NBA Playoffs 2025: TV Schedule, Current Series Standings, How to Watch Today’s Games
The Boston Celtics have begun their title defense in search of the franchise’s 19th NBA championship. They entered the NBA playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the East and are currently dominating the No. 7 Orlando Magic, 3 games to 1 in the first round. The fourth (and maybe final) game of that series tips off on Tuesday, April 29. The No. 1 seed in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Western conference champions the Oklahoma City Thunder have both already clinched spots in the semifinals; each team swept their respective series in four.
The Thunder’s top scorer, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who led the league with 32.7 points a game, is a likely MVP candidate, though he faces stiff competition from Nikola Jokić, who could easily earn his fourth MVP in the last five years. The Denver Nuggets center became just the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double for the season, finishing third in scoring (29.6 points per game) and rebounds (12.7 per game) and second in assists (10.2 per game). The Nuggets’ series against the LA Clippers is currently tied 2-2. Game 5, airing tonight on TNT, will see one of the teams gain an advantage.
Luka Dončić, LeBron James and the LA Lakers — the three Ls — are the No. 3 seed in the West and are battling Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. Despite the Lakers’ star power, they’ve racked up, well, three Ls. The Timberwolves hold a 3-1 advantage heading into Game 5 on Wednesday.
Last night also saw a stellar performance from Playoff Jimmy Butler, who has been true to his nickname during the postseason. He scored 27 points for the Golden State Warriors and led that team to a win against the Houston Rockets. The Warriors lead that series 3-1, with their next game on Wednesday night.
With some series already over and others still in full swing, the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs are certainly keeping things interesting. Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the NBA playoffs.
Luka Dončić and LeBron James have the Los Angeles Lakers positioned as the No. 3 seed in the West for the 2025 NBA playoffs.
What is the NBA playoffs schedule for today?
Here is the schedule for today’s games and through the weekend (all times ET):
Tuesday, April 29
- Game 5: Magic at Celtics, 8:30 p.m. on NBA TV
- Game 5: Pistons at Knicks, 7:30 p.m. on TNT, TruTV and Max
- Game 5: Bucks at Pacers, 6 p.m. on NBA TV
- Game 5: Clippers at Nuggets, 10 p.m. on TNT, TruTV and Max
Wednesday, April 30
- Game 5 (if necessary): Heat at Cavaliers, 7 p.m. on NBA TV
- Game 5: Warriors at Rockets, 7:30 p.m. on TNT, TruTV and Max
- Game 5: Timberwolves at Lakers, 10 p.m. on TNT, TruTV and Max
Thursday, May 1
- Game 6 (if necessary): Celtics at Magic, TBD
- Game 6 (if necessary): Knicks at Pistons, TBD
- Game 6: Nuggets at Clippers, TBD
Friday, May 2
- Game 6 (if necessary): Cavaliers at Heat, TBD
- Game 6 (if necessary): Pacers at Bucks, TBD
- Game 6 (if necessary): Rockets at Warriors, TBD
- Game 6 (if necessary): Lakers at Timberwolves, TBD
Saturday, May 3
- Game 7 (if necessary): Magic at Celtics, TBD
- Game 7 (if necessary): Pistons at Knicks, TBD
- Game 7 (if necessary): Clippers at Nuggets, TBD
Sunday, May 4
- Game 7 (if necessary): Heat at Cavaliers, TBD
- Game 7 (if necessary): Bucks at Pacers, TBD
- Game 7 (if necessary): Lakers at Timberwolves, TBD
- Game 7(if necessary): Warriors at Rockets, TBD
What does the NBA playoff bracket look like?
The Cleveland Cavaliers edged the Boston Celtics for the top spot in the East, and the Oklahoma City Thunder ran away with the top seed in the West. Here’s what the matchups look like for the 2025 NBA Playoffs and where each series stands heading into their remaining first-round games:
Eastern Conference
- No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 8 Heat (Cavs win series 4-0)
- No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Orlando Magic (Celtics lead series 3-1)
- No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Detroit Pistons (Knicks lead series 3-1)
- No. 4 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks (Pacers lead series 3-1)
Western Conference
- No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 Grizzlies (Thunder win series 4-0)
- No. 2 Houston Rockets vs. No. 7 Golden State Warriors (Warriors lead series 3-1)
- No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves (Timberwolves lead series 3-1)
- No. 4 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers (series tied 2-2)
How to watch the NBA playoffs
The NBA playoffs will be shown across ABC, ESPN, TNT/TruTV and NBA TV. You can watch the games with a cable subscription or a live TV streaming service.
Three of the five major services offer all four channels. Hulu with Live TV lacks NBA TV, which will show only a handful of playoff games. Fubo lacks TNT, which shows a big portion of the NBA playoffs, making Fubo a poor choice for hoops fans. You can also watch the TNT/TruTV broadcasts of playoff games with Max.
YouTube TV costs $83 per month and includes all four channels needed to watch every game of the NBA playoffs. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.
DirecTV Stream’s $90-per-month Choice plan includes ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV. You can use its channel lookup tool to see if ABC is available where you live. If you are willing to skip the handful of games on NBA TV, you can get the other three channels with DirecTV Stream’s basic $80-per-month Entertainment package.
Hulu with Live TV costs $83 per month and includes ABC, ESPN and TNT. It’s the only service that doesn’t offer NBA TV, even as part of an add-on package. Click the “View channels in your area” link on its welcome page to see which local channels are offered in your ZIP code.
You need the $17-a-month Standard plan to watch live sports on Max. (Either that or the $21-a-month Premium plan that adds 4K streaming.) Max will show the TNT/TruTV broadcasts for the NBA playoffs. With just Max, however, you’ll miss games on ESPN, ABC and NBA TV.
All the live TV streaming services above allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.