There’s a specific kind of quiet that hits right before a playoffs bracket becomes real. In Boston, it usually shows up the moment schedules get pinned down—like the arena lights are already warming up.
The Celtics’ first-round playoff schedule is now available, and the first game is locked in: the series tips off Sunday at TD Garden against either Orlando or Philadelphia. Boston won’t know which team it’s facing until after Wednesday night’s play-in game, so yes, the matchup part of the story is still a moving target.
Game Two is set for Tuesday night, and Boston stays home for it too. After that, the series shifts to the road—because of course it does, right when you start getting comfy with home-court rhythm. The Celtics have made the playoffs every year since 2015. Last season was the first time since 2022 that Boston failed to make the Eastern Conference Finals, so this feels like more than just another postseason date sheet.
Now for the part everyone shares in group chats: when the games are actually happening. Game 1 is Sunday, April 19 at 1 p.m. at TD Garden in Boston, televised on ABC. Game 2 follows Tuesday, April 21 at 7 p.m. at TD Garden, streamed on Peacock. Game 3 is Friday, April 24 at 7 p.m., with the location still TBD and streamed on Prime Video.
Game 4 is Sunday, April 26 at 7 p.m. again at a location that’s listed as TBD, televised on NBC and streamed on Peacock—so, multiple ways to watch, depending on what you have queued up at home. If the series needs it, Game 5 (if necessary) is Tuesday, April 28 with time TBD at TD Garden, Boston, and the TV network is TBD. Then Game 6 (if necessary) is Thursday, April 30 with time TBD and location TBD, and Game 7 (if necessary) is Saturday, May 2 with time TBD and location TBD.
It’s also one of those rare weeks where you can hear the details before you hear the outcome. Somewhere in the shuffle of playoff talk, people will keep asking the same question—who’s the opponent, really?—and for now the answer is still hiding behind Wednesday night. After that, Boston can focus on whatever opponent comes out, with the full first-round chessboard already laid out: Sunday, April 19; Tuesday, April 21; Friday, April 24; and then the rest, depending on how the first few nights go.
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