Getty Kawhi Leonard, Clippers; Dwight Howard, Lakers
Western Conference contenders and Staples Center coinhabitants are set to do battle as the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers clash on Christmas Day.
The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET and will be televised on ABC. If you don’t have cable, you can watch the game 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:
AT&T TV Now
AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now) offers six different channel bundles. They range from 45 to 125 live TV channels, and they all include ABC (live in select markets). The “Plus” and “Max” bundles include a free seven-day trial:
Start Your AT&T TV Now Free Trial
Once signed up for AT&T TV Now, you can watch a live stream of the Clippers vs Lakers on your computer via the AT&T TV Now website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or other compatible streaming device via the AT&T TV app. You can also watch the game on the ESPN app if you sign in using your AT&T TV Now credentials.
If you can’t watch live, AT&T TV Now — no matter what channel package you choose — comes with included cloud DVR.
Hulu With Live TV
ABC (live in select markets) is one of 60-plus live TV channels included with Hulu With Live TV, which also comes with Hulu’s extensive on-demand library of TV shows and movies.
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch a live stream of the Clippers vs Lakers 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. You can also watch the game on the ESPN app if you sign in using your Hulu credentials.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu With Live TV comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as the option to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of space and the ability to fast-forward through commercials.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV comes with 70-plus live TV channels, including ABC (live in select markets).
Once signed up, you can then watch the Clippers vs Lakers 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. You can also watch the game on the ESPN app if you sign in with your YouTube TV credentials.
If you can’t watch live, YouTube TV comes with included DVR.
ESPN Digital Platforms
The game is also on ESPN3, which you can watch on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet, or streaming device via the ESPN app.
You won’t need to log-in to a cable provider to watch this way as long as you are signed in to a participating Internet Service Provider (ISP). However, if you don’t have one of those, you can also sign up for one of the above options and then use your AT&T TV Now, Hulu or YouTube TV credentials to sign in and watch the game on the ESPN digital platforms.
Clippers vs Lakers Preview
The battle for L.A. takes center stage on Christmas Day as the Lakers and Clippers clash. The teams last faced off to open the season, with the Paul George-less Clips winning 112-102.
“It was just the first game of the season, everybody was just trying to get in their rhythm,” Leonard said of the rematch. “I think they got [Kyle] Kuzma back playing and now we got Paul [George], so it’s gonna be two different teams.
“We’ve been through a journey ’til Christmas. It’s a different matchup.”
The Lakers have been eager for a rematch.
“It’s two fierce teams, for sure. It’s two competitive teams. Two competitive coaching staffs. So, you can expect a lot of competition. And may the best team that night win. You don’t know how the ball is going to go in, you don’t know what’s going to happen in terms of who is going to play well and things of that nature, but both teams want to win,” LeBron James told reporters earlier this month. “But it’s not the end of a season. It doesn’t mark what the team is going to be for the remainder of the season on a Christmas Day game.”
But despite the bragging rights, the Lakers are trying not to put too much weight into the matchup.
“The championship is won in June — it’s not won on Christmas,” Dwight Howard said Sunday. “This is not an ego test for us. We’re not trying to see who’s better right now. We want to make sure come playoff time that we’re the best team going into the playoffs and at the end of the playoffs that we’re the best team in the world. That’s the goal. That should be our mindset.
“We can’t allow emotions to get in the way of what we’re trying to accomplish. I think we were super emotional in the first game, and it showed. So we can’t play with our emotions. We’ve got to play with our will and our purpose. And if we do that, we should win the game.”
Both James and fellow Lakers star Anthony Davis are listed as questionable, but both are expected to play. The Lakers have lost their last three games.
The Lakers are two-point “home” favorites for the game. The total is set at 222.5.