The second round of the NBA playoffs begins today when the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets meet in Game 1. Both looked strong in round one. The stifling Timberwolves defense and superstar Anthony Edwards swept the Suns, while the defending champion Nuggets and 2-time MVP Nikola Jokic — who’s averaging nearly a triple-double in the playoffs — needed only five games to take care of the Lakers. Tipoff in Denver is scheduled for 7 p.m. on TNT and Max.
The first round isn’t quite over. Sunday NBA fans get to experience the first Game 7 of the 2024 playoffs when the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Orlando Magic. The Cavs have home-court advantage but star Donovan Mitchell, who scored 50 points in a Game 6 loss, will need some help to fend off a balanced Orlando attack led by forward Paolo Banchero. The deciding game is set for a 1 p.m. matinee on ABC.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the games today and the rest of the NBA playoffs.
Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves will take on the defending champion Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of their second-round series today.
How to watch the NBA playoffs
The NBA playoffs are being shown across four channels: ABC, ESPN, TNT 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 TNT broadcasts of playoff games with Max.
What is the playoff schedule for today?
Here’s the schedule for today’s games and the next few days (all times ET):
Saturday, May 4
- Game 1 (second round): Timberwolves vs. Nuggets, 7 p.m. on TNT
Sunday, May 5
- Game 7: Magic vs. Cavaliers, 1 p.m. on ABC
Monday, May 6
- Game 1 (second round): Pacers vs. Knicks, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
- Game 2 (second round): Timberwolves vs. Nuggets, 10 p.m. on TNT
What does the NBA playoff bracket look like?
The Boston Celtics earned the top spot in the East, and the Oklahoma City Thunder edged the defending champion Denver Nuggets for the top seed in the West. Here’s what the matchups look like for the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs:
Eastern Conference
- No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. No. 8 Miami Heat (Celtics won 4-1)
- No. 2 New York Knicks vs. No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers (Knicks won 4-2)
- No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 6 Indiana Pacers (Pacers won 4-2)
- No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic (series tied 3-3)
Western Conference
- No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans (Thunder won series 4-0)
- No. 2 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers (Nuggets won series 4-1)
- No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 6 Phoenix Suns (Timberwolves won series 4-0)
- No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas Mavericks (Mavericks won series 4-2)
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Hulu Plus Live TV costs $77 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.
