The first round of the NBA playoffs hits a heavy night Tuesday with three Game 5s on the schedule and a fourth set for Wednesday. The Knicks host the Hawks at 8 p.m. Eastern on NBC and Peacock with New York leading the series 3-1. The Spurs host the Trail Blazers at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN with San Antonio also up 3-1. The Pistons play the Magic at 7 p.m. on TNT with Detroit looking to close out a 3-1 series at home. The Lakers Rockets series stays in Houston for Game 5 Wednesday at 10 p.m. Eastern on ESPN with the Rockets up 3-1.
For New York, the closeout opportunity comes after a season where Jalen Brunson averaged 28.4 points and OG Anunoby took the leap defenders had been waiting on. Brunson is dealing with a sore shoulder that limited his Game 4 minutes, but Karl-Anthony Towns put up 31 in that game and Mikal Bridges has been the steady glue piece all series. The Hawks have leaned on Trae Young to keep them alive but his efficiency has dropped off across the four games. Tom Thibodeau told reporters Monday that Brunson is good to play. Madison Square Garden will be loud.
San Antonio gets to host its first home Game 5 of the Victor Wembanyama era. Wembanyama is averaging 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 5.8 blocks across the series and has been the defensive anchor that completely changes how Portland can attack the paint. The Spurs swept the regular season series against Portland and have controlled most of the playoff matchup. If Wembanyama plays his normal minutes, expect a closeout. The Trail Blazers have gotten contributions from Scoot Henderson and Toumani Camara but have struggled to hold leads in the second half.
Detroit is the most surprising story of the bracket. Cade Cunningham has averaged 27 points and 8 assists with the Pistons taking three straight after losing Game 1. Detroit has not advanced past the first round since 2008 and the city has been waiting on a real playoff run for almost two decades. Jalen Duren has been a problem for Orlando inside, and Ausar Thompson has guarded Paolo Banchero into below-average efficiency. If the Pistons close it out Tuesday, they get a likely matchup with Cleveland in the second round, which would give Cunningham a chance to face off against Donovan Mitchell on a national stage.
The Lakers Rockets series is the one Western Conference matchup still in motion Tuesday because both Game 5 and Game 6 carry weight for the bracket. Houston pulled ahead 3-1 by punishing the Lakers in transition with Amen Thompson averaging 21 points and 9 rebounds across the series. LeBron James said he would play Game 5 even though he sat the second half of Game 4 with a knee strain. Luka Doncic has been the only Lakers offense at times. If the Rockets close it out Wednesday, they get the winner of Thunder Memphis in the second round.
For viewers tracking the bracket, the Eastern Conference is starting to take shape. Cleveland and Toronto are tied 2-2 with Game 5 set for Wednesday in Cleveland. Boston leads Philadelphia 3-1. Milwaukee leads Indiana 3-1. The Western Conference has the Thunder already through after sweeping Phoenix, with Denver and the Clippers tied 2-2, and Memphis Oklahoma City still working toward a closeout. The conference semifinals are scheduled to begin Saturday May 2 with TNT and ESPN sharing coverage.
The TV ratings have rewarded the league all postseason. Game 4 of the Knicks Hawks series drew 6.1 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, the highest first-round Game 4 since 2018. Pistons Magic Game 4 pulled 4.8 million on TNT. The new media rights deal that put the league on NBC, Amazon Prime Video, and ESPN beginning this season has produced more national windows and the league office has been quietly pleased with the early audience numbers. Adam Silver told ownership at the Board of Governors meetings two weeks ago that the postseason is on pace to be the most-watched in five years.
For bettors, the closeout favorites are short. The Knicks are 8.5 point favorites at home. The Spurs are 5.5 point favorites. The Pistons are 4 point favorites. The Lakers are 6.5 point underdogs at Houston. The over-under on each game has trended down as defenses tighten and rotations shrink to eight players. Tuesday is the kind of night where a couple of closeouts can compress the second round schedule and let the league put more eyes on the games that decide the conference finals matchups.