NBA on Christmas Day: Preview all 5 matchups

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There are a plethora of dates on the NBA calendar that are must-see television for fans around the world, but the Christmas Day basketball marathon stands out as one of the very best, with wall-to-wall basketball starting at 12 p.m Eastern time begins.

Here’s our preview of all five matchups, broadcast on ESPN, ABC, ESPN+ and Disney+:

The Knicks are one of the top teams in the East, but the rising Spurs pose an interesting challenge to open the NBA slate on Christmas Day. It’s worth a look just for San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama. The Frenchman has been on a roll in recent weeks, averaging 28.5 points on 48.2% shooting, 8.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 5.7 blocks since his recent return from injury. But he will have a difficult game against New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns, who is on a streak of 18 straight double-doubles while averaging 24.7 points and 14.6 rebounds per game.

Two of the game’s biggest superstars will face off in this rematch of the 2024 Western Conference Finals. Anthony Edwards may be “struggling” by his standards after failing to reach the 20-point mark in three straight contests, but he’s still having an outstanding year, shooting a career-high 41.4% from 3 -Points range. The Mavericks counter with perennial Kia NBA MVP candidate Luka Dončić, who recently returned from a two-game absence due to a heel injury. While the Mavericks have won four of their last six games, the Timberwolves have lost four of their last six games.

The 76ers want to get out of an early hole and get back into the playoffs before the season gets away from them. They were expected to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference after acquiring Paul George in the offseason. But while they start the holiday season at 10-17, their record of 7-3 in their last 10 games is promising. As for the Celtics, the reigning NBA champions are still the team to beat and they are at full strength. The amount of star power in this game is remarkable, with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porziņģis on one side and George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey on the other.

The Warriors have been going downhill lately and recently acquired Dennis Schröder in a trade, so they are still adjusting and have a 15-13 record. The Lakers have cooled off after a hot start and are 16-13. Fights aside, this is a game no basketball fan in the world should miss as long-time rivals LeBron James and Stephen Curry face off once again. James is just days away from his 40th birthday, but he continues to perform at his best, averaging 23.2 points, 9.0 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game. Curry isn’t slowing down despite some subpar performances of late; He’s averaging a solid 21.8 points and 6.6 dimes while making 40.3% of his 3-point attempts.

Two teams that were expected to compete in the Western Conference underperformed as both teams were hampered by injuries and retirements. It is unclear if Devin Booker (groin) is available. But even if he isn’t, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal still call the shots on offense for the Suns. The Nuggets also have Jamal Murray (calf) injury doubts, but they are still bolstered by the one and only Nikola Jokić. The three-time Kia NBA MVP winner is having another outstanding season, averaging 30.9 points, 12.5 rebounds and 9.7 assists per game while posting a league-leading 11 triple-doubles in 24 contests.