Why You Can Trust CNET NBA Playoffs 2024: How to Watch Magic vs. Cavaliers Game 7 on ABC
The last game of the first round has arrived. Here's everything you need to know to watch today's decisive Game 7 and the rest of the NBA playoffs without cable.
The second round of the NBA playoffs kicked off last night, but we aren't done with the first round just yet. After a comeback win on Friday night, the Magic have forced a Game 7 on Sunday against the Cavaliers. The Cavs have home-court advantage but star Donovan Mitchell, who scored 50 points in a Game 6 loss, will need some help to fend off a balanced Orlando attack led by forward Paolo Banchero.
The deciding game is set for a 1 p.m. ET matinee on ABC. The winner will advance to take on the Boston Celtics in the second round.
Here's everything you need to know to watch or stream the games today and the rest of the NBA playoffs.
Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Orlando Magic in Game 7 of their first-round series on Sunday.
How to watch the NBA playoffs
The NBA playoffs are being shown across four channels: ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV. You can watch the games with a cable subscription or a live TV streaming service.
Three of the five major services offer all four channels. Hulu with Live TV lacks NBA TV, which will show only a handful of playoff games. Fubo lacks TNT, which shows a big portion of the NBA playoffs, making Fubo a poor choice for hoops fans. You can also watch TNT broadcasts of playoff games with Max.
What is the playoff schedule for today?
Here's the schedule for today's games and the next few days (all times ET):
Sunday, May 5
- Game 7: Magic vs. Cavaliers, 1 p.m. on ABC
Monday, May 6
- Game 1 (second round): Pacers vs. Knicks, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
- Game 2 (second round): Timberwolves vs. Nuggets, 10 p.m. on TNT (Timberwolves lead series 1-0)
Tuesday, May 7
- Game 1 (second round): Winner of Magic/Cavaliers vs. Celtics, 7 p.m. on TNT
- Game 1 (second round): Mavericks vs. Thunder, 9:30 p.m. on TNT
Wednesday, May 8
- Game 2 (second round): Pacers vs. Knicks, 8 p.m. on TNT
What does the NBA playoff bracket look like?
The Boston Celtics earned the top spot in the East, and the Oklahoma City Thunder edged the defending champion Denver Nuggets for the top seed in the West. Here's what the matchups look like for the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs:
Eastern Conference
- No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. No. 8 Miami Heat (Celtics won 4-1)
- No. 2 New York Knicks vs. No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers (Knicks won 4-2)
- No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 6 Indiana Pacers (Pacers won 4-2)
- No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic (series tied 3-3)
Western Conference
- No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans (Thunder won series 4-0)
- No. 2 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers (Nuggets won series 4-1)
- No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 6 Phoenix Suns (Timberwolves won series 4-0)
- No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas Mavericks (Mavericks won series 4-2)
YouTube TV costs $73 per month and includes all four channels needed to watch every game of the NBA playoffs. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.
Sling TV's Orange-and-Blue plan for $55 a month includes ABC, ESPN and TNT. The $15-a-month Sports Extra add-on package adds NBA TV. For games on ABC, you'll need to live in one of the few markets where Sling offers ABC.
DirecTV Stream's $109-per-month Choice plan includes ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV. You can use its channel lookup tool to see if ABC is available where you live. If you're willing to skip the handful of games on NBA TV, you can get the other three channels with DirecTV Stream's basic $80-per-month Entertainment package.
Hulu Plus Live TV costs $77 per month and includes ABC, ESPN and TNT. It's the only service that doesn't offer NBA TV, even as part of an add-on package. Click the "View channels in your area" link on its welcome page to see which local channels are offered in your ZIP code.
The ad-supported plan for Max costs $10 per month and will show TNT broadcasts of NBA playoff games. With just Max, you'll miss games on ESPN, ABC and NBA TV.
Live sports on Max will soon require the $10-per-month B/R Sports add-on, but you won't need to shell out for it just yet. Warner Bros. Discovery is delaying charging customers for the add-on for now and includes it in the standard subscription.
All the live TV streaming services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.