The play-in tournament is over, and the field of 16 is set for the 2024 NBA playoffs. LeBron James and the Lakers made it out of the Western Conference play-in tournament along with the New Orleans Pelicans. In the East, the 76ers and Heat advanced from the play-in tourney. The first round starts today with four games, and another four games are on tap for tomorrow.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the NBA playoffs.
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets begin their title defense on Saturday against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
What is the playoff schedule for today?
Here is the schedule for today’s games and those for the next few days (all times ET):
Saturday, April 20
- Magic vs. Cavaliers, 1 p.m. on ESPN
- Suns vs. Timberwolves, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
- 76ers vs. Knicks, 6 p.m. on ESPN
- Lakers vs. Nuggets, 8:30 p.m. on ABC
Sunday, April 21
- Heat vs. Celtics, 1 p.m. on ABC
- Mavericks vs. Clippers, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
- Pacers vs. Bucks, 7 p.m. on TNT
- Pelicans vs. Thunder, 9:30 p.m. on TNT
Monday, April 22
- Magic vs. Cavaliers, 7 p.m. on NBA TV
- 76ers vs. Knicks, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
- Lakers vs. Nuggets, 10 p.m. on TNT
Tuesday, April 23
- Suns vs. Timberwolves, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
- Pacers vs. Bucks, 8:30 p.m. on NBA TV
- Mavericks vs. Clippers, 10 p.m. on TNT
What does the NBA playoff bracket look like?
The Boston Celtics earned the top spot in the East, and the Oklahoma City Thunder edged the defending champion Denver Nuggets for the top seed in the West. Here’s what the matchups look like for the 2024 NBA Playoffs that begin today:
Eastern Conference
- No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. No. 8 Miami Heat
- No. 2 New York Knicks vs. No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers
- No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 6 Indiana Pacers
- No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic
Western Conference
- No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans
- No. 2 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers
- No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 6 Phoenix Suns
- No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas Mavericks
How to watch the NBA playoffs
The NBA playoffs will be shown across four channels: ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV. You can watch the games with a cable subscription or a live TV streaming service.
Three of the five major services offer all four channels. Hulu with Live TV lacks NBA TV, which will show only a handful of playoff games. Fubo lacks TNT, which shows a big portion of the NBA playoffs, making Fubo a poor choice for hoops fans. You can also watch TNT broadcasts of playoff games with Max.
YouTube TV costs $73 per month and includes all four channels needed to watch every game of the NBA playoffs. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.
DirecTV Stream’s $109-per-month Choice plan includes ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV. You can use its channel lookup tool to see if ABC is available where you live. If you are willing to skip the handful of games on NBA TV, you can get the other three channels with DirecTV Stream’s basic $80-per-month Entertainment package.
Hulu with Live TV costs $77 per month and includes ABC, ESPN and TNT. It’s the only service that doesn’t offer NBA TV, even as part of an add-on package. Click the “View channels in your area” link on its welcome page to see which local channels are offered in your ZIP code.
The ad-supported plan for Max costs $10 per month and will show TNT broadcasts of NBA playoffs games. With just Max, however, you’ll miss games on ESPN, ABC and NBA TV.
Live sports on Max will soon require the $10-per-month B/R Sports add-on, but you won’t need to shell out for it just yet. Warner Bros. Discovery is delaying charging customers for the add-on for now and includes it in the standard subscription.
All of the live TV streaming services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.
