The NBA restart continues and the remaining teams in the league are just about halfway through the seeding games that will lead up to the NBA playoffs, which start on August 17. Tonight, we’ll get to see the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Houston Rockets in a Western Conference matchup at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Arena in Orlando, Florida - part of Disney World, just to make the kids really jealous. Follow our guide below as have all the details on how you can get a Lakers vs Rockets live stream and catch all the NBA action online.
Lakers vs Rockets live stream
Tonight’s Lakers vs Rockets game starts at 9pm ET / 6pm PT on TNT in the US. If you’re in Canada, you can catch the game on TSN at the same time, while Sky Sports is offering up a late night broadcast in the UK at 2am BST. Read on for all your live streaming options - and anyone abroad can save some time by grabbing this great VPN deal to access the same coverage they would at home.
The Lakers currently sit atop the Western Conference, and despite a 2-2 record since the restart, they've now clinched the no. 1 seed. They'll want to improve before the business end of the season, though, as in yesterday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder they suffered a sizeable 105-85 loss. Unlike Houston, Los Angeles doesn’t have any confirmed injuries yet but the team is going into tonight’s game without a rest day.
The Rockets, meanwhile, will look to avoid falling in the standings as the team is currently in sixth place in the Western Conference. Since the restart, Houston has defeated the Dallas Mavericks as well as the no. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks. However, during their game on Tuesday, the team lost to the Portland Trail Blazers with a final score of 102-110. The Rockets will be going into today’s game without All-Star guard Russell Westbrook, who suffered a bruised right quad, and key reserve Eric Gordon - out with a sprained left ankle.
If Houston can finish the season well, the team could earn the no. 4 or no. 5 seed - though like the Lakers, they're already guaranteed to make the playoffs. Whether you’re a Lakers fan in Los Angeles, a Rockets fan in Houston or just want to tune in to watch some basketball tonight, we’ve got you covered.
Follow our guide below for details on how to watch the Lakers vs Rockets and get a top-quality NBA live stream from wherever you are in the world.
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How to watch NBA blackout games and stream basketball from abroad
You may not be able to watch tonight's Lakers vs Rockets game using your usual cable TV or streaming service, due to coverage blackout rules in the US or international geo-blocking restrictions.
When this is is the case, the simplest and most reliable solution is to use a VPN service, which VPN masks your IP address - and therefore your location - when you visit a website. On top of that, it gives you the ability to reroute your device's internet connection through a server in a different country or stage, thereby getting you access to coverage that might not otherwise be available - even though you probably pay for it.
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Lakers vs Rockets live stream: watch the NBA tonight in the US
Tonight’s game will be broadcast at 9pm ET / 6pm PT on TNT, a channel that’s easily accessible if you’re signed up for cable TV.
If you're not, however, you'll want to consider picking up a Sling Orange package for just $30 a month. As well as TNT, you're also picking up ESPN for more nationally televised basketball - and if you're looking for even more games, you can always add NBA TV to your plan for an extra $10 a month.
Not only that, but there's also currently a FREE Sling TV trial up for grabs, which means you'll be able to watch the Lakers vs Rockets online tonight for free.
If you're not too happy about picking up a Sling TV subscription just for sports, you can also combine an NBA League Pass with an NBA TV subscription for under $50. You will, however, still be subjected to blackout restrictions for in-market games, in which case you'll need to grab a quality VPN if you live in the same area your favorite team is based.
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Rockets vs Lakers live stream: how to watch the NBA in the UK
If you're in the UK, you'll want to tune into either Sky Sports Arena at 2am BST or Sky Sports Main Event at 3am BST if you’re running late to catch the Rockets vs Lakers game tonight. The channel is operated by Sky, but you can also watch these channels with BT and Virgin Media TV packages.
However, if you're only going to be watching the NBA, there are more cost effective options than signing up for the full commitment of a Sky contract.
A Now TV Sky Sports Pass offers all 11 Sky Sports channels to watch and can be cancelled at any time. As well as the NBA, there's also loads of football, cricket, golf, and F1 action, with pricing that starts at £9.99 for a day's use.
That's fine if you just want to watch tonight's game, but we'd highly recommend the better value Monthly Pass for the majority of viewers. £33.99 gets you coverage of the rest of the season as well as early playoff games as well as the full month of content from other sports as well.
If you're really only interested in an NBA live stream, you could also consider an NBA League Pass, which is an all-in-one subscription that offers every game left in the season on a range of devices. An annual pass comes in at £42.99, which is far better value than the £24.99 monthly pass, but you can also grab a seven day free trial if you're just looking to watch a Rockets vs Lakers live stream.
If you're looking to watch tonight's game from abroad, you might be geo-blocked out of some of these viewing options. Using a reliable VPN can easily get around this so you can get back to the game.
How to watch the Lakers vs Rockets: live stream the NBA in Canada
SportsNet and TSN are hosting the rest of the NBA season’s televised games in Canada and you’ll want to tune into TSN at 9pm ET / 6pm PT to watch tonight’s Lakers vs Rockets game.
As both of these channels are widely available on cable, watching the NBA online shouldn’t be too difficult for Canadian viewers. For tonight’s game, simply head to the TSN website and enter the credentials from your cable provider to watch the Lakers vs Rockets.
If you’ve already cut the cord but still want to watch the NBA on TSN, you can sign up for the network’s streaming service TSN Direct for $19.99 a month.
You'll also be able to watch the Lakers vs Rockets online with NBA League Pass, with only Raptors games being subject to blackouts. That's not a problem, however, as a VPN can easily swap your location so when the Raptors do step out onto the court you can still live stream it all.
How to get a Lakers vs Rockets 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 Foxtel - but if you don't want that kind of cost and commitment, then the 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 Rockets 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 you 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.
The Lakers vs Rockets game will be shown on ESPN beginning at 11am AEST on Friday morning.
NBA League Pass: the best way to live stream the NBA online?
If you've been shopping for ways to pick up a Lakers vs Rockets live stream online, then you've likely come across the NBA League Pass. As the league's official streaming service, it offers coverage of plenty of games and is available all around the world.
However, if you're in the US, you'll find a reduced-price subscription now available for $28.99. The caveat is that it doesn't include any nationally televised games. That means you'll still have to turn to ESPN, ABC, NBA TV or TNT.
The solution? Adding an NBA TV subscription to your account (available for $19.99) will give you access to full coverage, or you can bundle League Pass Premium with an NBA TV package for $59.98 for every game in all its commercial-free glory.
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.
NBA League Pass is an international service, so you'll be able to find different packages to suit international markets as well. In the UK, for example, a £42.99 annual fee gets you access to every remaining NBA game, without blackout restrictions or qualms over nationally televised broadcasts.
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.
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