Technologies
NBA Play-In and Playoffs 2023: How to Watch, Stream Tuesday’s Games Without Cable
The NBA postseason tournament begins, with the first play-in games Tuesday on TNT.

The NBA postseason has begun. After Sunday’s eventful regular season finale closed out an 82-game marathon, Tuesday begins the first batch of the NBA playoffs. TNT will have a double-header Tuesday night, with the Hawks and Heat kicking things off in a battle for the Eastern Conference’s seventh seed and a showdown with the Boston Celtics. The second game of the night will have the fighting Timberwolves heading to Los Angeles to take on LeBron James and the Lakers, with the winner of this contest becoming the Western Conference’s seventh seed and heading to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies.
The Timberwolves will be without center Rudy Gobert, who was suspended after punching a teammate during Sunday’s game against the Pelicans, as well as Jaden McDaniels, who is out for the season after punching a wall during the same contest.
Needless to say, the NBA playoffs should be exciting. Here’s everything you need to know about watching and streaming the NBA postseason with or without cable.


LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will host the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference’s play-in game on Tuesday night.
Harry How/Getty ImagesWhat is the schedule for the play-in games?
The play-in game schedule is as follows (all times ET):
Tuesday, April 11:
- Atlanta Hawks vs. Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT; the winner becomes the Eastern Conference’s seventh seed and plays the Boston Celtics
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m. ET on TNT; the winner becomes the Western Conference’s seventh seed and plays the Memphis Grizzlies
Wednesday, April 12:
- Chicago Bulls vs. Toronto Raptors, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN; the winner plays the loser of the Hawks/Heat game to become the East’s eighth seed and take on the Milwaukee Bucks
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs. New Orleans Pelicans, 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN; the winner plays the loser of the Lakers/Timberwolves game to become the West’s eighth seed and take on the Denver Nuggets
Friday, April 14:
- Eastern Conference eighth-seed game, time TBD but it will air on TNT
- Western Conference eighth-seed game, time TBD but it will air on ESPN
When do the NBA Playoffs start?
The NBA playoffs start on Saturday, April 15.
The NBA Finals will begin on Thursday, June 1. Game seven of the Finals, if necessary, will take place on Sunday, June 18.
What does the NBA playoff bracket look like?
What channels will broadcast playoff games?
The play-in games will air on TNT and ESPN. The NBA playoffs will air on TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBA TV.
This year TNT will have the Eastern Conference Finals, while ESPN will take the lead on the Western Conference Finals. The NBA Finals will air on ABC.
Best options for streaming the NBA playoffs
As all the games will be shown nationally, most of the major streaming TV services offer all the networks you’ll need for watching the NBA playoffs. That said, it can be a bit complicated.
Sling TV’s Orange plan includes ESPN and TNT. NBA TV is available as part of the Sports Extra add-on, which costs $11 a month. ABC, however, is only available in eight markets (Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Fresno, Houston and Raleigh) and requires the Orange and Blue combo plan if you want ESPN too. That combo plan costs $65 per month in all of those cities except Fresno, Houston and Raleigh, where it costs $60.
Hulu Plus Live TV costs $70 a month and ESPN, ABC and TNT, but not NBA TV. Click the «View all channels in your area» link at the bottom of its welcome page to see which local networks are available where you live.
YouTube TV costs $73 a month and offers all the main basketball channels for the NBA playoffs, including NBA TV. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.
FuboTV costs $75 per month for its Pro option and ABC, ESPN and NBA TV but not TNT. Check out which local networks it offers here.
DirecTV Stream is expensive. It’s the priciest of the five major live TV streaming services. Its cheapest, $65-a-month Entertainment package includes ESPN, ABC, and TNT. You’ll need to move up to the $85-a-month Choice plan to get NBA TV. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels and RSNs are available in your area.
It is worth noting that DirecTV has an additional $15 «advanced receiver service» fee that automatically applies and is extra from the sticker price, which makes the Entertainment package $80 per month and the Choice option $100 per month.
Each live TV streaming service offers a free trial, allows you to cancel anytime and requires a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.
Technologies
Resident Evil Requiem Revealed, but Where’s Leon Kennedy?
The Resident Evil 9 trailer showed off a new character, but not the much-rumored return of Leon.

After a fake-out earlier in Summer Game Fest on Friday, Resident Evil Requiem, or Resident Evil 9, was shown for the first time.
The new title is the first mainline entry since Capcom released Resident Evil Village in 2021, and is rumored to feature series stalwart Leon Kennedy. In the trailer, the only person we saw was a character named Grace Ashcroft, who works for the FBI and appears to have ties to Raccoon City.
For the most hardcore Resident Evil fans, the name Ashcroft will ring a bell. Alyssa Ashcroft was one of the survivors of the online-only title, Resident Evil Outbreak for the PS2. Alyssa was a journalist who was trapped in Raccoon City during the events of Resident Evil 2, and she, along with other survivors, had to escape the city before it was destroyed.
Grace is Alyssa’s daughter, and in the trailer, she is going to visit the Remwood Hotel, where Alyssa was murdered. Later in the trailer, images from what appears to be the remnants of a destroyed Raccoon City are shown — including the police department from RE2 — so it appears Resident Evil 9 will return to where the series started.
Leon’s (rumored) return is a big deal for the series, which has made some of its best games with him in the starring role. He first showed up as a rookie cop in Resident Evil 2, which built on the original game’s success with more story and improved monsters and level design.
He showed up again in Resident Evil 4, which took the series in a new direction by introducing an over-the-shoulder perspective, instead of the usual static camera angles and tank controls. Leon was also one of several playable protagonists in Resident Evil 6, a game that seemed to forget about its survival horror roots. We mostly don’t talk about that one.
But the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2 was an excellent return to form, bringing RE4’s gameplay and much better graphics to a fan-favorite entry. The RE4 remake was a similar success.
Resident Evil Requiem is set to drop Feb. 27, 2026, for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, but we’re hoping to get our hands on it this weekend. If you want to catch up on older Resident Evil games, Capcom is having a sale that includes basically all the games, including Village and the three remakes.
Technologies
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Technologies
T-Mobile’s Free Premium iPhone 16 Pro Deal Explained. Learn Exactly How It Works
Along with a free iPhone, you can get an extra $800 to pay off your old device.

If you’re starting a new cell phone plan, most major mobile carriers require a multiyear commitment so it’s a big decision you need to consider carefully. First, think about the plan and provider itself: What’s the best coverage in your area and how many lines do you want to add? Next, compare the best mobile phone plan deals to save yourself the most money
T-Mobile has some fantastic deals right now you can take advantage of that make it a pretty competitive pick — especially for Apple fans looking to upgrade.
T-Mobile’s incentives include free lines and streaming services but one huge highlight is the chance to snag the top-rated iPhone 16 Pro free. The language on some of these offers can be a little confusing so we’ve broken down how T-Mobile’s current deals work below. Note that there aren’t any set expirations for these offers so they could vanish at any moment. We wouldn’t wait too long if you’re hoping to take advantage of these savings.
Why these deals matter
You more or less need a phone with reliable coverage these days but costs can add up quickly. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your mobile device or shopping for the best family plans, these T-Mobile deals can help save you some serious cash each month.
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