Getty Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
The top two teams will go head-to-head on Friday as LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers play host reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks at Staples Center.
The game is scheduled to start at 10:30 p.m. ET and will be televised nationally on ESPN. If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of the Bucks vs Lakers 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 Bucks vs Lakers 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 Bucks 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
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 Bucks 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.
Bucks vs Lakers Preview
The Lakers have won nine out of their last ten games, but will have revenge on their mind as the Bucks come to town.
The Bucks and Lakers face off for the season time the season on Friday. Milwaukee took the first matchup 111-104 on Dec. 19. It’s a potential Finals preview as the Bucks have the best record in the NBA at 53-9 while the Lakers lead the West at 47-13.
“The Lakers are gonna come play hard. We know that. I watched the game last night. They played extremely hard. They played through Anthony Davis, LeBron was facilitating, guys were shooting the ball, they were running to the corner, they were playing good basketball,” Antetokounmpo said. “And they lost the first game, so they’re gonna come out and try to win the second one.
“But at the end of the day, we gotta do what we do, which is defend and run to the corner and run to our spots, move the ball, take the open shot, make the right play, drive the lanes. We’ve done this two years now — a year and a half, almost two years — and things take care of itself. So as a leader, I just gotta do that, and as a team, we just gotta stay on track.”
Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe echoed those sentiments from the defending MVP.
“Obviously, they’re going to try to get payback. We beat them pretty bad,” guard Eric Bledsoe told reporters. “They’re going to come out strong, so we just have to match their intensity. They’re at the top for a reason. They got two of the best players in the league and a great supporting cast, so we just have to match their intensity.”
The game is also a battle between the top two MVP candidates in James and Antetokounmpo, although the Greek Freak is a heavy favorite. Antetokounmpo is averaging 29.6 points and 13.8 rebounds while shooting 54 percent from the field.
Despite being in the heated chase for the MVP, Antetokounmpo complimented James — 10 years his elder — for his longevity.
“It’s amazing. He’s 35 and playing at a high level,” Antetokounmpo told reporters earlier this week. “He just leads the path for us. … A lot of times we think that, ‘OK, we’re going to retire at 35,’ but seeing a guy at 35 being still top-three best player in the world, that makes us want to be there. … Makes me want to be there one day, so I’ve got to keep taking care of my body, eating the right way, being healthy, and as I said — he paved the way, and hopefully we can just follow.”
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