Getty Anthony Davis & LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Two Western Conference powerhouses are set to clash as the NBA season kick back into gear with LeBron James and the Lakers taking on the Kawhi Leonard-led Clippers on Thursday from Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
The game is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET and will be televised on TNT (nationally), Spectrum SportsNet (locally in Lakers markets) and Fox Sports Prime Ticket (locally in Clippers markets). But if you don’t have cable, here’s how to watch a live stream of the game online:
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All Markets: Hulu With Live TV
Note: Spectrum SportsNet is not included with Hulu, but the game will also be on TNT in the Lakers markets
TNT (everywhere) and Fox Sports Prime Ticket (local markets) are 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. You can watch immediately with a seven-day free trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the Clippers vs Lakers live 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.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
Sling TV
Note: Spectrum SportsNet and Fox Sports Prime Ticket are not included with Sling TV, but the game will also be on TNT in the Lakers and Clippers markets
Both of Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” (32 channels) and “Sling Blue” (47 channels) packages come with TNT. They both cost $20 for the first month ($30 per month after that), which makes Sling the cheapest streaming service with TNT if you plan on keeping it long term:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Clippers 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.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 10 hours of cloud DVR.
AT&T TV Now
Note: Spectrum SportsNet and Fox Sports Prime Ticket are not included with AT&T TV Now, but the game will also be on TNT in the Lakers and Clippers markets
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 TNT:
Once signed up for AT&T TV Now, you can watch the Clippers vs Lakers live 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.
If you can’t watch live, AT&T TV Now — no matter what channel package you choose — comes with included cloud DVR.
Clippers vs. Lakers Preview
The NBA is back, but it’s been anything but a layup for the league to get restarted since the league went on hold March 11 due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to ESPN, the cost for the bubble environment will eclipse $150 million.
A total of 22 teams were invited for the restart based on their position in the standings when the season was stopped. The squads will play eight seeding games to determine the 16 playoff teams, with a twist. If the team with the eighth-best record in its conference is four games or fewer ahead of the team with the ninth-best record in the same conference, there will be a play-in tournament for the final spot. The No. 9 seed will have to win two consecutive games against the eighth to punch their playoff ticket.
But the Lakers and Clippers won’t have to worry about play-in games. Both LA squads have locked up a playoff spot and a high one at that. The Lakers are sitting at a comfortable 49-14 and should be able to hold on to the top seed in the West, barring disaster. The Clippers are hot on their tail at 44-20, but have to overcome the loss of multiple players who are in quarantine. Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell and Patrick Beverley will be held out against the Lakers.
The Lakers are trying to overcome some losses of their own. Starting guard Avery Bradley opted out of the NBA restart and veteran Rajon Rondo fractured his hand during a practice in the bubble. There were worries earlier in the week that star big man Anthony Davis could be held out after suffering an eye-poke during a scrimmage, but the former No. 1 overall pick says he’s good to go.
“That’s the plan,” Davis told reporters after taking part in a full practice on Wednesday. “I’ll get evaluated again tonight by one of the doctors here and kind of get an update from them. … That’s the plan, for me to play.”
Here are the top 10 contenders for the title, based on odds provided by Odds Shark. The Lakers, Bucks and Clippers are the favorites before a big drop off.
- Los Angeles Lakers +200
- Milwaukee Bucks +280
- Los Angeles Clippers +300
- Boston Celtics +1300
- Houston Rockets +1300
- Toronto Raptors +1600
- Philadelphia 76ers +2000
- Denver Nuggets +3000
- Dallas Mavericks +4000
- Miami Heat +4000