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The NBA hasn’t lacked entertainment at any moment this season, and now it’s time to see what the league has in store for All-Star Weekend 2019.
Each of the All-Star Weekend events–Rising Stars Game Friday at 9 p.m. ET, All-Star Saturday Night (Skills Challenge, Three-Point Contest and Dunk Contest) Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, and All-Star Game Sunday at 8 p.m. ET–will be broadcast on TNT. But if you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of TNT on your computer, phone, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku or other streaming device via one of the following cable-free, live-TV options:
TNT is one 75-plus live channels included in FuboTV’s main package, which is largely tailored towards sports fans.
You can start a free 7-day trial of FuboTV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of TNT on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or other supported device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of Cloud DVR (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours), as well as a handy “72-Hour Lookback” feature, which will allow you to watch All-Star weekend events on-demand up to three days after they air even if you don’t record them.
In addition to their extensive Netflix-like streaming library, Hulu now also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including TNT.
You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of TNT on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
TNT is included in both the “Sling Orange” and “Sling Blue” channel packages.
You can start a free 7-day trial of Sling TV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of TNT on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
All Star Weekend Preview
The Rising Stars game is often seen as a “warm-up” to All Star weekend, but with the staggering amount of young talent in the league, this has become a must-watch event in itself.
Team World–which has won two straight and three of four since the format was changed to World vs. USA–is led by an All Star in Ben Simmons, and a rookie who had a legitimate case to be an All Star in Luka Doncic. Already two of the best passers and most versatile players in the league, Simmons and Doncic are built perfectly to put on a show in this setting.
Team USA counters with much more impressive depth, though. They’ve got explosive guards in De’Aaron Fox and Donovan Mitchell, an electric wing in Jayson Tatum, deadly shooters in Trae Young and Kyle Kuzma, and a litany of athletic big men in Jarrett Allen, John Collins and Jaren Jackson Jr.
On All Star Saturday night, the Skills Challenge should be a lot of fun with Doncic, the speedy Fox and the NBA’s best passing big man in Nikola Jokic, but the main draws are, of course, the Three-Point Contest and Dunk Contest.
The former features a stacked field. You’ve got the best shooter in the world in Steph Curry with a little extra incentive going up against brother Seth. You’ve got the defending champ in Devin Booker. You’ve got three of the top eight (four counting Curry) in the NBA in threes made per game in Buddy Hield, Kemba Walker and Damian Lillard. You’ve got No. 2 in three-point percentage in Joe Harris. And you’ve got the sentimental favorite in the form of legend Dirk Nowitzki.
The Dunk Contest has been very hit or miss in recent years, but with Dennis Smith Jr., Hamidou Diallo, Miles Bridges and Collins, that’s an exciting collection of youth and creativity. Smith is already well known for his explosiveness, Diallo recorded a ridiculous 44.5-inch vertical at the 2017 Draft Combine, Collins is getting advice from teammate and GOAT dunker Vince Carter and Bridges will be looking to put on a show in front of the home crowd.
Finally, on Sunday, it will be Team LeBron vs Team Giannis in the All Star game.
LeBron’s starting lineup will consist of himself, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant. That gives them quite possibly the three best one-on-one offensive players in the league in Harden, Durant and Irving, the best wing defender in the league in Leonard, and, of course, that LeBron guy.
Over on Team Giannis, he’ll be teamed up with Steph Curry, Kemba Walker, Paul George and Joel Embiid. The Greek Freak collapsing defenses with Curry, George and Kemba–who are first, third and fifth in the league in threes made per game–waiting on the outside is a scary thought for opposing defenses.
In terms of bench play, Team LeBron would seem to have the advantage there simply due to the fact that they have Anthony Davis coming off the bench, but his status is unclear after leaving Thursday’s game with a shoulder injury. Still, with Damian Lillard, Klay Thompson, Bradley Beal, Karl-Anthony Towns, Ben Simmons and LaMarcus Aldridge, there’s a lot of firepower coming off the bench.
Team Giannis, though, has a pair of triple-double machines in two-time All-Star MVP Russell Westbrook and Nikola Jokic, plus Blake Griffin is a six-time All Star and D’Angelo Russell is someone who can light it up in a hurry if he gets hot.
Finally, Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki will join the game as special additions for their lifetime achievements. Wade will play with buddy LeBron one final time, while Dirk joins Team Giannis.