The NBA's biggest regular season day is Christmas, with the league regularly using the holiday to showcase its top teams and top players. The 2025 edition will likely follow that model, with five games likely on the schedule if the league follows its typical model for the day.
The actual schedule won't be released until late August, but in this space, we will take a look at what is a perfect Christmas Day lineup. Obviously, this is (quite) variable, and the league might have other ideas. That is the difficult nature of trying to put together a five-game slate that satisfies various criteria, from time zones to matchup quality and everything in between.
Here we go with a foray into what the league might do, coming to you in chronological order and beginning on the East Coast with a battle between long-time Eastern Conference rivals.
Boston Celtics @ New York Knicks
As you will see in this five-game slate, the pickings are relatively slim in the Eastern Conference right now. New York and Cleveland (see below) are the consensus top two teams, with Boston entering a retooling year. However, the league loves to put MSG in the leadoff spot, and Boston is a big brand with historic relevance. Could this be another Western Conference team? Absolutely, but it seems like the league will want more than two total teams from the East.
San Antonio Spurs @ Cleveland Cavaliers
It seems likely that Wemby will appear on Christmas, and that makes sense. Cleveland is the consensus No. 1 team in the East right now, and Wemby can bring some star power to make this one more appetizing to the casual observer. Plus, Wemby against Evan Mobley is a lot of fun from a sicko standpoint, much as Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland facing off against San Antonio's guards might be.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Dallas Mavericks
Luka going back to Dallas on Christmas... sounds like something like the would do. The Lakers are the lock of all locks to be playing on Christmas somewhere. While Dallas may not be awesome, there is the Luka/AD storyline, the Christmas debut of Cooper Flagg, and the presence of LeBron James. The list goes on, and Dallas is another big-market team to get into the mix to draw eyeballs.
Houston Rockets @ Minnesota Timberwolves
The Wolves are two-time reigning Western Conference finalists. It may not be a massive market, but Minnesota is a growing brand and Anthony Edwards is one of the biggest stars in the league today. Houston projects to be quite good this season, and Kevin Durant brings some of the casual appeal that the Rockets may have lacked a bit previously.
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Denver Nuggets
The reigning champs were pushed to the brink by the Nuggets in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. This seems like a convenient place for a rematch, and Denver is also in a time zone where this game can tip off in the late window that the league likely wants. Oh, did I mention this would be Nikola Jokic against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Yeah, there we go.