Getty Images Gordon Hayward driving to the basket.
The Boston Celtics will continue their road tour in Utah on Friday night as they are set to take on the Jazz. After having a slow start on Thursday, can the Celtics continue their hot streak after an overtime win? Or are they going to take some time to get back into the game once again versus the Jazz?
The game is scheduled to start at 9:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on nationally on ESPN. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch a live stream of the game (or DVR it) on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus 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.
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).
ESPN is included in the “Sling Orange” channel package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial of either or both, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or 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.
ESPN Platforms
Additionally, you can also watch a live stream of the game on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. You’ll need to log in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or Sling TV credentials to sign in and watch on the ESPN digital platforms.
Preview
For the first time since his departure, Boston Celtics superstar Gordon Hayward will return to Utah to face his former team, the Jazz. It can definitely get hectic at Vivint Arena on Friday, as the Jazz crowd doesn’t seem too thrilled to see Hayward’s return. Last season, Hayward was absent for the entire year, due to an injury, but this year he’s trying to get back on track.
So far, the Celtics as a whole haven’t been all that great. Although they are 7-4 in third place, they clearly haven’t taken the next step yet as they are still a few games back from the Milwaukee Bucks and the Toronto Raptors. They got off to a terrible start on Thursday night against the Phoenix Suns, but they climbed back in the second half and forced the game into overtime. That’s when the Celtics never looked back an came away with their seventh victory on the year.
Now, the Celtics are heading into a hostile environment in Utah, where they will attempt to ride off of the wave of the victory from the previous night. As Utah plans to boo Hayward all night, will he be able to shut them up? It’s no guarantee. After all, Hayward has been quite underwhelming thus far, as he averages under 10 points-per-game.
The Jazz, on the other hand, has a rising star in Donovan Mitchell. And the emergence of Mitchell last season made it a lot easier for Utah fans to get over Hayward’s departure. As he’s currently averaging 22 points-per-game, Mitchell offers the Celtics a tough matchup. And when you factor in the home crowd, this game definitely feels like a tight game that Boston may not be able to come out on top of.
Especially if they get off to another slow start. As stacked as Boston is, they are still learning how to all play together again. After all, there was a vast stretch in 2017, where many vital contributors were absent. Everybody will have their eyes on this matchup, and it should definitely be the game to watch on Friday. Will Hayward silence the crowd? Or will Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz leap over the almighty Boston Celtics?