• The 2019-20 NBA season officially resumed on July 30 with 22 teams quarantined at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.
  • The 2020 NBA Playoffs began on August 17 after the Portland Trail Blazers claimed the final playoff spot with a win over the Memphis Grizzlies in a decisive play-in game.
  • The NBA has scheduled four playoff games every day during the first round with broadcasts on ESPN, TNT, ABC and NBA TV.

The NBA Playoffs are now underway in Orlando, Florida with four back-to-back games scheduled each day during the first round of the playoffs. The NBA will air every playoff game on TNT, ESPN, ABC, and NBA TV, with each series scheduled to play every other day.

The coronavirus pandemic brought the NBA to a sudden halt on March 11 when Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. At the time, teams were more than 60 games into the 82-game season and preparing for the playoffs.

Four months later, hundreds of NBA players, coaches, and staff have quarantined themselves at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, for the NBA Restart, giving 22 of the league's 30 teams an opportunity to complete the season and win the 2020 NBA Finals.

Now the number of teams has been whittled down to 16 after a series of games that concluded the NBA regular season and decided the final playoff seeds. The Portland Trail Blazers earned the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference after defeating the Memphis Grizzlies in a decisive play-in game. Blazers guard Damian Lillard was voted the most valuable player of the restart period after averaging 37.6 points through eight games to lead his team to the playoffs.

As of August 12, the NBA reported that none of the 342 players in the NBA Restart "bubble" had tested positive for coronavirus. However, ongoing family concerns, injuries, and logistical issues could lead to some players leaving the quarantined site. As teams are eliminated from the playoffs, the remaining players will be able to welcome their families to the Orlando bubble.

How to watch the NBA Playoffs starting August 17

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The NBA has posted schedule information for the first round playoffs series through August 30, though times are subject to change as teams are eliminated. The 2020 NBA playoffs will still use a best of seven format, so teams need to win four games to advance to the next round.

Games will be broadcast on ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV. If you subscribe to these channels through your cable provider you can stream the games on your phone or PC. If you're not an NBA TV cable subscriber, you can pay $20 for NBA TV streaming for the rest of the season, or $5.99 for a single game.

Otherwise, you can use a live TV streaming service like Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, AT&T TV, and YouTube TV to watch every NBA playoff game. Of those options, AT&T TV Choice and YouTube TV both include access to ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV. Each service costs $64.99 a month.

Meanwhile, Hulu + Live TV includes access to ESPN, ABC, and TNT for $54.99 a month. With that said, Hulu + Live does not offer NBA TV. Finally, Sling TV Orange with the Sports Extra add-on offers access to ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV for $40 a month. ABC, however, is not included with Sling TV. ESPN+ doesn't provide access to the live NBA games so you'll need to opt for a service that streams the cable channel directly.

The NBA Finals will begin on September 30

Foto: Kawhi Leonard celebrates in Toronto after winning last year's NBA Finals. Source: Associated Press

The NBA Finals are scheduled to begin on September 30, and the last possible date for Game 7 of the NBA Finals is October 13, 2020. The NBA will update schedule and network information as the playoffs progress.