Getty The Warriors go for a third title in four years starting Thursday night.
After all that suspense and all that drama, we’re back to where we were a year ago — and two years ago, and three years ago: The Cavs and Warriors squaring off in the NBA Finals. After both teams overcame 3-2 series deficits in their respective conference championship series, the two rivals begin their fourth straight NBA Finals series tonight in Oakland.
NBA Finals Game 1 is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET and will be televised on ABC. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can watch the game live on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
NBA Finals Game 1 Live Stream Options
Hulu With Live TV: In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu now also offers a bundle of live TV channels, including both ABC (live in select markets) and ESPN (meaning Hulu can be used to watch the game on ESPN’s digital platforms). You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
DirecTV Now: ABC (live in select markets) and ESPN (which means DTV Now can be used to watch the game on ESPN’s digital platforms) are both included in all four of DirecTV Now’s channel packages. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial no matter what package you choose, and you can then watch the game live on your computer via the DirecTV Now website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the DirecTV Now app.
WatchESPN: If one of the above services doesn’t include ABC live in your market, you can still watch the game on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the WatchESPN app. Games on ABC can be watched for free without cable if you have a participating internet service provider (ISP), but even if you don’t have a participating ISP, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or DirecTV Now credentials to sign in and watch the game on the ESPN platforms.
Cavs vs. Warriors Game 1 Preview
Both teams took circuitous routes to get back to the Finals. Neither was the top seed in its conference, and both had to dig out of 3-2 series deficits in the conference finals in order to make the Finals rematch possible. In the regular season, the Warriors had to deal with prolonged absences from Steph Curry, while the Cavs traded Kyrie Irving last August, then overhauled their roster half-way through the season after getting off to a middling start. Yet in many ways, this is the matchup NBA fans deserve: A Warriors team looking to build a dynasty, with LeBron James standing in the way. Oh, and did we mention LeBron is about to enter free agency, meaning this could be his last series as a Cav?
As they have been in every series this postseason, the Warriors enter the Finals as heavy betting favorites to win, and as double-digit underdogs in Game 1. Sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com have Golden State as a 12.5-point favorite.
Thanks almost exclusively to LeBron, the Cavs have been OK this postseason on the road, winning their first two conference semifinal games at Toronto, then winning Game 7 at Boston in the conference final. The Warriors have been close to unbeatable at home, where they’ve won 8 out of 9 this postseason, and 17 out of 18 in the postseason dating back to last year. The Cavs announced today that Kevin Love will play in Game 1 after clearing the concussion protocol, meaning the Cavs will have the services of arguably their second best player. But they’re still huge underdogs against the defending champs.
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