The NBA Playoffs have arrived and starting on Saturday, April 19 the quest for the Larry O’Brien Trophy picks up dramatically and becomes much more intense than the regular season.
Whether you are just looking to watch at home or if you want to get to the arena to see the action live, there are plenty of ways to see NBA playoff action as it happens.
Whether your team is already eliminated or just because you want to know what series are worth watching the most, check out a breakdown of the top five first round series of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
5 – Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks
The biggest surprise of the season for many was the Detroit Pistons, and they will face off with a team many expected to be here, the New York Knicks.
New York won the first regular season matchup between the two by 30 but then Detroit went on to take the next three games, winning two by 9 points and the other by 5.
| Game | When | Where | TV Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Saturday, April 19 at 6 p.m. EDT | Madison Square Garden in New York | ESPN |
| Game 2 | Monday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. EDT | Madison Square Garden in New York | TNT and truTV |
| Game 3 | Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m. EDT | Little Caesars Arena in Detroit | TNT and truTV |
| Game 4 | Sunday, April 27 at 1 p.m. EDT | Little Caesars Arena in Detroit | ABC |
| Game 5 (if necessary) | Tuesday, April 29 | Madison Square Garden in New York | TBD |
| Game 6 (if necessary) | Thursday, May 1 | Little Caesars Arena in Detroit | TBD |
| Game 7 (if necessary) | Saturday, May 3 | Madison Square Garden in New York | TBD |
Stream: DirecTV Stream (free trial); FuboTV (free trial); Sling TV; ESPN+; MAX
Tickets: StubHub; SeatGeek; VividSeats*
4 – Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets
These teams met up five times during the regular season thanks to a date in the NBA Cup quarterfinals. The Warriors took three of the five meetings, but all by single digits.
The youth of the Rockets might not be ready for playoff basketball the same way the veterans of Golden State are, but Houston did win 52 games this season and get to rest over the last few games while Golden State was in the Play-In.
| Game | When | Where | TV Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Sunday, April 20 at 9:30 p.m. EDT | Toyota Center in Houston | TNT and truTV |
| Game 2 | Wednesday, April 23 at 9:30 p.m. EDT | Toyota Center in Houston | TNT and truTV |
| Game 3 | Saturday, April 26 at 8:30 p.m. EDT | Chase Center in San Francisco | ABC |
| Game 4 | Monday, April 28 at 10 p.m. EDT | Chase Center in San Francisco | TNT and truTV |
| Game 5 (if necessary) | Wednesday, April 30 | Toyota Center in Houston | TBD |
| Game 6 (if necessary) | Friday, May 2 | Chase Center in San Francisco | TBD |
| Game 7 (if necessary) | Sunday, May 4 | Toyota Center in Houston | TBD |
Stream: DirecTV Stream (free trial); FuboTV (free trial); Sling TV; ESPN+; MAX
Tickets: StubHub; SeatGeek; VividSeats*
3 – Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers
These division rivals met up to start last year’s postseason and the Pacers walked away victorious. In the regular season, the Bucks took three of their four games while Indiana won its lone contest by 1 point thanks to a 4-point play in the final seconds.
The potential return of Damian Lillard to be paired with Giannis Antetokounmpo should add some intrigue to this series as Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam look to return to the Eastern Conference Finals.
| Game | When | Where | TV Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Saturday, April 19 at 1 p.m. EDT | Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis | ESPN |
| Game 2 | Tuesday, April 22 at 7 p.m. EDT | Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis | NBA TV |
| Game 3 | Friday, April 25 at 8 p.m. EDT | Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee | ESPNU and NBA TV |
| Game 4 | Sunday, April 27 at 9:30 p.m. EDT | Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee | TNT and truTV |
| Game 5 (if necessary) | Tuesday, April 29 | Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis | TBD |
| Game 6 (if necessary) | Friday, May 2 | Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee | TBD |
| Game 7 (if necessary) | Sunday, May 4 | Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis | TBD |
Stream: DirecTV Stream (free trial); FuboTV (free trial); Sling TV; ESPN+; MAX
Tickets: StubHub; SeatGeek; VividSeats*
2 – Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers
These teams split their season series with the home team taking each game. However, while the Lakers won their games by 7 and 9 points respectively, the Timberwolves had victories of 29 and 10.
The playoff series is sure to be much different than the regular season affairs thanks to Luka Doncic, who only played in the last game between the squads, which Los Angeles won. Minnesota will rely on its young star, Anthony Edwards, to go toe-to-toe with Doncic, who he faced off with in the Western Conference Finals last season.
| Game | When | Where | TV Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Saturday, April 19 at 8:30 p.m. EDT | crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles | ABC |
| Game 2 | Tuesday, April 22 at 10 p.m. EDT | crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles | TNT and truTV |
| Game 3 | Friday, April 25 at 9:30 p.m. EDT | Target Center in Minneapolis | ESPN |
| Game 4 | Sunday, April 27 at 3:30 p.m. EDT | Target Center in Minneapolis | ABC |
| Game 5 (if necessary) | Wednesday, April 30 | crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles | TBD |
| Game 6 (if necessary) | Friday, May 2 | Target Center in Minneapolis | TBD |
| Game 7 (if necessary) | Sunday, May 4 | crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles | TBD |
Stream: DirecTV Stream (free trial); FuboTV (free trial); Sling TV; ESPN+; MAX
Tickets: StubHub; SeatGeek; VividSeats*
1 – LA Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets
The regular season series between these squads was even at 2-2 even though because of the NBA Cup, they played three of the four games in Denver.
Nikola Jokic is going to be one of the top two finishers for MVP this season while James Harden and Kawhi Leonard have shown they still have enough in the tank for at least one more run.
| Game | When | Where | TV Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Saturday, April 19 at 3:30 p.m. EDT | Ball Arena in Denver | ESPN |
| Game 2 | Monday, April 21 at 10 p.m. EDT | Ball Arena in Denver | TNT and truTV |
| Game 3 | Thursday, April 24 | Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. | NBA TV |
| Game 4 | Saturday, April 26 at 6 p.m. EDT | Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. | TNT and truTV |
| Game 5 (if necessary) | Tuesday, April 29 | Ball Arena in Denver | TBD |
| Game 6 (if necessary) | Thursday, May 1 | Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. | TBD |
| Game 7 (if necessary) | Saturday, May 3 | Ball Arena in Denver | TBD |
Stream: DirecTV Stream (free trial); FuboTV (free trial); Sling TV; ESPN+; MAX
Tickets: StubHub; SeatGeek; VividSeats*
*New customers who purchase tickets through VividSeats can get $20 off a $200+ ticket order by using the promo code MassLive20 at checkout.*
If you need to travel outside your local area to get to this game, head over to TripAdvisor, VRBO, Marriott or Booking.com for deals on everything from car rentals to airfare to hotels.
Betting: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
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