According to reports, the NBA Christmas day games are at the top of the Spurs in Thunder, Rockets in Lakers
Next week, the NBA 2025-26 program will come out, but some of the salient points always tend to lose first.
One of these is Christmas day: a day of showcase that has always characterized the biggest names and the best teams of the NBA. This Christmas will not be different, if the Program reported by Shams Charania by Espn it is correct (and almost certainly it is):
• Cleveland Cavaliers in New York Knicks
• San Antonio Spurs in Oklahoma City Thunder
• Houston Rockets in Los Angeles Lakers
• Dallas Mavericks in Golden State Warriors
• Minnesota Timberwolves to Denver Nuggets
Here are some quick thoughts on that list:
• Once again the NBA leaning on its older generation of stars-lebron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durantt-ma has done a better job to make sure that even the emerging generation is in the spotlight. We are getting Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards, Cooper Flagg, Amen Thompson, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Darius Garland. It is better than the past years, certainly better than recycling Giannis Antetokounmpo and a team of Bucks with many question marks only for stellar power.
• There are only two Eastern Conference teams in that list, the opening game of the day between Knicks and Cavaliers. What he is talking about is the gap perceived this season between the Deep West and the East in a season in which Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton of Indiana will not play Christmas day while recovering from Achilles torn (if those boys had been healthy and those teams have not tried to save money by placing the key players walked, the Celt and the Pacers would have been engaged in Christmas.
• That match Cavaliers vs. Knicks could be the best game of the day.
• During the NBA finals of last season, both the Thunder and the Pacers mentioned not having been invited to play on Christmas day as a motivation for them during the season. Which team could that team this year? Keep an eye on the young star Paolo Banchero and Orlando’s magic, they should have been on the bubble to get to date. Cunningham and Detroit falls, as well as Trene Young and the Atlanta Hawks, could also use it as a fuel.
• The NBA has lost an opportunity by making sure that the current teams and ex of Luka Doncic both play at Christmas but do not face each other?
• Wembanyama and the Spurs against the reigning champion could be the best rivalry of the NBA for the rest of this decade, putting in a privileged slot on Christmas day talks about how the League’s office sees it that way.