Celtics playoff schedule: Dates set for Eastern Conference semifinals

After finishing off the Orlando Magic in five games, the Celtics will enjoy nearly a week of rest before returning to the court for the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The NBA on Wednesday released the full schedule for Boston’s second-round series, which will pit the second-seeded defending champions against either the No. 3 seed New York Knicks or the No. 6 seed Detroit Pistons.

The East semis will tip off next Monday at TD Garden. Here is the full series schedule (time and TV info to be announced):

Game 1: Monday, May 5 at Boston
Game 2: Wednesday, May 7 at Boston
Game 3: Saturday, May 10 at New York/Detroit
Game 4: Monday, May 12 at New York/Detroit
Game 5: Wednesday, May 14 at Boston*
Game 6: Friday, May 16 at New York/Detroit*
Game 7: Monday, May 19 at Boston*

(*if necessary)

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The Celtics closed out their first-round series Tuesday night with a 120-98 beatdown of the Magic at TD Garden. The five-day layoff should prove helpful for Boston’s banged-up starters, as Jrue Holiday (hamstring), Jayson Tatum (wrist) and Jaylen Brown (knee) all dealt with injuries against Orlando. Holiday missed the final three games of the series, Tatum sat out Game 2 and Brown has battled a nagging issue since February.

“Oh, it’s great,” Brown said Tuesday of the break between series. “… Whatever it is, I’m going to take advantage of that and be ready to go for whatever’s next.”

The Celtics also will have a rest advantage over whichever team emerges from the Knicks-Pistons clash, which has been hotly contested throughout. The last four games were decided by six, two, one and three points, with Detroit winning at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday to force a Game 6. That will be Thursday night at Little Caesar’s Arena, with a possible Game 7 set for Saturday at MSG.

Boston swept its season series against the Knicks, going 4-0 with three wins by double digits. Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart both missed part of Tuesday’s game with injuries, all five Knicks starters have — in classic Tom Thibodeau fashion — seen heavy workloads so far this postseason, each averaging more than 37 minutes per game in Round 1.

The Celtics won their first three matchups against the Pistons — the NBA’s most improved team this season — before being blown out 117-97 in Detroit on the second night of a back-to-back.

The top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers and No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers will square off in the other East semifinal, with that series tipping off on Sunday.

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