:  Watch NBA Live Stream Online free, The season-opening double header of the NBA will hold a championship celebration, one of the most exciting young teams in the competition, and the two teams expect many to compete for the Western Conference title. With the Pelicans, Raptors, Lakers and Clippers who all want to set the tone for their seasons, it is certainly an interesting opening night in the NBA.

The Pelicans will be without Zion Williamson in this season-opening game, suppressing the tension around the event. Although the team hopes that Williamson can recover quickly from an injury, it still has a lot of young talent to look forward to this season. Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram were taken over in an exchange that Anthony Davis sent to the Lakers during the off season. They join veterans such as Jrue Holiday and JJ Redick to form a core that could immediately compete for the playoffs.

The inclusion of Toronto in the season-opening doubleheader is about one thing: celebrating last year’s NBA championship. Last year’s Raptors walked through the Sixers, Bucks and Warriors to get their first title, but it may be more difficult this season with the loss of Kawhi Leonard. The key to the Toronto season will be when players like Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam can fill the void Leonard left behind, as Nick Nurse’s team seems to compete in a wide open Eastern Conference.

The Lakers picked up reinforcements for LeBron James this season. They did this by exchanging Ball and Ingram for Davis, among others. There isn’t much Davis can’t do on the field, and his ability to protect the rim and score everywhere should make the Lakers a much more dangerous team than last season.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, this year they can be overshadowed by the team with whom they share an arena. The Clippers spent two stars in Leonard and Paul George to strengthen their selection. Two elite perimeter defenders and scorers, Leonard and George, have made the Clippers the preseason favorites to win everything. They get their first chance to prove themselves at home against the Lakers during the opening night in what could be a preview of the Western Conference Finals.

. (tagsToTranslate) No function (t) Thread (t) NBA (t) los angeles clippers (t) New Orleans Pelicans (t) Los Angeles Lakers (t) Toronto Raptors (t) NBA The Scotiabank Arena in Toronto will be the site of a very special night. The Raptors will receive their championship rings after their heroic six-game win over the Golden State Warriors last June. Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard is gone, but this team is still very solid thanks to Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol. This is a beautiful night for We The North, but don’t overlook who they will face. The New Orleans Pelicans will be in Canada ready to show the world why they are good enough to shock everyone and get to the playoffs. Zion Williamson will not make his NBA debut because of a knee injury, but this team is still very exciting and will look to put on a show against the champs.

Speaking of show and champions, the Staples Center is the site of the second game featuring the Lakers and Clippers, the two biggest favorites to win the title. Both teams want to make a statement against each other on Opening Night. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are ready to dominate, and Kawhi Leonard has picked the Clippers as his new destination because of the roster depth, the quality of coaching and the chance to win Finals MVP for two different teams in consecutive seasons for the first time in history. This is going to be an incredible night of basketball and the perfect way to start what could be the best NBA season ever.

:  Watch NBA Live Stream Online free, The season-opening double header of the NBA will hold a championship celebration, one of the most exciting young teams in the competition, and the two teams expect many to compete for the Western Conference title. With the Pelicans, Raptors, Lakers and Clippers who all want to set the tone for their seasons, it is certainly an interesting opening night in the NBA.

The Pelicans will be without Zion Williamson in this season-opening game, suppressing the tension around the event. Although the team hopes that Williamson can recover quickly from an injury, it still has a lot of young talent to look forward to this season. Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram were taken over in an exchange that Anthony Davis sent to the Lakers during the off season. They join veterans such as Jrue Holiday and JJ Redick to form a core that could immediately compete for the playoffs.

The inclusion of Toronto in the season-opening doubleheader is about one thing: celebrating last year’s NBA championship. Last year’s Raptors walked through the Sixers, Bucks and Warriors to get their first title, but it may be more difficult this season with the loss of Kawhi Leonard. The key to the Toronto season will be when players like Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam can fill the void Leonard left behind, as Nick Nurse’s team seems to compete in a wide open Eastern Conference.

The Lakers picked up reinforcements for LeBron James this season. They did this by exchanging Ball and Ingram for Davis, among others. There isn’t much Davis can’t do on the field, and his ability to protect the rim and score everywhere should make the Lakers a much more dangerous team than last season.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, this year they can be overshadowed by the team with whom they share an arena. The Clippers spent two stars in Leonard and Paul George to strengthen their selection. Two elite perimeter defenders and scorers, Leonard and George, have made the Clippers the preseason favorites to win everything. They get their first chance to prove themselves at home against the Lakers during the opening night in what could be a preview of the Western Conference Finals.

. (tagsToTranslate) No function (t) Thread (t) NBA (t) los angeles clippers (t) New Orleans Pelicans (t) Los Angeles Lakers (t) Toronto Raptors (t) NBA The Scotiabank Arena in Toronto will be the site of a very special night. The Raptors will receive their championship rings after their heroic six-game win over the Golden State Warriors last June. Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard is gone, but this team is still very solid thanks to Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol. This is a beautiful night for We The North, but don’t overlook who they will face. The New Orleans Pelicans will be in Canada ready to show the world why they are good enough to shock everyone and get to the playoffs. Zion Williamson will not make his NBA debut because of a knee injury, but this team is still very exciting and will look to put on a show against the champs.

Speaking of show and champions, the Staples Center is the site of the second game featuring the Lakers and Clippers, the two biggest favorites to win the title. Both teams want to make a statement against each other on Opening Night. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are ready to dominate, and Kawhi Leonard has picked the Clippers as his new destination because of the roster depth, the quality of coaching and the chance to win Finals MVP for two different teams in consecutive seasons for the first time in history. This is going to be an incredible night of basketball and the perfect way to start what could be the best NBA season ever.

:  Watch NBA Live Stream Online free, The season-opening double header of the NBA will hold a championship celebration, one of the most exciting young teams in the competition, and the two teams expect many to compete for the Western Conference title. With the Pelicans, Raptors, Lakers and Clippers who all want to set the tone for their seasons, it is certainly an interesting opening night in the NBA.

The Pelicans will be without Zion Williamson in this season-opening game, suppressing the tension around the event. Although the team hopes that Williamson can recover quickly from an injury, it still has a lot of young talent to look forward to this season. Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram were taken over in an exchange that Anthony Davis sent to the Lakers during the off season. They join veterans such as Jrue Holiday and JJ Redick to form a core that could immediately compete for the playoffs.

The inclusion of Toronto in the season-opening doubleheader is about one thing: celebrating last year’s NBA championship. Last year’s Raptors walked through the Sixers, Bucks and Warriors to get their first title, but it may be more difficult this season with the loss of Kawhi Leonard. The key to the Toronto season will be when players like Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam can fill the void Leonard left behind, as Nick Nurse’s team seems to compete in a wide open Eastern Conference.

The Lakers picked up reinforcements for LeBron James this season. They did this by exchanging Ball and Ingram for Davis, among others. There isn’t much Davis can’t do on the field, and his ability to protect the rim and score everywhere should make the Lakers a much more dangerous team than last season.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, this year they can be overshadowed by the team with whom they share an arena. The Clippers spent two stars in Leonard and Paul George to strengthen their selection. Two elite perimeter defenders and scorers, Leonard and George, have made the Clippers the preseason favorites to win everything. They get their first chance to prove themselves at home against the Lakers during the opening night in what could be a preview of the Western Conference Finals.

. (tagsToTranslate) No function (t) Thread (t) NBA (t) los angeles clippers (t) New Orleans Pelicans (t) Los Angeles Lakers (t) Toronto Raptors (t) NBA The Scotiabank Arena in Toronto will be the site of a very special night. The Raptors will receive their championship rings after their heroic six-game win over the Golden State Warriors last June. Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard is gone, but this team is still very solid thanks to Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol. This is a beautiful night for We The North, but don’t overlook who they will face. The New Orleans Pelicans will be in Canada ready to show the world why they are good enough to shock everyone and get to the playoffs. Zion Williamson will not make his NBA debut because of a knee injury, but this team is still very exciting and will look to put on a show against the champs.

Speaking of show and champions, the Staples Center is the site of the second game featuring the Lakers and Clippers, the two biggest favorites to win the title. Both teams want to make a statement against each other on Opening Night. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are ready to dominate, and Kawhi Leonard has picked the Clippers as his new destination because of the roster depth, the quality of coaching and the chance to win Finals MVP for two different teams in consecutive seasons for the first time in history. This is going to be an incredible night of basketball and the perfect way to start what could be the best NBA season ever.

Celtics vs 76ers Live: Watch Celtics vs 76ers Live Stream The official site of the National Basketball Association. Your home for scores, schedules, stats, news, NBA League Pass, NBA TV, video highlights, fantasy, rankings and more for NBA players and teams. NBA 2019-20 GM Survey livescore, results, standings, statistics and match details on Scoreboard Will heralded rookie Zion Williamson live up Check out all the best action from the NBA’s 2019-20 pre-season! Subscribe to the NBA For news, stories, highlights and more,

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

SAN ANTONIO, TX – OCTOBER 13: Lonzo Ball #2 of the New Orleans Pelicans handles the ball against the San Antonio Spurs during a pre-season game on October 13, 2019 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agr
Joe Murphy/Getty Images
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
While we never have all the answers after one game, we do know one thing – the rivalry between the two teams in LA is alive and well.

In the first meeting between Kawhi Leonard in a Clippers uniform and LeBron James and Anthony Davis at the Lakers, the game lived up to the hype, spurred by a series of runs from both teams that kept it close right up until the end.

The Clippers’ superior depth, though, shone through and they were able to take it out 112-102 after scores were all square at three-quarter-time.

Stream live coverage of up to 7 games each week of the NBA Regular Season with ESPN on Kayo. Get your 14 day free trail & start streaming instantly>

We’re here for LeBron v Kawhi.
We’re here for LeBron v Kawhi.
KAWHI BETTER THAN LEBRON

It’s as if he never left the court. After dominating the Golden State Warriors on his way to winning the 2019 NBA finals MVP and leading the Toronto Raptors to the franchise’s first title, Leonard was at it again in Clippers colours. 30 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists showed off his all court game. With apologies to LeBron, who is 34 and on the downward spiral of his career, Leonard, 28 and in his prime, is now the better player.

LBJxAD V1.0

We got our first look at James and Davis and how they might work together. It was dynamic in the first half, but LeBron really fell away after that and late runs were keyed more by unheralded players and Davis than the ageing legend. The worry is Danny Green had a 28-point 7 three-pointer explosion – and they still lost.

BENCH MOB

It’s always been there, the Clippers bench depth. In fact, it’s been a staple. But now it has a Kawhi to go with it. Leonard was the only starter in double digits, but the five bench players who took the floor on the night combined for 60 points – 8 more than the starters.

Fred vanVleet goes to work for the Raptors.
Fred vanVleet goes to work for the Raptors.
RAPTORS ROLL PELS ON BANNER DAY

Form is temporary, class is permanent.

And so it was as the Toronto Raptors were pushed all the way to overtime by the New Orleans Pelicans, but prevailed with superior offensive finishing and choking defence in the extra period.

Unveiling their 2019 NBA title banner – the first in franchise history – the Raptors players were rewarded with enormous championship rings.

Without Zion Williamson, the Pelicans weren’t really expected to challenge, but a sluggish Raptors outfit allowed them to dictate much of the play.

Toronto relied on runs, rather than consistent play and, when the regulation buzzer rang, the scores were locked at 117.

But it was all Toronto in the extra period, finishing with an eight-point win, 130-122.

PASCAL LEONARD?

Kawhi who? After winning the Most Improved Player award last season, Siakam, in his fourth NBA season, was the natural candidate to step up after Leonard departed with the finals MVP. And boy, did he do it. 34 points, laced with 18 rebounds and 5 assists was a remarkable performance. The only blemish was he fouled out before the end of the game, leaving his teammates to shore up the win.

FRED VAN-CURRY?

Early doors, it looks like nuggety guard Fred vanVleet is going to be the biggest beneficiary of Kawhi Leonard’s departure. Aggressive and fearless, vanVleet poured in a career-high 34 points to go with 7 assists and 5 rebounds, the last of his five three-pointers icing the game in overtime.

NO LONZO?

With Zion Williamson out for up to two months, the popular belief is Lonzo Ball will get a ton of run and a chance to orchestrate his own team. Alvin Gentry appears to have other ideas. Ball hardly played in the second half, finishing with just the 8 points, with 5 rebounds and 5 assists in 25 minutes. Watch this space.

Cavaliers vs Magic Live : Watch Cavaliers vs Magic Live Stream The official site of the National Basketball Association. Your home for scores, schedules, stats, news, NBA League Pass, NBA TV, video highlights, fantasy, rankings and more for NBA players and teams. NBA 2019-20 GM Survey livescore, results, standings, statistics and match details on Scoreboard Will heralded rookie Zion Williamson live up Check out all the best action from the NBA’s 2019-20 pre-season! Subscribe to the NBA For news, stories, highlights and more,

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

SAN ANTONIO, TX – OCTOBER 13: Lonzo Ball #2 of the New Orleans Pelicans handles the ball against the San Antonio Spurs during a pre-season game on October 13, 2019 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agr
Joe Murphy/Getty Images
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
While we never have all the answers after one game, we do know one thing – the rivalry between the two teams in LA is alive and well.

In the first meeting between Kawhi Leonard in a Clippers uniform and LeBron James and Anthony Davis at the Lakers, the game lived up to the hype, spurred by a series of runs from both teams that kept it close right up until the end.

The Clippers’ superior depth, though, shone through and they were able to take it out 112-102 after scores were all square at three-quarter-time.

Stream live coverage of up to 7 games each week of the NBA Regular Season with ESPN on Kayo. Get your 14 day free trail & start streaming instantly>

We’re here for LeBron v Kawhi.
We’re here for LeBron v Kawhi.
KAWHI BETTER THAN LEBRON

It’s as if he never left the court. After dominating the Golden State Warriors on his way to winning the 2019 NBA finals MVP and leading the Toronto Raptors to the franchise’s first title, Leonard was at it again in Clippers colours. 30 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists showed off his all court game. With apologies to LeBron, who is 34 and on the downward spiral of his career, Leonard, 28 and in his prime, is now the better player.

LBJxAD V1.0

We got our first look at James and Davis and how they might work together. It was dynamic in the first half, but LeBron really fell away after that and late runs were keyed more by unheralded players and Davis than the ageing legend. The worry is Danny Green had a 28-point 7 three-pointer explosion – and they still lost.

BENCH MOB

It’s always been there, the Clippers bench depth. In fact, it’s been a staple. But now it has a Kawhi to go with it. Leonard was the only starter in double digits, but the five bench players who took the floor on the night combined for 60 points – 8 more than the starters.

Fred vanVleet goes to work for the Raptors.
Fred vanVleet goes to work for the Raptors.
RAPTORS ROLL PELS ON BANNER DAY

Form is temporary, class is permanent.

And so it was as the Toronto Raptors were pushed all the way to overtime by the New Orleans Pelicans, but prevailed with superior offensive finishing and choking defence in the extra period.

Unveiling their 2019 NBA title banner – the first in franchise history – the Raptors players were rewarded with enormous championship rings.

Without Zion Williamson, the Pelicans weren’t really expected to challenge, but a sluggish Raptors outfit allowed them to dictate much of the play.

Toronto relied on runs, rather than consistent play and, when the regulation buzzer rang, the scores were locked at 117.

But it was all Toronto in the extra period, finishing with an eight-point win, 130-122.

PASCAL LEONARD?

Kawhi who? After winning the Most Improved Player award last season, Siakam, in his fourth NBA season, was the natural candidate to step up after Leonard departed with the finals MVP. And boy, did he do it. 34 points, laced with 18 rebounds and 5 assists was a remarkable performance. The only blemish was he fouled out before the end of the game, leaving his teammates to shore up the win.

FRED VAN-CURRY?

Early doors, it looks like nuggety guard Fred vanVleet is going to be the biggest beneficiary of Kawhi Leonard’s departure. Aggressive and fearless, vanVleet poured in a career-high 34 points to go with 7 assists and 5 rebounds, the last of his five three-pointers icing the game in overtime.

NO LONZO?

With Zion Williamson out for up to two months, the popular belief is Lonzo Ball will get a ton of run and a chance to orchestrate his own team. Alvin Gentry appears to have other ideas. Ball hardly played in the second half, finishing with just the 8 points, with 5 rebounds and 5 assists in 25 minutes. Watch this space.

Pistons vs Pacers Live : Watch Pistons vs Pacers Live Stream The official site of the National Basketball Association. Your home for scores, schedules, stats, news, NBA League Pass, NBA TV, video highlights, fantasy, rankings and more for NBA players and teams. NBA 2019-20 GM Survey livescore, results, standings, statistics and match details on Scoreboard Will heralded rookie Zion Williamson live up Check out all the best action from the NBA’s 2019-20 pre-season! Subscribe to the NBA For news, stories, highlights and more,

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

SAN ANTONIO, TX – OCTOBER 13: Lonzo Ball #2 of the New Orleans Pelicans handles the ball against the San Antonio Spurs during a pre-season game on October 13, 2019 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agr
Joe Murphy/Getty Images
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
While we never have all the answers after one game, we do know one thing – the rivalry between the two teams in LA is alive and well.

In the first meeting between Kawhi Leonard in a Clippers uniform and LeBron James and Anthony Davis at the Lakers, the game lived up to the hype, spurred by a series of runs from both teams that kept it close right up until the end.

The Clippers’ superior depth, though, shone through and they were able to take it out 112-102 after scores were all square at three-quarter-time.

Stream live coverage of up to 7 games each week of the NBA Regular Season with ESPN on Kayo. Get your 14 day free trail & start streaming instantly>

We’re here for LeBron v Kawhi.
We’re here for LeBron v Kawhi.
KAWHI BETTER THAN LEBRON

It’s as if he never left the court. After dominating the Golden State Warriors on his way to winning the 2019 NBA finals MVP and leading the Toronto Raptors to the franchise’s first title, Leonard was at it again in Clippers colours. 30 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists showed off his all court game. With apologies to LeBron, who is 34 and on the downward spiral of his career, Leonard, 28 and in his prime, is now the better player.

LBJxAD V1.0

We got our first look at James and Davis and how they might work together. It was dynamic in the first half, but LeBron really fell away after that and late runs were keyed more by unheralded players and Davis than the ageing legend. The worry is Danny Green had a 28-point 7 three-pointer explosion – and they still lost.

BENCH MOB

It’s always been there, the Clippers bench depth. In fact, it’s been a staple. But now it has a Kawhi to go with it. Leonard was the only starter in double digits, but the five bench players who took the floor on the night combined for 60 points – 8 more than the starters.

Fred vanVleet goes to work for the Raptors.
Fred vanVleet goes to work for the Raptors.
RAPTORS ROLL PELS ON BANNER DAY

Form is temporary, class is permanent.

And so it was as the Toronto Raptors were pushed all the way to overtime by the New Orleans Pelicans, but prevailed with superior offensive finishing and choking defence in the extra period.

Unveiling their 2019 NBA title banner – the first in franchise history – the Raptors players were rewarded with enormous championship rings.

Without Zion Williamson, the Pelicans weren’t really expected to challenge, but a sluggish Raptors outfit allowed them to dictate much of the play.

Toronto relied on runs, rather than consistent play and, when the regulation buzzer rang, the scores were locked at 117.

But it was all Toronto in the extra period, finishing with an eight-point win, 130-122.

PASCAL LEONARD?

Kawhi who? After winning the Most Improved Player award last season, Siakam, in his fourth NBA season, was the natural candidate to step up after Leonard departed with the finals MVP. And boy, did he do it. 34 points, laced with 18 rebounds and 5 assists was a remarkable performance. The only blemish was he fouled out before the end of the game, leaving his teammates to shore up the win.

FRED VAN-CURRY?

Early doors, it looks like nuggety guard Fred vanVleet is going to be the biggest beneficiary of Kawhi Leonard’s departure. Aggressive and fearless, vanVleet poured in a career-high 34 points to go with 7 assists and 5 rebounds, the last of his five three-pointers icing the game in overtime.

NO LONZO?

With Zion Williamson out for up to two months, the popular belief is Lonzo Ball will get a ton of run and a chance to orchestrate his own team. Alvin Gentry appears to have other ideas. Ball hardly played in the second half, finishing with just the 8 points, with 5 rebounds and 5 assists in 25 minutes. Watch this space.

Bulls vs Hornets Live: Watch Bulls vs Hornets Live Stream The official site of the National Basketball Association. Your home for scores, schedules, stats, news, NBA League Pass, NBA TV, video highlights, fantasy, rankings and more for NBA players and teams. NBA 2019-20 GM Survey livescore, results, standings, statistics and match details on Scoreboard Will heralded rookie Zion Williamson live up Check out all the best action from the NBA’s 2019-20 pre-season! Subscribe to the NBA For news, stories, highlights and more,

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

SAN ANTONIO, TX – OCTOBER 13: Lonzo Ball #2 of the New Orleans Pelicans handles the ball against the San Antonio Spurs during a pre-season game on October 13, 2019 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agr
Joe Murphy/Getty Images
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
While we never have all the answers after one game, we do know one thing – the rivalry between the two teams in LA is alive and well.

In the first meeting between Kawhi Leonard in a Clippers uniform and LeBron James and Anthony Davis at the Lakers, the game lived up to the hype, spurred by a series of runs from both teams that kept it close right up until the end.

The Clippers’ superior depth, though, shone through and they were able to take it out 112-102 after scores were all square at three-quarter-time.

Stream live coverage of up to 7 games each week of the NBA Regular Season with ESPN on Kayo. Get your 14 day free trail & start streaming instantly>

We’re here for LeBron v Kawhi.
We’re here for LeBron v Kawhi.
KAWHI BETTER THAN LEBRON

It’s as if he never left the court. After dominating the Golden State Warriors on his way to winning the 2019 NBA finals MVP and leading the Toronto Raptors to the franchise’s first title, Leonard was at it again in Clippers colours. 30 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists showed off his all court game. With apologies to LeBron, who is 34 and on the downward spiral of his career, Leonard, 28 and in his prime, is now the better player.

LBJxAD V1.0

We got our first look at James and Davis and how they might work together. It was dynamic in the first half, but LeBron really fell away after that and late runs were keyed more by unheralded players and Davis than the ageing legend. The worry is Danny Green had a 28-point 7 three-pointer explosion – and they still lost.

BENCH MOB

It’s always been there, the Clippers bench depth. In fact, it’s been a staple. But now it has a Kawhi to go with it. Leonard was the only starter in double digits, but the five bench players who took the floor on the night combined for 60 points – 8 more than the starters.

Fred vanVleet goes to work for the Raptors.
Fred vanVleet goes to work for the Raptors.
RAPTORS ROLL PELS ON BANNER DAY

Form is temporary, class is permanent.

And so it was as the Toronto Raptors were pushed all the way to overtime by the New Orleans Pelicans, but prevailed with superior offensive finishing and choking defence in the extra period.

Unveiling their 2019 NBA title banner – the first in franchise history – the Raptors players were rewarded with enormous championship rings.

Without Zion Williamson, the Pelicans weren’t really expected to challenge, but a sluggish Raptors outfit allowed them to dictate much of the play.

Toronto relied on runs, rather than consistent play and, when the regulation buzzer rang, the scores were locked at 117.

But it was all Toronto in the extra period, finishing with an eight-point win, 130-122.

PASCAL LEONARD?

Kawhi who? After winning the Most Improved Player award last season, Siakam, in his fourth NBA season, was the natural candidate to step up after Leonard departed with the finals MVP. And boy, did he do it. 34 points, laced with 18 rebounds and 5 assists was a remarkable performance. The only blemish was he fouled out before the end of the game, leaving his teammates to shore up the win.

FRED VAN-CURRY?

Early doors, it looks like nuggety guard Fred vanVleet is going to be the biggest beneficiary of Kawhi Leonard’s departure. Aggressive and fearless, vanVleet poured in a career-high 34 points to go with 7 assists and 5 rebounds, the last of his five three-pointers icing the game in overtime.

NO LONZO?

With Zion Williamson out for up to two months, the popular belief is Lonzo Ball will get a ton of run and a chance to orchestrate his own team. Alvin Gentry appears to have other ideas. Ball hardly played in the second half, finishing with just the 8 points, with 5 rebounds and 5 assists in 25 minutes. Watch this space.

World Series 2019 Live : World Series 2019 Live Stream Watch Free The 2019 World Series is set: The Houston Astros will face the Washington Nationals for the Commissioner’s Trophy to close out the postseason. Both teams have highly touted starting pitching, World Series 2019 Live but they took different October roads to MLB reach the Fall Classic. Washington had to come from behind to win the Wild Card Game over the Brewers on Oct. 1. The Nationals then won the final two games of the Free TV NLDS to upset the top-seeded Dodgers before sweeping the NL Central-winning Cardinals to reach the World Series.

When the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros meet in Game 1 of the 2019 World Series on Tuesday at Minute Maid Park, they’ll come in on different rest schedules, as is typically the case. The Nats are coming off a sweep of the Cardinals in the NLCS, and that means they’ll be operating on six days’ rest in Game 1 of the World Series. The Astros, meantime, just wrapped up with the Yankees with Game 6 of the ALCS on Saturday, so they’ll be on just two days’ rest in Game 1. That’s a substantial difference.

It seems like the default assumption should be that, after six months of regular season and two series of high-stakes postseason play, extra rest is a good thing. After all, it’s a structural reward for taking care of business as early as possible in the LCS round.

However, you need not wander very far to find concerns that extra rest leading up to the World Series will compromise rhythm or intensity or allow rust to set in or something along those lines. That’s not a ridiculous notion, but it would seem to be a cost you’d accept in exchange for additional time to recuperate after, oh, 173 games of baseball.

To poke into this matter, we went back through 1969 — the first year of LCS play — and counted up how many days of rest each pennant winner had going into the World Series. What follows is not the final and lasting word on the matter — we didn’t do things like correct for the quality of the teams involved (World Series occasionally have on-paper mismatches, you know) — but it gives at least a quick-and-dirty idea of whether extra rest is helpful, damaging, or somewhere in the nebulous middle. Here’s some of what we found.

Again, there’s a lot of noise in the numbers, so don’t mistake this for some kind of peer-reviewed authoritative word on the matter. That said, you don’t have enough here to assume that the extra rest will hurt the Nationals. And given the fact that their bullpen doesn’t have a great deal of depth, the extra rest probably helps them on that front.

Teams with six or more days of rest have, again, won most of the World Series in which they’ve competed. Just as teams that have “out-rested” their opponents by at least four games have lost most of their encounters. That’s a pleasing mixed bag when it comes to the current World Series. Uncertainty is what you want this time of year, you know. In the end, history doesn’t suggest that getting extra rest is a bad thing.

In the year of the home run, the Astros and Nationals have served as reminders that exciting, dominant starting pitching is still out there, and still effective. Both clubs, who will face off in the 2019 World Series beginning with Game 1 on Tuesday, are built around their rotation. Pitching, was hardly the focus in the regular season, however. Instead, it was the juiced ball that got the attention, from early April when its use was first detected, and then in the postseason when, suddenly, it was nowhere to be found.

Some narrative-setting background, for those who haven’t been following along: the 2019 ball isn’t actually “juiced,” but its seams have been altered in a way that changes its aerodynamics significantly — those alternations and their effects have been described in detail by Meredith Willis and Rob Arthur. That change, which reduces drag, played more than a small part in this record-setting season, in which a new mark was set for the most homers in a single MLB season… on September 11, with weeks to go before all of the playoff spots were locked up. That record-breaking dinger, struck by the Orioles’ Jonathan Villar, was number 6,106 for the year: by season’s end, the league had hit 6,776, shattering the old mark.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, like in the 2017 season when ball physics was also a popular topic, repeatedly denied anything was different about the balls, then moved on to denying that anything was deliberately different, and then finally admitted that something was both different and wrong, and that MLB would get the baseball scientists on the case so they could figure out what it was come the offseason.

Manfred spoke of how MLB wanted to strive for transparency on the ball issue, and that, while they weren’t required to discuss changes to the ball with the Players Association, they wanted to make sure players would be “aware” of the situation. Then, when the playoffs started, roughly a week after Manfred’s comments, the rocket ball vanished. There was no notice from the league. MLB is, once again, denying they’ve done anything, and are saying that the postseason balls are the same as the regular season balls despite acting entirely differently. Then again, MLB spend months trying to tell us there was nothing special or different about the 2019 regular season balls, either.

Teams like the Twins rode the juiced ball to the postseason. Minnesota crushed the previous record for homers in a season: they surpassed that mark of 267 on August 31, and then finished their campaign with 307 bombs. Twins, whose strategy for victory was to hit dingers and let a stellar bullpen do the rest, were swept by the Yankees in the ALDS. Their team, which featured 11 different players with at least 10 homers, had their most significant advantage removed just in time for their toughest and most important matchup of the year.

Houston Astros vs Washington Nationals Live: Houston Astros vs Washington Nationals Live Stream Online Free . The Houston Astros are sending Gerrit Cole to the mound for the opener, with the equally formidable Washington Nationals matching up with Max Scherzer. Cole was scheduled to appear in a potential Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, but Altuve’s home run ended that need. Houston Astros vs Washington Nationals The Nationals have been off for a week following their National League Championship Series sweep Washington Nationals.

When the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros meet in Game 1 of the 2019 World Series on Tuesday at Minute Maid Park, they’ll come in on different rest schedules, as is typically the case. The Nats are coming off a sweep of the Cardinals in the NLCS, and that means they’ll be operating on six days’ rest in Game 1 of the World Series. The Astros, meantime, just wrapped up with the Yankees with Game 6 of the ALCS on Saturday, so they’ll be on just two days’ rest in Game 1. That’s a substantial difference.

It seems like the default assumption should be that, after six months of regular season and two series of high-stakes postseason play, extra rest is a good thing. After all, it’s a structural reward for taking care of business as early as possible in the LCS round.

However, you need not wander very far to find concerns that extra rest leading up to the World Series will compromise rhythm or intensity or allow rust to set in or something along those lines. That’s not a ridiculous notion, but it would seem to be a cost you’d accept in exchange for additional time to recuperate after, oh, 173 games of baseball.

To poke into this matter, we went back through 1969 — the first year of LCS play — and counted up how many days of rest each pennant winner had going into the World Series. What follows is not the final and lasting word on the matter — we didn’t do things like correct for the quality of the teams involved (World Series occasionally have on-paper mismatches, you know) — but it gives at least a quick-and-dirty idea of whether extra rest is helpful, damaging, or somewhere in the nebulous middle. Here’s some of what we found.

Again, there’s a lot of noise in the numbers, so don’t mistake this for some kind of peer-reviewed authoritative word on the matter. That said, you don’t have enough here to assume that the extra rest will hurt the Nationals. And given the fact that their bullpen doesn’t have a great deal of depth, the extra rest probably helps them on that front.

Teams with six or more days of rest have, again, won most of the World Series in which they’ve competed. Just as teams that have “out-rested” their opponents by at least four games have lost most of their encounters. That’s a pleasing mixed bag when it comes to the current World Series. Uncertainty is what you want this time of year, you know. In the end, history doesn’t suggest that getting extra rest is a bad thing.

In the year of the home run, the Astros and Nationals have served as reminders that exciting, dominant starting pitching is still out there, and still effective. Both clubs, who will face off in the 2019 World Series beginning with Game 1 on Tuesday, are built around their rotation. Pitching, was hardly the focus in the regular season, however. Instead, it was the juiced ball that got the attention, from early April when its use was first detected, and then in the postseason when, suddenly, it was nowhere to be found.

Some narrative-setting background, for those who haven’t been following along: the 2019 ball isn’t actually “juiced,” but its seams have been altered in a way that changes its aerodynamics significantly — those alternations and their effects have been described in detail by Meredith Willis and Rob Arthur. That change, which reduces drag, played more than a small part in this record-setting season, in which a new mark was set for the most homers in a single MLB season… on September 11, with weeks to go before all of the playoff spots were locked up. That record-breaking dinger, struck by the Orioles’ Jonathan Villar, was number 6,106 for the year: by season’s end, the league had hit 6,776, shattering the old mark.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, like in the 2017 season when ball physics was also a popular topic, repeatedly denied anything was different about the balls, then moved on to denying that anything was deliberately different, and then finally admitted that something was both different and wrong, and that MLB would get the baseball scientists on the case so they could figure out what it was come the offseason.

Manfred spoke of how MLB wanted to strive for transparency on the ball issue, and that, while they weren’t required to discuss changes to the ball with the Players Association, they wanted to make sure players would be “aware” of the situation. Then, when the playoffs started, roughly a week after Manfred’s comments, the rocket ball vanished. There was no notice from the league. MLB is, once again, denying they’ve done anything, and are saying that the postseason balls are the same as the regular season balls despite acting entirely differently. Then again, MLB spend months trying to tell us there was nothing special or different about the 2019 regular season balls, either.

Teams like the Twins rode the juiced ball to the postseason. Minnesota crushed the previous record for homers in a season: they surpassed that mark of 267 on August 31, and then finished their campaign with 307 bombs. Twins, whose strategy for victory was to hit dingers and let a stellar bullpen do the rest, were swept by the Yankees in the ALDS. Their team, which featured 11 different players with at least 10 homers, had their most significant advantage removed just in time for their toughest and most important matchup of the year.

Washington Nationals vs Houston Astros Live: Washington Nationals vs Houston Astros Live Stream Watch Online. The 2019 World Series will start on Tuesday at Minute Maid Park in Houston, thanks to last night’s walk-off home run by the Houston Free Astros star infielder MLB Jose Altuve to lead his team to a 6-4 triumph over the New York Yankees. Houston had a tough series and beat the Yankees in six games, while Washington breezed Washington Nationals vs Houston Astros past the St. Louis Cardinals, sweeping them. Both teams have outstanding starting pitching, making it likely that the Series will see some tight games.

When the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros meet in Game 1 of the 2019 World Series on Tuesday at Minute Maid Park, they’ll come in on different rest schedules, as is typically the case. The Nats are coming off a sweep of the Cardinals in the NLCS, and that means they’ll be operating on six days’ rest in Game 1 of the World Series. The Astros, meantime, just wrapped up with the Yankees with Game 6 of the ALCS on Saturday, so they’ll be on just two days’ rest in Game 1. That’s a substantial difference.

It seems like the default assumption should be that, after six months of regular season and two series of high-stakes postseason play, extra rest is a good thing. After all, it’s a structural reward for taking care of business as early as possible in the LCS round.

However, you need not wander very far to find concerns that extra rest leading up to the World Series will compromise rhythm or intensity or allow rust to set in or something along those lines. That’s not a ridiculous notion, but it would seem to be a cost you’d accept in exchange for additional time to recuperate after, oh, 173 games of baseball.

To poke into this matter, we went back through 1969 — the first year of LCS play — and counted up how many days of rest each pennant winner had going into the World Series. What follows is not the final and lasting word on the matter — we didn’t do things like correct for the quality of the teams involved (World Series occasionally have on-paper mismatches, you know) — but it gives at least a quick-and-dirty idea of whether extra rest is helpful, damaging, or somewhere in the nebulous middle. Here’s some of what we found.

Again, there’s a lot of noise in the numbers, so don’t mistake this for some kind of peer-reviewed authoritative word on the matter. That said, you don’t have enough here to assume that the extra rest will hurt the Nationals. And given the fact that their bullpen doesn’t have a great deal of depth, the extra rest probably helps them on that front.

Teams with six or more days of rest have, again, won most of the World Series in which they’ve competed. Just as teams that have “out-rested” their opponents by at least four games have lost most of their encounters. That’s a pleasing mixed bag when it comes to the current World Series. Uncertainty is what you want this time of year, you know. In the end, history doesn’t suggest that getting extra rest is a bad thing.

In the year of the home run, the Astros and Nationals have served as reminders that exciting, dominant starting pitching is still out there, and still effective. Both clubs, who will face off in the 2019 World Series beginning with Game 1 on Tuesday, are built around their rotation. Pitching, was hardly the focus in the regular season, however. Instead, it was the juiced ball that got the attention, from early April when its use was first detected, and then in the postseason when, suddenly, it was nowhere to be found.

Some narrative-setting background, for those who haven’t been following along: the 2019 ball isn’t actually “juiced,” but its seams have been altered in a way that changes its aerodynamics significantly — those alternations and their effects have been described in detail by Meredith Willis and Rob Arthur. That change, which reduces drag, played more than a small part in this record-setting season, in which a new mark was set for the most homers in a single MLB season… on September 11, with weeks to go before all of the playoff spots were locked up. That record-breaking dinger, struck by the Orioles’ Jonathan Villar, was number 6,106 for the year: by season’s end, the league had hit 6,776, shattering the old mark.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, like in the 2017 season when ball physics was also a popular topic, repeatedly denied anything was different about the balls, then moved on to denying that anything was deliberately different, and then finally admitted that something was both different and wrong, and that MLB would get the baseball scientists on the case so they could figure out what it was come the offseason.

Manfred spoke of how MLB wanted to strive for transparency on the ball issue, and that, while they weren’t required to discuss changes to the ball with the Players Association, they wanted to make sure players would be “aware” of the situation. Then, when the playoffs started, roughly a week after Manfred’s comments, the rocket ball vanished. There was no notice from the league. MLB is, once again, denying they’ve done anything, and are saying that the postseason balls are the same as the regular season balls despite acting entirely differently. Then again, MLB spend months trying to tell us there was nothing special or different about the 2019 regular season balls, either.

Teams like the Twins rode the juiced ball to the postseason. Minnesota crushed the previous record for homers in a season: they surpassed that mark of 267 on August 31, and then finished their campaign with 307 bombs. Twins, whose strategy for victory was to hit dingers and let a stellar bullpen do the rest, were swept by the Yankees in the ALDS. Their team, which featured 11 different players with at least 10 homers, had their most significant advantage removed just in time for their toughest and most important matchup of the year.