Boston will either host the Hawks or Magic.
TD Garden will host Game 1 of the Celtics‘ first round series on Sunday.
We just don’t know who it will be yet.
The NBA announced the weekend’s first slate of games with Boston and Cleveland, the top seeds in the East, both playing on April 20th.
The schedule for Game 1s in the First Round of the #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google ⬇️
More information will be provided as it is finalized. pic.twitter.com/vBIQMNYa3C
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 14, 2025
Both teams of course are awaiting the results of the Play-In Tournament that starts Tuesday. The Celtics will face the winner of Hawks-Magic (7:30 pm) where as the Cavaliers will have to wait until Friday to see who shakes out as the 8th seed.
Boston will certainly take advantage of the extended prep time to get ready for opening seres. There’s also the matter of Jaylen Brown’s sore knee. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported that Brown has received pain management injections for his bone bruise that forced him to miss the final two games of the regular season and twelve overall since mid-February.
The Celtics were 1-2 against both Atlanta and Orlando this season, but should be heavy favorites against whoever wins tomorrow. Since February 1st, the team is 27-6 with the second highest net rating (+10.2) and one of only two teams (including the Oklahoma City Thunder) with a top-5 offense and defense.