Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant look to lead the Nets back to the postseason with a win over the Cavs.
The Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers kick off this year’s NBA Play-In Tournament on Tuesday night at the Barclays Center, with a trip to the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs as the seventh seed up for grabs.
The game (7 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on TNT. But if you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch a live stream of the Cavs vs Nets online:
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DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” TNT and ESPN are included in every one, but you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch the Cavs vs Nets live on the DirecTV Stream app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Stream website.
Sling TV
TNT and ESPN are included in Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with TNT and ESPN, plus you can get $10 off your first month:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Cavs vs Nets live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of TNT, ESPN and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which now also includes both ESPN+ and Disney+ as part of the bundle:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the Cavs vs Nets live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
Cavs vs Nets Preview
The Brooklyn Nets will look to make their way into the NBA postseason via the Play-In Tournament on Tuesday night when they host the upstart Cleveland Cavaliers in the battle for the seventh seed at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The Nets and Cavs both finished with a 44-38 record, but the Nets owned the tiebreak by taking three of four head-to-head matchups during the regular season, which gave them home-court advantage on Tuesday.
The Nets, who were one of the favorites to bring home the title going into the season, went through a tumultuous campaign that included injuries, COVID-19 restrictions, and blockbuster trades. They came on strong at the end of the regular season, winning four in a row to vault themselves into the seventh slot going into the Play-In Tournament.
The Cavaliers have been one of the best underdog stories of the 2021-22 season, improving their mark by 22 games from last year and making the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
The winner of Tuesday night’s game will be awarded the seventh seed and advance to the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs where they will play the second-seeded Boston Celtics. The loser will get another crack at making the postseason on Thursday night when they meet the winner of the Atlanta Hawks vs. Charlotte Hornets Play-In game. The winner of that final contest will be the East’s eighth seed and take on the top-seeded Miami Heat in the first round.
Here’s a look at the tale of the tape heading into the critical Play-In matchup:
No. 7 Brooklyn Nets (44-38)
The Nets were expected to be a juggernaut coming into the season with the superstar trio of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving, but the three rarely took the court together due to a plethora of injuries and COVID restrictions.
Harden was ultimately traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in a blockbuster deal on Feb. 10 that returned Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round draft picks.
Irving played in only 29 games this season, as he wasn’t able to play in the majority of the team’s home games due to his vaccination status. With the restrictions being lifted in New York, the seven-time All-Star is now able to play in all Nets games and has been a force, averaging 27.4 points, 5.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game.
The Nets’ leading scorer is sharp-shooter Kevin Durant, who is averaging 29.9 points per game. The 12-time All-Star is shooting 41.8 percent from the field, while also averaging 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game.
The Nets lost in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in seven games to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks last season. The seventh game was a heartbreaking affair for the Nets, who fell 115-111 in overtime on their home floor.
No. 8 Cleveland Cavaliers (44-38)
The Cavaliers have enjoyed a speedy turnaround under first-year head coach B.J. Bickerstaff, where they doubled their win total from the previous season.
Bickerstaff knows what a great experience this postseason appearance will be for his squad, as they continue to build back to relevancy.
“These opportunities are not promised,” said Bickerstaff. “They are not guaranteed. I want them to get a taste of it and have a desire to get back.”
The Cavs are led by All-Star point guard Darius Garland, who had a breakout season that included averaging a team-high 21.7 points and 8.6 assists per game.
Cavs All-Star center Jarrett Allen will not play in Tuesday’s game, as he continues to rehab a broken left middle finger that caused him to miss the final 18 games of the regular season.
The Cavs struggled down the stretch without Allen, losing eight of their last 11 games entering the postseason.
Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament Schedule
- No. 7 Nets vs. No. 8 Cavaliers, Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET
- Winner is the Eastern Conference’s seventh seed
- Loser plays in Thursday’s Play-In game
- No. 9 Hawks vs. No. 10 Hornets, Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET
- Winner advances to Thursday’s Play-In game
- Loser eliminated
- 8th seed Play-In Game, Thursday, 7 p.m. ET
- Winner is the Eastern Conference’s eighth seed
- Loser eliminated