Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers live stream: How to watch the NBA playoffs play-in games

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By Henry T. Casey
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Play-in time! Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers live streams are here

grizzlies vs trail blazers live stream
(Image credit: NBA)
Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers start time, channel

The first Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers game starts at 2:30 p.m. ET today (Saturday, Aug. 15) on ABC. Game 2 details can be found below.

The Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers live stream today is a one-and-done deal for the former,  if they can put up a win. But if the Trail Blazers get two big victories from Damian Lillard & co, they can advance to face LeBron James and the LA Lakers.

And, yes, the Blazers' success seems tied to Lillard's hot hands, as the point guard has repeatedly saved his team's chances, with shots including the one-foot-off-half-court 3-pointer that should honestly count for more. In fact, Lillard's got so much momentum at his back that some think he could lead an upset that knocks LeBron and the Lake Show out in round 1.

The reactions to Lillard's current run are coming from all the top names, including Dwayne Wade, who said "Y’all gonna keep Dame name out of y’all mouth." Oh, and Lillard isn't alone, as CJ McCollum (playing with a fractured back), treated the Nets defense like they muttered something incredible uncouth. Oh, and Portland also has Carmelo Anthony to hoist up shots and make the Memphis defense have to spread out.

The favor towards the Blazers continues (slightly) when you focus on how these teams have fared against each other. They've only played each other twice this season, and they split that series. And there is reason to trust in Portland, as they're the team that won the 'bubble' game, despite Memphis keeping it close. 

Here's everything you need to watch Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers live stream tomorrow night (and the rest of the Round 1 games as well):

How to avoid Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers blackouts with a VPN

Somehow, you've broken through your own personal "bubble" -- or you've been hit by a dreaded local blackout -- and you can't watch Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers live streams on cable, 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. Here are our top picks.

ExpressVPN

We think speed, security and simplicity make ExpressVPN second to none. During our tests, we saw fast connection times, and we're impressed by the service's ability to access more than 3,000 services spread out across 160 locations in 94 countries. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied.

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Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers live streams in the US

In the U.S., viewers will watch the series of Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers live streams on  ABC and ESPN (the full play-in schedule is below). Cable subscribers won't have trouble finding any of those channels. They're all also on Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV or the sports-fan favorite, fuboTV.

But if Basketball is your only sport, the NBA League Pass isn't a terrible deal with packages start at $20 per year — and $29 per year for access to all teams. Though it suffers local and national blackout games, like any other service.

Of the available streaming services, we recommend fuboTV, as it's the only of these options to land in our best streaming services list. ESPN is included in the Sling Orange package, which costs $30. But we think the $45 per month Sling Blue + Orange package may be the best best for a comprehensive streaming situation.

Fubo.TV:

Fubo.TV: If you love sports, you probably want to check out Fubo.TV. It's got a 7-day free trial so you don't need to pay up front, and in addition to all three channels you'll need for the Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers play-in games, it's also got the basic TV channels, including AMC, Food Network, USA and VH1. Plus, it's got NBA TV (in the $5.99 fubo Extra add-on), which will have other playoff games.

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Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers live streams in the UK

British hoop fans don't have to stay up late for once. The Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers live stream starts at 7:30 p.m. BST on Sky Sports. Those without Sky Sports can pick it up from Now TV, with prices starting at £9.99.

NBA League Pass is also available in the U.K., at £42.99 for the rest of the year and serves up all of the games with no blackouts.

Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers live streams in Canada

TSN has Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers on TSN4 on Saturday at 2:30 p.m., but it doesn't appear to have the Sunday game. Bummer. 

NBA League Pass is also available in Canada.

Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers series schedule

  • Game 1: Sat, Aug 15 Memphis at Portland, 2:30 ET, ABC
  • Game 2: Sun, Aug 16 Memphis at Portland, 4:30 ET, ESPN*

* = if necessary

Henry T. Casey
Henry T. Casey
Managing Editor (Entertainment, Streaming)

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.