For NBA teams, Christmas day is a pivotal moment of reflection on the first portion of the season as franchises plan for their future heading into the new year. Additionally, the holiday season leaves many fans with nothing to do except watch their favorite basketball teams duke it out on the biggest national stage. “Every year my family and I look forward to the games on Christmas day,” said freshman Zack Abusheleih. “It’s become a tradition for us that I look forward to every year.” Unsurprisingly these games tend to be some of the most scrutinized and celebrated games of the regular season, and the marquee matchups prepared by the NBA did not fail to disappoint.
San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks
The first NBA Christmas game set a high standard for the following games, the thriller ending in a 117 to 114 victory for the New York Knicks over the San Antonio Spurs. For the victorious Knicks, Mikaal Bridges trumped the stat sheet with a season high total of 41 points at an efficient 68 percent from the field. Strong additions from Jalen Brunson with 20 and Josh Hart with 21 helped hold off the remarkable performance from San Antonio’s young phenom Victor Wembanyama, who scored 42 points with 18 rebounds to lead all scorers on his Christmas day debut.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks
Game two from the Christmas day slate proved to be just as exciting as the first. The Timberwolves clutched out a 105 to 99 victory over the Mavericks, who turned a sleepy game into a nail-biter with a thrilling fourth quarter where they outscored the Timberwolves 31 to 15, narrowly falling short. Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle were the standout performers from the wolves, scoring 26 and 23 to help bring home a Christmas day gift to the fans of Minnesota.
Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics
As dusk settled over the east coast, the 3rd game of Christmas day began between the 76ers and the defending champion Boston Celtics. In a game where the Celtics were heavily favored to come out on top, the 76ers shocked the basketball world by overcoming the odds and winning 118 to 114 in a fourth quarter shootout. The 76ers were led by Caleb Martin who dominated with 23 points on seven threes.
Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors
Game four of the night saw a rematch between two of the league’s biggest stars and rivals from the past decade, Steph Curry and Lebron James. With the help of an Austin Reaves buzzer beater, the Lakers narrowly beat the Warriors in a game that brought back fond memories of the 2010’s for highschooler Martin Blanch. “Seeing Steph and Lebron go back in fourth in the final minutes of the game just like how they used to when Lebron was on the Cavaliers was such a cool moment,” he said. Lebron James led the Lakers scoring with 31 points and Steph Curry led all scorers with an impressive 38 points.
Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns
To wrap up the night, fans of the NBA enjoyed a star-studded duel between the Nuggets and the Suns. To conclude the night of action from across the NBA, the Suns claimed victory with a 110 to 100 win. Key scoring performances from Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, each with 27 points, helped hold off Nikola Jokic and company to claim the last Christmas day victory.
