The Boston Celtics’ matchup with the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2024 NBA playoffs, which begins today, is the most dramatic moment of this year’s postseason. We’ve listed the top ways for basketball fans to watch the conference finals and other playoff games for free if they don’t already have cable. These are the top choices for streaming services that offer new users who want to avoid paying for cable free trials or special offers.
DirecTV Stream (free trial) offers almost all conference finals games live for free, while our best choice, Sling (only $15 for the first month), offers affordable access to the rest of the NBA playoffs and the NBA Finals.
Where can I watch 2024 Eastern Conference Finals games for free? What networks or TV channels are the NBA playoffs on?
ESPN/ABC and Turner Networks (TNT) will split the coverage of this year’s conference finals. ESPN and ABC will broadcast every Eastern Conference Finals game, while TNT and TruTV will broadcast every Western Conference Finals game concurrently. Starting on June 6, the NBA Finals, which will only be shown on ABC, will feature the victors of those series. Use the channel finders here to learn more about the channels those networks are on in your area: Comcast Xfinity, DIRECTV, Dish, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, and Optimum/Altice.
With an over-the-air HDTV antenna, you can watch every NBA Finals game that is televised locally on your ABC affiliate (channel finder above) for free. A reliable and highly regarded HDTV antenna may be bought on Amazon for about $20, and it ships fast with Prime if you need one right away. Get a free trial of Prime if you don’t already have a membership. Once your TV’s antenna is configured, you may watch the NBA Finals and any other significant events that air on ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, The CW, and other networks.
Where can I stream the NBA playoffs live for free without cable? Which service is best?
Sling is the greatest way to watch the remaining 2024 NBA playoffs; you’ll need to choose the Sling Orange package, which will only cost you $15 to view every game. Sling has the cheapest streaming package overall (usually $40/month), and they are currently offering $25 off your first month. There are just two ways to watch the 2024 NBA Finals if you choose this path. To access ABC through your local broadcast affiliate, you will either need to buy an HDTV antenna if you don’t already have one. Alternatively, you may use the Watch ESPN app on your phone, TV, or other streaming device to watch every NBA playoff game that ABC broadcasts. All NBA Finals games and all postseason games that ABC broadcasts will be simulcast on ESPN3, which you can access using your Sling login credentials.
Another excellent choice for a streaming service is DirecTV Stream, which offers a free trial before you choose to sign up for a full month. All of the remaining playoff games are included in the Entertainment plan, which costs $79.99/month once the free trial ends. Nevertheless, the cost is significantly more than that of Sling. Before deciding on a service, DirecTV Stream is a wonderful way to test out cord-cutting options. It offers a five-day free trial. With this choice, you can watch a minimum of a couple conference finals games for free before determining whether it’s worthwhile to purchase a month’s worth of access to watch the remaining playoff games.
We advise you to choose Sling. If you intend to acquire access to a streaming service for the remainder of the NBA playoffs, Sling is far less expensive than DirecTV Stream, even if you consider purchasing an HDTV antenna.
What is the 2024 NBA playoffs schedule of games?
Round 1 of the NBA playoffs got underway on Saturday, April 20, and the second round concluded on Sunday, May 19. The whole schedule for the remainder of the postseason is shown here.
Conference finals: Tuesday, May 21, marks the start of the Eastern Conference Finals, while Wednesday, May 22, marks the start of the Western Conference Finals. Here is a glance at the Eastern schedule:
The Boston Celtics, the top seed, will play the Indiana Pacers, the sixth seed.
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Game 1:
Pacers at Celtics, 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 21 (ESPN)
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Game 2:
Pacers at Celtics, 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 23 (ESPN)
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Game 3:
Celtics at Pacers, 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 25 (ABC)
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Game 4:
Celtics at Pacers, 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on Monday, May 27 (ESPN)
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*Game 5:
Pacers at Celtics, 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 29 (ESPN)
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*Game 6:
Celtics at Pacers, 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on Friday, May 31 (ESPN)
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*Game 7:
Pacers at Celtics on Sunday, 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 2 (ESPN)
*If required
The NBA Finals in 2024
Beginning on Monday, June 6, the playoffs’ final series will begin. Here is the complete schedule for the NBA Finals, which will all be televised live on ABC.
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Thursday, June 6:
Game 1
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Sunday, June 9:
Game 2
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Wednesday, June 12:
Game 3
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Friday, June 14:
Game 4
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Monday, June 17:
Game 5 (if necessary)
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Thursday, June 20:
Game 6 (if necessary)
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Sunday, June 23:
Game 7 (if necessary)
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