NBA
NBA Christmas schedule for the 2024-25 season: Who plays who?
On Christmas Day, the National Basketball Association traditionally prioritizes showcasing its most prominent stars, and this year is no exception.
Shams Charania, a reputable NBA insider and writer for The Athletic, has unveiled the 2024 NBA Christmas Day schedule. The release reveals the five marquee matchups set to captivate fans on one of the regular season’s most meaningful and essential television nights.
While the times are not officially announced, these games typically take place in the order that Charania tweeted them.
Spurs vs. Knicks
The San Antonio Spurs will start their Christmas Day game against the New York Knicks with Victor Wembanyama playing in Madison Square Garden for the first time this date. Wembanyama is expected to be the Spurs’ main attraction during this matchup. Those who haven’t watched any Spurs games last season will get to know Wembanyama better when his French team competes against Team USA in the gold medal game at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The upcoming 2024-25 season will be highly anticipated for the New York Knicks due to the return of key players, their offseason signings, and their chances to challenge the defending champion Boston Celtics. This season will be the most expected in New York basketball in 30 years.
If confirmed, the Spurs’ Christmas Day game will be their first since the 2013-14 NBA season. San Antonio played on Christmas Day every year from 2013 to the night of 2016, but they haven’t played on the holiday since December 25, 2016.
Timberwolves vs. Mavs
The 2024 Western Conference Finals will be a rematch featuring two talented young guards, Doncic and Edwards, and promises to be an exciting match to watch, especially while enjoying Christmas dinner. The Mavericks defeated the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals with a five-game victory, advancing to the 2024 NBA Finals.
The Mavericks have a 3-3 record on Christmas Day and have been included in the NBA’s Christmas Day lineup for the past four seasons, winning their last two appearances. On the latest Christmas Day game, the Mavs secured a 128-114 victory against the Suns in Phoenix, also the night Dončić scored his 10,000th career point.
On the other side, the Timberwolves have only played on Christmas twice in their franchise history, in 2016 and 2017.
Sixers vs. Celtics
The Philadelphia 76ers will again play on Christmas, this time against the defending champion Boston Celtics at the TD Garden. In previous years, the Sixers faced the Miami Heat on Christmas Day in 2023 and the New York Knicks in 2022.
The matchup between the Sixers and the Celtics is a no-brainer, considering the historic rivalry between the two teams and the fact that both feature serious star power. Philadelphia will be led by Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, while Boston features Jayson Tatum, finals MVP Jaylen Brown, and Jrue Holiday, among others.
Lakers vs. Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are set to play on Christmas Day for the 12th year in a row. This will also be the fifth time they face LeBron James on Christmas Day. So far, they have a 6-5 record in their last 11 Christmas games, with a 2-2 record against James.
However, Klay Thompson won’t be playing for the Warriors in this game. He’s now part of the Dallas Mavericks and will face the Minnesota Timberwolves instead.
It’s interesting to note that every time the Warriors have played James on Christmas Day, they have made the NBA Finals that same season. Warriors fans hope this trend continues.
Nuggets vs. Suns
Charania reported that in the last matchup, the Phoenix Suns were scheduled to host the Denver Nuggets in a primetime game on Christmas Day.
The last time these two Western Conference teams played on Christmas was in 2022 when the Nuggets defeated the Suns in overtime in Denver. Landry Shamet scored 31 points off the bench in that game, but it was overshadowed by Nikola Jokic’s 41-point, 15-rebound, 15-assist triple-double performance.
This will be the fourth consecutive year that the Suns will be featured in the NBA’s primetime holiday showcase and the third time they are hosting the event schedule. However, the Suns have yet to secure a win during this period, holding a 0-3 record.