Hoops fans are always thrilled — thrilled, I tell ya — when the NBA Christmas games schedule hits the streets, as the five-game slate is a beloved showcase for the NBA's best teams going head-to-head.
It's also a relief for fantasy basketball players, because what better time to create the dream PrizePicks NBA lineup than over a glass of egg nog and under the mistletoe on NBA Christmas Day?
So let’s kick it off at the Mecca of Basketball with the 2025 NBA Christmas games schedule, with fantasy basketball storylines to follow for every game.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks – 12 p.m. ET
2024-25 Regular Season Head-to-Head: Series tied 1-1
The Skinny: Jalen Brunson. Donovan Mitchell. The Garden. Yes. Please. Thank you.
Cavs vs. Knicks: Player to Watch for Fantasy
(Horrible metaphor incoming!) When Cleveland’s frontcourt of PF Evan Mobley and C Jarrett Allen are healthy, they’re a fantasy nightmare, consistently stuffing the box score like a Christmas turkey. (See? Horrible metaphor.)
San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder – 2:30 p.m. ET
2024-25 Regular Season Head-to-Head: Oklahoma City won series 2-0
The Skinny: Okay, this might be a tad premature, but…2028 Western Conference Finals preview? C Victor Wembanyama and the Baby Spurs are, indeed, a season or three away from competing for the NBA Southwest Division title, let alone a trip to the Big Dance, but the third-year man from France is a force, so bask in the glory of watching him swat a G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander floater into the fifth row.
Spurs vs. Thunder: Players to Watch for Fantasy
G Devin Vassell. After adding rookie G Dylan Harper to a roster featuring All-Star G De’Aaron Fox and reigning Rookie of the Year G Stephon Castle, the Spurs have themselves a logjam in the backcourt , which will be partly solved by shifting Swiss Army knife Vassell to the three-spot. Granted, he’ll be matched up with defensive nightmare F Jalen Williams — nobody’s idea of an NBA Christmas Day gift — but he’ll certainly be worth PrizePicks picking consideration.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors – 5 p.m. ET
2024-25 Regular Season Head-to-Head: Dallas won series 2-1
The Skinny: Out with the old (Steph Curry) and in with the new (Cooper Flagg). Okay, maybe it’s too early to send the 37-year-old Curry to an old folks home, but Flagg’s arrival does coincide with the beginning of Curry’s march towards retirement, so watch them go face-to-face while you can, as the opportunities to do so are dwindling by the second.
Mavericks vs. Warriors: Fantasy Player to Watch
Is this the G Klay Thompson revenge performance we’ve been waiting for? In 2024-25, Thompson performed admirably against the team with whom he won four championships, putting up 19.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in their three 2024-25 clashes, digits that were notably higher than his season averages of 14.0 points, 3.4 boards, and 2.8 dimes. But he didn’t have one of those Klay Thompson Games in which he hit a zillion threes in a single quarter. That’d make for a fun NBA Christmas Day (or, more accurately, Christmas Night) dinner, eh?
Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers – 8 p.m. ET
2024-25 Regular Season Head-to-Head: Los Angeles won series 2-1
The Skinny: LeBron vs. K.D. Luka vs. Flagg. West contender vs. West contender. Yummy.
Rockets vs. Lakers: Player to Watch for Fantasy
F Kevin Durant has the 13th highest usage percentage in NBA history (30.09%), but unless you share the floor with, say, G Trae Young, basketball is a team sport, and it’s inevitable that somebody on Durant’s Rockets will score a point, or get a rebound, or dish out an assist. All-Star C Alperen Sengun is a candidate to do just that.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets – 10:30 p.m. ET
2024-25 Regular Season Head-to-Head: Denver won series 2-1
The Skinny: A Nikola Jokic/Stephen Curry stare-down would make for a way better dessert than the fruitcake that’s been sitting in the cupboard since last December, amirite?
Timberwolves vs. Nuggets: Fantasy Players to Watch
Cam Johnson is the one to watch here. Landing the former Brooklyn Nets forward in exchange for F Michael Porter Jr. was arguably the NBA’s best under-the-radar move of the summer. While Porter was a perfectly fine player in Denver, he was less versatile than the former Tar Heel, especially when it comes to filling the stat sheet. Porter can get buckets, but Johnson can do everything, and with a championship-level team, he’ll have the opportunity to be a fantasy beast.
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