Getty Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat steals the ball away from Julius Randle of the New York Knicks.
The New York Knicks and the Miami Heat will clash in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, April 29.
The game (1 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on ABC, but if you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream on FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which both come with a free trial.
Those are the two best live stream options if you’re cutting cable, but there are also some other alternatives, so here’s a full guide on the different ways to watch the Heat vs Knicks streaming live online:
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DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ABC is included in every one, 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 Heat 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 the game 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 ABC 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 Heat 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 the game 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
You can watch a live stream of ESPN3 (which simulcasts ABC games) and 40-plus other live TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with the ESPN channels, and you can get your first month for half off:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Heat 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 the game 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.
Heat vs Knicks Game 1 Preview
The No. 8 seed Heat are fresh from slaying the dragon that was Giannis Antetokounmpo and the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks. Led by Jimmy Butler’s 56 points in Game 4, the Heat saw another Herculean effort from Butler in Game 5. Down by 16 heading into the fourth quarter, Butler finished with 42 points and sent the game into overtime with a ridiculous aerial tip-in.
Butler averaged over 37 points a game in the series against the Bucks, and he’s going to be a handful for New York.
“I think he’s [playing] at an elite level, and it’s not just what he’s doing for himself, but it’s what he does for the team,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said about Butler. “I’ve said this many times: anyone you’ve coached and been around, you follow them and support them and want them to do well — except when we play them. So I know what he’s about; he knows what we’re about. So let’s go. Let’s see what up.”
Miami lost starting forward Tyler Herro (hand) and key rotational big man Victor Oladipo (knee) injury against the Bucks, so forwards Max Strus and Kevin Love will be key in this series.
On the other side, the Knicks are coming off a 4-1 series win over the Cleveland Cavs in the opening round. Guard Jalen Brunson averaged 24 points a game over the series, scoring 23 in New York’s 106-95 Game 5 win. He will certainly be a point of focus for Miami.
“He’s really unique,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said about Brunson. “You don’t come across a player who is as crafty and aggressive and physical, but also can get you off balance. When he’s in the paint and around the basket and in a crowd that’s probably where he’s most comfortable. That’s super unique.”
This will be the first time since 2013 that the Knicks have advanced beyond Round 1 of the playoffs, so expect the Garden to be rocking.
On the injury front, Knicks guard Quentin Grimes missed two games in the series against the Cavs with a bruised right shoulder. His status for this game remains unknown at the time of publication. New York got the best of Miami in the four-game series these squads played this year.
Here’s a look at the regular-season results between these two teams:
Feb. 2: Knicks 106, Heat 104
March 3: Knicks 122, Heat 120
March 22: Heat 127, Knicks 120
March 29: Knicks 101, Heat 92