Hornets vs Pacers live stream: How to watch the NBA Playoffs online

Hornets vs Pacers live stream
(Image credit: Alex Goodlett and Will Newton / Getty)
Hornets vs Pacers start time, channel

The Hornets vs Pacers game is scheduled to start today (Tuesday, May 18) at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT.
It will be on TNT.

The Hornets vs Pacers live stream is here to kick off the NBA’s new play-in tournament — and the NBA playoffs as well games. Who will be the first to survive and advance in NBA playoffs live stream?

Due to COVID pausing last season, the NBA was forced to begin their 2020-2021 season on a short turnaround and decrease their regular season from 82 games to 72. As a way to make it up to the teams and the fans, the Association decided to add a play-in tournament. Now instead of just the top eight teams making the playoffs in each conference, the top 10 teams will have a chance in postseason play. 

Teams that finished in 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th place in their conference will compete in play-in games to decide the playoffs 7th and 8th seeds. The winner of Hornets vs Pacers will advance to face the loser of the Wizards vs Celtics game. The winner of that game will be the 8th-seed in the NBA playoffs and face the top-seeded 76ers.

The Hornets (33-39) are limping into the playoffs having lost their last five games. Charlotte was lead by veteran guard Terry Rozier this season, who averaged a team high 20.4 points per game. One of the bright sports for Charlotte this season has been the play of Rookie of the Year candidate LeMelo Ball who averaged 15.7 points and 6.1 assists per game and overcame a broken bone in his wrist. Ball missed 21 games, before coming back to help the Hornets make the playoffs.

The Pacers (34-38) finished their season on a higher note than Charlotte. After Goga Bitadze and assistant coach Greg Foster had a heated exchange on the Pacer’s bench during their May 5th loss to the Kings, the Pacers went on to win 4 of their last 7 games to lock in a spot in the play-in tournament. After injuries to Caris LaVert and Malcolm Brogdon, the Pacers have been lead by two-time all-star Domantas Sabonis, who’s presence is a big reason why Indiana is a top three team in scoring points in the paint.

The Hornets won their season series with the Pacers 2-1. Pacers enter as 3-point favorites. The over/under is 228.

How to avoid Hornets vs Pacers blackouts with a VPN

If you've had to leave your own "bubble" -- or you've been hit by a dreaded local blackout -- and you can't watch Hornets vs Pacers 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. 

Hornets vs Pacers live streams in the US

In the U.S. Hornets vs Pacers airs on TNT, tipping off at 6:30 p.m. ET.

If you've already cut the cord and don't have a cable package, you'll be able to get this game on Sling TV (we love FuboTV for a lot of sports, but it doesn't have TNT). ESPN and TNT are both included in the Sling Orange package, which costs $35.

Both are two of the picks on our best streaming services list, but Sling doesn't have ABC (though you can get it with one of the best TV antennas) — though ABC's playoff games will be simulcast on ESPN3, which Sling has.

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.

Hornets vs Pacers live streams in the UK

British basketball fans just need Sky Sports. The Hornets vs Pacers live stream is on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Arena — starting at 11:30 p.m. BST.

Hornets vs Pacers live streams in Canada

Hoops fans in Canada can watch Hornets vs Pacers on TSN, which can be added to your package if you don't have it already. The game is on TSN1.

NBA League Pass is also available in Canada.

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.