Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images Trae Young looks to lead the Hawks back to the NBA Playoffs this week.
The Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets face off in an elimination game on Wednesday night with a spot in the play-in contest for the Eastern Conference’s eighth seed up for grabs.
The game (7 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 Hornets vs Hawks online:
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 Hornets vs Hawks 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 Hornets vs Hawks 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 Hornets vs Hawks 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 Hornets vs Hawks 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 Hornets vs Hawks 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.
Hornets vs Hawks Preview
The Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets begin their quest to qualify for this year’s NBA Playoffs with an elimination game on Wednesday night at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Southeast Division foes both finished with a 43-39 record and split their four-game regular-season head-to-head series.
The Hawks are looking to return 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 Hornets improved their record by ten games and enjoyed their first winning season since 2016. The 43-39 mark was the best record for a 10th place team in an NBA conference since the Seattle SuperSonics went 44-38 in 2000-01.
The winner of Wednesday night’s game will advance to play another elimination game on Thursday on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The winner of that final Eastern Conference Play-In game will be awarded the eighth seed and match up with the top-seeded Miami Heat in the first round.
Here’s a look at the tale of the tape heading into the critical 9 vs. 10 Play-In contest:
No. 9 Atlanta Hawks (43-39)
The Hawks are hoping to have a repeat performance of last year’s playoff magic that vaulted them into the NBA’s final four.
The sharp-shooting two-time All-Star Trae 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 has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game, as he continues to deal with finger and foot injuries. Collins’ 16.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game will leave a void the rest of the team will have to fill in his absence.
Two players that will need to have big games for the Hawks to support Young will be Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter. The veteran Bogdanovic is averaging 15.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game, while the 24-year-old Hunter is averaging 13.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
Hawks center Clint Capela leads the team in rebounding at 11.9 rpg while also tallying 11.1 points per game.
The Hawks won the Southeast Division title last season 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. 10 Charlotte Hornets (43-39)
The Hornets are looking to avenge an ugly loss in last season’s Play-In Tournament and return to the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Charlotte entered the 2021 Play-In Tournament with a 33-39 record and was also the 10th seed. The Pacers dominated the contest and beat the Hornets by 27 (144-117) to send them home after one failed effort.
The Hornets’ leading scorer Miles Bridges will look to propel his team to a better result this season. The fourth-year forward out of Michigan State is averaging 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game.
Charlotte’s high-powered offense also features guards LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier. Last season’s Rookie of the Year award winner Ball is averaging 20.1 points, 7.6 assists, and 6.7 rebounds per game, while Rozier is coming off a regular-season in which he was putting up 19.3 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament Schedule
- No. 7 Nets vs. No. 8 Cavaliers, Tuesday
- Nets won 115-108
- Nets will be the No. 7 seed and will take on the Celtics in the first round
- 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 (TBD at Cavs), Thursday, 7 p.m. ET
- Winner is the East’s eighth seed and will face the Heat in the first round
- Loser eliminated