Who will play the Celtics in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs? The answer will be decided when the Nets host the Cavaliers in the second iteration of the NBA's Play-In Tournament on Wednesday.
The winner ships up to Boston.
The Nets, who were rarely at full strength during the regular season, finished with a 44-38 record, good for the East's seventh seed, but they need just one Play-In Tournament victory to make the playoffs.
Brooklyn finished the season on a four-game win streak and will have its star duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving available on Tuesday night.
MORE: NBA Play-In Tournament, explained
The Cavaliers, on the other hand, hobble into the postseason having lost seven of their last 10 games. Cleveland hasn't been the same since All-Star center Jarrett Allen went down with a fractured finger in early March.
It has already been announced that Allen will miss the first Play-In Game, so the Cavs will lean on All-Star guard Darius Garland, former Net Caris LeVert and Rookie of the Year candidate Evan Mobley on Tuesday.
Here is everything you need to know to watch Cavaliers vs. Nets, including the tipoff time and TV channel for Tuesday's game.
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How to watch Cavaliers vs. Nets: NBA League Pass and television broadcast schedule
- Date: Wednesday, April 13
- Streaming: NBA League Pass
You can watch Nets vs. Cavaliers on NBA League Pass outside of the United States.
For the television broadcast information in your country, click here and select your country from the dropdown menu.
Cavaliers vs. Nets start time
- Date: Tuesday, April 12 (ET)
- Start time: 7:00 p.m. ET
The 7:00 p.m. ET tipoff marks the first of a Play-In doubleheader. The Clippers will visit the Timberwolves at 9:30 p.m. ET in the second game.
How does the NBA Play-In Tournament work?
- The NBA Play-In Tournament will be held after the conclusion of the 2021-22 regular season and before the start of the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. The teams that finish Nos. 1-6 in the standings of each conference will be guaranteed playoff spots. Teams Nos. 7-10 will enter the Play-In Tournament.
- Each conference's Nos. 7 and 8 teams will face off, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The loser will still have one more opportunity to reach the playoffs.
- Each conference's Nos. 9 and 10 teams will face off, with the winner advancing to play the loser of the No. 7-vs.-No. 8 game. The loser of the No. 9-vs.-No. 10 game will be eliminated from playoff contention.
- The loser of the No. 7-vs.-No. 8 game and the winner of the No. 9-vs.-No. 10 game will then play against each other. The winner of that game will be the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. The loser will be eliminated from playoff contention.
- Beyond the Play-In Tournament, the 2022 NBA Playoffs will follow the typical format, with full best-of-seven series all the way through the NBA Finals.
NBA Play-In Tournament schedule
April 13
| Game | Time (ET) |
| Cavaliers vs. Nets | 7:00 p.m. |
| Clippers vs. Timberwolves | 9:30 p.m. |
April 14
| Game | Time (ET) |
| Hornets vs. Hawks | 7:00 p.m. |
| Spurs vs. Pelicans | 9:30 p.m. |
April 15
| Game | Time (ET) |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD |
