How to live stream Lakers vs Rockets: NBA Playoffs, TV channel
Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets meet LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers as they open their first-round NBA Playoffs series Saturday night in a matchup shaped by star power and major injuries. MORE: NBA ratings received a major boost for the 2026 regular season Mar 31, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) dribbles the ball during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto. com Arena.
Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images How to Watch Lakers vs Rockets When: Saturday, April 18, 2026 Time: 8:30 PM ET TV Channel: ABC Live Stream: Fubo ( try for free ) The Lakers enter as the No. 4 seed after a 53–29 regular season, narrowly edging the Rockets (52–30) for home-court advantage in this best-of-seven series. Game 1 is set for Saturday in Los Angeles, with a primetime broadcast on ABC to kick off what will be their first playoff meeting since the 2020 bubble.
Despite the seeding edge, momentum leans toward Houston, which closed the regular season strongly and enters the series in much better health. – Live Stream Lakers vs Rockets with Fubo – The biggest storyline is availability as the Lakers will be without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves due to injuries, leaving LeBron James to carry the offensive load. On the other side, Houston counters with a deeper, healthier roster led by Kevin Durant and rising talent like Alperen Şengün, giving them a clear advantage in depth and defensive structure.
If Los Angeles can control turnovers and get strong contributions from its role players, it has a path, but on paper, this series tilts toward the Rockets heading into Game 1. This is a great NBA matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action. Live Stream Lakers vs Rockets with Fubo: Start your free trial now!
With Fubo, you can catch the NBA Playoffs without cable on your phone, TV, or tablet. Fubo carries a wide array of sports and entertainment channels, including local sports packages and top national channels like ABC, FOX, CBS, ESPN, FS1, MTV, Comedy Central, and much more. The best part is you can try it out today for free.