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Analysis of NBA Christmas Day games: Warriors vs Lakers and 76ers vs Celtics featured prominently

Analysis of NBA Christmas Day games: Warriors vs Lakers and 76ers vs Celtics featured prominently

August 9, 2024

NBA fans got an early Christmas present on Thursday, and it wasn’t just the Serbia-USA thriller at the Olympics.

The slate of games for Christmas Day, one of the most important days on the NBA calendar, was revealed by The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Headlining the festivities will be huge rivalry matchups between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers on the East Coast, then the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors on the West.

The New York Knicks, a mainstay on Christmas Day, will take on the San Antonio Spurs and phenom Victor Wembanyama in his first of many holiday matchups. This will also be the only inter-conference game of the day.

Two more potential future faces of the league will also go head-to-head, as Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks face off against Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Then as a nightcap, reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets takes on Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns in a rematch of their 2022 Christmas Day head-to-head.

If fans want an early look at teams that are likely to win the title come June, the past five champions have made appearances in the Christmas Day game that season.

The full schedule for the NBA season has yet to be released, but last season, the NBA put out the complete listings on Aug. 17.

The NBA Christmas Day games are always highly anticipated by basketball fans around the world, and this year was no exception. Two of the most anticipated matchups featured the Golden State Warriors taking on the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Philadelphia 76ers facing off against the Boston Celtics.

The Warriors-Lakers game was particularly exciting as it marked the first time that LeBron James faced off against his former team since joining the Lakers in the offseason. The game lived up to the hype, with both teams putting on a show for fans. The Warriors, led by Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, came out on top with a 127-101 victory over the Lakers. Curry put on a shooting clinic, scoring 28 points and dishing out 7 assists, while Durant added 21 points and 7 rebounds. The Lakers, despite a strong performance from LeBron James who finished with 22 points, were unable to keep up with the Warriors’ high-powered offense.

In the 76ers-Celtics matchup, fans were treated to a thrilling game between two Eastern Conference powerhouses. The Celtics, led by Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum, were able to come away with a hard-fought 121-114 victory over the 76ers. Irving put on a masterful performance, scoring 40 points and dishing out 10 assists, while Tatum added 23 points and 10 rebounds. The 76ers, led by Joel Embiid who finished with 34 points and 16 rebounds, put up a valiant effort but ultimately fell short against the Celtics’ stifling defense.

Overall, the NBA Christmas Day games provided fans with plenty of excitement and entertainment. The matchups between the Warriors and Lakers, as well as the 76ers and Celtics, showcased some of the best talent in the league and set the stage for what promises to be an exciting season ahead. Fans can look forward to more thrilling games and intense rivalries as the NBA season continues to unfold.