CLEVELAND — For the first time in five years, the Cleveland Cavaliers are in the NBA Playoffs.
On Saturday, the fourth-seeded Cavs will host the No. 5 seed New York Knicks in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round series in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
What follows is everything you need to know about Cleveland's Game 1 matchup:
Date: Saturday, April 15, 2023
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Location: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio
TV channel: ESPN, Bally Sports Ohio
Streaming: ESPN Plus, Bally Sports app
Radio: WTAM 1100
Betting line: Cavaliers -5.5
Over-under point total: 214.5
Series schedule:
- Game 1: Saturday, April 15, 6 p.m. ET at Cleveland (Bally Sports Ohio and ESPN)
- Game 2: Tuesday, April 18, 7:30 p.m. ET at Cleveland (TNT)
- Game 3: Friday, April 21, 8:30 p.m. ET at New York (ABC)
- Game 4: Sunday, April 23, 1 p.m. ET at New York (ABC)
- Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, April 26 at Cleveland (time TBD)
- Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, April 28 at New York (time TBD)
- Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, April 30 at Cleveland (time TBD)
Preview
After losing in last season's Play-In Tournament, the Cavs enter the playoffs for the first time in five years after tallying a 51-31 record in the regular season. The biggest reason for Cleveland's improvement this season? The acquisition of All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, who turned in an All-NBA caliber campaign in his first season with the Cavs.
Coincidentally, the team that was most linked to Mitchell last offseason was the Knicks -- so much so that the former Utah Jazz guard and New York native thought he was heading home.
Despite not landing Mitchell, the Knicks turned in an impressive 47-35 season, headlined by the acquisition of point guard Jalen Brunson and the reemergence of All-Star forward Julius Randle. Suffice to say, there will be no shortage of storylines in this best-of-seven series, starting with a crucial Game 1 in Cleveland on Saturday.
Both Randle and Cavs wingman Isaac Okoro were questionable to play in Game 1 with respective injuries, but both have been listed in the starting lineup.