Hawks vs Knicks live stream: How to watch NBA Christmas Day game online

Ho!Ho!Ho! The Hawks vs Knicks live stream is here, but it's not the present ball fans were hoping to unwrap. What was supposed to be a big centerpiece in the NBA's big Christmas Day schedule is now a lesser deal. We all remember how loud Madison Square Garden got during the NBA live streams during the playoffs when Trae Young was the most hated man in the building, and so the league thought there was no better rivalry to revisit on Christmas Day (to drive ratings).

Alas, that dream in the league's mind may wind up being just that, a dream. On December 19, less than a week before the big game, Trae Young tested positive for Covid-19, a big reminder that the Omicron variant is out there and spreading rapidly. Young needed dual negative tests separated by 24 hours to leave the NBA's health and safety protocols. Which he didn't get, causing him to miss the game.

It didn't seem like Young was getting those positive tests. On Dec. 19, he tweeted "Stay safe" with a few emojis, including one with a person wearing a face-mask. Then, on Dec. 21, Young quote-tweeted a question as to whether or not he'd miss the Christmas Day game, with the message "Hope not #asymptomatic #prayfornegativetests" with a prayer emoji. 

On Dec. 22, he posted an eye-rolling face emoji. Nobody wants an NBA game preview to be comprised of reading tweets like tea leaves, but since it's almost all about Trae, and yesterday (Dec. 24) saw Young unable to clear things in time? He tweeted "Bs for real.." and we don't think he's talking about letter grades.

But Young isn't the only player whose status for this game was in question. On Thursday (Dec. 23), Knicks player RJ Barrett was cleared to exist the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the day before his teammate Obi Toppin was also cleared to rejoin the team. Immanuel Quickley cleared protocols yesterday.

The Knicks roster, though, is still in shambles, with Quentin Grimes, Kevin Knox, Miles McBride and Nerlens Noel still out. Derrick Rose is also off the table, still recovering from ankle surgery. 

How to avoid Hawks vs Knicks blackouts with a VPN

If you've had to leave your own "bubble" -- or you've been hit by a dreaded local blackout -- and you can't watch Hawks vs Knicks live streams on cable, you're not out of luck. With a virtual private network, or VPN, you can appear to be surfing the web from your home town (or somewhere that blackouts won't hit), and access the same streaming services you already paid for. 

Not sure which VPN is right for you? We've tested many different services and our pick for the best VPN overall is ExpressVPN. It offers superb speeds and excellent customer service. But you've got other VPN options as well. Here are our top picks.

We think speed, security and simplicity make ExpressVPN second to none. During our tests, we saw fast connection times, and we're impressed by the service's ability to access more than 3,000 services spread out across 160 locations in 94 countries. 

View Deal

Hawks vs Knicks live streams in the US

In the U.S. Hawks vs Knicks airs on ESPN, tipping off at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday (December 25).

If you've already cut the cord and don't have a cable package, you'll be able to get this game on Sling TV  and FuboTV. But while we love Fubo for a lot of sports, it doesn't have TNT, which is a big no-no for NBA season.

ESPN and TNT are both included in the Sling Orange package, which costs $35. Sling will be a perfect place to watch all of the NBA playoffs, as ABC games will simulcast on ESPN3, and Sling Orange gets you TNT, ESPN, ESPN3, and its Sports Extra pack gets you NBA TV.

Sling and Fubo are two of the picks on our best streaming services list, but we go with Sling here even though it doesn't have ABC (though you can get it with one of the best TV antennas), as those games will be on ESPN3.

Sling TV: You can get ESPN and TNT in the Sling Orange package. The 30-plus channels in the lineup include AMC, CNN, Food Network, AMC, Comedy Central, HGTV and many more.

View Deal

Fubo.TV: One of the best streaming services with ESPN, and the top pick for watching all of the 2021 NFL live streams, Fubo has all of the right network channels and the two cable channels you don't want to go without. Who needs cable? Not Fubo subscribers. It's got a 7-day free trial so you don't need to pay up front.

View Deal

Hawks vs Knicks live streams in the UK

British basketball fans don't get every NBA game, but Sky Sports has this one! The Hawks vs Knicks game is on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Mix starting at 5 p.m. GMT.

NBA League Pass is also available in the U.K., as an alternative.

Hawks vs Knicks live streams in Canada

Hoops fans in Canada can catch Hawks vs Knicks live streams on TSN, which can be added to their cable package. The game is on TSN1.

NBA League Pass is also available in Canada.