The NBA owns Christmas Day, regardless of what other leagues try to do to assert their dominance on the 25th of December. That was pretty evident on Thursday, as all five Christmas Day games in the NBA delivered compelling storylines and must-see action.
This marquee five-game slate Santa Claus gave us started with a two-point New York Knicks victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers and ended with an instant overtime classic between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves.
In between the first and last games of the day, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant were all in action. Oh, and yet another matchup of the budding Oklahoma City Thunder-San Antonio Spurs rivalry took place, leaving NBA fans once again in shock over the result.
All 10 teams that played on Christmas Day proved something about themselves on the biggest stage of the regular season, yet five key storylines certainly stuck out, starting with the Spurs' dominance over the Thunder over the last two weeks.
Could Spurs actually win the NBA Finals?
If you had said two weeks ago that the Spurs would have picked up three wins over the Thunder and handed them three of their five losses this year, you would've been looked at by NBA fans as if you had three heads.
None of us actually knew just how good the Spurs were until these matchups with the Thunder, and to go to the defending champions' house in Oklahoma City and completely dismantle them was the biggest statement Mitch Johnson's group could've made.
The Thunder simply look hopeless every time they play the Spurs.
Whether it's De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, or Stephon Castle initiating the offense, the Spurs have constantly found gaps in the Thunder's defense and are exposing them when it comes to changing the tempo in transition and in half-court sets.
Most importantly, San Antonio's defensive plan to completely take Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren out of the equation has been brilliant.
In their three matchups this season, Williams is only averaging 15.3 points per game while shooting 38.2 percent from the floor. Holmgren is only averaging 11.3 points per game while shooting 40.7 percent from the floor. Both Thunder stars have struggled against the Spurs, and Oklahoma City as a whole has no answer for how to attack the paint with Wembanyama towering over the rim.
This season, the Thunder are 26-2 against the other 28 teams in the league. They are 0-3 now against the Spurs and have been outscored by 37 points in these three matchups.
The Spurs, a young team still learning about who they are, have not been broken by a dominant Thunder squad that has made virtually everyone they've faced over the last year look like a JV team. Defensively, they look elite, and Oklahoma City's impenetrable game plan against everyone else has been shattered by Johnson and the Spurs.
THE SPURS DEFEAT THE THUNDER FOR THE 3RD TIME IN TWO WEEKS 😤🔥
De'Aaron Fox:
29 points
12-of-19 FG
3-of-4 3PTVictor Wembanyama:
19 points
11 rebounds
6-of-12 FGStephon Castle:
19 points
7 assists
8-of-11 FG pic.twitter.com/ZEuPZk7xLv— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 25, 2025
Now, let's not get ahead of ourselves when discussing potential championship paths.
The Thunder have earned the right to be the defending NBA champions, and they are still the team to beat in the NBA. Until the playoffs start and they lose a series, this team will remain at the forefront of the championship conversation.
However, we can't discredit what the Spurs have done, as this wasn't just a statement. It was a championship statement.
These three games in December, in which San Antonio has asserted their will over Oklahoma City, have been a reality check for anyone who continues to doubt the skill on the Spurs' roster. This team is a lot more than Wembanyama.
The scary thing is that, as good as Wembanyama is, he alone hasn't carried the Spurs past the Thunder. That is why it's not hard to think this is the best team in the league at this very moment.
Nikola Jokic becomes clear NBA MVP favorite
Since the season began, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic have been battling at the top of the NBA MVP rankings. While some favored the reigning league MVP in this race entering the holiday season, others have been on the Jokic train since the start of the year.
Well, given the Thunder's recent struggles and Jokic's video-game-like performances, it's clear that the Denver Nuggets' three-time MVP has taken over the lead in this race.
What else can we really say about Jokic at this point?
The guy records triple-doubles like it's nothing, and he is single-handedly becoming this generation's version of Wilt Chamberlain in the sense that he's setting records and putting together performances nobody else in the league is capable of doing.
56 points, 16 rebounds, and 15 assists. That is what Jokic's stats looked like on Thursday night in a classic overtime thriller against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the list of history from this performance is vast.
Aside from this being the third-highest scoring game by anyone in NBA history on Christmas Day and just the third time a player has recorded multiple triple-doubles on Christmas, joining Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook, Jokic set NBA history with what he did in overtime.
The five-minute overtime seemed like 20 minutes of pure euphoria for NBA fans who were not out cold from all the cookies and eggnog on Christmas. The Nuggets outdueled the Timberwolves 27-23 in overtime, and Jokic scored 18 points alone — the most points any player in NBA history has ever scored in one overtime period.
To have this type of performance on Christmas Day, and the fact that the Nuggets are down three starters right now, proves just how valuable of a player Jokic is.
In an age where teams are built around depth and not a single player, Jokic is the lone anomaly who can single-handedly still carry his team to championship-contending status. As good as the Thunder and Spurs are, it's very plausible to believe that Jokic can take the Nuggets back to the NBA Finals and claim another championship this year.
This guy is ridiculous, and the way he filled the Timberwolves' stockings with coal late Thursday night left everyone speechless. That was a clear-cut MVP statement from Jokic.
Reason to worry in Los Angeles?
The worst loss on Christmas in the NBA came by way of the Los Angeles Lakers getting picked apart, chewed up, and spit out by the Houston Rockets in LA. A 23-point loss to Houston definitely feels like a lot more for the Lakers and their fans waking up on Friday, especially since this game alone proved that the Lakers don't have what it takes to be in the championship mix right now.
Even though Austin Reaves left the game with a calf injury, and Luka Doncic was still dealing with some discomfort from a recent lower leg injury he suffered, the Lakers' flaws everyone knew existed were clearly made visible for the rest of the NBA to see by the Rockets.
Losing is a part of the game, and every team goes through rough patches during the 82-game schedule. However, the Lakers' inability to step up and try to solve their issues in-game, especially on defense, is pathetic.
How many times did Amen Thompson or Tari Eason or Reed Sheppard end up with clear driving lanes for easy baskets in the paint? These were uncontested layups that the Lakers were giving up to really solid young players, but by no means All-Star players who are just better than everyone else.
The Lakers got punked on their own court in front of their fans on Christmas Day, and their effort on defense was embarrassing to watch, not just for all of us, but for JJ Redick as well.
“We don’t care enough right now,” Redick said in the aftermath of his team's 119-96 loss. “And that’s the part that bothers you a lot. We don’t care enough to do the things that are necessary. We don’t care enough to be a professional.”
JJ Redick went scorched earth on the Lakers postgame. pic.twitter.com/ZLuOKyqMBQ
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) December 26, 2025
Just a few days before this Christmas game with Houston, Redick called out the Lakers after losing 132-108 to the Phoenix Suns, claiming that the team gives no effort on defense and many don't have the right mentality to succeed on that end of the court.
Yikes!
As good as Doncic, Reaves, and LeBron James may be, this team has major problems to try and solve between now and the trade deadline. The Lakers are a mess defensively, and the holes that have existed and been covered up on this roster since the start of the year are clearly visible now.
Los Angeles doesn't have a lot of athletes, which was very apparent on Christmas night, and their defensive effort since the start of December ranks as the third-worst in the NBA. Despite being 19-10 overall, the Lakers have major problems that could result in their demise the rest of the year.
Anthony Edwards ready to take USA torch from LeBron, Steph
Remember during the 2024 Summer Olympics when LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry kept talking highly of Anthony Edwards and taking him under their wing to teach him what playing for Team USA means? Edwards drew high praise from all the superstars on USA Basketball after they claimed another gold medal, and it was then that we all knew the trajectory Edwards was heading in.
The Timberwolves star has graduated to superstar status in the NBA, and he's at the level now where he leaves all of us shaking our heads at the ridiculous shot-making and winning defensive plays he makes every game in huge moments.
Whether he's going up against Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic, or someone else, Edwards has that killer mentality and simply makes winning plays on the court. He may only be 24 years old, but Edwards is clearly the next face of USA Basketball, and he's quickly cementing himself as the best US player in the NBA right now.
The skill he possesses is one thing, but Edwards' swag and don't-care mentality are what truly make him special. What makes him so similar to Michael Jordan is the mindset that nobody is better than you on the court. Edwards knows he's capable of hitting any shot or getting any defensive stop he wants, and the confidence he has in himself resonates with everyone else on the Timberwolves' roster.
Even before he registered 44 points on Christmas against Jokic and the Nuggets by carrying the Wolves in the fourth quarter and forcing overtime, we knew this type of performance was coming from Edwards because he warned everyone about it.
“It's gonna be a night,” Edwards told Shams Charania of ESPN before his Christmas showdown with Denver. “I'm gonna have 30 (points), for sure. I might have 40. But it's gonna be a night.”
Edwards told everyone he was going to score 40 points, and he did after seeming to be playing through an injured shoulder that he suffered in the first half.
The Wolves star struggled in the second and third quarters as a result of his shoulder, scoring just six points after he had 14 first-quarter points. With Minnesota down 14 points entering the final 12 minutes, Edwards took over this game, scoring 11 of the Timberwolves' final 13 points of the fourth to force overtime.
His fiery energy and continuous fight are what make Edwards the face of USA Basketball moving forward.
LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry have been the faces of US-born players in the NBA over the last two decades. Now, it's Ant-Man's turn to take on this mantle, and it's become crystal clear that he will be the leader of the Americans on the court in the 2028 Summer Olympics.
When Warriors' bench clicks, they're elite
Strength in Numbers has always been the Golden State Warriors' mantra since Steve Kerr, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green started their dynasty with their first championship in 2015. This organization has always prided itself on having the best depth in the league, and it has directly resulted in their four championship runs and six Finals appearances over the last decade.
Although Kerr oftentimes receives a lot of heat for his deep rotations and constant lineup switches, that is the Warriors' identity.
Having the ability to roll out different players in different scenarios on different nights is a blessing and a curse for Golden State. But when guys are creating energy on defense and stepping up to deliver big shots offensively off the bench, the Warriors look like one of the best teams in the NBA.
That is what happened on Christmas night when the Warriors won 126-116 over the Dallas Mavericks.
Stephen Curry struggled most of the game with 23 points on 2-of-10 from 3-point range, and Jimmy Butler only had 14 points. Although Butler found other ways to contribute with nine rebounds and nine assists, the fact of the matter is that this team's two stars struggled to score, which is oftentimes a recipe for disaster.
However, the Warriors' bench stepped up in a huge way in this win over Dallas, combining for 64 points and eight made shots from the perimeter, and all six players who checked into the game after Kerr called their name on the bench finished with a positive plus-minus.
In the first quarter, it was Al Horford, who hadn't played in seven games due to a sciatica problem, that stepped up with four made threes off the bench. Then it was Trayce Jackson-Davis stepping up in the frontcourt, having 10 points and five rebounds in roughly 13 minutes.
Brandin Podziemski and De'Anthony Melton held their usual roles of playing 20-plus minutes, and they combined for 29 points and 11 rebounds. And then there was the Warriors' greatest bench weapon and igniter of energy: Gary Payton II.
Between his athleticism, grabbing rebounds, and his speed to get back and contest shots on defense, Payton made key plays down the stretch of this game to help hold off the Mavs' comeback attempt.
Some days, the Warriors' bench doesn't play well, and when that overlaps with struggles from Curry, Butler, and others in the starting lineup, Golden State oftentimes performs poorly. But when everything clicks, and this bench can step up in big moments, the Warriors look like true championship contenders.
Confidence is key for the Warriors, and if they can continue to build off their recent success of getting consistent production from their bench, they will begin to rapidly rise in the West standings.
