Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images Three-time All-Star Jayson Tatum and the Celtics begin a second-round series with the Bucks on Sunday.
Fresh off a set of dominating first-round series wins, the red-hot Boston Celtics and reigning NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks kick off their Eastern Conference Semifinal series on Sunday at TD Garden in Boston.
Game 1 (1 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on ABC (the rest of the games in the series will be on ABC, TNT, ESPN or NBA TV). But if you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch a live stream of the Bucks 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.” ABC, ESPN and TNT are included in every one, while NBA TV is in “Choice” and up, but 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 Bucks vs Celtics live on the DirecTV Stream app, which is available on your 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. Or you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Stream website.
You can also watch games via the ESPN or TNT apps or websites. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your DirecTV Stream credentials to log in and watch.
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ABC, ESPN, NBA TV and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV. You’ll need the “Sports Plus” add-on for NBA TV, but you can include the main package and any add-ons with your free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the Bucks vs Celtics live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your 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), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
You can also watch the ESPN games via their app or website. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Fubo credentials to log in and watch.
Sling TV
ESPN, ESPN3 (which simulcasts the ABC games) and TNT are included in Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” bundle, while NBA TV is in the “Sports Extra” add-on. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with the channels needed to watch the NBA playoffs, plus you can get $10 off your first month:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Bucks vs Celtics live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your 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. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
You can also watch games via the ESPN or TNT apps or websites. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Sling credentials to log in and watch.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of ABC, ESPN, TNT and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which now also includes both ESPN+ and Disney+ as part of the bundle:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the Bucks vs Celtics live on the Hulu app, which is available on your 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. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
You can also watch games via the ESPN or TNT apps or websites. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Hulu credentials to log in and watch.
Bucks vs Celtics Game 1 Preview
Two of the hottest teams in the NBA begin a second-round series on Sunday afternoon when the Atlantic Division champion Boston Celtics host the reigning world champion Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at TD Garden.
The Celtics punched their ticket to the conference semis by dismantling the Brooklyn Nets in a first-round sweep, while the Bucks advanced with a dominating 4-1 series win over the Chicago Bulls.
This highly-anticipated matchup will pit two of the game’s finest young stars against each other, in two-time league MVP and Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and three-time All-Star Jayson Tatum.
The Bulls had no answer for Antetokounmpo in the first round, where he averaged 28.6 points, 13.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.4 blocks in the five games.
If there’s any team that is equipped to slow down the two-time MVP, it’s the Celtics, who led the league in defensive rating and points allowed per game during the regular season. Their defensive prowess was on full display in the first-round series with the Brooklyn Nets, as they stifled the superstar duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Tatum, who led the Celtics in scoring during the regular season, outshined Durant and Irving in the first round, where he averaged 29.5 points per game. As a team, Boston shot a collective 49 percent from the field during the four games.
The Bucks will be without their second-leading scorer Khris Middleton on Sunday, due to the MCL sprain he suffered in Game 2 against the Bulls. The three-time All-Star is expected to miss the majority if not all of the second-round series.
Here’s a look at the tale of the tape heading into Game 1 of this second-round series:
No. 2 Boston Celtics
- 51-31, finished first in the Atlantic Division
- Swept the Brooklyn Nets, 4-0, in the first round
- Jayson Tatum led the team in scoring during the regular season with 26.9 ppg
- Jaylen Brown was second-best on the team in scoring with 23.6 ppg
- Robert Williams III led the team in rebounding with 9.6 rpg and averaged 10.0 points and 2.2 blocks per game
- Marcus Smart was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year
No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks
- 51-31, finished first in the Central Division
- Defeated the Chicago Bulls, 4-1, in the first round
- Giannis Antetokounmpo led the team in scoring and rebounding during the regular season with 29.9 ppg and 11.6 rpg
- Khris Middleton was second in scoring with 20.1 ppg and also averaged 5.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game
- Jrue Holiday averaged 18.3 ppg, 6.8 apg and 4.5 rpg
Celtics vs Bucks Eastern Conference Semifinals Schedule
- Game 1: Bucks at Celtics, Sun. 5/1 (1 p.m. ET, ABC)
- Game 2: Bucks at Celtics, Tues. 5/3 (7 p.m. ET, TNT)
- Game 3: Celtics at Bucks, Sat. 5/7 (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
- Game 4: Celtics at Bucks, Mon. 5/9 (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
- Game 5: Bucks at Celtics, Wed. 5/11 (TBD, TNT) – if necessary
- Game 6: Celtics at Bucks, Fri. 5/13 (TBD, ESPN) – if necessary
- Game 7: Bucks at Celtics, Sun. 5/15 (TBD) – if necessary