Thursday results to determine Game 1 start time for Wolves-Nuggets

We'll know if it's 6 p.m. CT or 8:30 p.m. CT by the end of the day.

Apr 30, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Patrick Beverley (21) celebrates / Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Thursday night's outcomes will determine whether Game 1 between the Timberwolves and Nuggets starts at 8:30 p.m. CT or 6 p.m. CT on Saturday.

The situation is simple: If either of the two ongoing Eastern Conference series – Bucks versus Pacers and Knicks versus 76ers – go to a Game 7, then Game 1 between the Wolves and Nuggets will start at 8:30 p.m. CT Saturday.

The only way the Wolves and Nuggets play at 6 p.m. CT is if the Pacers eliminate the Bucks Thursday night and the Knicks do the same to the 76ers. Both games are part of a TNT doubleheader, with the Bucks-Pacers starting at 5:30 p.m. CT followed by the Knicks and 76ers at 8 p.m. CT.

Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Wolves and Nuggets will be in Denver Saturday and Monday, followed by Games 3 and 4 in Minneapolis on Friday, May 10 and Sunday, May 12.

If the series goes to a Game 5, it will be played in Denver on May 14. Game 6 would be in Minneapolis on May 16, with Game 7 in Denver on May 18.

None of the remaining Timberwolves playoff games will be televised locally so the ongoing contract dispute between Comcast/Xfinity and Bally Sports operate Diamond Sports Group won't be an issue. All games will be televised on TNT or ESPN/ABC.