Image via USA Today Sports
The NBA has taken over Christmas Day much like the NFL owns Thanksgiving. Each year, the hoops league attempts to place its best teams and biggest stars on display as the nation tunes in. Wednesday, the New York Times revealed this year's Christmas Day slate (all times ET):
- Bucks-Knicks, ESPN, 12 p.m.
- Thunder-Rockets, ABC, 3 p.m.
- 76ers-Celtics, ABC, 5:30 p.m.
- Lakers-Warriors, ABC/ESPN, 8 p.m.
- Blazers-Jazz, ESPN, 10:30 p.m.
The day promises to be full of intrigue, culminating with a fascinating matchup in the primetime slot. Below is our ranking of the five games.
5. Milwaukee Bucks vs. New York Knicks
As usual, the day begins with an uninspiring matchup. Though the Bucks are loaded with talent and are looking to turn things around under new head coach Mike Budenholzer, there's little reason to believe the Knicks will be a contender. If Kristaps Porzingis is healthy, this could be a fun battle between two of the league's premier unicorns—if not, this one could be a snoozer. Still, it's just a warmup; the day gets better from here.
4. Portland Trail Blazers vs. Utah Jazz
Portland had a tremendous 2017-18 regular season but faltered late. Utah, on the other hand, seemed to get better as the season wore on. This game presents an opportunity for Donovan Mitchell, the Rookie of the Year runner-up, to show he's ready to contend with the best point guards in the league, as he'll be pitted against Damian Lillard. Both Utah and Portland should wind up in the West's loaded playoffs mid-tier, where every tiebreaker counts, so expect this to be a good one.
Speak it into existence 🤷🏾♂️ https://t.co/vBSknlNa0S
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) August 8, 2018
3. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets
The most intriguing piece of this matchup: Carmelo Anthony, who recently signed with Houston, will take on his old team. His lone campaign in Oklahoma City wasn't a total failure—that narrative has been exaggerated—but Melo will be out to prove a point: that he's not washed. Daryl Morey and company know they don't have more than one to two years left in their title window with this aging squad, so it's Larry O'Brien or bust for Houston in 2018-19. OKC, meanwhile, is hoping a year of chemistry between Paul George and Russell Westbrook is enough to vault the Thunder into West contention with the big dogs like Houston.
2. Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics
Though Boston ended up winning its East semifinals series with Philly in five games, everyone who watched that series knows it was much more competitive than the scoreboard indicated. These two young squads, alongside Toronto, are now the favorites to win the East. They look poised to form a rivalry that lasts for years. Each team will be out to prove they're the East's alpha when they meet.
1. Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors
How could we pick against a LeBron-Warriors showdown? Remember this epic battle between the Cavs and Warriors on Christmas Day 2016?
Yes, LeBron plays for a new team now—but whenever you get the best player in the game (arguably the best of all-time) squaring off with the best team in the game (arguably the best of all-time), fans are in for a treat. That's why the NBA positioned this showdown in the primetime slot. We can't wait.