Clippers 2024 Playoff Schedule: Every playoff game (updated)

The Los Angeles Clippers ended their season with a three-game losing streak, but it didn't impact their place in the standings. LA will hold home court in the first round, hosting Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and the No. 5 Dallas Mavericks in what promises to be one of the best first-round series.

That is, assuming we get a healthy slate of games. Kawhi Leonard enters the postseason shrouded in doubt once again, this time due to inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee. Leonard is working hard to play, but his status for Game 1 is not guaranteed.

Any sort of absence for Leonard would dramatically improve the Mavericks' odds in this series. These two teams last met on this stage in 2021, when the Clippers outlasted Dallas in a hard fought seven-game slugfest.

The Mavs are the hottest team in basketball, winners of 13 out of 14 games before suffering back-to-back losses to end the season (with Doncic and Irving both on the bench for rest purposes). It's fair to wonder about Jason Kidd's tactical abilities against Ty Lue and this seasoned Clippers squad, but the Mavs' offense is blessed with two elite, individiual creators who can create advantages from scratch and apply pressure at all three levels.

It's hard to overstate the value of two guards in Doncic and Irving who can score from anywhere on the court, at any time. It's really that simple. Both demand constant attention and relentless pressure at the point of attack. Both are great at mixing speeds, slipping down the lane, and using their gravity to create for teammates — especially Doncic, who spoon-feeds Irving a ton of advantageous looks on the perimeter.

The Clippers' perimeter defense is a concern, too, so Los Angeles cannot afford the absence of arguably its best on-ball stopper in Kawhi. We can expect to see different looks thrown at Luka and Kyrie — Paul George, Terance Mann, P.J. Tucker, and Amir Coffey will all get a shot — but it's fair to wonder how successfully the Clippers can hold up.

That said, Los Angeles has its own offensive advantages, blessed with an elite setup man in James Harden to facilitate opportunities for two of the game's most prolific offensive wings. The Clippers can bend and break defenses all the same, and Leonard — assuming he's remotely functional — has a history of stepping up and standing out on this stage.

Clippers 2024 playoff schedule: Every game's date, start time, and TV channel

Here's how the Clippers' schedule looks as of this writing, Wednesday, Apr. 17.

• Game 1: vs. Dallas Mavericks, Sunday, April 21, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
• Game 2 vs. Dallas Mavericks, Tuesday, Apr. 23, 10:00 p.m. ET, TNT
• Game 3: at Dallas Mavericks, Friday, Apr. 26, 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
• Game 4: at Dallas Mavericks, Sunday, Apr. 28, 3:30 p.m. ET
• Game 5 (if necessary): vs. Dallas Mavericks, Wednesday, May 1, TBD, TBD
• Game 6 (if necessary): at Dallas Mavericks, Friday, May 3, TBD, TBD
• Game 7 (if necessary): vs. Dallas Mavericks, TBD, TBD

The Clippers will open things up on Sunday, Apr. 21, live on ABC at 3:30 p.m. ET. They will continue to host at Staples Center on Tuesday, Apr. 23 at 10:00 p.m. ET.

The Mavericks will then take over hosting duties for Games 3 and 4 on Friday, Apr. 26, and Sunday, Apr. 28.

Expect updates to this page as more information becomes available and the Clippers' postseason progresses.