Christmas Day in the NBA has become synonymous with marquee matchups, making the showdown between the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks a perfect holiday game among the five on Sunday.

Although the Celtics are 5-5 in their last 10 games, at 23-10 overall, they remain in first place in the Eastern Conference and a half-game ahead of their Midwest foes. At 22-10, the Bucks are right behind the C's with the second-best record in the league, which could make this highly anticipated matchup the most important regular season game yet for the two championship contenders.

So, let's preview one of the biggest games of the 2022-23 regular season so far and predict what might go down between the two championship-caliber squads when the Celtics and Bucks get together on Christmas Day.

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3. Celtics' Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown duo will combine for at least 55 points

There are a lot of factors that have contributed to Boston's success this season, however, nothing has been more crucial to the team's winning ways than the dazzling duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

The two stars both average more than 25 points per game and just recently passed Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen for the third-most 30-point games by teammates in league history.

While the Bucks have a stout defense with 2020 Defensive Player of the Year Giannis Antetokounmpo and 2021 All-Defensive First Teamer Jrue Holiday, Brown and Tatum have shown that they can get theirs against even the toughest opposition.

As long as Boston's stars take care of the ball and limit turnovers, there's no reason they can't put on a spectacular show in this one. Yet, the two-way players will have to worry about more than just offense, as their squad has the difficult task of slowing down The Greek Freak.

2. Robert Williams will play his most minutes of the season and be an X-factor

After a significant knee procedure, Boston center Robert Williams III missed the first 29 games of the 2022-23 regular season. He's finally back now, and although the C's are 0-3 with him in the lineup and sickness sidelined him for the team's last game, he should be all set to play against Milwaukee.

For this Christmas Day showdown, the Green Team will desperately need Williams, as not many players without his height can slow down Antetokounmpo. Per usual, The Greek Freak is putting up MVP numbers and wreaking havoc in the paint this season, so the C's will need their shot-blocking big to secure this important win.

In the three games the All-Defensive Second Teamer has suited up for, he has only surpassed 20 minutes of play time once. In order for the C's to keep Antetokounmpo at bay, as well as the 7-foot Brook Lopez, Boston will need Timelord on the court for as long as his body permits.

Of course, interim coach Joe Mazzula won't want to push Williams' limits too much, as his health is critical to Boston's long-term success.

1. This Christmas game could be a playoff preview

Although the 2022-23 regular season isn't even halfway through, it's never too early to start thinking about what really matters: the NBA Playoffs.

With the two top records in the NBA, the Bucks and C's could very well see more of each other in the postseason. They both have top-three defensive ratings, elite offenses (when healthy), deep benches, and MVP frontrunners. Plus, these squads last met in Game 7 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals and have squared off in the playoffs three times in the last four years.

With that familiarity and the amount of talent on both sides, it wouldn't surprise many if these two Eastern Conference foes met again close to the NBA Finals. It looks like Khris Middleton will again miss this matchup just like he did in the playoffs last season, but this should still be a terrific game nonetheless and perhaps the highlight of the NBA Christmas slate.