The NBA Playoffs will begin on Saturday, April 20, but before the postseason begins, four more teams must earn their spot.
This is the fifth year the NBA has played an initial pre-playoff tournament for teams to earn their spots as the seventh and eighth seeds for each conference. The teams included are the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th seeds in each conference: eight teams will start, but only four will make the actual postseason.
All games in the 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament will be televised, but the networks depend on the conference. Streaming services like DirectTV Streaming will let you stream all the games (for free!), but there are a few other services where you can stream the NBA Play-In tournament.
How to watch and stream the 2024 NBA Play-In tournament:
The 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament will air on two networks.
TNT/TruTV:
The first two Western Conference play-in games will be broadcast on TNT and TruTV. You can stream TNT and TruTV live at no additional cost with a subscription to max. For a limited time, the Bleacher Report Sports add-on is included for free with any monthly or annual subscription to Max.
max. It starts at $9.99/month with ads and goes up to $19.99/month for 4K streaming without ads. No matter which plan you choose, live sports on Max will always have ads.
ESPN:
Unfortunately, the 2024 NBA Play-In only will air on ESPN’s linear cable network; ESPN+ will not broadcast these games.
If you don’t have cable, the only way to stream NBA Play-In tournament games on ESPN is with a live TV streaming service. The following services include ESPN:
- DirectTV Streaming – any plan, starting at $94.98/month with $10 off the first three months
- Honda TV – Orange Plan, $40/month with half off the first month
- Hulu + Live TV – basic plan, $76.99/month
- fuboTV – any plan, starting at $79.99/month
Can I watch the 2024 NBA Play-In tournament for free?
Yeah! DirectTV Streaming is the only live TV streaming service with all three necessary channels and a five-day free trial for new subscribers.
2024 NBA Play-In Tournament Schedule:
Tuesday April 16
- Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans, 7:30 pm ET (TNT/TruTV)
- Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings, 10:00 p.m. ET (TNT/TruTV)
Wednesday April 17
- Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers, 7:00 pm ET (ESPN/ESPN2)
- Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Friday April 19
- SAC/GSW Winner vs. LAL/NOP loser, time and network to be determined
- ATL/CHI Winner vs. MIA/PHI loser, time and network to be determined
NBA 2024 Play-In bracket: How does the NBA 2024 Play-In tournament work?
The 2024 NBA Play-In group includes eight teams (four from the West and four from the East), all fighting to be the seventh and eighth seeds in their respective conferences. It’s essentially a way for more teams to play in the playoffs, even if it’s just for one game.
The first two games of each conference will be between the seventh and eighth seeds, since seeding is at the end of the regular season. The winner of that game will advance as the 7th seed in the playoff bracket, while the loser will play the winner of the game between the 9th and 10th seeds.
The winner of the matchups between the ninth and 10th seeds will become the eighth seed in their respective conference.
It’s a little confusing, right? Hopefully this support chart from the NBA itself clears things up a bit.
2024 NBA Playoff Schedule:
- April 16-19: NBA Play-In Tournament 2024
- April 20th:The first round of the NBA Playoffs begins
- May 6 and 7:Conference semifinals begin (possible transfer to May 4 and 5)
- May 21-22:The NBA Conference Finals begin (possible transfer to May 19 and 20)
- June 6th:Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals
- June 9:Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals
- June 12:Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals
- June 14th:Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals
- June 17:Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals (if necessary)
- June 20th:Game 6 of the 2024 NBA Finals (if necessary)
- June 23:Game 7 of the 2024 NBA Finals (if necessary)
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