The annual NBA Christmas games have been one of the most celebrated traditions in all of sports, and what better way to celebrate the joyous occasion than witnessing the greatest rivalry in all of basketball?
Finally, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers will once again take centre stage as these decorated adversaries go head-to-head on Christmas day!
So, join SBOTOP as they give an in-depth preview of the Lakers vs Boston matchup and all the other contests featured in the merriest day in the regular season calendar.
Boston Celtics @ Los Angeles Lakers
Boston, who currently boast the best standing in the league (22-6) are on their way to yet another Christmas day tie with their archrivals, the Lakers, who are carrying a four-game losing streak since winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament.
Celtics poster boy Jayson Tatum embraces the big stage, especially the most anticipated day on the NBA’s regular season slate. Last Christmas day, Tatum and the rest of the Celtics played Giannis and the Bucks at TD Garden, where Tatum gifted their fans with a cool 40-piece.
They trampled the Bucks on the back of Tatum’s monster 41-7-5 line, while his running mate, Jaylen Brown, got going himself, dropping 29 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
This year, dare I say, the Celtics have gotten even better? With the addition of Porzingis and Holiday, the defending Atlantic Division champions are set for another compelling outing on Christmas Day, but this time against the iconic purple and gold.
In La La Land, LeBron James and the Lakers seemed to put their foot off the gas after producing an impressive undefeated run to win the IST, but their recent form has been a little tepid, to say the least.
After getting humbled by the San Antonio Spurs last week, LeBron and the Lakers went on a steady decline, losing against the Knicks, Bulls, and Timberwolves.
They have a chance to get their feet back under them when they face the Thunder, but SGA and his outfit have looked sharp in the past three contests, winning against the Nuggets, Clippers, and Grizzlies.
Milwaukee Bucks @ New York Knicks
This will be one of the most special matchups during Christmas, as fans will have a chance to witness Damian Lillard sparkle like the Christmas lights during their clash against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
The last and only time Dame Time participated in these contests was way back in 2018, when he was still a Trail Blazer. The All-Star guard, alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, will have another chance to spread the magic of holiday hoops against the Knicks.
Speaking of the Knicks, they’re carrying themselves pretty well despite losing their starting big man, Mitchell Robinson, due to an injury. The Knicks have already applied for a Disabled Player Exception for their 25-year-old defencive anchor, so expect Robinson to be in street clothes for the rest of the season.
Backup Isiah Hartenstein has soaked up all the minutes trying to fill in the void Mitchell left, and even veteran Taj Gibson has been playing some minutes on the court for Thibodeau.
But even though the Knicks are shorthanded, expect a fiery squad, led by Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and RJ Barrett, to produce NBA 2023 highlights in front of their beloved fans in New York.
Golden State Warriors @ Denver Nuggets
The 2023 NBA champions Denver Nuggets will host the 2022 NBA champions Golden State Warriors in the Mile-High City in what will be a cutthroat matchup between two respected teams in the Western Conference.
Michael Malone and his 20-10 Nuggets are ecstatic to have Jamal Murray back in the lineup after missing 14 of the 30 games the Nuggets have played this season thus far due to a lingering ankle injury.
The duo of Murray and Jokic was on full display during their surgical win over the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center, where the Nuggets’ dynamic duo showcased why they’re still the best one-two combo in the league by dropping 30 points apiece. The Joker almost posted a triple-double, producing 31 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, while Murray proved to be one of the best floor generals in the league by posting 31 points, dishing out nine assists, and grabbing five rebounds.
They play the LaMelo-less Hornets before they host the Warriors on Christmas day, so expect the defending champions to be hot and ready for Steph Curry and the Warriors.
Elsewhere, the Warriors have finally got back to their winning ways after collecting four victories in a row. Aside from Chef Curry cooking night in and night out, the activation of Jonathan Kuminga has been the catalyst as to why the Warriors are now back at .500.
The cherry on top is courtesy of the other Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, who has been looking like his old self, scoring at least 20 points in six of their last seven games.
They’ll try to extend their lead when they host the Trail Blazers before making the trip to Denver. A win against Chauncey Billups’ lads might just be enough of a morale boost to help Steve Kerr and the rest of the Warriors overcome the mighty Nuggets.
Philadelphia 76ers @ Miami Heat
Joel Embiid is a baller. The reigning MVP is showing why the Michael Jordan trophy he raised last season was no fluke. The Process was averaging 41 points, 12.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.3 blocks last week, and this stellar stretch of basketball boosts his case to win back-to-back MVPs, as the NBA 2023 odds suggest.
Unfortunately for Sixers fans, their star big man suffered an ankle injury during their recent win against the Toronto Raptors, which was their third win of the season against Nick Nurse’s former team, claiming the season series to boot.
Sixers staff tended to their MVP’s ankle during their practice session, and it’s still unknown if the reigning MVP will be available during their clash against the Miami Heat.
This may only come as good news if you’re a Heat fan, but Erik Spoelstra’s team is well-known to be relentless on the court and will put up a grit and grind contest against their Eastern Conference rivals with or without Joel Embiid.
The Heat played the Hawks yesterday, with Tyler Herro leading the way with a game-high 30 points. Herro was given an opportunity to have more touches due to their first option, Jimmy Butler, being sidelined. And like Embiid and the Sixers, the Heat’s star player, Jimmy Buckets, is also doubtful to participate in their Christmas day tie at Kaseya Center.
Dallas Mavericks @ Phoenix Suns
The Suns, at least so far, have failed to live out the hype they were riding since the signing of Bradley Beal in the offseason. The Durant-Booker-Beal experiment has been unsuccessful thus far, and the main reason is that they struggle to keep all three together on the floor.
Chemistry issues were evident when Bradley Beal played before suffering an ankle injury, and once again, it’s up to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker to run a tight ship in Phoenix. They’d need to keep it together, especially when Luka Magic is coming to town on Christmas day.
The Dallas Mavericks were 16-12 when this article was written, and they’ve been on a three-game losing streak after their home win against the Lakers earlier this month. The absence of Kyrie Irving is hurting the Mavs more than we expected, but as long as Luka is on the floor, Jason Kidd and the rest of his team have a good chance of winning a game against any team in the league.
They will have a chance to halt their losing streak and go to Phoenix with a winning mindset as they face off against the Spurs, who are pedestrian at best this season.
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