Getty Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.
The 2023-24 NBA regular season is finally upon us, with the Boston Celtics heading to Madison Square Garden on October 25 to take on the New York Knicks.
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The game will be televised on ESPN, but if you don’t have cable or don’t have that channel, you can watch a live stream for free on FuboTV or DirecTV Stream.
Here’s how:
Celtics vs Knicks Live Stream Guide
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ESPN is included in all of them, and 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 Celtics vs Knicks live on the DirecTV Stream app or DirecTV Stream website.
Compatible devices for the DirecTV Stream app include 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.
You can also watch live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your DirecTV Stream credentials to do that.
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the Celtics vs Knicks live on the FuboTV app or FuboTV website.
Compatible devices for the FuboTV app include 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), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Fubo credentials to do that.
Sling TV
If you’ve used up all your free trials for other streaming services, Sling TV is the cheapest long-term streaming service that includes this game. ESPN is included in the “Sling Orange” bundle, which is just $20 for your first month:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Celtics vs Knicks live on the Sling TV app or Sling TV website.
Compatible devices for the Sling TV app include 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.
You can also watch live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Sling credentials to do that.
Celtics vs Knicks Preview
The Celtics made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, ultimately losing to the Miami Heat. Boston finished with an overall record of 57-25 last season and remain a favorite in the Eastern Conference.
The Celtics also made themselves better, this offseason, adding former Milwaukee Bucks champ Jrue Holiday via trade. The also added big Kristaps Porzingis, who should help in the paint.
The Celtics could roll out a starting lineup that includes Derrick White, Holiday, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Porzingis. Boston was incredibly well-balanced last year on both sides of the ball. The Celtics averaged 117.9 points a game, which was fourth in the NBA. On defense, they allowed 111.4 points per contest, which was ranked fifth.
On the other side, the Knicks finished with a solid 47-35 record last season. They made it to the Conference semifinals before falling to the Miami Heat in six games. Offensively, New York, averaged 116.0 points a game, while surrendering 113.1 points a game on defense.
The Knicks could get a boost from former Golden State Warriors standout Donte DiVincenzo, but it’s going to take a big effort from New York with the Eastern Conference getting far more competitive.
The Knicks have Jalen Brunson, Quentin Grimes, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson all returning, so expecting another playoff appearance is not unreasonable.
Celtics vs Knicks: What They’re Saying
“Everyone has bought in to work at a certain standard and a certain level,” Celtics center Al Horford said about his team. “It started with Joe and the coaches, I feel like they set the tone. And our guys, or young guys, and when we started to come in in September, there was a sense of urgency. I know that word gets tossed out there a lot, but everybody’s locked in, everybody is getting after it, everybody’s trying to get better. We’re all pushing each other the right way. So that’s what has impressed me the most. And you feel it. Guys that come in here, they see it and they feel it.”
“Continuity’s important, and we’re going into year four. We’re young – that’s the best thing about our team, that you can continue to get better. We’re looking forward to the development of the guys we do have. Getting the experience from last year was very beneficial to us, but we have to understand it’s a new year and we start over again.” — Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau.