Schedules set for NBA Eastern Conference finals and Orange Bowl game
The schedules for one major South Florida sports event -- and potentially another -- crystallized Thursday night.
The NBA announced that the Eastern Conference finals will begin next Wednesday in Philadelphia or Boston, with games to be played every other day until the conclusion of the series. All games will be played at 8:30 p.m. and air on TNT.
The Heat can advance to the conference finals for the third time in four years by beating the New York Knicks on Friday at Kaseya Center (7:30 p.m., ESPN). If the Heat loses that game, the Heat and Knicks would play a series-deciding Game 7 on Monday night in New York (8 p.m., TNT).
The 76ers and Celtics will play a Game 7 on Sunday in Boston, at either 3:30 p.m. on ABC or 8 p.m. on TNT.
Meanwhile, a source said the Capital One Orange Bowl has agreed to move its game from 8 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 30, to accommodate the NFL’s decision to play a Detroit-Dallas game at 8 p.m. that night on ABC and ESPN.
The NFL decided to play its Week 17 “Monday Night Football” game on Saturday night, Dec. 30, instead of Monday night, Jan. 1, in a move that allows the two College Football Playoff games to be played Monday, Jan. 1, without NFL opposition.
This season’s Playoff semifinals will be played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Cal., and the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans in the late afternoon and evening of Monday, Jan. 1.
All of these moves were necessary because ESPN owns rights to Monday Night Football, the Orange Bowl and the College Football Playoff.
The afternoon start for the Orange Bowl game is extremely rare in modern times.
Meanwhile, the Peach Bowl in Atlanta was moved from Dec. 29 to noon on Saturday, Dec. 30 and will precede the Orange Bowl game.
The Cotton Bowl game in Dallas - previously set for Dec. 30 - has been moved to Dec. 29.
As for the NBA Eastern Conference finals, here’s the schedule, with all games starting at 8:30:
Game 1: Wednesday, May 17: Heat or Knicks at Boston or Philadelphia
Game 2: Friday, May 19: Heat or Knicks at Boston or Philadelphia
Game 3: Sunday, May 21: Boston or Philadelphia at Heat or Knicks
Game 4: Tuesday, May 23: Boston or Philadelphia at Heat or Knicks
Game 5: Thursday, May 25: Heat or Knicks at Boston or Philadelphia
Game 6: Saturday, May 27: Boston or Philadelphia at Heat or Knicks
Game 7, if necessary: Monday, May 29: Heat or Knicks at Boston or Philadelphia
The NBA Finals begin June 1.
This story was originally published May 11, 2023 at 11:03 PM.
