Why You Can Trust CNET NBA Playoffs 2024: Schedule, Matchups, TV Times, How to Watch Sunday's Games
The first round of the NBA playoffs continues today. Here's everything you need to know to watch Sunday's games, and the rest of the playoffs, without cable.
The NBA playoffs kicked off on Saturday, with the higher-seeded, home teams -- the Cavaliers, Timberwolves, Knicks and Nuggets -- winning all four of their respective games. Four more games are on the docket today, starting with the Heat and Celtics at 1 p.m. ET and then continuing throughout the day.
Here's everything you need to know to watch or stream the NBA playoffs.
Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics enter the postseason as the East's top seed.
What is the playoff schedule for today?
Here's the schedule for today's remaining games, and for the next few days (all times ET):
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 (Cavaliers lead series 1-0)
- 76ers vs. Knicks, 7:30 p.m. on TNT (Knicks lead series 1-0)
- Lakers vs. Nuggets, 10 p.m. on TNT (Nuggets lead series 1-0)
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
Wednesday, April 24
- Heat vs. Celtics, 7 p.m. on TNT
- Pelicans vs. Thunder, 9:30 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, which began 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.
Sling TV's Orange-and-Blue plan for $55 a month includes ABC, ESPN and TNT. The $15-a-month Sports Extra add-on package adds NBA TV. For games on ABC, you'll need to live in one of the few markets where Sling offers ABC.
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're 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 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.
All 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.