Getty Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.
The NBA is back, with the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves clashing at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, October 5 in preseason action.
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The game will be televised on NBA TV, but if you don’t have cable or don’t have that channel, you can watch a live stream for free on Amazon Prime, FuboTV or DirecTV Stream.
Here’s how:
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” NBA TV is included in “Choice” and up, but 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 Mavericks vs Timberwolves 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.
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of NBA TV and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV. You’ll need the “Sports Plus” add-on for NBA TV, but any packages and add-ons can be included in your free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the Mavericks vs Timberwolves 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.
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime subscribers (Prime comes with a 30-day free trial) can watch a live stream of NBA TV via Prime Channels. You can try both Amazon Prime and the NBA TV Channel at no cost with a free trial right here:
Once you’re signed up for the Prime NBA TV Channel, you can watch the Mavericks vs Timberwolves live on the Amazon Video app or Amazon website.
Compatible devices for the Amazon Video app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, various smart TV’s, Xiaomi, Echo Show or Echo Spot, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Sling TV
If you’ve used up all your free trials for other streaming services, Sling TV is the cheapest live-TV streaming service that includes this game. NBA TV is included in the “Sling Orange + Sports Extra” bundle, which is just $31 for your first month:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Mavericks vs Timberwolves 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.
Mavericks vs Timberwolves Preview
This will be the first of two preseason games between the Mavs and the T-Wolves. They also meet again on October 7.
For Dallas, expect to see No. 12 overall pick Dereck Lively II and No. 24 overall pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper a good amount in the preseason. The rookie duo should fill out the starting lineup, in addition to superstar Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and new addition Grant Williams, who the team acquired in a sign-and-trade from the Boston Celtics this summer.
“[I’m looking] just to see how they handle different situations,” Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said about the rookie duo. “They’ll start with Ky and Luka and Grant. So, I’m excited to see how they handle that. They’ve done the work, but sometimes the lights can be a little different seeing a different opponent, but I think they’re going to handle it great. O-Max and D-Live have been really, really good in camp so far.”
“It’s been fun to think about going to Abu Dhabi, going to Madrid, and having an opportunity to play in front of an international community that supports the game of basketball and grow over there as a team to build camaraderie,” Irving said about the trip.
As for the Timberwolves, they will once again will be led by a trio of stars in Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. Towns missed 53 out of 82 games during the regular season, and he’s looking to get back on track this year.
“I think we’ve grown a lot individually and collectively, and now I feel really excited being back here with this group,” Gobert said. “I can feel their energy. I can feel that it’s going to be a good year for us.”
Minnesota finished with a 42-40 record last year, making the playoffs before losing to the eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets. Dallas went 38-44 last season, finishing in 11th place in the Western Conference.
Here’s a look at the rosters for both teams heading into this game:
Mavericks: Seth Curry, Luka Doncic, Dante Exum, Josh Green, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jaden Hardy, Richaun Holmes, Kyrie Irving, Derrick Jones Jr., Maxi Kleber, AJ Lawson, Dereck Lively II, Mike Miles Jr., Markieff Morris, Dwight Powell, Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Grant Williams.
Timberwolves: Jaylen Clark, Leonard Miller, Anthony Edwards, Trevor Keels, Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson, Jordan Mclaughlin, Wendell Moore Jr., Troy Brown Jr., Josh Minott, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Mike Conley, Naz Reid, Daishen Nix, Shake Milton, Tyrese Martin, Vit Krejci, Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, Matt Ryan and Luka Garz.