Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images Trae Young and the Hawks look to return to the NBA Playoffs with a win over the Cavs on Friday.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks meet on Friday night in the final game of the Play-In Tournament for the Eastern Conference with a trip to the NBA Playoffs as an eighth seed up for grabs.
The game (7:30 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on ESPN. But if you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch a live stream of the Hawks vs Cavs online, with the first two options offering free trials:
Note: Heavy may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up via a link on this page
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 Hawks vs Cavs live on the FuboTV 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), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Fubo credentials to log in and watch.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ESPN is 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 Hawks vs Cavs 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.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your DirecTV Stream credentials to log in and watch.
Sling TV
ESPN is 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 ESPN, plus you can get $10 off your first month:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Hawks vs Cavs 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.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Sling credentials to log in and watch.
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 90+ other TV channels on Vidgo. It doesn’t come with a free trial, but it’s a good option if you plan on keeping a streaming service long-term:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch the Hawks vs Cavs live on the Vidgo app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, 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 Vidgo website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Vidgo credentials to log in and watch.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of 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 Hawks vs Cavs 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.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Hulu credentials to log in and watch.
Hawks vs Cavs Preview
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks face off in an elimination game with a spot as the Eastern Conference’s eighth seed on the line Friday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Cavaliers fell to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday and the Hawks got past the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, setting up the final game of the Play-In Tournament in the East. The winner will advance to the NBA Playoffs to take on the top-seeded Miami Heat in the first round.
The Cavaliers are looking to make the NBA tournament for the first time without LeBron James on their roster since 1998. The Hawks are trying to get back to the playoffs, where they made a meteoric run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, before bowing out to the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks in six games.
The Hawks won three out of four head-to-head matchups between the two squads in the regular season, including the last three in a row. The Hawks’ sharp-shooting two-time All-Star Trae Young was dominant in the four games, averaging 32.5 points and 9 assists on 46.1 percent field goal and 41.2 percent three-point shooting.
Here’s a look at the tale of the tape heading into the critical Play-In Game for the eighth seed:
No. 8 Cleveland Cavaliers (44-39)
The Cavaliers enjoyed a speedy turnaround under first-year head coach B.J. Bickerstaff, where they doubled their win total from the previous season.
Leading the way for Cleveland is 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 is questionable for Friday’s game, as he continues to rehab a broken left middle finger that caused him to miss the last 19 games, including Tuesday’s Play-In Game loss to the Nets. The Cavs have struggled down the stretch without Allen, losing 9 of their last 12 games entering the matchup with the Hawks.
Bickerstaff mentioned this week that Allen was improving and performing individual drills, but it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to take the floor Friday night for the Cavs.
“He’s doing well,” said Bickerstaff. “He’s working out; he’s starting to do more with both hands. We’re just kind of in a wait-and-see.”
The Cavs fell behind the Nets by as many as 22 points in the first half on Tuesday and were never able to fully get back into the game, despite a 34-point performance by Garland.
“You can’t give a team like Brooklyn that has championship aspirations and players who have won championships a 22-point lead,” said Bickerstaff. “Again, give our guys credit for getting back in it. But that’s damn near impossible to overcome.”
Rookie Evan Mobley scored 19 points and grabbed 7 rebounds and Kevin Love recorded a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds in the 115-108 loss to the Nets.
No. 9 Atlanta Hawks (44-39)
The Hawks looked like the team that vaulted into the NBA’s final four last season when they blew out the Hornets, 132-103, in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 Play-In Game on Wednesday.
All five Hawks starters scored in double figures, led by Young who put up 24 points. Third-year forward De’Andre Hunter scored 16 of his 22 points in the third quarter when the Hawks outscored the Hornets 42-24 to distance themselves in the affair.
“We’re definitely confident right now,” said De’Andre Hunter following the win. “But we’ve got a lot more work to do. We’re not satisfied yet.”
Young picked up this season where he left off last spring during his electrifying postseason run. The 23-year-old led the NBA this year in both total points scored and total assists. His stat line of averaging at least 28.0 points and 9.0 assists per game was only achieved 13 times prior in league history.
The Hawks’ second-leading scorer John Collins is questionable for Friday’s game, as he continues to deal with a sprained foot and sprained finger that caused him to miss Wednesday’s Play-In Game. Collins averaged 16.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game during the regular season.
The Hawks won the Southeast Division title last year and were the fourth seed heading into the 2021 playoffs, where they beat the Knicks in the first round and upset the top-seeded 76ers in the conference semifinals.
No. 1 Miami Heat vs. No. 8 Seed (Cavs/Hawks) First Round Schedule
- Game 1: Cavs/Hawks at Heat, Sun, 4/17 (1 p.m. ET, TNT)
- Game 2: Cavs/Hawks at Heat, Tues, 4/19 (TBD)
- Game 3: Heat at Cavs/Hawks, Fri, 4/22 (TBD, ESPN)
- Game 4: Heat at Cavs/Hawks, Sun, 4/24 (7 p.m. ET, TNT)
- Game 5: Cavs/Hawks at Heat, Tues, 4/26 (if necessary)
- Game 6: Heat at Cavs/Hawks, Thurs, 4/28 (if necessary)
- Game 7: Cavs/Hawks at Heat, Sat, 4/30 (if necessary)