LeBron James Paul George
The 2017 NBA Playoffs will start with a game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers. Pictured: Paul George defends LeBron James on an inbounds play in the first overtime at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on April 2, 2017. Reuters/David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The wait for the 2017 NBA Playoffs to start finally comes to an end this weekend. Sixteen teams are on the postseason schedule Saturday and Sunday, beginning their first-round series and looking to start a run towards the NBA Finals.

It all begins Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. EDT when the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Indiana Pacers. LeBron James and Co. ended the regular season with two straight losses, failing to get the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference, though they are heavy favorites to reach the finals for a third straight year.

Saturday’s scheduled includes two Eastern Conference matchups and two Western Conference matchups. With games starting every 2.5 hours, the day’s action ends when the Utah Jazz take on the Los Angeles Clippers.

Four games are set for Easter Sunday, starting with the Washington Wizards hosting the Atlanta Hawks at 1 p.m. EDT. Washington is the East’s No.4 seed, and they came one victory shy of 50 wins.

The favorites to win the title get underway at 3:30 p.m. EDT when the Golden State Warriors host the Portland Trail Blazers. It’s a rematch of last year’s second-round series.

Probably the most anticipated first-round series will be the last one to start. The Houston Rockets host the Oklahoma City Thunder at 9 p.m. EDT Sunday night. Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook and Houston’s James Harden are the NBA’s top two MVP candidates.

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