Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson.
The playoff push begins for both the New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers as the squads meet up to kick off their post All-Star break slates on Friday at Moda Center.
The game is scheduled to start at 10:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN. If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of the game on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV Stick, or other streaming device via one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
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Sling TV
Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” package comes with 32 channels, including ESPN. It costs $20 for the first month ($30 per month after that), which makes Sling the cheapest streaming service with the ESPN channels if you plan on keeping it long term:
Or, as part of a special deal that Sling is currently offering, you can get a free Amazon Fire TV Stick if you prepay for two months:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Pelicans vs Blazers 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. You can also watch the game on the ESPN app if you sign in using your Sling credentials.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes with 10 hours of cloud DVR storage.
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 ESPN. The “Plus” and “Max” bundles come with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for AT&T TV Now, you can watch a live stream of the Pelicans vs Blazers 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
ESPN is included in Hulu With Live TV, which comes with 60-plus live TV channels and 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 Pelicans vs Blazers 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.
Pelicans vs Blazers Preview
Both the Pelicans and Blazers begin the second half of the NBA season on the outside looking in on the playoffs. While the Pelicans have added bodies for their postseason push — most notably No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson — the Blazers will have to make a run without their star guard Damien Lillard.
Lillard injured his groin before the All-Star break and expected to miss three or four games.
“You can’t say, ‘All right, I’m going to play through it’ because it can be bad,” Lillard told reporters. “I’ve been doing all the training and rehab that I can possibly do, so I’m sore as hell. … I have to take time off to let it heal completely. Once that happens, I will be back out there.”
The Blazers are 25-31 and in ninth place in the West. At this point every game matters if they want to sneak into the playoffs, so CJ McCollum and other Blazers veterans like Carmelo Anthony will have to pick up the slack.
The Pelicans lost their final game before the break, but had won three in a row previously, including a 138-117 thrashing of the Blazers on Feb. 11. Williamson has slowly seen an uptick in minutes since returning, scoring 30-plus in his last two outings.
Williamson has his focus firmly set on the Pelicans making the playoffs.
“I’m very hungry for it,” Williamson told ESPN. “I want to be in the playoffs. That’s the stage you dream about being on, and when you have a chance to be on it, you want to leave it all on the court.”
Williamson missed 44 games with a knee injury, but still has an outside shot at tracking down Ja Mortant for rookie of the year honors. The latest odds via Odds Shark show that the former Duke standout is +190 to take home the honor. If he can propel the Pelicans into the playoffs, he’ll have a real good shot of taking home the hardware.
While Williamson was sidelined, former Laker Brandon Ingram blossomed into an All-Star. Ingram is averaging 24.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
“I think all our guys are healthy right now,” Ingram said. “We have a pretty good rhythm and pretty good group right now. I think it’s going to be some fun basketball. I think while I was out the last three games, they found a rhythm pushing the break. On the defensive end, they’ve been really good. Hopefully, we can continue to find our identity.”
The Pelicans are a five-point road favorite for the game.