Jimmy Butler III and Al Horford are pacing the Golden State Warriors as they take on the Dallas Mavericks in the third game of our Christmas Day slate on ABC and ESPN.
Enjoy the best of Thursday’s Christmas Day slate with the NBA.com live blog, featuring all of the meaningful moments, performances, observations, news, notes and highlights.
What we know ahead of Thursday’s games:
Merry Christmas! Happy holidays to you and yours.
Our five-game slate continues with Mavericks-Warriors (5 ET), featuring Stephen Curry and Cooper Flagg.
The Knicks won our first game of the holiday 126-124 over the Cavaliers, led by Jalen Brunson (34 pts) and Tyler Kolek (16 pts, 9 ast, game-high +24).
The Spurs defeated the Thunder for the third straight time in the second game, taking this one 117-102 behind 29 points from De’Aaron Fox.
7:30 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Warriors defeat Mavericks
Steph makes it look so easy 😮💨
Clutch triple late in the 4Q for Chef Curry. pic.twitter.com/6REBCMnZ9D
— NBA (@NBA) December 26, 2025
126-116, with seven players in double figures. Stephen Curry led the way with 23 points.
“It’s always a blessing to play… I’m ready to get home,” said Curry. (But) it’s always a blessing to play on this day.”
Curry said the Warriors would strive to build on the win, gaining comfort with the styles of play available to them with him and Jimmy Butler III as offensive focal points.
Cooper Flagg (27 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast) starred for Dallas — a “true hooper,” Curry noted — while Max Christie added 27 of his own.
COOPER FLAGG ONE-HANDED JAM 💥
Gets the 4Q started with a powerful flush!
Watch here: https://t.co/0aGzOGAj1G pic.twitter.com/UWHPoFrE6w
— NBA (@NBA) December 26, 2025
6:55 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Warriors up on Mavericks as third winds down
94-83 Golden State with 3:10 to go in the third. Stephen Curry (18 pts) tops all scorers for the Dubs, including reaching 26,000 points, while Cooper Flagg has 19 points to lead the Mavericks.
26,000 CAREER POINTS FOR STEPH CURRY!
The 22nd player in NBA history to reach that mark 🤩 pic.twitter.com/JBX4zU0UiA
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2025
Kevin Garnett is the next player ahead of Stephen Curry on the scoring list with 26,071 points.
6:20 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Dubs keep dropping threes
71-58 Warriors after two. Horford and Moses Moody are leading the way with 12 points apiece, while Cooper Flagg and Naji Marshall have matched them with 12 each.
Stephen Curry has 10, while Jimmy Butler has 8 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, including this sweet sequence.
Jimmy Butler III making plays on #NBAXmas 🎁
The alley-oop SLAM followed by the corner triple!
Watch here on ABC & ESPN: https://t.co/0aGzOGAj1G pic.twitter.com/Dv3GnOdaZb
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2025
The Warriors are 11-of-27 from three-point range, while the Mavericks are 1-of-5. Golden State’s also got a 14-2 advantage in second chance points.
5:54 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Horford’s hot start leads Dubs
40-28 Warriors after one, led by Al Horford, who racked up 12 points on 4-of-4 three-point shooting.
Merry buckets from Al Horford
📺 #NBAonABC pic.twitter.com/nlPXHSsFdN
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 25, 2025
5:19 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
On to San Francisco
Where Stephen Curry and the Warriors are hosting Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks.
It’s a chance to celebrate the Splash Brothers, who won four titles together for Golden State. Steph (No. 1, with 4,161 made three-pointers) and Klay (No. 5, with 2,774, including 2,481 for the Warriors) are two of the elite shooters of all-time.
Check out the game on ABC and ESPN!
STEPH IS WEARING KLAY’S SHOES 🚨
DAL/GSW is LIVE on ABC & ESPN! pic.twitter.com/ideL3E7PGb
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2025
5:10 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Spurs defeat the Thunder again
For the third time this season, the Spurs have defeated the Thunder, taking this one 117-102.
De’Aaron Fox led the way with 29 points, while Victor Wembanyama added 19 points and 11 rebounds. Stephon Castle also put up 19 points and 7 assists on 8-of-11 shooting.
Wemby in his 2nd #NBAXmas:
👽 19 PTS
👽 11 REB
👽 1 W over OKC
👽 1 electric putback jam pic.twitter.com/xlSjACs59L
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2025
It’s the eighth straight win for the Spurs.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (22 pts) maintained his streak of scoring 20+ points, but couldn’t rally Oklahoma City, which was held to 39 percent shooting.
4:54 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Thunder cut it to 10
108-98 Spurs with 4:08 to go. Can the defending champions mount a comeback? Or will the Spurs take their third straight victory in the season series?
4:40 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
A rack attack from Keldon Johnson
The former Olympic gold medalist helps the Spurs hold off a mini-Thunder rally with this dominant slam.
OH HELLO KELDON JOHNSON 😮
Ending the 3Q in style for the @spurs!
SAS with the lead… Watch here: https://t.co/Bc1q9fP6cz pic.twitter.com/sZPCnPV7XK
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2025
4:28 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Spurs stay in control through three
95-79 after three quarters in Oklahoma City.
Victor Wembanyama (14 pts, 9 reb) has made it tough for the Thunder to get to the rim. He also has the inventiveness to find passes like this — what a player.
Wemby with the dime… Dylan Harper with the JAM.
📺 SAS/OKC on ABC & ESPN pic.twitter.com/3yuRTyB2Eg
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2025
3:49 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
San Antonio leads at the half
It’s been festive for the Spurs in Oklahoma City so far, as they take a 69-60 into the half.
De’Aaron Fox (21 pts on 9-of-11 shooting) has been the story so far, pacing a San Antonio attack that’s shooting 60 percent from the field.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (16 pts) and Jalen Williams (10 pts) are doing their part for the Thunder, but the rest of the Oklahoma City squad hasn’t gotten started, especially on the fast break.
The Spurs have a 15-5 lead in fast break points so far this afternoon.
3:40 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Spurs up on Thunder
After winning the first two games of the season series, the Spurs are again leading the Thunder, up 63-54 with 2:44 to go in the second quarter.
De’Aaron Fox has 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting to pace San Antonio, while reigning Kia NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is up to 15 points on 9 shots.
“DeAaron Fox is on one!” Mark Jones just intoned after the veteran point guard lofted in a floater over Chet Holmgren.
3:06 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Thunder up early on Spurs
34-30, with the Oklahoma City representatives shooting 68.2 percent so far.
Made the space for the Step🔙
Vote Shai on 3×1 Vote Day 💫 https://t.co/0HE3nd0kPx pic.twitter.com/CwnJu6Tufr
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) December 25, 2025
2:47 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Knicks win our opening contest
The sequence at the end of CLE/NYK? Unreal.
KAT flies in for the PUTBACK.
Spida explodes for the BIG-TIME SLAM.
OG responds with the TWO-HANDED JAM.
Knicks secure the dub and complete the 17-pt comeback 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QyJlv0EuWN
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2025
126-124, as Donovan Mitchell’s desperation heave falls just short.
The Knicks pulled off their largest comeback of the season, rallying from 17 down to give New York fans a wonderful Christmas present.
Jalen Brunson (34 pts) led the way for the Knicks, while Jordan Clarkson (25 pts) and Tyler Kolek (16 pts, 9 ast, game-high +24) starred off the bench. New York shot 21-of-44 from three-point range on the afternoon.
TYLER KOLEK WAS UNREAL TODAY!
16 PTS (11 in 4Q)
9 AST
4 3PM
NYK’s 17-PT 4Q comeback is the largest in a #NBAXmas game of the play-by-play era 🚨 pic.twitter.com/CTVG0MDFfD
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2025
Mitchell (34 pts) was the main man for the Cavaliers, bolstered by Darius Garland (21 pts, 10 ast).
2:35 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Knicks and Cavaliers going down to the wire
Catch the finish on ABC and ESPN!
MIKAL BRIDGES FOR THE LEAD.
MSG IS ROCKING RIGHT NOW ‼️
WATCH HERE: https://t.co/nu1j9ysj0u pic.twitter.com/CxKr7nSFZo
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2025
2:00 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Cavs take 12-point lead into the fourth
96-84 Cleveland with a period to go in the opening contest of our Christmas Day slate on ABC and ESPN.
The Cavaliers have six players in double figures, with Jaylon Tyson adding 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter.
JAYLON TYSON HIVE, THIS IS OUR MOMENT pic.twitter.com/dO7aPRVqqa
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) December 25, 2025
Tyson, a native of Allen, TX, was the 20th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. After averaging 3.0 ppg in his rookie season, he’s putting up 13.0 ppg in his second.
1:42 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Cleveland and New York vying for control
Darius Garland finds Donovan Mitchell for the SLAM!
Perfect pass… perfect finish 🤝 pic.twitter.com/1khI63Is54
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2025
It’s a close contest on ABC and ESPN, with Cleveland up 73-71 with 6:52 to go in the third quarter.
Darius Garland (16 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl) has been huge for Cleveland, running the offense after Donovan Mitchell (16 pts) did most of his damage early in the game.
1:17 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Knicks up two at the half
60-58 in a back-and-forth contest on ABC and ESPN.
Jordan Clarkson and Jalen Brunson both have 14 points for the Knicks, who are shooting 45.5 percent from three-point range so far this afternoon.
Darius Garland (13 pts, 4 ast) leads four Cavaliers in double figures. Cleveland led by as many as 15 in the opening quarter.
Clarkson from downtown.
Garland from deep.
Cavs & Knicks locked into a tight one at MSG 🍿 pic.twitter.com/yTiJ8cdYSO
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2025
1:07 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Cavs respond, retake lead
The Cleveland offense is humming again.
A sweet bounce pass from Darius Garland finds Evan Mobley for a slam, putting the Cavaliers back ahead at 54-53.
1:00 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Knicks take the lead
The New York rally continues! It’s 47-46 Knicks with 5:22 to go in the half on ABC and ESPN.
12:53 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Knicks battle back in the second
41-38 Cavaliers with 7:50 to go in the second quarter.
Clarkson has 11 points in 10:11 so far, pacing New York’s comeback as they open the period on a 15-3 run.
Jordan Clarkson’s 3rd triple of the game 👌
9 points in 8 minutes of action! pic.twitter.com/sdMmuAvEvB
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2025
12:35 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Mickey’s a baller
For you young ballers, and those young at heart, check out the Dunk The Halls broadcast, featuring Drew Carter and Monica McNutt on the call.
Mickey Mouse making plays for his team early 👏
Watch Dunk the Halls on ESPN2, ESPN App, Disney+, Disney Channel, and Disney XD. pic.twitter.com/wj9EYkgTn9
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2025
12:20 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Cavaliers race out to early lead
It’s 16-3 Cleveland, as Donovan Mitchell (10 pts) sparks an early surge to start our slate.
Karl-Anthony Towns picked up two quick fouls, easing the path for the Cavs.
12:00 PM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Go inside the warm confines of Madison Square Garden
Jalen Brunson is getting ready for the Cavaliers, as fans cluster inside to escape the winter chill and celebrate some holiday cheer.
Coming up next!
CHRISTMAS DAY HOOPS AT MSG 🗽
Watch Jalen Brunson (29.1 PPG) warmup ahead of #NBAXmas action vs. the Cavs!
CLE/NYK I 12:00 PM ET on ABC, ESPN, Disney+
(music by @unitedmasters) https://t.co/NXFtybZlPd
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2025
Karl-Anthony Towns has some Christmas tidings for you.
KAT is ready for some #NBAXmas hoops 🏀
Watch Cavs-Knicks at 12 PM ET on ABC, ESPN and the ESPN App pic.twitter.com/plkloSgtT8
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 25, 2025
11:45 AM / DECEMBER 25, 2025
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!
It’s one of the best days on the NBA calendar, featuring five fabulous contests. Grab some eggnog, settle in and enjoy the festive cheer.
We’ve got key storylines and stats to know as stocking stuffers ahead of today’s action. All the games are coming to you live on ABC and ESPN.
Here’s the complete slate: