NBA Playoffs 2024 first round matchups, schedule, game times, how to watch Western matchups, TV info, key stats..

The 2023-24 NBA regular season is complete and the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs is almost here. Expect plenty of drama after a memorable regular season.

In the West, the defending championDenver Nuggetsare the 2-seed, behind the top-seededOklahoma City Thunder, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and are looking to win the team's first NBA championship since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008.

The Los Angeles Lakers became the first team to advance from the play-in tournament into the playoffs by outlasting the Pelicans in New Orleans on Tuesday night. Los Angeles earned the No. 7 seed with the victory and now enters a rematch of last year's Western Conference Finals with the reigning champion Denver Nuggets in Round 1.

The Oklahoma City Thunder were 40-42 last season and didn't make the playoffs. This season, they were 57-25 and earned the top seed in the Western Conference.

And the defending champion Denver Nuggets had four more wins this season, finishing 57-25 (second seed in the West).

2024 Western Conference first-round series, schedules, game times, how to watch, TV info

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 New Orleans or Sacramento

Game 1, Sunday: at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Game 2, April 24 : at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Game 3, April 27: at No. 8, 3:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Game 4, April 29: at No. 8, time and TV TBD

Game 5, May 1: at Oklahoma City, time and TV TBD

Game 6, May 3: at No. 8, time and TV TBD

Game 7, May 5: at Oklahoma City, time and TV TBD

Key stats: The Thunder were one of two teams to finish the regular season with a top-four offensive and defensive ranking.

Who to watch: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams of the Thunder are the present and the future.

No. 2 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers

Game 1, Saturday: Los Angeles Lakers at Denver, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Game 2, Monday: Los Angeles Lakers at Denver, 10 p.m. ET, TNT

Game 3, April 25: Denver at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m. ET, TNT

Game 4, April 27: Denver at Los Angeles Lakers, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Game 5, April 29: Los Angeles Lakers at Denver, time and TV TBD

Game 6, May 2: Denver at Los Angeles Lakers, time and TV TBD

Game 7, May 4: Los Angeles Lakers at Denver, time TBD, TNT

Season series: Nuggets won 3-0 Lakers; Nuggets won 2-1 Pelicans

Key stats: The Nuggets are No. 5 offensively (117.8 points per 100 possessions) and No. 8 defensive (112.3 points allowed per 100 possessions).

Who to watch: Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, a wizards with the basketball, may just end up winning his third MVP in four seasons, and LeBron James and Anthony Davis are back.

No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 6 Phoenix Suns

Game 1, Saturday: Phoenix at Minnesota, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Game 2, Tuesday: Phoenix at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Game 3, April 26: Minnesota at Phoenix, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Game 4, April 28: Minnesota at Phoenix, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Game 5, April 30: Phoenix at Minnesota, time and TV TBD

Game 6, May 2: Minnesota at Phoenix, time and TV TBD

Game 7, May 4: Phoenix at Minnesota, time TBD, TNT

Season series: Suns won 3-0

Key stats: It’s the Timberwolves’ top-ranked defense (108.4 points allowed per 100 possessions) against the Suns’ No. 10 offense (116.8 points per 100 possessions).

Who to watch: Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony form a Big 3 for the Timberwolves, and Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal do the same for the Suns.

No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas Mavericks

Game 1, Sunday: Dallas at Los Angeles Clippers, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Game 2, Tuesday: Dallas at Los Angeles Clippers, 10 p.m. ET, TNT

Game 3, April 26: Los Angeles Clippers at Dallas, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

Game 4, April 28: Los Angeles Clippers at Dallas, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Game 5, May 1: Dallas at Los Angeles Clippers, time and TV TBD

Game 6, May 3: Los Angeles Clippers at Dallas, time and TV TBD

Game 7, May 5: Dallas at Los Angeles Clippers, time and TV TBD

Season series: Clippers won 2-1

Key stats: Who likes offense? The Clippers are No. 4 (117.9 points per 100 possessions) and the Mavericks are No. 8 (117 points per 100 possessions).

Who to watch: The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden present problems on both sides of the court; Dallas’ Luka Doncic keeps inching closer to an MVP.

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