Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

The Bulls and the Miami Heat open the conference finals Sunday night at the United Center. Winfrey will occupy the arena the next two days, to set up and tape a farewell show. The playoffs resume Wednesday night.

This has fostered some confusion, including a report that Winfrey bumped the playoffs from the building. Not so, according to the N.B.A.

The league’s schedule, which was published last fall, set the start of the conference finals for Tuesday, May 17 (West) and Wednesday, May 18 (East). However, if the semifinal series finished in six games or fewer, the schedule provided “move-up” dates of May 15 and 16 (Sunday and Monday).

Because both Eastern Conference semifinal series finished early (the Heat won in five games; the Bulls in six), Game 1 was moved up to Sunday. The earliest Game 2 can be held is Wednesday, because Tuesday is reserved for the Western Conference finals (either Game 1 or 2).

Television contracts dictate some of this. ESPN/ABC is carrying the Western Conference finals and was guaranteed the Tuesday slot. TNT has the Eastern Conference finals.

“Each have dates assigned to them,” Tim Frank, the N.B.A.’s senior vice president of basketball communications, said in an e-mail message. “But in a move-up, we had both on Sunday (because you could play one in the afternoon).”

“It wasn’t a factor.”

WRITTEN BY & FULL STORY HERE: HOWARD BECK, OFF THE DRIBBLE