Spurs vs Grizzlies live stream: How to watch the NBA Playoffs online

Spurs vs Grizzlies live stream
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Spurs vs Grizzlies start time, channel

The Spurs vs Grizzlies live stream is scheduled to begin today (Wed. May 19) at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT. It will be on ESPN.

It's time for the Spurs vs Grizzlies live stream — the latest installment of the NBA’s new play-in tournament (afterwards, we've got the Warriors vs Lakers live stream). As the 10th and 9th seeds respectively, these two teams will look for the first of two wins needed to lock in the Western Conference’ 8th playoff seed in this NBA playoffs live stream.

The Spurs (33-39) find themselves back in the postseason after missing out last year. They are the Western Conference’s 10th best team and enter play-in action having won just twice in their last 12 games. Veteran small forward DeMar DeRozen is still looking for post-season success since being traded to the Spurs from the Raptors in a deal that sent Kawhi Leonard to Toronto three seasons ago. DeRozen led the Spurs in scoring this year with 21.6 points per game.

The Grizzlies (38-34) haven’t seen postseason play since 2017 when they were bounced out in the first round by the Kawhi Leonard led Spurs. Memphis ended the regular season on a solid run, winning six of their last 8 games. The Grizzlies can thank the play of three key contributors for their chance to advance. Second-year point guard Ja Morant was the team’s leading scorer with just over 19 points per game, while Dillion Brooks and veteran center Jonas Valanciunas netted 17 a game.

The Grizzlies won their season series with the Spurs, 2-1 and enter Wednesday night’s game as 4 point favorites. The over/under is 222 points.

The 2020-2021 NBA season started later than normal due to last season being paused by COVID. As a result, the NBA shortened the regular season from 82 to 72 games. To make it up to the teams and fans, the Association added a play-in tournament which is preceding the NBA Playoffs.

Now instead of the top eight teams in each conference making the playoffs, the top 10 teams have a chance at postseason play. Teams that finished in 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th place in their conference will compete in a play-in tournament to decide the playoffs’ 7th and 8th seeds. The winner of Spurs vs Grizzlies will advance to take on the loser of the Warriors vs Lakers match-up.

How to avoid Spurs vs Grizzlies 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 Spurs vs Grizzlies 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. 

Spurs vs Grizzlies live streams in the US

In the U.S. Spurs vs Grizzlies airs on ESPN, tipping off at 7:30 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 and FuboTV. But you may want to go Sling, as while ESPN and TNT are both included in the Sling Orange package, which costs $35 — TNT isn't on Fubo.

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

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.

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. The channel lineup includes ESPN, as well as other top networks like Bravo, FX, MTV and USA. Plus, it's got NBA TV (in the $5.99 fubo Extra add-on), which will have other playoff games.

Spurs vs Grizzlies live streams in the UK

British basketball fans just need Sky Sports. The Spurs vs Grizzlies live stream is on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Arena — starting at 12:30 a.m. BST.

Spurs vs Grizzlies live streams in Canada

Hoops fans in Canada can watch Spurs vs Grizzlies 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.

Marc Farzetta

Marc is a contributing sportswriter at Tom’s Guide covering the NFL, NBA and MLB as well as various other leagues. He is a graduate of Temple University where he studied Broadcasting and Journalism. Marc’s previous stops include the Trenton Times and NBC Sports Philadelphia. He also worked on the production crew of NBC Sunday Night Football for 11 seasons. When not working, Marc is probably sipping his next espresso to get him ready for more work.