The NBA released its Christmas schedule all the way back in August, but if you’re like me, you’ve already forgotten which teams are playing. So, here’s a refresher. Every Christmas, the NBA pulls some of basketball’s best teams together and creates an extraordinarily loaded day of NBA fun.
5. Milwaukee Bucks @ New York Knicks
I love Giannis Antetokounmpo. I love the Milwaukee Bucks. But I hate watching bad basketball. And, unfortunately, that’s exactly what the Knicks are. With no Kristaps Porzingis, the Knickerbockers are an ugly, ugly team. Basketball in the Big Apple died the day somebody decided to give Tim Hardaway Jr. 17 shots a game. Why isn’t Toronto playing again? They have the best Christmas jerseys this year too. It’s a waste, really.
The only thing this game has going for it is Giannis taking on his archrival Mario Hezonja again. Expect to see some hilarious mean-mugs after Giannis completely eviscerates Hezonja. The Enes Kanter vs. Brook Lopez matchup might also be intriguing in a clash of old vs new school, but now we’re really reaching. This is the first game of the day, at 9 AM PST. I might not even be awake yet. For everybody else, this’ll be a good time to pick up some last minute presents.
4. Portland Trailblazers @ Utah Jazz
We should all be pretty excited for this one, despite its relatively low ranking. The Jazz will be playing in their first Christmas game since 1997 and for the first time in the Vivint Smart Home Arena. Two of the NBA’s most dynamic guards will be facing off, as well as probably the two slowest starting centers (no disrespect to Nikola Vucevic).
This might also be a preview of the postseason, provided the Jazz can find their groove. Mitchell’s been struggling with efficiency this season, but don’t forget he had the same issues last year. Although the Blazers have also hit a rough patch recently, they’re still a playoff team. They’re finally utilizing Evan Turner the right way, as a point-forward rather than a spot-up shooter.
(Special shout out to Turner, who got really excited two years ago when someone sent him a pair of Uggs for Christmas).
Between Mitchell, Lillard, and McCollum, I like my chances of seeing at least one player score thirty. There’s also never been a better opportunity to shout “JINGLES ALL THE WAY” at your bemused family after Ingles buries a three. The announcers need to take this and run with it.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder @ Houston Rockets
When the schedule makers created this matchup they probably had no idea the Rockets were gonna be this disappointing. I don’t blame them. Not even Houston’s biggest critic could’ve possibly imagined this steep of a fall-off. Let’s pin this on Brandon Knight. Everywhere he goes teams fall apart (jokes aside he actually came back this week, so hurray!).
Two statistical machines will square off in a battle of the MVP’s, as the league’s number one defense faces last year’s best offense. Though the Rockets have been struggling this season, I have a feeling national T.V. will be enough to give them a boost. James Harden vs. Russell Westbrook is always a must-watch, and get ready for Steven Adams and Clint Capela beating the crap out of each other the whole game.
It’s really a disappointment the Rockets didn’t keep Melo for this one. One, because he’d be facing his old team, and two, Anthony is a holiday fanatic. Carmelo brought out the ghost of Christmas past last year when he scored 20, and in the five previous Christmas games, Carmelo has averaged 33.2 PPG. There’s never been a better time to sign a 10-day contract.
2. Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics
The Celtics and Sixers have been rivals since the First Epoch, and no matter what Joel Embiid says, it doesn’t stop here. When you swap top-three picks in a loaded draft, there’s only a modest desire to prove your team made the correct decision, right? Not to mention meeting in the playoffs the year prior, when Boston floored the basketball world when they wiped the court with the Sixers. And now, even the NBA is trying to manufacture this rivalry, setting the table for another classic Christmas showdown.
Even newcomer Jimmy Butler has a personal history with the Celtics, after losing a 2-0 lead with the Bulls in 2017.
(Sidenote: To all the Bulls fans who think Butler would beat Marcus Smart in a fight, you’re smoking B-Easy levels of weed. That man is Ron Artest levels of insane).
It’s going to be a blast watching Philly’s top-heavy rotation match up against Boston’s bottomless bench (Fun fact: Robert Williams is averaging 1.3 blocks per game in only 7.6 minutes, after playing 13 games). With an endless stream of deployable wings and the playground magic of Kyrie Irving, Boston is well-equipped against Philly’s three-headed monster of a lineup.
This isn’t our number one game, however. With all due respect, it’s a matchup between two teams of the future. No matter how exciting the JV game is, the varsity game is always better.
1. Los Angeles Lakers @ Golden State Warriors
If you’ve skipped all the way to the bottom, you shouldn’t be surprised. The LeBron vs. Warriors story is among the best rivalries in league history (ranking behind Bird against Magic, Russell vs. Wilt, and Al Horford vs. rebounds). The futileness of it all, there’s just something noble about LeBron’s battles against the behemoth in Oakland. This will also be the first time the two teams play each other this season, in what should be the best Christmas game of the day.
There are seven combined MVP awards among the participants, 36 All-Star appearances, three generational superstars, and one Lance Stephenson. And if you think the Warriors will destroy the Lakers, you’re dead wrong. Hell will freeze over before LeBron lets himself get blown out in a Christmas game.
The Warriors are probably winning this one. However, you can never be certain, and you can never safely bet against the King. The Lakers are surging, and have won seven of their last 10. LeBron will finally get to see if his new, younger team can hold their own against possibly the best team in NBA history. Way to throw them into the fire, NBA.
If you’ve skipped all the way to the bottom, this is the game of the night. If you love basketball, I repeat, this is the game of the night. Do yourself a favor and watch it.
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