Christmas Day schedule released

The 2025 Christmas Day lineup leans West with five games led by Spurs at Thunder and a Cavaliers return on the holiday stage.

West Heavy Christmas Day Schedule Highlights Star Power

NBA on Christmas Day features five games, with a Western Conference heavy slate at its core. The league has scheduled a Cavaliers appearance, marking their first Christmas Day game since 2017, and an Eastern clash between the Cavaliers and the Knicks that is expected to crown the early pace in the East.

Spurs travel to Oklahoma City to meet the Thunder, a matchup headlined by Victor Wembanyama against Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander alongside Jalen Williams. The Rockets will face the Lakers in a star powered showdown featuring Kevin Durant against LeBron James and Luka Doncic. The final two games pit the Mavericks against the Warriors and the Timberwolves against the Nuggets, rounding out a night packed with veteran excellence and rising talent.

The schedule shows the league leaning into Western powerhouses and promising rookie intrigue to spark early-season interest. It blends veteran presence with young stars and signals how the NBA plans to market its stars beyond traditional duels. The absence of a Mavericks-Lakers Christmas game hints at a broader strategy to spread exposure across new matchups and the NBA Cup timing, even as fans crave a marquee holiday showdown.

Looking ahead, the lineup suggests a season built on the tension between legacy teams and next generation players. The mix may boost TV ratings and social chatter while also inviting questions about parity and balance across conferences. The long term test will be whether this approach sustains interest after the holiday glow fades.

Highlights

The calendar may tilt toward the future, but the arena still proves basketball is a holiday show