NBA Playoff Schedule: No Games on TV Today, August 16

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The Lakers will take on the Blazers in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The NBA has a rare off day in the bubble with no playoff games on the schedule for Sunday, August 16. The NBA playoffs will start on Monday, August 17 with four games on the opening slate. The Blazers’ win over the Grizzlies in the inaugural play-in game means there is not a second tournament matchup that would have taken place on August 16.

Portland’s win eliminated Memphis and punched the Blazers’ ticket to a first-round matchup with the Lakers. It is a unique start to the postseason this year with the playoffs beginning on a Monday rather than its traditional weekend opening matchups.

LeBron James admitted that the intensity of games should ramp up as the postseason starts. James noted that he had trouble finding the postseason mentality in the seeding games, especially with no home-court advantage in the playoffs.

“Me, personally, as far as mentally, I’m not in playoff-mode,” James said, via Sports Illustrated. “Physically, I’m getting there. I feel like my legs have gotten better and better, my game has improved more and more, I’m getting more and more comfortable with the bubble. But as far as the mental side of it, nah, I’m not there. Personally, I don’t think our team is there. But we will be. It’s a different type of mindset that you have to be in, but you don’t want to jump into it before you actually get there because it takes a lot — a lot of energy, a lot of effort.”

Here is a look at the NBA first round playoff schedule.

NBA Playoffs 2020: First Round Schedule

Games with an asterisk are if necessary.

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