Just four teams remain in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, but only two can move on from the conference finals. We've compiled everything you need to know about how to watch the NBA Playoffs, including live streaming options for cord-cutters.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have advanced to the Conference Finals following a stellar regular season. The No. 1 seed leads the Western Conference (and the league as a whole) with a 68-14 regular season record. The team breezed through the first round, sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies, but they had a tough go against the Denver Nuggets in the conference semifinals and went all the way to Game 7, where they were ultimately able to prevail. Now, they'll square off with the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Eastern Conference was full of surprises this year. The top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers were bounced by the No. 4 Indiana Pacers in just five games. The reigning champions, the No. 2 Boston Celtics, were also eliminated in the semi-finals by the No. 3 New York Knicks, who have reached the conference finals for the first time in 25 years.
It's safe to say that anything could happen in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, making it a can't-miss tournament this year. Below, we've highlighted some of the best ways to tune into the remainder of the tournament, including options that will allow you to watch every single game.
How to watch NBA Playoffs in the US
The NBA Playoffs will air on ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV in the United States, although NBA TV will most likely only be necessary for the first round. This is a similar slate of networks as the regular season, so if you've found a way to watch the league regularly over the past few months, you should be covered for the postseason.
If you're a cord-cutter looking for an easy way to watch the Playoffs, you can do so through a variety of popular live streaming services, including some of the best sports streaming services we've tested, like DirecTV, Sling TV, Fubo, and Max. DirecTV and Sling will enable you to watch every game of the Playoffs, while Fubo and Max only carry certain games. Keep reading to explore a full breakdown of the services.
Sling TV is the cheapest way to watch every single NBA Playoffs game. The streaming service carries ESPN, TNT, and 33 other live channels in its Sling Orange plan, which costs $46/month. If you require NBA TV, you'll want to add the Sports Extra for an additional $11/month. This unlocks an extra 10 or so channels, including NBA TV. Sling Blue carries ABC and local channels in select regions, so you could certainly pay more to subscribe to the Sling Orange + Blue plan, but we've found that most ABC broadcasts of NBA games also live stream on ESPN3, which is included with Sling Orange. Sling breaks down this option in their NBA basketball guide, but I also personally found this to be true when I watched Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals.
You can access 35 live channels with Sling Orange, including ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3. Right now, you can get 50% off your first month before subscriptions go back to $46 a month, which you can cancel any time.
DirecTV carries ESPN, TNT, NBA TV, and ABC (in select regions) in the DirecTV MySports pack. The sports-only package offers 25+ key sports channels for $70/month. If MySports doesn't offer ABC in your region, you can upgrade to DirecTV's Choice plan for $90/month. This unlocks 125+ live channels across a variety of genres. No matter what you choose, all DirecTV plans come with a five-day free trial.
DirecTV's MySports pack carries popular sports channels, from mainstays like ESPN to niche offerings like the ACC Network.
Fubo is another popular live TV streaming service with broad ABC, ESPN, and NBA TV coverage, in addition to 200+ other live channels in its Fubo Elite plan. The Elite plan, which costs $95/month, is necessary for NBA TV, but you can find ABC and ESPN in Pro (starting at $85/month). Just keep in mind that the service doesn't carry TNT games, so subscribers will need to look elsewhere for that option. New customers can try out the service for free for one week and get $20 off their first month of service.
Fubo's base plan offers tons of classic channels, including local networks and traditional cable options, but the Elite tier unlocks 4K and even more sports-friendly options.
If you're looking for that TNT live streaming option, you can always give Max a go. HBO's streaming counterpart now offers live sports streaming through its B/R Sports add-on, which is included with all ad-free subscriptions. Ad-free plans start at $17/month and unlock ad-free on-demand content, although live programming will always contain ads. Max is also available in the Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max bundle.
Max's Standard plan includes ad-free on-demand streaming for HBO series, Warner Bros. blockbusters, original Max shows, and much more. Plus, all ad-free subscribers get the B/R Sports Add-on, so they can live stream NBA, NHL, MLB, and more for no extra cost.
How to watch NBA Playoffs from anywhere
If you find yourself traveling through a region where you can't access your usual streaming methods, you don't need to worry about missing out on any of the fun. You can access all of your go-to websites and apps with the help of a VPN (virtual private network), which enables you to change your virtual location at the click of a button. A VPN is also an instant way to boost online security. Since the services we've recommended require US methods of payment, this will work best for Americans who are simply traveling abroad.
Not sure where to start when it comes to VPNs? Time and time again, the best option we've tested is ExpressVPN. It's a user-friendly app with a hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee. You can read more about it in our ExpressVPN review, and see below to learn how to use a VPN.
With its consistent performance, reliable security, and expansive global streaming features, ExpressVPN is the best VPN out there, excelling in every spec and offering many advanced features that make it exceptional. Better yet, you can save more than 60% right now and get up to four months free.
How to watch NBA Playoffs with a VPN
- Sign up for a VPN if you don't already have one.
- Install it on the device you're using to watch.
- Turn it on and set it to a US location.
- Sign up for one of the above streaming services.
- Enjoy the games!
2025 NBA Playoffs Schedule
The Playoffs kick off on April 19 and will last four rounds. Each round has a tentative start date, depending on how far the previous round gets. For example, if no teams make it to Game 7 of Round 1, the start date of the Conference Semifinals will most likely be moved up. You can check out a rough schedule below, based on what has been announced so far on NBA.com.
- Round 1: Starts April 19, 2025; Ends May 4, 2025
- Conference Semifinals: Starts May 5, 2025; Ends May 18, 2025
- Conference Finals: Starts May 20-21, 2025; Ends June 2, 2025 at the very latest
- NBA Finals: Starts June 5, 2025; Ends June 22, 2025 at the very latest
Round 1 match-ups
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat
- Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors
- Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers
- Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks
- Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics
- LA Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets
- Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Conference semifinal match-ups
- Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks
- Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
- Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
- Denver Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Conference final match-ups
- New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Business Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.
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