However, the league suspended the season on March 11, 2020, hours after the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization and after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus.

[7] The Toronto Raptors were defending champions but lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals round to the Boston Celtics.

After the NBA suspended its season on March 11, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league started to explore implementing a special postseason format just for this year.

[17] The Toronto Raptors,[18] Los Angeles Lakers,[19] and Boston Celtics[20] subsequently clinched playoff berths before the season was suspended on March 11.

Milwaukee was the first team in the league to refuse to play a game for social justice following the shooting of Jacob Blake.

[31] Despite a losing effort, LeBron James had the first 20-point, 15 rebound, 15 assist performance in NBA playoff history.

Following the game, many people, including LeBron James and current Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, criticized the officials for controversially ejecting Porziņģis during the 3rd quarter after he received two technical fouls that the critics considered "bogus".

His winning shot capped an incredible triple-double performance with 43 points, 17 rebounds, and 13 assists.

Kawhi Leonard became the first player since 2000 to have 30+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ assists and 5+ steals in a playoff game.

Nikola Jokić scored the go-ahead hook shot with 27.8 seconds remaining in regulation.

[38] After being fouled by Giannis Antetokounmpo on a game-winning shot attempt as time expired in regulation, Jimmy Butler won the game for Miami with a pair of walk-off free throws.

[40] Both teams discussed a boycott of Game 1, similar to the Milwaukee Bucks, in protest due to the shooting of Jacob Blake.

[43] In an unprecedented manner, Mark Jones and Doris Burke called Game 1 while Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson, were in charge for Game 7 of the 2020 Western Conference Semifinals between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Denver Nuggets (see above).

[46] Anthony Davis scored 31 points, including a 3-point shot over Nikola Jokić at the buzzer, to give the Lakers a 2–0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

[48] ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV broadcast the playoffs nationally in the United States.

For instance, TNT aired some Friday games instead of its usual Sunday through Thursday schedule.

[49] In Canada, the home market of the Toronto Raptors, national broadcast rights were split approximately equally between the Sportsnet and TSN groups of channels.