How to watch the New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics game on April 9, 2026
Two of the best teams in the NBA’s Eastern Conference face off in the World’s Most Famous Arena on Thursday night.
Not only is it one of the great rivalries in the history of the NBA, but when the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics meet on Thursday, April 9, it will be a battle between two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Currently, the Celtics are the No. 2 seed in the conference, having already secured their playoff spot. They are far enough ahead of the Knicks, who are in third place, that they can’t be caught; neither can they catch the first-place Detroit Pistons. However, the Knickerbockers are just a half-game ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers, so they need to win to keep their spot in the postseason pecking order.
The game, which will take place at Madison Square Garden — the World’s Most Famous Arena — is set to air in the New York tri-state area on MSG and on NBC Sports Boston in and around Beantown. If you are looking for a live TV streaming service to watch the game, we recommend streaming it with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV and the MyHome Team add-on. Out of market, you can stream it with NBA League Pass.
How to watch New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics
- When: Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV: MSG in the New York area, NBC Sports Boston in the Boston market
- Stream: Watch with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV in-market or NBA League Pass out-of-market.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know to stream Knicks vs. Celtics:
Why we recommend DIRECTV to watch Knicks vs. Celtics
When it comes to offering the most channels in streaming, every live TV streaming service is chasing DIRECTV. The platform offers more of cable’s top 35 channels than any of its competitors, so if you are looking for a breadth of programming options, DIRECTV is a surefire hit. In addition, the streamer has the industry’s best guaranteed free trial. While others can roll out longer options depending on what time of year it is and what qualifications you meet as a customer, DIRECTV offers a five-day trial to all new users. So, if you are specifically looking to watch the Knicks vs. Celtics game, this is the option that makes the most sense.
Related: How to make the most out of your NBA experience with DIRECTV
But for the first time, DIRECTV is able to offer an even more compelling package of channels for sports fans. Last year, DIRECTV launched its Genre Packs that allow people to pick curated channel lineups around central themes and genres, and for sports fans, that means the MySports Pack.
The MySports plan runs $65 a month after the aforementioned five-day free trial, which gives you a way to check out everything that it has to offer before having to pay a penny. You’ll also get a bunch of great sports channels with MySports, including ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, FS1, FS2, Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network, NHL Network, SEC Network, TBS, TNT, and USA Network, and depending on your market, ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC.
These channels bring you an incredible selection of games from across pro and college sports, oh, and MySports also comes with a free [ESPN UnlimitedESPN] subscription? Pretty solid. All these channels and features are available for just $65, which is why it’s our favorite way to watch. Then, you can also add the MyHome Team add-on for $20 more per month to get your local regional sports networks (RSNs), so you never miss your hometown team’s games.
Can you watch Knicks vs. Celtics for free?
If you are just looking for a streaming service to watch this specific game and nothing else, there are options available for you. We already discussed DIRECTV, but Fubo is also a possibility. However, as The Streamable’s expert David Satin discovered when signing up for the services, figuring out how long Fubo’s trial is — even as you are signing up — can be a bit difficult. Nonetheless, it will be at least one day, with the potential to be as many as seven, depending on a wide range of factors that Fubo does not share publicly.
If you are looking to watch the game for free, I would recommend DIRECTV, because that streamer has the longest guaranteed free trial and gives you the best channel options.
| 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 | ||
| MSG | + $44 | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| NBC Sports Boston | + $44 | + $59 | + $60 | - | - | - | - | - | ✓ | |
How to watch the Knicks vs. Celtics game out-of-market?
If you do not live in the home market for either team, you can stream most games on NBA League Pass, including Knicks vs. Celtics. The service normally runs $25 per month, but since the end of the regular season is approaching, you should get a pretty good bang for your buck.
NBA League Pass
For passionate basketball aficionados, NBA League Pass stands as the premier destination for immersing yourself in the thrilling world of professional basketball. It offers unparalleled flexibility, allowing you to meticulously follow every move of your favorite team throughout the season or broaden your horizons to catch every game played across the entire league. It’s important to note that, due to broadcasting rights, blackout restrictions may apply to games that are televised locally or aired on national channels.
How to watch Knicks vs. Celtics 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 like DIRECTV in order to stream the game with a VPN.
ExpressVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get a month of service for as little as $5. ExpressVPN is the most-trusted VPN on the market and comes with a 30-day, money-back guarantee. ExpressVPN has servers in 105 countries, best-in-class encryption, 24-hour live support, and the best speeds available.
While ExpressVPN 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.
- Most Secure: NordVPN | Starting at $3.09 per month
- Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
- Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available