NBA on Christmas Day: One key storyline from each game

Some names have become forever engraved with the Christmas season. Mariah Carey, Michael Bublé and of course, Santa Claus, to name a few.

However, for many NBA fans, LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant have also become synonymous with the holiday season.

Picture it: Your Christmas tree is lit up, there are presents scattered around the room, you’re sipping some eggnog with a splash of rum, and your TV screen has James slamming home a tomahawk dunk or Curry splashing a triple from the logo.

That is how most NBA fans would encapsulate an average Christmas Day, and they should expect more of the same this year with a loaded slate of games and plenty of top stars taking centre stage.

So, as you wrap your presents, prepare your meals, and await jolly old St. Nick, here is one storyline for each game on Christmas Day.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks, noon ET / 9 a.m. PT

A New York Christmas: Few teams have been hotter than the Knicks over the last 10 games. During that stretch, they are 7-3 and took home the NBA Cup over the San Antonio Spurs. They boast the sixth-best net rating in the league during that time (6.5), and have boosted themselves to second in the Eastern Conference.

A significant reason for their success is the play of MVP-candidate Jalen Brunson. The guard has completely evolved his game, averaging 30.3 points, 7.2 assists and 3.4 rebounds in December. In the NBA Cup semifinals, he led New York to victory with a 40-point outburst, and that wasn’t even his best game this month. He erupted for a season-high 47 points on Dec. 21 in a win over the Miami Heat.

Christmas at Madison Square Garden is always a spectacle, and if the Knicks can overcome the Cavaliers, last year’s first-place finishers in the East, they will cement themselves as one of the conference’s powerhouses.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT

West matchup of the future: When it comes to young cores, no teams are better prepared for the future than the Spurs and Thunder. In San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are all 21 or younger. Wembanyama is, without a doubt, the next face of the NBA with his one-of-a-kind skillset, while Castle and Harper appear to be this generation’s Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in the Spurs’ backcourt.

As for the Thunder, they showed the world what they were capable of when they won the NBA Championship last season. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren all locked up long-term, there is no sign of them slowing down whatsoever. Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning MVP and is in the midst of a historic run, scoring 20-plus points in over 100 straight games.

OKC sits atop the NBA at 26-4; however, two of those losses have come to the Spurs, including the NBA Cup semifinals. San Antonio is also not far behind in the standings, with a 22-7 record. So, the Thunder will be looking for revenge on Christmas, while the Spurs want to pull off the upset once again. 

These two teams should become very accustomed to each other, as it’s hard to imagine future Western Conference Finals without them.

Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors, 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT on Sportsnet, Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet+

Cooper Flagg’s arrival: There is no better feeling than waking up on Christmas morning to find a shiny new toy sitting under your tree. That is exactly what the Mavericks were feeling at the 2025 Draft, when they selected Cooper Flagg first overall.

Flagg has excelled in his rookie season, averaging 19.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists on 48.7 per cent shooting. He also recently became the first 18-year-old in NBA history to score 40-plus points in a game, achieving the feat with 42 points in a loss to the Utah Jazz on Dec. 15. Throughout this month, he has dominated, averaging 24.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.3 blocks and one steal.

In 10 games in December, Flagg has scored 20-plus points in seven of those contests. In addition to his 40-point game, he posted 33 in a win over the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 23. 

The former Duke Blue Devil will be making his Christmas debut against the experienced Warriors squad with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. If Flagg can lead Dallas to a victory and showcase his talents in the bright lights of Christmas. I am sure NBA fans will be singing:

Hark now hear the angels sing
A new king born today.

Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on Sportsnet, Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet+

KD vs. LeBron (for the last time?): For the better part of the last two decades, there have been no two bigger names in the NBA than Kevin Durant and LeBron James. The two have faced off 43 times between the regular season and playoffs; James holds the advantage, winning 24 of those contests.

However, this Christmas Day matchup could hold a little more value. James will be 41 in a few days, and Durant is 37. So, who knows how many more times we will be lucky enough to see the battle of two of the greatest of all time? Although James has made it clear he is winding it down, one can only assume Durant feels the same.

This will be James’ NBA-record 20th game on Dec. 25, and it’ll be Durant’s 13th, while being their fifth against each other on the holiday. This year will also serve as a tiebreaker for the duo, as they have won two games apiece on Christmas.

James has averaged 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.2 assists on Dec. 25, and Durant has averaged 28.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists. I’m sure every NBA fan will be glued to their TVs to see this dream matchup on Christmas for what could be the final time.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets, 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT on Sportsnet, Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet+

2024 playoff rematch: All things were going well for the Nuggets in 2023, and that carried into 2024 as they were looking to become back-to-back NBA Champions. However, it all came crashing down when the Timberwolves gave their best Grinch impression and crushed the Nuggets’ dreams.

Minnesota outdueled Denver to eliminate them in the second round of the playoffs in an electric seven-game series. The defeat led to the memorable quote from Nikola Jokic: “I think (the Timberwolves) are built to beat us.”

A statement that hasn’t always proved to be true, but any game between these two teams, and more specifically between Jokic and Anthony Edwards, is typically must-see.

Jokic is having another unreal season, averaging 28.7 points, 11.1 rebounds and 10.8 assists, while the Nuggets sit third in the West at 21-8. Edwards continues to improve every season in the NBA: he’s averaging a career-best 28.3 points on 48.9 per cent shooting this campaign. He’s guided the Timberwolves to a 20-10 start.

While Jokic and Edwards should be enough to keep everyone seated, fans can also look forward to watching Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, and so many more. So, get yourself a Kevin McCallister-sized ice cream sundae and sit back to watch one of the Western Conference’s premier rivalries.