Basketball is back tonight and the second game of Thursday’s opening doubleheader sees the West’s top two teams collide at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. It’s the Battle of Los Angeles as Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the Clippers take on LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers in the only bubble big enough to fit that many NBA superstars – Disney World! Catch all the action from today’s game online by following our guide below, as we explain where to find a Clippers vs Lakers live stream and watch the NBA online right now.
Clippers vs Lakers live stream
The Clippers vs Lakers game starts at 9pm ET/6pm PT tonight on TNT in the US. International viewing options include TSN in Canada where the times are the same; Sky Sports in the UK where tip-off is 2am BST early on Friday morning; and ESPN in Australia (11am AEST Friday). Not got those services? Read on for all your options.
The Lakers and the Clippers last played each other on March 8 – just three days before the 2019/20 NBA season was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. It ended in a 112-103 victory for the Lakers, with the Showtime trio of James, George and Avery Bradley combining for 82 of those points.
They look in good shape heading back into action, too, with the team winning two of the three scrimmages they’ve played, most recently beating the Washington Wizards 123-116 without the services of King James or AD.
The Clippers have also fared well in their warm-up games, winning two of three – though they may be concerned about the result of their final scrimmage, which saw them let a 21-point 3rd quarter lead slip to lose to the lowly Sacramento Kings.
But that’s all just an amuse-bouche and the real NBA action starts again today. This matchup is one of the eight ‘seeding games’ that all 22 remaining NBA teams will play to determine who goes to the playoffs in 2020 – and in what order. The results will be added to the existing standings from when the season shutdown back in March.
Itching for tip-off? Read on as we explain how to watch the Clippers vs Lakers online and get a top-quality NBA live stream, no matter where you are in the world right now.
How to watch NBA blackout games and stream basketball from abroad
Scroll down for a guide to NBA live streaming services all over the world, but first, know that if you can’t watch an NBA game on your usual TV channel or streaming service, it might be due to a coverage blackout (in the US) or a geo-blocking restriction (in international markets).
Both can stop you from watching the coverage you want and most likely pay for, including today’s Clippers vs Lakers game for those living in the Los Angeles area.
When this is the case, the simplest and most reliable solution is to use a VPN service to change your IP address to a difference location. This will generally let you tune in to your local coverage, just as you would from home, and means you don’t have to trawl the sketchier corners of the internet for an illegal stream.
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Clippers vs Lakers live stream: watch the NBA tonight in the US
In order to watch the NBA on TV in the US, you’ll need either cable TV or access to the right streaming service.
This season’s remaining nationally televised games are being aired across ESPN, ABC, TNT and NBA TV, while other matchups will exclusively be shown on regional sports networks, so covering all your bases can be tricky if you don’t want the commitment (or expense) of cable TV.
Tonight’s game is on TNT at 9pm ET/6pm PT, which means a great value Sling Orange package is the way to go if you don’t have cable. Priced at just $30 a month, it also includes ESPN for additional games, while NBA TV can added as part of the Sports Extra bundle for an additional $10 p/m. Best of all, there’s even a FREE Sling TV trial on offer – essentially allowing you get a free Clippers vs Lakers live stream today.
As it’s being nationally broadcast, regional sports networks in the Los Angeles area won’t be airing it.
The other option is to combine an NBA League Pass with an NBA TV subscription, which can be done for under $50 (for the rest of the season). The only caveat is that in-market games are subject to blackout restrictions, so you’ll also need to grab a quality VPN if you live in the same area your favorite team is based.
Lakers vs Clippers live stream: how to watch the NBA in the UK
UK basketball fans can watch the NBA and live stream this season’s biggest games (as well as those of the WNBA) on Sky Sports – available on Sky of course, as well as with BT and Virgin Media TV packages.
Multiple games are being shown live every day from July 30, with today’s Lakers vs Clippers matchup being shown on Sky Sports Arena at 2am BST in the early hours of Friday, July 31.
Not interested in the commitment or cost of a full-fat Sky Sports subscription, but still want to watch the NBA live in the UK? Don’t worry, as you can also purchase a Now TV Sky Sports Pass. This will get you access to all 11 Sky Sports channels, so you’ll be able to watch loads of football, cricket, golf, F1 and more in addition to the NBA.
Pricing starts at £9.99 for a day’s access, which is great if you just want to catch one or two big games – though we highly recommend the better value Monthly Pass for most fans, as for just £33.99 it will get you coverage of the rest of the regular season and early playoff games.
Plus, it lets you stream on three screens simultaneously, so if you split it with friends or family, it works out at just over a tenner each – or essentially the same as a day pass.
Your final option to watch the Lakers vs Clipper is an NBA League Pass, which is available in the UK and will get every single game left in the 2019/20 season (including the playoffs and Finals) for a one-off payment of £42.99.
Abroad for today’s game and can’t access the streaming service you’d use to watch the NBA at home? Just add a good VPN to your software arsenal and you’ll be able to live stream UK basketball coverage and more no matter where you are in the world.
How to watch the Clippers vs Lakers: live stream the NBA in Canada
Basketball fans in Canada are well covered by SportsNet and TSN, which air the biggest games as well as providing comprehensive coverage of the Toronto Raptors.
For tonight’s Clippers vs Lakers game, it’s TSN you want, as it’s showing the game from 9pm ET/6pm MT (PT). TSN is available with cable, and if you subscribe that way, then you’ll be able an online live stream at no extra charge through the network’s website – just log-in with details of your TV provider.
If you don’t, then it also offers a streaming-only service called TSN Direct, where a subscription will set you back $19.99 a month.
The other good option is an NBA League Pass – available in Canada as it is nearly everywhere else in the world. Only Raptors game are subject to blackouts, so watching the Clippers vs Lakers isn’t a problem in Canada.
Plus, when it does come time to tune in to the Raptors, there’s always the option of deploying a VPN to get around those archaic blackout restrictions.
How to get a Clippers vs Lakers live stream and watch the NBA online in Australia
If you plan on watching the NBA on TV this season in Australia, then you’ll need a cable package that gives you access to ESPN, as the network owns the country’s NBA broadcast rights.
You can get the channel by subscribing to the right sports package through Aussie pay TV behemoth Foxtel – but if you don’t want that kind of cost and commitment, then great value over-the-top service Kayo Sports has you covered as it will allow you to stream all of ESPN’s NBA coverage including the Lakers vs Clippers for way less.
It costs between $25 and $35 a month, depending on which option you choose, and new customers can test it out for themselves thanks to the service’s 14-day FREE TRIAL. It also lets stream on multiple screens simultaneously, meaning you can save even more by splitting the cost of a subscription with a fellow NBA fan.
NBA League Pass is also available in Australia and is a great option for true NBA fanatics who want to watch every game of their favourite team and other action from around the league that might not always be on ESPN’s broadcast schedule.
Coverage of the LA Clippers vs Los Angeles Lakers starts at 11am AEST on Friday, July 31.
NBA League Pass: the best way to live stream the NBA online?
When it comes to live streaming NBA games like the Clippers vs Lakers, one option that keeps cropping up is NBA League Pass, the league’s official streaming service.
If you want to follow your favorite team all season long or even if you want to keep up with every team in the league, it’s a great way to watch the NBA from all over the world.
In the US, an NBA League Pass subscription is now down to $28.99 for the rest of the season, but this doesn’t include any nationally televised games (shown on ESPN, ABC, NBA TV or TNT) – including those aired during the playoffs. For the full works, you’ll need to add NBA TV, priced separately at $19.99 for the rest of the campaign – so $49 for the full works. You can also upgrade to League Pass Premium to cut out commercials for $39.99, or bundle Premium with NBA TV for $59.98.
Note that NBA League Pass and NBA TV subscriptions are subject to blackout rules, meaning that if you live in the same area as your favorite team, you won’t be able to watch them – unless you utilize the VPN workaround as explained above, of course.
The service offers a variety of different packages for international markets, but as an example, in the UK, a flat fee of £42.99 gets you an NBA live stream for every single game remaining in the 2019/20 regular season – seeding games, playoffs, NBA Finals and anything else that happens to crop up. Obviously, local blackout restrictions don’t apply internationally, either, so it’s a pretty good offer – and one that’s far more straightforward than what’s on offer in the States.
As ever, if you’re out of the country you subscribed to NBA League Pass in, it’s likely you can use a VPN to get around these restrictions – based on comprehensive testing, we rate ExpressVPN as the best and it offers a free trial so you can check it out, no strings attached.