The Lakers and the Clippers. LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard. Anthony Davis and Paul George. Did you expect anybody else to headline the NBA's return to play after more than four months of hiatus amid the COVID-19 pandemic?
Naturally, the second game of the NBA's 2019-20 season restart in Orlando will be presented on a national TV channel, and it will feature two of the league's top title contenders. It works well considering Thursday night basketball has become synonymous with the NBA on TNT.
Also in line with the norm in terms of TNT's traditional NBA game presentation is that Lakers vs. Clippers on Thursday night is part of a doubleheader, with Pelicans vs. Jazz scheduled to play out before the Los Angeles game and its start time of 9 p.m. ET.
Thursday's pair of matchups marks the first NBA games since the league suspended its season March 11 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 22 teams were invited to resume the season at the Walt Disney World resort in Orlando, and each will play eight seeding games before the playoffs are scheduled to start in the same location in mid-August.
Below is how to watch Thursday night's Lakers-Clippers game, the second in the NBA's return from its coronavirus delay.
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What channel is Lakers vs. Clippers on?
- Date: Thursday, July 30
- TV channel: TNT
- Live stream: Watch TNT | NBA League Pass
The TV channel for tonight's Lakers-Jazz game is a natural fit for the resumption of the 2019-20 NBA season, as TNT is the league's home for Thursday night doubleheaders. TNT also will show Pelicans vs. Jazz earlier in the evening.
TNT is available on all cable providers in the United States, as well as satellite providers DirecTV (channel 245), Dish Network (channel 138) and Orby TV (channel 101).
Play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan and analyst Reggie Miller will call Thursday night's Lakers-Clippers game for TNT.
What time does Lakers vs. Clippers start?
- Date: Thursday, July 30
- Start time: 9 p.m. ET
The start time for Thursday night's Lakers-Clippers game is a little earlier than your typical Game 2 of a TNT doubleheader. The league likely wanted to start the Lakers-Clippers game as early as possible both for viewership reasons and because it's being played on the East Coast.
The 9 p.m. ET start time for the Lakers-Clippers game means it will tip off at 6 p.m. Los Angeles time.
Lakers vs. Clippers live stream
Anybody who has a cable or satellite subscription can access live TNT programming via the Watch TNT app on his or her mobile device. That should be the preferred viewing method for anybody who has such a subscription but is not able to get in front of a TV.
For those who don't have a cable or satellite subscription, there are four major OTT TV streaming options that carry TNT — Sling, Hulu, YouTubeTV and AT&T Now. Of the four, Hulu and YouTubeTV offer free trial options.
Below are links to each.
Lakers vs. Clippers — as well as all NBA seeding games played in Orlando — also will be available to steam via NBA League Pass at a reduced price ($28.99) since there are so few games left in the season. However, games on NBA League Pass are blacked out in local markets.
NBA schedule 2020
The full 2020 NBA regular-season schedule, including tip-off times and TV channels, is listed below by date.
Times and TV channels for the final two days of seeding games have not yet been revealed.
July 30
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Jazz vs. Pelicans | 6:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Clippers vs. Lakers | 9 p.m. | TNT |
July 31
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Magic vs. Nets | 2:30 p.m. | — |
| Grizzlies vs. Trail Blazers | 4 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Suns vs. Wizards | 4 p.m. | — |
| Celtics vs. Bucks | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Kings vs. Spurs | 8 p.m. | — |
| Rockets vs. Mavericks | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
Aug. 1
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Heat vs. Nuggets | 1 p.m. | ESPN |
| Jazz vs. Thunder | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Pelicans vs. Clippers | 6 p.m. | ESPN |
| 76ers vs. Pacers | 7 p.m. | — |
| Lakers vs. Raptors | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Aug. 2
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Wizards vs. Nets | 2 p.m. | — |
| Trail Blazers vs. Celtics | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Spurs vs. Grizzlies | 4 p.m. | — |
| Kings vs. Magic | 6 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Bucks vs. Rockets | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Mavericks vs. Suns | 9 p.m. | — |
Aug. 3
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Raptors vs. Heat | 1:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Nuggets vs. Thunder | 4 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Pacers vs. Wizards | 4 p.m. | — |
| Grizzlies vs. Pelicans | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Spurs vs. 76ers | 8 p.m. | — |
| Lakers vs. Jazz | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
Aug. 4
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Nets vs. Bucks | 1:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Mavericks vs. Kings | 2:30 p.m. | — |
| Suns vs. Clippers | 4 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Magic vs. Pacers | 6 p.m. | — |
| Celtics vs. Heat | 6:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Rockets vs. Trail Blazers | 9 p.m. | TNT |
Aug. 5
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Grizzlies vs. Jazz | 2:30 p.m. | — |
| 76ers vs. Wizards | 4 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Nuggets vs. Spurs | 4 p.m. | — |
| Thunder vs. Lakers | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Raptors vs. Magic | 8 p.m. | — |
| Nets vs. Celtics | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
Aug. 6
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Pelicans vs. Kings | 1:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Heat vs. Bucks | 4 p.m. | TNT |
| Pacers vs. Suns | 4 p.m. | — |
| Clippers vs. Mavericks | 6:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets | 8 p.m. | — |
| Lakers vs. Rockets | 9 p.m. | TNT |
Aug. 7
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Jazz vs. Spurs | 1 p.m. | — |
| Thunder vs. Grizzlies | 4 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Kings vs. Nets | 5 p.m. | — |
| Magic vs. 76ers | 6:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Wizards vs. Pelicans | 8 p.m. | — |
| Celtics vs. Raptors | 9 p.m. | TNT |
Aug. 8
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Clippers vs. Trail Blazers | 1 p.m. | TNT |
| Jazz vs. Nuggets | 3:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Lakers vs. Pacers | 6 p.m. | TNT |
| Suns vs. Heat | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Bucks vs. Mavericks | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Aug. 9
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Wizards vs. Thunder | 12:30 p.m. | — |
| Grizzlies vs. Raptors | 2 p.m. | — |
| Spurs vs. Pelicans | 3 p.m. | ABC |
| Magic vs. Celtics | 5 p.m. | — |
| 76ers vs. Trail Blazers | 6:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Rockets vs. Kings | 8 p.m. | — |
| Nets vs. Clippers | 9 p.m. | NBA TV |
Aug. 10
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Thunder vs. Suns | 2:30 p.m. | — |
| Mavericks vs. Jazz | 3 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Raptors vs. Bucks | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Pacers vs. Heat | 8 p.m. | — |
| Nuggets vs. Lakers | 9 p.m. | TNT |
Aug. 11
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Nets vs. Magic | 1 p.m. | — |
| Rockets vs. Spurs | 2 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Suns vs. 76ers | 4:30 p.m. | — |
| Trail Blazers vs. Mavericks | 5 p.m. | — |
| Celtics vs. Grizzlies | 6:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Pelicans vs. Kings | 9 p.m. | TNT |
| Bucks vs. Wizards | 9 p.m. | — |
Aug. 12
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Pacers vs. Rockets | 4 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Raptors vs. 76ers | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Heat vs. Thunder | 8 p.m. | — |
| Clippers vs. Nuggets | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
Aug. 13
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Wizards vs. Celtics | TBD | TBD |
| Trail Blazers vs. Nets | TBD | TBD |
| Kings vs. Lakers | TBD | TBD |
| Bucks vs. Grizzlies | TBD | TBD |
| Pelicans vs. Magic | TBD | TBD |
| Mavericks vs. Suns | TBD | TBD |
| Spurs vs. Jazz | TBD | TBD |
Aug. 14
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| 76ers vs. Rockets | TBD | TBD |
| Heat vs. Pacers | TBD | TBD |
| Thunder vs. Clippers | TBD | TBD |
| Nuggets vs. Raptors | TBD | TBD |