NBA announces potential dates for Celtics-Sixers playoff series

© Charles Krupa A playoff showdown between Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid could start as early as Saturday.

Following the Celtics’ Game 4 win over the Hawks Sunday, the NBA announced that if Boston is able to close out Atlanta in five games, the Boston-Philadelphia series will start on Saturday, April 29.

The rest of the Eastern Conference Semifinal series between the Celtics and Sixers (who eliminated the Nets over the weekend) would be played on May 1, 5, and 7, and if needed, the 9, 11, and 14.

However, if the Boston-Atlanta series finishes in six or seven games, the second-round series would start on Monday, May 1, and include games on May 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 14.