Getty Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts after colliding with Jonas Valanciunas of the New Orleans Pelicans.
The New Orleans Pelicans will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in a Western Conference play-in game on Wednesday, April 12 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
The game (9:30 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 Thunder vs Pelicans streaming live online:
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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 Thunder vs Pelicans 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 Thunder vs Pelicans 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 Thunder vs Pelicans 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.
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 access to both ESPN+ and Disney+ at no added cost:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the Thunder vs Pelicans 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.
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 Hulu credentials to do that.
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 65+ other TV channels on Vidgo, which does not come with a free trial:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch the Thunder vs Pelicans live on the Vidgo app or Vidgo website.
Compatible devices for the Vidgo app include 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.
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 Vidgo credentials to do that.
Thunder vs Pelicans Preview
The winner of this game will face the loser of the play-in matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Lakers for the eighth overall seed.
The Pelicans finished their season on a low note, falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 113-108 on April 9. Brandon Ingram finished with a game-high 42 points, while CJ McCollum added 23 and Trey Murphy scored 20 in the loss. After going up 30-18 in the first quarter, New Orleans was outscored in every quarter after that.
“What we can get out of this is being more disciplined. We know exactly where we messed up. We know exactly where we’ve got to attack. We’ve just got to go do it,” Ingram said after the loss. “We’ve got two more games to win to get into the playoffs. I don’t know how everybody feels, but I’m excited about the opportunity we have. We get to show everyone what we’ve got. I trust our guys to respond well.”
On the other side, the Thunder won their final two games of the season, beating the Utah Jazz, 114-98 on April 6 before handling the Memphis Grizzlies in the season finale, 115-100. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is netting 31.4 points per game, which is ranked fourth in the NBA. He’ll be a key player for the Pelicans to keep in check if they want to win this game.
Zion Williamson, who hasn’t played since January, is expected to miss the game — and the entirety of the playoffs — due to injury. Initially, OKC thought he might be able to return in time for a playoff run, but that’s not the case.
“When you prepare for a series, you have to acknowledge the seven-game nature of it,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said, via The Oklahoman. “There’s an element of rolling out a gameplan in Game 1, knowing that you’re not going to end where you start, when you’re in a series, and neither is your opponent, from tactical purposes or rotations. Whereas a one-game and done, you end where you start. I would say that’s the biggest thing that changes is just the mindset of it. We’re going to treat it like another game. We’re going to put another gameplan out there. Make sure that our guys are really clear on it. We have two days to prepare, then throw our best punch.”
New Orleans won the regular season series against Oklahoma City, 3-1.
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How to Watch Thunder vs Pelicans Play-In Game Online for Free