How to watch the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns 2026 NBA Playoffs Game 1
The best team in basketball this season will look to continue its domination in the postseason.
The best team in the NBA’s regular season will open up its postseason quest for the Larry O’Brien Trophy on Sunday, April 19, when the No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder welcome the No. 8 Phoenix Suns to the Paycom Center for Game 1 of their Western Conference Playoff series. The game will tip off at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC. If you are looking for a live TV streaming service to watch the game, but don’t want to get roped into a month-long contract, we recommend streaming it with a 21-day free trial to YouTube TV. You can also stream it on ESPN Unlimited.
How to watch Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns
- When: Sunday, April 19, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. ET
- TV: ABC
- Stream: Watch with a 21-day free trial to YouTube TV or via ESPN Unlimited.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know to stream Thunder vs. Suns:
What is the schedule of the Thunder vs. Suns 2026 NBA Playoffs series?
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | Matchup | Outlet(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, April 19 | Game 1 | 3:30 p.m. | Suns at Thunder | ABC, ESPN Unlimited |
| Wednesday, April 22 | Game 2 | 9:30 p.m. | Suns at Thunder | ESPN, ESPN Unlimited |
| Saturday, April 25 | Game 3 | 3:30 p.m. | Thunder at Suns | NBC, Peacock |
| Monday, April 27 | Game 4 | TBA | Thunder at Suns | TBA |
| Wednesday, April 29 | Game 5^ | TBA | Suns at Thunder | TBA |
| Friday, May 1 | Game 6^ | TBA | Thunder at Suns | TBA |
| Sunday, May 3 | Game 7^ | TBA | Suns at Thunder | TBA |
^=if necessary
Why we recommend watching Thunder vs. Suns on YouTube TV
YouTube TV takes our top spot for Thunder vs. Suns because the biggest live TV streaming service on the market is currently offering an incredible 21-day free trial, which is long enough to allow you to watch the first few rounds of the NBA Playoffs without having to pay a penny.
Then, after the three-week trial is over, you can get your next two months for just $60 per month, which is 28% off the normal total of $83 monthly. Now, keep in mind that it does not appear to be available to all customers. So, it is definitely worth investigating, especially since YouTube TV carries all of the channels covering the tournament in its base package, as well as local channels in nearly every market. But realize that the free trial period offered to you could be considerably shorter than a full three weeks.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 60 channels for $82.99/month. This plan includes local channels 32 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs) in select markets. The base plan includes more than 100 live channels, including major broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, as well as popular cable channels such as ESPN, CNN, FX, USA Network, and TNT. Local channels are included in most markets, making YouTube TV a full replacement for traditional cable for many viewers.
If you try the YouTube TV, but aren’t satisfied with your free-trial offer, then Sling TV might be a better fit. Its Orange package includes ESPN and ESPN2, which will cover nearly all of the remaining games in the women’s tournament. The Orange plan starts at $46 per month normally, but with a limited-time discount, you can get it 50% off for one month, lowering the price to $23. Then, the Sports Extra will cost another $11, bringing your total up to $34, the cheapest option to stream the tournament.
The one downside to this option is that Sling does not carry ABC in every market across the country. And since the national network will broadcast the entirety of the NBA Finals, it will be important that you confirm ABC is available in your area before signing up.
In what markets does Sling TV provide ABC?
| ABC market | Channel call sign |
|---|---|
| Chicago | WLS |
| Fresno | KFSN |
| Houston | KTRK |
| Los Angeles | KABC |
| New York | WABC |
| Philadelphia | WPVI |
| Raleigh-Durham | WTVD |
| San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose | KGO |
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 Thunder vs. Suns 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. DIRECTV, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV all offer free trials, but they vary in length, so be wary. DIRECTV’s industry-leading trial runs for five days, while Hulu + Live TV’s is a solid three days.
The YouTube TV trial is a bit more difficult to nail down. The world’s largest live streamer is currently advertising a 21-day free trial, but our investigating indicates that it is not available to all users, and that some consumers only get an offer of two free days. So it is difficult to ascertain what you are actually getting before you go through the signup process. But for three free weeks of service, it is probably worth jumping through a few hoops.
So, if you are looking to watch the game and as much of the playoffs for free as possible, I would recommend giving YouTube a shot, and see if you can capitalize on its three-week free trial offer.
| 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 | - | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
Watch a preview of Thunder vs. Suns
What are all of the streamers you can use to watch the Thunder vs. Suns game?
Fortunately for sports fans, numerous different streaming services will stream the game, so you have options to choose from if you don’t already subscribe to any of them. We discussed Sling TV and the free trial options above, but there is one more, and it offers a different type of streaming arrangement.
In addition to the live TV streaming options, since the game is being broadcast on a channel that is part of the ESPN family of networks, there is one more choice. ESPN Unlimited can be used to stream all the NBA and NHL Playoffs games appearing on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 for $30 per month.
ESPN Unlimited
ESPN launched its highly anticipated direct-to-consumer streaming service on August 21, 2025. For the first time, this service gives sports fans access to its full lineup of linear channels without a traditional cable or satellite subscription.
How to watch Thunder vs. Suns 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 Sling TV 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