Getty LeBron James, center, Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat are the last two teams standing in the bubble and will kick off the NBA Finals with Game 1 on Wednesday from Orlando.
The game starts at 9 p.m. ET and will be televised on ABC. But if you don’t have cable, here’s how to watch a live stream of the Heat vs Lakers Game 1 online for free:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ABC (live in select markets) and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV, which you can use for free with a seven-day trial right here:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the Heat vs Lakers live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
You can also watch the game live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. Games on ABC (labeled as ESPN3 on the ESPN platforms) can be watched for free this way if you have a participating internet service provider, but even if you don’t have that, you can also use your FuboTV credentials to sign in and watch.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 250 hours of cloud DVR space.
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of ABC (live in select markets) and 65+ other TV channels on Vidgo, which you can use for free with a seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch the Heat vs Lakers live on the Vidgo app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Vidgo website.
You can also watch the game live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. Games on ABC (labeled as ESPN3 on the ESPN platforms) can be watched for free this way if you have a participating internet service provider, but even if you don’t have that, you can also use your Vidgo credentials to sign in and watch.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of ABC (live in select markets) and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which you can try out for free with a seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the Heat vs Lakers live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
You can also watch the game live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. Games on ABC (labeled as ESPN3 on the ESPN platforms) can be watched for free this way if you have a participating internet service provider, but even if you don’t have that, you can also use your Hulu credentials to sign in and watch.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV also comes with 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).
Heat vs Lakers Game 1 Preview
When Anthony Davis landed in Los Angeles this offseason to team up with LeBron James, the Lakers became a favorite to make it to the NBA Finals. The same could not be said for the Miami Heat, a team that caught fire in the bubble and upended the Celtics, Bucks and Pacers on the way to the Finals.
The Lakers are the heavy favorites (-400) to win the franchise’s 17th title, but don’t tell Heat star Jimmy Butler that.
“A really good team,” Butler said when asked how he views his Heat entering the series. “That’s it. A really good team. Not going to say that we’re any better than anybody else, but I just don’t think that we’re underdogs. I don’t.
“So what that nobody picked us to be here? That’s OK. Pretty sure nobody is picking us to win, either. That’s OK. But we understand that. We embrace that, because, at the end of the day, we truly don’t care. We’re just going to go out here and compete, play together like we always have, and I’m going to see where we end up.”
Butler has been key for the Heat during their run to the Finals, but a well-rounded roster with multiple players capable of putting up packed stat lines has helped them get to where few imagined at the start of the season. Miami was 75-1 to win the title in the preseason.
When it comes to LeBron James, the expectation has become that he’ll be in the Finals. This is his 10th trip to basketball’s big stage with a third different team. James previously led the Cavaliers and Heat to the Finals, winning three Larry O’Brien trophies.
“To be back in the Finals against Miami, I think, means a lot more to him winning this than anyone else,” Davis said. “I think this championship is probably second behind Cleveland, being able to get this one for him.”
Of course, this edition of the NBA Finals is like no other before. James said this week it’s been the biggest challenge of his storied 17-year NBA career.
“I knew when I was coming what we were coming here for,” James said. “I would be lying if I sat up here and knew that everything inside the bubble, the toll that it would take on your mind and your body and everything else, because it’s been extremely tough. But I’m here for one reason and one reason only, and that’s to compete for a championship.”
The Lakers are 4.5-point favorites for Game 1.