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The NBA is back, and with it comes the Boston Celtics. Originally set to tip off against the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Thursday, the labor strike that started with the Milwaukee Bucks forced the NBA to a standstill. With the players feeling like they were heard and that they’ve taken a meaningful step toward change, basketball is back on as teams resume the postseason starting Saturday.
The NBA site ( https://t.co/XL8yikxWx7 ) is showing the following schedule:
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) August 28, 2020
Sat 8/29
MIL/ORL Game 5 - TBD NBATV
HOU/OKC Game 5 - 6:30 PM - TNT
LAL/POR Game 5 - 9:00 PM - TNT
Sun 8/30
BOS/TOR Game 1 - 1:00 PM - ESPN
DAL/LAC Game 6 - 3:30 PM - ESPN
DEN/UTA Game 6 - 8:30 PM - ESPN
The postseason scheduled appears to have just shifted back three days. Although nothing has been officially announced beyond Sunday, it stands to reason that the Celtics will just go back to playing every other day, meaning that Games 2, 3 and 4 will occur on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of the next week.
With the Celtics returning to action on Sunday, that will mark one full week since they last took the floor (with their brooms) to complete their sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers. Later that same evening, the Toronto Raptors completed their sweep of the Brooklyn Nets in a historic performance from their bench. This will be the first time in NBA history that the Toronto Raptors will meet the Boston Celtics in the postseason despite the two teams being division rivals for quite some time. The Celtics won the season series 3-1.
There was no media availability for either team today after all teams returned to practice.
The Celtics will take on the Raptors this Sunday at 1:00 PM EST on ESPN.