Getty Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers gave the Los Angeles Lakers all they could handle in Game 1.
The No. 8 seed Portland Trail Blazers are looking to take a 2-0 lead over LeBron James and the No. 1 seed Los Angeles Lakers when they face off in Game 2 of their seven-game series Thursday evening.
Game 2 starts at 9 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN. But if you don’t have cable, here’s how to watch a live stream of the game online:
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Watch ESPN on FuboTV
As of August 1, ESPN is one of the 107 live TV channels included in the main FuboTV bundle, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch ESPN and the Blazers vs Lakers 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 with 30 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which allows you to watch the game on-demand within three days of its conclusion, even if you don’t record it.
Watch ESPN on Sling TV
ESPN is one of 31 channels included in the Sling Orange package. It costs $30 per month, so if you want the cheapest way to watch as much NBA playoff basketball as possible, this is the best option, as it also includes TNT (Sling Orange) and NBA TV (Sports Extra add-on, which is free for the first month for a limited time):
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch ESPN and the Blazers 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.
Watch ESPN on Vidgo
ESPN is one of 68 total channels included with Vidgo. This is the cheapest long-term option with ESPN, and it comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can then watch ESPN and the Blazers vs Lakers live on your computer via the Vidgo website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV or other compatible streaming device via the Vidgo app.
Watch ESPN on 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. You can watch immediately with a seven-day free trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch ESPN and the Blazers 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 both its extensive on-demand library and 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).
Blazers vs Lakers Game 2 Preview
The Dame reigned supreme in Game 1, when Damian Lillard led the way for the Blazers, scoring 34 points in the team’s 100-93 victory. Jusuf Nurkic added 16 points and 15 rebounds for Portland in the win. The Lakers were down by just a point at halftime, trailing 57-56, but poor shooting and an inability to match the intensity of Lillard and company eventually did them in.
Portland entered the NBA bubble needing to win in order to secure a playoff spot, and they did just enough. The Blazers went 6-2 after action resumed in the bubble, and they have now won five consecutive games.
“Every game since we’ve been here has been a playoff game,” Lillard said. “So that prepared us for a game like this. It’s only one win. I’m happy to be here competing in the playoffs again, but we’ve got to move on to the next one.”
Despite eking out a win in Game 1, the Blazers will need to clean some things up if they want to win this series. Portland had more turnovers than the Lakers (they had 16 to L.A.’s 10) and they benefitted from a cold night of shooting for Los Angeles. The Lakers hit just 35.1 percent of their field goals, and they shot an anemic 5-32 from downtown — trends that will very likely not continue over the remainder of the series.
“I thought we did a lot of things well,” Blazers guard CJ McCollum said immediately following the victory. “We still got to tighten up defensively, in transition. Offensively, I thought we were pretty sharp but we got to get better and continue to do more if we want to get out of this series.”
The Lakers will be looking to avoid digging themselves a hole in Game 2, and they’ll need some of their supporting players to step up. Anthony Davis scored a team-high 28 points in Game 1, while LeBron James chipped in 23, completing his triple-double with 17 rebounds and 15 assists.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel says that James would have had an even bigger game had the team shot better overall. “He would’ve had over 20 assists if we knocked down threes at the rate that we’re capable of and at the rate we will,” Vogel said about James after the game.
For his part, James has vowed not to dwell on the loss.
“No frustration, because the game is the game, and we came here with a mindset to win,” James said. “We didn’t take care of business, but we got another opportunity on Thursday to even the series and that’s my only mindset. I’m gonna go back to the hotel, watch some film tonight, lock in with the team tomorrow, prepare before the game on Thursday and get ready to play.”