Getty Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Western Conference contenders Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors clash on opening night for the NBA season on Tuesday, October 18.
The game (10 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on TNT, but if you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream on DirecTV Stream, which includes TNT and comes with a free trial.
That’s the best live stream option if you’re cutting cable, but there are also some other alternatives, so here’s a full guide on the different ways you can watch a live stream of the Lakers vs Warriors online:
Note: Heavy may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up via a link on this page
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” TNT 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 Warriors 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.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of TNT and 40-plus other live TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” or “Sling Blue” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with TNT, and you can get your first month for half off:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Lakers vs Warriors 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.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of TNT and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which now also includes access to both ESPN+ and Disney+ at no added cost:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the Lakers vs Warriors live on the Hulu app or Hulu website.
Compatible devices for the Hulu app include 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.
Lakers vs Warriors Preview
Two of the last three NBA champions meet on the hardwood when the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors collide on Tuesday.
Golden State shocked everyone last season and rose from the ashes of two injury-riddled and lottery pick-bound seasons to win the NBA title this past summer. The Warriors got the core of its dynasty back together healthy and beat the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
While the Warriors will hang a banner and receive championship rings, Lakers star Anthony Davis wants to crash the party.
“Our first two games are against title contenders,” Davis said via Spectrum SportsNet. “So it’s always good to spoil the ring nights. The mindset is going up and starting the season with a couple W’s.”
“It’s always good to spoil a ring night.” – @AntDavis23 😏
Join us tonight @ 7 PM for all interviews, analysis, and latest news on ‘Access SportsNet: Lakers’ only Spectrum SportsNet.
Los Angeles won it all in 2020 at the bubble amid COVID-19. Lebron James and Davis led the Lakers to that title in their first season together but the superstar tandem hasn’t pulled it together since.
The Lakers brought in new head coach Darvin Ham and overhauled the supporting cast. Los Angeles added Damian Jones, Dennis Schroeder, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Lonnie Walker VI, Max Christie, Thomas Bryant, and Troy Brown Jr.
In six preseason games, the Lakers went 1-5 with the lone win coming against Golden State, 124-121. The Warriors notably went 3-2 during the preseason. Albeit, those games were for depth and prospect development.
Golden State returns its key players from the title run with Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson. Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole coming back provides a boost, too. Poole and Green got into an altercation at practice in early October, but Poole said that’s behind them.
“We plan on handling ourselves that way,” Poole told the media on October 16. “We’re here to play basketball and everybody in our locker room and on our team knows what it takes to win a championship. We’re gonna do that on the court. That’s really all I have to say on the matter. We’re here to win a championship and keep hanging banners.”
As the Warriors chase a fifth title since 2015, Curry downplayed the potential “Last Dance” narrative for Green, Thompson, and himself.
“The conversations are part of what we do. For Draymond, Klay, me, we’ve been through it and we’re used to it. We hope that the end is when we don’t win,” Curry told Shayna Rubin of The Mercury News. “That should be the end, when there’s a sense that we’re not a championship contending team. We know it’s not guaranteed to win a championship. When we know we’re a team that can legitimately win championships then you make certain decisions. We haven’t been in that situation.”