NBA Playoff Second-Round Schedule Draws Fan Complaints Over Game Overlap

The first two nights of the NBA playoffs' second round include heavy overlap between matchups.

NBC and Peacock air Game 1 of the 76ers versus Knicks at 8 p.m. ET on Monday. Peacock streams Timberwolves versus Spurs at 9:30 p.m. the same night.

On Tuesday, NBC and Peacock carry Lakers versus Thunder at 9:30 p.m. Peacock also streams Cavaliers versus Pistons at 7 p.m.

NBA fans dislike the scheduling conflicts. Doubleheaders on ESPN and TNT used to stagger games so the second tipped off right after or near the end of the first.

The league accepted this risk in partnering with NBC this season. NBC avoids weeknight games before 8 p.m. ET. It also shuns late tipoffs for Central Time teams like the Spurs and Thunder, such as 9:30 p.m. local.

Fans face another hurdle: they need Peacock and Amazon alongside NBC, ESPN and ABC to see the second round.

Watching live sports at home grows harder, more confusing and costlier. That trend may drive viewers away. Perhaps it already has.

The NBA claimed a 33-year high in first-round viewership. OutKick argued last week that figure amounts to spin. Playoff audiences likely fell, not rose.

Lopsided series add to the issues. DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Thunder at -1600 to beat the Lakers. The Spurs sit at -425 to advance past the Timberwolves. Those odds tightened Monday after Anthony Edwards cleared to play.

DraftKings sees the Knicks winning in five over the 76ers at +320 odds, the top projection. The Pistons-Cavaliers matchup, the least attractive, shapes up as the longest series.

YouTube TV subscribers may shrug off the overlap more than others. Last week, the service rolled out customizable multiview. Users pick channels for split-screen viewing of two NBA games or a four-box setup with NHL playoffs too.

All Peacock NBA streams run on YouTube TV through the NBC Sports channel.