NBA First Round 2027

The 2027 NBA First Round: From Apr 18, 2027 (Game 7s, if needed, in early May). Eight best-of-seven series open the playoffs, four in each conference. The higher seed has home court; Games 5, 6 and 7 are played only if needed.

First Round Schedule and Scores

Matchups will appear here as soon as the playoff field is set.

Projected First Round matchups

East

8Indiana Pacersat1Atlanta Hawks

East

5Chicago Bullsat4Charlotte Hornets

East

6Cleveland Cavaliersat3Brooklyn Nets

East

7Detroit Pistonsat2Boston Celtics

West

8Minnesota Timberwolvesat1Dallas Mavericks

West

5Los Angeles Clippersat4Houston Rockets

West

6Los Angeles Lakersat3Golden State Warriors

West

7Memphis Grizzliesat2Denver Nuggets

How the First Round Works

Eight best-of-seven series open the playoffs, four in each conference. The higher seed has home court; Games 5, 6 and 7 are played only if needed.

How to Watch

First Round games are split between ESPN and ABC, NBC and Peacock, and Prime Video, with each game's channel listed in the schedule above. ESPN games stream on the ESPN app, NBC games on Peacock and Prime Video games in the Prime Video app; ABC and NBC are free over the air.

Where This Round Sits

Everything on this First Round page updates automatically: matchups when they are set, scores while games are on, results when they end. The full bracket shows how this round connects to the rest of the 2027 NBA playoffs.