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The NBA’s Christmas Day slate has been highly anticipated since the 2024-25 schedule was announced in August. The five-game schedule is filled with superstar matchups, highly anticipated rivalries and a few holiday debuts for some rising stars.
Victor Wembanyama, fresh off a handful of history-making performances, makes his Christmas debut as the San Antonio Spurs take on Karl-Anthony Towns and the new-look New York Knicks. Will the French phenom Dunk the Halls, or can Jalen Brunson & Co. get a win in front of the home crowd at the Garden? In a rematch of the Western Conference finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Dallas Mavericks in their second meeting this season. Will Anthony Edwards get the best of the Mavs this time?
The dominant Boston Celtics will take on the struggling Philadelphia 76ers to kick off the evening slate, while LeBron James and the visiting Los Angeles Lakers will face Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. James is the career leader in points (476) and games played (18) on Christmas. Lastly, MVP-favorite Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets will take on the host Phoenix Suns to wrap up the holiday festivities.
Which stars will shine the brightest this holiday season? What teams will need a Christmas miracle to boost them to the postseason? Our NBA insiders preview all five matchups by answering some of the biggest questions surrounding these teams.
What are the next steps this season for the Spurs to become playoff contenders with Victor Wembanyama?
In Thursday’s win over Atlanta, the Spurs finally played with the starting lineup they envisioned at the start of training camp. Injuries to Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan kept them out for extended periods, thrusting rookie Stephon Castle into the starting lineup along with sharpshooter Julian Champagnie. Now that everybody is healthy, it’s up to the coaching staff to figure out optimal lineups to play alongside the franchise centerpiece. Acting head coach Mitch Johnson said it’s a good problem to have, especially considering all the experience gained by reserves playing more prominent roles earlier in the season. Wembanyama is already doing his part by gradually picking up the diverse strategies teams are using to defend him and learning how to use teammates more effectively in attacking them. — Michael Wright
Will the return of Mitchell Robinson be enough to give the Knicks a deep postseason run?
With how the Knicks are playing (third in the East) — and with how much they invested in upgrading their starting five this past offseason, with trades for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges — they have expectations to make a deep postseason run regardless of when Robinson comes back. The team is dominant offensively (second in the league) and has made considerable strides on defense over the past month despite a slow start. A healthy Robinson will give the team depth at center (a must given Towns’ occasional foul troubles) and improved rim protection. — Chris Herring
What will Wemby’s Christmas debut against the Knicks look like (KAT vs. Wemby)?
Dominant, if Wembanyama’s recent production is any indication. Over five games since returning from low back soreness, Wembanyama has averaged 29 PPG on near 40% 3-point shooting as well as 5.2 BPG, including a career-high-tying 10 Saturday against the Portland Trail Blazers. Because of Wembanyama’s dangerous shooting, New York may put forward OG Anunoby on him rather than Towns. But that would give Wembanyama a massive eight-inch height advantage that Anunoby will seek to negate with his lower center of gravity. Anunoby defended Wembanyama in their lone meeting in November 2023, when Wembanyama scored 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting. — Kevin Pelton
The San Antonio Spurs face off against the New York Knicks for the first time this season on Christmas Day. Last season Victor Wembanyama was 1-1 against the Knicks. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
What will it take for the Wolves to climb out of the play-in?
It’s a must for Minnesota to be an elite defensive team, which was the foundation of the Timberwolves’ success last season. That has happened in December, when the Wolves have had the stingiest defense in the NBA, allowing only 108.2 points per 100 possessions. Now, Minnesota has to work its way out of the muck offensively, which likely requires Donte DiVincenzo busting out of an extended slump. The Wolves anticipated that DiVincenzo’s volume 3-point shooting would boost their offense when they acquired him as part of the Towns trade, but he has shot only 37.3% from the floor and 33.1% from long range so far this season. — Tim MacMahon
What do the Mavs need to have a second-half surge like they did last season?
Stay healthy. This is the best the roster has looked during Luka Doncic’s career, as evidenced by the Mavs’ 6-2 record in games missed by their superstar. The Mavs might upgrade their frontcourt depth before the trade deadline, but unlike the past couple of seasons, Dallas doesn’t have any glaring needs. An opposing general manager told ESPN last week that the Thunder and Mavs are clearly the two best West teams. After a relatively slow start, Doncic’s best is likely yet to come this season, and he’s surrounded by a deep, well-rounded supporting cast. — MacMahon
Which duo dominates Christmas: Luka-Kyrie or Edwards-Randle?
First, we need to see whether Doncic returns to the lineup after missing two games with a heel contusion. Before the injury, Doncic delivered his best game of the season against the Warriors, a 45-point triple-double on 16-of-23 shooting. Having lost wing stopper Derrick Jones Jr. in the offseason, the Mavericks are no longer as well-equipped to defend Anthony Edwards, who went off for a game-high 37 points when these teams played in Minneapolis in October. But it was Doncic and Kyrie Irving who walked away winners, combining for 59 points and 13 assists. — Pelton
Should the 76ers reconsider their strategy and mark this season as a rebuild?
No, and for a variety of reasons. First, with the completely disastrous start, the 76ers enter Christmas with the league’s 24th worst-record with six teams behind them with better lottery odds. Plus, the team in front of them in the Eastern standings, the Brooklyn Nets, just traded their starting point guard, and there’s a chance they could play worse. Philadelphia has stabilized itself after its slow start, and Joel Embiid has impressed in his past couple of games. If the 76ers can have any sort of healthy stretch, they should be able to get themselves into the play-in, and if they can get into the playoffs healthy — a couple of huge ifs — they still believe they can make a deep run. — Tim Bontemps
How long will this dominant Celtics run last?
This season will play a large part in determining that. In its attempt to become the first Celtics team to defend a title since Bill Russell was playing, Boston also has one of the league’s highest payrolls — and is on pace to skyrocket to over $500 million in combined payroll and luxury taxes for the 2025-26 season. If the Celtics win the title, as they are favored to do, it’s virtually impossible to see them making a cost-saving move going into next season. But if they don’t? Well, then the math gets a little more interesting, especially when factoring in the looming sale of the team, which is expected to be completed between now and the end of the regular season. — Bontemps
What’s on the 76ers’ and Celtics’ wish list for this matchup?
For Philadelphia, it’s continued health for Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, who have played together just five times all season. The Sixers have outscored opponents by 13 points per 100 possessions in the 71 minutes all three have played, according to NBA Advanced Stats, but are 2-2 in those games. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has already gotten his Christmas wish: 51 3-point attempts per game, eight more than any other team, and two more makes than the second-place Chicago Bulls. –Pelton
The Boston Celtics (second in the East) will take on Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers (12th in the East). Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
Can LeBron continue to be the gift that keeps on giving through a postseason run for Los Angeles?
In the crowded Western Conference, the Lakers’ playoff projection has varied vastly week to week. They ran out to a 10-4 record and were in third place on Nov. 20. Losses in seven of their next nine games dropped them to No. 10 on Dec. 6, with LeBron James appearing ineffective at best and destructive at worst. James took advantage of the schedule to take eight days off to rehabilitate his left foot and only missed two games. With James back in the lineup, the Lakers won three straight, climbing back to No. 5 in the West on Dec. 21. James was brilliant in Saturday’s win over Sacramento, commanding the defense while punishing the Kings inside, scoring 32 points on 13-for-24 shooting. L.A. should not need nor expect that version of James on a nightly basis to qualify for the playoffs — not if they want James to have something left in the tank for the postseason. But getting that level of engagement out of him, combined with Anthony Davis returning to the MVP form he showed to start the season, will keep L.A. on track for a playoff berth. — Dave McMenamin
How is Dennis Schroder fitting in with Stephen Curry & Co. so far?
The Warriors have only had three games with Dennis Schroder so far but it hasn’t taken him long to show flashes of what he can do. During Saturday’s win at Minnesota, Schroder displayed some of the leadership qualities he will bring beyond his play, initiating player huddles despite it being just his second game. Having another point guard is also going to benefit younger players like Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga. Podziemski had perhaps his best game of the season in Minnesota with 12 points and seven rebounds. The Warriors will need Schroder to make some outside shots and score, and it will take some time for Schroder to adapt, but he’s already shown why Golden State needs him.