2020 NBA playoffs

2020 NBA playoffs

The 2020 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2019–20 season. The tournament ended with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in 4 games to 2 to win their first championship since 2010. The playoffs were originally scheduled to begin on April 18. However, the league suspended the season on March 11, 2020, hours after the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization and after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus.

On June 4, the NBA Board of Governors approved a plan to restart the season on July 31 in the NBA Bubble. This proposal was then approved by members of the National Basketball Players Association on June 5. Under this plan, the 22 top teams in the league at the time of the suspension (all the teams who had a mathematical chance at making the playoffs under the 82-game season) played eight additional regular season games to determine playoff seeding, with 16 of those teams playing in a conventional postseason tournament. If the ninth seed within a conference would have finished the regular season within four games of the eighth seed, they would have then competed in a play–in series. The last time a play-in game was played to determine a playoff spot was in (/wiki/1956NBAplayoffs). The NBA would institute a Play-in tournament for the 7-8th seeds the following season due to the regular season being only 72 games. The following regular season and beyond would include a Play-in Tournament.

As part of the bubble, all playoff games were held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex inside Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida.

All three games that were scheduled to take place on August 26 were postponed by a wildcat strike, in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, with the Milwaukee Bucks being the first team not to take the court prior to their game five matchup against the Orlando Magic. The games on August 27 and 28 were also postponed, with games resuming on August 29.

The Toronto Raptors were defending champions but lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals round to the Boston Celtics. None of the teams that made it to the conference finals in the 2019 NBA playoffs made the conference finals in 2020. These were the first playoffs since (/wiki/1997NBAplayoffs) without the San Antonio Spurs, as they were eliminated from playoff contention on August 14, 2020, ending what was then the longest active playoff streak in the NBA and in the four major sports leagues in North America.

Overview

Western Conference

• The Houston Rockets entered their eighth consecutive postseason. • The Portland Trail Blazers entered their seventh consecutive postseason. They also became the first Western Conference team since (/wiki/1997NBAplayoffs) to qualify for the playoffs despite posting a losing record. • The Los Angeles Lakers made the playoffs for the first time in seven years. • The Dallas Mavericks made the playoffs for the first time in four years. • The Golden State Warriors missed the playoffs for the first time in eight years. • Despite being invited to the bubble, the San Antonio Spurs missed the playoffs for the first time in twenty-three years. This was only the fifth time since the merger that the Spurs missed the playoffs. • Despite the Phoenix Suns going a perfect 8–0 in the bubble, they missed the playoffs due to the Grizzlies defeating the Bucks and the Blazers defeating the Nets earlier in the day.

Eastern Conference

• The Toronto Raptors entered their seventh consecutive postseason. • The Boston Celtics entered their sixth consecutive postseason. • The Indiana Pacers entered their fifth consecutive postseason. • The Milwaukee Bucks entered their fourth consecutive postseason. • The Orlando Magic entered their second consecutive postseason. • The Brooklyn Nets entered their second consecutive postseason. • The Miami Heat returned to the postseason after a one-year absence.

First round

• This was the first time since (/wiki/2003NBAplayoffs) that both No. 1 seeds (the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers) from each conference lost their opening game of the playoffs. • LeBron James became the first player with 20+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 15+ assists in an NBA playoff game. • The Boston Celtics swept the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, marking the 44th straight year a sweep occurred in the NBA playoffs. The last year a sweep did not occur in the playoffs was (/wiki/1976NBAplayoffs). • The Toronto Raptors swept the Brooklyn Nets, making it their first series sweep in franchise history, leaving the Los Angeles Clippers as the only remaining team that has never swept a series in the playoffs. • With their first round sweep of the Indiana Pacers, the Miami Heat swept a playoff series for the first time since (/wiki/2014NBAplayoffs). • Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray joined Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson as the only players to have multiple 50–point games in a single playoff series. • This was the first time in NBA playoff history that two players on opposing teams (Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz and Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets) tallied 50+ points in the same game. • Luka Dončić joined Charles Barkley and Oscar Robertson as the only players with 40+ points, 15+ rebounds, 10+ assists in an NBA playoff game. • Luka Dončić joined Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, and Damian Lillard as the only players to score 40+ points and hit a buzzer–beater in a playoff game. • The Milwaukee Bucks were the first team in the playoffs to refuse to play a game over racial injustice in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The players described their actions as a "boycott", although commentators have pointed out that the event was a strike. It is the first time an NBA team refused to play a game since the Boston Celtics protested for racial justice in 1961. • Kawhi Leonard was the first player to have 30+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ assists and 5+ steals in a playoff game since Gary Payton in 2000. • The Nuggets–Jazz series was the first of the 2020 playoffs to have a Game 7, making it the 21st consecutive NBA postseason with a Game 7. The last time a Game 7 did not take place in the playoffs was (/wiki/1999NBAplayoffs). • Jamal Murray was the first player to have three straight playoff games with 40+ points since Allen Iverson in 2001. • The Denver Nuggets became just the 12th team in NBA history to come back from a 3–1 series deficit, when they defeated the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference first round. They were the first team to come back from a 3–1 series deficit since the Cleveland Cavaliers did so in the 2016 NBA Finals. • Luguentz Dort became the youngest player and first undrafted player to score 30+ points in a Game 7.

Conference semifinals

• Game 2 between the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks was the first playoff game since Game 1 of the 1979 NBA Finals to be decided by free throws with time expired. • This was the first time that the top two seeds in a conference (the Milwaukee Bucks and the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference) were both down 0–2 in a best–of–7 series. • This was the first time since (/wiki/2013NBAplayoffs) that the fifth seed (Miami Heat) beat the first seed (Milwaukee Bucks) 4–1 in the conference semifinals. • Despite all the games being in the same location, the Celtics–Raptors series was the first series in NBA history where the (designated) road team won every game of a best–of–seven series. The only other instances when this had happened in major North American sports leagues history are the 2019 World Series and the 2023 American League Championship Series, in which the Houston Astros lost both series. • With their conference semifinals victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, the Denver Nuggets also became the thirteenth NBA team to overcome a 3–1 deficit in the NBA playoffs, and the first time that an NBA team overcame a 3–1 deficit twice in the same playoffs. This was the last NBA playoff series where a team won three straight games to come back from a 3–1 deficit.

Conference finals

• This was the first time that neither the first seed nor the second seed were in the Eastern Conference finals. By coincidence, this would happen again the very next year. • Tyler Herro set the NBA rookie conference finals scoring record by scoring a career-high 37 points off the bench in game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics. The record was previously held by Andrew Toney who scored 35 in 1981. Herro's 37 points are the second-most ever scored by a player aged 20 or younger in a playoff game, only behind Magic Johnson's 42 points back in 1980. • With their Eastern Conference finals victory over the Boston Celtics, the Miami Heat became the first 5th seed or lower team to advance to the NBA Finals since the 1999 New York Knicks became the first eighth seed to make the NBA Finals. Ironically, the Knicks eliminated the Heat en route to their 1999 NBA Finals appearance. • With their loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Nuggets became the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3–1 series deficit on the road (which they did in the previous round) and not win the NBA championship (the previous three teams to do this, the 1968 Boston Celtics, the 1995 Houston Rockets, and the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, all won the NBA championship).

NBA Finals

• This was the first time that both teams in the NBA Finals failed to make the playoffs in the previous season. • Andre Iguodala reached the NBA Finals for the sixth consecutive year, joining LeBron James and James Jones as the only players to do so with two different teams. • Before this season, the last time the Heat reached the NBA Finals was in (/wiki/2014NBAFinals), after which LeBron James ended a four-year stint with the team. James became the second player (after Wilt Chamberlain in (/wiki/1967NBAFinals)) to win MVP with a franchise before later playing against that franchise in the Finals. James was the first Finals MVP to play their previous franchise in the Finals. • Anthony Davis joined Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, Rick Barry, and Hal Greer as the only players in NBA History to score 30+ points in their first two career NBA Finals games. • Tyler Herro became the youngest player to start an NBA Finals game at 20 years, 256 days during the Game 2 of the 2020 NBA Finals on October 2, 2020. He was eight days younger than Magic Johnson was when he started Game 1 for the Lakers in 1980. • Jimmy Butler became the 3rd player in NBA History to record a 40+ point triple-double in the NBA Finals, joining LeBron James in (/wiki/2015NBAFinals) and Jerry West in (/wiki/1969NBAFinals). At the end of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Butler also became the first player (opponent or teammate) to out-score/-rebound/-assist/ LeBron James in a Finals game. • With their Game 6 win over the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Lakers won their record-tying 17th NBA championship, tying the Boston Celtics as the two teams to win the most NBA championships (17). In addition to winning their first championship since (/wiki/2010NBAFinals), the Lakers also became the first team since the 2008 Boston Celtics (who ironically defeated them in the 2008 NBA Finals) to win a championship after missing the playoffs the previous season. • LeBron James became the first NBA player to win the Finals MVP with three different teams and the third to win a championship with three different teams, joining John Salley and Robert Horry. • Danny Green joins LeBron as the fourth players to win titles with three different teams. • Rajon Rondo became the second player after Clyde Lovellette to win a title with the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. • Anthony Davis became the 8th player to achieve the basketball triple crown, winning an Olympic gold medal, NCAA Championship, and NBA Championship, joining Clyde Lovellette, Bill Russell, K.C. Jones, Jerry Lucas, Quinn Buckner, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan.

Format

2020 NBA playoffs

After the NBA suspended its season on March 11, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league started to explore implementing a special postseason format just for this year.

On June 4, the NBA Board of Governors approved a plan to restart the season on July 31 in the NBA Bubble, with 22 of the 30 teams in the league, all clubs mathematically alive for a playoff spot under the 82 game schedule. Under this plan, the 22 teams played eight regular-season "seeding" games. A possible best-of-three play-in series for the final seed in each conference would then be held if the ninth seed finished the regular season within four games of the eighth seed. The eighth seed would start with a de facto 1–0 lead, meaning that it would need just one win to advance, while the ninth seed must win two in a row. The NBA's regular playoff format proceeded as normal. All games were played behind closed doors at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Walt Disney World.

Under the NBA's regular playoff format, the eight teams with the most wins in each conference 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), although since all games were played in the same location, this was merely a designated home court. 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

2020 NBA playoffs

On February 23, 2020, the Milwaukee Bucks became the first team to clinch a playoff spot. The Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers, and Boston Celtics subsequently clinched playoff berths before the season was suspended on March 11.

Seed 8 in each conference is not finalized until the first-stage play-in tournament is completed, unless they finish the regular season with more than four games ahead of seed 9.

†	Denotes team that clinched a playoff berth prior to the March 11 suspension of the season
	Denotes team that automatically clinched a playoff berth or a division title on the June approval of the 22-team plan to resume the season

Eastern Conference

Seed	Team	Record	Clinched
Playoff berth	Division title	Best record in conference	Best record in NBA
1	Milwaukee Bucks	56–17	February 23†	June 4	August 6	August 8
2	Toronto Raptors	53–19	March 5†	August 9	—	—
3	Boston Celtics	48–24	March 10†	—	—	—
4	Indiana Pacers	45–28	June 4	—	—	—
5	Miami Heat	44–29	June 4	June 4	—	—
6	Philadelphia 76ers	43–30	June 4	—	—	—
7	Brooklyn Nets	35–37	August 7	—	—	—
8	Orlando Magic	33–40	August 7	—	—	—

Western Conference

Seed	Team	Record	Clinched
Play-in	Playoff berth	Division title	Best record in conference	Best record in NBA
1	Los Angeles Lakers	52–19	—	March 6†	August 3	August 3	—
2	Los Angeles Clippers	49–23	—	June 4	—	—	—
3	Denver Nuggets	46–27	—	June 4	August 10	—	—
4	Houston Rockets	44–28	—	June 4	August 9	—	—
5	Oklahoma City Thunder	44–28	—	June 4	—	—	—
6	Utah Jazz	44–28	—	June 4	—	—	—
7	Dallas Mavericks	43–32	—	August 2	—	—	—
8	Portland Trail Blazers	35–39	August 13	August 15	—	—	—

Memphis (34–39) also secured a play-in berth but did not advance to the playoffs

Eastern Conference

Because eighth-place Orlando (33–40) finished 7+1⁄2 games ahead ninth-place Washington (25–47), the Magic automatically advanced to the main rounds of the playoffs as the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference, with no play-in contests being necessary there.

Western Conference

Because eighth-place Portland (35–39) only finished one-half games ahead of ninth-place Memphis (34–39), a play-in was required to determine the 8th seed in the Western Conference.

Bracket

2020 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.

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

First round

2020 NBA playoffs

Note: All times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by the NBA. All games were played behind closed doors at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Walt Disney World.

(1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (8) Orlando Magic

Milwaukee was the first team in the league to refuse to play a game for social justice following the shooting of Jacob Blake.

Milwaukee won in the regular-season series 4–0
November 1, 2019
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 123, Orlando Magic 91
Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
December 9, 2019
Recap
Orlando Magic 101, Milwaukee Bucks 110
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
December 28, 2019
Recap
Orlando Magic 100, Milwaukee Bucks 111
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
February 8, 2020
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 111, Orlando Magic 95
Amway Center, Orlando, Florida

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

Milwaukee leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
2001
Orlando Magic 1, Milwaukee Bucks 3
2001 Eastern Conference first round

(2) Toronto Raptors vs. (7) Brooklyn Nets

Toronto set an NBA playoff record in Game 4 with 100 bench points in a single game.

Toronto won 3–1 in the regular-season series
December 14, 2019
Recap
Brooklyn Nets 102, Toronto Raptors 110
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
January 4, 2020
Recap
Toronto Raptors 121, Brooklyn Nets 102
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City
February 8, 2020
Recap
Brooklyn Nets 118, Toronto Raptors 119
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
February 12, 2020
Recap
Toronto Raptors 91, Brooklyn Nets 101
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Nets winning the two previous meetings.

Brooklyn/New Jersey leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series
2007
New Jersey Nets 4, Toronto Raptors 2
2007 Eastern Conference first round
2014
Brooklyn Nets 4, Toronto Raptors 3
2014 Eastern Conference first round

(3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia won 3–1 in the regular-season series
October 23, 2019
Recap
Boston Celtics 93, Philadelphia 76ers 107
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
December 12, 2019
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 115, Boston Celtics 109
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
January 9, 2020
Recap
Boston Celtics 98, Philadelphia 76ers 109
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
February 1, 2020
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 95, Boston Celtics 116
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

This was the 22nd playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning 13 of the first 21 meetings.

Boston leads 13–8 in all-time playoff series
1953
Boston Celtics 2, Syracuse Nationals 0
1953 Eastern Division Semifinals
1954
Syracuse Nationals 2, Boston Celtics 0
1954 Eastern Division Round Robin Semifinals
1954
Boston Celtics 0, Syracuse Nationals 2
1954 Eastern Division Finals
1955
Boston Celtics 1, Syracuse Nationals 3
1955 Eastern Division Finals
1956
Syracuse Nationals 2, Boston Celtics 2
1956 Eastern Division Semifinals
1957
Syracuse Nationals 0, Boston Celtics 3
1957 Eastern Division Finals
1959
Syracuse Nationals 3, Boston Celtics 4
1959 Eastern Division Finals
1961
Syracuse Nationals 1, Boston Celtics 4
1961 Eastern Division Finals
1965
Philadelphia 76ers 3, Boston Celtics 4
1965 Eastern Division Finals
1966
Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1
1966 Eastern Division Finals
1967
Boston Celtics 1, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1967 Eastern Division Finals
1968
Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 3
1968 Eastern Division Finals
1969
Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1
1969 Eastern Division Semifinals
1977
Boston Celtics 3, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1977 Eastern Conference semifinals
1980
Philadelphia 76ers 4, Boston Celtics 1
1980 Eastern Conference finals
1981
Philadelphia 76ers 3, Boston Celtics 4
1981 Eastern Conference finals
1982
Philadelphia 76ers 4, Boston Celtics 3
1982 Eastern Conference finals
1985
Philadelphia 76ers 1, Boston Celtics 4
1985 Eastern Conference finals
2002
Philadelphia 76ers 2, Boston Celtics 3
2002 Eastern Conference first round
2012
Philadelphia 76ers 3, Boston Celtics 4
2012 Eastern Conference semifinals
2018
Philadelphia 76ers 1, Boston Celtics 4
2018 Eastern Conference semifinals

(4) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Miami Heat

Miami won 3–1 in the regular-season series
December 27, 2019
Recap
Indiana Pacers 112, Miami Heat 113
American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
January 8, 2020
Recap
Miami Heat 122, Indiana Pacers 108
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
August 10, 2020
Recap
Indiana Pacers 92, Miami Heat 114
Visa Athletic Center, Bay Lake, Florida
August 14, 2020
Recap
Miami Heat 92, Indiana Pacers 109
AdventHealth Arena, Bay Lake, Florida

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Heat winning three of the first four meetings.

Miami leads 3–1 in all-time playoff series
2004
Miami Heat 2, Indiana Pacers 4
2004 Eastern Conference semifinals
2012
Indiana Pacers 2, Miami Heat 4
2012 Eastern Conference semifinals
2013
Indiana Pacers 3, Miami Heat 4
2013 Eastern Conference finals
2014
Miami Heat 4, Indiana Pacers 2
2014 Eastern Conference finals

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Portland Trail Blazers

Despite a losing effort, LeBron James had the first 20-point, 15 rebound, 15 assist performance in NBA playoff history.

This was the Lakers first playoff series win since (/wiki/2012NBAplayoffs).

Game 5 was postponed by the league after the Lakers and Trail Blazers refused to play.

LA Lakers won 2–1 in the regular-season series
December 6, 2019
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 136, Portland Trail Blazers 113
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
December 28, 2019
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 128, Portland Trail Blazers 120
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
January 31, 2020
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 127, Los Angeles Lakers 119
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

This was the 12th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning nine of the first eleven meetings.

Los Angeles leads 9–2 in all-time playoff series
1977
Portland Trail Blazers 4, Los Angeles Lakers 0
1977 Western Conference finals
1983
Portland Trail Blazers 1, Los Angeles Lakers 4
1983 Western Conference semifinals
1985
Portland Trail Blazers 1, Los Angeles Lakers 4
1985 Western Conference semifinals
1989
Portland Trail Blazers 0, Los Angeles Lakers 3
1989 Western Conference first round
1991
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Portland Trail Blazers 2
1991 Western Conference finals
1992
Los Angeles Lakers 1, Portland Trail Blazers 3
1992 Western Conference first round
1997
Portland Trail Blazers 1, Los Angeles Lakers 3
1997 Western Conference first round
1998
Portland Trail Blazers 1, Los Angeles Lakers 3
1998 Western Conference first round
2000
Portland Trail Blazers 3, Los Angeles Lakers 4
2000 Western Conference finals
2001
Portland Trail Blazers 0, Los Angeles Lakers 3
2001 Western Conference first round
2002
Portland Trail Blazers 0, Los Angeles Lakers 3
2002 Western Conference first round

(2) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks

Dončić's 42 points are the most points in a playoff debut. Following the game, many people, including LeBron James and current Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, criticized the officials for controversially ejecting Porziņģis during the 3rd quarter after he received two technical fouls that the critics considered "bogus".

Down by 1, Luka Dončić hit the game-winning 3 point buzzer-beater at the end of overtime. He becomes the youngest player to hit a buzzer-beater in the playoffs. His winning shot capped an incredible triple-double performance with 43 points, 17 rebounds, and 13 assists.

The Clippers set 5 franchise records in this game, including: most points scored in a playoff game, as well as most 3-pointers made in a playoff game, as they shot 22-of-35 from long range.

Kawhi Leonard became the first player since 2000 to have 30+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ assists and 5+ steals in a playoff game.

LA Clippers won 3–0 in the regular-season series
November 26, 2019
Recap
Los Angeles Clippers 114, Dallas Mavericks 99
American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
January 21, 2020
Recap
Los Angeles Clippers 110, Dallas Mavericks 107
American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
August 6, 2020
Recap
Los Angeles Clippers 126, Dallas Mavericks 111
HP Field House, Bay Lake, Florida

This was the first playoff meeting between the Clippers and the Mavericks.

(3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Utah Jazz

Mitchell's 57 points became the third most points scored in a single playoff game.

This was the first playoff game in NBA history in which two players scored 50 points.

Denver became the 12th team in NBA history to come back from a 3–1 deficit. Nikola Jokić scored the go-ahead hook shot with 27.8 seconds remaining in regulation. Mike Conley Jr.'s potential series-winning three-pointer at the buzzer rimmed out.

Denver won 3–0 in the regular-season series
January 30, 2020
Recap
Utah Jazz 100, Denver Nuggets 106
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
February 5, 2020
Recap
Denver Nuggets 98, Utah Jazz 95
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
August 8, 2020
Recap
Utah Jazz 132, Denver Nuggets 134 (2OT)
AdventHealth Arena, Bay Lake, Florida

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning three of the first four meetings.

Utah leads 3–1 in all-time playoff series
1984
Denver Nuggets 2, Utah Jazz 3
1984 Western Conference first round
1985
Utah Jazz 1, Denver Nuggets 4
1985 Western Conference semifinals
1994
Denver Nuggets 3, Utah Jazz 4
1994 Western Conference semifinals
2010
Utah Jazz 4, Denver Nuggets 2
2010 Western Conference first round

(4) Houston Rockets vs. (5) Oklahoma City Thunder

Game 5 was postponed by the league following a boycott by the Rockets and Thunder.

Oklahoma City won 2–1 in the regular-season series
October 28, 2019
Recap
Oklahoma City Thunder 112, Houston Rockets 116
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
January 9, 2020
Recap
Houston Rockets 92, Oklahoma City Thunder 113
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
January 20, 2020
Recap
Oklahoma City Thunder 112, Houston Rockets 107
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas

This was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Thunder/SuperSonics winning six of the first eight meetings.

Oklahoma City/Seattle leads 6–2 in all-time playoff series
1982
Houston Rockets 1, Seattle SuperSonics 2
1982 Western Conference first round
1987
Seattle SuperSonics 4, Houston Rockets 2
1987 Western Conference semifinals
1989
Houston Rockets 1, Seattle SuperSonics 3
1989 Western Conference first round
1993
Houston Rockets 3, Seattle SuperSonics 4
1993 Western Conference semifinals
1996
Houston Rockets 0, Seattle SuperSonics 4
1996 Western Conference semifinals
1997
Seattle SuperSonics 3, Houston Rockets 4
1997 Western Conference semifinals
2013
Houston Rockets 2, Oklahoma City Thunder 4
2013 Western Conference first round
2017
Oklahoma City Thunder 1, Houston Rockets 4
2017 Western Conference first round

Conference semifinals

2020 NBA playoffs

Note: All times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by the NBA. All games were played behind closed doors at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Walt Disney World.

(1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (5) Miami Heat

After being fouled by Giannis Antetokounmpo on a game-winning shot attempt as time expired in regulation, Jimmy Butler won the game for Miami with a pair of walk-off free throws. This marked the first time a playoff game had ended in such a fashion since Game 1 of the 1979 NBA Finals.

Miami won 2–1 in the regular-season series
October 26, 2019
Recap
Miami Heat 131, Milwaukee Bucks 126 (OT)
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
March 2, 2020
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 89, Miami Heat 105
American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
August 6, 2020
Recap
Miami Heat 116, Milwaukee Bucks 130
AdventHealth Arena, Bay Lake, Florida

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Heat winning the previous meeting.

Miami leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
2013
Milwaukee Bucks 0, Miami Heat 4
2013 Eastern Conference first round

(2) Toronto Raptors vs. (3) Boston Celtics

Both teams discussed a boycott of Game 1, similar to the Milwaukee Bucks, in protest due to the shooting of Jacob Blake. The game was eventually postponed.

With 0.5 seconds on the clock and Toronto trailing by 2, Kyle Lowry threw a cross-court inbounds pass to OG Anunoby, who made a 3-point shot as the buzzer sounded to win the game for Toronto.

Boston won 3–1 in the regular-season series
October 25, 2019
Recap
Toronto Raptors 106, Boston Celtics 112
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
December 25, 2019
Recap
Boston Celtics 118, Toronto Raptors 102
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
December 28, 2019
Recap
Toronto Raptors 113, Boston Celtics 97
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
August 7, 2020
Recap
Boston Celtics 122, Toronto Raptors 100
AdventHealth Arena, Bay Lake, Florida

This was the first playoff meeting between the Raptors and the Celtics.

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (4) Houston Rockets

Houston won 2–1 in the regular-season series
January 18, 2020
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 124, Houston Rockets 115
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
February 6, 2020
Recap
Houston Rockets 121, Los Angeles Lakers 111
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
August 6, 2020
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 97, Houston Rockets 113
AdventHealth Arena, Bay Lake, Florida

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

LA Lakers leads 5–3 in all-time playoff series
1981
Houston Rockets 2, Los Angeles Lakers 1
1981 Western Conference first round
1986
Houston Rockets 4, Los Angeles Lakers 1
1986 Western Conference finals
1990
Houston Rockets 1, Los Angeles Lakers 3
1990 Western Conference first round
1991
Houston Rockets 0, Los Angeles Lakers 3
1991 Western Conference first round
1996
Houston Rockets 3, Los Angeles Lakers 1
1996 Western Conference first round
1999
Houston Rockets 1, Los Angeles Lakers 3
1999 Western Conference first round
2004
Houston Rockets 1, Los Angeles Lakers 4
2004 Western Conference first round
2009
Houston Rockets 3, Los Angeles Lakers 4
2009 Western Conference semifinals

(2) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (3) Denver Nuggets

This was the first time that an NBA team overcame a 3–1 deficit twice in the same playoffs, and the first time an NBA franchise did so twice in the same decade.

LA Clippers won 2–1 in the regular-season series
January 12, 2020
Recap
Los Angeles Clippers 104, Denver Nuggets 114
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
February 28, 2020
Recap
Denver Nuggets 103, Los Angeles Clippers 132
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
August 12, 2020
Recap
Los Angeles Clippers 124, Denver Nuggets 111
AdventHealth Arena, Bay Lake, Florida

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

LA Clippers lead 1–0 in all-time playoff series
2006
Denver Nuggets 1, Los Angeles Clippers 4
2006 Western Conference first round

Conference finals

2020 NBA playoffs

Note: All times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by the NBA. All games were played behind closed doors at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Walt Disney World.

(3) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Miami Heat

In an unprecedented manner, Mark Jones and Doris Burke called Game 1 while Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson, were in charge for Game 7 of the 2020 Western Conference Semifinals between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Denver Nuggets (see above). Starting with Game 2, Breen, Van Gundy, and Jackson took the remainder of the Conference Finals and the NBA Finals while Burke is assigned to ESPN Radio. Burke would have left the radio team when she was promoted to the lead team on television in 2023

Boston won 2–1 in the regular-season series
December 4, 2019
Recap
Miami Heat 93, Boston Celtics 112
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
January 28, 2020
Recap
Boston Celtics 109, Miami Heat 101
American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
August 4, 2020
Recap
Miami Heat 112, Boston Celtics 106
HP Field House, Bay Lake, Florida

This was the fourth playoff meeting between the two teams, with the Heat winning two of the first three meetings.

Miami leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
2010
Miami Heat 1, Boston Celtics 4
2010 Eastern Conference first round
2011
Boston Celtics 1, Miami Heat 4
2011 Eastern Conference semifinals
2012
Boston Celtics 3, Miami Heat 4
2012 Eastern Conference finals

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (3) Denver Nuggets

Anthony Davis scored 31 points, including a 3-point shot over Nikola Jokić at the buzzer, to give the Lakers a 2–0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

LA Lakers won 3–1 in the regular-season series
December 3, 2019
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 105, Denver Nuggets 96
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
December 22, 2019
Recap
Denver Nuggets 128, Los Angeles Lakers 104
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
February 12, 2020
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 120, Denver Nuggets 116 (OT)
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
August 10, 2020
Recap
Denver Nuggets 121, Los Angeles Lakers 124
AdventHealth Arena, Bay Lake, Florida

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

LA Lakers lead 6–0 in all-time playoff series
1979
Los Angeles Lakers 2, Denver Nuggets 1
1979 Western Conference first round
1985
Denver Nuggets 1, Los Angeles Lakers 4
1985 Western Conference finals
1987
Denver Nuggets 0, Los Angeles Lakers 3
1987 Western Conference first round
2008
Denver Nuggets 0, Los Angeles Lakers 4
2008 Western Conference first round
2009
Denver Nuggets 2, Los Angeles Lakers 4
2009 Western Conference finals
2012
Denver Nuggets 3, Los Angeles Lakers 4
2012 Western Conference first round

NBA Finals: (W1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (E5) Miami Heat

2020 NBA playoffs

Note: All times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by the NBA. All games were played behind closed doors at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Walt Disney World.

LA Lakers won 2–0 in the regular-season series
November 8, 2019
Recap
Miami Heat 80, Los Angeles Lakers 95
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
December 13, 2019
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 113, Miami Heat 110
American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida

This was the first playoff meeting between the Lakers and the Heat.

Statistical leaders

2020 NBA playoffs

Category	Game high	Average
Player	Team	High	Player	Team	Avg.	GP
Points	Donovan Mitchell	Utah Jazz	57	Donovan Mitchell	Utah Jazz	36.3	7
Rebounds	Nikola Jokić	Denver Nuggets	22	Jarrett Allen	Brooklyn Nets	14.8	4
Assists	LeBron James	Los Angeles Lakers	16	Malcolm Brogdon	Indiana Pacers	10.0	4
Steals	Fred VanVleet	Toronto Raptors	6	Robert Covington	Houston Rockets	2.5	12
Blocks	Hassan Whiteside Myles Turner	Portland Trail Blazers Indiana Pacers	5	Myles Turner	Indiana Pacers	4.0	4

Media coverage

Television

ESPN, ABC, TNT, 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. With the start of the playoffs delayed to August, some games played during the weekday afternoon, and games postponed by the wildcat strike, the TV schedule for the first two rounds differed from previous seasons due to scheduling conflicts. For instance, TNT aired some Friday games instead of its usual Sunday through Thursday schedule. Likewise ESPN broadcast games on some of those days when TNT would normally air them. Also, ABC aired a rare Tuesday night first-round game on September 1. NBA TV also televised selected games in the first round. Regional sports networks affiliated with the teams also broadcast the games, except for games televised on ABC.

TNT exclusively aired the NBA Western Conference finals while ESPN televised the NBA Eastern Conference finals. ABC had exclusive television rights to the 2020 NBA Finals, which was the 18th 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. Separate Canadian broadcasts were produced for all games involving the Raptors regardless of round or U.S. broadcaster.