2023 NBA Playoffs: Here Are All the Ways to Watch the Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics Game Without Cable

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The 2023 NBA Playoffs are heating up! For sports fans, there are plenty of affordable streaming options that offer NBA coverage live and on demand.

The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics will face off on Thursday (May 25) at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. ET on TNT. If necessary, game six will be held on Saturday.

The Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference championship last week. The Nuggets will take on the Eastern Championship winner in the 2023 NBA Finals.

Want to watch the action in person? You can find playoff tickets at StubHub, Vivid Seats, SeatGeek and Ticketmaster. Prices start as low as approximately $203, depending on the date.

Read on for details on how to watch playoff games without cable.

NBA Playoffs Schedule: How to Stream Games Online

If you’re a die-hard basketball fan, NBA League Pass is an obvious choice during the regular season but things change for the playoffs. League Pass lets subscribers access hundreds of live games and 24/7 access to news, highlights, studio shows and classic games from the archives starting at $14.99/month, however NBA Playoffs games typically air and stream on TNT, ESPN and ESPN platforms.

ESPN’s coverage began April 15 with NBA Countdown Presented by Chime ahead of the playoffs game. The special, which aired on ESPN, ESPN2 and steamed on the ESPN app, featured commentary from Mike Greenberg, Jalen Rose, Stephen A. Smith, Michael Wilbon, and Adrian Wojnarowski. Other games were broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+, ABC and the ESPN app.

Where can you watch TNT, ESPN and ABC without cable? You can stream those channels and other cable networks on platforms like DirecTV Stream, Fubo and Sling TV.

Most streamers offer a free trial or a discount at sign up, so you won’t necessarily have to pay out of pocket, depending on which platform you choose. To make shopping a little easier, we collected a short list of some of the more affordable options and what they offer.

DirectTV Stream’s Entertainment package is currently discounted to $64.99/month (regular $74.99/month) for the first three months, plus you’ll get a free trial for the first five days and DVR storage. The Entertainment package lets you stream 75+ channels including ABC, NBC, ESPN, CBS, TNT, USA and TLC.

DirectTV also offers a Choice and Ultimate plans for $89.99 and $99.99 a month. The Ultimate includes free Max, Starz, Showtime, MGM+. There’s also an Óptimo Más package with 100+ channels — 55+ in Spanish. and 40+ in English.

How to Watch the NBA Playoffs on Sling, Fubo & More

Sling TV subscribers can watch ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, TNT etc. for just $20 for the first month (regular $40/month). Sling’s Orange tier gets you access to 31 channels, 50 hours of DVR storage and one device stream.

For additional channels, DVR storage and up to three device streams, upgrade to Sling Blue — currently discounted to $35 for the first month — or the Orange & Blue tier currently $50 for the first month.

Fubo Pro is $74.99 a month after a free trial for the first week. The streamer does not carry TNT, but packages include 151 channels (including ESPN), over 100 sporting events, cloud DVR (1,000 hours) and streaming from unlimited screens at home. For Spanish-speaking sports fans, Fubo has a Latino package, which is discounted to $24.99 a month (regular $32.99).

Another affordably-priced option, Vidgo Plus is $69.99/month to access ABC, ESPN and over 110 live and on-demand channels (but not TNT), plus DVR storage. Vidgo also offers Ultimate, Premium, and Vidgo Mas packages ranging from $34.95-$99.95 per month.

You can join Hulu + Live TV and stream over 75 channels, plus access to ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+, starting at $69.99/month.

Other options for live television include Verizon Fios, YouTube TV and T-Mobile, and if you’re streaming internationally, ExpressVPN and NordVPN lets you watch ESPN, ABC, TNT and other channels and streaming platforms from outside of the U.S.

See below for the 2023 NBA Playoffs schedule.

NBA Finals Schedule

Game 1: Thursday, June 1 at 6:30 p.m., ABC

Game 2:  Sunday, June 4 at 6 p.m., ABC

Game 3: Wednesday, June 7 at 6:30 p.m., ABC

Game 4: Friday, June 9 at 6:30 p.m., ABC

Game 5:  Monday, June 12 at 6:30 p.m., ABC

Game 6: Thursday, June 15 at 6:30 p.m., ABC

Game 7: Sunday, June 18 at 6 p.m., ABC