Getty Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors take on the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the playoffs.
The No. 6 seed Golden State Warriors will head to Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on April 15 to take on the No. 3 seed Sacramento Kings in the first game of a seven-game series.
The game (8:30 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 Warriors vs Kings 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 Warriors vs Kings 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 Warriors vs Kings 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 Warriors vs Kings 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.
Warriors vs Kings Game 1 Preview
Sacramento is led by guard De’Aaron Fox, who averaged 25.2 points per game, and center Domantas Sabonis, who notched 19.1 points, an NBA-best 12.3 rebounds along with 7.3 assists per game this season.
Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green lead a seasoned Golden State squad looking to win back-to-back titles for the first time since the 2017-2018 seasons.
Sacramento is averaging 120.7 points a game, while Golden State is scoring 118.9 points per contest. Both offenses are high-octane and fast-paced, but the key to this series could be defense. The Kings finished with the NBA’s 26th rated defense, and if Thompson and Curry — two of the league’s top five 3-point shooters — get hot, it could be curtains for the Kings.
“Both teams play with a super high pace,” Kings guard Kevin Huerter said heading into the matchup. “They’re a team that’s kinda known to play up and down, super fast. They’ve been doing it for years. They’ve worn other teams out doing it. I think we’re ready for it. We just gotta throw a lot of different bodies at (Curry).”
“You have to assume they’re going to stay true to their DNA that made them successful,” Curry said about the Kings. “It’s what we do. Going into a playoff series, those adjustments happen based on how each game kind of unfolds. Even in-game adjustments based on certain momentum waves and all that. … We love the playoff atmosphere and all of that. But you don’t really try to outsmart yourself going into the series. It’s just being prepared and knowledgeable about what they do well.”
Golden State will be getting Andrew Wiggins back for this series, which could give the squad a huge boost. Wiggins hasn’t played since early February, and the team is leaning toward utilizing him off the bench, limiting him to around 20-25 minutes per game, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The Warriors went 3-1 against the Kings during the regular season. Most recently, both teams clashed on April 7, with Golden State winning, 119-97. This will be the first playoff appearance for Sacramento in 17 years, and if it can isolate Curry and/or keep Thompson in check, it could unseat the reigning champs.
Golden State was 11-30 in road games this season, but travel won’t be much of an issue this time around. It will b e interesting to see how Curry and company come out of the gate early as the road team in games 1 and 2.