NBA Conference Semifinal 2023 start dates, schedule and more
The 2023 NBA Conference semifinals will start in less than a week. The first round of the playoffs is coming to an end, and three teams have already advanced to the second round.
The Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets will be the first matchup in the second round. They both eliminated their opponents in five games, which is why the next series will start slightly earlier than scheduled.
The playoffs schedule is somewhat complicated as the NBA hasn't fully announced it yet. However, the first game of the conference semifinals will begin between Saturday and Tuesday. The exact date depends on the length of the first round.
The first 2023 NBA Conference semifinals game will be played on Saturday
Since the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns eliminated their opponents in only five games, their matchup will take place on Saturday. It will be played in Denver, although the exact start time of the game hasn't been announced yet.
Interestingly, the Philadelphia 76ers are the only team that swept their opponent in the first round. However, they will meet the winner of the series between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks.
The Sixers played their last game on Saturday and will have at least seven days of rest before their next matchup. Considering that Joel Embiid is recovering from a knee injury, the rest came at the perfect time for Philadelphia.
Originally, the NBA scheduled the conference semifinals for May 1 and 2. However, the league clarified that this phase of the postseason could be moved up to April 29 and 30, which is the case with the Suns and Nuggets.
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There are several interesting matchups on Wednesday that could determine second-round opponents. If the Miami Heat and New York Knicks beat their opponents, they will meet in the next round and Game 1 will likely be played on Sunday.
Here are all the 2023 Conference semifinals matchups:
- Miami Heat / Milwaukee Bucks vs. New York Knicks / Cleveland Cavaliers
- Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics / Atlanta Hawks
- Denver Nuggets vs. Phoenix Suns
- Sacramento Kings / Golden State Warriors vs. LA Lakers / Memphis Grizzlies
Considering that the Kings-Warriors series will go to six or seven games, the second Western Conference semifinals will begin in May.
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It's important to note that the NBA has not released the schedule for the second round yet. While we do know the potential dates of every series, the league's office will release the full schedule once we know all the second-round matchups.