Why You Can Trust CNET NBA Playoffs 2024: How to Watch Pacers vs. Knicks, Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Tonight on ESPN
Here's everything you need to know to watch today's NBA action and the rest of the playoffs, with or without cable.
After the Cavs knotted up their series with the Celtics and the Mavericks evened their series with Thunder, the NBA playoff action now switches back to the Knicks and Pacers and the Nuggets and Timberwolves. Both the Knicks and Timberwolves will look to expand their respective series leads to 3-0, while the Pacers and Nuggets are hoping that a venue change could help right their respective ships.
Tip-off for tonight's Knicks/Pacers game in Indiana is called for 7 p.m. ET, with the Nuggets/Timberwolves game from Minnesota set to follow at 9:30 p.m. ET. Both contests will air on ESPN.
Here's everything you need to know to watch or stream the games today and the rest of the NBA playoffs.
Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks will look to open up a 3-0 series lead on the Indiana Pacers on Friday.
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 airs 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):
Friday, May 10
- Game 3: Knicks vs. Pacers, 7 p.m. on ESPN (Knicks lead series 2-0)
- Game 3: Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN (Timberwolves lead 2-0)
Saturday, May 11
- Game 3: Thunder vs. Mavericks, 3:30 p.m. on ABC (Series tied 1-1)
- Game 3: Celtics vs. Cavaliers, 8:30 p.m. on ABC (Series tied 1-1)
Sunday, May 12
- Game 4: Knicks vs. Pacers, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
- Game 4: Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, 8 p.m. on TNT
Monday, May 13
- Game 4: Cavaliers vs. Celtics, 7 p.m. on TNT
- Game 4: Mavericks vs. Thunder, 9:30 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 second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs:
THE CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS ARE SET 👀
— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2024
The 2024 #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel continue Monday on TNT! pic.twitter.com/oNn1BVcVLm
YouTube TV costs $73 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.
Sling TV's Orange-and-Blue plan for $55 a month includes ABC, ESPN and TNT. The $15-a-month Sports Extra add-on package adds NBA TV. For games on ABC, you'll need to live in one of the few markets where Sling offers ABC.
DirecTV Stream's $109-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're 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 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.
The ad-supported plan for Max costs $10 per month and will show TNT broadcasts of NBA playoff games. With just Max, you'll miss games on ESPN, ABC and NBA TV.
Live sports on Max will soon require the $10-per-month B/R Sports add-on, but you won't need to shell out for it just yet. Warner Bros. Discovery is delaying charging customers for the add-on for now and includes it in the standard subscription.
All the live TV streaming services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.