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NBA's Slate of 2025 Christmas Day Games Is Set
NBA games on Christmas Day is one of the biggest traditions in the sport. This year, there will be five games showcased on the holiday.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported the five games on the slate for Christmas. Unsurprisingly, the Los Angeles Lakers will play on the holiday for a 27th straight year, this time against the Houston Rockets.
Although the Lakers are on a long streak of playing on Christmas, the New York Knicks have actually played on Christmas the most in NBA history. They'll make their 58th appearance this year when they face the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The remaining three games include the 2025 NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder competing against the San Antonio Spurs, the Dallas Mavericks playing the Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves facing the Denver Nuggets.
One notable team missing from this year's Christmas Day lineup is the Boston Celtics. The 2024 champions have played on the holiday every year since 2015.
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Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.