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It’s game time! The Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat will face off in Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals at Ball Arena in Denver on Thursday (June 1). The game will broadcast live at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
BTS’ Suga Stars in NBA’s ‘We Are All in the Finals’ Campaign Soundtracked…
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The Heat advanced to the finals after beating the Boston Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference on Sunday.
If you don’t want to miss all the NBA Finals actions, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of ways to watch and stream games from your TV, laptop, desktop, tablet and any other compatible device along with links to buy tickets to games.
How to Stream the 2023 NBA Finals Online for Free
The 2023 NBA Finals kicks off on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT on ABC. Those who already have cable or local channels through a TV antenna, can check local listings for additional channel information.
Basketball fans can also watch the NBA finals live on ABC.com in addition to ESPN outlets such as ESPN+, ESPN2, ESPN Radio and ESPN Deportes.
No cable? No worries! You can stream the 2023 NBA Finals games live and with a free trial from DirectTV Stream, YouTube TV (the official sponsor of the NBA Finals), Fubo and Express VPN — if you’re streaming outside of the U.S.
Shopping for the best streaming deals? DirectTV Stream is discounted $30 over three months, plus a free trial for five days. DirectTV Stream’s cheapest plan — the Entertainment package — is $64.99 (regular $69.99) for 75+ channels including ABC, NBC, Fox, CBS, ESPN, TNT, Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, VH1, TLC and HGTV; access to on-demand content and DVR storage.
DirectTV Stream
$64.99 $74.99 13% off% OFF
DirectTV Stream also offers free Max, Starz and other channels with higher-priced plans, which range from $89.99-$99.99.
Although Sling TV doesn’t offer a free trial, new subscribers can join at a discounted rate starting at $30 for the first month. Sling Blue lets you access dozens of channels including ABC, Fox, NBC, ESPN, ESPN2, A&E, AMC, MTV, BET, E!, VH1 and Bravo (DVR storage included).
Can you watch the NBA Finals on NBA League Pass? Finals games will not be available to watch live but subscribers can listen live on ESPN Radio and watch on NBA League Pass three hours after the game airs.
Elsewhere on the roster of affordable streamers, Fubo TV’s Pro package is $74.99/month after a free trial for a week. You’ll get access to 160 channels (100+ sporting events), cloud DVR and streaming on up to 10 screens.
Hulu + Live TV starts at $69.99 to stream 75+ live and on-demand channels — including ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN News, ESPN U, FS1, FS2, Fx, MTV, TruTV, BET, Food Network, Lifetime, Paramount Network, ID and TLC — along with everything on Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+. Another similarly priced streaming option, Vidgo starts at $69.99/month for 110+ live channels, on-demand and DVR.
Want to watch the NBA Finals live and in person? As you’ve probably guessed, tickets are pretty steep but passes for Game 1 start at around $530-$700 for general seating and upwards of $10,000 for courtside, VIP seating. Find tickets via StubHub, Vivid Seats, Ticketmaster and SeatGeek.
Want to show your team spirit? Visit NBA.com and Fanatics.com for official NBA gear and gifts for Father’s Day. Save up to 70% off clearance items at Fanatics and enjoy free shipping on orders over $24 at the NBA store.
2023 NBA Finals Schedule: Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat
Game 1: Thursday, June 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 2: Sunday, June 4 at 8:00 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 3: Wednesday, June 7 at 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 4: Friday, June 9 at 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
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LeBron James will have to endure a long offseason of people questioning his greatness from the comfort of their couches and game controllers despite willing the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers to the Western Conference Finals. The Denver Nuggets, the top-seeded team in the Western Conference, swept the Lakers in their best-of-seven series and some NBA fans are unfairly making LeBron James the fall guy.
LeBron James, who turns 39 this year, spent years carrying the Cleveland Cavaliers on his shoulders and doing so at an elite level for years. After two decades of basketball, wear and tear is natural and the high-flying exploits aren’t there every night but all of the greats have off nights.
James didn’t have an off night on Monday, leading all scorers with 40 points and remaining on the floor for the entire game. James supporting cast of Davis and Reaves did what they could but they were outmatched by Nikola Jokic, who led all Nuggets scorers with 30 along with 13 assists and 14 rebounds, and Jamal Murray, who poured in 25 points and was electrifying in the WCF.
You don’t even need to be a fan of James or his team to realize what he was able to do while pushing the age of 40 is incredible. There are a few NBA players who spent 20 seasons in the league and many of them are in the Basketball Hall of Fame. James will join those ranks once he decides to hang up his sneakers for good and hopefully, he holds off on doing so after the bitter sting of the loss settles down.
The comparisons to the great Michael Jordan are inevitable and people making a case for LeBron being an inferior player will have all their stats ready for an imaginary showdown neither man asked for.
The jeers from the armchair athletes of the world will cease to matter and besides, anyone who needs to take off their shoes and then put them in their laps to tie them can’t rightly call LeBron James a bum.
But they’re certainly going to try.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Elsa / Getty
Carmelo Anthony is moving on to the next phase of his life. On Monday, May 22, the superstar and future Hall of Famer announced that he is retiring from the NBA after a 19-season playing career.
The high-scoring forward was drafted with the 3rd pick in the 2003 NBA Draft (behind LeBron James and, wait for it…Darko Milicic), by the Denver Nuggets shortly after leading the Syracuse Orange to a national title during his sole collegiate season. Melo would play eight seasons for the Nuggets before a blockbuster trade sent him to the New York Knicks in early 2011.
The Brooklyn-born and Baltimore-raised star’s time in NYC had its highs but was also tumultuous, and he was eventually traded in 2017 to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Melo would become somewhat of a journeyman, playing for the Rockets, Trailblazers and lastly with the Lakers in the 2021-2022 season.
“Now the time has come for me to say goodbye,” in a clip Melo shared on Twitter that features a number of his career highlights.
“People ask what I believe my legacy is,” continues Anthony, before referencing his son, Kiyan Anthony, a hoop prospect himself. “It’s not my feats on the court that come to mind, all the awards or praise. Because my story has always been more than basketball. My legacy, my son … I will forever continue through you. The time has come for you to carry this torch.”
No pressure.
Despite never making it to an NBA Finals, Melo still cooked up10 NBA All-Star selection, six All-NBA selection and three Olympic gold medals and a spot on the 75 greatest NBA players list. His kicks with Jordan Brand also moved units.
Check out reactions to Hoodie Melo closing the chapter on his NBA career in the gallery.
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The NBA playoffs are winding down with the Eastern Conference and Western Conference Finals in full swing. In the east, the Boston Celtics are now down 0-3 in their best-of-seven series against the Miami Heat, with the Los Angeles Lakers sharing the same record against the Denver Nuggets.
In NBA lore, few teams are as notable as the Celtics and Lakers given the long length of their rivalry and dominance on the court in different eras. In fact, it was expected by some that the two teams would meet in the 2023 NBA Finals, but both teams are on the brink of elimination.
On Sunday (May 21), The Celtics headed down to Miami to face the Heat in a must-win game after going 0-2 at their home arena. It was expected that the trio of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart would have an offensive explosion.
Instead, it was Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Gabe Vincent, who led all scorers with 29 points, owning the night. It was also a night that saw Tatum and Brown shoot 33 and 35 percent from the field respectively, and they didn’t get much help elsewhere although Grant Williams did give 12 off the bench. Butler scored 24 for the Heat but did so on 5-13 shooting, and got to the line seven times and sinking six.
On Saturday (May 20), Jamal Murray went off for 37 points against the Lakers, with Nuggets big man passing wizard Nikola Jokic dropping 24 with eight assists. The Lakers have been competitive in spurts but each game in the series has been huge swings and momentum changes that LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and coach Darvin Ham haven’t been able to figure out.
Tonight, the Lakers will take on the Nuggets in a win-or-go-home game for King James and Los Angeles. Even still, they would need to win four games to climb out of this major hole they’ve built for themselves. On Tuesday, the Celtics and Heat resume their series in a must-win for Boston.
On Twitter, the reaction to how the NBA Playoffs are currently playing out is all over the place. We’ve got reactions from NBA fans below.
[h/t NBA.com]
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Photo: Getty
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LeBron James is no stranger to criticism after a tough loss considering he remains as one of the most recognizable figures in the NBA. After the Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference Finals, fans on Twitter are giving LeBron James and Anthony Davis the business.
Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic is the top name for Denver but it was the exploits of Jamal Murray that lifted the team over James and company. Murray poured in 37 points in a fourth-quarter explosion where he scored 23 points after his team was down in the second half. Jokic, continuing his uncanny triple-double production, dropping 23 points on 9-21 shooting and hauling in 17 rebounds with 12 assists.
On the other side, James scored 22 points on 9-19 shooting and dropped 10 assists, and pulled down nine boards. Davis made just four of 15 shots to score 18 along with 14 rebounds. Austin Reaves, once again showing expert poise went eight for 16 from the field with 22 points and was joined by Rui Hachimura who dropped 21 points.
Nuggets head coach Mike Malone expressed some frustration on how his team has been covered in the press with all the attention going towards the Lakers. While Los Angeles remains to be a marquee team, few analysts predicted them to be squaring off with anyone this deep into the playoffs.
After Nikola Jokic’s monster game in the opener, his pick-and-roll partner Jamal Murray took the spotlight in the Western Conference finals Thursday night.
“You win Game 1 and all everybody talked about was the Lakers,” Malone said. “Let’s be honest, the national narrative was, ‘Hey, the Lakers are fine. They’re down 1-0, but they figured something out.’ No one talked about how Nikola just had [a] historic performance. He’s got 13 (playoff) triple-doubles now, third all-time. What he’s doing is just incredible.”
On Twitter, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are getting blasted for their performance. We’ve got the tweets below.
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Photo: Getty
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Victor Wembanyama will have all eyes on him after it is widely understood that the French basketball phenom will be selected first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft this summer. On Tuesday, the NBA Draft Lottery concluded with the San Antonio Spurs landing the top pick and NBA fans have plenty to say.
Victor Wembanyama, 19, currently plays for the French professional basketball team Metropolitans 92 of the LNB Pro A. Wembanyama, who is listed at 7-foot-4 although online reports list him at ranges of 7-foot-5 and 7-foot-2, is thought to be the greatest basketball prospect to emerge in quite some time. Despite his long frame, Wembanyama has the dribbling and passing skills of a guard which had every team in the NBA hoping to land the big man.
The good fortune experienced by the Spurs couldn’t have been more timely considering that the team, coached by Gregg Popovich, isn’t the elite team it once was during the David Robinson and Tim Duncan era. Under Popovich’s tutelage, the Spurs won five NBA championships, the last coming in 2014. It should also be noted that the last time the Spurs had the top pick of the draft, they selected Duncan.
With Wembanyama all but certain to be selected by the team, the fortune of the Spurs is expected to change almost immediately. It will be interesting to see how Wembanyama plays alongside the young core of Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones, and Devonte’ Graham.
On Twitter, both Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs see their names trending with all kinds of reactions. We’ve got the best of them listed below.
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Photo: Christian Liewig – Corbis / Getty
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Ben Simmons is definitely persona non grata in the city of Philadelphia after flaming out as a member of the city’s professional basketball team. The former Philadelphia 76ers star has Twitter talking after fans took notice of Ben Simmons taking in Game 7 of his former squad taking on the Boston Celtics in a loss and speculation is high that he was throwing shots.
Ben Simmons, who will be 27 this summer, is now a member of the Brooklyn Nets after a disappointing stint with the Sixers ended with a whimper. Simmons didn’t go on to resume his former glory with the Nets but he’s still considered a player with the potential to turn around his basketball fortunes.
What has Twitter reacting to at the moment is an image from Simmons’ Instagram story feed featuring the Australian player taking in the Sixers-Celtics game without any further context. Why that has sparked such curiosity is an unspoken and largely unconfirmed beef between Simmons and the Sixers considering the strained relationship between him and the team.
Adding to this, the Sixers lost in explosive fashion in the semifinal contest against the Celtics and looked poised to take the series at one point. However, 51 big points from Tatum and 25 from co-star Jaylen Brown nullified Joel Embiid, James Harden, and the rest of the Sixers. In fact, Tobias Harris led all Sixers with 19 points.
On Twitter, folks are assuming that Simmons is smoking on that Sixers pack. We’ve got the reactions below.
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Photo: Getty
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Joel Embiid, the current Most Valuable Player of the NBA winner, and his Philadelphia 76ers squad looked poised to make their way to the Eastern Conference finals. However, after falling to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the series on Sunday (May 14), Joel Embiid is catching the wrath of NBA fans questioning his mettle.
Joel Embiid, 29, had a strong playoff run with the scoring heroics of James Harden aiding him when the points weren’t coming as easily for the big man. Even after suffering an injury, Embiid showed incredible grit in the paint and on the perimeter, proving why he won MVP honors this season.
That said, the Celtics, featuring the core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart, were heavy favorites heading into the Eastern Conference finals and proved why on Mother’s Day. Especially Tatum, who led all scorers with 51, followed by Brown, who poured in 25. In contrast, the 76ers’ leading scorer was Tobias Harris with 19, followed by Tyrese Maxey, who dropped 17, and Embiid with 15. Harden, who has been lights out for much of the series, scored 9.
In the postgame press conference, Embiid put himself and Harden above the team in his comments and seemingly took shots at his supporting core by saying they didn’t show up. In fairness, Embiid also put the blame on himself, especially as he gave wider context.
Given Embiid’s offensive output and the way the Celtics rolled over them in a win-or-go-home matchup, Embiid’s comments invited a barrage of criticism. Further, given the recent firings of NBA head coaches such as Monty Williams in Phoenix and Mike Budenholzer in Milwaukee, many believe 76ers coach Doc Rivers could be on the chopping block next.
Make no mistake. Joel Embiid is an elite NBA big man and one heck of an all-around player. The 76ers just ran into a prepared, hungry, and focused Celtics team on their home floor. Still, many on Twitter aren’t as forgiving and the tweets prove it. We’ve got them listed below.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: Prince Williams / Getty
Ja Morant is proving himself to be excellent at hustling backwards. The NBA superstar was recently spotted once again flashing a gun while appearing on an Instagram Live, and the NBA is aware of the situation while NBA Twitter is as pissed as anyone.
Previously, Ja Morant flashing a firearm on IG cost him an 8 game suspension and time away from the team. Well clearly, he didn’t take the message to heart.
There was Mr. Morant holding what seems to be a black pistol while on IG which started circulating on Saturday night (May 13). In the since-deleted video (but nothing is ever truly deleted on the Internets), Morant is seen in his friend Davonte Pack’s account holding a handgun while in the passenger seat of a car and singing along to a rap song. Also, the original IG Live had a viewership of just over 100 people.
Bruh…
There is no doubt that the high-flying point guard will be suspended for a significant number of games for the 2023-2023 NBA season. But for now, the Memphis Grizzlies have already suspended Morant from all team activities according to ESPN.
“We are aware of the social media post involving Ja Morant and are in the process of gathering more information,” said NBA spokesperson Mike Bass in a statement Sunday (May 14).
Twitter has not been too kind to Morant considering this is his second offense of the same kind of incident. There have also been other off the count incidents that don’t place Morant in the best of lights like allegedly beating up a teen basketball player or beefing with workers in a sneaker store.
Check out reactions to Morant’s latest headass decision-making in the gallery.
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Anthony Davis is one of the most talented big men in the NBA but a cloud hangs over him regarding his durability given his past injuries. Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley had a moment on Inside The NBA analyzing Game 5 of the Lakers-Warriors playoff series after Davis suffered a head injury which prompted the legendary big men to crack up on air.
Anthony Davis, 30, is having an exceptional playoff series for the Los Angeles Lakers, who are up 3-2 against the defending champions, the Golden State Warriors. On Wednesday (May 10), the Lakers were on the losing end on the Warriors’ home court with the final score reading 121-106.
In the waning moments of the game, Davis was accidentally hit in the head by Warriors center Kevon Looney while both were going for a rebound. The hit was apparently hard enough that Davis needed to be wheeled out of the Chase Center.
At the conclusion of the game, Inside The NBA analysts were recapping the game, and in one segment not seen on camera, a sheet of paper could be heard being crumbled while Ernie “E.J.” Johnson Jr. broke down the footage of the Davis injury.
As the cameras cut back to Kenny “The Jet” Smith inside the TNT studio, O’Neal, and Barkley attempted to stifle their laughter and lost all of their cool after it was revealed that Davis left the floor in a wheelchair.
O’Neal and Barkley, both in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, can be tough on NBA big men given the impact of their careers. However, some on Twitter found the reaction to Anthony Davis hitting the deck a bit offensive while others joined in on the ribbing. NBA sideline reporter Chris Haynes and Lakers head coach both reported that Davis appeared to be on the mend.
We’ve got reactions from all sides below.
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Photo: Getty