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In what is likely to be one of the most tightly contested first-round series of the 2023 NBA playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the New York Knicks in the East 4 vs. 5 matchup, with Game 1 on Saturday night.
The game (6 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on ESPN, 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 Knicks vs Cavs streaming live 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 Knicks vs Cavs 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.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ESPN 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 Knicks vs Cavs 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.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN 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 Knicks vs Cavs 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.
Knicks vs Cavs Game 1 Preview
The Cleveland Cavaliers finished 51-31 in the 2023 regular season, good for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference side of the playoff bracket. The New York Knicks were right behind them with a 47-35 record and the No. 5 seed. Now the two teams will play a best-of-seven series (2-2-1-1-1) to move on to face the winner of the series between the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks and the No. 8 seed Miami Heat.
Despite finishing behind the Cavs in the standings, the Knicks actually own the season series 3-1. The Cavs won the first early match-up back in October by a score of 121 to 108, but the Knicks won the next three by an average of nine points.
In a pre-game press conference, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said that they know the Cavaliers are going to give them all they have, so they have to be ready.
[We have to] just continue to build the habits, understand what goes into winning, prepare yourself. We know this will be a great challenge for us, so be ready,” said Thibodeau.
“Big task at hand, great time. They play really well at home,” added guard Jalen Brunson. “Have a lot of talent and they’re well-coached. It’s going to be a tough battle, but now we gotta be prepared and we gotta be ready to go.”
When asked about taking his team to the playoffs the first year he is playing for the Knicks, Brunson said it wasn’t just him at all, it’s a team effort.
“I think most importantly it wasn’t just me. How this team embraced me with open arms and how they’ve let me be myself and play the way I play … but it wasn’t just me, it’s a credit to everyone building and sacrificing and just wanting to win. We were able to get to a decent place in the seeding, but we have a long way to go for us to get where we want to go,” said Brunson, adding, “You can say whatever you gotta say to [the guys who haven’t played playoff basketball], but in order to get experience, you need to get experience. All we’ve kind of said is hey, it’s a different level. Gotta turn it up. Be yourself, do what you do best, but you gotta turn it up. That’s just how it is.”
Cavaliers vs Knicks game 1 tips off on Saturday, April 15 at 6 p.m. Eastern time on ESPN.
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Knicks vs Cavs Game 1 Live Stream: How to Watch for Free