ORLANDO, Fla. — The NBA finally released the full schedule for the Orlando Magic-Cleveland Cavaliers first-round playoff series late Tuesday, and the first contest at Kia Center, which is Game 3, will begin at 7 p.m. April 25.

The release was delayed until the league knew the outcome of some of the play-in games Tuesday night.

The dates for all matchups in the best-of-seven-game series is as follows. The start times and national broadcast networks following Game 4 will be announced as the NBA knows whether Games 5-7 are required. The first team to win four games will advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

  • Game 1 – Saturday, April 20 @ Cleveland, 1 p.m. ET (Bally Sports Florida/ESPN)
  • Game 2 – Monday, April 22 @ Cleveland, 7 p.m. ET (Bally Sports Florida/NBA TV)
  • Game 3 – Thursday, April 25 @ Orlando, 7 p.m. ET (Bally Sports Florida/NBA TV)
  • Game 4 – Saturday, April 27 @ Orlando, 1 p.m. ET (Bally Sports Florida/TNT)
  • Game 5* – Tuesday, April 30 @ Cleveland, TBA (Bally Sports Florida/TBA)
  • Game 6* – Friday, May 3 @ Orlando, TBA (Bally Sports Florida/TBA)
  • Game 7* – Sunday, May 5 @ Cleveland, TBA (Bally Sports Florida/TBA)
    • * If necessary

The broadcast schedule includes two games on national networks that most cable subscribers and streaming services offer, Game 1 in Cleveland on ESPN and Game 3 in Orlando on TNT. The Magic only had one game on TNT during the regular season, the one that featured Shaquille O'Neal's jersey retirement ceremony.

Tickets for Orlando's home games can be purchased online or at the Kia Center box office for Games 3, 4 and 6 (if necessary).

The Magic and Cavaliers played four times during the regular season, and each team won two games. Each team also won on the other team's home court.

Orlando has not been to the playoffs since 2020, when the games were played in the NBA COVID-19 bubble at Disney's Wide World of Sports in a mostly empty arena. Only point guard Markelle Fultz and forward Jonathan Isaac are left from the roster that played in those games. 

Cleveland lost to the New York Knicks 4-1 in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last year.