The 2019 NBA Playoffs will tip-off on April 13, 2019 and conclude with the NBA Finals in the second week of June [Tip-off time in India will depend on start time of the first Playoff game].
With the win against the Lakers on Saturday, the Milwaukee Bucks became the first team in the league to book a spot in the 2019 Playoffs.
In the 2019 Playoffs, the reigning two-time defending champions - the Golden State Warriors - will look to become only the fourth franchise (Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls) in NBA history to win three consecutive NBA titles.
If they accomplish the feat, it would be their fourth title in five years.
Here are a few postseason streaks at stake through the second half of the season:
- If the Spurs make the 2019 Playoffs, they will tie the NBA record for most consecutive postseason appearance - 22 (Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers from 1950 to 1971).
- Sacramento Kings have the longest active Playoff drought - 12.
- LeBron James has made it to the playoffs the last 13 seasons and has made it to the NBA Finals the last eight seasons. Both streaks are in jeopardy.
The format of the Playoffs remains the same as recent years with the top eight teams of each conference qualifying and playing a best of seven series [2-2-1-1-1] in the following matchups - 1 vs 8; 4 vs 5 and 2 vs 7; 3 vs 6.
Here is the Playoff tree from 2018:
