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The 2025 NBA Playoffs are underway. The tournament has already claimed two teams, with the No. 1 Thunder sweeping the No. 8 Grizzlies, and the No. 1 Cavaliers sweeping the No. 8 Heat. Most first-round series have also been one-sided, including Lebron James‘ No. 3 Lakers upset losses to Anthony Edwards’ No. 6 Timberwolves. The only series with some real back-and-forth is the No. 4 Nuggets vs. the No. 5 Clippers, which is currently tied 2-2.
At a Glance: How to Watch the NBA Playoffs
TV Channels: ESPN, ABC, TNT, NBA TV
Dates: April 19-June 22 (latest)
As always, the NBA Playoffs are primarily available on cable TV channels. If you’ve cut the cord since last season’s playoffs, read on. Ahead, we’ve put together a full guide on the best ways to livestream the NBA Playoffs without cable, including key details about basketball’s biggest tournament.
How to Watch the NBA Playoffs Online
Coverage of the 2025 NBA Playoffs is spread out across ESPN, ABC, and TNT, with a handful of games on NBA TV. If you don’t have cable, you’ll need to get a live TV streaming service that carries all of those channels to watch the NBA Playoffs online, in their entirety. Here are two of the best options, including a quick review of each:
best overall
DirecTV
Pros: Free trial, affordable genre packs, ESPN+ included
Cons: Not as many entertainment channels in genre packs as other options
DirecTV now offers packages that don’t require any hardware, but still deliver the same comprehensive live TV coverage you’d expect from the brand. Better yet, DirecTV now offers a streamlined “MySports” package that carries 20+ top sports channels — including ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV for NBA Playoffs livestreams. This package costs $69.99 a month (less than similar packages) and starts with a five-day free trial.
also consider
Sling TV
Pros: Tons of channels, easy to use
Cons: Requires combination of packages + add-ons, pricier than DirecTV MySports
Another great live TV streaming service you can use to watch the NBA Playoffs online is Sling. To get all four NBA Playoff channels with Sling (ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV), you’ll need the Orange + Blue package (starts at $66 a month) and the Sports Extra add-on ($15 a month). This brings the full cost to $81 a month. Sling does not currently offer a free trial, but you can get half off your first month of Orange + Blue.
Note: Two other popular live TV streaming services we recommend for the NBA Playoffs are Hulu + Live TV and Fubo. While both are great streaming services, they don’t include all four channels you need to stream the NBA Playoffs. Hulu + Live TV does not carry NBA TV, and Fubo does not carry TNT.
NBA Playoffs Schedule, Bracket 2025
The 2025 NBA Playoffs started on April 19 and run through the NBA Finals. The Finals begin on June 5 and run as late as June 22, if a Game 7 is necessary.
Here’s the schedule for the first round of the NBA Playoffs:
Eastern Conference
(1) Cleveland vs. (8) Miami: CLEVELAND WINS
Game 1: Cavaliers 121, Heat 100
Game 2: Cavaliers 121, Heat 112
Game 3: Cavaliers 124, Heat 87
Game 4: Cavaliers 138, Heat 83
(2) Boston vs. (7) Orlando: Boston leads 3-1
Game 1: Celtics 103, Magic 86
Game 2: Celtics 109, Magic 100
Game 3: Magic 95, Celtics 93
Game 4: Celtics 107, Magic 98
Game 5: Magic at Celtics — Tue. April 29, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV
* Game 6: Celtics at Magic — Thu. May 1, TBD
* Game 7: Magic at Celtics — Sat. May 3, TBD
* if necessary
(3) New York vs. (6) Detroit: New York leads 3-1
Game 1: Knicks 123, Pistons 112
Game 2: Pistons 100, Knicks 94
Game 3: Knicks 118, Pistons 116
Game 4: Knicks 94, Pistons 93
Game 5: Pistons at Knicks — Tue. April 29, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT
* Game 6: Knicks at Pistons — Thu. May 1, TBD
* Game 7: Pistons at Knicks — Sat. May 3, TBD
* if necessary
(4) Indiana vs. (5) Milwaukee: Indiana leads 3-1
Game 1: Pacers 117, Bucks 98
Game 2: Pacers 123, Bucks 115
Game 3: Bucks 117, Pacers 101
Game 4: Pacers 129, Bucks 103
Game 5: Bucks at Pacers — Tue. April 29, 6 p.m. ET, NBA TV
* Game 6: Pacers at Bucks — Fri. May 2, TBD
* Game 7: Bucks at Pacers — Sun. May 4, TBD
* if necessary
Western Conference
(1) Oklahoma City vs. (8) Memphis: OKLAHOMA CITY WINS
Game 1: Thunder 131, Grizzlies 80
Game 2: Thunder 118, Grizzlies 99
Game 3: Thunder 114, Grizzlies 108
Game 4: Thunder 117, Grizzlies 115
(2) Houston vs. (7) Golden State: Golden State leads 3-1
Game 1: Warriors 95, Rockets 85
Game 2: Rockets 109, Warriors 94
Game 3: Warriors 104, Rockets 93
Game 4: Warriors 109, Rockets 106
Game 5: Warriors at Rockets — Wed. April 30, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT
* Game 6: Rockets at Warriors — Fri. May 2, TBD
* Game 7: Warriors at Rockets — Sun. May 4, TBD
* if necessary
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota: Minnesota leads 3-1
Game 1: Timberwolves 117, Lakers 95
Game 2: Lakers 94, Timberwolves 85
Game 3: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 104
Game 4: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 113
Game 5: Timberwolves at Lakers — Wed. April 30, 10 p.m. ET, TNT
* Game 6: Lakers at Timberwolves — Fri. May 2, TBD
* Game 7: Timberwolves at Lakers — Sun. May 4, TBD
* if necessary
(4) Denver vs. (5) LA Clippers
Game 1: Nuggets 112, Clippers 110
Game 2: Clippers 105, Nuggets 102
Game 3: Clippers 117, Nuggets 83
Game 4: Nuggets 101, Clippers 99
Game 5: Clippers at Nuggets — Tue. April 29, 10 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 6: Nuggets at Clippers — Thu. May 1, TBD
* Game 7: Clippers at Nuggets — Sat. May 3, TBD
* if necessary