Are the Cavaliers and Thunder destined to meet in the NBA Finals?
Oklahoma City was the most impressive team during the 2024-25 regular season, building a massive lead in the Western Conference standings and cruising to the No. 1 seed. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander established himself as the frontrunner for the MVP award and is expected to carry the offensive load for the Thunder in the NBA Playoffs.
Cleveland made a huge year-to-year jump from No. 4 to No. 1 in the Eastern Conference standings, winning more than 60 games for the third time in franchise history. The Cavs have a formidable backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland and frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, so they will be a tough matchup for any team looking to win the title.
While the Cavaliers and Thunder have been dominant, you simply can’t rule out other top contenders, especially the Celtics, who are prepared to defend their championship. That’s what makes this postseason bracket so intriguing.
Here is everything you need to know about watching the 2025 NBA Playoffs, including TV and streaming information for each game.
NBA Playoffs 2025: TV channels, live streams
- TV channels: ABC, ESPN, NBA TV, TNT (U.S.) | Sportsnet, TSN (Canada)
- Live streams: Sling (U.S.) | Sportsnet+, TSN+ (Canada)
NBA Playoff games will air on ABC, ESPN, NBA TV and TNT in the U.S. The 2025 NBA Finals will air exclusively on ABC. Postseason games can also be streamed on Sling.
Sling is the home for sports fans, as it offers a wide range of channels. You can always cheer for your favorite teams with channels like ESPN, TBS, TNT, NFL Network, FS1 and more.
Viewers in Canada can watch NBA Playoff games on Sportsnet and TSN. Cord-cutters can stream games on Sportsnet+ and TSN+.
NBA Playoffs 2025: Updated schedule for every round of postseason games
Eastern Conference Finals
(3) Knicks vs. (4) Pacers
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 21 | Game 1 at New York | 8 p.m. | TNT, Sling |
| May 23 | Game 2 at New York | 8 p.m. | TNT, Sling |
| May 25 | Game 3 at Indiana | 8 p.m. | TNT, Sling |
| May 27 | Game 4 at Indiana | 8 p.m. | TNT, Sling |
| May 29 | Game 5* at New York | 8 p.m. | TNT, Sling |
| May 31 | Game 6* at Indiana | 8 p.m. | TNT, Sling |
| June 2 | Game 7* at New York | 8 p.m. | TNT, Sling |
*If necessary
Western Conference Finals
(1) Thunder/(4) Nuggets vs. (6) Timberwolves
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 20 | Game 1 at OKC/Denver | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN, Sling |
| May 22 | Game 2 at OKC/Denver | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN, Sling |
| May 24 | Game 3 at Minnesota | 8:30 p.m. | ABC, Sling |
| May 26 | Game 4 at Minnesota | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN, Sling |
| May 28 | Game 5 at OKC/Denver* | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN, Sling |
| May 30 | Game 6 at Minnesota* | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN, Sling |
| June 1 | Game 7 at OKC/Denver* | 8 p.m. | ESPN, Sling |
*If necessary
Eastern Conference semifinals
(1) Cavaliers vs. (4) Pacers — Indiana wins 4-1
| Date | Scores |
| May 4 | Game 1: Pacers 121, Cavaliers 112 |
| May 6 | Game 2: Pacers 120, Cavaliers 119 |
| May 9 | Game 3: Cavaliers 126, Pacers 104 |
| May 11 | Game 4: Pacers 129, Cavaliers 109 |
| May 13 | Game 5: Pacers 114, Cavaliers 105 |
(2) Celtics vs. (3) Knicks — New York wins 4-2
| Date | Scores |
| May 5 | Game 1: Knicks 108, Celtics 105 (OT) |
| May 7 | Game 2: Knicks 91, Celtics 90 |
| May 10 | Game 3: Celtics 115, Knicks 93 |
| May 12 | Game 4: Knicks 121, Celtics 113 |
| May 14 | Game 5: Celtics 127, Knicks 102 |
| May 16 | Game 6: Knicks 119, Celtics 81 |
Western Conference semifinals
(1) Thunder vs. (4) Nuggets — Tied 3-3
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
| May 5 | Game 1: Nuggets 121, Thunder 119 | — | — |
| May 7 | Game 2: Thunder 149, Nuggets 106 | — | — |
| May 9 | Game 3: Nuggets 113, Thunder 104 (OT) | — | — |
| May 11 | Game 4: Thunder 92, Nuggets 87 | — | — |
| May 13 | Game 5: Thunder 112, Nuggets 105 | — | — |
| May 15 | Game 6: Nuggets 119, Thunder 107 | — | — |
| May 18 | Game 7 at Thunder | 3:30 p.m. | ABC, Sling, TSN |
*If necessary
(6) Timberwolves vs. (7) Warriors — Minnesota wins 4-1
| Date | Scores |
| May 6 | Game 1: Warriors 99, Timberwolves 88 |
| May 8 | Game 2: Timberwolves 117, Warriors 93 |
| May 10 | Game 3: Timberwolves 102, Warriors 97 |
| May 12 | Game 4: Timberwolves 117, Warriors 110 |
| May 14 | Game 5: Timberwolves 121, Warriors 110 |
Eastern Conference first round
(1) Cavaliers vs. (8) Heat — Cleveland wins 4-0
| Date | Scores |
| April 20 | Game 1: Cavaliers 121, Heat 100 |
| April 23 | Game 2: Cavaliers 121, Heat 112 |
| April 26 | Game 3: Cavaliers 124, Heat 87 |
| April 28 | Game 4: Cavaliers 138, Heat 83 |
(2) Celtics vs. (7) Magic — Boston wins 4-1
| Date | Scores |
| April 20 | Game 1: Celtics 103, Magic 86 |
| April 23 | Game 2: Celtics 109, Magic 100 |
| April 25 | Game 3: Magic 95, Celtics 93 |
| April 27 | Game 4: Celtics 107, Magic 98 |
| April 29 | Game 5: Celtics 120, Magic 89 |
(3) Knicks vs. (6) Pistons — New York wins 4-2
| Date | Scores |
| April 19 | Game 1: Knicks 123, Pistons 112 |
| April 21 | Game 2: Pistons 100, Knicks 94 |
| April 24 | Game 3: Knicks 118, Pistons 116 |
| April 27 | Game 4: Knicks 94, Pistons 93 |
| April 29 | Game 5: Pistons 106, Knicks 103 |
| May 1 | Game 6: Knicks 116, Pistons 113 |
(4) Pacers vs. (5) Bucks — Indiana wins 4-1
| Date | Scores |
| April 19 | Game 1: Pacers 117, Bucks 98 |
| April 22 | Game 2: Pacers 123, Bucks 115 |
| April 25 | Game 3: Bucks 117, Pacers 101 |
| April 27 | Game 4: Pacers 129, Bucks 103 |
| April 29 | Game 5: Pacers 119, Bucks 118 (OT) |
Western Conference first round
(1) Thunder vs. (8) Grizzlies — Oklahoma City wins 4-0
| Date | Scores |
| April 20 | Game 1: Thunder 131, Grizzlies 80 |
| April 22 | Game 2: Thunder 118, Grizzlies 99 |
| April 24 | Game 3: Thunder 114, Grizzlies 108 |
| April 26 | Game 4: Thunder 117, Grizzlies 115 |
(2) Rockets vs. (7) Warriors — Golden State wins 4-3
| Date | Scores |
| April 20 | Game 1: Warriors 95, Rockets 85 |
| April 23 | Game 2: Rockets 109, Warriors 94 |
| April 26 | Game 3: Warriors 104, Rockets 93 |
| April 28 | Game 4: Warriors 109, Rockets 106 |
| April 30 | Game 5: Rockets 131, Warriors 116 |
| May 2 | Game 6: Rockets 115, Warriors 107 |
| May 4 | Game 7: Warriors 103, Rockets 89 |
(3) Lakers vs. (6) Timberwolves — Minnesota wins 4-1
| Date | Scores |
| April 19 | Game 1: Timberwolves 117, Lakers 95 |
| April 22 | Game 2: Lakers 94, Timberwolves 85 |
| April 25 | Game 3: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 104 |
| April 27 | Game 4: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 113 |
| April 30 | Game 5: Timberwolves 103, Lakers 96 |
(4) Nuggets vs. (5) Clippers — Denver wins 4-3
| Date | Scores |
| April 19 | Game 1: Nuggets 112, Clippers 110 (OT) |
| April 21 | Game 2: Clippers 105, Nuggets 102 |
| April 24 | Game 3: Clippers 117, Nuggets 83 |
| April 26 | Game 4: Nuggets 101, Clippers 99 |
| April 29 | Game 5: Nuggets 131, Clippers 115 |
| May 1 | Game 6: Clippers 111, Nuggets 105 |
| May 3 | Game 7: Nuggets 120, Clippers 101 |
NBA Play-In Tournament
Eastern Conference
| Date | Scores |
| April 15 | Magic 120, Hawks 95 |
| April 16 | Heat 109, Bulls 90 |
| April 18 | Heat 123, Hawks 114 (OT) |
Western Conference
| Date | Scores |
| April 15 | Warriors 121, Grizzlies 116 |
| April 16 | Mavericks 120, Kings 106 |
| April 18 | Grizzlies 120, Mavericks 106 |
NBA Playoffs schedule 2025
- Play-In Tournament: April 15-18
- First round begins: April 19
- Conference semifinals: May 5-6 (possible move up to May 3-4)
- Conference finals: May 20-21 (possible move up to May 18-19)
- NBA Finals: June 5-June 22 (if necessary)
The 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament will begin on Tuesday, April 15. The first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs will start four days later on Saturday, April 19.
The next two rounds of the postseason will be held in May, and Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals will be played on Thursday, June 5.
NBA Playoffs radio station 2025
You can listen to every NBA Playoff game live on SiriusXM. Channels for postseason games are listed on the SiriusXM website.
Get SiriusXM for free for your first four months. Listen to live NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL games, plus NASCAR, college sports and more. Stay updated with all the news and get all the analysis on multiple sport-specific channels.
NBA Playoffs bracket 2025
