How many games will be played in NBA 2023 Semifinals? Schedule and format explored

The 2023 NBA Playoffs Conference Semifinals are fully underway following the conclusion of Game 1 between LeBron James' LA Lakers and Steph Curry's Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. The Lakers have taken a 1-0 lead after their 117-112 victory in Game 1.

Meanwhile, two games from the other conference semis series in the West featuring the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns are already concluded. The Nuggets are up 2-0 entering Games 3 and 4 in Phoenix. The Eastern Conference semis bracket has the Miami Heat taking the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics locking horns with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Heat-Knicks series is tied at 1-1, while the Celtics-76ers series is 1-0 in favor of Philadelphia. As things stand, 17 games could be played if the Heat-Knicks series closes in five games while the rest of the matchups finish in four games each.

If every series goes to seven games, there will be 28 games played in the conference semifinals. The team to win four games in a series will advance to the conference finals round.

The first two games of a series will be on the homecourt of the higher-seeded team, followed by Games 3 and 4 on the lower seed's home court. If a series stretches to seven games, Game 5 and Game 7 will be at home for the higher seed, while Game 6 will be on the road for them.

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How does the scheduling for NBA 2023 Semifinals work?

The scheduling for the NBA playoffs works differently in every series. For example, the LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors will have a day's gap between their games throughout the series.

Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets had a day's gap between their first two games. They have a three-day gap between Game 2 and 3 as the series moves to Phoenix for the next two games. They will have a day's gap between Games 3, 4, 5 and 6 and a two-day gap between Games 6 and 7.

The Miami Heat and New York Knicks will also have a similar schedule to the Nuggets and Suns. The 76ers and Celtics, meanwhile, will follow the same schedule as the Lakers and Warriors, with a day's game between all their games. The final game of the 2023 NBA playoffs conference semis could be May 15th, if the Heat-Knicks series extends to seven games.

Travel time for teams determines the scheduling of these NBA playoff games. That explains why the Lakers-Warriors series and 76ers-Celtics series have a compact schedule compared to the other two matchups.