Getty LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers will visit Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Christmas.
The Golden State Warriors will host LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers at Oracle Arena on Christmas Day.
The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN and ABC. 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, ESPN2, ESPNU and ABC (live in select markets). 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 and ESPN2 are both included in the “Sling Orange” channel bundle. You can sign up for a free seven-day trial right here, 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 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
This will be James’ fourth consecutive Christmas spent battling Stephen Curry and the Warriors, and first as a member of the Lakers.
He’s 1-2 against Golden State on Christmas, averaging 25.3 points (on 43.9 percent shooting), 9.3 rebounds, and 4 assists per contest.
The Lakers (19-12, fourth in the West) have dropped three of their last four, a stretch that coincides with the absence of center JaVale McGee, who was recently released from a pneumonia-induced stay at the hospital.
Fellow center Tyson Chandler also missed the team’s most recent game, a 107-99 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, with back spasms. Ivaca Zubac filled in admirably, scoring 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting and blocking four shots.
“We had both of our big men out tonight, who have basically been our MVPs this year so far,” James said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “I think Zu played a hell of a game. We all tried to make up for Tyson and JaVale’s absence. But we just came up a little short.
“With a versatile team like Memphis, where you know it’s going to be physical the whole night, you kinda need bigs. But defensively, I thought we were pretty good for three quarters. But we had some turnovers. And in the fourth quarter, we had too many miscues.”
The Grizzlies shot a scorching 14-of-26 from three-point range and turned the ball over just nine times. Memphis rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. led all scorers with 27 points and grabbed nine boards.
“We lost because we stopped playing defense,” Lakers head coach Luke Walton said, per the Times. “They scored 35 and we went under on [Mike] Conley on a three and we switched out to Conley and we weren’t up at the level of the three.
“So it’s things that we know better and we can control that cost us and caused us to lose that game.”
The Warriors (23-11, second in the West) have claimed victory in eight of their last 10, most recently edging the Los Angeles Clippers 129-127 on Sunday behind a Curry layup with 0.5 seconds remaining. The superstar scored 42 points on 12-of-22 shooting to go with six rebounds and a pair of assists. Kevin Durant added 35 points, grabbed 12 boards, and recorded five dimes.
“That’s just who they are,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said of his pair of MVPs, according to the Associated Press. “They’re aggressive, they’re talented, and they both had just incredible moments during that game where they each took over.”