The NBA has announced its Christmas schedule with a five-game slate and ten teams total, eight teams from the playoffs alongside the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks.

Below are the currently known five games for Sunday:

– Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics

– Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks

– Phoenix Suns vs Denver Nuggets

– Los Angeles Lakers vs Dallas Mavericks

– Memphis Grizzlies vs Golden State Warriors

Sources: NBA’s 2022 Christmas Day schedule:

Bucks at Celtics
76ers at Knicks
Suns at Nuggets
Lakers at Mavericks
Grizzlies at Warriors

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2022

Rivalries and rematches

The Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics will set the stage for the Christmas games as these two Eastern Conference champions fight to prove who the best eastern team is. The last time the two teams clashed, the Celtics managed to win with a 109 – 81 score in Game 7.

The teams have played 11 games against each other, with the Celtics barely ahead at six games compared to five. The stakes are high as the Bucks are looking to tie the score while the Celtics will try to hold onto their title as the superior team.

There will also be a rematch between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors, following their 2022 playoff series. This rematch is especially storied because it got physical during the last series the teams played. The match saw two different ejections in just two games.

Golden State’s Draymond Green received an injury to the face at the start of the first game. This hit forced Green to leave the stage, but not before he gave a rude gesture directed towards the fans of the Grizzlies.

Green’s injury was subsequently followed by another physical incident in game two where Dillon Brooks from the Grizzlies caused Gary Payton II from the Warriors to receive a head blow.

Green required stitches for his injuries but managed to rejoin the game at the start of the second quarter while Payton had to leave the game entirely for an x-ray at the hospital. It was later revealed that Payton suffered a fractured elbow which recovered in two weeks. Payton has since left the team to play for the Portland Trail Blazers.

“That wasn’t physical, that was dirty,” said Steve Kerr, head coach of the Warriors.

Despite the injuries, the Warriors eventually won the series 4-2 on a 110 – 96 score line before going on to win their seventh NBA title after beating the Boston Celtics 4-2.

Both teams will be looking forward to the rematch. On August 14, Temetrius Jamel “Ja” Morant from the Grizzlies sent a tweet directed toward Draymond Green from the Warriors after learning about the schedule.

“we got what we wanted dray. @money23green,” wrote Morant.

Despite being the first player to get injured in the game, Green only expressed excitement at the upcoming Christmas rematch.

“That’s the power of your voice Young! Let’s goooo! Bring the fam to the crib for dinner after,” Green wrote in response to Morant’s tweet.

Intentionally or not, the NBA’s choice of matches for the Christmas slate is providing fuel to the fires of many rivalries. The storylines between the teams are sure to create an exciting viewing experience for the viewers.

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