The 2026-27 NBA schedule is slowly leaking out before it is fully released on Thursday. So far, we know about the opening night triple-header, which includes the New York Knicks getting their championship rings in front of LeBron James in his Philadelphia 76ers debut, and also another San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder showdown. For as good as opening night is, the Christmas schedule is even better.
So many of the league’s biggest stars will be on display on Christmas day, from Victor Wembanyama to LeBron James to Giannis Antetokounmpo to Luka Doncic to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Anthony Edwards to Nikola Jokic to Stephen Curry. There’s five games on the Christmas slate, and not even the biggest NBA diehard can watch them all. We’re here to help.
Let’s rank every game on Christmas day from least-watchable to most-watchable. It’s never too early to start planning your holiday so you can fit in some basketball.
Curry and Jokic are always brilliant. So why is this game last? The late night start time is the first factor, because after a long day with family it might be hard to make it through this game for those on Eastern or Central time. There’s also the pesky fact that both of these franchises feel like they’re going in the wrong direction. I see the Warriors as a lottery team in our early power rankings, and they’re already talking about this season like a gap year. The Nuggets just got bounced in the first-round of the playoffs, and haven’t done anything to improve the team over the summer. I might look like a fool for this ranking when Curry and Jokic pop off, but for now I’m putting this as the skippable Christmas game.
The Boston Celtics almost traded for Giannis this summer. The Miami Heat actually did. This is another chapter in the defining rivalry of the Eastern Conference in the 2020s with both franchises still in the early stages of retooling after some big offseason moves. The best thing about Heat-Celtics is that each team has an entrenched identity. Joe Mazzulla’s Celtics are the ultimate math-ball team, and will be bombing away from three. Erik Spoelstra’s Miami squad is defined by Heat Culture, with toughness and defense taking centerstage. This should be a good contrast of styles in the early afternoon session.
LeBron goes back to LA for Christmas to see family and play his former team, the Lakers. This game should feature tons of offense, with James, Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and maybe Joel Embiid running up the score as Luka and Austin Reaves try to keep pace. New Lakers center Walker Kessler is going to be fighting for his life to try to keep Philly away from the rim, but that’s where Maxey’s movement shooting can get you. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Luka pick apart what should be a spotty Philly defense, especially if Embiid is out. This one should have plenty of fireworks.
The Wolves traded for LaMelo Ball over the offseason, in the process making a bold bet that the best way to try to take down the Thunder and Spurs is with high-volume pull-up three-point shooting. Ball and Anthony Edwards are among the best off-the-dribble shooters from deep in the league, and it will be fascinating to see them try to solve the might OKC defense with tough shot-making. I’m also interested in seeing how Chet Holmgren responds in a spotlight game. He has been excellent when he’s not playing Victor Wembanyama, but it feels like he needs to re-establish himself as an elite player this season after such a terrible performance in the Western Conference Finals. This is also a big opportunity for the Thunder youngsters like Bennett Stirtz, Nikola Topic, and Aday Mara in a national TV game against an elite opponent. I predict we see this series in the playoffs, and not in the first round.
1. San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks at noon
The Knicks always seem to have the noon game on Christmas, and this year it’s an NBA Finals rematch. Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs head back to Madison Square Garden to try to avenge their frustrating Finals loss from last season, and both rosters mostly remain intact. All eyes will be on Wemby as he tries to take over in the Garden, but it sure feels like the Knicks unlocked something special last season that could sustain into this year. The Finals might have ended in five games, but that was some of the best basketball we’ve witnessed since LeBron led the 3-1 comeback over the Warriors in 2016. I can’t wait to see the next chapter.
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