There are five fantastic NBA games on ESPN on Christmas Day. (All times are Eastern.) The first game will occur at noon, with the San Antonio Spurs traveling to Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks. The second game will be at 2:30 p.m. when the Minnesota Timberwolves head to Dallas to play the Mavericks.
The Boston Celtics host the Philadelphia 76ers at 5 p.m., and the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco at 8 p.m. The Christmas Day slate of NBA games will conclude when the Phoenix Suns host the Denver Nuggets at 10:30 p.m. This article will preview each of these NBA games in the order they will be played.
San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks
The first game of the day when the Spurs travel to the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, to take on the Knicks. The Knicks are in third place in the Eastern Conference and are 19-10. They are led in scoring by Karl-Anthony Towns, averaging 24.7 points a game for his new team. The Spurs are led by do-everything big man Victor Wembanyama, who is averaging a very similar 24.8 points per game. Towns is a big man as well for New York. You cannot teach height. Since the game is in New York, the Knicks should win.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks
The Timberwolves take on the Mavericks in a Western Conference battle. The Mavericks, who are 19-10, are led by Serbian import Luka Doncic. Doncic is averaging 28.8 points and leading Dallas in every offensive category. He is tied for fifth in scoring in the NBA. The Timberwolves are a little surprising to be featured on ESPN on Christmas Day. They are only 14-14, in tenth place in the NBA’s Western Conference. However, there are several stars that people want to see, such as Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Mike Conley. Despite that star power, the Mavericks should win.
Philadelphia 76ers at the Boston Celtics
The Celtics host the 76ers. This marquee match-up features the number two team in the NBA Eastern Conference, Boston (22-7), against 10-17 Philadelphia. This is a match-up of classic proportions. Boston should prevail at home in this game. They are very deep and talented. The Sixers do have Joel Embiid, but the star has played only eight games this season due to injuries.
NBA Primetime Showcase: Los Angeles Lakers at the Golden State Warriors
In primetime, the NBA features its most marketable asset as LeBron James and the Lakers travel to San Francisco to take on Steph Curry and the Warriors. Los Angeles is 16-13, and Golden State is 15-13, and they are the first two teams out of playoff position in the NBA Western Conference at this point in the season. But you can throw the records out when these two Olympic Rivals get together. The Lakers have too much power in the post for the Warriors, so they should win this game. However, expect both James and Curry to score 30 points in this primetime matchup.
Denver Nuggets at the Phoenix Suns
The NBA Christmas nightcap features the Nuggets traveling to Phoenix to take on the Suns. Denver is 16-11 and led by Nikola Jokic. Jokic is currently second in the league in scoring. They are currently in a playoff position. The Nuggets travel to Phoenix to take on a decidedly average Suns team that is 14-14. Phoenix is led in scoring by superstar Kevin Durant, who averages more than 27 points a game. Nevertheless, the road team, Denver, should prevail in this game.
Conclusion
The NBA features a menu of its biggest stars on Christmas Day for a captive audience to feast on. Their talented players will be showcased, and the viewers across America will be the beneficiaries. Viewers could watch the NFL on Netflix, but why? There is a lot of good basketball action on tap.
