Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images Hornets guard LaMelo Ball will get his first taste of playoff basketball Tuesday night against the Pacers
The new NBA Play-In Tournament kicks off Tuesday night with the 9 vs. 10 Eastern Conference matchup between the Indiana Pacers and Charlotte Hornets.
The game (6:30 p.m. ET start time) will be televised nationally on TNT. But if you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch a live stream of the Hornets vs Pacers online (for each of the following options, we’ve also included any info for ESPN, ESPN2, ABC and NBA TV, which will combine with TNT to broadcast every NBA playoff game this year):
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AT&T TV
AT&T TV has four different channel packages: “Entertainment”, “Choice”, “Ultimate” and “Premier.” TNT, ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC are included in every one, while NBA TV is included in the “Choice” and above bundles, but you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free 14-day trial.
Note that the free trial isn’t advertised as such, but your “due today” amount will be $0 when signing up. If you watch on your computer, phone or tablet, you won’t be charged for 14 days. If you watch on a streaming device on your TV (Roku, Fire Stick, Apple TV, etc.), you will be charged for the first month, but you can get still get a full refund if you cancel before 14 days:
Once signed up for AT&T TV, you can watch the Hornets vs Pacers live on the AT&T TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the AT&T TV website.
If you can’t watch live, AT&T TV also comes with 20 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to unlimited hours).
Sling TV
TNT, ESPN and ESPN2 are included in Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” bundle, while NBA TV is in the “Sports Extra” add-on. ABC isn’t included, but you can watch those games on the ESPN app. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with all the channels for the NBA playoffs, and you can get $25 off your first month:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Hornets vs Pacers live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 50 hours of cloud DVR.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of TNT, ESPN, ESPN2, ABC and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV. NBA TV is not included. It comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the Hornets vs Pacers live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
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).
Hornets vs Pacers Preview
The No. 9-seeded Indiana Pacers host the No. 10-seeded Charlotte Hornets in the first game of the historic NBA Play-In Tournament on Tuesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The game will serve as an elimination game, with the winner advancing to play the loser of the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards for the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket.
The Indiana Pacers (34-38) will be looking to qualify for their sixth consecutive postseason. They come into the game ranked second in assists per game, third in points in the paint and have the fourth-fastest pace in the league.
There are many question marks regarding players’ statuses coming into Tuesday’s game for Indiana, as the Pacers have been ravaged by injuries over the last few weeks. Six players missed Sunday’s regular-season finale, but three could return for the first Play-In game.
The Pacers’ leading scorer Malcolm Brogdon will be a game-time decision. The point guard, who averaged 21.2 points per game, missed the last 10 games of the regular season with a hamstring injury.
The Pacers will be without the services of their starting center Myles Turner (toe) and reserve guard Jeremy Lamb (knee), who will not be ready to suit up for the Play-In Tournament.
Indiana will lean heavily on All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis, who averaged 20.7 points per game and 12.7 rebounds per game in the regular season.
The Charlotte Hornets will be looking to qualify for their first playoffs since 2016, and fourth in franchise history.
The Hornets stumbled down the stretch, losing 9 of their last 12 games, including their last five contests. They bring to the floor a talented, young core group of players with limited-to-no playoff experience, including LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Miles Bridges and PJ Washington.
Ball, a top contender for Rookie of the Year, averaged 15.7 points per game, 6.1 assists per game, 5.9 rebounds per game and 1.6 steals per game in his professional debut season.
Rozier led the charge for the Hornets in the regular season, as he averaged 20.4 points per game and shot just under 39 percent from three-point distance.
The Hornets took two of three from the Pacers in the regular season, splitting two games in Charlotte in January before picking up a 114-97 win in Indiana in April.
The winner of the Pacers-Hornets matchup will also need to win Thursday night’s battle for the 8th seed game to advance to the playoff tournament to play the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference first round series.