The NBA has released its 2020 Christmas Day schedule with five games planned for the holiday. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted out the slate of games to be broadcast on ESPN and ABC.
ESPN Sources: Tentative Christmas Day Schedule pic.twitter.com/MId025HKvB
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 2, 2020
A loaded schedule with marquee matchups, the NBA plans to celebrate the holiday in style.
Let’s rank the five NBA Christmas Day Games.
5. Warriors at Bucks
This matchup features a pair of two-time MVPs: Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry. With rumors linking Antetokounmpo, a free agent in 2021, to the Warriors, there will be plenty of discussion surrounding the superstar’s future. The Bucks are doing all they can to keep Antetokounmpo, trading for All-Star guard Jrue Holiday in the offseason.
The game itself could be a one-sided affair. The Warriors will be without All-Star Klay Thompson, who tore his right Achilles and will miss his second consecutive season. It opens the door for No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman to make an immediate impact during his rookie campaign.
According to PointsBet, the visiting Warriors are a 7.5 point underdog against the Bucks. This makes Golden State the biggest underdog of any team on the NBA Christmas Day games slate.
4. Pelicans at Heat
The defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat host the New Orleans Pelicans in the opening matchup of Christmas Day. Both teams feature formidable duos—Miami rosters Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, while New Orleans has Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
Adebayo and Ingram signed max extensions this fall, as both players were rewarded for being selected to their first respective All-Star Game.
Williamson missed the Pelicans’ Christmas contest last year, but he will be in action on the biggest stage this time around.
The Pelicans are now coached by Stan Van Gundy, who joined the franchise on a four-year pact. As for the Bucks, Mike Budenholzer enters his third season as head coach of the Bucks. Budenholzer won NBA Coach of the Year in his inaugural season with the Bucks, the second time he’s captured the prestigious award.
3. Nets at Celtics
If fans were present for Kyrie Irving’s return to the TD Garden, this might be the top-ranked matchup on the list. Alas, it will be an empty stadium when the Brooklyn Nets visit the Boston Celtics in this Atlantic Division showdown.
Irving, who (in) famously went back on his word to re-sign with the Celtics and instead bolted for the Nets in the summer of 2019, missed both of the team’s visits to TD Garden last season. Even without Irving in the building, Celtics fans made their feelings for the point guard known.
“Kyrie Sucks” chants at the TD Garden pic.twitter.com/iN0nOAxodE
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) November 28, 2019
Irving’s first season with the Nets was a disaster, playing in just 20 games due to a season-ending shoulder injury. It was the first time he failed to make the All-Star Game since 2016. However, Irving now has Kevin Durant at his side and could help make the Nets a title contender if all things go to plan. Durant has has not played since he ruptured his Achilles in Game 5 of the 2019 Finals, then as a member of the Warriors.
The Celtics begin the season without star guard Kemba Walker. The 30-year-old has ongoing knee ailments and will not suit up until January at the earliest. Boston does still have its young star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Tatum and Brown helped the Celtics reach the Conference Finals last season and now have their sights set on the franchise’s 18th title.
2. Clippers at Nuggets
A rematch of last season’s Western Conference semifinals series, the Denver Nuggets host the Los Angeles in the final game on Christmas. The Nuggets stormed back from a 3-1 series deficit to stun the heavily-favored Clippers. After blowing a 3-1 lead, the Clippers fired head coach Doc Rivers. They replaced him this offseason with Tyronn Lue.
Newly-signed Serge Ibaka offers the Clippers a strong defensive option against Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic. The Clippers had no answer for Jokic in their seven-game series.
JaMychal Green left the Clippers for the Nuggets in free agency and promptly threw shade at his former team. He praised the Nuggets’ heart and fighting spirit as they rallied from a 3-1 hole, an apparent shot at the Clippers who significantly underachieved last season amidst chemistry issues.
JaMychal Green on leaving the Clippers to join the Nuggets:
“Blowing the 3-1 lead, you know they had heart. It wasn’t a tough decision.”
(via @TJMcBrideNBA) pic.twitter.com/RG19CYC5h0
— Top Ball Coverage (@TopBallCoverage) December 1, 2020
Paul George has more to prove than arguably any NBA player this season. His first season with the Clippers did not go as planned, notably flaming out in the postseason. He shot under 40% in the playoffs and scored just 10 points in the Clippers’ Game 7 loss, missing 12 of his 16 shots.
1. Mavericks at Lakers
LeBron James and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers face off against the Dallas Mavericks on the holiday’s most anticipated game. In fact of all the NBA Christmas Day games, this is the one that'll likely garner the most ratings. All-Star guard Luka Doncic enters his third NBA season with massive expectations as the odds-on MVP favorite.
Top-10 2021 NBA MVP odds per @betonline_ag:
Luka Doncic – 5/1
Giannis Antetokounmpo – 6/1
LeBron James – 6/1
Stephen Curry – 7/1
James Harden – 8/1
Anthony Davis – 10/1
Dmian Lillard – 12/1
Kevin Durant – 12/1
Kawhi Leonard – 14/1
Nikola Jokic – 16/1— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) October 28, 2020
After winning the title, the Lakers augmented their roster by trading for point guard Dennis Schröder and signing big man Montrezl Harrell. Harrell won the Sixth Man of the Year award with the Clippers last season, while Schröder finished second in the voting as a reserve for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Lakers won three of the four head-to-head matchups versus the Mavericks last season.
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