the third. The Cavs stormed back and got within seven, but Oladipo hit a big 3-pointer and Bojan Bogdanovic helped put Cleveland away with a 3 to make it 88-71.

The Pacers completely outplayed the three-time defending conference champions, whose turbulent regular season has carried over into the playoffs.

Game 2 is Wednesday night.

James scored 24 with 12 assists and 10 rebounds for his 20th career triple-double. But James got little help as Cleveland’s four other starters — Kevin Love, Jeff Green, Rodney Hood and George Hill — combined for 25 points.

This is all new to James, who had won 21 consecutive first-round games and lost a post-season opener for the first time in his 13th playoffs. The 33-year-old is trying to get to his eighth straight Finals, and already the path is tougher than imagined.

Cleveland had won 14 straight first-round games, last losing on April 22, 2010, the last season of James’ first stint with the Cavs.

Indiana was swept by Cleveland in last year’s opening round. Those Pacers, though, didn’t have Oladipo or the balance of this Indy squad, which may lack experience but not confidence.

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Lance Stephenson, a longtime playoff nemesis for James, helped set the tone in the first quarter with a dunk he punctuated by throwing several punches into the padded basket stanchion.

The Pacers took the fight to the Cavs. They were more physical, more energetic and more composed.

Oladipo has become one of the NBA’s rising stars, and after being a role player in Oklahoma City, he’s Indiana’s main attraction and looked like a seasoned star on the playoff stage. He made six 3-pointers, swiped the ball from James on two occasions and more than doubled his previous playoff scored high of 15.

The Cavs fell behind 33-12 during a strange first quarter that included Cleveland missing all eight 3-pointers, James not attempting his first field goal until 1:52 remained and fans in Quicken Loans Arena wondering what they were seeing.

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As he does for every post-season, James shuts down all social media activities, a routine he calls Zero Dark 23 Mode. And this time, he began it Saturday by posting a quote on Instagram from Martin Luther King Jr: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.”

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The Pacers drove him into a darker place.

Read more about:</s>Playoff LeBron is here. The King has a knack for taking things to another level during the postseason, and we'll see if he can do it once again this year.

For the second year in a row, the Cavaliers and Pacers will be facing off against each other in the Eastern Conference playoffs. And shockingly, it was the Pacers that didn't know which team they would be playing until the Cavaliers lost to the Knicks in the final game of the season, putting the Cavs in the fourth seed.

This an interesting matchup. The Cavaliers have struggled to play consistent basketball all season and this will be the first time a LeBron James-led team finishes as a No. 4 seed since 2008. The Pacers, on the other hand, have been one of the NBA's biggest surprises. Led by Victor Oladipo, they shocked everybody with their prolific offense and high energy.

No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers (50-32) vs. No. 5 Indiana Pacers (48-34)

Last season's playoff results: Cavaliers were eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in NBA Finals; Pacers were swept by the Cavaliers in the first round

Injury report: Rodney Hood missed the Cavaliers final two games with an Achilles injury, but he's expected to return for the playoffs.

The Cavaliers win if they flip the switch. They've been an up-and-down team all season, but they finished the season with flashes of who they want to be come postseason time. Larry Nance Jr. gives them a lot of versatility off the bench and is a game-changer for them. However, none of this matters if they can't flip the switch and look like the team everybody expects them to be. That will depend on LeBron James.

The Pacers can win this series if the Cavaliers' D doesn't improve in the playoffs. Cleveland has been one of the NBA's worst defensive teams this season and ranks 29th in defensive efficiency. The Pacers have a fast-paced offense that can exploit the Cavs in a hurry. They're an average defensive team, though, so they'll need to outscore the Cavs to have a chance.

According to SportsLine data scientist Stephen Oh, the Cavaliers have a 50 percent chance to win the conference and an 11.1 percent chance to win it all. Meanwhile, the Pacers have a 2.4 chance of winning the conference and 1.0 percent chance to reach the Finals. SportsLine will have game-by-game gambling advice for every playoff series here.
The Indiana Pacers defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98–80 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series in Cleveland, snapping LeBron James' personal streak of 21 consecutive wins in the first round.