RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The NBA on Christmas Day has become an annual tradition, showcasing interesting matchups and star players. The 2026 Christmas slate -- announced on Tuesday morning -- is no different, with five intriguing games on the schedule, highlighted by an NBA Finals rematch between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks to kick off the day.
Last month, CBS Sports predicted what the opening night and the NBA on Christmas schedule could look like. Eight of the 10 teams in the predictions were correct, with the Cavaliers and the Raptors on the outside looking. The Nuggets and Timberwolves both landed on the schedule and will face the Warriors and Thunder , respectively.
Those matchups were officially unveiled on Tuesday morning ahead of the full schedule release on Thursday.
The opening night schedule was also revealed at the same time as the Christmas games, with a triple-header on tap featuring a Western Conference finals rematch between the Thunder and Spurs, LeBron James playing his first game as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers against the Knicks and the Celtics facing the Pistons in the first game of the 2026-27 campaign.
With the NBA on Christmas Day schedule officially set, here is how we rank the five games being played this season.
It should come as no surprise that the best game on the Christmas schedule is a rematch of the NBA Finals and last year's NBA Cup title game. The Knicks faced the Spurs on Christmas Day in 2024, which was the first time Spurs star Victor Wembanyama played on that stage. He finished with 42 points at Madison Square Garden in a loss to the Knicks in what would be the first of many big-time matchups against the Eastern Conference foe. The NBA Finals earlier this year was one of the best series in years. It featured drama, close finishes and, of course, one of the most stunning comebacks/collapses in NBA history, which resulted in the Knicks eventually winning the title. This meeting on Dec. 25 will be the Spurs' first time back at MSG since they blew a 29-point lead on June 10. Unfortunately, we don't get this matchup more than twice per season (guaranteed), but it feels right that this game will be played on Christmas for the second time in three seasons.
The NBA got this one right. In my schedule predictions, I had OKC facing San Antonio because it's the best current rivalry. However, it makes sense for the Knicks to face the Spurs and the Timberwolves to get this stage against the Thunder. Minnesota is playing on Christmas for the third consecutive season and will host a game on that day for the first time in franchise history against the team that finished with the league's best record last season. The Timberwolves had a busy offseason after trading away Naz Reid and Julius Randle and acquiring former Hornets star LaMelo Ball , giving Anthony Edwards a new backcourt mate. Edwards going against two-time reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is always must-see TV.
The NBA loves drama, so it makes sense that the league scheduled LeBron James to face his most recent former team for the first and only time in Los Angeles on Christmas. One matchup that would've made sense for the 76ers was facing the Cavaliers in Cleveland, which would've given James a homecoming. However, this is a creative matchup that makes a ton of sense on paper. Depending on how the full schedule release shakes out, this could very likely be the first time James faces the Lakers since departing the franchise after eight seasons.
You can argue this game being higher up on the list because the Heat should be significantly better this season after making the biggest blockbuster trade of the offseason by acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Bucks . The other subplot of this matchup is how much interest the Celtics had in Antetokounmpo before he was ultimately shipped to Miami. Boston's failure to get that trade over the finish line set off a domino effect that led to the franchise trading former NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to the 76ers, who then signed LeBron shortly after. You could've also made the case for the 76ers facing the Celtics for that exact reason, so we could get Brown facing his former team on the big stage, but this will do.
The Warriors will be playing on Christmas for the 14th consecutive year. And for those wondering at home, there is pretty much one reason why: Steph Curry . He is still one of the most entertaining players to watch in the league. However, the Warriors might be fighting for a play-in berth this season because the franchise has failed to make significant roster upgrades -- outside of trading for Jimmy Butler -- since winning the title in 2022. This is a perfect game to throw on the TV as the night winds down and your family is leaving after spending the entire day together. It might not have the same appeal as the other four matchups, but it still features two of the biggest stars (Curry and Nikola Jokić) and will be on well past midnight on the East Coast.
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