Calling all hoopsters, great news! We’re counting down the days to an event that needs no introduction – the NBA Playoffs. The 2021 NBA Playoffs, this year, will tip off with a ‘play-in tournament’ from May 18th through May 21st, 2021. The play-in was introduced last year to facilitate the shortened regular season, although superstar Lebron James and others expressed their disappointment with the new structure. The play-ins will begin with Eastern Conference Matchups which will be followed a day later by Western Conference Games. The team that wins the matchup between the 7th and 8th seed will go on to the playoffs as the 7th seed, while the team that loses those matchups will face the team that comes out of the game between the 9th and 10th seeds (for the final postseason spot). The team that loses the 9th vs 10th seed game will be eliminated. The play-in system means that the top six teams secure a spot in the post-season, and the remaining four teams in the conferences must qualify.
Once play-ins are completed, the actual Playoffs start on May 22nd. The league will follow the traditional eight-team format of three, best-of-seven series matchups until the Finals. As for the Finals, they will begin no later than July 8th, and we will know who the 2021 NBA Champions are no later than July 22nd, 2021 (if necessary) which is when the season will conclude.
The 2021 NBA Play-In Situation
With the buzzer sounded for the end of the regular season, teams and conferences have scrambled for the seeding process, as well the fact that every upcoming game weighs in heavily on postseason standings. Lebron James’s Lakers made it into (to their dismay) the play-ins by beating the Pelicans, and also because Damian Lillard’s Trail Blazers beat the Nuggets. In the East, the Knicks clinched a No.4 seed spot by besting Atlanta, marking their first time back in the Playoffs since the 2012-13 season. The Boston Celtics, who have barely crawled into the play-ins, are looking to clinch a playoff spot as well but if they lose to the Pacers/Hornets and Wizards, they are out. Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz is poised to have the best record in franchise history after just recently beating the Kings.
Can a Lebron James with a ‘tweaked’ right ankle perform in the upcoming play-in showdown against scoring leader Steph Curry’s Warriors? Even if the Lakers make it out of the play-in, they will face very difficult matchups with either the Suns or the Jazz. This season will be very odd, and very different than usual as underdog teams such as the Phoenix Suns (who now signed Chris Paul) are now a serious Playoff contender, along with the Clippers and even the Brooklyn Nets.
Where Will The 2021 NBA Play-Ins And Playoffs Be Broadcast?
Due to the nature of regional broadcast regulations (especially on high-profile events like the NBA Playoffs), you may run into geo-blocking while accessing online streams. For this reason, to watch the NBA games online on live-streaming sites, you will have to use a VPN to bypass regional restrictions (which we will get into more detail about in the next section).
The 2021 NBA Play-ins + Playoffs will be broadcast both in Canada and the US on the following channels and streams;
- ABC TV (US exclusive rights, will air the Playoffs live for free if you have an HD antenna)
- DirectTV (US)
- NBA TV
- TNT (US, Play-ins will be aired live)
- ESPN (US, Play-ins will be aired live)
- fuboTV (US)
- Hulu + Live TV (US)
- Sling TV (US)
- YouTube TV (US)
- AT&T DirecTV Now (US)
- NBA.com’s League Pass (Worldwide live stream)
- NBA League Pass via Amazon Prime Video
- TSN Direct (Canada, US)
- Sportsnet (Canada, US)
Note: All of the above services are subscription-based and vary widely in price (with extended package benefits), while some also offer free trials. Only some of the services above offer all of the games live, while others offer only select games or select coverage.
How to Reduce The Price of The NBA League Pass To Watch The 2021 NBA Playoffs Combined With a VPN And More
Unfortunately, with events such as this, there is no high-quality free broadcast available. The available options are the streaming services listed above, which require a subscription but do have free-trial options.
What we have found is that by using a VPN connection to a server in India you can greatly reduce the cost of your NBA League Pass subscription. In this case, you will reduce it from $39.99 to around $13. The NBA League Pass covers all of the action live and offers a high-quality broadcast capability on multiple devices. We recommend you combine the free trial of the NBA League Pass with our tips on getting a money-back guarantee with a VPN.
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to get a much cheaper subscription to NBA League Pass with the help of a VPN as well as how to keep up with the 2021 NBA Playoffs if you are abroad and are locked out of your existing streaming subscription. We recommend using ExpressVPN.
- Select a premium VPN with good unblocking ability. We’ve found that ExpressVPN works well in this case.
- Please acquire an ExpressVPN subscription for your specific device by visiting their website.
- Download and install the VPN app. ExpressVPN’s website has simple steps on how to do this.
- Open your VPN app and connect to a server located in India.
- Make sure your browser is in ‘incognito’ or ‘private window’ mode (this is crucial).
- Access NBA League Pass subscriptions at https://watch.nba.com/streaming-subscriptions.
- Sign up for the League Pass Annual (which includes a cancellable 7-day free trial).
- You will now be able to watch the 2021 NBA Playoffs with reduced prices, and both the VPN and NBA League Pass free trials. Enjoy buzzer-beating NBA Playoffs action!
Note: If you already have an existing digital TV or streaming service provider, pointing your VPN to a server where the stream is broadcast will also help you reduce problems with NBA blackouts.
2021 NBA Playoffs Play-ins Timings And Schedule
Below is the schedule for the 2021 NBA Play-ins beginning on May 18th, 2021. The complete schedule for the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs is yet to be announced.
Play-In Schedule
| Date | Matchup | Time |
|---|---|---|
| May 18 | No.10 Hornets at No.9 Pacers,
No.8 Wizards at No.7 Celtics | 6:30 pm ET/3:30 pm PT
9 pm ET/6 pm PT |
| May 19 | No. 10 Spurs at No. 9 Grizzlies
No.8 Warriors at No.7 Lakers | 7 pm ET/4:30 pm PT
10 pm ET/7 pm PT |
| May 20 | No.9/10 Winner vs No. 7/8 Loser | 8 pm ET/5 pm ET |
| May 21 | No.9/10 Winner vs No.7/8 Loser | TBD |
Playoff Series (TBD)
| Conference | Matchup |
|---|---|
| Eastern | No. 1 Philadelphia 76ers vs. Winner of East No. 7-8 loser vs. East No. 9-10 winner No. 2 Brooklyn Nets vs. Winner of Celtics-Wizards Play-In Game No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 6 Miami Heat No. 4 New York Knicks vs. No. 5 Atlanta Hawks |
| Western | No. 1 Utah Jazz vs. Winner of West No. 7-8 loser vs. West No. 9-10 winner No. 2 Phoenix Suns vs. Winner of Lakers-Warriors Play-In Game No. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 6 Portland Trail Blazers No. 4 LA Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas Mavericks |
Note: Please refer to the NBA’s 2021 Schedule for further reference as the standings and results will change.
