Sling TV Orange: $40, $60 or $65
Carries ESPN, TNT and NBA TV; ABC requires Orange and Blue combo
The 2023 NBA playoffs are up and running. With the play-in tournament behind us, each first-round series has started and we’ve already seen some potentially title-altering injuries. Giannis Antetokounmpo left the Bucks’ Game 1 loss against the Heat with a back injury, and Ja Morant went down hard and injured his right hand in the Grizzlies’ loss at home to the Lakers. In addition to the Heat and Lakers nabbing wins on the road, the Knicks and Clippers also swung home court advantage in their favor with road wins to start their first-round series. The hoops drama has already started, and we’ve got a long way to go until the NBA Finals tip off in June.
There are multiple games scheduled for each night this week. Here’s everything you need to know about watching and livestreaming today’s games, and the rest of the NBA postseason, with or without cable.
What is the NBA playoffs schedule?
Here’s the schedule (including seedings) for the NBA playoffs over the next few days (all times ET). The highest seeds have home-court advantage in each best-of-seven series.
Monday, April 17
- Brooklyn Nets (6) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (3), 7:30 p.m. on TNT (Sixers lead series 1-0)
- Golden State Warriors (6) vs. Sacramento Kings (3), 10 p.m. on TNT (Kings lead series 1-0)
Tuesday, April 18
- Atlanta Hawks (7) vs. Boston Celtics (2), 7 p.m. on NBA TV (Celtics lead series 1-0)
- New York Knicks (5) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (4), 7:30 p.m. on TNT (Knicks lead series 1-0)
- Los Angeles Clippers (5) vs. Phoenix Suns (4), 10 p.m. on TNT (Clippers lead series 1-0)
Wednesday, April 19
- Los Angeles Lakers (7) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (2), 7:30 p.m. on TNT (Lakers lead series 1-0)
- Miami Heat (8) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (1), 9 p.m. on NBA TV (Heat lead series 1-0)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (8) vs. Denver Nuggets (1) 10 p.m. on TNT (Nuggets lead series 1-0)
Thursday, April 20
- Philadelphia 76ers (3) vs. Brooklyn Nets (6), 7:30 p.m. on TNT (Game 3)
- Sacramento Kings (3) vs. Golden State Warriors (6), 10 p.m. on TNT (Game 3)
- Phoenix Suns (4) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (5), 10:30 p.m. on NBA TV (Game 3)
Friday, April 21
- Boston Celtics (2) vs. Atlanta Hawks (7), 7 p.m. on ESPN (Game 3)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. New York Knicks (5), 8:30 p.m. on ABC (Game 3)
- Denver Nuggets (1) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (8) 9:30 p.m. on ESPN (Game 3)
For the full playoff schedule check out NBA.com.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers continue their quest for another NBA title this week.
What does the NBA playoff bracket look like?
What channels are broadcasting playoff games?
The NBA playoffs are airing on TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBA TV.
This year TNT will have the Eastern Conference finals, while ESPN will take the lead on the Western Conference finals. The NBA Finals will air on ABC.
Best options for streaming the NBA playoffs
As all the games will be shown nationally, most of the major streaming TV services offer all the networks you’ll need for watching the NBA playoffs. That said, it can be a bit complicated.
Sling TV’s Orange plan includes ESPN and TNT. NBA TV is available as part of the Sports Extra add-on, which costs $11 a month. ABC, however, is only available in eight markets (Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Fresno, Houston and Raleigh) and requires the Orange and Blue combo plan if you want ESPN too. That combo plan costs $65 per month in all of those cities except Fresno, Houston and Raleigh, where it costs $60.
Hulu Plus Live TV costs $70 a month and ESPN, ABC and TNT, but not NBA TV. Click the “View all channels in your area” link at the bottom of its welcome page to see which local networks are available where you live.
YouTube TV costs $73 a month and offers all the main basketball channels for the NBA playoffs, including NBA TV. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.
DirecTV Stream is expensive. It’s the priciest of the five major live TV streaming services. Its cheapest, $65-a-month Entertainment package includes ESPN, ABC, and TNT. You’ll need to move up to the $85-a-month Choice plan to get NBA TV. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels and RSNs are available in your area.
It is worth noting that DirecTV has an additional $15 “advanced receiver service” fee that automatically applies and is extra from the sticker price, which makes the Entertainment package $80 per month and the Choice option $100 per month.
Each live TV streaming service offers a free trial, allows you to cancel anytime and requires a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.