Getty Images Lakers star LeBron James and Suns veteran Chris Paul are good friends off the court, but face off in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
The Phoenix Suns begin their first playoff journey in more than a decade as they welcome the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers to the desert on Sunday.
Game 1 (3:30 p.m. ET start time) will be televised nationally on ABC, while the rest of the games in the series will be on either ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, TNT or NBA TV. But if you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch a live stream of the entire Suns vs Lakers series online:
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AT&T TV
Note: You can watch a live stream of every NBA playoff game with AT&T TV
AT&T TV has four different channel packages: “Entertainment”, “Choice”, “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ESPN, ESPN2, TNT 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 Suns vs Lakers 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.
You can also watch the ABC and ESPN games live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a TV provider to watch this way, but you can use your AT&T TV credentials to do that.
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
Note: You can watch a live stream of every NBA playoff game with Sling TV
ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 (which will simulcast ABC games) and TNT are included in Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” bundle, while NBA TV is in the “Sports Extra” add-on. 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 Suns vs Lakers 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.
You can also watch the ABC and ESPN games live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a TV provider to watch this way, but you can use your Sling TV credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 50 hours of cloud DVR.
FuboTV
Note: TNT isn’t included with FuboTV, so you’ll need another option for those games
ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC are included in FuboTV’s main channel package, while NBA TV is in the “Sports Plus” add-on. Both can be included in your free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the Suns vs Lakers live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
You can also watch the ABC and ESPN games live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a TV provider to watch this way, but you can use your Fubo credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV also comes with 250 hours of cloud DVR space.
Hulu With Live TV
Note: NBA TV isn’t included with Hulu, so you’ll need another option for those games
You can watch a live stream of ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, ABC and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the Suns vs Lakers 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.
You can also watch the ABC and ESPN games live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a TV provider to watch this way, but you can use your Hulu credentials to do that.
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).
Suns vs Lakers Preview
The Phoenix Suns are back in the NBA Playoffs after a stellar season and their reward is a matchup with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers won a play-in game against the Golden State Warriors to lock up the No. 7 seed. James hit a memorable rainbow 3-pointer over Steph Curry to lock up the victory. James notched a triple-double in the win and hit the final shot after getting poked in the eye on a previous play by Draymond Green.
“After Draymond’s finger to the eye, I was literally seeing three rims out there so I just shot at the middle one,” James said. “With the grace of the man above, I was able to knock it down.”
James will face off against his good friend Chris Paul, who has helped spur the turnaround in Phoenix.
“Our journeys, we’ve been playing this game at such a high level for a long time,” James told reporters on Wednesday after dispatching the Golden State Warriors in the play-in game. “I’ve always rooted for him, for D-Wade, for Melo to succeed. Got an opportunity to play against Melo in the playoffs a few times. I never got the opportunity to play against D-Wade in the postseason … obviously had a great four-year run (together) in Miami. It’s going to be pretty cool just to be on the same floor competing. One of the most fierce competitors this game has had over his career. Looking forward to the matchup.”
James was the source of some drama prior to Game 1, with the league telling ESPN that he violated protocols by attending a photoshoot for his tequila brand with celebrities such as Drake and actor Michael B. Jordan.
“It’s a violation of the agreed upon protocols, and, as we have in other comparable instances around the league, it has been addressed with the team,” a league spokesman told ESPN on Friday.
However, James will not be suspended and is fully available for Game 1.
The Suns won two of three regular-season matchups, although they were throttled by a James-less Lakers squad in their most recent matchup.
The Lakers are favored to win the series, despite being the lower seed. LA is a 3-point favorite for Game 1.