The Christmas day games are one of the most notable traditions of the NBA season. Each year the league releases the Christmas schedule before the rest of the schedule to build up hype.
The league tries to make the best possible matchups for Christmas, but sometimes fails. Here’s what I think the best matchups would’ve been.
Christmas matchup one- Celtics vs. Bucks
The Celtics are the defending champions. You would need to go back to 2007 for the last time a defending champion did not play on Christmas day. However, back in 2007 when the Spurs got snubbed there were only two to three Christmas matchups. With the number being five matchups since 2008, it seems almost impossible to imagine Christmas without the Celtics.
Meanwhile the Bucks are coming off a disappointing season. Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was hurt in the playoffs vs. the Pacers, leading to the Bucks going home early. The Bucks still believe that if they’re healthy they are the best match for the defending champs. Just three short years ago it was the Bucks holding up the Larry O’Brien trophy to celebrate a championship. The Bucks dealt with a lot of changes last season. They added star Damian Lillard, but he struggled to find his role in the offense. They also had a coaching change as they went from Adrian Griffin Sr. to Doc Rivers.
Christmas matchup two- Knicks vs. Sixers
The Knicks and Sixers took each other on in an epic first round matchup that saw the Knicks win in six. The Knicks decided to make a big time move and made a trade for Mikal Bridges. They enter this season confident that their defense is enough to beat any team in the league if they stay healthy.
However, the Knicks aren’t the only team that got better. The Sixers made a big time move to sign Paul George in free agency. This was alongside getting their young star guard Tyrese Maxey to a max extension. The Sixers have been crowned the “offseason winners” and look to take that into the regular season.
Christmas matchup three- Nuggets vs. Wolves
The Nuggets were the 2023 NBA champions. They have made the playoffs every year since 2019. They have been led by star center Nikola Jokic. Jokic has revolutionized the center position by making passing just as important for big men as scoring down low or rebounding. In 2024 they looked primed to repeat.
However, the Timberwolves had other plans. The Timberwolves pride themselves on their big man trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid. In an era dominated by perimeter talent they went the opposite direction. This made them a good matchup vs. the Nuggets, leading to a second round upset of the defending champs.
Christmas matchup four- Thunder vs. Mavericks
This would be a matchup of the defending western conference champion and the projected one for this season. The Thunder made the playoffs in 2024 for the first time since 2020. They got the first seed in the conference. However, their lack of experience hurt them in the playoffs as they got upset in the second round by the Mavericks.
The 2023 season was rough for the Mavericks as they missed the playoffs. However, they were able to show a huge amount of improvement in 2024 and made it all the way to the finals. The star duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving were able to build quick chemistry. They look to prove in 2025 their success wasn’t a one time thing.
Christmas matchup five- Suns vs. Lakers
The rivalry between Kevin Durant and LeBron James has been one of the NBAs storylines for well over a decade. Durant and the Suns are coming off a season where they finished with the sixth seed. Once they got to the playoffs it became pretty clear that their style of play wasn’t going to work as they got swept by the Timberwolves.
Meanwhile, the Lakers once again squandered their talented duo by ending up with a seventh seed. They ran into the Nuggets who finished them off in five. Despite their struggles the Lakers believe they can beat any team in the west that isn’t the Nuggets. The Suns will be an important test for this theory.
