2021 NBA Finals Schedule: How To Watch Suns vs Bucks on TV and Online, Dates and Times
A team that has not won the NBA title in at least half a century will get its hands to the Larry O' Brien Trophy later this month. That is the only certainty ahead of the 2021 NBA Finals, which get underway on Tuesday when the Phoenix Suns host the Milwaukee Bucks in Arizona.
The Suns are four wins away from their maiden NBA title as they return to the Finals for only the second time in franchise history following their 4-2 loss against the Michael Jordan-inspired Chicago Bulls in 1993, while the Bucks have reached the final act of the NBA season for the first time since 1974. Milwaukee's solitary championship came three years earlier, when they swept the Baltimore Bullets.
A first NBA title for the Suns would see Chris Paul end his quest for a maiden ring, which has proved frustratingly elusive in his 16 years in the league.
On the other side of the divide, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is looking for a first NBA title after becoming only the third player in NBA history after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James to win back-to-back MVP titles before turning 26.
The Greek Freak, however, may not even play a part in the Finals after missing the last two games of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Atlanta Hawks, having hyperextended his knee in Game 4.
Here's all you need to know ahead of the NBA Finals.
When do the NBA Finals start?
The NBA Finals get underway on Tuesday, July 6. The Suns host Game 1 and Game 2, before the series moves to Milwaukee on July 11 for Game 3 and Game 4.
Game 5 and Game 6, if necessary, will be held on July 17 and July 20 respectively, with the possible Game 7 to be played on July 22 in Phoenix, Arizona.
How to watch the NBA Finals on TV
ABC will exclusively broadcast every game of the NBA Finals, as it has done every year since 2003.
The primary broadcast team is made up of Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson.
How to live stream the NBA Finals
The entire series can be streamed via watchESPN and ABC's digital platforms, which include the ABC app for smartphones and tablets and online via ABC.com and connected devices such as Roku, AppleTV and Amazon Fire TV.
Each game of the NBA Finals will also be available for live stream via YouTube TV, fuboTV and SlingTV.
NBA Finals TV schedule
All times ET
Game 1—Tuesday, July 6
- Milwaukee Bucks at Phoenix Suns—9 p.m., ABC
Game 2—Thursday, July 8
- Milwaukee Bucks at Phoenix Suns—9 p.m., ABC
Game 3—Sunday, July 11
- Phoenix Suns at Milwaukee Bucks—8 p.m., ABC
Game 4—Wednesday, July 14
- Phoenix Suns at Milwaukee Bucks—9 p.m., ABC
Game 5—Saturday, July 17*
- Milwaukee Bucks at Phoenix Suns—9 p.m., ABC
Game 6—Tuesday, July 20*
- Phoenix Suns at Milwaukee Bucks—9 p.m., ABC
Game 7—Thursday, July 22*
- Milwaukee Bucks at Phoenix Suns—9 p.m., ABC
*If required
How did the Suns and Bucks get to the NBA Finals?
The No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, the Suns ended the Los Angeles Lakers' title defense in the first round, before sweeping the Denver Nuggets in the semifinals and then defeating the Los Angeles Clippers in six games in the Western Conference Finals.
The Bucks, who arrived into the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, also took six games to eliminate the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Milwaukee swept the Miami Heat, last season's runners-up, in the first round and then eliminated the Brooklyn Nets in seven games in the semifinals.
NBA Finals odds
Phoenix holds a slender advantage in the eyes of the bookmakers. The Suns are 1-2 favorite with FanDuel and 4-7 with DraftKings, while the Bucks are 3-1 and 6-4 respectively with the two bookmakers.
ESPN BPI predictor gives the Bucks a 51 percent chance of success to the Suns' 49 percent, while FiveThirtyEight's statistical model gives Phoenix a 67 percent chance of success compared to Milwaukee's 33 percent.
