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NBA Christmas Day Games 2023 Include Celtics vs. Lakers, 76ers vs. Heat

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Sports Editor

Updated11 Aug 2023

NBA Christmas Day Games 2023 Include Celtics vs Lakers, 76ers vs Heat

NBA Christmas Day games for the 2023-24 season include Celtics vs. Lakers and 76ers vs. Heat, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. According to Nielsen ratings, the NFL on Christmas Day last year averaged 21.9 million viewers over its three-game slate, surpassing the NBA’s 4.34 million audience.

Football remains America’s No. 1 sport. However, NBA games are still enjoyable to watch with family members and friends every Christmas. Other NBA Christmas Day games scheduled in 2023-24 are Bucks vs. Knicks, Warriors vs. Nuggets, and Mavericks vs. Suns.

2023 NBA Christmas Day Games

Bucks vs. Knicks

First off, the New York Knicks will kick off the holiday’s five-game NBA slate at Madison Square Garden, where they will host two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

This will be New York’s third straight Christmas Day appearance. Last year, the Knicks lost 119-112 to the Philadelphia 76ers. Entering the 2023-24 season, Milwaukee has an all-time record of 122-105 in the regular season against New York.

76ers vs. Heat

Following the Bucks-Knicks game, a rematch of the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals will be played at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. During the second round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, the Heat defeated the Sixers in six games to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games.

Celtics vs. Lakers

Next, 2022-23 will mark the eighth straight season the Celtics have played on Christmas Day. Nonetheless, this will be the first time Boston faces off against their arch-nemesis on the holiday since 2008, when the Los Angeles Lakers won 92-83 over the Celtics at Staples Center.

Kevin Garnett led the C’s in scoring with 22 points, whereas Kobe Bryant recorded a team-high 27 points for the Lakers.

Mavericks vs. Suns

Additionally, Mavericks-Suns will be the fourth rivalry matchup this Christmas. This 2022 Western Conference semifinals rematch has a few new additions.

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were teammates with the Brooklyn Nets before being traded to the Suns and Mavericks prior to last season’s Feb. 9 trade deadline.

During the offseason, Phoenix also added Bradley Beal in a blockbuster deal. This will be the Suns’ third Christmas Day game.

Warriors vs. Nuggets

Lastly, Warriors-Nuggets is the final NBA Christmas Day game in 2023. The Golden State Warriors are scheduled to take on the 2023 reigning NBA champions Denver Nuggets. Last season, Denver won its regular-season series against the Warriors 3-1.

Golden State’s largest defeat to the Nuggets in 2022-23 was a seven-point loss on March 7, when Denver won 131-124. More importantly, the Nuggets are 103-85 against the Warriors in the regular season all time.

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