© Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Report: The Milwaukee Bucks will play the New York Knicks on Christmas Day next season
For the sixth straight season, the Milwaukee Bucks will play on Christmas Day. Even though the schedule of the NBA 2023-24 season has yet to be released, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Bucks will be in New York to play the Knicks in one of the five games scheduled on Christmas Day.
According to the report, the other Christmas Day duels will have the Philadelphia Sixers versus the Miami Heat, the Boston Celtics versus the LA Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks versus the Phoenix Suns, and the Golden State Warriors versus the defending champions Denver Nuggets.
Familiar Christmas Day foe
Interestingly, Milwaukee’s streak of six straight Christmas Day games started with a duel with New York when the Bucks defeated the Knicks, 109-95, in 2018. That 14-point win was also Giannis Antetokounmpo’s first Christmas Day game. Giannis did not disappoint in his Christmas Day game debut as he powered the Bucks in that one-sided win with 30 points, 14 rebounds, four steals, and two blocks.
Overall, the Bucks are appearing on its 10th Christmas Day game. Milwaukee had its first Christmas Day in 1968 against the Detroit Pistons, and they have gone 5-4 in Christmas Day games.
New York, on the other hand, is a regular fixture on Christmas Day games after having played 55 times on the holiday. The Knicks have gone 23-31 on Christmas Day matches.
A new-look coaching staff
The Bucks will have a retooled coaching staff in the coming season. Milwaukee will be steered by former NBA player Adrian Griffin, who replaced the dismissed Mike Budenholzer.
Budenholzer was fired shortly after the top-seeded Bucks lost to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs in what was the biggest upset in recent NBA history.
The Bucks have kept their core intact for the next season as they will still have Antetokounmpo playing alongside Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton, and Bobby Portis Jr.
