10 NBA things to watch for on Christmas Day

7. Kyrie Irving vs. John Wall

Not only will Celtics-Wizards be a battle for Eastern Conference supremacy, but it will also feature a showdown between the two top point guards in the conference.

In his first year with the Celtics, Irving is playing at an MVP-caliber level. His per-game averages aren’t noticeably better than they were during his final season with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016-17, but he’s averaging three fewer minutes in Boston. On a per-36-minute basis, Irving is setting career highs in points (27.2), 3-pointers (2.6) and free-throw attempts (5.3), which speaks to how well-rounded of a scorer he has become.

Wall, meanwhile, has been battling knee soreness since early November, which caused him to miss eight games. He made his return on Dec. 13 against the Memphis Grizzlies, but he’s still shaking off rust, as evidenced by his combined 11-of-31 shooting against Memphis and the Los Angeles Clippers two nights later. Games against the New Orleans Pelicans, Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic in the days leading up to Christmas should afford him that luxury, ensuring he’s back in rhythm by the time the Celtics game rolls around.

Wall has yet to face Irving in a playoff series, which may limit the hostility between the two (for now). Given the potential postseason tiebreaker implications of this Boston-Washington matchup, though, expect both All-Star point guards to engage in an all-out war on Christmas Day.

Next: 6. Can the OKThree topple the Beard and CP3?