Getty Anthony Davis and the Pelicans hope to avoid falling into an 0-3 deficit against the Warriors.
The last time the New Orleans Pelicans played at home, the result was triumphant: A win over the Portland Trail Blazers that completed a four-game sweep in the Western Conference quarterfinals. The circumstances will be a lot different tonight. New Orleans needs a win against the defending champion Warriors to avoid falling into an 0-3 series hole when the teams meet at the Smoothie King Center.
The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can watch a Warriors Pelicans live stream on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
How to Watch Warriors vs. Pelicans Game 3 Live Online Without Cable
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 ESPN. 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: ESPN is 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: You can also watch the game on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the WatchESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider in order to watch these streams, but if you don’t have that, you can sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or DirecTV Now credentials to sign in and watch on ESPN’s platforms.
Warriors vs.Pelicans Game 3 Preview
New Orleans entered the series as a massive underdog, and nothing has happened so far to change that. Golden State won Game 1 in a rout despite still being without Steph Curry, remained sidelined with a knee injury that had kept him out since late March. Curry returned to the floor in Game 2 and scored 28 points off the bench in just 27 minutes — an ominous sign for the Pelicans. Yet the Pelicans kept things competitive and lost by only 5 despite Anthony Davis not attempting a single free throw.
The lack of free throw attempts by the Pelicans — and the massive discrepancy in attempts between the two teams — was a huge factor in Game 2. Davis, Jrue Holiday and E’Tuan Moore combined for zero free-throw attempts in Game 2, and New Orleans has gotten to the line only 20 times in the first two games combined. Golden State, by contrast, attempted 29 free throws in Game 2 alone, hitting 22 of them. Don’t be surprised if New Orleans benefits from a friendlier whistle at home, and the discrepancy dissipates or even reverses itself.
Curry, who had a monstrous +26 plus/minus in Game 2, will make his first start of the postseason in Game 3. He showed no signs in Game 2 of being less than 100 percent healthy, shooting 5-for-10 from 3-point range and 7-for-7 from the free-throw line, though he did commit a team-high 7 turnovers. Curry’s health was a major reason Golden State had what, by its standards, was a mediocre regular season, finishing seven games behind the Rockets for the best record in the West, and setting for the No.2 seed in the playoffs. With Curry back on the floor, Golden State is better than even money to win its third championship in four years.
At 200/1 to win the NBA title and 100/1 to win the West, the Pelicans are the biggest longshots among the eight teams left in the playoffs. But they have some recent history defying the odds. The Pelicans were first-round underdogs against the Blazers, only to sweep the series. A series win against Golden State is highly unlikely. But New Orleans can make things a little more interesting with a win tonight.
