Photo: David Banks
The National Basketball Association has unveiled its slate of games for the biggest day of the regular season, Christmas Day. This year's Christmas Day schedule will include NBA legends like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Also, the NBA will bring its annual basketball celebrations to Madison Square Garden and the Staples Center.
Christmas Day action will kick off at 12 p.m. ET in Manhattan at Madison Square Garden. The "Big Apple" will welcome its newest villain, Trae Young, and the Atlanta Hawks as the Knicks celebrate the return of Bronx native Kemba Walker. Julius Randle and the Knicks will also have revenge on their minds after the Hawks knocked them out of the playoffs in the first round.
After the Hawks play the Knicks in MSG, Antetokounmpo and the reigning NBA champions will face off against the Boston Celtics. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the Celtics have a lot to prove after being knocked out of the playoffs by the Brooklyn Nets in June.
Just before the sun goes down on the east coast, NBA action will continue on ABC as the Phoenix Suns battle Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and the Golden State Warriors. If Thompson is healthy, it will mark the first time that the Warriors' "Big 3" has played together on Christmas since 2018.
Then, it's time for the big one! LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Brooklyn Nets in Staples Center. After a few strong offseason transactions in Los Angeles, NBA fans are looking at this matchup as a potential preview of the 2022 NBA Finals.
Closing out the night, Luka Doncic and the Mavericks will face off against Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz at 10 p.m. ET in Salt Lake City.
While many fans are excited about Christmas Day after seeing this year's schedule, some are questioning why certain NBA stars will not be playing. Most notably, reigning NBA MVPNikola Jokicand the Denver Nuggets will not be featured on December 25. Also, superstars like Damian Lillard and Joel Embiid will not be suiting up as the snow falls from the sky this December. Nevertheless, there's a lot to look forward to on Christmas Day.
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