Hornets vs Hawks live stream: How to watch the NBA play-in tournament online right now

Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks goes to the basket while guarded by Terry Rozier #3 and Montrezl Harrell #8 of the Charlotte Hornets
(Image credit: Jacob Kupferman / Getty)

It’s time for the Hornets vs Hawks live stream, which kicks off night two of the NBA play-in tournament live streams, and if the first two games are any indicator, this should be a hotly contested game. 

That said, we're sure the loud and brash Trae Young didn't expect he'd have to win not one — but two — play-in games to make the playoffs. These Hawks made the Eastern Conference finals last year! These Hawks rocked Madison Square Garden!

Hornets vs Hawks live stream start time, channels

Date: The Hornets vs Hawks live stream is scheduled for today (April 13).
Time: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. / 12 a.m. BST
Where to watch in the U.S.: ESPN is on Sling TV, currently on at $10 off the first month.
Watch from anywhere: with ExpressVPN.

But while Young gets a lot of the headlines and sucks up a lot of the oxygen, its Hawks forward/center John Collins whose presence will be most-missed. One of Atlanta's top players, Collins has been on the bench since a sprained foot and injured finger took him out on March 11. Hawks coach Nate McMillan had been unsure if Collins would play in the game earlier this week, but Tuesday saw the announcement he's not available for this game. 

That said, Young's presence and performance will be downright crucial to the Hawks' success. The last time these teams met, he only scored nine points from 38 minutes (the most of the team), though he did dish 15 assists. Charlotte won by 10 points, 106-116. If he performs more to his overall season numbers — for the second time ever, Young averaged at least 28.0 points and 9.0 assists for the whole season — the Hawks have a better shot. 

As for the Hornets? Well, this is their second consecutive play-in tournament appearance, and this team hasn't reached the playoffs since 2016. They're hoping that guards LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier can deliver a performance that matches their season scoring, as the duo led the Hornets to the fourth-best scoring in the NBA this past year at 115.3 points per game.  

Whomever wins this game? Well, they'll go to Cleveland to face the second-chance Cavs who lost to Brooklyn on Tuesday. The winner gets the last remaining playoff spot in the east.

Here's everything you need to watch Hornets vs Hawks live streams online:

How to watch Hornets vs Hawks live streams from anywhere on Earth

Having trouble actually getting ESPN? Even if you can't watch the NBA play-in tournament 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 to watch the Hornets vs Hawks live stream.

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. 

Hornets vs Hawks live streams in the U.S.

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The Hornets vs Hawks live stream is on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET. If you've already cut the cord and don't have a cable package? With the right pick from our best cable TV alternatives, you'll be able to watch all of these games. But for as much as we like FuboTV, it fails at NBA Playoffs time without TNT, a must have for NBA fanatics. Sure, you can get this game tonight, but what about the rest of the games on TNT?

Instead, you should get Sling TV. ESPN and TNT are both included in the Sling Orange package, which costs $35, which is pretty low for live TV services (and the lowest rate for one with ESPN. Sling is a perfect place to watch all of the NBA playoffs, as ABC games will simulcast on ESPN3. Sling Orange gets you TNT, ESPN, ESPN3, and its Sports Extra pack gets you NBA TV.

Sling and Fubo are two of the picks on our best streaming services list, and while Fubo has ABC (important later in the playoffs), the ESPN3 simulcasts mean you don't need Fubo. You could also pull down ABC with one of the best TV antennas.

Sling TV:

Sling TV: You can get ESPN and TNT in the Sling Orange package. The 30-plus channels in the lineup include AMC, CNN, Food Network, AMC, Comedy Central, HGTV and many more. And you can save $10 on your first month!

Hornets vs Hawks live streams in the UK

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British basketball fans' luck on Sky Sports is better as all six NBA play-in tournament games will be on Sky. The Hornets vs Hawks live stream will be on at 12 a.m. BST on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Arena.

NBA League Pass is also available in the U.K., as an alternative.

Hornets vs Hawks live streams in Canada

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Hoops fans in Canada can catch some (but apparently not all) of the NBA play-in tournament games. Fortunately, the Hornets vs Hawks live stream will be on TSN1.

NBA League Pass is also available in Canada.

Hornets vs Hawks live streams in Australia

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Thankfully, since the Hornets vs Hawks live stream is an ESPN game, Kayo Sports is your best bet — as Kayo primarily streams ESPN's NBA games. The game starts at 9 a.m. AEDT on Thursday morning.

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.