Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Stream the 2026 NBA Playoffs in Australia & New Zealand on Disney+

24 April 2026

Don’t miss all the action from the NBA 2026 playoffs. Catch the action live with ESPN on Disney+

The NBA will soon reach its crescendo as 16 teams battle it out in the race to the NBA Finals and the ultimate basketball glory. Will the Oklahoma City Thunder win back-to-back titles? Or will the Boston Celtics or San Antonio Spurs raise the trophy? Stream the NBA Finals on ESPN via Disney+ to find out!

How to Watch the NBA Playoffs in Australia on Disney+

Don’t miss all the action from the NBA 2026 playoffs. Catch the action live with ESPN on Disney+.

Key Streaming Dates for the NBA Playoffs

Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics — ESPN, Getty Images

The NBA playoffs started on April 18 and featured eight teams in each conference after teams were eliminated in the Play-In Tournament.

The NBA Finals tip off on June 3 with the opening game of the best-of-seven series.

What teams are in the NBA Playoffs?

The 16 teams that punched their tickets to post-season action are: Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets.

How Many Australians & New Zealanders Play in the NBA?

Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks — ESPN, Getty Images

The Aussie flavour is strong with 12 players in action this season.

Josh Giddey is the biggest star of all and has a fellow Aussie in Lachlan Olbrich alongside him on the roster at the Chicago Bulls, there’s Dyson Daniels (Atlanta Hawks) who was runner-up in last season’s Defensive Player of the Year Award while veteran Joe Ingles and 221cm teen prodigy Rocco Zikarsky find themselves at contrasting points of their respective careers at the Minnesota Timberwolves. Then there’s Jock Landale (Utah Jazz), Josh Green (Charlotte Hornets), Matisse Thybulle (Portland Trailblazers), Johnny Furphy (Indiana Pacers), Tyrese Proctor (Cleveland Cavaliers), Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks) and Alex Toohey (Golden State Warriors) all doing the green and gold proud.

Veteran Houston Rockets centre Steven Adams flies the New Zealand flag in the NBA but underwent season-ending ankle surgery back in January.

Championship Aussies

From the heyday of the 1990s to the next generation of modern-day talent, Aussies have a rich history when it comes to winning the NBA championship.

Ten Australians have lifted the trophy with Luc Longley leading the way with three titles during the Chicago Bulls epic of the 90’s.

Other Aussie champs include Andrew Gaze (San Antonio Spurs, 1999), Patty Mills, Aron Baynes (San Antonio Spurs, 2014), Andrew Bogut (Golden State Warriors, 2015), Matthew Dellavedova (Cleveland Cavaliers, 2016), Jack White (Denver Nuggets, 2023) and just last year, Alex Ducas (Oklahoma City Thunder)

How does the NBA Playoff Bracket Work?

Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets — ESPN, Getty Images

The Play-Off bracket comes into place once the eight teams from each conference are determined.

The first round is first-placed team vs eight-placed team, second vs seven, third vs sixth and fourth vs fifth.

The winners of the first round then face each other in the conference semi-finals with the winners of the semi-finals then playing off for conference champion.

The East and West champs then contest the best-of-seven NBA Finals series to decide the championship.

The 2026 NBA Finals Schedule

The Eastern and Western Conference champions meet in the best-of-seven NBA Finals series to determine the 2025-26 title. With a seven-game series, it’s the team first to four wins that achieves the ultimate glory.

The team with the best regular season record earns home-court advantage in games 1,2,5 and 7 with the lower-ranked opposition hosting games 3,4 and 6.