NBA Schedule 2018-19: Ranking Christmas Day games by watchability

BOSTON, MA - MAY 9: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers handles the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 9, 2018 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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1. Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics

Continuing with the idea that NBA Christmas is about individual brilliance, there’s no better primetime matchup than 76ers-Celtics. It’s the rivalry that will define the Eastern Conference for years to come.

Embiid vs. Horford; Simmons vs. Tatum; Irving vs. Fultz. Boston is clearly the more talented, deep team in this game, but on any given night, Simmons and Embiid can swing games for the Sixers. And Philadelphia’s defensive upside is so great that you can never quite count them out of games, even against the very best teams.

Another great thing about Christmas Day in the NBA is that it’s still quite early in the season. Teams haven’t found their rhythm yet and rotations haven’t been set. Early-season hot streaks have burned out, and generally no big trades have been made. Teams are set, but not finished.

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Each of these teams has plenty to figure out, meaning a lot of their adjustments will spill over into this game. What can we expect from Markelle Fultz’s second season? How does Philadelphia get better after largely bringing back the same roster? The Celtics have so many good players to juggle that even Brad Stevens’ rotation will be under a fan and media microscope.

I’m already so excited.

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