The opening round of the 2024 NBA playoffs is in the books, and we’re now down to just eight remaining teams: the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks.
While the first round was certainly enticing, things are set to only get better from here. As each squad fights for a trip to the conference finals, you aren’t going to want to miss a single second.
Every game will be televised on either ABC, ESPN, TNT or NBA TV. Fortunately, if you don’t have cable or don’t have any of those channels, we’ve compiled several different ways you can watch a live stream of the playoffs, including both some free and cheap options.
The Best Way to Watch the NBA Playoffs Live Stream
Sling
It’s simple: Sling TV is the cheapest way to watch a live stream of every single NBA playoff game.
There are some free-trial options and cheap ways to watch specific games (more on all of those options below), but if you flat-out want a cable-free way to watch every single NBA playoff game, and you want to spend the least amount of money to do it, then Sling is the way to go.
The “Sling Orange” channel package includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 (which simulcasts every game on ABC), TNT and 28 other channels, while the “Sports Extra” add-on comes with NBA TV and another 19 channels. That will run you a total of $51 per month, and it will give you everything you need to watch the NBA playoffs. It’s as easy at that.
Is There a Free NBA Playoffs Live Stream?
Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends
If, at any point throughout the playoffs, you’re just looking to watch a single game, or a week’s worth of games, there are three different ways you can watch for free.
YouTube TV‘s “Base Plan” includes ABC (live in most markets), ESPN, TNT, NBA TV and 100-plus other channels. It’s only $58 per month for your first three months (which will cover the entirety of the playoffs), and then it goes up to $73 per month after that. However, it comes with a five-day free trial if you’re just looking to watch a couple of games at no cost.
Similarly, DirecTV Stream‘s “Choice” channel package includes ABC (live in most markets), ESPN, TNT, NBA TV and 125-plus other channels. It’s $99 per month for your first three months, but it also comes with a five-day free trial.
Finally, Fubo‘s “Pro” channel package will get you ABC (live in most markets), ESPN and 190-plus other channels, while the “Sports Lite” add-on comes with NBA TV and seven other channels. That’s a total of $90 per month ($80 for “Pro” and $10 for “Sports Lite”), and it doesn’t include TNT, but it does come with a seven-day free trial, so it’s a perfectly fine option if there’s a specific game on ABC, ESPN or NBA TV you want to watch.
Watch the NBA Playoffs Live Stream on Max
Max / Max
If you’re just looking for a way to watch the games on TNT, Max is perfect for that. It costs just $10 per month and includes all of those games. Technically, they’re a part of the B/R Sports add-on, which will eventually cost another $10 per month, but it’s currently being offered at no extra cost.
There’s nothing special you need to do to watch, either. Just sign up for Max, and the games will either be right there on the homepage of the website or the app, or they’ll be under the B/R Sports tab at the top.
This is also a nice option if you also want to watch some NHL playoffs, as you’ll also be able to watch any of those games that are televised on TNT or TBS.
How to Watch NBA Playoffs Live Stream from Abroad
Derek Malcolm / Digital Trends
A virtual private network (VPN) can hide your IP address and connect you to a digital server in the United States (or any available country of your choosing). This, in turn, lets you access location-restricted content from that country even if you’re physically located somewhere else.
As such, if you’re looking to watch the NBA playoffs from abroad, you can combine a VPN along with one of the aforementioned streaming services, and then you’ll be good to go.
Most VPN’s will work for solving this problem, but we would go with NordVPN, which doesn’t limit bandwidth speeds and has over 2,000 servers in the United State to choose from. That makes it one of the best VPN’s for live sports streaming, plus it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out risk-free.
If you want some other options, you can peruse our lists breaking down the best VPN services or the best VPN deals.
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