The NBA’s annual Christmas Day slate is a holiday in itself, and many still view it as the unofficial start of the season.
While Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks aren’t happy about getting snubbed on the holiday schedule, there are still plenty of quality matchups for professional basketball fans:
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Spurs-Knicks, noon ET: Victor Wembanyama takes Manhattan in his first Christmas Day game.
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Timberwolves-Mavericks, 2:30 p.m. ET: You never know what Anthony Edwards might say.
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76ers-Celtics, 5 p.m. ET: The champs are the champs.
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Lakers-Warriors, 8 p.m. ET: Let’s enjoy LeBron vs. Steph while we still can.
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Nuggets-Suns, 10:30 p.m. ET: Nikola Jokić is the best player on Earth, and Kevin Durant is still getting it done.
To get you fully prepped for the big day, here’s Yahoo Sports’ Dan Devine with the 5 most interesting players to watch on NBA Christmas Day.
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With New York and San Antonio tipping off in about 45-50 minutes, we must acknowledge the uniqueness of the Knicks. They went out and acquired three stars in the span of about seven months, without relinquishing Jalen Brunson, who finished Top 5 in MVP voting last season. That doesn’t just happen. The Knicks kept their books clean, built an asset treasure trove, and had moveable contracts. The benefit of long-term planning cannot be underestimated.
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The NBA scheduling games that feature Victor Wembanyama, and Luka Dončić, as the two early back-to-back matchups, is a major win for the European audience. Those two are, unquestionably, among the hottest names over here. Smart decision by the league, which I hope they repeat next year.
