Starting 5, Dec. 26: Digging into the closest NBA Christmas ever ...
‘Twas NBA on Christmas Day, and all through the house…
Hoops fans were roaring, jumping up from the couch.
From Wemby & Ant’s debuts, to a LeBron & Steph classic, A day of epic duels and finishes …made this #NBAXmas simply fantastic.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION ???? Dec. 26, 2024
Christmas Spectacular: Everything you need to know from an all-time #NBAXmas
Legends Duel: LeBron and Steph put on a show, and Austin Reaves adds the final bow
MSG Magic: Wemby, Mikal & an #NBAXmas scoring showdown not seen in 60+ years
More Must-Sees: The Sixers play Grinch in Boston, the Wolves howl & two Suns shine
Win Streaks Collide: Two of the hottest teams in hoops meet tonight as Indy hosts OKC
BUT FIRST … ⏰ A Merry #NBAXmas and more hoops to unbox tonight…
Nine games tip off on Thursday, highlighted by an NBA TV doubleheader. First, the Thunder, boasting a league-best eight-game win streak, clash with the Pacers, who have won five straight (7 ET). Then, the Jazz take on the Blazers in Portland (10 ET).
1. NBA ON CHRISTMAS DAY DELIVERS HOOPS HISTORY
Just when you thought all the gifts were unwrapped, Santa brought more — an NBA on Christmas Day like never before.
Wednesday produced the closest average margin of victory in NBA on Christmas Day history, at 5.0 points (min 5 games) — with epic game after epic game:
Historic Duel: The day’s first gift? Victor Wembanyama (in his Christmas debut) and Mikal Bridges became the first opponents to each drop 40+ points on Christmas since 1961 — and just the third pair ever Ant Comes Up Clutch: Anthony Edwards owned crunch time to stave off Kyrie Irving (39 pts) and a 28-point comeback against Dallas in a West Finals rematch Sixers Statement: Tyrese Maxey (33) and Joel Embiid (27) combined for 60 points as the Sixers edged out the C’s in Boston for their eighth win in 11 games LeBron vs. Steph: In an instant classic between two all-time greats, LeBron James and Steph Curry each dropped 30-pieces, going back and forth down the stretch before Austin Reaves called game Stars Shine In Phoenix: Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal dropped 27 points apiece to combat Nikola Jokic’s big double-doubleThe history didn’t stop there.
For the first time ever, fans saw an animated alt-cast during the Spurs-Knicks game, with Mickey Mouse & Friends balling at Main Street USA in a special ‘Dunk The Halls’ stream. | Full Highlights
More Can’t-Miss Moments: Before we highlight each matchup, let’s go inside the games for some special all-access Christmas content.
LeBron & Steph Teaser: LeBron playfully blocks Steph during warmups as the two embrace before their electrifying showdown Ant & Luka Vibing: Luka Dončić hits from half-court during warmups … Ant’s just having fun out there Heartfelt Helper: Karl-Anthony Towns (almost) assists Josh Hart’s son for an early #NBAXmas day jam ???? “I Thought I Might Tear Up:” After his game-winner, Austin Reaves gets emotional discussing his journey and lifetime family support Best Mic’d Up Moments: Steph, Luka, Brunson, Maxey, Ant and more stars were wired for yesterday’s unforgettable slate Taking It All In: LeBron puts his timeless matchups with Steph in perspective2. A LEBRON & STEPH CHRISTMAS CLASSIC
LeBron James vs. Steph Curry — the gift that keeps on giving.
Fifty-three showdowns, four Christmas Day duels, and yet another classic.
Lakers 115, Warriors 113: In an all-time battle between two all-time greats, James (31 pts, 10 ast) and Curry (38 pts, 8 3s) exchanged haymakers down the stretch in a must-see finish that saw Austin Reaves drop in the game-winning bucket with one second left for a thrilling Lakers’ dub. | Recap
The Duel: In his record 19th Christmas Day game, LeBron took over when Anthony Davis went down early with an ankle injury, racking up 19 1st-half points to give the Lakers a three-point edge at the break.
With 10:32 left in the 4th, Los Angeles had stretched its lead to double digits. But then, Steph flipped the switch.
Curry erupted for 17 points in the 4th, including three 3s — his first of which cut Golden State’s deficit to five with 2:48 left How Did James Respond? A 3 of his own at the other end. But not even a thunderous LeBron rejection — warranting Mike Breen’s famous “blocked by James” call — could stop the Dubs’ tidal wave of momentum in the Bay Curry Keeps Coming: With just 12.2 ticks left and Golden State needing a bucket, Curry drilled a ridiculous 3 from the corner to trim the deficit to one Another Answer: After the Lakers pushed the lead back to three, Curry retaliated again — sinking a game-tying triple with 6.3 seconds left to send the Chase Center into a frenzy The Dagger: But just when it looked like Curry might save Christmas in the Bay, Austin Reaves stole it for L.A., laying in the game-winner to cap a classic
“Today is a day of giving,” said James after the win. “And that’s what me and Steph try to do for our fans, and for our beautiful game. But shoutout to AR, that was clutch.”
AR & LBJ: Reaves became the 10th player to record a #NBAXmas triple-double (26 pts, 10 reb, 10 ast) and scored 10 points in the 4th, while LeBron added five points and five dimes Reaves: “Sitting here on Christmas with a game-winner and a triple-double — it’s really the win that matters the most to me.”3. WEMBY & BRIDGES’ HISTORIC DUEL AT MSG
Knicks 117, Spurs 114: With 7:16 left in the #NBAXmas opener at Madison Square Garden, Victor Wembanyama – having one of the greatest #NBAXmas debuts ever – and the Spurs started taking control.
Then history happened.
In another classic that saw Wembanyama (42 pts, 18 reb, 4 blk) score the 3rd-most points in a Christmas debut, the Knicks got 41 massive points from Mikal Bridges and some signature, clutch Josh Hart hustle to win their fifth straight game. | Recap
First Time In 63 Years: The 40-40 duel marked the first time since 1961 – and third time ever – that two opponents have each put up 40 on Christmas The First Two Times? Richie Guerin vs. Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson vs. Elgin Baylor – both on the same day in ‘61 First Time Ever: Not only did Wemby break the Spurs’ Christmas scoring record, he became the first player ever with 40+ pts, 15+ reb, 4+ blk & 5+ treys in a game But Bridges’ season-high (17-25 FG, 6-9 3PT), along with 17 NY offensive rebounds, sent the third-place Knicks to 20-10
The Final Minutes: In a game that featured 20 lead changes, San Antonio used a 19-6 run early in the 4th Q – including 11 pts from Wemby – to go up 102-94 with just over 7 left.
Then the two former Villanova roommates took over, pacing a 23-12 run that electrified The Mecca.
Bridges and Hart hit back-to-back treys to get the Knicks back into it, on the way to 15 combined points down the stretch – more than the Spurs’ whole squad No Quit: But as the Knicks rallied, the Spurs wouldn’t go away, with a CP3 trey bringing San Antonio within 3 with 42 seconds, at 117-114 All Hart: San Antonio forced a Jalen Brunson miss with 22 seconds left, but Hart grabbed the offensive board. With 4 seconds left, he grabbed another ‘Team’ On 3: Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in 21 pts, and Brunson added 20 as the Knicks’ starting 5 – the top-scoring starting unit in the NBA – scored 102 of New York’s 1174. SIXERS TOP C’S, WOLVES HOWL & SUNS SHINE
On #NBAXMas, with the whole hoops world watching, the surging Sixers made their strongest statement of the season.
76ers 118, Celtics 114: In another back-and-forth thriller, Tyrese Maxey (33 pts) and Joel Embiid (27) dazzled to overcome 20 made 3s from Boston as the Sixers staved off the defending champs in Beantown for a massive dub. | Recap
A Game Of Runs: After squandering a 16-point lead in the 1st half, Philly used a 21-4 run in the 4th to take control, and although Boston responded with a 10-0 run to cut its deficit to three, clutch free throws from Maxey, Embiid and Paul George sealed the win.
Fire From 3: It’s the Celtics’ first loss this season when they hit 20+ 3s in a game (10-1 record), as Philly also lit it up from deep (17-40), including a career-high seven triples from Caleb Martin Four of Martin’s 3s came in the 4th quarter as he and Maxey combined for 25 of Philly’s 36 points in the final frame Jayson Tatum led Boston with 32 points and 15 boards, but it wasn’t enough as the C’s suffered their first back-to-back losses of the seasonTimberwolves 105, Mavericks 99: In a Western Conference Finals rematch, the Mavs had come back – all the way back – to cut a 28-point deficit to 2 with 19 seconds left, when Anthony Edwards came through. | Recap
Klay Climbs To 5th: With four 3s, Klay Thompson passed Reggie Miller (2,560) for 5th on the NBA’s all-time three-point list.
Said Klay, who chose No. 31 in Dallas as a tribute to Miller: It’s a “dream come true.” Said Mavs coach Jason Kidd: “He’s one of the greatest shooters to play the game.”Suns 110, Nuggets 100: In the nightcap, with Devin Booker out for Phoenix, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal stepped up, posting 27 points apiece to help the Suns pull away from the Nuggets, despite a big double-double from Nikola Jokić (25 pts, 15 reb). | Recap
5. WIN STREAKS COLLIDE TONIGHT ON NBA TV AS INDY HOSTS OKC
More must-see matchups tip off tonight, beginning with a battle between two of the hottest teams in hoops as the Pacers host the Thunder (7 ET, NBA TV).
OKC enters Thursday atop the West standings, riding the longest active win streak in the NBA at eight games.
Indiana is on a five-game heater — tied for the second-longest win streak in the NBA — moving the team from 11th in the East to eighth.
After falling to 10-15 — their lowest win percentage since the 2022-23 season — the Pacers are 15-15, looking to move above .500 for the first time since opening the year at 1-0.
The key to their run? Team offense and elite playmaking from All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton.
Clicking: In their last five games, the Pacers rank fourth in OffRtg (118.1), second in assists (32.0) and first in FG% (50.6) The driving force? Haliburton, averaging 10.6 apg in that span while helping Indy increase its ‘wide open’ field goal frequency to 31.4% — the second-best in the NBA Another boost? Indy’s bench. After leading the NBA in bench points the past two seasons, the Pacers’ second unit has come alive during their win streak, shooting an NBA-best 52.9% for 37.8 ppgTonight, Indy’s red-hot offense faces a stiff challenge against OKC’s top-ranked defense, which leads the NBA in points allowed (103.1), opponents FG% (42.4) and steals (12.2).
Strength vs. Strength: Can Indy’s scorching offense crack OKC’s lockdown defense and move its record above .500 for the first time since October? Or will the Thunder extend their win streak to nine?
In the second leg of NBA TV’s doubleheader, Lauri Markkanen and the Jazz will face Shaedon Sharpe and the Blazers in Portland (10 ET).
Looking Sharpe: In Saturday’s loss to the Spurs, Sharpe recorded his 14th career game of 25+ points — the most by any Blazer in franchise history before turning 22 years old Hitting The Markk: On the other side, Markkanen is averaging 24.7 points and 9.3 boards in Utah’s last three games, leading to two winsLP Lineup: Seven games get underway tonight on League Pass, including Round 3 of the Sunshine State rivalry, as the Magic look to improve to 3-0 against the Heat this season.
