The NBA live streams are about to kick off, and all eyes are on Golden State as Steph Curry & co. look to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy for their fifth time in nine years. And many of those eyes are on Draymond Green after he attacked teammate Jordan Poole. Can the defending champs coalesce? They open their season hosting the Lakers.
Meanwhile, out in Milwaukee, Khris Middleton isn't clear to play yet, and his wrist surgery recovery will keep him off the court for the first few weeks of the regular season. That said, the season is long enough for that last sentence to be a fragment of a memory when all's said and done. Their season begins on Thursday against Philadelphia.
As for the surging Celtics? Boston's squad that bounced the Bucks last season in the playoffs is now short coach Ime Udoka — who brought their team around last season. The Celtics open their season as hosts to the 76ers.
So, as the season tips off, we'll be here to help you stream the most buzzed-about games of the year. The tips below will help you find some of the bigger games of the season on two of the best streaming services, and check out our guide on where to stream NBA games to figure out the regional sports channels mess on the best cable TV alternatives.
How to watch NBA live streams from anywhere on Earth
If you're a basketball fan, you might run into dreaded local blackouts, and since we're long past the bubble season, everyone's on the road sometimes. So if you can't watch the NBA live streams you want, 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.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, ExpressVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.S. and want to view a U.K. service, you'd select U.K. from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to Sling, Yahoo or another website and watch the game.
How to watch the NBA live stream in the US
In the U.S., the NBA's nationally televised games are airing on ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV. And, previously, some ABC games have aired on ESPN3, most notably in the playoffs.
If you don't have a cable or satellite package, and have cut the cord, you can get those channels via live TV streaming services (depending on your region), including Sling TV, Hulu With Live TV, Fubo TV and DirecTV Stream.
Of these options, we recommend Sling TV, which starts at $40 a month and offers more than 50 channels, including ESPN (in its Orange package). It has TNT, which Fubo does not.
NBA live streams in the UK
Basketball fans in the UK can watch the NBA bubble games on Sky Sports, via Sky, BT and Virgin Media packages. Games are broadcast live, so tipoff times range from 11:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. BST. Those without Sky Sports can pick it up from Now TV, with prices starting at £9.99.
Brits can also get the NBA League Pass UK package, which costs £42.99 and gets you the NBA live streams for the playoffs and finals.
NBA live streams in Canada
Canadian b-ball fans can watch the NBA playoffs on TSN, SportsNet and NBA TV Canada.
NBA League Pass is also available in Canada.
How to watch NBA live streams in Australia
As was the case with the regular season, NBA live streams will be on both Kayo Sports and Foxtel.
Kayo offers a 14-day free trial for both its Basic and Premium plans, more than enough time to confirm they're actually showing the games. The Basic package costs $25 per month thereafter. The $35 per month Premium Kayo plan gives you all the same things as the normal plan, but it offers three simultaneous streams. The Basic plan gives you two streams at the same time.
