It's an intriguing clash of styles in this NBA playoff semi-final series, as the Lakers prepare to face the small-ball specialists of Houston. After letting Houston jump out to an early 1-0 series lead, the Lakers have bounced back to take a 3-1 advantage into tonight's game . The match-up is an awkward one for both sides, as between Anthony Davis, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and LeBorn James, there'll be no shortage of stardust at Disney World every time these two teams take to the parquet. Follow our guide to watch a Lakers vs Rockets live stream and catch all the 2020 NBA playoff basketball online wherever you are today.
Lakers vs Rockets live stream
Game 1 of the Lakers vs Rockets is set for Friday, September 4 and the two teams will play every other day in this best-of-seven series, which will last until at least September 10 (game 4) and no longer than September 16 (game 7, if it's needed). Full TV and streaming details are below - and you can enjoy your preferred coverage wherever you are with a FREE 30-day ExpressVPN trial.
We all know LeBron loves a chance to put his feet up before the playoffs, but is six days off too much? That's how long it's been since the Lakers triumphed over the Trail Blazers, and we'll soon find out if it's worked out in their favor or not. The Rockets, on the other hand, come into this series straight off the back of their 7th game victory over Oklahoma, and should ride that momentum as hard as they possibly can.
Houston are one of the most unpredictable teams out there. Mike D'Antoni's men have attempted an average of 51 3-pointers per game in the post-season, and if the risky strategy works they could quickly rocket out of sight - but they could just as easily end up looking very silly indeed. The Lakers were able to limit the Blazers' 3-point attempts in round 1, and will be piling the pressure on Houston's shooters.
Mike Vogel's side, the 2-point specialists of the playoffs, are much more methodical - read: reckless - in their play, but it isn't yet clear if they'll switch up their tactics to match the Rockets or go all out to physically overwhelm them. The Rockets may have the meanest defense in the bubble, but you can bet that Davis and LeBron will put that to the ultimate test in this series.
There's only one way to see how it all pans out in the league's Orlando bubble, though, so read on for details of how to watch the Lakers vs Rockets online and get an NBA live stream from anywhere right now.
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How to watch the NBA playoffs from outside your country
You may not be able to watch the Lakers vs Rockets series 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 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 state, thereby getting you access to coverage that might not otherwise be available - even though you probably pay for it.
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We've tested over 100 VPNs and found that ExpressVPN always comes out on top. Fast, secure, and easy to use, you'll be up and running with Express in no time.
Plus, you can try it out for free with a 30 day money-back guarantee, so if you're not sold on being able to watch sports from around the world you can always claim your cash back. There's a massive range of supported devices on offer, from Smart TVs, Fire TV Stick, PC, Mac, iPhone, Android phone, iPads, tablets etc. And if you subscribe to ExpressVPN now, you'll also get 49% off the usual price as well as 3-months extra FREE if you take out an annual plan (the best value option).
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Lakers vs Rockets live stream: how to watch game 5 of the NBA playoff series in the US
The semi-final showdown between Frank Vogel's LA Lakers and Mike D'Antoni's Houston Rockets is being shown nationally, with games split between ESPN, TNT and ABC. Game 5 is on ESPN with tip-off scheduled for 8pm ET/5pm PT on Saturday, September 12.
If you've got cable, that means it's easy, as you can stream the Lakers vs Rockets games online with ESPN and TNT, as well as ABC - just log in with details of your TV provider for access.
If you don't have cable, then you'll need to look at accessing these channels another way - namely, via an over-the-top streaming service. Of these, Sling TV is easily your best option.
A Sling Orange package costs just $30 a month and gets you both TNT and ESPN, meaning you're covered for the entire series - plus there's currently a FREE Sling TV trial up for grabs, which means you'll be able to watch a couple of Lakers vs Rockets games without dropping a dime.
Or if you're not too happy about picking up a Sling TV subscription just for sports, you can grab an NBA TV subscription through the NBA League Pass, for $49. This will get you coverage of all nationally televised games for a great price - but it is subject to blackout restrictions for in-market games when they apply.
However, you can get around this by grabbing a quality VPN if you live in the same area your favorite team is based.
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Lakers vs Rockets live stream: how to watch NBA playoff basketball in the UK
Sky Sports is the home of everything NBA in the UK. The Sky Sports channels are operated by Sky, but you can also watch them via BT and Virgin Media TV packages.
Coverage of game 5 starts at 1am BST early (very early) on Sunday, September 13 on Sky Sports Arena and you can expect the rest of the series to also be aired.
And best of all, there are more cost-effective options than signing up for the full commitment of a Sky contract, if that's not your style.
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 - 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 and a 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 Lakers vs Rockets live steam.
If you're looking to watch Lakers vs Rockets 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 game 4 of the the 2020 NBA playoffs in Canada
TSN is generally the place to turn for coverage of this Western Conference semi-final series between the Lakers and the Rockets.
With TSN widely available on cable, catching the NBA online shouldn't be difficult for these Canadian viewers - simply enter the details of your TV provider into the network's website to watch.
However, if you don't subscribe through cable TV, you can also use TSN Direct, with a $19.99 monthly subscription cost.
You'll also be able to watch the Lakers vs Rockets online with NBA League Pass. If you're out of the country you can use a VPN to easily swap your location so you can still live stream it all.
All times are the same as in the US as per the schedule above.
Lakers vs Rockets live stream: how to watch the 2020 NBA playoffs online in Australia
There are two options for Australian viewers wanting to tune in to the 2019/20 NBA playoffs.
The first is through cable and, more specifically, Foxtel. It offers ESPN, which is the home of NBA basketball Down Under, but will require you to commit to a contract.
If that's not for you, then excellent value streaming service Kayo Sports also has you covered for all things ESPN and can be cancelled at any time - so we'd recommend looking into this option first.
Costing either $25 or $35 monthly, it's far cheaper than Foxtel and you can grab a 14-day FREE TRIAL to test it out. Perhaps best of all, a single subscription can be used simultaneously across multiple devices, meaning you can share one with family or friends and pay less.
Kayo isn't confirmed to be covering game 4 tonight, though, so...
Fans of the two teams wanting to be 110% sure can always grab further games in the series also have the option of an NBA League Pass.
Lakers vs Rockets: Western Conference semi-final schedule and TV channels
Here's how the Lakers vs Rockets series looks this September (all times ET).
- Game 1: Friday, Sept. 4, 9pm I ESPN - won by Houston Rockets
- Game 2: Sunday, Sept. 6, 8.30pm | ABC - won by Los Angeles Lakers
- Game 3: Tuesday, Sept. 8, 9pm | TNT - won by Los Angeles Lakers
- Game 4: Thursday, Sept. 10, TBD | TNT - won by Los Angeles Lakers
- Game 5: Saturday, Sept. 12, TBD | ESPN
- Game 6: Monday, Sept. 14, TBD | TNT
- Game 7: Wednesday, Sept. 16, TBD | TNT
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.
However, in the case of the playoffs, an NBA TV subscription alone will cover you for most games in the US, due to some clever scheduling by those in charge.
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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