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Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama (center) will match up in Oklahoma City on Christmas Day.<\/p>\n
Since the moment the 2025-26 NBA regular season schedule was revealed, the Christmas Day schedule<\/a> has been one to keep in mind.<\/p>\n It\u2019s one of the few times of the year when, from Noon ET to 10:30 p.m. ET, there will be constant NBA action.<\/p>\n From elite matchups at MSG to the legendary stars suiting up, these are four of the key storylines to know for Christmas Day.<\/p>\n 1. New-look Knicks take on Cavaliers Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks take on the Cavs to get the Christmas Day slate started.<\/p>\n When the New York Knicks faced the San Antonio Spurs last Christmas, it was Mikal Bridges who scored for a season-high 41 points.<\/p>\n But this Knicks team, which just won the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup<\/a>, is not the same as the one a year before.<\/p>\n This matchup (Noon ET, ABC & ESPN<\/a>) calls for another big moment where Jalen Brunson has shone. He holds the fourth-highest scoring game by a Knick on Christmas, scoring 38 points<\/a> back in 2023.<\/p>\n Except for losing Precious Achiuwa, Cameron Payne and a few others in free agency, the biggest change was coach Mike Brown. He has elevated the Knicks\u2019 offense by utilizing their bench depth, with the\u00a0Emirates NBA Cup Final serving as a prime example.<\/p>\n Brown gave significant minutes down the stretch to Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson and Mitchell Robinson, who impacted the game in their own ways. Kolek was the secondary ball-handler next to Brunson. Clarkson knocked down huge 3-pointers to swing momentum and Robinson secured offensive rebounds for second-chance opportunities.<\/p>\n The Knicks are No. 2 in the East and have jump-started their campaign to become elite contenders with their Emirates NBA Cup title.<\/p>\n As for the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell is still playing at an All-NBA level, ranking in the top five in scoring at 30.7 ppg. Evan Mobley continues to be a consistent second option with 19.1 ppg and 9.3 rpg, but will miss the Christmas Day game due to a left calf strain<\/a>.<\/p>\n Injuries and a tougher schedule have taken a toll on the Cavaliers as they sit No. 7 in the Eastern Conference.<\/p>\n Spurs, Thunder set to meet again<\/p>\n Victor Wembanyama and Keldon Johnson fuel the Spurs’ 130-110 win vs. OKC that gives San Antonio its 7th straight win.<\/p>\n In a new era of stars, it seems the NBA has gotten another rivalry: Chet Holmgren vs. Victor Wembanyama as the Spurs take on the Thunder (2:30 p.m. ET, ABC & ESPN<\/a>).<\/p>\n Both are similar archetypes of players: they are 7-foot unicorns who were top-three Draft picks, have guard-like abilities and are a matchup nightmare for opponents.<\/p>\n Wembanyama wasn\u2019t keyed in on Holmgren before their Emirates NBA Cup West Semifinals matchup, mentioning that Kia MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the main focus of the Spurs\u2019 scouting.<\/p>\n \u201cThe MVP is on that court,\u201d Wembanyama said. \u201cHe\u2019s our main focus. Anybody is hard to guard when the MVP is on the court.\u201d<\/p>\n Holmgren, however, gave Wembanyama credit before that game.<\/p>\n \u201c(He) does things that other lineups don\u2019t replicate. It definitely changes the game,\u201d Holmgren said. \u201cIt changes how they play, it changes how we have to play them.\u201d<\/p>\n The Spurs played the Thunder twice already this season, winning both matchups.<\/p>\n In the Spurs\u2019 111-109<\/a> win on Dec. 16, they snapped the Thunder\u2019s 16-game win streak. Wembanyama\u2019s return from a 12-game absence proved to be the difference-maker, finishing with 21 points and nine rebounds.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, the Spurs handed the Thunder their biggest loss<\/a> of the season, extending their seven-game win streak.<\/p>\n Last Christmas, Wembanyama became the only active player to score at least 40 points in his Christmas debut (42 points).<\/p>\n Veteran stars in Christmas spotlight<\/p>\n Watch some of Kevin Durant’s best baskets from his Christmas Day games.<\/p>\n Christmas Day marks the ninth time LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are all playing on the holiday.<\/p>\n Curry will face up against Mavs rookie phenom Cooper Flagg for the first time this season (5 p.m. ET, ABC & ESPN<\/a>). Curry has\u00a0some experience in Christmas Day games: he\u2019s played in 10 of them, and he averages 15.6 ppg in those games. He is also tied for the most 3-pointers in a Christmas Day game (eight).<\/p>\n Flagg recently made history<\/a> as the youngest player to score 40 or more points, eclipsing James\u2019 mark.<\/p>\n Additionally, on Tuesday<\/a>, he became the fourth player in NBA history to record multiple regular-season games with 30+ points, five-plus rebounds and five-plus assists at age 19 or younger, joining James, Luka Don\u010di\u0107 and Kevin Durant.<\/p>\n As the scene shifts to Los Angeles (8 p.m. ET, ABC & ESPN<\/a>), it\u2019ll be the fifth time James & Durant face each other on Christmas Day. Their last matchup was in 2018, and James has a 3-1 lead over Durant on Christmas. James is playing in his 20th Christmas Day game, while Durant suits up for his 11th.<\/p>\n James and Durant haven\u2019t played each other since the 2023 SoFi Play-In Tournament, when Durant was still with the Phoenix Suns.<\/p>\n James leads the head-to-head matchup between he and Durant (24-19), and this game could be a statement win for two teams with championship expectations.<\/p>\n Edwards vs. Joki\u0107 awaits in nightcap<\/p>\n The Nuggets and Wolves put on a classic showdown in April of 2025.<\/p>\n On April Fool\u2019s Day, the Timberwolves and Nuggets delivered an iconic regular-season game.<\/p>\n
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