Get ready, basketball fans! The 2023 NBA Playoffs are almost here, and we can’t wait to see all our favorite teams compete for the championship title. With some of the league’s top players and the biggest rivalries heating up, this year’s playoffs are sure to be packed with heart-stopping moments, buzzer-beating shots, and epic dunks.
And with Sling TV, you don’t have to miss any of the excitement. In this article, we’ll guide you through everything you need to know to stream the NBA Playoffs live.
In a hurry? To watch TNT, ESPN, ESPN3 (which will simulcast the ABC games), and NBA TV, you’ll want Sling Orange + Sports Extra — just $40.00/mo + $11/mo. Big savings over any other service with ESPN and NBA TV!
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Will Jayson Tatum lead the Celtics to a dominant victory, or will the 2020-21 champs the Bucks take the trophy instead? Maybe the long-shot Mavericks with Luka Dončić will rise to the occasion? Will his performance secure Hawks superstar Trae Young a spot on the Lakers? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to watch.
If you want to watch the NBA Playoffs without running up a huge TV bill, you should sign up for Sling TV. It is, bar none, the cheapest way to stream ESPN. More details on that below, but first, let’s take a closer look at the playoffs themselves.
Overview of the NBA Playoffs
The NBA postseason usually run from April through June. 16 teams compete, 8 from the Western Conference and 8 from the Eastern Conference. The format is four rounds of best-of-seven.
Qualification and Play-In
The top six teams by win percentage in each Conference automatically clinch a spot in the Playoff bracket. Seeds 7-10 battle it out in the three-day, six-game NBA Play-In Tournament for the 7 and 8 seed. The Play-In Tournament takes place immediately before the Playoffs start.
The only question as of this writing is the #8 seed for both conferences. For the Eastern Conference, it could be the Chicago Bulls or the Miami Heat, and for the Western, it’s down to the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Minnesota Timberwolves.
First Round
16 teams enter, only 8 will advance, 4 from each Conference. The matchups are made by seed: the 1-seed will play the 8-seed, the 2-seed will play the 7-seed, and so on. This is where the biggest upsets often happen, right at the beginning.
Conference Semifinals
The 8 winning teams from the first round now compete for spots in the Conference Finals. The remaining teams are reseeded according to their regular season records, and the highest remaining seed and the lowest remaining seed will face off, and the second-highest and second-lowest, and so forth.
Because the teams are more evenly matched, this round is typically where the close, ultra-competitive, nail-biter games begin.
Conference Finals
These 2 games determine the Eastern and Western Conference Champions, as well as the 2 teams heading to the Finals. Expect rivalries to be played up and emotions to run high — it’s make it or break it.
NBA Finals
Finally, the two Conference champs come together to crown a league champion. Expect some seriously awesome b-ball played in a pressure cooker.
Watch the NBA Playoffs on Sling TV
Due to the complicated nature of sports broadcasting agreements, the NBA Playoffs air on a combination of ESPN, TNT, ABC, and NBA TV. So far, only First Round has a detailed schedule with times and channels.
Other streaming services charge upwards of $73 per month for these channels, particularly NBA TV, which is often found in add-ons or higher-priced tiers, if it’s available at all. And it’s the cheapest service that offers ESPN.
But Sling TV‘s Sling Orange package offers ESPN, ESPN3 (which simulcasts ABC sports), and TNT for just $40.00/mo. And NBA TV is just $11 extra in the Sports Extra– at least $20/mo cheaper.
So sign up for Sling Orange + Sports Extra today and be all set for the playoffs– plus half-off your first month!
Playoffs Schedule
Because each matchup is played best out of seven, only the first four games are guaranteed to be played. So while all seven games of each series of the First Round have been assigned a tentative date and venue, times and channels are TBD.
While the NBA website speculates on dates of future rounds, including all 7 potential Finals games, no schedule has been released yet beyond the First Round.
First Round
All playoff series use the 2-2-1-1-1 format, meaning the higher seed gets home court advantage on the first two games, then the weaker seed on the second two, then, if necessary, they alternate 5, 6, and 7. All Games 5-7 are played on an as-needed basis.
Saturday, April 15
- : Brooklyn Nets @ Philadelphia 76ers – Game 1 (101-121)
- : Atlanta Hawks @ Boston Celtics – Game 1 (99-112)
- : New York Knicks @ Cleveland Cavaliers – Game 1 (101-97)
- : Golden State Warriors @ Sacramento Kings – Game 1 (123-126)
Sunday, April 16
- : Los Angeles Lakers @ Memphis Grizzlies – Game 1 (128-112)
- : Miami Heat @ Milwaukee Bucks – Game 1 (130-117)
- : Los Angeles Clippers @ Phoenix Suns – Game 1 (115-110)
- : Minnesota Timberwolves @ Denver Nuggets – Game 1 (80-109)
Monday, April 17
- : Brooklyn Nets @ Philadelphia 76ers – Game 2 (84-96)
- : Golden State Warriors @ Sacramento Kings – Game 2 (106-114)
Tuesday, April 18
- : Atlanta Hawks @ Boston Celtics – Game 2 (106-119)
- : New York Knicks @ Cleveland Cavaliers – Game 2 (90-107)
- : LA Clippers @ Phoenix Suns – Game 2 (109-123)
Wednesday, April 19
- : LA Lakers @ Memphis Grizzlies – Game 2 (93-103)
- : Miami Heat @ Milwaukee Bucks – Game 2 (122-138)
- : Minnesota Timberwolves @ Denver Nuggets – Game 2 (113-122)
Thursday, April 20
- : Philadelphia 76ers @ Brooklyn Nets – Game 3 (102-97)
- : Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors – Game 3 (97-114)
- : Phoenix Suns @ LA Clippers – Game 3 (129-124)
Friday, April 21
- : Boston Celtics @ Atlanta Hawks – Game 3 (122-130)
- : Cleveland Cavaliers @ New York Knicks – Game 3 (79-99)
- : Denver Nuggets @ Minnesota Timberwolves – Game 3 (120-111)
Saturday, April 22
- : Philadelphia 76ers @ Brooklyn Nets – Game 4 (96-88)
- : Phoenix Suns @ LA Clippers – Game 4 (112-100)
- : Milwaukee Bucks @ Miami Heat – Game 3 (99-121)
- : Memphis Grizzlies @ LA Lakers – Game 3 (101-111)
Sunday, April 23
- : Cleveland Cavaliers @ New York Knicks – Game 4 (93-102)
- : Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors – Game 4 (125-126)
- : Boston Celtics @ Atlanta Hawks – Game 4 (129-121)
- : Denver Nuggets @ Minnesota Timberwolves – Game 4 (108-114)
Monday, April 24
- : Milwaukee Bucks @ Miami Heat – Game 4 (114-119)
- : Memphis Grizzlies @ LA Lakers – Game 4 (111-117)
Tuesday, April 25
- : Atlanta Hawks @ Boston Celtics – Game 5 (119-117)
- : Minnesota Timberwolves @ Denver Nuggets – Game 5 (109-112)
- : LA Clippers @ Phoenix Suns – Game 5 (130-136)
Wednesday, April 26
- : New York Knicks @ Cleveland Cavaliers – Game 5 (106-95)
- : LA Lakers @ Memphis Grizzlies – Game 5 (99-116)
- : Miami Heat @ Milwaukee Bucks – Game 5 (128-126)
- : Golden State Warriors @ Sacramento Kings – Game 5 (123-116)
Thursday, April 27
- : Boston Celtics @ Atlanta Hawks – Game 6 (128-120)
Friday, April 28
- : Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors – Game 6 (118-99)
- : Memphis Grizzlies @ LA Lakers – Game 6 (85-125)
Saturday, April 29
- : Phoenix Suns @ Denver Nuggets – Game 1 (107-125)
Sunday, April 30
- : Miami Heat @ New York Knicks – Game 1 (108-101)
- : Golden State Warriors @ Sacramento Kings – Game 7 (120-100)
Monday, May 1
- : Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics – Game 1 (119-115)
- : Phoenix Suns @ Denver Nuggets – Game 2 (87-97)
Tuesday, May 2
- : Miami Heat @ New York Knicks – Game 2 (105-111)
- : LA Lakers @ Golden State Warriors – Game 1 (117-112)
Wednesday, May 3
- : Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics – Game 2 (87-121)
Thursday, May 4
- : LA Lakers @ Golden State Warriors – Game 2 (100-127)
Friday, May 5
- : Boston Celtics @ Philadelphia 76ers – Game 3 (114-102)
- : Denver Nuggets @ Phoenix Suns – Game 3 (114-121)
Saturday, May 6
- : New York Knicks @ Miami Heat – Game 3 (86-105)
- : Golden State Warriors @ LA Lakers – Game 3 (97-127)
Sunday, May 7
- : Boston Celtics @ Philadelphia 76ers – Game 4 (115-116)
- : Denver Nuggets @ Phoenix Suns – Game 4 (124-129)
Monday, May 8
- : New York Knicks @ Miami Heat – Game 4 (101-109)
- : Golden State Warriors @ LA Lakers – Game 4 (101-104)
Tuesday, May 9
- : Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics – Game 5 (115-103)
- : Phoenix Suns @ Denver Nuggets – Game 5 (102-118)
Wednesday, May 10
- : Miami Heat @ New York Knicks – Game 5 (103-112)
- : LA Lakers @ Golden State Warriors – Game 5 (106-121)
Thursday, May 11
- : Boston Celtics (95) @ Philadelphia 76ers (86) – Game 6 (ESPN)
- : Denver Nuggets (125) @ Phoenix Suns (100) – Game 6 (ESPN)
Friday, May 12
- : New York Knicks (92) @ Miami Heat (96) – Game 6 (ESPN)
- : Golden State Warriors (101) @ LA Lakers (122) – Game 6 (ESPN)
Sunday, May 14
- Philadelphia 76ers (88) @ Boston Celtics (112) – Game 7
Conference Finals
Tuesday, May 16
- : LA Lakers (126) @ Denver Nuggets (132) – Game 1 (ESPN)
Wednesday, May 17
- : Miami Heats (123) @ Boston Celtics (116) – Game 1 (TNT)
Thursday, May 18
- : LA Lakers (103) @ Denver Nuggets (108) – Game 2 (ESPN)
Friday, May 19
- : Miami Heat (111) @ Boston Celtics (105) – Game 2 (TNT)
Saturday, May 20
- : Denver Nuggets (119) @ LA Lakers (108) – Game 3 (ABC)
Sunday, May 21
- : Boston Celtics (102) @ Miami Heat (128) – Game 3 (TNT)
Monday, May 22
- : Denver Nuggets (113) @ LA Lakers (111) – Game 4 (ESPN)
Tuesday, May 23
- : Boston Celtics (116) @ Miami Heat (99) – Game 4 (TNT)
Thursday, May 25
- : Miami Heat (97) @ Boston Celtics (110) – Game 5 (TNT)
Saturday, May 27
- : Boston Celtics (104) @ Miami Heat (103) – Game 6 (TNT)
Monday, May 29
- : Miami Heat (103) @ Boston Celtics (84) – Game 7 (TNT)
NBA Finals
Thursday, Jun 1
- : Miami Heat (93) @ Denver Nuggets (104) – Game 1 (ABC)
Sunday, Jun 4
- : Miami Heat (111) @ Denver Nuggets (108) – Game 2 (ABC)
Wednesday, Jun 7
- : Denver Nuggets (109) @ Miami Heat (94) – Game 3 (ABC)
Friday, Jun 9
- : Denver Nuggets (108) @ Miami Heat (95) – Game 4 (ABC)
Monday, Jun 12
- : Miami Heat @ Denver Nuggets – Game 5 (ABC)*
Thursday, Jun 15
- : Denver Nuggets @ Miami Heat – Game 6 (ABC)*
Sunday, Jun 18
- : Miami Heat @ Denver Nuggets – Game 7 (ABC)*
* If needed
Later Rounds
There are anywhere from 32 to 56 separate games being played (between 4 and 7 games per series, with 8 series between the 16 teams) in the First Round. Because of this, the later rounds have tentative dates, with the option to move them earlier if the First Round victors dominate their opponents early.
- May 1-2: NBA Conference Semifinals begin (move-up date April 29-30)
- May 16-17: NBA Conference Finals begin (move-up date May 14-15)
- June 1: Finals Game 1
- June 4: Finals Game 2
- June 7: Finals Game 3
- June 9: Finals Game 4
- June 12: Finals Game 5
- June 15: Finals Game 6
- June 18: Finals Game 7
Wrapping Up
Sling TV is definitely the way to go for cost-effective NBA Playoff love. Sign up for Sling Orange and start getting ready to cheer for your favorite team today!
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