April 24, 2019
The Sixers and Raptors will begin their first-round series on Saturday, April 27th, as they continue their quest to make a run to the NBA Finals in Toronto.
Here's the full list of games, with times still to be determined pending the results of the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs.
Game 1: Saturday, April 27th @Toronto, start time TBD on TNT
Game 2: Monday, April 29th @ Toronto, start time TBD on TNT
Game 3: Thursday, May 2nd @ Philadelphia, 8:00 on ESPN
Game 4: Sunday, May 5th @ Philadelphia, 3:30 on ABC
Game 5, if necessary: Tuesday, May 7th @ Toronto, start time TBD on TNT
Game 6, if necessary: Thursday, May 9th @ Philadelphia, start time TBD on ESPN
Game 7, if necessary: Sunday, May 11th @ Toronto, start time TBD on TNT
Some cursory analysis of this setup from yours truly...
• An afternoon home game on Cinco de Mayo has the potential to be one of the all-time playoff crowds at the Wells Fargo Center. If Xfinity Live isn't serving Sixers-themed margaritas I don't know what their marketing department exists for.
• The first four games are favorable if you're trying to watch the Sixers play without missing out on any Game of Thrones episodes. The Saturday start is perfect to kick things off, and the afternoon game in Philly gives you plenty of time to watch the game, read some analysis afterward, and still have time to eat dinner and settle in before one of the show's final episodes ever.
• Getting the Saturday primetime slot is pretty interesting, because I think the Sixers may have the third-most interesting series of the bunch in round two. Warriors vs. Rockets is the headliner, and I think the history between Boston and Milwaukee probably gives them the edge over Philly. Television schedulers appear to think otherwise, and it says a lot about public interest in the Sixers.
• Most of this stuff is just window dressing. The schedule is not as important as the basketball matchups. Buckle up for a good one, everybody.
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