Legacies are forged in the postseason. Good teams become great, and great players become legendary. The 2026 NBA postseason will see 16 teams chase 16 victories in hopes of capturing the legacy-defining Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Will Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who locked up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the third straight year, make it back to the NBA Finals? Which team will emerge from a crowded Eastern Conference? NBA playoff games will air across ABC, ESPN, NBC, Peacock and Prime Video. Here's the full schedule and how to watch.
Here are key facts about the 2026 NBA playoffs:
What is the schedule?
*All times Eastern
April 18
8:30 p.m.: Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers on ABC
April 19
1 p.m.: Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics on ABC
3:30 p.m.: Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder on ABC
April 20
7 p.m.: Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers on Peacock
8 p.m.: Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks on NBC and Peacock
10:30 p.m.: Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets on NBC and Peacock
April 21
7 p.m.: Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics on Peacock
8 p.m.: Portland Trail Blazers at San Antonio Spurs on NBC and Peacock
10:30 p.m.: Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers on NBC and Peacock
April 22
7 p.m.: Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons on ESPN
9 p.m.: Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder on ESPN
April 23
7 p.m.: Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks on Prime Video
8 p.m.: Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers on Prime Video
9:30 p.m.: Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets on Prime Video
April 24
7 p.m.: Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics on Prime Video
8 p.m.: Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets on Prime Video
10:30 p.m.: San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trail Blazers on Prime Video
April 25
1 p.m.: Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons on Peacock
3:30 p.m.: Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder on NBC and Peacock
6 p.m.: New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks on NBC and Peacock
8:30 p.m.: Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves on ABC
April 26
1 p.m.: Cleveland Cavaliers at Toronto Raptors on ESPN
3:30 p.m.: San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trail Blazers on ESPN
7 p.m.: Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers on NBC and Peacock
9:30 p.m.: Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets on NBC and Peacock
*Additional games TBD
How can fans watch?
Fans can catch all of the action in the ESPN App and in the NBA streaming hub.
How can fans access more NBA coverage from ESPN?
Check out the ESPN NBA hub page for the latest news, analysis, scores, stats, schedules and more.