The NBA Play-In Tournament 2022 is underway and we've already seen wins for the Nets and Timberwolves. The action continues today with two mouthwatering matchups including Pelicans vs Spurs. Who will grab the final two seeds in the Eastern and Western Conference ahead of the first round of the playoffs? Fans in the US can watch an NBA Play-In Tournament live stream with a Sling discount. Scroll down for full details.
Date: 12th – 15th April 2022
US streams: Sling TV ($10 discount)
Watch anywhere: ExpressVPN
UK stream: Now
Australia stream: Kayo Sports
Teams: Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs
The NBA Play-In Tournament is a series of six winner-take-all games featuring the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th seeds in each conference. One team from the Eastern Conference and one team from the Western Conference will earn a spot in the playoffs, which begin on Saturday 16th April.
The Brooklyn Nets (7), Cleveland Cavaliers (8), Atlanta Hawks (9) and Charlotte Hornets (10) will fight it out for the final Eastern Conference playoff berth, while the Minnesota Timberwolves (7), Los Angeles Clippers (8), New Orleans Pelicans (9) and San Antonio Spurs (10) are in the running for the final Western Conference spot.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver reckons the Play-In Tournament adds another level of competition by creating "races to ensure that teams were within the first six slots in their conference so they could avoid the Play-in tournament."
If you're watching Winning Time and wondering where the Lakers are, it's bad news. Despite starting the regular season as Western Conference favourites, LA struggled with injuries and crashed out of the playoffs picture as the 11th seeds.
Ready for some high-tempo basketball? US fans can watch the 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament on Sling TV from anywhere - full details just below...
Watch a cheap NBA Play-In live stream
ESPN and TNT will air three NBA Play-In games apiece. Don't have cable? Sling TV is the most affordable way to stream both channels.
Subscription to Sling TV Orange (ESPN, TNT and more) costs $35 a month and new users get $10 off their first month of the service. Score!
Outside the States? Remember you'll need to use a VPN to watch the NBA on Sling when travelling overseas.
Watch an NBA Play-In live stream from abroad using a VPN
Even if you have subscribed to the relevant 2022 NBA Play-In rights holders, you won't be able to use them when outside your own country. The service will know your location based on your IP address, and will automatically block your access.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and the internet, such that the servers and services you’re accessing aren’t aware of what you’re doing. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted.
There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. As a rule, we’d suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN which offers a 100 per cent risk-free money back guarantee. If you're not happy with the service any time within the first 30-days, then you can cancel with no penalties at all.
How to use a VPN for the NBA Play-In Tournament
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. ExpressVPN is the one we recommend.
2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. For the basketball you may wish to choose 'USA' for Sling TV.
3. Then head over to Sling TV on your browser or device and enjoy the 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament live stream.
If, for whatever reason, you can't get it working, do remember that you have the comfort of a 30-day money back guarantee with ExpressVPN. You could also try NordVPN, which also comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, and Surfshark which offers 24 hour assistance.
Watch NBA Play-In live stream in the UK
Sky Sports has you covered for all of this year's NBA Play-In games. Coverage starts at 11.30pm BST, 12th April, on Sky Sports Main Event.
Not a Sky subscriber? Now day and month passes provide contract-free streaming access to all 11 Sky Sports channels.
Watch NBA Play-In live stream in Australia
Hoops fans in Oz can catch the NBA basketball on Foxtel. Another – cheaper – option is to stream Foxtel via Kayo, Australia's top sports streaming service.
Kayo is offers new subscribers a 14-day free trial. After that, membership costs from $25 a month.
Kayo is only available within Australia but you can access your Kayo account from overseas using a VPN. Details just above.
NBA Play-In live stream in Canada
Basketball fans in Canada can watch the Play-In games on TSN and TSN Direct. TSN's streaming service costs $7.99 for 24 hours access, $19.99 for the month or $99.95 for six months (prices quoted are before tax).
Again, you'll need to use a VPN to watch TSN Direct when travelling outside of Canada.
NBA Play-In Tournament 2022: dates, TV times & venues
Tues 12th April 2022
No. 8 Cleveland Cavaliers at No. 7 Brooklyn Nets – 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Venue - Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
No. 8 Los Angeles Clippers at No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves – 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Venue - Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Weds 13th April 2022
No. 10 Charlotte Hornets at No. 9 Atlanta Hawks – 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Venue - State Farm Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
No. 10 San Antonio Spurs at No. 9 New Orleans Pelicans – 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Venue - Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
Friday 15th April 2022
Winner of Hornets/Hawks at loser of Cavaliers/Nets – April 15, TBD (ESPN)
Venue - Rocket Mortgage, Cleveland, Ohio / Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
Winner of Spurs/Pelicans at loser of Clippers/Wolves – April 15, TBD (TNT)
Venue - Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California / Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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