Thunder vs Lakers live stream: How to watch the NBA seeding game online

thunder vs lakers live stream
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Thunder vs Lakers start time, channel

Thunder vs Lakers begins at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 PT / 11:30 BST today (August 5). In the U.S. it airs on ESPN and Fox Sports Oklahoma. 

Tonight’s Thunder vs Lakers live stream is about to begin, and everyone is tuning in to see how OKC's quest for the playoffs continues. LA's got the favor of the oddsmakers, placing the Lakers at a 6.5 to 5.5 point advantage

Looking at the momentum going into tonight, OKC's got something to prove (and win) with this, after losing to the Nuggets in OT earlier this week. While tales of slight injuries to LA percolated recently (Davis' sore right eye, LeBron's sore right groin and Kyle Kuzma's right ankle sprain), it appears that those kinks have worked themselves out.

While LA is 2-1 in the bubble, it's hard to say they're going to go after Oklahoma City with the same tenacity that the Thunder will likely bring. Why? Well, LA just clinched their top seed in the Western Conference against the Utah Jazz on Monday, so this feels like the time for the team to not go too hard and stay healthy for the post season. 

Looking at the season at a macro leve, NBA's 'bubble' — the home of the top teams competing for playoff spots — is continuing to set a positive example for sports in general. Last month, the NBA announced that for two consecutive weeks it's had zero positive tests among the 344 players. The league has also changed its rulings for players who get inconclusive tests, allowing them to return sooner. 

Here's everything you need to watch Thunder vs Lakers live stream tonight:

How to avoid Thunder vs Lakers 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 Thunder vs Lakers 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 <a href="https://go.expressvpn.com/c/4550836/1330033/16063?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.expressvpn.com%2Foffer%2Ftomsguide%3Foffer%3D3monthsfree%26a_fid%3D744" data-link-merchant="expressvpn.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">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.

Thunder vs Lakers live streams in the US

The Thunder vs Lakers live stream is going to be easy for cable subscribers and cable-cutters alike. The game will be live on ESPN and Fox Sports Oklahoma starting at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT. But while ESPN is included in most cable packages, FSOK is not. 

Cord-cutters looking for the best all-encompassing streaming option will note that ESPN is available on Sling TV, one of the best streaming services around. While ESPN is in both of the $30 per month Sling Orange packages, both it and Sling Blue have certain channels hoops fans will want. The $45 per month Sling Blue + Orange package may be their best best for a comprehensive streaming situation. FuboTV, which costs a little more per month, has both ESPN and FSOK (your location depending).

Basketball fans should also considering getting the NBA League Pass; packages start at $20 per year but you'll need to spend $29 per year for access to all teams — minus local and national blackout games.

Sling TV

ESPN is a part of the <a href="https://sling-tv.pxf.io/c/221109/1132376/14334?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sling.com%2F" data-link-merchant="sling.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Sling TV Orange package. If you get Sling Orange + Blue, you also get Fox and NBC affiliates, as well as NBC Sports Network and FX1. Basketball lovers can add on NBA TV, too.

Fubo.TV:

<a href="https://www.fubo.tv/?irad=366904&irmp=221109&subId1=hawk-custom-tracking" data-link-merchant="fubo.tv"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">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 ESPN and local sports networks like FSOK, it's also got the basic TV channels, including AMC, Food Network, USA and VH1.

Thunder vs Lakers live streams in the UK

British hoop fans can stay up and watch Thunder vs Lakers on Sky Sports. Those without Sky Sports can pick it up from Now TV, with prices starting at £9.99

You could also opt for NBA League Pass, which 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.

The game starts at 11:30 p.m. BST.

Thunder vs Lakers live streams in Canada

Canada will watch Thunder vs Lakers on TSN, which is available via cable packages as well as online as a standalone purchase for streaming. The game will be shown 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.