Christmas is always a special day on the NBA calendar. The best teams in the country battle it out in five consecutive games as the rest of the world enjoys all of the festivities. The league’s biggest superstars shine bright like expensive decorations on a tree in this annual showpiece.
The first game of the day saw the New York Knicks host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks came back to beat the Cavaliers 126-124 despite an inspired performance from Donovan Mitchell – one that was filled with jaw-dropping dunks and shot-making. Jalen Brunson invariably leads this talented yet resilient group by being “clutch” and simply scoring whenever the game is on the line.
Eight days prior, the men from the Big Apple won the NBA Cup. The 3rd edition of the league’s in-season tournament was added to bring excitement to the early part of a long 82-game season. They played well, advancing through the group phase, beating the Toronto Raptors in the quarter-finals, winning against Orlando Magic in the semi-finals, and then being the victors against the San Antonio Spurs in the finals which were hosted in Las Vegas. Each main roster player and coach earned $530 000 in the process.
French Giant and shot blocking machine Victor Wembanyama missed the game due to family circumstances. However, he returned on 25 December with 19 points and 11 rebounds off the bench as the Spurs defeated Oklahoma City Thunder 117-102. This further proves the Spurs’ case of being the reigning champions’ kryptonite.
This super team, led by the 2025 regular season and finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is once again set to mount a serious title challenge. After 37 games, they held a win percentage of just over 81%. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged an efficient 31.6 points per game at that stage, and in the Netflix series Starting 5, he famously said that if he scored less than 30 points, he had a bad game
The third game of the day saw youth take on experience when Cooper Flagg, Rookie of the Year favourite and number one pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, made his Christmas debut. In his way stood a team of veterans led by Stephen Curry, who was playing in his 12th Christmas Day game. The Golden State Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 126-116 – one of the few highlights in a disappointing season for the Warriors so far.
Flagg scored 27 points, joining LeBron James as the only rookies to score 25 or more points during a Christmas Day game. Curry added that the “league is in good hands” in his post-game interview following Flagg’s performance. This should console Maverick fans who were left outraged and shocked by the blockbuster trade of 2025.
Dallas traded away franchise player Luka Dončić for an injury-prone and older Anthony Davis. Nico Harrison, the former General Manager of the team, has since been released as a result of this move. Davis left the game and did not return in the second quarter due to a groin injury.
Dončić leads the league in scoring, averaging over 33 points per game at the time of recording. James, Dončić, and the Lakers hosted the Houston Rockets, led by Kevin Durant, in the penultimate game of the day. Houston’s Amen Thompson finished with 26 points as the Rockets came out on top with an impressive score of 119-96.
Both teams held an identical record of 22-11 after 33 games. The Lakers have struggled as stars LeBron James, Luka Dončić, and Austin Reeves have hardly played together. Even though they have their defense as a team, that has remained a thorn in their side.
Kevin Durant has enjoyed a good start to life in Houston after being traded to the Rockets from the Phoenix Suns. Durant scored a game-winning dagger against the Suns on 6 January to seal a 100-97 victory for the team. Point guard Fred VanVleet remains out of action due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Two teams that did not feature in the holiday schedule are the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics. The Pistons, for one, are surely a bit of a fairytale story. In 2024, the Pistons finished the season in last place in the Eastern Conference. Fast forward to 2026, and they are sitting solidly in first place. Superstar point guard Cade Cunningham is a smooth operator. His partnership with center Jalen Duran continues to flourish as Detroit reaches new heights.
The 2024 champions, the Boston Celtics, have exceeded all expectations. After Jason Tatum suffered a ruptured achilles injury in May 2025, most people left the Celtics off their lists of contenders. However, Jaylen Brown has stepped up in his absence. The 2024 Finals MVP averaged 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists per game to lead the Celtics to 2nd in the Eastern Conference after 35 games. The highlight of his season so far is a 50-point performance to lead his side to victory over the LA Clippers.
The NBA regular season is a slow burner – 82 games over a period of 9 months, with a game almost every other day at times. Every chapter has an enticing final page in the form of the NBA Cup, Christmas Day, the All-Star Game, the Play-In, and finally, the Playoffs.
Next up, you can hopefully look forward to a new and improved All Star Game on 15 February. Hollywood will once again be the stage for this show as Los Angeles will host the event. This year’s format will see the US take on the rest of the world. The likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant can reunite with their gold medal-winning team to potentially face off against Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The 2025/2026 season is shaping up to be another all-time page-turner!
Visual: Jemma Thomson
