Full list of 2024 Christmas Day NBA games: How to Watch
Games held by the National Basketball Association (NBA) on Christmas Day, December 25, have been an annual tradition since the league's second season in 1947. Since 2008, five games have been played on Christmas. Unlike the National Football League (NFL)'s traditional Thanksgiving Day games, the NBA's Christmas Day games have no fixed opponents; rather, they feature some of the best teams and players.
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| NBA on Christmas Day is when the stars shine brightest. Look back at the star-studded list of players who have performed the best on Dec. 25. |
2024 NBA Christmas Day Game Schedule
San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks - 12 p.m. (ESPN)
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks - 2:30 p.m. (ABC)
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics - 5 p.m. (ABC)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors - 8 p.m. (ABC)
Denver Nuggets vs. Phoenix Suns - 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
| The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers will meet on Christmas Day for the first time since 2008. That game 15 years ago was a rematch of the previous season’s NBA Finals, with the Lakers snapping the defending NBA champion Celtics’ 19-game winning streak and Phil Jackson recording his 1,000th victory as a head coach. |
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NBA on Christmas Day: Results from 2023
New York Knicks 129 vs. Milwaukee Bucks 122 (Madison Square Garden)
Denver Nuggets 120 vs. Golden State Warriors 114 (Ball Arena)
Boston Celtics 126 vs. Los Angeles Lakers 115 (Crypto.com Arena)
Miami Heat 119 vs. Philadelphia 76ers 113 (Kaseya Center)
Dallas Mavericks 128 vs. Phoenix Suns 114 (Footprint Center)
Most total points on Christmas Day
LeBron James: 460 points
Kobe Bryant: 395 points
Oscar Robertson: 377 points
Dwyane Wade: 314 points
Kevin Durant: 299 points
| The Lakers have the most team victories on Christmas Day with 24, one more than the Knicks (23). |
How can I watch the NBA Christmas games for free?
For 2024, it was originally announced that only the middle three of the five Christmas games were going to be ABC/ESPN simulcasts, and the first and last games were only to be televised on ESPN.
However, in October 2024, it was announced that all five games will be ABC/ESPN simulcasts like in 2022, in a similar manner of counterprogramming the Netflix-exclusive NFL games.
In November 2024, it was further announced that ESPN2, ESPN+, and Disney+ will show an alternate broadcast of the first game, San Antonio Spurs–New York Knicks, that will use Hawk-Eye and other Sony-owned technology to render a live animated version of the contest portrayed by Mickey Mouse universe characters.
Disney+ and ESPN+ will also stream the traditional broadcasts of all five games.
When did the NBA start Christmas Day games?
Christmas Day games have been an NBA tradition since its second season in 1947. Starting in 1995, the defending NBA champions have been part of the day’s slate of games. In 2008, the schedule increased to five games.
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