Getty Kevin Durant's Golden State Warriors meet James Harden's Houston Rockets in the NBA playoffs for a second straight year.
The Golden State Warriors will host the Houston Rockets at Oracle Arena for Game 1 of their second-round series in the NBA playoffs.
The game is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on ABC, but if you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of the game on your computer, phone, or streaming device via one of the following options:
PS Vue — which doesn’t require an actual PlayStation console to sign up or watch — offers four different live-TV channel packages: All four include ABC (live in select markets), but if you plan on keeping Vue for the NBA playoffs, you can get the “Core” bundle (65-plus channels, including ESPN, TNT and NBA TV) for $10 off your first two months right now.
You can start a free five-day trial of PS Vue right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the PS Vue website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation (3 or 4), or other supported device via the PS Vue app.
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 60-plus live TV channels, including 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 (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
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.
Those who have a participating Internet Service Provider (ISP) can watch the game for free on the ESPN digital platforms. But if you don’t have that, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your PlayStation Vue or Hulu credentials to sign in and watch.
Rockets vs Warriors Game 1 Preview
The Rockets pushed the Warriors to seven games in the Western Conference finals a year ago, famously going 7-of-44 from 3-point range in the pivotal game, including an 0-for-27 stretch from deep.
After losing strong forward defenders in Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute in the offseason, the Rockets opened the 2018-19 season with a 11-14 mark. But behind James Harden’s league-leading 36.1 points per game, the team rallied to a 53-29 record and the West’s No. 4 seed. They vanquished the Utah Jazz in five games in the opening round of the playoffs.
“We’re a confident group of guys,” Harden said, according to the Houston Chronicle. “We’ve been that way the entire year. We know what we’ve been through. We know where we’re at now. We’re more than capable. We’re excited about the opportunity. We know the difficulties and challenges that are going to come along, but we’re prepared for them.
“There’s going to going to be a lot of ups and downs, a lot of times things look like they’re going great or times … you can’t get a break. You just have to stay even keel, especially here on the road.”
Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry averaged 26 and 27.3 points per game this season as the Warriors went 57-25 for the conference’s top seed.
The 2014 MVP leads all players in scoring this postseason — he put up 35 points per game in Golden State’s six-game series victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, including a playoff career career-high 50 in Game 6.
“That was one of the great performances I’ve ever seen in my life,” Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “He’s the ultimate weapon, because there’s no defense for Kevin. No matter what anybody does, he can get a good shot. He knew we needed him badly, and he just took over the game.”
The Warriors went 0-3 against the Rockets with Durant in the lineup this season, besting Houston without their star forward in their most recent regular season meeting.
“You try to hold him (Durant), but the 50 points are not going to beat you,” Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni said, according to the Chronicle. “It’s the 125, the 120. You have to make sure you don’t make mistakes on other guys and make sure you’re making them (make) hard shots. If they do and they beat you, you tip your hat to them and go to the next game.
“Where they’re devastating is the pass and move and all that. You try to cut it down as much as you can. If you try to chase them, that’s what they want. You try to keep them in front of you, then man-to-man, let’s go. A lot of iso on both sides. Whoever does the best is going to win.”