10 NBA things to watch for on Christmas Day

10. The clash of unicorns

Assuming Kristaps Porzingis can return from the knee injury he suffered Thursday in time for Christmas Day, he’ll begin the NBA’s holiday slate with a matchup against none other than the league’s reigning king of trash talk, Joel Embiid.

This will be only the second meeting between the two 7-foot unicorns, as Embiid missed the Philadelphia 76ers’ final three games against the New York Knicks last year due to the meniscus tear he suffered in late January. In that lone prior matchup — a 98-97 squeaker of a win for Philly — Embiid finished with a team-high 21 points and 14 rebounds in 27 minutes, while Porzingis scuffled his way to seven points on 3-of-10 shooting, two rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal in 28 minutes.

In Round 2, both players will be better prepared for battle. With Carmelo Anthony now in Oklahoma City, Porzingis has readily absorbed the responsibility of being the Knicks’ No. 1 offensive option, as he’s putting up a career-high 25.5 points on 46.5 percent shooting to go with 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 2.0 triples and 1.3 assists in just shy of 32 minutes per game. Embiid, meanwhile, is likewise setting career highs with 24.1 points on 49.0 percent shooting, 11.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 31.4 minutes per game.

The Sixers appear to be further ahead in their rebuild than the Knicks, who just began in earnest this year, but both squads are jostling for playoff positioning in the surprisingly competitive East. Whichever big man gets the best of one another could go a long way toward determining who emerges victorious on Christmas Day.

Next: 9. Ben Simmons in the Mecca