With or without Kevin Durant, it’s no surprise that the Golden State Warriors are back in the NBA Finals for the fifth straight year. The Toronto Raptors shocked a few folks by advancing to the Finals for the first time in franchise history. The Warriors won all five games that Durant has missed with a calf injury, including four straight to sweep the Portland Trailblazers in the Western Conference finals. In the East, the Raptors fell behind two games to none to the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks before ripping off four straight wins on the back of Kawhi Leonard.
Thanks to winning one more game than the Warriors in the regular season, the Raptors have the home court advantage in the best-of-seven NBA Finals. The series opens in Toronto.
Here’s the cord cutter‘s guide to watching the NBA Finals.
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What is the NBA Finals schedule?
The Finals start on Thursday, May 30, in Toronto. Here’s the full schedule:
NBA Finals schedule
| Date | Matchup | Time | |
| Game 1 | Thursday, May 30 | Golden State at Toronto | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Game 2 | Sunday, June 2 | Golden State at Toronto | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| Game 3 | Wednesday, June 5 | Toronto at Golden State | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Game 4 | Friday, June 7 | Toronto at Golden State | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Game 5* | Monday, June 10 | Golden State at Toronto | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Game 6* | Thursday, June 13 | Toronto at Golden State | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Game 7* | Sunday, June 16 | Golden State at Toronto | 8:00 p.m. ET |
* — if necessary
How can I watch the NBA Conference Finals?
The NBA Finals are shown on ABC. WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app have livestreams of the games, but you need to log in with a pay TV account.
If you don’t have a pay TV subscription, then you can watch the games with a live-TV streaming service. Sling TV and FuboTV do not offer ABC, but the others do. In many markets, however, you can watch on-demand but not live content from ABC and the other local networks.
Other stuff to know about live TV streaming services:
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Hulu with Live TV
Hulu with Live TV costs $45 a month and includes ABC. Click the “View all channels in your area” link on its welcome page to see which live, local channels are offered in your ZIP code.
$45.00 at Hulu with Live TV
PlayStation Vue
PlayStation Vue’s $45-a-month Access plan includes ABC. You can see if a live feed of ABC is available in your area here.
$45.00 at PlayStation Vue
YouTube TV
YouTube TV costs $50 a month and includes ABC. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see if a live feed of ABC is available in your area.
$50.00 at YouTube TV
Originally published April 12, 2019.
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