NBA Playoffs TV Schedule

Below, find the NBA playoff schedule broken down by series. For the schedule broken down by day, return to page one.

NBA Playoffs schedule by series

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2026 NBA Finals

#3 New York Knicks vs. #2 San Antonio Spurs

Game 5at 2San Antonio Spurs

Sat., 6/138:30 pm

ABC, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Unlimited | TSN2, CTV2, RDS2, Crave

Game 6 - if necessaryat 3New York Knicks

Tue., 6/168:30 pm

ABC, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Unlimited | SN, SN+, RDS2

Game 7 - if necessaryat 2San Antonio Spurs

Fri., 6/198:30 pm

ABC, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Unlimited | TSN3, RDS2

No more upcoming games to show.

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Comments 266

Wanda C. says:

3 years ago

I believe that the NBA really sucks for not broadcasting the finals on regular TV. We should not have to stream or purchase just to watch NBA most people cannot afford these days to pay to watch basketball games and deciding basketball game food or medicine what happened to when all games were broadcasted on the regular channels 2579 32 even I think that they are becoming money hungry and forgetting about the regular folks who are actual fans of the game.
True Fan

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- DW says:
  
  3 years ago
  
  I understand. Funny thing is now I have a smart TV with most channels with NBA games and no longer have local TV
  
  Reply
  - Rocj says:
    
    1 year ago
    
    Can you tell me how that works?
    
    Reply
- Adauto L. Duron says:
  
  2 months ago
  
  You are absolutely right; this is a complete disrespect of the fans that supported the teams all year long. All due to GREED!!
  
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- Sue Jaske says:
  
  4 weeks ago
  
  I agree
  
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- BarryB says:
  
  2 weeks ago
  
  I believe all the games in the finals are on ABC but can also be streamed on ESPN Unlimited. That’s different from the earlier rounds which were mostly shown on cable/streaming channels except for some weekend games on ABC.
  
  Reply
Wyatt Smith says:

3 years ago

Hey Paulson I am wondering a bit on this question: any idea why ABC only aired 1 game in the conference finals instead of at least 2 or 3 this season? (Like ABC’s Sunday, Monday and Wednesday schedules is mainly comprised of repeats when the network could air them, even the potential game 7 is on a Sunday night with no original programming on the network, (plus why no Sunday night baseball games on ABC either, why repeats in primetime when you could of put sports in the block?)

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Wyatt Smith says:

3 years ago

Hey Paulson just wondering on this if both conference finals end up a sweep is there a possible move up date for the NBA finals prior to 6/1? (Like if the series end today and tomorrow respectively that is a 9 day gap between the 2 series) so what will happen then if they move up?

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- Jon Lewis says:
  
  3 years ago
  
  No move-up date for NBA Finals
  
  Reply
Wyatt says:

4 years ago

Any idea why is TSN/Sportsnet not doing any of the NBA playoffs like they have been in the past like 1 year they aired the finals so why isn’t those telecasts listed on here?

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- Robert Pisciotti says:
  
  2 months ago
  
  1st round will not be carried on local tv .. this is the first season that the 1st round will not be carried locally ..
  
  Reply
Roy Chong-Kit says:

4 years ago

Per NBA.com, the Memorial Day potential WCF game 7 starts earlier at 8 PM ET

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- Wyatt says:
  
  4 years ago
  
  That is what futon critic says too source: http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/nba-special/listings/
  
  Reply
Wyatt says:

4 years ago

I thought about this about the game 7’s why is TNT automatically getting both game 7’s of their conference final it is airing? Since it is kind of unbalanced that if both game 7’s occur on ESPNs side then TNT gets 1 of the games so my opinion on this is why can’t ABC get a 1 pm et window that week if both came 7’s occur and use the 3:30 pm et if only 1 game is remaining?

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Nate Johnson says:

4 years ago

I’m assuming Tuesday undecided game on TNT or NBATV all falls on if the winner of tonight’s Hornets/Hawks defeat the Cavs on Friday. Both teams playing tonight has All-Star PGs that will bring help market a matchup vs top seeded Heat than the Cavs would at their current stage. To those that are above casual NBA fans, I know that the Cavs has a All-Star PG in Darius Garland, but there are casual/below casual NBA fans who wouldnt be able to identify him vs. Ball or Young.

Some may ask why not just concrete Ja Morant Grizzlies on TNT and leave the Heat matchup on NBATV regardless of opponent? I can understand that case, but I must say it’s important for LaMelo Ball to get his recognition if the Hornets make the playoffs. Ball never played for a prestige collegiate program like his oldest brother, obviously didn’t play in March Madness, he hasnt played on a noticeable pro team, and also in the playoffs which has him in a disadvantage vs Trae Young and Ja Morant. So got to cash that in while you can if you’re the NBA to help market another young star. If Hawks plays as an 8-seed, we have a 8 over 1 upset possibility. So as much as I want Morant to get his acknowledgment on a organization like the Grizzlies, NBA has better options for that day and time slot.

Final point, I hope the play-in format going forward follows the 2021 than 2022. I get it that the networks probably believe it’s fair to diversify conference matchup and not leave one network with a bad hand and the other not (TNT had bad play-in matchups in 2021, while ESPN had the pot of gold), but my issue is there being no game on Thursday. I believe that’s a first Thursday non-basketball game on National TV since a week after Chiefs/Bolts TNF on FOX which was the network’s programming finale. That’s a short period of time compared to years prior.

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Nate Johnson says:

4 years ago

My quick takeaways from the 2022 NBA Playoffs schedule is that if indeed a game tips off 5 Eastern on April 17th on TNT while a game is in progress on ABC from a 3 Eastern tip, it would not make me be a happy camper because while TNT having 3 consecutive games as a Triple Header would be unique, I am no fan of a match-up in the playoffs on a Saturday or Sunday tipping off while another matchup would be at the early part of the 4th Quarter. That is how that case would be and it’s all so the 7:30 AND 10PM Eastern time can maintain the consistent time Primetime DH. For the record, I have no issue with that, I just don’t like the reason they created it believing the tip times hurt the ratings once LeBron went West which added to the Warriors being drawing teams all located in the same time zone. The bigger issue was that the East was going through a reset. They could’ve maintained the 8 and 10:30 Eastern DH on certain nights (I believe they did once last year in the playoffs when Nuggets/Blazers and Suns/Lakers was a rare Pacific Time DH). If I’m not mistaken the Suns/Lakers delivered well in the ratings as a 10:30 Eastern tip start.

I am rooting for at least three Game sixes on April 29th! Yes, I always root for an ESPNEWS game. But everyone should relax. If it comes to that point, NBATV will simulcast the ESPNEWS game.

I like the 2 games on ABC on the Saturday before Mother’s Day. I saw that the reason was because of a F1 race here in the United States (No Brainer. Got to take advantage of that) and also NHL duties on ABC Mother’s Day. I have no issue with an NBA Sunday playoff game on cable (did however wish it would’ve been on TNT, but I saw that will be on ESPN. Totally understandable). Fun fact, last time a Sunday pre-Conference Final round NBA Playoff game was on cable was Game 6 Clippers/Nuggets at the Bubble against NFL Week 1 action.

Two Conference Final games on ABC is something I am proud to see. I believe the only other time two Conference Finals were telecast on ABC was 2005 Spurs/Suns and 2007 Jazz/Spurs. Normally that’s probably not the best news on ESPN/ABC because that means the conference they were showing the finals for had a non-Game 7 Conference-Semis. This time around it doesn’t matter. However, wouldn’t it be interesting for an Eastern Conference Finals to have 3 of its first 4 games on ABC? I believe it’s possible that could happen unless the Celtics/Bucks play in the 2nd round. I could see that go 7.

Still no fan of the NBA schedule. I must say that Dallas, OKC, and San Antonio winning Western Conference Finals from 2011-13 really screwed it all up. It gave the NBA a reason to get away from the 2-3-2 format. Honestly, the 2-2-1-1-1 format wasn’t bad until media members was crying over travel. That can easily be solved with a 2-3-2 format. Those extra 3 days from how the schedule was in 2014 are felt after seeing the first three rounds end in under 2 weeks or exactly 2 weeks.

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- Wyatt says:
  
  4 years ago
  
  Well here’s the part I am not very understandable in the playoff schedule why can’t ABC either take a 1 pm/2:30 pm et start so that games don’t overlap or even TNT take a 1 pm et like they did in previous years?
  
  Reply
  - Nate Johnson says:
    
    4 years ago
    
    A bit late, but thankfully TNT at the 1PM Eastern start this Sunday
    
    Reply
Josh says:

5 years ago

I was wondering if NBA Western Conference final began on Tuesday, was 4th of July a off day was that intended Game 7.

I remember seeing a schedule of 1997 NBA Conference Finals that in print said, if The East finals end in fewer than 6 games West finals move up a day.

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- Paulsen says:
  
  5 years ago
  
  4th of July would have been Game 7. As for the 1990s — I believe Sonics-Jazz Game 7 in ’96 was pushed from Saturday to Sunday because Bulls-Magic ended early, though I might be misremembering.
  
  Reply
  - Paulsen says:
    
    5 years ago
    
    Just confirming this was true in ’96 (via Chicago Tribune): “Sonics coach George Karl said the extra day off–the NBA switched the game to Sunday from Saturday as originally scheduled since the Bulls series was over–gave his team a chance to relax and forget about getting blown out in Utah in Game 6.”
    
    Reply
Jaiden Virani says:

5 years ago

Hey Paulsen, for Sunday (Father’s Day), either Clippers–Jazz Game 7 (The End?) of the Western Conference Semifinals or Clippers–Suns Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals (will be streamed on FANDOM worldwide) will be at 3:30 pm et on ABC in the USA, and on Sportsnet One in Canada! And The 2021 NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV will run from July 8 to July 22!

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Jaiden Virani says:

5 years ago

Hey Paulsen, the NBA Lottery Draft will be held on June 22 at 8:30 pm et on ESPN in the USA and on TSN1/4 in Canada!

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Wyatt says:

5 years ago

Hey is this updated nuggets series is over which makes jazz vs cilpers is set for sunday (6/20) at 3:30 p.m..e.t. On abc and 76ers vs hawks are likely set for 7 p.m. e.t. on tnt (all this is the best prediction on matchups and times) Saturday’s game is likely set for 8:30 p.m. e.t.

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Jaiden Virani says:

6 years ago

Hey Paulsen, for Tuesday, Celtics–Raptors Game 2 will be at 5:30pm et on ESPN where Raptors will try to even the series at one apiece, and if Jazz win today, then Jazz–Clippers Game 1 will be at 8:30 pm et on ABC, but if Nuggets win today however, then Jazz–Nuggets Game 7 will be at 8:30 pm et on ABC!

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Jaiden Virani says:

6 years ago

Hey Paulsen, for today, Nuggets–Jazz Game 6, Celtics–Raptors Game 1, and Clippers–Mavericks Game 6 were all postponed due to the NBA meeting! It was decided that the playoffs might resume tomorrow! These games will all be rescheduled at a later date!

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NBA Playoffs TV Schedule

NBA Playoffs schedule by series

2026 NBA Finals

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