"Playing on Christmas day is an honor many NBA players never experience, and those who do almost always appreciate it." --Rafi Ponet, 7th Grade.
Playing on Christmas day is an honor many NBA players never experience, and those who do almost always appreciate it.
As ex-NBA superstar Dwayne Wade put it, “It’s always been very special to play on that day [Christmas]. The actual day is great for sports fans around the world to have something to watch.”
Some NBA players don’t love playing on Christmas, however, and many have expressed themselves on the matter. Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony are two of these players—but like it or not Christmas day is always a spectacle in the NBA. Without further ado, , let's preview the Christmas day games coming up in the 2022-23 NBA season.
Philadelphia 76er’s at New York Knicks
The first game of Christmas to be tipping off at 12:00 pm Atlantic time is probably going to be one of the least exciting. Both Philadelphia and New York have had mediocre starts to the season but, to be honest, the Sixers are a much older, more talented team and should take care of the Knicks pretty quickly. Obviously it’s a nice idea having a Christmas day at the Garden, but there are countless numbers of NBA teams that NBA fans would rather watch. The Knicks are still a good young, up and coming team, it’s just that they're not really contending. Rj Barret and Jalen Brunson are good, just not that good. The Sixers have been alright to start the season. Joel Embiid has been phenomenal and is definitely in the MVP talks but as a team they aren’t anything special.This game will be somewhat entertaining compared to most of the other games on Christmas.
Entertainment Scale: 5 out of 10.
Las Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic against Lebron James, what a matchup to have on Christmas day. This game tips off at 2:30 pm Atlantic time. Obviously the NBA is trying to have a somewhat of a “passing the torch” moment from one legend to an up-and-coming one. But we all know the only reason the Lakers are playing is because they are, well…the Lakers. People will turn on a Lakers game regardless of the skill level of the team. That’s why sports sites like ESPN are constantly mentioning James and the Lakers. But this game still has the potential to be exciting. Doncic is a career 5-7 against LA but has won the last three meetings between the teams. The Lakers are starting to turn things around as of late, because of Anthony Davis’s most recent eruption scoring the ball, and Russell Westbrook finally settling into his role off the bench. This could mean a very exciting matchup between these two teams.
Entertainment Scale: 7.5 out of 10.
Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics
This might very well be the most exciting game on Christmas. Tipping off at 5:00 pm Atlantic time, this game could be an all time Christmas classic. These teams are the 1 and 2 teams in the league, and are battling for the top spot in the East. This game has two MVP front runners, and both teams are just great all-around. Boston holds the best record in the NBA led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Boston was eliminated last year in the NBA Finals by the Warriors, which normally would mean they play each other on Christmas, but instead the NBA chose for those two teams to play other teams in their conference, which could have a wonderful payoff on viewership. Milwaukee won the Title in 2021 and maybe could have found themselves there again last year if Khris Middelton hadn’t been injured. Middleton is healthy again and will play against Boston. This game will be insanely entertaining for basketball fans everywhere and will most likely come down to the last seconds.
Entertainment Scale: 10 out of 10
Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors
The other half of the 2022 Finals, Golden State is playing Ja Morant and the Grizzlies, tipping off at 8:00 pm Atlantic time. The Grizzlies-Warriors rivalry is more one-sided than some people believe. Other than Klay Thompson's interview after winning the championship calling Jaren Jackson Jr. a “bum” about a tweet he had made earlier in the season, the Warriors never really did anything to Memphis, but a rivalry formed anyways.
During the second round of the playoffs last season, Golden State and Memphis played each other. The season prior, the Grizzlies had eliminated the Warriors in the play-in tournament, so tensions were high. Golden State took game number one, then Memphis won game two. Afterwards, Morant said to Steph Curry; “We gonna have some fun,” causing the rivalry to really begin. The Warriors ended up winning the series 4-2, but this Christmas day matchup is still going to be a lot of fun. Golden State has been phenomenal at home, but Memphis will be a challenge. The Grizzlies have started the season on a roll and this game could also go down as one of the best Christmas day games of all time.
Entertainment Scale: 10 out of 10
Phoenix Suns at Denver Nuggets
Tipping off at 10:30 pm Atlantic time, this rematch of the 2021 playoffs is bound to be exciting. Two players that are having MVP-type seasons(Devin Booker, and Nikola Jokic) and two teams that are among the best of the league. There isn’t too much to talk about when it comes to this game, just that every second will matter. One tiny mistake and the other team could break away. This game starts pretty late so I’m guessing attendance might be down a little bit, compared to some of the other games, but those who watch it will be in for a ride.
Entertainment Scale: 9.5 out of 10
Christmas NBA games are sure to be very exciting, and basketball fans everywhere will definitely be tuning in.
As ex-NBA superstar Dwayne Wade put it, “It’s always been very special to play on that day [Christmas]. The actual day is great for sports fans around the world to have something to watch.”
Some NBA players don’t love playing on Christmas, however, and many have expressed themselves on the matter. Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony are two of these players—but like it or not Christmas day is always a spectacle in the NBA. Without further ado, , let's preview the Christmas day games coming up in the 2022-23 NBA season.
Philadelphia 76er’s at New York Knicks
The first game of Christmas to be tipping off at 12:00 pm Atlantic time is probably going to be one of the least exciting. Both Philadelphia and New York have had mediocre starts to the season but, to be honest, the Sixers are a much older, more talented team and should take care of the Knicks pretty quickly. Obviously it’s a nice idea having a Christmas day at the Garden, but there are countless numbers of NBA teams that NBA fans would rather watch. The Knicks are still a good young, up and coming team, it’s just that they're not really contending. Rj Barret and Jalen Brunson are good, just not that good. The Sixers have been alright to start the season. Joel Embiid has been phenomenal and is definitely in the MVP talks but as a team they aren’t anything special.This game will be somewhat entertaining compared to most of the other games on Christmas.
Entertainment Scale: 5 out of 10.
Las Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic against Lebron James, what a matchup to have on Christmas day. This game tips off at 2:30 pm Atlantic time. Obviously the NBA is trying to have a somewhat of a “passing the torch” moment from one legend to an up-and-coming one. But we all know the only reason the Lakers are playing is because they are, well…the Lakers. People will turn on a Lakers game regardless of the skill level of the team. That’s why sports sites like ESPN are constantly mentioning James and the Lakers. But this game still has the potential to be exciting. Doncic is a career 5-7 against LA but has won the last three meetings between the teams. The Lakers are starting to turn things around as of late, because of Anthony Davis’s most recent eruption scoring the ball, and Russell Westbrook finally settling into his role off the bench. This could mean a very exciting matchup between these two teams.
Entertainment Scale: 7.5 out of 10.
Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics
This might very well be the most exciting game on Christmas. Tipping off at 5:00 pm Atlantic time, this game could be an all time Christmas classic. These teams are the 1 and 2 teams in the league, and are battling for the top spot in the East. This game has two MVP front runners, and both teams are just great all-around. Boston holds the best record in the NBA led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Boston was eliminated last year in the NBA Finals by the Warriors, which normally would mean they play each other on Christmas, but instead the NBA chose for those two teams to play other teams in their conference, which could have a wonderful payoff on viewership. Milwaukee won the Title in 2021 and maybe could have found themselves there again last year if Khris Middelton hadn’t been injured. Middleton is healthy again and will play against Boston. This game will be insanely entertaining for basketball fans everywhere and will most likely come down to the last seconds.
Entertainment Scale: 10 out of 10
Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors
The other half of the 2022 Finals, Golden State is playing Ja Morant and the Grizzlies, tipping off at 8:00 pm Atlantic time. The Grizzlies-Warriors rivalry is more one-sided than some people believe. Other than Klay Thompson's interview after winning the championship calling Jaren Jackson Jr. a “bum” about a tweet he had made earlier in the season, the Warriors never really did anything to Memphis, but a rivalry formed anyways.
During the second round of the playoffs last season, Golden State and Memphis played each other. The season prior, the Grizzlies had eliminated the Warriors in the play-in tournament, so tensions were high. Golden State took game number one, then Memphis won game two. Afterwards, Morant said to Steph Curry; “We gonna have some fun,” causing the rivalry to really begin. The Warriors ended up winning the series 4-2, but this Christmas day matchup is still going to be a lot of fun. Golden State has been phenomenal at home, but Memphis will be a challenge. The Grizzlies have started the season on a roll and this game could also go down as one of the best Christmas day games of all time.
Entertainment Scale: 10 out of 10
Phoenix Suns at Denver Nuggets
Tipping off at 10:30 pm Atlantic time, this rematch of the 2021 playoffs is bound to be exciting. Two players that are having MVP-type seasons(Devin Booker, and Nikola Jokic) and two teams that are among the best of the league. There isn’t too much to talk about when it comes to this game, just that every second will matter. One tiny mistake and the other team could break away. This game starts pretty late so I’m guessing attendance might be down a little bit, compared to some of the other games, but those who watch it will be in for a ride.
Entertainment Scale: 9.5 out of 10
Christmas NBA games are sure to be very exciting, and basketball fans everywhere will definitely be tuning in.
