MAIN Sports Basketball 2025 NBA Playoffs & Finals

As the basketball season winds down, the excitement heats up as another NBA Playoff season kicks off in the battle to win the national championship.

This year, watch as the regular season ends on April 19 followed by the NBA playoffs beginning thereafter, wrapping up in June with the championship final.

Wild card teams are set for April 19 - 22 with the the semifinals beginning May 5, and the conference finals beginning thereafter,

When available, check out the complete NBA playoffs TV schedule for the Play-In games, the Playoffs, FInals and Championship game plus keep it here as we fill in the blanks with complete game matchups, dates and times.

2025 NBA Playoffs TV schedule

ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV are the traditonal TV stations to watch in primetime on weeknights, while ABC airs select games on the weekend.

Games will also be livestreamed via WatchESPN and WatchTNT.

The NBA conference finals lead up to the ultimate championship showdown between the two top teams from each conference, followed by the big finale on June 22 on ABC.

Meanwhile, keep it here for 2025 NBA Playoff dates, times and TV channels as they are announced:

Eastern Conference Round 1 Playoffs

All times ET

(1) Cleveland vs. (8) TBD

• Game 1: Cavaliers 121, Heat 100 - FINAL
• Game 2: Cavaliers 121, Heat 112- FINAL
• Game 3: Cavaliers at TBD (Sat. April 26, 1 ET, TNT)
• Game 4: Cavaliers at TBD (Mon. April 28, TBD)
• Game 5: Heat at Cavaliers (Wed. April 30, TBD)*
• Game 6: Cavaliers at Heat (Fri. May 2, TBD)*
• Game 7: Heat at Cavaliers (Sun. May 4, TBD)*
* if necessary

(2) Boston vs. (7) Orlando

• Game 1: Celtics 103, Magic 86 - FINAL
• Game 2: Celtics 109, Magic 100 - FINAL
• Game 3: Celtics at Magic (Fri. April 25, 7 ET, ESPN)
• Game 4: Celtics at Magic (Sun. April 27, 7 ET, TNT)
• Game 5: Magic at Celtics (Tue. April 29, TBD)*
• Game 6: Celtics at Magic (Thu. May 1, TBD)*
• Game 7: Magic at Celtics (Sat. May 3, TBD)*
* if necessary

(3) New York vs. (6) Detroit

• Game 1: Knicks 123, Pistons 112 - FINAL
• Game 2: Pistons 100, Knicks 94 - FINAL
• Game 3: Knicks 118, Pistons 116 - FINAL
• Game 4: Knicks at Pistons (Sun. April 27, 1 ET, ABC)
• Game 5: Pistons at Knicks (Tue. April 29, TBD)*
• Game 6: Knicks at Pistons (Thu. May 1, TBD)*
• Game 7: Pistons at Knicks (Sat. May 3, TBD)*
* if necessary

(4) Indiana vs. (5) Milwaukee

• Game 1: Pacers 117, Bucks 98 - FINAL
• Game 2: Pacers 123, Bucks 115 - FINAL
• Game 3: Pacers at Bucks (Fri. April 25, 8 ET, ESPNU/NBA TV)
• Game 4: Pacers at Bucks (Sun. April 27, 9:30 ET, TNT)
• Game 5: Bucks at Pacers (Tue. April 29, TBD)*
• Game 6: Pacers at Bucks (Fri. May 2, TBD)*
• Game 7: Bucks at Pacers (Sun. May 4, TBD)*
* if necessary

Western Conference Round 1 Playoffs

All Times ET

(1) Oklahoma City vs. (8) Memphis

• Game 1: Thunder 131, Grizzlies 80 - FINAL
• Game 2: Thunder 118, Grizzlies 95 - FINAL
• Game 3: Thunder 114, Grizzlies 108 - FINAL
• Game 4: Thunder at Grizzlies (Sat. April 26, 3:30 ET, TNT)
• Game 5: Grizzlies at Thunder (Mon. April 28, TBD)*
• Game 6: Thunder at Grizzlies (Thu. May 1, TBD)*
• Game 7: Grizzlies at Thunder (Sat. May 3, TBD)*
* if necessary

(2) Houston vs. (7) Golden State

• Game 1: Warriors 95, Rockets 85 - FINAL
• Game 2: Rockets 109, Warriors 94 - FINAL
• Game 3: Rockets at Warriors (Sat. April 26, 8:30 ET, ABC)
• Game 4: Rockets at Warriors (Mon. April 28, 10 ET, TNT)
• Game 5: Warriors at Rockets (Wed. April 30, TBD)*
• Game 6: Rockets at Warriors (Fri. May 2, TBD)*
• Game 7: Warriors at Rockets (Sun. May 4, TBD)*
* if necessary

(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota

• Game 1: Timberwolves 117, Lakers 95 FINAL
• Game 2: Lakers 94, Timberwolves 85 - FNAL
• Game 3: Lakers at Timberwolves (Fri. April 25, 9:30 ET, ESPN)
• Game 4: Lakers at Timberwolves (Sun. April 27, 3:30 ET, ABC)
• Game 5: Timberwolves at Lakers (Wed. April 30, TBD)*
• Game 6: Lakers at Timberwolves (Fri. May 2, TBD)*
• Game 7: Timberwolves at Lakers (Sun. May 4, TBD)*
* if necessary

(4) Denver vs. (5) LA Clippers

• Game 1: Nuggets 112, Clippers 110 - FINAL
• Game 2: Clippers 105, Nuggets 102 - FINAL
• Game 3: Clippers 117, Nuggets 83 - FINAL
• Game 4: Nuggets at Clippers (Sat. April 26, 6 ET, TNT)
• Game 5: Clippers at Nuggets (Tue. April 29, TBD)*
• Game 6: Nuggets at Clippers (Thu. May 1, TBD)*
• Game 7: Clippers at Nuggets (Sat. May 3, TBD)*
* if necessary

May 5-6: Conference Semifinals begin (possible move up to May 3-4)

May 20: Western Conference Finals – Game 1 on ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET (possible series move up to May 18)

May 21: Eastern Conference Finals – Game 1 on TNT, 8 p.m. ET (possible series move up to May 19)

May 22: Western Conference Finals – Game 2 on ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET

May 23: Eastern Conference Finals – Game 2 on TNT, 8 p.m. ET

May 24: Western Conference Finals – Game 3 on ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET

May 25: Eastern Conference Finals – Game 3 on TNT, 8 p.m. ET

May 26: Western Conference Finals – Game 4 on ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET

May 27: Eastern Conference Finals – Game 4 on TNT, 8 p.m. ET

May 28: Western Conference Finals – Game 5 on ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET (if necessary)

May 29: Eastern Conference Finals – Game 5 on TNT, 8 p.m. ET (if necessary)

May 30: Western Conference Finals – Game 6 on ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET (if necessary)

May 31: Eastern Conference Finals – Game 6 on TNT, 8 p.m. ET (if necessary)

June 1: Western Conference Finals – Game 7 on ESPN, 8 p.m. ET (if necessary)

June 2: Eastern Conference Finals – Game 7 on TNT, 8 p.m. ET (if necessary)

June 5: NBA Finals 2025 – Game 1 on ABC

June 8: NBA Finals 2025 – Game 2 on ABC

June 11: NBA Finals 2025 – Game 3 on ABC

June 13: NBA Finals 2025 – Game 4 on ABC

June 16: NBA Finals 2025 – Game 5 on ABC (if necessary)

June 19: NBA Finals 2025 – Game 6 on ABC (if necessary)

June 22: NBA Finals 2025 – Game 7 on ABC (if necessary)

also see in Sports also see -> NBA playoff party ideas | NBA Draft

2024 NBA playoffs rewind

DID YOU KNOW? NBA playoffs trivia & fun facts

1969: the Lakers, deflated.

• In 1969, Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke though it was fate. He was so confident of the Lakers' win over the Celtics that he had the LA Forum rafters filled with thousands of balloons with "World Champion Lakers" printed on them to celebrate when they won. They didn't.

• Michael Jordan’s jump shot against Utah’s Byron Russell in Game 6 at the 1998 finals gave Chicago a razor thin 87-86 victory, and the championship. It was Jordan's last NBA finals of his career

• The Golden State Warriors were heavily favored to repeat as NBA champs in 2016, but they ultimately lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers led by LeBron James. It was the first NBA title for the Cavs, and the first for LeBron James.

• The Unlucky 13 teams which still haven't won a championship? They include the Brooklyn Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies, Charlotte Hornets, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the New Orleans Pelicans.

NBA playoffs & finals around the Web:

Around the Web, get complete reports on stats, scores, and who was in and who was out of the running leading up to the finals championship.

NBA Playoffs - SB Nation - Check out the complete TV schedule, the latest scores, stats, breaking news and photos.

Slam! Sports - Basketball - Want to know the latest scores? Also check out daily stats on assists, blocks, points, steals, blocks and rebounds.