2024 NBA Playoffs: Watch Every Game Online and Without Cable

I can watch NBA Playoffs without having a cable or satellite subscription by using any of the new live TV streaming services.

In a hurry? The playoffs will air on ABC, ESPN, NBA TV, and TNT. You will get those channels and more with these excellent services:

Why You Need a VPN Today

However, first you need a VPN to unblock US streaming services from . Our favourite is ExpressVPN. It’s definitely not the cheapest option at $4.99/month, but it just works – and across all your devices.

They have servers in 25+ US cities/states and 105 countries, which unblock access to premium streaming platforms available only in the US, as well as free “on demand” TV services worldwide.

You’ll have access to local platforms as if you were in the country, meaning you can watch BBC iPlayer as if you were in the UK, CBC Gem as if you were in Canada, plus hundreds more worldwide.

Sign Up for ExpressVPN

Hotdog users get three months free at ExpressVPN, so it’s a “no-brainer” for us. Decide for yourself with their 30 day money-back guarantee.

IMPORTANT: Once you’ve installed your VPN and connected to a US server, you’ll still need to subscribe separately to access premium streaming services.

NBA Playoffs Channels

First things first; if you want to watch the NBA Finals games without cable, you’ll need to know what channels they air on first. Unlike the regular season with blackouts and out-of-market games, the playoffs are broadcast nationwide.

Save 50% on Sling TV Now

There are three channels that the NBA playoff games will air on, and they are ABC, ESPN, TNT, and some minor early coverage on NBA TV. The schedule looks like this:

• NBA Play-In: April 16th – 19th
• NBA Playoffs First Round: April 20th – May 5th
• NBA Playoffs Semifinals: May 6th – 30th
• NBA Finals: June 1st – 23rd

Keep in mind is that all the games airing on ABC will mostly likely also be airing on ESPN3. In general, ESPN3 airs all ABC Sports events. And ESPN3 aired the NBA finals last year.

This is important because Sling TV does not offer ABC in most areas but does offer ESPN3 (it is the only service that offers it within its own app and channel guide).

Watching NBA Playoffs Without Cable

Your best bet for watching the NBA playoffs is with a streaming service. But you can watch a lot of games absolutely free if you want.

Streaming

The major streaming services allow you to watch most of the NBA Playoffs and Finals. And most of them allow you to watch every game from the Play-in through the Finals.

• Sling TV: For just $45.99/month, Sling Orange provides ESPN, ESPN3 (ABC Sports), and TNT. You can get NBA TV with the Sports Extra add-on for $11/mo more. The base plan comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR. (Sling TV review, NBA Playoffs Guide)
• DIRECTV STREAM: The Choice plan ($114.99/month) gives you ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV. But probably more important, it provides subscribers in just about every area with their local RSNs, which are the only way to watch all the regular season games of your local team(s). All plans come with unlimited cloud DVR and streaming on unlimited devices at the same time. (DIRECTV STREAM review)
• Hulu + Live TV: Adds 100+ live TV channels to the Hulu Bundle of on-demand library, ESPN+, and Disney+. It includes ABC, ESPN, and TNT. It does not, however, offer NBA TV. The plan comes with unlimited hours of cloud DVR and streaming on up to two devices at once. (Hulu + Live TV review)
• FuboTV: This is a great streaming service for sports fans with over 150 channels. But it lacks TNT so it probably isn’t the best channel if the playoffs are the focus of your viewing (it is great for the NBA regular season). Starting at $79.99/month, you also get unlimited cloud DVR storage and streaming on up to 10 devices at home and two away. (FuboTV review)
• YouTube TV: A solid streaming service similar in many ways to Hulu + Live TV. It is slightly less expensive ($82.99/month) and does offer NBA TV but lacks ESPN+ and Disney+.

Save 50% on Sling TV Now

Antenna

The cheapest way to get ABC is through a simple over-the-air (OTA) antenna. Far more advanced than their rabbit-eared ancestors, OTA antennas can give you all of the broadcast channels you know and love (ABC included, plus NBC, CBS, and Fox) in 1080i HD picture for free (minus the cost of the antenna, of course). Our favorite OTA antenna brand is Mohu, but feel free to shop around.

See our Indoor HD Antenna Guide for all the information on choosing and setting up an antenna.

Devices to Live Stream NBA Finals

All the streaming TV providers discussed above have apps that run on the most popular streaming devices in use today.

Samsung and Android TV smart TVs are supported by all services. Other than DIRECTV STREAM, they all support smart TVs from LG and Vizio.

TV stick devices that turn ordinary TVs into streaming TV (Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku) are supported by all services. That’s also true of mobile devices running Android and iOS. And you can use them (and some web browsers) to cast to your TV with Chromecast.

All the services except DIRECTV STREAM support the Xbox One gaming console. Hulu and YouTube support the PlayStation. And Hulu also supports the Nintendo Switch.

You can also watch via a web browser on most devices, which you can connect to your TV. See our streaming service reviews for details.

2024 NBA Playoff Schedule

The 2024 NBA playoff schedule is coming. We have as much information as is currently available.

Want to know more about watching the NBA? See our complete NBA Viewers Guide for everything you need to know.

2024 NBA Playoff Picture

Here are the teams in each conference that have made the playoffs (including the play-in):

‡ indicates that the team has made the playoffs. † indicates that the team will participate in the play-in.

Wrapping Up

You can stream every game of the 2024 NBA playoffs and finals. Don’t miss a game.

Sling TV is our top choice for the NBA finals. Save 50% on your first month of Sling TV.

FAQs

What is the NBA Play-In Tournament?

After the regular season, the 7th through 10th best teams in each conference compete to get the last two playoff spots. It is similar to the First Four during March Madness, but way more complicated. The 7th and 8th teams play and the winner goes to the playoffs. The loser plays the winner of the 9th and 10th team game, and the winner of that goes to the playoffs.

Confused? It’s actually simpler than it sounds. The 7th and 8th teams need to win one of two games to make the playoffs. The 9th and 10th teams need to win two of two games.

1. Team 8 at Team 7
   • Winner: go to playoffs
   • Loser: go to Step 3
2. Team 10 at Team 9
   • Winner: go to Step 3
   • Loser: see you next season
3. Step 2 Winner at Step 1 Loser
   • Winner: go to playoffs
   • Loser: see you next season.

Play-In Round Results

West

• New Orleans Pelicans (0-1)
• Oklahoma City Thunder (1-1)
• Minnesota Timberwolves (1-1)
• Los Angeles Lakers (1-0)

East

• Toronto Raptors (0-1)
• Chicago Bulls (1-1)
• Miami Heat (1-1)
• Atlanta Hawks (1-0)

Playoff Results

First Round

• Miami Heat (4) vs Milwaukee Bucks (1)
• Atlanta Hawks (2) vs Boston Celtics (4)
• New Jersey Nets (0) vs Philadelphia 76ers (4)
• New York Knicks (4) vs Cleveland Cavaliers (1)
• Minnesota Timberwolves (1) vs Denver Nuggets (4)
• Los Angeles Lakers (4) vs Memphis Grizzlies (2)
• Golden State Warriors (4) vs Sacramento Kings (3)
• Los Angeles Clippers (1) vs Phoenix Suns (4)

Second Round

• Miami Heat (4) vs New York Knicks (2)
• Philadelphia 76ers (3) vs Boston Celtics (4)
• Phoenix Suns (2) vs Denver Nuggets (4)
• Los Angeles Lakers (4) vs Golden State Warriors (2)

Conference Finals

• Miami Heat (4) vs Boston Celtics (3)
• Los Angeles Lakers (0) vs Denver Nuggets (4)

2023 NBA Playoffs Finals results

• Thu Jun 1 8:30 pm: Game 1 — Nuggets (104) vs Heat (93) (ABC)
• Sun Jun 4 8:00 pm: Game 2 — Heat (111) vs Nuggets (108) (ABC)
• Wed Jun 7 8:30 pm: Game 3 — Nuggets (109) vs Heat (94) (ABC)
• Fri Jun 9 8:30 pm: Game 4 — Nuggets (108) vs Heat (95) (ABC)
• Mon Jun 12 8:30 pm: Game 5 — Heat (89) vs Nuggets (94) (ABC)
• Thu Jun 15 8:30 pm: Game 6 — Nuggets vs Heat (ABC)
• Sun Jun 18 8:00 pm: Game 7 — Heat vs. Nuggets (ABC)

Can I watch the NBA Playoffs with the NBA League Pass?

No. The NBA League Pass is a great way to get as many non-local games as possible (local games will be televised on your local station), but it doesn’t stream any nationally televised games on ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV — and that includes the playoffs.

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Frank Moraes

I am a Senior Content Editor at Hotdog.com, specializing in sports streaming and regional programming issues. With a PhD in Atmospheric Physics from the Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and extensive experience in remote sensing technology, including early video streaming, I bring a unique technical perspective to the streaming industry.

My expertise in sports coverage, particularly for out-of-market games and regional sports networks, stems from years of hands-on experience as an early adopter of streaming services and my work addressing fans' viewing challenges. As a longtime cord-cutter and subscriber to multiple streaming platforms, I combine my technical knowledge with practical user experience, making me a leading expert in the field of sports streaming and entertainment technology.

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