The Christmas is synonymous with parties, family, gifts, but also NBA. Every December 25, the best league in the world manages to be the protagonist of the world of sports thanks to a day that has become a unavoidable date. Nobody wants to miss a single game and thus enjoy an unforgettable day with the biggest stars of the competition.
In this 2022 the menu for the day of Christmas It is unbeatable, these are the schedules of the meetings:
| Local | Visitor | Time (MX, ET, AR, ES) |
|---|---|---|
| New York Knicks | Philadelphia 76ers | 11:00 | 12:00 | 14:00 | 18:00 |
| Dallas Mavericks | Los Angeles Lakers | 13:30 | 14:30 | 16:30 | 20:30 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Boston Celtics | 16:00 | 17:00 | 19:00 | 23:00 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | Golden State Warriors | 19:00 | 20:00 | 22:00 | 2:00 |
| Phoenix Suns | Denver Nuggets | 21:30 | 22:30 | 0:30 | 4:30 |
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Five duels with a long past involved and where no one will want to give up on such an important date.
So it’s time to search five stories for five games on Christmas day in the NBA.
Madison, scene of a classic duel
When everything seemed to be fading away, the Knicks have managed to save their season by returning to their origins and unleashing their central core and youngsters. Tom Thibodeau’s men are one of the teams of the moment in the league, which have reached accumulate 8 wins in a rowits highest for almost two years.
The New Yorkers are laying the groundwork to be a playoff team again, no easy task considering the state of the East and the fact that other rivals are likely to take off in the near future. One of those are the 76erstheir rivals at Christmas, which injuries have prevented them from showing their full potential so far.
Circumstance that does not subtract an iota of merit from the performance of a Joel Embiid sublime. The Cameroonian is the top scorer in the NBA and only in 3 of the last 10 games has he not scored at least 30 points.
Doncic vs. LeBron, the generational duel
Each LeBron against Doncic is a gift as were those duels between Kobe Bryant y Michael Jordan o Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain. The history of the NBA is understood from dualisms, confrontations and times of domination.
Although James’ prime is over, he is still one of the most impactful players in the game. For his part, Luka is currently among the greatest in the league and is walking steadily towards the conquest of the coveted MVP.
The way that both understand and develop the game has many similarities. are two players cut by an almost identical pattern and their differences are much less than what unites them.
This will be the eighth time that Doncic and LeBron meet in a Regular Season match and although the balance plays in favor of the teacher (6-2)the Mavs are favorites this season.
Face to face for the MVP between Tatum and Antetokounmpo
series of 2022 conference semifinals between Celtics and Bucks will go on to be remembered as one of the best playoffs of the last decade. The greens were nothing short of being left out against a Milwaukee that lacked Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez still with physical problems. All this merit of a Giannis Antetokounmpo who bordered on perfection.
Months after that many things have changed. Boston is now led by Joe Mazzulla and Jayson Tatum has stepped forward to confirm himself as a leader capable of anything. The Bucks are a supernova at both ends of the field, especially back, where they smother their opponents to the max.
Beyond all this, all eyes will be on two players: Giannis and Tatum. These are two of the main candidates to win the MVP of this season. The level of both is being very high, which guarantees that the fight between the two on Christmas day will be memorable.
The Greek has always managed to get past the young star, the best example being the 11 of 16 shots from the field that he scored in the past Playoffs. On the opposite side, Tatum was limited to 34.3% when he defended him.
With everything that the figure of the Celtics has worked in the offseason I’m sure this game won’t be one more for him.
Morant, seeking revenge against the Warriors
Another of the proper names of this season is I Morant. The force of nature Memphis Grizzlies He has raised his level of play and physique even more, putting his team once again in the elite of the Western Conference.
The painting bears his name and is the first base of volume in success in the surroundings of the hoop with 60%. It all starts with Morant and everything works thanks to him, acting as an amplifier of a system that values the game in transition, verticality and speed of execution.
Memphis’ presence on this day will mark a milestone in their brief but intense history, since it will be the first time they play on Christmas Day. And what better way to do it than against those who were their executioners in the past Playoffs? Unlike in the postseason, now it is the Warriors who have physical problems, with Stephen Curry out indefinitely, like Andrew Wiggins. All this while the defending champions fight to stay at 50% wins.
Morant is the name to follow in a game in which he can leave numbers to remember.
Confrontation of applicants as a climax
The schedule and the accumulation of games can make many put this meeting aside to see it the next day. Big mistake. The visit of the Denver Nuggets a Phoenix Suns It is an unmissable duel for various reasons.
In the first place it is a face to face between two of the main aspirants in the Western Conference. Two teams with depth, happy in the offensive and that never disappoint on the dates indicated.
secondly Nikola Jokic is going through a period of excessive brilliance. The Serb has once again entered the MVP conversation on his own and right now Basketball Reference gives him a 44% chance of winning it, something historic to happen.
By last, the Suns have a lot to prove to the world. The failure of the past Playoffs, the irregularity of this campaign and the clashes that emerge from time to time suggest that they need a victory of this type.
The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
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