How to Watch NBA Opening Night With & Without Cable

The NBA is back!

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) celebrates with guard Jaylen Brown (7) after a play against the Dallas Mavericks / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The NBA is upon us once more. Just over four months after the Boston Celtics secured their 18th championship banner by taking down the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, the new season tip-off is here.

The 2024-25 NBA season is chock-full of exciting narratives after a summer of big moves. How well will the new-look New York Knicks play after less than a month of run-up following the massive Karl-Anthony Towns transaction? Will the Philadelphia 76ers' big offseason get in Paul George form an effective enough Big 3 with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to qualify for at least the Eastern Conference finals?

In the West, will the Minnesota Timberwolves' big gamble on Julius Randle pay off? Will the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors feel forced to shake things up in an effort to maximize the final good years of LeBron James and Stephen Curry, respectively? How will the Denver Nuggets cope with the loss of another key rotation player? Can the Dallas Mavericks avoid an NBA Finals run hangover?

It's going to be an awesome season. And it all starts on Tuesday night, with the Celtics hosting the Knicks for their banner night and the Lakers hosting the 'Wolves to showcase LeBron against basketball's budding superstar, Anthony Edwards.

Here's how you can tune into both matchups, with and without cable.

How to Watch Celtics vs. Knicks on Cable

Tuesday night's Celtics-Knicks game will be broadcast on TNT.

TNT is available through most basic cable packages, so if you have cable, you are very likely to have TNT. What channel TNT is varies from location to location.

How to Stream Celtics vs. Knicks Without Cable

Many sports viewers out there are also cord-cutters. So how can you watch Celtics-Knicks without cable?

First, most alternative streaming services, such as YouTube TV, Hulu Live, and Sling TV, all come with TNT included in sports packages. So if you are subscribed to any of those services and pay for channels like ESPN on top of the basic bundle, then you'll be able to watch NBA opening night on TNT.

Another option is to use your login credentials to stream the game on TNT Live, accessible via the TNT website. You can do so using a basic cable login, but cannot do so if you're using YouTube TV or Sling or what have you.

Celtics-Knicks Preview

The Celtics are aiming to defend home court after they watch the 18th banner raised to the rafters and championship rings handed out to the roster. Boston brings back every member of the championship team that won last June and as such are considered favorites to run it back. It will be tricky in the early going to maintain their dominance as Kristaps Porzingis will miss the first few months of the year recovering from his rare foot injury suffered in the Finals, but Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have plenty of firepower to make up for his absence.

The Knicks built their team to stop Boston. They acquired Mikal Bridges and re-signed O.G. Anunoby over the offseason to give the roster two separate stoppers on the wing. Then New York traded for KAT to go full five-out on offense, giving MVP candidate Jalen Brunson a ton of room to work. Depth is a concern, to be sure, but on opening night everyone will be fresh and ready to take it to the champs in front of a national audience. It should be a competitive contest.

How to Watch Lakers vs. Timberwolves on Cable

Tuesday night's Lakers-Timberwolves game will be broadcast on TNT.

TNT is available through most basic cable packages, so if you have cable, you are very likely to have TNT. What channel TNT is varies from location to location.

How to Stream Lakers vs. Timberwolves Without Cable

Many sports-viewers out there are also cord-cutters. So how can you watch Lakers-Timberwolves without cable?

First, most alternative streaming services, such as YouTube TV, Hulu Live, and Sling TV, all come with TNT included in sports packages. So if you are subscribed to any of those services and pay for channels like ESPN on top of the basic bundle, then you'll be able to watch NBA opening night on TNT.

Another option is to use your login credentials to stream the game on TNT Live, accessible via the TNT website. You can do so using a basic cable login, but cannot do so if you're using YouTube TV or Sling or what have you.

Lakers-Timberwolves Preview

The Lakers enter this season with their usual sky-high expectations, but this year does feel a little different. The LeBron James sunset tour is officially on with the team drafting his son, Bronny, in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft. The pair will make history as the first father-son duo to play in the NBA at the same time. But L.A. is hoping to have more highlights than that; LeBron's summer Olympic run indicated he's still a championship-caliber player and the team didn't do much to accentuate the roster around him. Can The King make one last run?

The Timberwolves made their deepest playoff run in decades last spring, then turned around and traded one of the key components of it. Julius Randle is here instead. Can his bully-ball style mesh with Anthony Edwards, the face of the NBA in training and the future of the franchise? Or will Edwards miss the spacing KAT provided? Either way, we know for sure Edwards loves to bring it when the lights are brightest and there are few regular-season lights brighter than taking on LeBron in L.A. on opening night.

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