Friday’s early game will be an exciting matchup in the Smoothie King Center when the Charlotte Hornets travel south of I-85 to take on the New Orleans Pelicans. Fans will be excited to see Hornets rookie LaMelo Ball in primetime against New Orleans second-year player Zion Williamson.
Coming off a 102-94 win against the Atlanta Hawks, where Gordon Hayward scored a career and game-high 44 points, the 3-5 Hornets are trying to make some noise in the Eastern Conference. Rookie LaMelo Ball has made some spectacular plays and some are suggesting he should be in the starting lineup since Devonte’ Graham has been in a shooting slump this season. Graham is averaging 9.9 points per game with 6.1 assists; however, he’s shooting a woeful 27.1% from the field and 32.1% from 3. These numbers will not be sustainable for a starter for the rest of the season and tonight might be a breakout game for him.
The Pelicans are not soaring right now as they are currently on a 2-game losing streak and they’re sitting at .500 with a 4-4 record. Both losses were at home and they lost by a combined total of 3 points. New Orleans needs to be more consistent if they want to break away from the pack of teams in the middle of the Western Conference.
There will be limited in-person attendance in New Orleans; however, cord cutters can find out how to watch Hornets-Pelicans below.
When to watch Hornets vs. Pelicans
Tip-off for Charlotte Hornets vs. New Orleans Pelicans is scheduled for 7:30 PM ET on Friday, January 8, 2021. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN with local broadcasts available on Fox Sports New Orleans and Fox Sports Southeast.
Where to watch Hornets vs. Pelicans
Cord cutters can watch all the action live from the hardwood by subscribing to any streaming service that carries ESPN or by using the Watch ESPN app. Choosing from any of these subscription services below has its benefits because there are no hidden fees, you can cancel anytime with most offering a free trial for new subscribers.
- AT&T TV Now: Subscribers to AT&TV Now can watch the NBA on ESPN, and over 45 other channels for only $55/month with their Plus package. 500 hours of DVR is included so you won’t miss your team’s victories on the hardwood, and you can record your other favorite shows.
- Hulu + Live TV: For only $65/month, Hulu + Live TV gives you access to ESPN, NBA on ESPN, over 65 channels, and access to Hulu’s large library of content including exclusive shows and movies. With 50 hours of Cloud DVR included you’ll be able to record this game, and much more.
- fuboTV: Perhaps the best sports-orientated streaming service is fuboTV because subscribers can watch ESPN, NBA on ESPN, over 130 events in 4K, and 110 channels, starting at $64.99/month. 250 hours of Cloud DVR means there is plenty of room to save your favorite events.
- YouTube TV: For $65/month, YouTube TV is a great service for watching ESPN, NBA on ESPN, and over 85 other channels. With unlimited Cloud DVR storage, it’s the perfect place to record your favorite games, catch up on all of the buildup for the week, analyst predictions, and have the ability to come back to it at season’s end.
- Sling Orange: The Sling Orange package is only $30/month and it includes 10 hours of Cloud DVR storage. Sling is one of the most affordable services to watch the NBA every week on ESPN, and it comes with over 30 other channels.
- Vidgo: For $55/month, Vidgo gives you access to all of the NBA games on ESPN and ABC, plus over 85 other channels. The service offers 24 hour playback on popular programming, and right now, new and returning subscribers can take advantage of a promotional price of $10/mo. for the first 2 months.
- NBA League Pass: Fans can watch live games from their favorite out-of-market teams with one of the packages provided by NBA League Pass. For $119.99/yr. or $17.99/mo. fans can watch all the games from an out-of-market team with Team Pass. Catch every game from any out-of-market team for only $28.99/mo. or $199/yr. with League Pass. Upgrade to a commercial-free experience with League Pass Premium and watch every game from an out-of-market team for only $249.99/yr. or $39.99 mo.
Due to the NBA’s blackout restrictions, local fans may have to watch the game on Fox Sports New Orleans and Fox Sports Southeast, both of which are streaming on AT&T TV Now. Regional sports networks coverage varies based on location, but if these networks are subject to blackout in your location then you should be able to watch the national broadcast on ESPN.