The “NBA on TNT” kicks off Thursday night in Minneapolis with an East-versus-West showdown between the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves. The game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. CT) with TV coverage on TNT and streaming on-demand.

• How to watch: Live streams of the Celtics vs. Timberwolves game are available with offers from DirecTV Stream (free trial) and SlingTV (low intro rate).
• The game will also stream on Max, which starts at $9.99 per month.

Boston Celtics (24-9) at Minnesota Timberwolves (17-15)

NBA matchup at a glance

When: Thursday, Jan. 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. CT)

Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, Minn.

TV channel: TNT

Live streams: DirecTV Stream (free trial) | Sling (low intro rate) | Max ($9.99+/mo.)

The Celtics turn the page on a bumpy month of December, which wrapped with a stretch four losses – all to Eastern Conference teams – in seven games. The last of those contests was a 125-71 blowout win over the Toronto Raptors that could light a spark for the reigning NBA champs, who remain the most dependent team in the league on the 3-point shot. Boston leads the NBA in makes (18.5/game) and attempts (50.4/game), but have slipped to 13th overall in their accuracy, shooting 36.8 percent from deep.

The Timberwolves had a three-game winning streak snapped Tuesday night by Western Conference leader Oklahoma City (113-105) in a game where they turned the ball over 23 times. Minnesota is also still trying to find its way offensively behind leading scorer Anthony Edwards, ranking 22nd in the NBA in scoring (109.2 ppg) while sitting fourth in scoring defense (107.4 ppg).

Boston Celtics vs. Minnesota Timberwolves: Live Streaming Options

• SlingTV (low intro rate) – discounted first month is best if you’ve run out of free trials or you’re in the market for 1+ month of TV
• DirecTV Stream (free trial) – not the same level of viewer experience as FuboTV, but the standard 7-day free trial is still the longest in streaming.
• Max ($9.99+/mo.) – The B/R Sports add-on is currently being offered free of charge; features sports broadcasts on TBS, TNT and truTV.

The Celtics and Timberwolves are set for a 7:30 p.m. ET start on TNT. Live streams are available with offers from DirecTV Stream (free trial) and SlingTV (low intro rate). The game will also stream on Max.