LeBron James and the Lakers facing Stephen Curry and the Warriors with a playoff spot on the line? Yeah, Adam Silver isn't getting rid of the NBA's play-in tournament anytime soon.
Despite negative comments from multiple NBA players — including some from James himself — the play-in setup has succeeded in delivering a juicy Western Conference contest for basketball fans. James will once again cross paths with Curry, who has gotten the best of James in three out of four NBA Finals matchups.
MORE: NBA play-in tournament, explained
While there have been some contentious moments in the past, it appears the rivals will be avoiding bulletin-board material in the buildup to Wednesday night's play-in game.
"We just gotta play to the best of our ability. We gotta play Lakers basketball," James said on the final day of the regular season. "We gotta defend at a high rate. We're playing, in my opinion, the MVP of our league this year in Steph. So we gotta prepare for everything that they have. They've got championship DNA as well."
Here is everything you need to know to watch Warriors vs. Lakers, including the tipoff time and TV channel for Wednesday's game.
MORE: Watch Lakers vs. Warriors live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
What channel is Lakers vs. Warriors on?
- Date: Wednesday, May 19
- TV channel: ESPN
- Live stream: Watch ESPN | fuboTV
Warriors vs. Lakers will be broadcast live on ESPN. You can live-stream the game via Watch ESPN or the Watch ESPN app.
Play-in games on ESPN can also be streamed on fuboTV, which offers a 7-day free trial.
Lakers vs. Warriors start time
- Date: Wednesday, May 19
- Start time: 10 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. PT
The 10 p.m. ET tipoff marks the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader. Spurs vs. Grizzlies will be broadcast live on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET.
NBA play-in tournament format
- The play-in tournament will be held after the conclusion of the 2020-21 regular season and before the start of the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs. The teams that finish Nos. 1-6 in the standings of each conference will be guaranteed playoff spots. Teams Nos. 7-10 will enter the play-in tournament.
- Each conference's Nos. 7 and 8 teams will face off, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The loser will still have one more opportunity to reach the playoffs.
- Each conference's Nos. 9 and 10 teams will face off, with the winner advancing to play the loser of the No. 7-vs.-No. 8 game. The loser of the No. 9-vs.-No. 10 game will be eliminated from playoff contention.
- The loser of the No. 7-vs.-No. 8 game and the winner of the No. 9-vs.-No. 10 game will then play against each other. The winner of that game will be the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. The loser will be eliminated from playoff contention.
- Beyond the play-in tournament, the 2021 NBA playoffs will follow the typical format, with full best-of-seven series all the way through the NBA Finals.
NBA play-in tournament schedule
May 18
| Game (play-in) | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Hornets vs. Pacers | 6:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Wizards vs. Celtics | 9 p.m. | TNT |
May 19
| Game (play-in) | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Spurs vs. Grizzlies | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Warriors vs. Lakers | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
May 20
| Game (play-in) | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Pacers vs. Wizards | 8 p.m. | TNT |
May 21
| Game (play-in) | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser | TBD | ESPN |
