Search

The NBA Playoffs are set to kick off on Saturday, April 20, but before the postseason can get started, four more teams have to earn their place.

This is the fifth year the NBA plays an initial pre-playoffs tournament for teams to earn their spots as the 7th and 8th seeds for each conference. The included teams are the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th ranked teams in each conference — eight teams will start, but only four will get to the real postseason.

All of the games of the 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament will be televised, but the networks depend on the conference. Streaming services like DirecTV Stream will let you stream all of the games (for free!), but there are a handful of 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 air on TNT and TruTV. You can stream TNT and TruTV live for 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 starts at $9.99/month with ads and goes up to $19.99/month for ad-free 4K streaming. No matter which plan you go with, live sports on Max will always have ads.

MAX

ESPN:

Unfortunately, the 2024 NBA Play-In will only be airing on ESPN’s linear cable network; ESPN+ won’t be carrying these games.

If you don’t have cable, the only way to stream the NBA Play-In Tournament games on ESPN is with a live TV streaming service. The following services include ESPN:

DirecTV Stream – any plan, starting at $94.98/month with $10 off the first three months
Sling TV – Orange plan, $40/month with half off the first month
Hulu + Live TV – base plan, $76.99/month
fuboTV – any plan, starting at $79.99/month

Can I Watch the 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament for Free?

Yes! DirecTV Stream is the only live TV streaming service with all three necessary channels and a five-day free trial for new subscribers.

DIRECTV STREAM

2024 NBA Play-In Tournament Schedule:

Tuesday, April 16

Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans Pelicans, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT/TruTV)
Golden State Warriors at Sacramento Kings, 10:00 p.m. ET (TNT/TruTV)

Wednesday, April 17

Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers, 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPN/ESPN2)
Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Friday, April 19

Winner of SAC/GSW vs. Loser of LAL/NOP, time and network TBA
Winner of ATL/CHI vs. Loser of MIA/PHI, time and network TBA

2024 NBA Play-In Bracket: How Does the 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament Work?

The 2024 NBA Play-In bracket includes eight teams (four from the West and four from the East), all battling to be the 7th and 8th seeds of their respective conferences. It’s essentially a way to have more teams play in the playoffs, even if only for one game.

The first two games for each conference will be between the 7th and 8th seeds as the standings are 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 go on to play the winner of the game between the 9th and 10th seeds.

The winner of the 9th vs. 10th seed matchups will become the 8th seed for their respective conference.

It’s a little confusing, right? Hopefully, this bracket graphic from the NBA itself will make things a little clearer.