My Top 5 Christmas Games
By: Nick Andre
Tags: NBA, Merry Christmas, Nba Christmas, Christmas Day

Just when we believed our Christmas traditions would be broken this year, the NBA made away. It’s a wonderful feeling to wake up opening gifts and anticipate five intriguing games that will go down to the wire on each possession.

NBA Christmas has been a tradition of mine since an adolescence. I’ve seen so many stars rise to the occasion and put up a top notch performance when the lights are bright. Like we always say, NBA Christmas always tops NFL Thanksgiving. Let’s look at five Christmas games that I’ve enjoyed throughout the years.

1. Heat at Lakers (2004): This was probably one of the most anticipated games of this season. It was Shaq’s first return back to the Staples Center. And he was going up against his then-enemy Kobe Bryant (Rest In Peace).

You could feel the tension in the air between Bryant and Shaq before tipoff. Both of them didn’t even look at one another when they shook hands. As we all know, Kobe lit up the floor with 42 points on 12–30 shooting. But even though Shaq fouled out with 24 points in the game, it was the Diesel that secured round 1 between the two players.

2. Nets at Knicks (1984): This game was well past my time. But as a basketball fanatic, I traveled back in time to witness this game with my very own eyes.

The highlight of the game was Bernard King and his 60 point performance. There was literally no stopping him as he was a threat from mid range and around the paint. His scoring was what single handedly kept the Knicks in the game. But the Nets were just too good. The team was lead by Micheal Ray Richardson with a 36 point effort as it was New Jersey who came away with the victory.

3. Warriors at Cavaliers (2016): This one stung me for a while. As a Warriors fan, I was anticipating the team to go into the Quicken Loans Arena and seek revenge after last years championship loss.

The team started things on the right path. Kevin Durant was knocking down jumpers and the team looked in a flow on both ends. But once LeBron and Kyrie erupted, that was where things went downhill. The Cavs were able to come alive in the 4th quarter. They picked Golden State apart and took advantage with good quality looks on offense. Then, in the end, Kyrie sealed the deal with his turnaround jumper over Klay Thompson, securing Cleveland to a 109–108 victory.

4. Clippers at Lakers (2019): The Clippers Lakers rivalry was real. Both teams were in contention for a championship and the keys of Los Angeles were up for grabs. This may have been a regular season game, but you couldn’t tell from both squads. It was a battle of who wanted it more.

The Lakers had a comfortable 15 point lead by the third quarter. But the Clippers kept fighting through the storm. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were spectacular as a duo. They set the tone on both ends of the floor and it was a huge piece in closing the game late in the 4th. The Clippers’ defensive mentality was what secured them the victory 111–106 victory.

5. Sixers at Celtics (2018): This game was tough to the nail. Knowing the rivalry that is already set between the two organizations, it was inevitable that the teams would make this game a nail biter.

Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler put the Sixers on their back to grab a win in Bean Town. But it was Kyrie Irving who broke a team’s heart once again. Irving was crucial down the stretch, knocking down big time buckets to put the Celtics in the lead. He finished with 40 points on the night and was a key contributor in the 121–114 overtime victory.

With the next five games coming up this afternoon, we will witness more competitive games where both clubs will not let their guard down. The importance of grabbing a win on Christmas Day is pivotal to the team to carry over for the rest of the day. We have so many memories of fantastic Christmas games to look back upon. And we will witness new ones tomorrow morning, starting with Pelicans vs Heat. I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and hope you spend it watching some hoops!