The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers meet in Game 1 of the East semis on Monday night.
The game (7:30 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on TNT, but if you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream on DirecTV Stream, which includes TNT and comes with a free trial.
That’s the best live stream option if you’re cutting cable, but there are also some other alternatives, so here’s a full guide on the different ways you can watch a live stream of the 76ers vs Celtics online:
Note: Heavy may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up via a link on this page
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” TNT is included in every one, and you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch the 76ers vs Celtics live on the DirecTV Stream app or DirecTV Stream website.
Compatible devices for the DirecTV Stream app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of TNT and 40-plus other live TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” or “Sling Blue” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with TNT, and you can get your first month for half off:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the 76ers vs Celtics live on the Sling TV app or Sling TV website.
Compatible devices for the Sling TV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of TNT and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which now also includes access to both ESPN+ and Disney+ at no added cost:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the 76ers vs Celtics live on the Hulu app or Hulu website.
Compatible devices for the Hulu app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
76ers vs Celtics Game 1 Preview
In the Eastern Conference playoffs, the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics first faced the No. 7 seed Atlanta Hawks and won that series four games to two. The No. 3 seed Philadelphia 76ers first faced the No. 6 seed Brooklyn Nets and won that in a four-game sweep.
Now the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds will meet in the conference semifinals for a chance to advance on to the conference finals against either the Miami Heat or the New York Knicks.
During the regular season, the Celtics finished second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 57-25. The 76ers were right behind them in third place with a record of 54-28. The two teams met up four times in the regular season and the Celtics won three of those games. However, the margin of victory shrank with each passing game, from nine points to seven points to three points and then the 76ers won the fourth meeting by two points. So it certainly looks like the 76ers figured out how to play the Celtics as the season went on.
It should be a tightly-contested series and whoever wins will be favored to advance to the NBA finals after the Heat upset the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.
In a pre-game press conference, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said that the 76ers will be tough because in the playoffs, you can get beat by anybody and he expects it to be a fight.
“[You could get beat] at any time. [The Atlanta Hawks are] well coached, they have two all stars, they have a great team, they have a lot of talent, and Coach Snyder’s done a great job,” said Mazzulla, adding, “I expect [the series with Philadelphia] to be really hard and I expect for our guys to just constantly stay in the fight.”
The schedule for the Celtics-76ers series is as follows:
Game 1 in Boston on Monday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time pn TNT
Game 2 in Boston on Wednesday, May 3 at 8 p.m. on TNT and NBCSB
Game 3 in Philadelphia on Friday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
Game 4 in Philadelphia on Sunday, May 7 at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
Game 5 in Boston on Tuesday, May 9, time and channel TBD (if needed)
Game 6 in Philadelphia on Thursday, May 11, time and channel TBD (if needed)
Game 7 in Boston on Sunday, May 14, time and channel TBD (if needed)
Game 1 of the 76ers vs Celtics series tips off on Monday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time on TNT.
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76ers vs Celtics Game 1 Live Stream: How to Watch Online Free