One of the most important dates on the NBA calendar every year is Christmas Day and this year was no different than years in the past.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of turmoil in sports and the NBA has been one of the most cautious and intelligent leagues in professional sports. With five games on the schedule, all of which were nationally broadcast and none were overlapping, we were in for a treat on this special holiday.
The Five Games Scheduled
Going into the Christmas day games for the NBA, we could see the marquee names being offered and matchups that were interesting. This schedule of games gave us the Miami Heat vs. New Orleans Pelicans, Milwaukee Bucks vs. Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks, and the Los Angeles Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets.
Each Game Gave us a Special Story Line
What we want in our Christmas Day slate of NBA games is a bit of drama and a great story. Whether we have superstars set to go against each other or we get to see players going up against teams they used to play for, it’s interesting to see what the story of each game has to offer. This particular Christmas was ready to give us the stories we wanted to enjoy.
Miami Heat Vs. New Orleans Pelicans
While there probably isn’t much of a dramatic story to share with this matchup, the Heat vs. Pelicans does put one of the toughest roughnecks in the NBA against one of the brightest young stars. With Jimmy Butler and the Heat squad that’s ready to take the next step on the court against Zion Williamson and the Pelicans, a lot of action and star power was set to show off. This particular contest came out in favor of the Heat with a 111-98 final score.
Milwaukee Bucks Vs. Golden State Warriors
A Warriors squad short one of the splash brothers but still itching for some respect and redemption had to go up against the Greek Freak and the team that had the best record last season. While we were a little disappointed in the overall play of the Warriors, the Bucks showed up and gave us a show on the way to a 138-99 victory over the Warriors.
Brooklyn Nets Vs. Boston Celtics
This game came with a bit of drama as Kyrie Irving was set to go up against his old team and show them that he was in a better place now. The Celtics came into this game with a star-studded squad of young players going against the Net with Irving and Kevin Durant as the power pairing. This game had excitement and high-flying action but the score was never very close as the Nets outlasted the Celtics to the tune of a 123-95 victory.
Los Angeles Lakers Vs. Dallas Mavericks
The partnership of LeBron James and Anthony Davis was set to go against Luca Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. With the early games being so one-sided, it was a bit of a relief to have a later game that had a closer score. While the Mavs gave the Lakers all they could handle, at one point in the game, the Lakers left Dallas behind and finished the game with a 138-115 victory.
Los Angeles Clippers Vs. Denver Nuggets
Denver was one of the toughest teams in the playoffs last season and was the team that sent the Clippers home before the Western Conference Finals. With this stage set, a bit of drama would unfold, and this late game was the closest of the Christmas Day matchups. The final score for this contest was 121-108 in favor of the Clippers.
A Messy Injury in the Final Game
The game between the Clippers and Nuggets featured Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as the marquee names on the floor. Another household name for the Clippers is Serge Ibaka who had the dubious distinction of injuring Leonard under the basked late in the game. Leonard took an elbow to the teeth from Ibaka during a fight for a loose ball, which left Kawhi bloodied as he went to the locker room.
The Stage is Set Going Forward from Christmas Day
There are many people that don’t believe the NBA season really starts until Christmas Day and these five games certainly kicked off the season the right way. Whether you’re looking for the latest pairing of superstars in the Nets to offer amazing performances or you want to see some of the old guard show their skills, you’ll find a ton of action and stories in the NBA this season.
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