How to watch the NBA playoffs
The NBA playoffs are being 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.
What is the playoff schedule for today?
Here’s the schedule for today’s games and the next few days (all times ET):
Sunday, May 5
- Game 7: Magic vs. Cavaliers, 1 p.m. on ABC
Monday, May 6
- Game 1 (second round): Pacers vs. Knicks, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
- Game 2 (second round): Timberwolves vs. Nuggets, 10 p.m. on TNT (Timberwolves lead series 1-0)
Tuesday, May 7
- Game 1 (second round): Winner of Magic/Cavaliers vs. Celtics, 7 p.m. on TNT
- Game 1 (second round): Mavericks vs. Thunder, 9:30 p.m. on TNT
Wednesday, May 8
- Game 2 (second round): Pacers vs. Knicks, 8 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 first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs:
Eastern Conference
- No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. No. 8 Miami Heat (Celtics won 4-1)
- No. 2 New York Knicks vs. No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers (Knicks won 4-2)
- No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 6 Indiana Pacers (Pacers won 4-2)
- No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic (series tied 3-3)
Western Conference
- No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans (Thunder won series 4-0)
- No. 2 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers (Nuggets won series 4-1)
- No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 6 Phoenix Suns (Timberwolves won series 4-0)
- No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas Mavericks (Mavericks won series 4-2)
Hulu Plus 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 playoff games. With just Max, 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.