NBA Playoffs 2025: How to Watch Online and Livestream Basketball Without Cable
The 2025 NBA Playoffs are underway, with 16 of the best teams competing for the Larry O’Brien trophy. According to Rolling Stone, this year’s favorites are the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
At a Glance: How to Watch the NBA Playoffs
- Stream: DirecTV, Sling
- TV Channels: ESPN, ABC, TNT, NBA TV
- Dates: April 19-June 22 (latest)
The Play-In Tournament saw the Golden State Warriors and the Orlando Magic secure the No. 7 seeds, while the Grizzlies and Heat squeezed into the playoffs as No. 8 seeds. As reported by Rolling Stone, the NBA Playoffs are only available to watch on cable TV channels, but there are ways to livestream the tournament without cable.
How to Watch the NBA Playoffs Online
Coverage of the 2025 NBA Playoffs is primarily spread out across ESPN, ABC, and TNT, with a handful of games on NBA TV. To watch the NBA Playoffs online, you’ll need to get a live TV streaming service that carries all of those channels. Rolling Stone recommends two options: DirecTV and Sling TV.
DirecTV: Best Overall
DirecTV now offers packages that don’t require any hardware, but still deliver the same comprehensive live TV coverage you’d expect from the brand. As quoted in Rolling Stone, DirecTV’s "MySports" package carries 20+ top sports channels — including ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV for NBA Playoffs livestreams. This package costs $69.99 a month (less than similar packages) and starts with a five-day free trial.
Sling TV: Also Consider
Another great live TV streaming service you can use to watch the NBA Playoffs online is Sling. To get all four NBA Playoff channels with Sling (ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV), you’ll need the Orange + Blue package (starts at $66 a month) and the Sports Extra add-on ($15 a month). This brings the full cost to $81 a month. As noted by Rolling Stone, Sling does not currently offer a free trial, but you can get half off your first month of Orange + Blue.
NBA Playoffs Schedule, Bracket 2025
The 2025 NBA Playoffs start on April 19 and run through the NBA Finals. The Finals begin on June 5 and run as late as June 22, if a Game 7 is necessary. According to Rolling Stone, here is the schedule for the first round of the NBA Playoffs:
Eastern Conference
- (1) Cleveland vs. (8) TBD
- Game 1: Heat at Cavaliers — Sun. April 20, 7 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 2: Heat at Cavaliers — Wed. April 23, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV
- Game 3: Cavaliers at Heat — Sat. April 26, 1 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 4: Cavaliers at Heat — Mon. April 28, TBD
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- Game 5: Heat at Cavaliers — Wed. April 30, TBD
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- Game 6: Cavaliers at Heat — Fri. May 2, TBD
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- Game 7: Heat at Cavaliers — Sun. May 4, TBD
- (2) Boston vs. (7) Orlando
- Game 1: Magic at Celtics — Sun. April 20, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
- Game 2: Magic at Celtics — Wed. April 23, 7 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 3: Celtics at Magic — Fri. April 25, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 4: Celtics at Magic — Sun. April 27, 7 p.m. ET, TNT
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- Game 5: Magic at Celtics — Tue. April 29, TBD
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- Game 6: Celtics at Magic — Thu. May 1, TBD
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- Game 7: Magic at Celtics — Sat. May 3, TBD
Western Conference
- (1) Oklahoma City vs. (8) TBD
- Game 1: Grizzlies at Thunder — Sun. April 20, 1 p.m. ET, ABC
- Game 2: Grizzlies at Thunder — Tue. April 22, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 3: Thunder at Grizzlies — Thu. April 24, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
- Game 4: Thunder at Grizzlies — Sat. April 26, 3:30 p.m. ET, TNT
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- Game 5: Grizzlies at Thunder — Mon. April 28, TBD
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- Game 6: Thunder at Grizzlies — Thu. May 1, TBD
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- Game 7: Grizzlies at Thunder — Sat. May 3, TBD
For more information on how to watch the NBA Playoffs online, check out Rolling Stone’s full guide.
