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The NBA season officially tips off in Boston tonight as the Celtics raise their championship banner and receive their rings ahead of a game against the New York Knicks. We'll show you where to watch the Knicks vs. Celtics at home, whether you have cable or want to live stream the game.
The Boston Celtics won a record-breaking 18th NBA title in June when they defeated the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the Finals. The team had a stellar overall 2023-2024 regular season, leading the league with 64 wins. The New York Knicks also had a decent season, ranking second in the Eastern Conference after a better season than they've seen in the past decade. The team made it through the first round of the 2024 Playoffs but ultimately fell to the Indiana Pacers in the Conference Semifinals.
The viewing options we recommend will also allow you to watch tonight's second game, a Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers match-up at 10 p.m. ET. For info on tuning into other upcoming games, check out our guide on how to watch NBA games throughout the season.
The Knicks vs. Celtics game will air on TNT in the US. The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET, but TV coverage of the evening begins at 6 p.m. TNT will show the banner raising and ring ceremony at TD Garden, which should take place around 7 p.m.
Where to watch Knicks vs. Celtics in the US
If you don't have cable or your usual viewing method is missing TNT, you can tune into the game via a live streaming service like Max, Sling TV, or DirecTV Stream. All three of these month-to-month options made our list of the best sports streaming services, and each service offers something a little bit different from the others.
Max is the cheapest way to watch the game. The streaming service carries live TNT games through its B/R Sports Add-on, so you'll be able to watch every Tuesday and Thursday NBA game for the 2024-2025 season. Subscriptions start at $10/month for Max's ad-supported tier. The B/R Sports Add-on will eventually cost an extra $10/month, but it's included for for free with every new and existing Max subscription right now.
Sling TV and DirecTV Stream are two other ways to watch TNT. These are live streaming TV packages, meaning that they carry several live channels, so you can watch coverage beyond just NBA on TNT. They're great options for those looking for a cable replacement, with the longterm contracts or high price tags. Both of these services will give you access to most, if not all, NBA games this season, beyond just those on Warner Bros. channels.
Sling TV is the cheaper and more paired down of the two options. All Sling plans include TNT, but NBA fans will want to subscribe to Sling Orange since that also live streams ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3, in addition to 31 other channels. Subscriptions start at $40/month, making it one of the more affordable live TV packages out there, and new users can get their first month for half-off right now.
DirecTV Stream offers at least 90 live channels, including most of those that you'd find in a standard cable package, like ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2. Subscriptions start at $87/month, but first-time customers can try out the streamer free for five days.
How to watch Knicks vs. Celtics from anywhere
NBA fans traveling outside of the US can still keep up with their usual viewing options via a VPN, like ExpressVPN. VPNs (virtual private networks) enable people to change their virtual location, so they can still access their go-to websites and apps just like they would back home. ExpressVPN is our top recommendation since it's user-friendly and has a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can learn more about it in our ExpressVPN review. The streaming subscriptions we highlighted tonight require US forms of payment, so this option will work best for Americans who are simply abroad at the moment.
How to watch Knicks vs. Celtics with a VPN