Why You Can Trust CNET NBA Playoffs 2024: How to Watch Heat vs. Celtics, Mavericks vs. Clippers Tonight
The first round of the NBA playoffs continues with two Game 5s on Wednesday. Here's everything you need to know to watch tonight's games and the rest of the playoffs without cable.
The Boston Celtics won Games 3 and 4 in Miami to set up an elimination game on their home court tonight. They can knock out the Heat in five games but will be without center Kristaps Porziņģis, who will miss several games after leaving Game 4 with a calf injury. The Celtics and Heat tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET tonight.
The first-round series between the Dallas Mavericks and LA Clippers is knotted at two games apiece with Game 5 in Dallas tonight scheduled for a 10 p.m. ET start. Injuries could play a big role for this pivotal Game 5. For the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard will miss tonight's game with a knee injury, while Mavs star Luka Dončić is expected to play despite a knee sprain.
Tonight's games will be shown on TNT. Here's everything you need to know to watch or stream the games today and the rest of the NBA playoffs.
Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics host the Miami Heat on Wednesday for Game 5 of their first-round series of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
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):
Wednesday, May 1
- Game 5: Heat vs. Celtics, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
- Game 5: Mavericks vs. Clippers, 10 p.m. on TNT
Thursday, May 2
- Game 6: Knicks vs. 76ers, 6:30 p.m. on TNT
- Game 6*: Bucks vs. Pacers, 9 p.m. on TNT
Friday, May 3
- Game 5: Cavaliers vs. Magic, TBD
- Game 6*: Celtics vs. Heat, 7 p.m. on ESPN
- Game 6: Clippers vs. Mavericks, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
*If necessary.
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 lead series 3-1)
- No. 2 New York Knicks vs. No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers (Knicks lead series 3-2)
- No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 6 Indiana Pacers (Pacers lead series 3-2)
- No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic (Cavs lead series 3-2)
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 (series tied 2-2)
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.