Warriors game day: Can Golden State outlast Cleveland on Christmas
Channel: NEWS AND VEDIOS
Date: 2017-12-25

Warriors game day: Can Golden State outlast Cleveland on Christmas?
It’s the matchup you’ve all been waiting for! The Warriors and Cavaliers will renew their years-long rivalry on Christmas day and you can watch all of the action right here!

After battling in three consecutive NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors will continue their epic rivalry on Christmas day! They will hit the Warriors home court in the Bay Area, at Oracle Arena at 3 PM ET, where Stephen Curry, 29, will not play, as he is still rehabbing a sprained ankle he suffered a few weeks back. Warriors coach, Steve Kerr, 52, said it would be “irresponsible” to play Curry on Christmas day.

“The guy hasn’t even had a 3-on-3 game, right?” Kerr said via NBA.com. “So if we weren’t playing Cleveland on Christmas and I told you Steph hasn’t played in a 3-on-3 game, hasn’t had any contact at all and the game is 48 hours from now, you’d say, ‘oh, Steph’s not going to play. But because of the magnitude of the game, everybody wants to know. But we can’t let that affect our judgment. He can’t play. That would be completely irresponsible if he did.” However, despite Curry’s sprained ankle, Kerr did admit that his workouts have been going well. “I’ve been really encouraged by his workouts,” Kerr said. “Moving well. Looks like he’s gaining confidence.

Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant and Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James in 1st quarter of Game 2 of NBA Finals at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, June 4, 2017.
Christmas is finally here, and there's a full day of NBA basketball to accompany all of the gifts, food, and family. You can follow along with all of the action right here, and in our updating live blog, which you can find below. 
Fans are still awaiting the highly anticipated return of Cleveland’s Isaiah Thomas, 28, who is still on the sidelines recovering from a longtime hip injury. The Cavs have been adamant about not rushing Thomas’ return. Thomas has recently been participating in pre-game warmups, which has excited fans for a quicker return. Although Thomas and Curry won’t be hitting the floor on December 25, their absence won’t take away the anticipation of watching the NBA’s two biggest rivals. LeBron James, 32, and Kevin Durant, 29, will go head-to-head, for what’s sure to be an entertaining matchup.

Speaking of James, he’s been playing at an MVP level this season; putting up career field goal numbers and nearly averaging a triple-double. He’s admitted that in his 15th season, this is the best he’s ever felt in his career. Nonetheless, Durant has been playing some of the best ball of his career this season.

After going 5-7, the Cavs, in true form, turned it up a little later than other teams, and won 19 of their next 21 games; reassuring fans that they are indeed title contenders. The Warriors have continued to impress throughout the season, despite losing quite a few players to injuries. But, the young rook, Jordan Bell, 22, has been filling in and fitting in quite nicely with his Championship team.

Both the Warriors and Cavs have been downplaying their rivalry in pre-Christmas day matchup interviews. However, fans are still buzzing about today’s game at their usual level of excitement, which is higher than ever! The Warriors and Cavs have both won their last two Christmas Day games; with each team winning at home. The two teams will meet again in Cleveland on Jan. 15.
Let's get into it. 

NBA schedule and scores for Christmas Day
Philadelphia 76ers 105, New York Knicks 98  (Box Score)
Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors, LIVE (GameTracker) -- ABC
Washington Wizards at Boston Celtics, 5:30 p.m. ET (GameTracker) -- ABC
Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m. ET (GameTracker) -- ABC
Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30 p.m. ET 
Morris twins will both be in action in Boston
Marcus Morris has missed the last eight games for the Celtics, but he will be in action on Christmas Day. It's a game he's been targeting for a while now, as he'll get to play against his twin brother, Markieff Morris, who of course suits up for the Washington Wizards
Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Zaza Pachulia, SF LeBron James, Shaun Livingston, Steve Kerr, Patrick McCaw, Stephen Curry, Tyronn Lue, Jordan Bell, Derrick Rose, Andre Iguodala, Cavaliers Connor Letourneau, PF Draymond Green, Isaiah Thomas, &gt, PG Jose Calderon, Kevin Love, SF Kevon Looney, PF Jae Crowder, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, cletourneau, Hall of Famers, Cleveland, Warriors: PG Patrick McCaw, Oracle Arena, Oakland, SG, Oklahoma City, Cavaliers, NBA, San Francisco Chronicle, Heat, Christmas, Finals against James' Cavaliers, NBA Finals, The Game, The Game Records: Warriors, ABC.