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Does the NBA’s Christmas Day schedule mean anything?
As we power rank the 10 teams playing on this yuletide holiday, it is an interesting question in the aftermath of the NBA Cup, which made early season games feel more meaningful.
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Unlike the NFL’s three-game Christas Day slate, which boasts only two playoff-bound teams across three mostly meaningless games, the NBA’s five games feature 10 potential postseason teams, including nine of the 10 betting favorites to win the championship.
Only a few games separate the vast majority of guaranteed playoff berths in both conferences, leaving open the playoff picture. Each of these games means something.
Beyond that, they should be good games to watch (all times Eastern) …
(Yahoo Sports)
Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks (12 p.m., ABC, ESPN)
The two preseason favorites to emerge from the Eastern Conference. As the Cavs are struggling, this is a fascinating early test of their mettle, or lack thereof. Can they hang?
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San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder (2:30 p.m., ABC, ESPN)
A budding rivalry. After starting the season 24-1, the Thunder have lost three of their last five games, and two of those losses have been delivered by Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs.
Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors (5 p.m., ABC, ESPN)
Cooper Flagg vs. Stephen Curry. This year’s No. 1 pick, a future face of the league, vs. the league’s most breathtaking talent, certainly one of the few defining players of this century.
Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers (8 p.m., ABC, ESPN)
Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James — with a ton of talent around them, including Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Just a powerhouse game.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets (10:30 p.m., ABC, ESPN)
The Wolves, led by Anthony Edwards, have made two straight Western Conference finals, and the Nuggets, led by the incredible Nikola Jokić, won the 2023 title. A battle out West.
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Now, let’s power rank them.
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
A new motto for the once-proud Warriors, via coach Steve Kerr: “There is something beautiful in…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/spurs-thunder-rockets-lakers-ranking-the-10-nba-playoff-contenders-hooping-on-christmas-160723422.html
Author : Ben Rohrbach
Publish date : 2025-12-24 16:07:00
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