Warriors, Cavs Headline Christmas Day Match-Ups
Christmas is the time of year when families come together for one reason and one reason only...to watch basketball.
Okay, so maybe that's not what Christmas is all about. There's the quality family time, christmas presents, and good holiday cheer, but there is also basketball.
Basketball has become just as much of a Christmas tradition as singing carols, building gingerbread houses, or even driving around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights.
This year, the NBA lineup on Christmas day has quality match-ups through out the day.
There will be five games on ABC and ESPN with the main attraction being a finals rematch at 2 p.m. on ABC between the Golden State Warriors (26-1) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (18-7).
There are plenty of storylines to this game which make it the most intriguing match-up of the day.
LeBron James vs. Steph Curry- Who's the best player in the game? Can the Cavs earn some redemption after last season's finals loss to the Dubs?
The Warriors have put the smack down on every team they have come across this season, but there are two teams in the NBA which will set the bar on how great this Golden State team really can be.
One of those teams is the San Antonio Spurs, which seems to be the only team able to prevent the Warriors from making it to the finals.
The second team is the previously mentioned Cavaliers. While the records would show that the Warriors are a far better team than the Cavs, when LeBron is playing motivated, the records are thrown out the window.
The potential Finals Preview will be a fun game to watch while sipping on some egg nog and tearing through some holiday ham.
San Antonio (24-5) will face off against the under-achieving Houston Rockets (15-14) at 5 p.m. on ESPN. Anytime two of the three Texas teams play each other, it typically adds a little more emotion to the game.
Throw in the fact that James Harden and the mediocre Rockets get a lot of media attention, while all the Spurs do is win, win, win no matter what.
There have been trade rumors as of recent coming out of Houston, a clear sign on a team that is vastly underachieving. Ty Lawson and Dwight Howard are two players the team has reportedly been shopping around.
Maybe some holiday cheer and a win against the Spurs will bring the team back to its winning ways.
Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Jimmy Butler, and Derrick Rose headline a star filled matchup when the Chicago Bulls take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at 11:30 a.m. on ABC.
The Bulls are another team with quality players who are underachieving. The team's 15-11 record has them sitting in seventh place in the Eastern Conference.
Chicago's current three game losing streak has focused attention towards former MVP Rose. It's quite obvious that the point guard's best years are behind him at this point.
Butler has risen up to become a superstar in the NBA, but his supporting cast has not been there for him so far.
On the other side of the court, the Thunder (19-9) are back to its winning ways after not making the playoffs last season. When Durant and Westbrook are both healthy, Oklahoma City is one of the most dangerous teams to play.
Many thought that new head coach Billy Donovan would come in and add some structure to a free flowing offensive attack, but he has seemingly done the opposite. He has let Durant and Westbrook just play basketball which is the best option when you have two of the biggest stars in the league.
The first game of the day is between the New Orleans Pelicans (8-19) and the Miami Heat (16-11) at 9 a.m. on ESPN.
This is sure to be a good game, but not good enough to skip opening presents.
The highlight of Christmas morning is eating a delicious breakfast with the family and opening gifts. If the game is on the background, that's fine, but it's not going to be one to focus all your attention on.
So, you want to know the least intriguing match-up of the day?
It's Los Angeles vs. Los Angeles.
The Lakers vs. The Clippers.
5-23 vs. 16-13.
The Battle for the Staples Center.
All sarcasm aside, this will be Kobe Bryant's last Christmas day in a Laker uniform. He has been a constant on Christmas day for the past two decades.
If that intrigues you enough, well feel free to watch. It's on at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
If basketball on Christmas day is not your cup of tea, well, you probably wouldn't have read this far down.
So, for all of those who will be enjoying basketball on Christmas day, have a great sports filled holiday!