What time do the Cavaliers and Warriors play?
By John Buhler
The Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day 2016. What time does this 2016 NBA Finals rematch start?
Christmas Day 2016 features five nationally televised NBA games. Easily the most intriguing will be the first meeting of the season between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors since Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
Cleveland overcame a 3-1 deficit to win the city’s first professional sports championship since the Cleveland Browns won the 1964 NFL Championship. Golden State’s collapse in the 2016 NBA Finals was well publicized. The Warriors decided to make a big change to its roster’s construction by signing former Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant in 2016 NBA free agency.
This will be the first time the Warriors will play Cleveland with Durant on their team. So what time does this inter-conference rivalry game take place on Christmas Day?
Tipoff from Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland will be at 2:30 p.m. ET on Christmas Day, Sunday, Dec. 25. ABC will have the nationally televised game. It will be the second of five NBA games on Christmas Day.
As expected, both the Cavaliers and the Warriors have the best record in their respective conferences. These rivals seem to be on a collision course to meet in the NBA Finals for the third season in a row. Golden State beat Cleveland in the 2015 NBA Finals in six games. Cleveland got the best of Golden State by winning the 2016 NBA Finals in seven games.
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This is a massively important game in the NBA regular season. Whomever ends up winning on Christmas Day could be the perceived favorite to win the 2017 NBA Finals. Do LeBron James and the Cavaliers offense do a great job of attacking the rim on a vulnerable Golden State frontcourt? Will Durant and the bevy of Warriors sharpshooters be too much for the Cleveland perimeter defense to defend. Find out on Christmas Day at 2:30 p.m. ET on ABC.