Getty Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder will meet James Harden and the Houston Rockets on Christmas.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will visit the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on Christmas Day.
The game is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on ABC. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can watch a live stream of the game on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
In addition to their extensive Netflix-like streaming library, Hulu now also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including ABC (available live in select markets, which you can find here). 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).
PlayStation Vue offers four different channel packages, all of which include ABC (available live in select markets, which you can find here). You can sign up for a free 5-day trial right here (you don’t need to have PlayStation to sign up), and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the PS Vue website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the PS Vue app.
If you can’t watch live, PlayStation Vue comes with cloud DVR, but there are some restrictions.
ESPN Platforms
Additionally, you can 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. Since the game is on ABC, you’ll only need to be logged into a participating Internet Service Provider (ISP) to watch, but if you don’t have that, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or PS Vue credentials to sign in and watch on the ESPN digital platforms.
Thunder vs Rockets Preview
Without Chris Paul, who’ll be out two to four weeks with yet another hamstring injury, the Rockets topped the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, 108-101.
It was the team’s first win without Paul in the lineup in six tries this year. They’re 17-15, sitting in the eighth and final playoff slot in the Western Conference.
“I never thought about (the previously winless record this season without Paul) it but whoever is ready to play, we have to play,” Rockers forward P.J. Tucker said, according to the Houston Chronicle. “We just have to try to win period. At this point every single game matters, every game counts so whoever is ready, next man up, and (be) ready to play.”
Center Clint Capela added: “Everyone needs to step up, because we don’t have a choice. We got a lot of things to work (on), because Chris is going to be out for a little while, so we’re all going to have to step up. The next game is going to be a tougher game, so we’re going to have to be ready.”
The center stepped up by grabbing a season-high 23 rebounds to go with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Eight of those boards came on the offensive end. James Harden scored 39 points and dished 10 assists.
“Overall, the killer was the offensive boards,” Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said, according to the Associated Press. “Capela was great. I didn’t look at the stat sheet yet, but that was the killer.”
The Thunder (21-11) sit in third place in the West, just a half-game behind the first-place Denver Nuggets. A Sunday-night loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves snapped a four-game winning streak.
The Timberwolves shot 14-of-27 from deep; five of those makes came in the fourth quarter.
“I think we did a good job going down the stretch,” Thunder big man Jerami Grant said, according to The Oklahoman. “Could have made a couple more shots, got a couple more stops, but I’m comfortable with what we did.”
Thunder wing Paul George dropped 31 points and grabbed 11 boards on the heels of consecutive 43-point performances. Point guard Russell Westbrook got to the rim for four made layups in the final period, finishing the night with a triple-double: 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
“Obviously they know that’s coming,” Westbrook said, per The Oklahoman.
“They pack the paint. My job is to make the right play.”
Oklahoma City and the Rockets have met once this season, a 98-80 Thunder victory at home back on November 8.
Comments
How to Watch the Thunder vs Rockets Online Without Cable