This year’s NBA Finals promise more intrigue than any in recent memory. Can Kawhi Leonard keep up this Jordan/Pippen cyborg imitation? Can Steph Curry carry the Warriors to their third straight championship, even with Kevin Durant on the sidelines? Will the best players on both teams leave this summer? Here’s how you can catch every minute of the action without paying a dime.
Warriors vs. Raptors NBA Finals Schedule
Game 1: Thu, May 30, Golden State at Toronto | 9 ET (ABC/ESPN 3)
Game 2: Sun, June 2, Golden State at Toronto | 8 ET(ABC/ESPN 3)
Game 3: Wed, June 5, Toronto at Golden State | 9 ET (ABC/ESPN 3)
Game 4: Fri, June 7, Toronto at Golden State | 9 ET (ABC/ESPN 3)
Game 5*: Mon, June 10, Golden State at Toronto | 9 ET (ABC/ESPN 3)
Game 6*: Thur, June 13, Toronto at Golden State | 9 ET (ABC/ESPN 3)
Game 7*: Sun, June 16, Golden State at Toronto | 8 ET (ABC/ESPN 3)
*If necessary
Sign Up For A Live Streaming Service
The NBA Finals all take place on two channels: ABC and ESPN 3. Fortunately, these are pretty easy to get without spending any money. If you have a TV antenna, you’ll be able to get by with that alone for the Finals, but you can also use a live TV streaming service.
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, PlayStation Vue, DIRECTV NOW, and Sling all carry ABC or ESPN 3, and they each come with five- to seven-day free trials, so you can cycle through a few throughout the NBA Finals.Fortunately, these services are now compatible with almost every streaming device, gaming console, and smart TV around.
Use a TV Antenna
You can also use a TV antenna to watch the NBA Finals for free. They can be a little tricky to set up, but once you find one that works for your home, you’ll get all your local channels in HD, including ABC.
Locast.org Streams Local Channels in Some Markets
Another option for streaming the Finals is Locast.org, a not-for-profit service that streams ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC for free. It’s currently only available in nine U.S. cities, but four of the eight remaining teams call those cities home: Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
For Canadian Fans, TSN Will Carry the Finals
To watch the NBA Finals in Canada, you’ll need to go through TSN (The Sports Network). TSN Direct is available to anyone in Canada, with no cable subscription required. It costs $4.99 per day, so you can pay only for the days you want to watch games, or $19.99 per month. Its device compatibility is still pretty limited: Apple TV, Xbox One, and Samsung Smart TVs will work, but not Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, or Android TVs. On the plus side, TSN broadcasts the NBA playoffs in 4K, so if you have a new smart TV, you’ll be able to make the most of it.
About the Authors
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