It’s playoff time! See how to stream the 2025 NBA postseason
It’s playoff time! See how to stream the 2025 NBA postseason
The Boston Celtics begin their title defense in earnest this weekend, and we’ll show you all the ways you can watch every game of the playoffs below.
The 2025 NBA Playoffs have arrived. The postseason begins officially at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 19, and will continue until the Larry O’Brien trophy is awarded to this year’s champion. The league’s superstars will be out in force, with the Joker, the Greek Freak, and many more gearing up for a run at the championship. Games will appear on ABC, ESPN, TNT, truTV, and NBA TV, and we think the best way to stream every game is with a subscription to Sling TV.
How to watch 2025 NBA Playoffs
- When: Starting Saturday, April 19 at 1 p.m. ET
- TV: ABC, ESPN, TNT, truTV, NBA TV
- Stream: Watch with a subscription to Sling TV.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know about 2025 NBA Playoffs
What is the schedule of the 2025 NBA Playoffs - Round 1?
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 20 | 7 p.m. | Miami Heat vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | TNT, truTV, Max |
| April 23 | 7:30 p.m. | Miami Heat vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | NBA TV |
| April 26 | 1 p.m. | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat | TNT, truTV, Max |
| April 28 | TBD | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat | TBD |
| April 30 | TBD | Miami Heat vs. Cleveland Cavaliers* | TBD |
| May 2 | TBD | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat* | TBD |
| May 4 | TBD | Miami Heat vs. Cleveland Cavaliers* | TBD |
Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 20 | 3:30 p.m. | Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics | ABC |
| April 23 | 7 p.m. | Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics | TNT, truTV, Max |
| April 25 | 7 p.m. | Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic | ESPN |
| April 27 | 7 p.m. | Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic | TNT, Max |
| April 29 | TBD | Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics* | TBD |
| May 1 | TBD | Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic* | TBD |
| May 3 | TBD | Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics* | TBD |
New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 19 | 6 p.m. | Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks | ESPN |
| April 21 | 7:30 p.m. | Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks | TNT, truTV, Max |
| April 24 | 7 p.m. | New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons | TNT, Max |
| April 27 | 1 p.m. | New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons | ABC |
| April 29 | TBD | Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks* | TBD |
| May 1 | TBD | New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons* | TBD |
| May 3 | TBD | Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks* | TBD |
Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 19 | 1 p.m. | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers | ESPN |
| April 22 | 7:30 p.m. | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers | NBA TV |
| April 25 | 7 p.m. | Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks | ESPNU, NBA TV |
| April 27 | 1 p.m. | Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks | TNT, Max |
| April 29 | TBD | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers* | TBD |
| May 2 | TBD | Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks* | TBD |
| May 4 | TBD | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers* | TBD |
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 20 | 1 p.m. | Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | ABC |
| April 22 | 7:30 p.m. | Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | TNT, Max |
| April 24 | 9:30 p.m. | Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies | TNT, Max |
| April 26 | 3:30 p.m. | Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies | TNT, Max |
| April 28 | TBD | TBD vs. Oklahoma City Thunder* | TBD |
| May 1 | TBD | Oklahoma City Thunder vs. TBD* | TBD |
| May 3 | TBD | TBD vs. Oklahoma City Thunder* | TBD |
Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 20 | 9:30 p.m. | Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets | TNT, Max |
| April 23 | 9:30 p.m. | Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets | TNT, Max |
| April 26 | 8:30 p.m. | Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors | ABC |
| April 28 | 10 p.m. | Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors | TNT, Max |
| April 30 | TBD | Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets* | TBD |
| May 2 | TBD | Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors | TBD |
| May 4 | TBD | Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets* | TBD |
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 19 | 8:30 p.m. | Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers | ABC |
| April 22 | 10 p.m. | Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers | TNT, Max |
| April 25 | 9:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | ESPN |
| April 27 | 3:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | ABC |
| April 30 | TBD | Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers* | TBD |
| May 2 | TBD | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves* | TBD |
| May 4 | TBD | Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers* | TBD |
Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 19 | 3:30 p.m. | Los Angeles Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets | ESPN |
| April 21 | 10 p.m. | Los Angeles Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets | TNT, Max |
| April 24 | 10 p.m. | Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers | NBA TV |
| April 26 | 6 p.m. | Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers | TNT, Max |
| April 29 | TBD | Los Angeles Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets* | TBD |
| May 1 | TBD | Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers* | TBD |
| May 3 | TBD | Los Angeles Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets* | TBD |
{*} indicates if necessary.
Why we recommend watching 2025 NBA Playoffs on Sling TV
Sling TV is a great choice for watching the 2025 NBA Playoffs. This service carries ESPN and TNT both in its Orange channel package. This plan also carries ESPN3, which will offer all live playoff games on ABC. The Orange channel package costs $46 per month normally, but new customers can get 50% off their first month of service for a limited time.
You’ll have to get the Sports Extra add-on pack for an additional $11 per month to watch NBA TV. But only select first-round playoff games appear on NBA TV, so you won’t need it for more than a full month. With the discount, your price for Sling Orange and the Sports Extra add-on rises to just $34 total if you’re a new Sling subscriber. That’s far less than any other streaming service you’ll be able to use to watch the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Sling TV
Sling TV is The Streamable’s choice for cord-cutters on a budget. Sling is a live TV streaming service with multiple channel packages. The $45.99/month Sling Orange plan offers about 30 channels, including Disney Channel and ESPN. The $45.99/month Sling Blue plan offers about 40 channels, including ABC, Fox, and NBC in major markets.
You can combine Orange+Blue for a total of $60.99 / month. Sling also offers many channel add-on packages starting at $6/month.
Can you watch 2025 NBA Playoffs for free?
Not the entire playoffs, which will stretch on for several weeks. But there are streaming services that will allow you to watch at least the first few days of the playoffs at no cost.
DIRECTV’s MySports Genre pack comes with ABC, ESPN channels, TNT, and NBA TV as part of its lineup, which includes around 20 sports-themed channels overall. It comes with a five-day free trial, after which a subscription starts at $70 per month.
Hulu + Live TV also includes all channels you’ll need to stream the NBA postseason aside from NBA TV. It comes with a three-day free trial, after which packages start with Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ included for free start at $83 per month.
Fubo comes with a trial of between one and seven days in length, depending on variables like what time of month you sign up and others. Its packages start at $85 per month, but most viewers will have to pay an additional fee thanks to the inclusion of regional sports networks. Fubo does not carry TNT or truTV in any pack, and you’ll need the Elite plan for NBA TV.
YouTube TV carries all channels with NBA playoff games in its base plan for $83 per month. Its trial lasts between two and 14 days, dependent on a number of factors.
What are all the services you can use to watch 2025 NBA Playoffs?
You can stream the 2025 NBA Playoffs on all of the live TV streaming services listed above: DIRECTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. As we’ve discussed, Sling TV is our top choice for watching games throughout the course of the playoffs.
Max can also be used to stream any games appearing on TNT through the playoffs; Max ad-free plans each offer the Bleacher Report sports hub for no extra cost, and start at $17 per month.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $25 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| ABC | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| ESPN | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| NBA TV | + $15 | + $11 | - | - | - | - | + $11 | + $11 | ✓ | |
| TNT | + $24 | - | + $61 | - | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| truTV | + $24 | - | + $61 | - | - | - | + $6 | ✓ | ✓ | |
About 2025 NBA Playoffs
Eight teams from each conference will play in the 2025 NBA Playoffs to start. As per usual, the top six seeds from each conference have been ranked by record, with the seventh and eighth seeds determined by the play-in tournament that precedes the first round.
This year, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers claimed the top seeds in their respective conferences. In the West, the Houston Rockets took the No. 2 seed, followed in order by the Los Angeles Lakers, the Denver Nuggets, the LA Clippers, the Golden State Warriors, the Golden State Warriors, and the Memphis Grizzlies.
In the East, the defending champion Boston Celtics are the No. 2 seed, followed by the New York Knicks, the Detroit Pistons, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Detroit Pistons, the Orlando Magic, and the Miami Heat.
How to watch 2025 NBA Playoffs from anywhere
If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the game as you normally would, you can still catch all of the action no matter where you are in the world with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer and make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need to be subscribed to a live TV streaming service like Sling TV in order to stream the 2025 NBA Playoffs with a VPN.
NordVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get two full years of protection for just $3.59 per month — plus you’ll get three extra months FREE. A high-speed VPN with best-in-class security that can be used on up to 10 devices at once — what more could you ask for? Simply sign up, install the software on your device of choice, and start streaming just as you would back home. It couldn’t be easier!
While NordVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling, there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.
- Best Features: ExpressVPN | Starting at $5 per month
- Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
- Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available