NBA announces Christmas Day games

Star power, playoff rematches and a classic rivalry highlight the 2023 Christmas Day schedule.

Two of the best in the West cap off the Christmas Day slate. 

Christmas night is capped off with a matchup of the past two NBA champions: the 2022 Warriors beat the Nuggets in the opening round on their way to their fourth title of this dynasty, with two-time Kia MVP Curry adding his first Finals MVP to his resume.

Last season, the Warriors were eliminated before a potential showdown with Denver in the conference finals as the Nuggets reached the Finals and won their first NBA title in franchise history with another two-time Kia MVP earning his first Finals MVP in Jokic.

Dec. 25: Celtics vs. Lakers (5 ET, ABC & ESPN)

The 76ers lost the season series with the Heat last season, but will Embiid and his squad start off hot this time? 

The 76ers lost the season series with the Heat last season. Will Joel Embiid and his squad fare better in 2023-24?

This showdown should pit Embiid (the reigning Kia MVP and two-time scoring champ) against the defending Eastern Conference champion Heat, led by former Sixers star Jimmy Butler.

The Heat won the 2022-23 season series, 2-1, with each team recording a 20-plus point blowout win. Miami, however, got win No. 2 in the series off an incredible acrobatic reverse layup by Butler with 90 seconds to play.

Dec. 25: Mavericks vs. Suns (10:30 ET, ESPN)

The Mavs and Suns will continue their West rivalry with a showdown in Dallas on Christmas.

The first time Durant and Kyrie Irving met as opponents after their three-plus seasons as teammates delivered a classic overtime matchup between the Mavericks and Suns. In that game, four players scored 30 or more (Durant had 37 and Devin Booker had 36 for Phoenix; Luka Doncic had 34 and Irving 30 for Dallas) in the Suns'130-126 win.

That game left NBA fans clamoring for a playoff matchup that never materialized, but as a consolation, we get a rematch for Christmas.