As we hit the midway point in the NBA season, the competition is starting to heat up, and it’s about to get even hotter. The third annual NBA Rivals Week is coming up January 21-25, 2025, pitting teams with some of the most heated rivalries in the NBA against each other in a week of action-packed play.
WHAT IS NBA RIVALS WEEK?
Rivals Week is a relatively new initiative by the NBA to build up anticipation and excitement during the middle of the season, which tends to be less exciting than the beginning of the season and the NBA Playoffs. What better way to do that than giving fans back-to-back rivalry matchups to watch?
Over five days at the end of January, all 10 of the league’s nationally televised games will feature matchups drawn from both long-time and newly formed rivalries within the sport.
WHEN IS RIVALS WEEK?
NBA Rivals Week 2025 starts off January 21, 2025, and ends on January 25, 2025.
WHERE TO WATCH NBA RIVALS WEEK?
You can catch all 10 rivalry games across four national television networks: TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBA TV.
DIRECTV customers can find the games on the channel numbers listed below:
Not a DIRECTV customer? Why not?
- TNT: Channel 245
- ESPN: Channel 206
- ABC: Check local listings for channel
- NBA TV: Channel 216 (CHOICE™ Package & above)
Keep in mind that while each of these games are focused on rivalries, there are still other games scheduled to take place during the week, so you can catch your favorite team’s matchups even if they aren’t involved in one of these big rivalries. These games can be streamed live with NBA League Pass or watched on one of the 40+ Regional Sports Networks available to DIRECTV customers. *
*Customers must have DIRECTV Sports Pack or the CHOICE™ TV Package and above to watch games on available RSNs.
NBA RIVALS WEEK TV SCHEDULE
So, which rivalries are intense enough to have made the cut onto the national broadcast schedule? Check out the NBA Rivals Week TV schedule below to make sure you’re ready to watch your favorite team fight for a chance to beat their rival.
And if you aren’t available to watch the game live, make sure to record it to your DIRECTV DVR so you can watch it when you want, wherever you want.
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
- New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets – 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT
- Philadelphia 76ers vs. Denver Nuggets – 10:00 p.m. ET on TNT
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks – 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
- Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings – 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN
Thursday, January 23, 2025
- Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks – 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT
- Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers – 10:00 p.m. ET on TNT
Friday, January 24, 2025
- New Orleans Pelicans vs. Memphis Grizzlies – 8:00 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Saturday, January 25, 2025
- Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves – 3:00 p.m. ET on ABC
- Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks – 5:30 p.m. ET on ABC
- Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors – 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC
STREAM NBA GAMES LIVE WITH DIRECTV
Tune in to NBA Rivals Week from January 21-25 to watch some of the biggest rivalries in professional sports go head-to-head on the court.
And once Rivals Week ends, make sure the rest of NBA season is a slam dunk. With the DIRECTV Sport Pack, you can get access to every nationally televised game, 130 NBA TV exclusive games, plus any games on DIRECTV’s 40+ Regional Sports Networks. But that’s not even the best part.
So, get started with DIRECTV today to round out your NBA experience. You won’t regret it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is NBA Rivals Week?
NBA Rivals Week is a week-long event that takes place in the middle of the basketball season, where all nationally televised games focus in on some of the top rivalries in the NBA.
When is NBA Rivals Week in 2025?
The third annual NBA Rivals Week will take place between Tuesday, January 21 and Saturday, January 25, 2024.
Where can I watch NBA Rivals Week games?
Rivalry matchups can be watched live on ABC, TNT, ESPN and NBA TV.
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