How to Watch Out-of-Market NBA Games for Free with Sling
From Jan. 13-19, you can watch NBA League Pass games with a subscription to Sling Day Passes, Orange, Blue, or Select. Here are our picks for the top out-of-market games to watch.
NBA League Pass is in free preview on Sling from Tuesday, January 13 through Monday, January 19. That means you can purchase a subscription to Sling’s new 7 Day Pass and watch out-of-market NBA games all week long, plus the College Football National Championship on January 19, as well as the NFL Divisional Round playoff game between the Patriots and Texans on ESPN! To catch all of this action with the 7 Day Pass, use the link below, and check out our list of the top NBA games available during the NBA League Pass free preview.
Atlanta Hawks at Los Angeles Lakers
Tuesday, Jan. 13, 10:30pm ET
https://youtu.be/7UHjAP2Pojc?si=nBBEhzpQuMX4Scge
It’s a new era in Atlanta; Trae Young is out. The No. 5 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Young leaves the Hawks with an impressive legacy: He’s the franchise’s all-time leader in three-pointers and in assists. In fact, he’s led the NBA in assists since entering the league. Despite this, the Hawks – who acquired C.J. McCollum and Corey Kispert from the Washington Wizards in the trade – were demonstrably better without him. Young has dealt with injuries throughout his career, and, as NBA.com points out, “the Hawks won 49% of their games when Young wasn’t in the lineup — as opposed to 45% when he played.”
Atlanta is currently 20-21 and they’ll face an early test of their new roster when they travel to the West Coast to take on the fifth-place Lakers. With LeBron James in-and-out of the lineup with injuries, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have formed the Lakers most potent one-two punch, combining for an average of nearly 60 points per game. With King James nearing the end of his legendary career – on Monday, the NBA revealed he’ll wear a special patch on his jersey commemorating his 23rd NBA season – this could be his last best chance to secure one more title before retirement.
Milwaukee Bucks at San Antonio Spurs
Thursday, Jan. 15, 8pm ET
With the NBA trade deadline approaching on Feb. 5, there may not be a more interesting name making the rounds than Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo (there’s certainly not a harder name to spell). While Giannis has been adamant that he won’t request a trade, he has to be frustrated with the Bucks’ many failed roster moves since his team won the championship in 2021. At 17-22, Milwaukee is currently outside of the Play-In window, and this is a year when the Eastern Conference is wide open. While Giannis may or may not get moved, the Bucks are likely to do something to change-up their roster while he’s still in his prime.
For an example of smart roster-building, they need not look further than their opponent on Thursday night, the San Antonio Spurs. After landing generational big man Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Spurs made a trade for Sacramento guard De’Arron Fox at last year’s trade deadline. In just a couple years, the Spurs have gone from a lottery team to No. 2 in the West. While their excellence may not be easily replicable, they have returned to their familiar place near the top of the Western Conference in a lot less time than most expected.
Phoenix Suns at New York Knicks
Saturday, Jan. 17, 7:30pm ET
https://youtu.be/bBYNU05_VWs?si=XSLv83x2nPkIdS7N
With Celtics’ star Jayson Tatum still recovering from his achilles tear, the Eastern Conference has been thrown into disarray. And although the 24-15 Celtics deserve a ton of credit for weathering his injury much better than anyone expected, the Knicks have taken full advantage. Despite a recent swoon, the Knicks are currently second in the East, and Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson (who’s averaging a career-high 29 points per game) might form the Eastern Conference’s most dangerous scoring duo.
But while the success of the Knicks was expected, the Phoenix Suns are shocking a lot of people. Despite trading Kevin Durant in the offseason, the Suns are currently 24-15 in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. Unsurprisingly, a lot of that has to do with the play of Devin Booker, but Houston trade pieces like Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green are starting to make a difference as well. A year after one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory, Phoenix is one of biggest surprises of the first half of the 2025-26 campaign.
Toronto Raptors at Los Angeles Lakers
Sunday, Jan. 18, 9:30pm ET
Speaking of surprising teams, the Toronto Raptors are currently in fourth place in the East, and at 24-17, they’re within striking distance of the top seeds. Leading scorer Brandon Ingram has been the biggest revelation, but other additions like Sandro Mamukelashvili and homegrown star Scottie Barns – the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week – have been making noise as well. With the injury to center Jakob Poeltl, Toronto is in the market for a big man, and if they can find the right piece at the trade deadline, Toronto could be a dark horse pick to come out of the East.
Miami Heat at Golden State Warriors
Monday, Jan. 19, 10pm ET
https://youtu.be/do8BNnbUtDk?si=jNqXkYBZX7Wq7FLN
The Martin Luther King holiday is always a big day in the NBA, as fans are treated to a plethora of day games, including four that will air on Peacock and/or NBC. The final game of the night between the Heat and Warriors is shaping up to be one of the best. Golden State’s trade for Heat star Jimmy Butler was one of the splashiest trades at last year’s deadline, and at a mediocre 21-19, Golden State may not stay put this year, particularly with tensions brewing between head coach Steve Kerr and the always mercurial Draymond Green. At 20-19, the Heat are also in the mix as a Play-In team, but their path to the playoffs should be easier in a softer Eastern Conference. This should be a good litmus test for both teams as we hit the season’s midway point.
To watch NBA games on ESPN and add the NBA League Pass for $50 for the rest of the season (or the NBA Team Pass for $40), use the link below to subscribe to Sling Orange!
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