NBA fans are in for a treat on Christmas Day when the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors meet for the first time since the Finals.
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While most people stay home on Christmas Day, basketball fans are also treated to some marquee matchups on the NBA schedule. Outside of Kevin Durant’s much-anticipated return to Oklahoma City, there isn’t a bigger regular-season game than the first meeting between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors.
Appropriate, then, that the Finals rematch is officially getting the Christmas treatment.
The game will mark the Cavs’ first trip to Oracle Arena since completing an improbable — nay impossible — comeback after falling behind 3-1 to the 73-win Warriors, shocking Steph Curry and company en route to capturing Cleveland’s first professional championship in 52 years.
The Warriors promptly reloaded, signing superstar forward Durant and ensuring Golden State’s title window will remain open for the foreseeable future. The Cavs, meanwhile, will be eager to prove that their Game 7 triumph was no fluke — hopefully with LeBron James officially in tow.
Needless to say, the Christmas Day showdown could prove a tantalizing preview of a possible third straight Finals showdown between the two conference powers.
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The game will mark the second straight year the Cavs and Warriors will play on Christmas Day. Last season, Luke Walton was still heading the Golden State bench, with the Warriors — who’d only lost a single game up to that point — hanging on for an 89-83 victory.
Following the teams’ Finals split, the stakes stand to be even higher than they were last Dec. 25.
If you’re an NBA fan, or just a fan of high sports drama in general, you won’t want to be missing this one.