Christmas Day is, without a doubt, one of the biggest nights of an NBA season. Every year, the league schedules the best teams for the best possible matchups, and it makes for some great entertainment.
For this year’s Christmas event, the league has pulled out all the stops to make it special, with teams like the Warriors, Lakers, and 76ers slated to play some ball.
In fact, thanks to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, we now know the full Christmas Day schedule.
Sources: NBA’s 2022 Christmas Day schedule:
Bucks at Celtics 76ers at Knicks Suns at Nuggets Lakers at Mavericks Grizzlies at Warriors
Sources: NBA’s 2022 Christmas Day schedule:
Bucks at Celtics
76ers at Knicks
Suns at Nuggets
Lakers at Mavericks
Grizzlies at Warriors
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2022
In the East, there are a few exciting matchups. First on the docket is apparently the Bucks and Celtics, which may actually end up being the game of the night.
With Giannis and the Bucks hungry to win another championship, they will be one of the top teams in the East this upcoming season, and Giannis will no doubt be gunning for MVP again.
They will have their work cut out for them against the Celtics, who are fresh off of making an appearance in the NBA Finals. With (presumably) Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart, the battle should be highly competitive and driven by star power.
There are also the 76ers and Knicks, who are probably two of the highest-valued teams in the Conference. While New York isn’t a team anyone expects to contend, but their presence on the Christmas schedule is a must given how huge the fan base is.
In the West, there are three games happening that night. In Denver, the Nuggets will host the Suns for a showdown between two Western Conference powerhouses. With the Suns angling to prove themselves and the Nuggets back in full health, that game will no doubt be an entertaining one.
Of course, the Lakers will be among the highest anticipated teams performing on the 25th. Even despite uncertainty about the future, Adam Silver feels confident putting them on the Christmas list given that they still have one of the best players ever on their squad.
And, finally, the Warriors and Grizzlies will cap off the night with a rematch of the 2022 West Semis. As two tough and gritty teams, they will be fighting tooth and nail to scrape away with a win, and it’s honestly the perfect ending to a great lineup of games.
All-in-all, it looks like all basketball fans can expect a big show this winter holiday.