Getty The Memphis Grizzlies and Ja Morant will take on the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James in the first round of the playoffs.
The No. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers (43-39) will take on the No. 2 seed Memphis Grizzlies (51-31) in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
The game (3:30 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 Lakers vs Grizzlies streaming live online:
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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 Lakers vs Grizzlies 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.” 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 Lakers vs Grizzlies 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 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 Lakers vs Grizzlies 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.
Lakers vs Grizzlies Game 1 Preview
The Grizzlies are averaging 116.9 points per game and are led by Ja Morant, who is scoring 26.2 points per contest. Guard Desmond Bane is second on the team in scoring, netting over 21 points per game. Memphis had seven players with scoring averages in double figures this season (including Morant and Bane), and their well-rounded defense is one of the NBA’s best.
On the other side, the Lakers are averaging 117.2 points a game and can never be counted out of any series with the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. James is averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists a game, while Davis is scoring over 25 points. Los Angeles also has a stingy defense, so this series promises to be quite the battle.
“A really good team. Very well coached. Very well-balanced,” James said of the Grizzlies. “Obviously, the head of the snake in Ja Morant. Another All-Star in Jaren Jackson, who was up on Defensive Player of the Year. His ability to block shots, but offensively he’s very dynamic as well. … They’ve got Luke Kennard who broke my scoring record in high school. He passed me in high school, and the reason why is he’s a laser from the three-point line. His ability to shoot the ball is uncanny. And they’ve got so many other guys off the bench you just can’t disrespect because they will make you pay.”
The Grizz had the second-best defensive efficiency in the NBA this season, while the Lakers were tied for 13th. L.A. got the best of Memphis during the regular season, winning two of three games. The Grizzlies are the higher seed and have home court advantage, but if they get into foul trouble, the James and company are going to be hard to beat.
Still, Memphis has been playing well since the All-Star break, and the team is motivated to prove its doubters wrong.
“There is no ceiling in my opinion,” Bane said about his team. “We’re a young team. You’ve seen Jaren’s been balling over the last couple of weeks, kind of coming into his own. Luke’s been a good addition to the rotation. Roddy’s showed up. We’ve just got so many different people that show up, and it could be somebody different every night.”