The Christmas it is synonymous with parties, family, gifts, but also nba. Every December 25, the best league in the world manages to be the star of the sports world thanks to a day that has become inevitable 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 his day Christmas It’s unbeatable, these are the Program of meetings:
| Local | Visitor | Time (MX, ET, AR, ES) |
|---|---|---|
| New York Knicks | Philadelphia 76ers | 11:00 | 12:00 | 2:00 p.m. | 18:00 |
| Dallas Mavericks | Los Angeles Lakers | 1:30 p.m. | 2:30 p.m. | 4:30 p.m. | 20:30 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Boston Celtics | 4:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 7:00 p.m. | 23:00 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | Golden State Warriors | 7:00 p.m. | 20:00 | 22:00 | 2:00 |
| Phoenix Sans | Denver Nuggets | 9:30 p.m. | 10:30 p.m. | 0:30 | 4:30 |
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Five duels with a long history involved that no one will want to give up on such an important date.
So it’s time to search five stories for five games Christmas Day in the NBA.
Madison, scene of a classic duel
When everything seemed to be fading, the Knicks managed to salvage their season by going back to their roots and unleashing their core and youth. Tom Thibodeau’s men are one of the teams of the moment in the league, who have arrived collect 8 wins in a rowit is the highest for almost two years.
The New Yorkers are building the foundation to be a playoff team again, which is no easy feat considering the state of the East and the fact that other contenders are likely to take off in the near future. One of them is the 76 year oldstheir opponents at Christmas, who injuries have prevented them from showing their full potential so far.
Circumstance which does not detract an iota of value from the performance of a Joel Embiid sublime. The Cameroonian is the leading scorer in the NBA and in only 3 of the last 10 games has he not scored at least 30 points.
Doncic vs. LeBron, the duel of the generations
Every LeBron vs. Doncic is a gift as are the duels between them Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan either Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain. The history of the NBA is understood by dualisms, confrontations and periods of dominance.
Although James’ prime is over, he’s still one of the most impressive players in the game. For his part, Luca is currently one of the best in the league and is steadily on his way to winning the coveted MVP.
The way they understand and develop the game has many similarities. it’s two players cut with almost the same pattern and their differences are much less than what unites them.
This will be the eighth time Doncic and LeBron have met in a regular season game and although the balance is in favor of the teacher (6-2)the mavs are favorites this season.
Tatum and Antetokounmpo head-to-head for MVP
series of 2022 Conference Semifinals between the Celtics and the Bucks will be remembered as one of them the best playoffs of the last decade. The Greens weren’t left out at all against a Milwaukee team that was missing Khris Middleton and the still-injured Brook Lopez. All this value of a Giannis Antetokounmpo that bordered on perfection.
Months after that a lot has changed. Boston is now led by Joe Mazzulla and Jayson Tatum has stepped up to assert himself as a leader who can do anything. The Bucks are supernovas on both ends of the court, especially back, where they suffocate their opponents to the max.
Beyond all that, all eyes will be on two players: Giannis and Tatum. These are two of the main contenders to win this season’s MVP. The level of both is very high, which guarantees that the battle between the two on Christmas Day will be one to remember.
The Greek has always been able to outplay the young star, best exemplified by his 11-of-16 shooting from the field in the previous Playoffs. On the other side, Tatum was limited to 34.3% when defending him.
With everything the Celtics figure has worked on out of season I’m sure this game won’t be another for him.
Morant, looking for revenge against the Warriors
Another of this season’s proper names is Ja Morad. The power of nature Memphis Grizzlies He has raised his game level and physique even further, putting his team among the elite of the Western Conference once again.
The table bears his name and is the first volume basis in success in the crown environment with 60%. It all starts with Morant, and it all works because of him, acting as a booster of a system that values the game in transition, verticality and speed of execution.
The presence of Memphis on this day will mark a milestone in their short but intense history, as it will be the first time they play on Christmas Day. And what better way to do it than against their executioners in previous Playoffs? Unlike in the postseason, now it’s the Warriors who are physically challenged, with Stephen Curry out indefinitely, as is Andrew Wiggins. All this while the defending champions struggle to stay within 50% of wins.
Morant is the name to follow in a game where he can put up numbers to remember.
The confrontation of the applicants as a climax
The schedule and the backlog of games may cause many to put this meeting aside to watch it the next day. Big mistake. His visit Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns It’s a can’t-lose duel for a number of reasons.
First, it’s a head-to-head between two of the main contenders in the Western Conference. Two teams with depth, happy in attack and who never disappoint on the dates listed.
Secondly Nikola Jokic going through a period of excessive brilliance. The Serb has once again entered the MVP conversation on his own, and Basketball Reference currently gives him a 44% chance of winning it, a historic feat.
Last, the Suns have a lot to prove to the world. The failure of the previous Playoffs, the irregularity of this campaign and the conflicts that appear from time to time suggest that they need a win of this type.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
