2019 NBA playoffs

2019 NBA playoffs

The 2019 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2018–19 season. The playoffs began on April 13 and ended on June 13 with the Toronto Raptors defeating the two-time defending champions Golden State Warriors in the 2019 NBA Finals. It was Toronto's first NBA championship in franchise history. Game 6 of the Finals was the last game to be played at the Oracle Arena in Oakland before moving to the Chase Center in San Francisco for the 2019–20 season.

The Los Angeles Clippers set the record for the largest comeback in NBA playoff history, overcoming a 31-point deficit against the Warriors. The Portland Trail Blazers' quadruple-overtime victory in game 3 of the conference semifinals against the Denver Nuggets was the longest NBA playoff game since (/wiki/1953NBAplayoffs). The Raptors' Kawhi Leonard made the first ever game-winning buzzer beater in a game seven, which he did against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this was the last postseason until (/wiki/2022NBAplayoffs) to be played in its traditional April through June schedule. This was also the last NBA Finals featuring coaches wearing formal business attire, as the business attire for coaches was completely abandoned following the 2020 pandemic.

Overview

Western Conference

• The Denver Nuggets made the playoffs for the first time in six years. • The Golden State Warriors entered the postseason for the seventh straight year, a new franchise record. This was also their final season at Oracle Arena, as they moved to the new Chase Center the following season. They won the championship in (/wiki/2015NBAFinals), (/wiki/2017NBAFinals) and (/wiki/2018NBAFinals). • The San Antonio Spurs made the playoffs for the 22nd consecutive season; they have not missed the playoffs since drafting Tim Duncan, who retired in 2016. Until 2026, this was their most recent postseason appearance. • The Los Angeles Clippers made the playoffs for the first time since (/wiki/2017NBAplayoffs), featuring a roster without Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, or DeAndre Jordan. • The Los Angeles Lakers missed the playoffs for the sixth year in a row despite the addition of LeBron James. This was also the first NBA Playoffs to not feature James since (/wiki/2005NBAplayoffs).

Eastern Conference

• The Milwaukee Bucks entered the postseason with a 60–win season, their first since 1980–81, and with the best record in the league, the first time that has occurred since 1973–74. • The Orlando Magic made the playoffs for the first time since 2012, breaking the longest Eastern Conference playoff appearance drought to date. • The Brooklyn Nets made the playoffs for the first time in four years. • The Detroit Pistons made the playoffs for the first time since 2016. • The Cleveland Cavaliers, despite being the four-time defending Eastern Conference Champions, missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014, largely due to the departure of LeBron James to the Los Angeles Lakers. • The Miami Heat missed the playoffs for the third time in five years.

First round

• In Game 2 of their series against the reigning champion Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers completed the largest comeback in NBA playoff history, overcoming a 31–point deficit. • Game 3 of the Bucks–Pistons series was the first playoff game played in the city of Detroit since Game 6 of the 1985 Eastern Conference semifinals, which took place at Joe Louis Arena. Postseason games featuring the Pistons had previously been held in the Palace of Auburn Hills and the Pontiac Silverdome. • The Boston Celtics swept the Indiana Pacers in the first round, marking the 43rd straight year a sweep occurred in the NBA playoffs. The last year a sweep did not occur in the playoffs was (/wiki/1976NBAplayoffs). It was also the Celtics’ first playoff sweep since (/wiki/2011NBAplayoffs). • With their first round sweep of the Detroit Pistons, the Milwaukee Bucks won their first series since (/wiki/2000–01MilwaukeeBucksseason) when they defeated the Charlotte Hornets in the conference semifinals. • Game 5 of the Trail Blazers–Thunder series was extremely notable thanks to Damian Lillard's 37 foot series winning 3–pointer over Paul George, capping a 118–115 victory for the Portland Trail Blazers. It was the second series winning three pointer made by Damian Lillard (the other being in (/wiki/2014NBAplayoffs) against the Houston Rockets). It would also be Paul George's and Russell Westbrook's final game as members of the Oklahoma City Thunder. • The Nuggets–Spurs series was the first of the 2019 playoffs to have a Game 7, making it the 20th consecutive NBA postseason with a Game 7. The last time a Game 7 did not take place in the playoffs was in (/wiki/1999NBAplayoffs). • All of the top seeds won the first round for the first time since (/wiki/2008NBAplayoffs).

Conference semifinals

• Game 3 of the Trail Blazers–Nuggets series was the first quadruple overtime game played in the playoffs since (/wiki/1954–55NBAseason) (and second overall), as well as the first quadruple overtime game ever played during the shot clock era. • With their conference semifinals victory over the Boston Celtics, the Milwaukee Bucks made the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since (/wiki/2001NBAplayoffs). In addition, this was the first time since (/wiki/1983NBAplayoffs) that the Bucks defeated the Celtics in a playoff series. • Kawhi Leonard scored the first Game 7 buzzer-beater in NBA history, helping the Toronto Raptors defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 92–90 in the second round. • Game 7 of the Nuggets–Blazers series was extremely notable for CJ McCollum's block on Jamal Murray, evoking memories of a similar block in (/wiki/2016NBAFinals). • With their Game 7 victory Portland Trail Blazers advanced to the Western Conference finals for the first time since (/wiki/2000NBAplayoffs). They also won a Game 7 on the road for the first time in franchise history. • The Warriors–Rockets series is notable for Stephen Curry's 33–point second half. With their series victory, they advanced to the Western Conference finals for the fifth consecutive season.

Conference finals

• Stephen Curry (Warriors) and Seth Curry (Portland Trail Blazers) played each other in the Western Conference finals, becoming the first set of brothers to face each other in an NBA playoff series. • With their Western Conference finals sweep against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Golden State Warriors earned their fifth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals, making them the second franchise in the NBA postseason history to do so after the Boston Celtics did it in ten consecutive years, starting from (/wiki/1957NBAFinals) to (/wiki/1966NBAFinals). • The Portland Trail Blazers earned the dubious distinction of losing three straight games to the Golden State Warriors despite posting double digit leads in Games 2, 3, and 4. • With their Eastern Conference finals victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, the Toronto Raptors advanced on to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. • Stephen Curry surpassed Shaquille O'Neal for most points in a sweep with 146 points.

NBA Finals

• The Toronto Raptors won the NBA Championship for the first time in franchise history, defeating the Golden State Warriors in six games in the 2019 NBA Finals. • Game 1 was the first ever NBA Finals game played outside the US. • Kawhi Leonard joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James as the only players to win Finals MVP with more than one team, and became the first Finals MVP winner from both conferences. • Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals was the last NBA game ever played at Oracle Arena, as well as the final NBA game ever played in Oakland. • Game 5 of the Warriors–Raptors series was extremely notable as Kevin Durant ruptured his Achilles in an attempt to return to the playoffs, previously injuring it whilst playing the Clippers.

Format

2019 NBA playoffs

Within each conference, the eight teams with the most wins qualified for the playoffs. The seedings were based on each team's record.

Each conference's bracket was fixed; there was no reseeding. All rounds were best-of-seven series; the series ended when one team won four games, and that team advanced to the next round. All rounds, including the NBA Finals, were in a 2–2–1–1–1 format. In the conference playoffs, home court advantage went to the higher-seeded team (number one being the highest). Seeding was based on each team's regular season record within a conference; if two teams had the same record, standard tiebreaker rules were used. Conference seedings were ignored for the NBA Finals: Home court advantage went to the team with the better regular season record, and, if needed, ties were broken based on head-to-head record, followed by intra-conference record.

Playoff qualifying

2019 NBA playoffs

On March 1, 2019, the Milwaukee Bucks became the first team to clinch a playoff spot.

Eastern Conference

Seed	Team	Record	Clinched
			Playoff berth	Division title	Best record in conference	Best record in NBA
1	Milwaukee Bucks	60–22	March 1	March 21	April 4	April 4
2	Toronto Raptors	58–24	March 9	April 1	—	—
3	Philadelphia 76ers	51–31	March 17	—	—	—
4	Boston Celtics	49–33	March 26	—	—	—
5	Indiana Pacers	48–34	March 22	—	—	—
6	Brooklyn Nets	42–40	April 7	—	—	—
7	Orlando Magic	42–40	April 7	April 7	—	—
8	Detroit Pistons	41–41	April 10	—	—	—

Western Conference

Seed	Team	Record	Clinched
			Playoff berth	Division title	Best record in conference	Best record in NBA
1	Golden State Warriors	57–25	March 16	March 31	April 7	—
2	Denver Nuggets	54–28	March 18	April 5	—	—
3	Portland Trail Blazers	53–29	March 25	—	—	—
4	Houston Rockets	53–29	March 24	March 31	—	—
5	Utah Jazz	50–32	March 28	—	—	—
6	Oklahoma City Thunder	49–33	March 30	—	—	—
7	San Antonio Spurs	48–34	March 30	—	—	—
8	Los Angeles Clippers	48–34	March 26	—	—	—

Bracket

2019 NBA playoffs

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Teams with home-court advantage, the higher-seeded team, are shown in italics.

	First round					Second round					Conference finals					NBA Finals
	E1	Milwaukee	4
	E8	Detroit	0
						E1	Milwaukee	4
						E4	Boston	1
	E4	Boston	4
	E5	Indiana	0
											E1	Milwaukee	2
	Eastern Conference
											E2	Toronto	4
	E3	Philadelphia	4
	E6	Brooklyn	1
						E3	Philadelphia	3
						E2	Toronto	4
	E2	Toronto	4
	E7	Orlando	1
																E2	Toronto	4
																W1	Golden State	2
	W1	Golden State	4
	W8	LA Clippers	2
						W1	Golden State	4
						W4	Houston	2
	W4	Houston	4
	W5	Utah	1
											W1	Golden State	4
	Western Conference
											W3	Portland	0
	W3	Portland	4
	W6	Oklahoma City	1
						W3	Portland	4
						W2	Denver	3
	W2	Denver	4
	W7	San Antonio	3

First round

2019 NBA playoffs

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by the NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

(1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (8) Detroit Pistons

Milwaukee won 4–0 in the regular-season series
December 5, 2018
Recap
Detroit Pistons 92, Milwaukee Bucks 115
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
December 17, 2018
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 107, Detroit Pistons 104
Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
January 1, 2019
Recap
Detroit Pistons 98, Milwaukee Bucks 121
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
January 29, 2019
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 115, Detroit Pistons 105
Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning all four of the previous meetings. This was the Bucks first playoff win since 2001.

Detroit leads 4–0 in all-time playoff series
1976
Milwaukee Bucks 1, Detroit Pistons 2
1976 Western Conference First Round
1989
Detroit Pistons 4, Milwaukee Bucks 0
1989 Eastern Conference semifinals
2004
Detroit Pistons 4, Milwaukee Bucks 1
2004 Eastern Conference First Round
2006
Detroit Pistons 4, Milwaukee Bucks 1
2006 Eastern Conference First Round

(2) Toronto Raptors vs. (7) Orlando Magic

• In Game 1, D. J. Augustin hit the game-winning three-point shot with 3.4 seconds left.

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
November 20, 2018
Recap
Toronto Raptors 93, Orlando Magic 91
Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
December 28, 2018
Recap
Toronto Raptors 87, Orlando Magic 116
Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
February 24, 2019
Recap
Orlando Magic 113, Toronto Raptors 98
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
April 1, 2019
Recap
Orlando Magic 109, Toronto Raptors 121
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Magic winning the first meeting.

Orlando leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
2008
Orlando Magic 4, Toronto Raptors 1
2008 Eastern Conference First Round

(3) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (6) Brooklyn Nets

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
November 4, 2018
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 97, Brooklyn Nets 122
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City
November 25, 2018
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 127, Brooklyn Nets 125
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City
December 12, 2018
Recap
Brooklyn Nets 127, Philadelphia 76ers 124
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
March 28, 2019
Recap
Brooklyn Nets 110, Philadelphia 76ers 123
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, but the first since the New Jersey Nets relocated to Brooklyn and became the Brooklyn Nets in 2012, with each team winning one series.

Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series
1979
Philadelphia 76ers 2, New Jersey Nets 0
1979 Eastern Conference First Round
1984
Philadelphia 76ers 2, New Jersey Nets 3
1984 Eastern Conference First Round

(4) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Indiana Pacers

Boston won 3–1 in the regular-season series
November 3, 2018
Recap
Boston Celtics 101, Indiana Pacers 102
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
January 9, 2019
Recap
Indiana Pacers 108, Boston Celtics 135
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
March 29, 2019
Recap
Indiana Pacers 112, Boston Celtics 114
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
April 5, 2019
Recap
Boston Celtics 117, Indiana Pacers 97
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana

This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning three of the first five meetings.

Boston leads 3–2 in all-time playoff series
1991
Boston Celtics 3, Indiana Pacers 2
1991 Eastern Conference First Round
1992
Boston Celtics 3, Indiana Pacers 0
1992 Eastern Conference First Round
2003
Indiana Pacers 2, Boston Celtics 4
2003 Eastern Conference First Round
2004
Indiana Pacers 4, Boston Celtics 0
2004 Eastern Conference First Round
2005
Boston Celtics 3, Indiana Pacers 4
2005 Eastern Conference First Round

• This is the most recent playoff series between the Celtics & Pacers until (/wiki/2024NBAplayoffs).

(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (8) Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers trailed 94–63 with 7:31 remaining in the third quarter of Game 2. They would go on to outscore Golden State 72–37 en route to overcoming a 31-point deficit, the largest comeback in NBA playoff history.

Golden State won 3–1 in the regular-season series
November 12, 2018
Recap
Golden State Warriors 116, Los Angeles Clippers 121 (OT)
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
December 23, 2018
Recap
Los Angeles Clippers 127, Golden State Warriors 129
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
January 18, 2019
Recap
Golden State Warriors 112, Los Angeles Clippers 94
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
April 7, 2019
Recap
Los Angeles Clippers 104, Golden State Warriors 131
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Clippers winning the first meeting.

L.A. Clippers leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
2014
Los Angeles Clippers 4, Golden State Warriors 3
2014 Western Conference First Round

(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (7) San Antonio Spurs

<table><thead><tr><th>Series tied 2–2 in the regular-season</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td></tr><tr><td>December 26, 2018</td></tr><tr><td>Recap</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Denver Nuggets 103, San Antonio Spurs 111</td></tr><tr><td>AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas</td></tr><tr><td>December 28, 2018</td></tr><tr><td>Recap</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">San Antonio Spurs 99, Denver Nuggets 102</td></tr><tr><td>Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado</td></tr><tr><td>March 4, 2019</td></tr><tr><td>Recap</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">Denver Nuggets 103, San Antonio Spurs 104</td></tr><tr><td>AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas</td></tr><tr><td>April 3, 2019</td></tr><tr><td>Recap</td></tr><tr><td colspan="3">San Antonio Spurs 85, Denver Nuggets 113</td></tr><tr><td>Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado</td></tr></tbody></table>

This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning five of the first six meetings.

San Antonio leads 5–1 in all-time playoff series
1983
San Antonio Spurs 4, Denver Nuggets 1
1983 Western Conference semifinals
1985
Denver Nuggets 3, San Antonio Spurs 2
1985 Western Conference First Round
1990
San Antonio Spurs 3, Denver Nuggets 0
1990 Western Conference First Round
1995
San Antonio Spurs 3, Denver Nuggets 0
1995 Western Conference First Round
2005
San Antonio Spurs 4, Denver Nuggets 1
2005 Western Conference First Round
2007
San Antonio Spurs 4, Denver Nuggets 1
2007 Western Conference First Round

(3) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (6) Oklahoma City Thunder

Damian Lillard scored 50 points in Game 5 and finished off the series by hitting a 37-foot three at the buzzer to break a 115–115 tie, sending the Blazers through to the conference semifinals. This was Lillard's second series-winning 3-pointer; his first came against Houston in (/wiki/2014NBAplayoffs). He is the only player besides Michael Jordan to hit two series-winning field goals. This was also the last Thunder game to feature both Russell Westbrook and Paul George.

Oklahoma City won 4–0 in the regular-season series
January 4, 2019
Recap
Oklahoma City Thunder 111, Portland Trail Blazers 109
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
January 22, 2019
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 114, Oklahoma City Thunder 123
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
February 11, 2019
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 111, Oklahoma City Thunder 120
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
March 7, 2019
Recap
Oklahoma City Thunder 129, Portland Trail Blazers 121 (OT)
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon

This was the fifth playoff meeting between the SuperSonics/Thunder and the Blazers, but the first since the Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder in 2008. The two teams have split their previous four playoff matchups.

Series tied 2–2 in all-time playoff series
1978
Portland Trail Blazers 2, Seattle SuperSonics 4
1978 Western Conference semifinals
1980
Seattle SuperSonics 2, Portland Trail Blazers 1
1980 Western Conference First Round
1983
Seattle SuperSonics 0, Portland Trail Blazers 2
1983 Western Conference First Round
1991
Portland Trail Blazers 3, Seattle SuperSonics 2
1991 Western Conference First Round

(4) Houston Rockets vs. (5) Utah Jazz

Series tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
October 24, 2018
Recap
Utah Jazz 100, Houston Rockets 89
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
December 6, 2018
Recap
Houston Rockets 91, Utah Jazz 118
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
December 17, 2018
Recap
Utah Jazz 97, Houston Rockets 102
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
February 2, 2019
Recap
Houston Rockets 125, Utah Jazz 98
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah

This was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning five of the first eight meetings.

Utah leads 5–3 in all-time playoff series
1985
Houston Rockets 2, Utah Jazz 3
1985 Western Conference First Round
1994
Houston Rockets 4, Utah Jazz 1
1994 Western Conference finals
1995
Houston Rockets 3, Utah Jazz 2
1995 Western Conference First Round
1997
Houston Rockets 2, Utah Jazz 4
1997 Western Conference finals
1998
Houston Rockets 2, Utah Jazz 3
1998 Western Conference First Round
2007
Utah Jazz 4, Houston Rockets 3
2007 Western Conference First Round
2008
Utah Jazz 4, Houston Rockets 2
2008 Western Conference First Round
2018
Houston Rockets 4, Utah Jazz 1
2018 Western Conference semifinals

Conference semifinals

2019 NBA playoffs

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by the NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

(1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (4) Boston Celtics

Milwaukee won 2–1 in the regular-season series
November 1, 2018
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 113, Boston Celtics 117
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
December 21, 2018
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 120, Boston Celtics 107
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
February 21, 2019
Recap
Boston Celtics 97, Milwaukee Bucks 98
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning five of the first six meetings.

Boston leads 5–1 in all-time playoff series
1974
Milwaukee Bucks 3, Boston Celtics 4
1974 NBA Finals
1983
Boston Celtics 0, Milwaukee Bucks 4
1983 Eastern Conference semifinals
1984
Boston Celtics 4, Milwaukee Bucks 1
1984 Eastern Conference finals
1986
Boston Celtics 4, Milwaukee Bucks 0
1986 Eastern Conference finals
1987
Boston Celtics 4, Milwaukee Bucks 3
1987 Eastern Conference semifinals
2018
Boston Celtics 4, Milwaukee Bucks 3
2018 Eastern Conference First Round

• This is the most recent playoff series between the Celtics & Bucks until (/wiki/2022NBAplayoffs).

(2) Toronto Raptors vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers

As Game 7 came down to the final seconds, Joel Embiid cut a three-point Raptors lead to one with two free throws, then after Kawhi Leonard split his free throws, Jimmy Butler led the fast break and made a layup with 4.2 seconds left to tie the game. After a Toronto timeout, Leonard was given the ball, dribbled around the perimeter and shot it from the baseline, just inside the three-point arc. The shot bounced four times on the rim before going in to give the Raptors the series win. It was the first buzzer-beater to win a Game 7 in NBA history, and only the second such shot in a winner-take-all playoff game, after Michael Jordan's shot to win the Chicago Bulls' 1989 first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. (In 1989, first-round playoff series were best-of-5 instead of the current best-of-7.)

Toronto won 3–1 in the regular-season series
October 30, 2018
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 112, Toronto Raptors 129
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
December 5, 2018
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 102, Toronto Raptors 113
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
December 22, 2018
Recap
Toronto Raptors 101, Philadelphia 76ers 126
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
February 5, 2019
Recap
Toronto Raptors 119, Philadelphia 76ers 107
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with Philadelphia winning the first meeting in the 2001 Eastern Conference semifinals.

Philadelphia leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
2001
Philadelphia 76ers 4, Toronto Raptors 3
2001 Eastern Conference semifinals

• This is the most recent playoff series between the 76ers & Raptors until (/wiki/2022NBAplayoffs).

(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (4) Houston Rockets

All 6 games in the series finished with a differential of less than or exactly 6 points, making it the first playoff series in NBA history to accomplish this feat.

Houston won 3–1 in the regular-season series
November 15, 2018
Recap
Golden State Warriors 86, Houston Rockets 107
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
January 3, 2019
Recap
Houston Rockets 135, Golden State Warriors 134
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
February 23, 2019
Recap
Houston Rockets 118, Golden State Warriors 112
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
March 13, 2019
Recap
Golden State Warriors 106, Houston Rockets 104
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Golden State winning the previous three meetings.

Golden State leads 3–0 in all-time playoff series
2015
Golden State Warriors 4, Houston Rockets 1
2015 Western Conference finals
2016
Golden State Warriors 4, Houston Rockets 1
2016 Western Conference First Round
2018
Houston Rockets 3, Golden State Warriors 4
2018 Western Conference finals

• This is the most recent playoff series between the Warriors & Rockets until (/wiki/2025NBAplayoffs).

(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (3) Portland Trail Blazers

Game three became the second playoff game in NBA history to go into quadruple-overtime, joining a 1953 game between the Boston Celtics and Syracuse Nationals.

Denver won 3–1 in the regular-season series
November 30, 2018
Recap
Denver Nuggets 113, Portland Trail Blazers 112
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
January 13, 2019
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 113, Denver Nuggets 116
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
April 5, 2019
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 110, Denver Nuggets 119
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
April 7, 2019
Recap
Denver Nuggets 108, Portland Trail Blazers 115
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series.

Series tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series
1977
Denver Nuggets 2, Portland Trail Blazers 4
1977 Western Conference semifinals
1986
Denver Nuggets 3, Portland Trail Blazers 1
1986 Western Conference First Round

Conference finals

2019 NBA playoffs

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by the NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

(1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (2) Toronto Raptors

Milwaukee won 3–1 in the regular-season series
October 29, 2018
Recap
Toronto Raptors 109, Milwaukee Bucks 124
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
December 9, 2018
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 104, Toronto Raptors 99
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
January 5, 2019
Recap
Toronto Raptors 123, Milwaukee Bucks 116
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
January 31, 2019
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 105, Toronto Raptors 92
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario

This was the first Eastern Conference finals game since 2014 that Cleveland Cavaliers were not played and for first time since 2010 that LeBron James was not playing in Eastern Conference finals. This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Raptors winning the first meeting in 2017.

Toronto leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
2017
Toronto Raptors 4, Milwaukee Bucks 2
2017 Eastern Conference First Round

(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (3) Portland Trail Blazers

Series tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
November 23, 2018
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 97, Golden State Warriors 125
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
December 27, 2018
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 110, Golden State Warriors 109 (OT)
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
December 29, 2018
Recap
Golden State Warriors 115, Portland Trail Blazers 110
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
February 13, 2019
Recap
Golden State Warriors 107, Portland Trail Blazers 129
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with Golden State winning the first two meetings.

Golden State leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series
2016
Golden State Warriors 4, Portland Trail Blazers 1
2016 Western Conference semifinals
2017
Golden State Warriors 4, Portland Trail Blazers 0
2017 Western Conference First Round

NBA Finals: (E2) Toronto Raptors vs. (W1) Golden State Warriors

2019 NBA playoffs

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by the NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

Toronto won 2–0 in the regular-season series
November 29, 2018
Recap
Golden State Warriors 128, Toronto Raptors 131 (OT)
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
December 12, 2018
Recap
Toronto Raptors 113, Golden State Warriors 93
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California

This was the first NBA finals game since 2014 that Cleveland Cavaliers were not played and for first time since 2010 that LeBron James was not playing in NBA finals. This was the first meeting in the NBA Finals between these two teams.

Statistical leaders

2019 NBA playoffs

Category	Game high			Average
	Player	Team	High	Player	Team	Avg.	GP
Points	Damian Lillard Kevin Durant	Portland Trail Blazers Golden State Warriors	50	Kevin Durant	Golden State Warriors	32.3	12
Rebounds	Giannis Antetokounmpo	Milwaukee Bucks	23	Nikola Jokić Andre Drummond	Denver Nuggets Detroit Pistons	13.0	14 4
Assists	Nikola Jokić Russell Westbrook	Denver Nuggets Oklahoma City Thunder	14	Russell Westbrook	Oklahoma City Thunder	10.6	5
Steals	James Harden	Houston Rockets	6	Thaddeus Young	Indiana Pacers	2.8	4
Blocks	Rudy Gobert	Utah Jazz	7	Rudy Gobert	Utah Jazz	2.6	5

Media coverage

Television

ESPN, TNT, ABC, and NBA TV broadcast the playoffs nationally in the United States. During the first two rounds, games were split between TNT, ESPN, and ABC regardless of conference. TNT primarily aired games on Saturday through Wednesday, while ESPN on Friday and Saturday. For Thursday games, TNT had them in the first round and ESPN in the second round. ABC then aired selected first and second-round games on Friday through Sunday. NBA TV also televised selected games in the first round on Tuesday through Thursday. Also in the first round, regional sports networks affiliated with the teams could also broadcast the games, except for weekend games televised on ABC. The Western Conference finals were televised on ESPN, while TNT televised the Eastern Conference finals. ABC had exclusive television rights to the 2019 NBA Finals, which was the 17th consecutive year for the network.

In Canada, the home market of the Toronto Raptors, national broadcast rights were split approximately equally between the Sportsnet and TSN groups of channels, with some conflicting non-Raptors games airing on NBA TV Canada. Separate Canadian broadcasts were produced for all games involving the Raptors regardless of round or U.S. broadcaster. One TSN telecast of a conference semifinal game involving the Raptors was simulcast over the co-owned CTV broadcast network. For the NBA Finals, in addition to the Canadian cable telecasts, most games also aired on either Citytv, CTV, or CTV 2 (broadcast networks co-owned with Sportsnet and TSN respectively), using the ABC feed for simultaneous substitution purposes.