Getty Houston Rockets guard James Harden.
Two big-time Western Conference contenders clash in paradise as the Los Angles Clippers and Houston Rockets meet at the Stan Sheriff Center in Hawaii on Thursday in a preseason contest.
The game starts early Friday morning/late Thursday night (1 a.m. ET Friday/10 p.m. PT Thursday) and will be televised on NBA TV. If you don’t have cable or don’t have NBA TV, you can watch the Rockets vs Clippers live on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV Stick, Xbox One, PS4 or other streaming device via one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
NBA TV is one of 95-plus channels included in FuboTV’s main bundle, which is largely tailored towards sports.
You can start a free seven-day trial of FuboTV right here, and you can then watch the Rockets vs Clippers live on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or other supported device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes included with 30 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which will allow you to watch the game on-demand within three days of its conclusion, even if you don’t record it.
NBA TV is included in Sling TV’s Sports Extra add-on, which can be added to either the Sling Orange or Sling Blue main channel bundle.
You can sign up for a free seven-day trial of Sling TV right here, and you can then watch the Rockets vs Clippers live on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or other streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage for an additional $5 per month.
YouTube TV comes with 70-plus live TV channels, including NBA TV.
You can sign up for YouTube TV right here, and you can then watch the Rockets vs Clippers live on your computer via the YouTube website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or other compatible streaming device via the YouTube app.
If you can’t watch live, YouTube TV comes with included DVR.
Rockets vs Clippers Preseason Preview
Two teams that were at the center of one of the biggest offseasons in NBA history meet up to test out their new-look rosters, although there may be less star power than expected for the preseason affair.
Clippers All-Stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are out, as is newly-acquired Rockets stud point guard Russell Wilson.
As for James Harden — it’s hard to keep him off the basketball court. Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni said the 2018 NBA MVP will play on Thursday, although his workload will likely be less than what it would be in a full game.
“He loves to play,” D’Antoni said of the 2018 NBA MVP Harden. “So I’ll have to try to keep him to 25, 30 minutes. But he’ll play. He’ll be there, for sure.”
Harden is happy to be playing in Hawaii — a state that has no professional sports and few college teams to root for. He can feel the love.
“The people are so welcoming. I’m excited for them to get an opportunity to see NBA basketball,” Harden told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “They’re excited. To get out of our comfort zone and get away from just the states and go out, whether it’s here in Hawaii or different countries. So they get an opportunity to see NBA basketball, because they don’t have that luxury so often. I’m excited and we’re going to give the fans a show.”
The Clippers will have to wait a little bit longer to see their power couple of Leonard and George do work. George had off season shoulder surgery but still has restrictions.
“What we can’t live with is him playing, like him trying to sneak into action, which he clearly was trying,” Rivers said. “We’re just not going to allow it. Could he? Honestly, he probably could. But we’re just not going to have it.”
A big part of the Raptors run last year was contingent on “load management” for Leonard, who was fresher down the stretch. Now with the Clippers, the same kind of approach is expected.
“I think this year is gonna be more like the quarterbacks,” Rivers told The Athletic. “I’ll tell this story. It was a week before the season started. I was at dinner with (Rams quarterback Jared) Goff and we were just talking because I hadn’t watched a preseason game in 20 years. And I said, ‘How have you been playing?’ And he said, ‘I haven’t played.’ And I said, ‘What do you mean you haven’t played?’ And he says, ‘I haven’t thrown a pass.’ I have a feeling that the NBA will be following in those footsteps. Not to that extreme, but maybe. We’ll see.”
Despite all of the injury questions, Rivers is enjoying the experience, nonetheless.
“I love the beach, I love the waves and the ocean,” said Rivers. “I like everything including the food, and I love this facility, this is perfect.”