NBA Opening Night 2019: TV Schedule, Live Stream and Predictions
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It's official: the NBA is back.
That means that fans worldwide will be attending and tuning into the two opening-night games for the 2019-20 regular season on Tuesday with aplomb.
Luckily for them, the league office made sure that the slate of scheduled games won't disappoint.
The first game of the action-packed double-header features the New Orleans Pelicans and the Toronto Raptors.
Unfortunately, Zion Williamson, this year's No. 1 overall pick, won't be in action due to the successful arthroscopic surgery he underwent to repair the torn lateral meniscus in his right knee.
So fans will have to wait six to eight weeks to see the most exciting rookie to enter the league since LeBron James take the court.
Despite the diminished star power, the Pelicans vs. Raptors game should still be interesting.
But the marquee matchup, of course, is the battle of Los Angeles between the Clippers and the Lakers.
Thanks to this summer's roster moves, excitement for both teams has reached a fever pitch.
The Lakers completed the trade for Anthony Davis and the Clippers landed Paul George via trade and Kawhi Leonard via free agency, so it was originally billed as dynamic duo (King James and AD) versus dynamic duo (PG-13 and Fun Guy).
George won't be available since he's recovering from shoulder surgery, so it will be Leonard facing off against James and Davis.
Which team will win first-night bragging rights?
For the fans that want to tune in and see which teams take home the win, here's the TV and live-stream schedule, along with predictions for Tuesday night's contests:
Schedule for Tuesday, October 22
New Orleans Pelicans at Toronto Raptors: 8 p.m. ET, TNT | Livestream: fuboTV. For tickets to this game, go to StubHub.
Los Angeles Lakers at Los Angeles Clippers: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT | Livestream: fuboTV. For tickets to this game, go to StubHub.
New Orleans Pelicans at Toronto Raptors
No Zion and No Kawhi?
No problem.
The Pelicans are down their newest franchise cornerstone and the Raptors lost theirs to free agency, but the show must go on.
For New Orleans, that means betting on their newfound youth and athleticism.
Lonzo Ball, who averaged 9.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game, will be free to roam and run the point. With his uncanny ability to get the ball into the right hands, Ingram can create off the bounce, JJ Redick will pour in three-pointers and Jrue Holiday will steady the ship with his veteran leadership.
Ingram told Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times:
"I think everybody is just having fun. I don't think anybody has an ego. I think everybody is just trying to find the best shot for the team, just trying to get better each and every day. It's just fun. It's fun with the way we're playing, swinging the basketball, getting the best shot for everybody. And so everybody's just having fun and waiting on their opportunity."
The Pelicans will be all kinds of energetic, but in the end, they won't be a match for the Raptors' synergy and poise.
While it's widely known that Leonard was responsible for putting Toronto on his back and powering them to the championship, it was Kyle Lowry's inspired play down the stretch and Pascal Siakam's All-Star level performance throughout the season that doesn't get enough credit.
With the exodus of Leonard, it's all up to role players like Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka and Fred VanFleet to complement Lowry and, most importantly, Siakam, who will need to carry the torch for the reigning champs.
No one expects the Raptors to be able to defend their title, but they'll fare much better than expected this season—especially on opening night after the ring ceremony.
The torch has officially been passed to the 2019 Most Improved Player, so look for him to come out fast and strong to validate the four-year, $130 million max extension he signed on Monday.
Spicy P posted averages of 16.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per outing last season and is expected to carry the bulk of the scoring load this year.
Lowry will also be out to prove that his postseason wasn't a fluke and that his team is still a competitive force.
"I'm ready for the challenge again," Lowry told Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star. "Got to do what's best for the team and get back to the promised land."
New Orleans will go on runs and get out in transition, but by the end of the night, it will be Toronto that starts the year off on the right foot.
Prediction: Raptors 101, Pelicans 96
Los Angeles Lakers at Los Angeles Clippers
No one's forgetting about LeBron James, but it's no secret that all eyes will be on L.A.'s newest superstars in the Staples Center on Tuesday night.
AD and Fun Guy won't exactly go head-to-head, but they'll definitely be on the court at the same time and comparisons on how they fit in and lift their respective teams will be made.
For Davis, it will be about the pick-and-roll game with James.
As evidenced in the preseason, they complement each other perfectly, and outside of Ivica Zubac and Montrezl Harrell, the Clippers don't have anyone to stop Davis from imposing his will on the low block.
"I don't really rank my games, haven't thought about where everything ranks," Davis told Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. "But [Tuesday is] definitely gonna be up there, just as far with the team that I have, the teammates, just the level of competition that's gonna be out there. And plus, this is our first game. It's gonna be real fun."
Leonard, on the other hand, will be the picture of efficiency. He plays both sides of the ball and will be on a quiet mission to show why he should be endowed with the mantle of "best player in the league."
The 2019 Finals MVP won't have George by his side, but he'll get plenty of help from Harrell, Patrick Beverley, Landry Shamet and reigning Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams.
The Clippers will likely show why they've been crowned as the early choice for best defensive team in the league, but the Lakers have a few defensive stalwarts of their own.
Danny Green is a proven three-and-D guy, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard can still be reliable defenders and newcomer Avery Bradley has already put his defensive stamp on the team.
The jury's still out on whether these two teams will make for a bonafide rivalry, but both teams are excited about the possibilities.
"It's like the first day of school," James told Greif. "The first day of school, going back to school, laying your clothes out the night before. Just that excitement of getting the thing back going."
The Lakers won't be as potent offensively as they would be with Kyle Kuzma on the floor, but they'll have enough firepower to get the job done Tuesday night.
Leonard will get his points, as will Lou Will, but look for James and Davis to combine for an eye-popping stat line and enough dominance for the win.
Prediction: Lakers 112, Clippers 105
Unless otherwise indicated, all stats courtesy of Basketball Reference or NBA.com.
Maurice Bobb covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow Maurice on Twitter, @ReeseReport.
