Christmas is an extremely important day on the NBA calendar, as the holiday serves as a major showcase for the league. This year, there will be 12 straight hours of action spread out over five different games, and some of the league's most popular players -- and teams -- will be featured. As a result, there will be no shortage of enticing matchups and intriguing storylines to help add some cheer to your day.
The NBA is navigating its way through a spike in COVID cases, but the Christmas Day games are still set to be played. Here's a look at the top storyline for each of the five games scheduled for Christmas Day.
Hawks vs Knicks (12 p.m. ET): A compelling rematch
The NBA's Christmas Day slate kicks off with a rematch of one of the more intriguing first-round playoff series from last season, as the New York Knicks will host the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks won that series in five games, with some added theatrics from Trae Young.
Given the way things went down last season, it's safe to say that the Knicks will be looking for a bit of revenge on Christmas Day. Neither team has gotten off to a great start to their current campaign -- both teams are currently positioned on the periphery of the crowded playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. Absences and injuries have played a part in both team's slow starts, but both will be looking to bounce back over the remainder of the season, and a big win on Christmas would represent a solid start.
Celtics vs. Bucks (2:30 p.m. ET): Celtics seeking third straight win over champs
Two Eastern Conference foes will go head-to-head when the Bucks host the Celtics in the second of five games on Christmas Day. The Bucks may be the defending NBA champions, but the Celtics have gotten the best of them so far this season. The Christmas matinee will be the third time that the two teams have met already this season, and the Celtics won both of the previous meetings.
They toppled the Bucks 122-113 in overtime in November, and then bested them again earlier this month thanks to a monster 42-point performance from Jayson Tatum. The Celtics have had an up-and-down season so far, but the two victories over the Bucks stand out as high points, and a third straight victory over the defending champs certainly wouldn't hurt the team's collective confidence.
Warriors at Suns (5 p.m. ET): A battle of the NBA's top two teams
The teams with the two best records in the league are the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors, and those squads will face off for the third time this season in the third game on Christmas Day. The Suns won the first meeting in late November, while the Warriors evened the season series up just a few days later. So, this game will serve as a de facto tiebreaker for the time being, until the teams meet for a fourth and final time in late March.
Each of these teams are excellent on both ends of the ball, which typically leads to some pretty compelling play. The Warriors and Suns have the league's best, and second-best defenses, respectively, and they both also boast a top-10 offense. They're both also very deep, and are led by established veterans. This could easily be a preview of the 2022 Western Conference finals, and as such it could prove to be the day's most exciting contest.
Nets vs. Lakers (8 p.m. ET): LeBron eyes Xmas record
LeBron James will have a chance to make some (more) NBA history on Saturday. James enters L.A.'s matchup with the Nets just 12 points behind Kobe Bryant on the NBA's all-time Christmas scoring list. Here's a look at how the list currently stands, via NBA.com:
- Kobe Bryant — 395 points in 16 games (24.6 ppg on 40.8 FG%)
- LeBron James — 383 points in 15 games (25.5 ppg on 48.4 FG%)
- Oscar Roberson — 377 points in 12 games (31.4 ppg on 47.0 FG%)
- Dwyane Wade — 314 points in 13 games (24.1 ppg on 45.7 FG%)
- Kevin Durant — 299 in 10 games (29.9 ppg on 51.7 FG%)
- Shaquille O'Neal — 272 points in 13 games (20.9 ppg on 53.3 FG%)
- Russell Westbrook –241 points in 10 games (24.1 ppg on 38.7 FG%)
- Dolph Schayes — 239 points in 13 games (18.3 ppg on 48.0 FG%)
- Walt Bellamy — 237 points in 9 games (26.3 ppg on 76.8 FG%)
- Richie Guerin — 232 in 9 games (25.7 ppg on 53.6 FG%)
Given the fact that James is averaging over 26 points per performance this season, he's very likely to score the 13 points necessary to pass Bryant and become the NBA's all-time leading scorer on Dec. 25. Additionally, by appearing in the game, James will tie Bryant for the most Christmas Day appearances with 16.
Mavericks vs. Jazz (10:30 p.m. ET): Some well-deserved exposure for Utah
The fifth and final game on Christmas Day will be played between two teams fighting for playoff positioning in the West -- the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz. The Jazz, who finished with the best regular season record in the league last season, appear to be a legitimate contender again this season, but they've garnered far less attention than some of their Western Conference contemporaries. It seems like the Jazz have flown under the radar a bit on a national level so far this season, so this Christmas Day appearance will be a good opportunity for a wider audience to see one of the best teams in the entire league.
The Jazz have the NBA's highest-rated offense, and the second best net rating, behind only the Golden State Warriors. They get it done on both ends of the floor, and as a result they are really rewarding to watch. The Christmas appearance will be just the third for the Jazz since 1997. Overall, it will be the team's eighth Christmas appearance, and they hold a 5-2 record on the holiday.
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