- Category: Features
- Written by Ben Leibowitz
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The NBA's Best Christmas Day Games Since 1995
For many basketball aficionados, watching NBA action on Christmas Day is a tradition. Whether you celebrate the holiday or not, get the presents you asked for or receive a stocking full of coal, basketball will still be there ... well, unless the NBA is in the midst of a lockout situation.
The folks at PointAfter are already awaiting a fresh slate of games to watch on Dec. 25, which is why we took a look back at Christmas contests — dating back to 1995 — we deemed the best (or at least the most entertaining).
We emphasized games that were decided by 10 points or fewer, went into overtime or had some sort of significant matchup or performance at play, then ordered them chronologically. So first, we’ll dive back 20 years to 1995. Merry Christmas, you basketball-loving animals.
1995: Houston Rockets @ Orlando Magic
Final Score: 92-90
Winning Team: Magic
Game's High Scorer: Hakeem Olajuwon (30 points)
This Christmas Day matchup was a redux of the 1995 NBA Finals. In that showdown, Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neal went head-to-head, but the Rockets came away victorious via a 4-0 series sweep.
Although it didn't put any rings on their fingers, the Magic were able to get some minor retribution for the loss by beating Houston on Christmas the following season despite a 30-point, 12-rebound, six-assist outing from "Hakeem the Dream."
All five Magic starters (Shaq, Penny Hardaway, Dennis Scott, Nick Anderson and Horace Grant) scored in double digits, which helped overcome a paltry seven bench points from Orlando's second unit.
1995: San Antonio Spurs @ Phoenix Suns
Final Score: 105-100
Winning Team: Spurs
Game's High Scorer: Charles Barkley (29 points)
San Antonio improved to 17-7 and dropped Phoenix to 11-13 with this Christmas win. Although the Suns weren't above .500, they managed to keep the game close thanks to a near-triple-double from "Sir Charles."
Barkley was far from efficient, going 9-of-22 from the floor and 1-of-5 from three, but he scored 29 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and dished out seven assists.
1997: Houston Rockets @ Utah Jazz
Final Score: 107-103
Winning Team: Jazz
Game's High Scorer: Kevin Willis (25 points)
This Christmas matchup also featured Barkley, but at 34 years old, the 1997-98 season would mark the first time in 11 seasons he didn't make the All-Star team. He finished with just 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting. Instead, it was historically underrated center Kevin Willis who led the charge.
Ultimately, however, surgical efficiency from Utah spelled doom for Houston on this Christmas. John Stockton and Karl Malone combined to score 44 points on 20-of-31 shooting. Jeff Hornacek added 20 points, nine assists and two steals in addition to draining all four of his three-point attempts.
1999: San Antonio Spurs @ Los Angeles Lakers
Final Score: 99-93
Winning Team: Lakers
Game's High Scorer: Shaquille O'Neal (32 points)
This Lakers win was their eighth in a row, climbing their record to 23-5. It came against a pretty darn good team in San Antonio, which dropped to a still respectable 19-10 after the loss.
A 32-point outing from "Shaq Diesel" and 25 points from swingman Glen Rice propped up a lackluster 7-of-19 shooting performance from Kobe Bryant. David Robinson hauled in a game-high 19 rebounds, but he went 2-of-8 shooting and his fellow big man, Tim Duncan, finished an ugly 8-of-23 from the floor.
2000: Portland Trail Blazers @ Los Angeles Lakers
Final Score: 109-104
Winning Team: Trail Blazers
Game's High Scorer: Rasheed Wallace (32 points)
Portland was able to dispatch the eventual champion Lakers on Christmas behind a great performance from Rasheed Wallace and a near-triple-double from Damon Stoudamire (27 points, nine rebounds and nine assists).
The Trail Blazers had no such luck against LA in the postseason, as they were swept 3-0 by Kobe, Shaq and Co. in the first round.
2002: Detroit Pistons @ Orlando Magic
Final Score: 104-99
Winning Team: Magic
Game's High Scorer: Tracy McGrady (46 points)
The 2002-03 Pistons weren't quite at their peak yet as a basketball team, but they still posted the league's fourth-best defensive rating at 99.9. With that in mind, it becomes even more impressive that T-Mac dropped 46 on them as a Christmas gift.
2003: Dallas Mavericks @ Sacramento Kings
Final Score: 111-103
Winning Team: Mavericks
Game's High Scorer: Dirk Nowitzki (31 points)
Dirk played a game-high 47 minutes on Christmas Day in 2003, stuffing the box score with 31 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks against a rock-solid Kings squad. He also went 10-of-10 at the free throw line.
Antoine Walker was also great for Dallas. He scored 23 points (on 5-of-11 shooting from downtown), which accompanied 12 rebounds, eight assists and two blocks. Sacramento entered the game with a 20-6 record, so the Mavs needed all hands on deck to get the W.
2003: Cleveland Cavaliers @ Orlando Magic
Final Score: 113-101 (OT)
Winning Team: Magic
Game's High Scorer: Tracy McGrady (41 points)
Neither the Cavaliers nor Magic sported a favorable record when they matched up on Christmas in 2003. In fact, both their marks were rather ugly (each 10 or more games under .500).
This matchup was still compelling, however, because it pitted T-Mac against 18-year-old superstar rookie LeBron James. McGrady bested LeBron with 41 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, three steals and the win, but James scored 34 points of his own. It was quite the back-and-forth before Orlando pulled away with 16 points scored in overtime.
2004: Detroit Pistons @ Indiana Pacers
Final Score: 98-93
Winning Team: Pistons
Game's High Scorer: Richard Hamilton (25 points)
In what was Reggie Miller's final Christmas performance during his final NBA season, the 39-year-old made 10-of-16 shots en route to a team-high 24 points.
Though it was a nice swan song for one of the game's best shooters of all time, it wasn't enough to topple the defending champion Pistons, who were paced by the backcourt tandem of Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups (45 points combined).
2004: Miami Heat @ Los Angeles Lakers
Final Score: 104-102 (OT)
Winning Team: Heat
Game's High Scorer: Kobe Bryant (42 points)
There was no love lost in this Christmas duel, as it pitted former teammates and noted rivals Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant against one another following the trade that sent Shaq to the East Coast from LA.
The game went into overtime and got messy down the stretch with missed shots and turnovers. Bryant had a chance to win the game on the final possession, but missed what would have been the game-winning three.
2005: Los Angeles Lakers @ Miami Heat
Final Score: 97-92
Winning Team: Heat
Game's High Scorer: Kobe Bryant (37 points)
On paper, Bryant turned in an impressive game with 37 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two blocks. Unfortunately, he shot 40 percent from the field and missed all eight of his three-point attempts (Lamar Odom went 0-of-5 and the Lakers finished a putrid 3-of-21 as a team).
The Shaq-Wade combo for Miami also struggled, but an aging Gary Payton propped up the Heat with 21 points off the bench on 9-of-11 shooting.
2007: Phoenix Suns @ Los Angeles Lakers
Final Score: 122-115
Winning Team: Lakers
Game's High Scorer: Kobe Bryant (38 points)
This high-scoring affair ended with the home Lakers nabbing a seven-point win. Phoenix cut the lead to as little five late in the fourth, but LA pulled away at Staples Center.
Kobe was the game's high scorer (a recurring theme on Christmas). This 38-point outburst, however, was far more efficient than others listed. "The Black Mamba" converted 60 percent of his shots and cashed in 13-of-14 free throw attempts. He did turn the ball over eight times, but it's hard to fault any instance where Bryant makes more than 50 percent of his attempts. A vintage Andrew Bynum (now out of the league) posted 28 points and 12 rebounds in the win.
Even though the Suns had seven players score in double digits, they didn't play enough defense to get the W.
2008: Dallas Mavericks @ Portland Trail Blazers
Final Score: 102-94
Winning Team: Mavericks
Game's High Scorer: Dirk Nowitzki (30 points)
By terrorizing opponents so often on Christmas, you'd think German-born Dirk Nowitzki is actually the folkloric Krampus. (Alright, so Krampus is technically an Austrian/Bavarian tradition that takes place in early December, not Christmas, but you get the idea.)
On Christmas in 2008, Dirk poured in 30 points (on 12-of-18 shooting) to complement five rebounds, two assists and two steals in a eight-point win over the Western-Conference-contending Trail Blazers.
Prior to the loss, the Blazers had won 13 consecutive Christmas Day games. A late 9-0 run from the Mavs doomed Portland's chances at extending that streak.
2008: San Antonio Spurs @ Phoenix Suns
Final Score: 91-90
Winning Team: Spurs
Game's High Scorer: Tony Parker (27 points)
For Suns fans, Christmas Day in 2008 was not so merry. With 7.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter (four seconds left on the Suns shot clock) and the game tied 88-88, Grant Hill inbounded the ball to Amar'e Stoudemire, received a back screen from Steve Nash on the baseline and dropped in an easy layup off a nice pass from Stoudemire to take a 90-88 lead.
On the ensuing possession (with 4.3 seconds left in the game), the Suns had Hill defend Tony Parker, who had a game-high 27 points. The matchup was a favorable one, but when Parker drove to the lane against Hill, Jason Richardson helped off his defensive assignment, Roger Mason. The sharpshooter received a kickout pass and swished the game-winning three. Suns fans would have lived with Parker trying to shoot over Hill, but J-Rich left a great shooter wide open and paid the price via a Christmas loss.
2010: Denver Nuggets @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Final Score: 114-106
Winning Team: Thunder
Game's High Scorer: Kevin Durant (44 points)
The Nuggets cut OKC's lead to as close as three points midway through the fourth quarter of this Christmas matchup, but big plays down the stretch from Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and Jeff Green ensured the Thunder would pull away.
Of course, the star of the night was clearly Kevin Durant, who dominated from the outset. He scored 44 points in 41 minutes of game time, draining 14-of-20 shots (4-of-7 threes) and 12-of-15 free throws.
Chauncey Billups had 30 points on Denver's side, but KD was the catalyst for the winning team.
2011: Chicago Bulls @ Los Angeles Lakers
Final Score: 88-87
Winning Team: Bulls
Game's High Scorer: Kobe Bryant (28 points)
The 2011-12 season was an awkward one in that it actually began on Christmas Day. After a prolonged lockout, the NBA shortened the season to 66 games and featured a 10-team, five-game, season-opening slate on Dec. 25.
None of the five games featured was closer than Bulls at Lakers. LA actually had the ball and an 87-86 lead with 20.4 seconds remaining, but Chicago trapped Bryant following the inbounds, forcing a bad pass that was picked off by Luol Deng. The Bulls brought the ball up the court and got it to Derrick Rose who hit a one-handed floater in the lane to take the lead.
Lakerland had a chance for a would-be game-winner of its own, but Bryant was blocked by Deng on a drive to the basket.
2011: Boston Celtics @ New York Knicks
Final Score: 106-104
Winning Team: Knicks
Game's High Scorer: Carmelo Anthony (37 points)
Carmelo had a whale of a game in this one by pouring in 37 points on just 17 shots (he did a lot of his damage at the charity stripe). He eventually hit an awkward mid-range jumper split between two defenders to make the score 104-102.
At 106-104, Boston had the ball with a chance to tie or win. Marquis Daniels got a great look on a corner three, but hit back iron. The Celts got the offensive rebound and another crack at it after a timeout, but Kevin Garnett missed a mid-range shot to seal the deal for NY.
2012: Oklahoma City Thunder @ Miami Heat
Final Score: 103-97
Winning Team: Heat
Game's High Scorer: Kevin Durant (33 points)
Durant played well for the surging Thunder on Christmas in 2012, but a 5-of-19 shooting performance from his running mate Russell Westbrook really hindered OKC's shot at a win.
On the other side, LeBron posted 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. It was Mario Chalmers, however, who was the X-factor for Miami. He scored 20 points and drained four of his eight three-pointers.
2012: New York Knicks @ Los Angeles Lakers
Final Score: 100-94
Winning Team: Lakers
Game's High Scorer: Kobe Bryant/Carmelo Anthony (34 points)
The Knicks entered this contest with a much better record than LA, but while Melo and Kobe played each other to a draw with 34 points apiece, it was the Lakers who came out on top.
LA got 20 points off the bench from Metta World Peace, as well as 16 points and 11 assists from Steve Nash (a solid performance from Nash that was hard to come by when he was suiting up for Los Angeles).
2013: Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Clippers
Final Score: 105-103
Winning Team: Warriors
Game's High Scorer: Chris Paul (26 points)
Fans of this rivalry will no doubt remember the origins when, on Christmas, the Warriors and Clippers weren't quite so cordial to one another (a chippy back-and-forth between DeAndre Jordan and Andrew Bogut already occurred earlier in the season on Halloween).
Draymond Green elbowed Blake Griffin in the throat at one point, which got him tossed from the game. Later, Griffin and Dubs center Andrew Bogut got tangled up, some shoving followed, and Griffin was booted for picking up his second technical foul.
Chris Paul had a chance to tie the game late, but his layup attempt was blocked out of bounds by Klay Thompson.
2014: Oklahoma City Thunder @ San Antonio Spurs
Final Score: 114-106
Winning Team: Thunder
Game's High Scorer: Russell Westbrook (34 points)
Neither Kevin Durant nor Kawhi Leonard suited up for this game a year ago, so other stars needed to step up in their absence.
For the Spurs, Manu Ginobili dished out 13 assists in just 24 minutes off the bench to go with 11 points and seven rebounds. Westbrook, as usual, was an animal. He scored a game-high 34 points, adding 11 assists, five rebounds, five steals and a partridge in a pear tree.
But it was actually Steven Adams who should earn the praise for this win from Thunder fans. The Kiwi finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks.
2014: Cleveland Cavaliers @ Miami Heat
Final Score: 101-91
Winning Team: Heat
Game's High Scorer: Dwyane Wade (31 points)
Though this game was ultimately decided by a 10-point margin, it was compelling due to the fact that it was LeBron's return to South Beach after he opted to sign back in Cleveland during the offseason.
His former teammate, D-Wade, clearly didn't want James to come back into his domain and get a win. He scored 24 of his 31 points in the first half, contributing to a 62-49 halftime lead. The Cavs climbed back to tie the game at 78, but couldn't prevent yet another Heat run.
2015: Cleveland Cavaliers @ Golden State Warriors?
Could this 2015 NBA Finals rematch on Christmas Day this year go down in history as one of the best games ever to take place on Dec. 25?
What will the Warriors record be by the time this date rolls around?
Can LeBron James stifle Stephen Curry's dominance? Will it matter against such a skilled overall team? Will this be a 2016 Finals preview?
These are all questions the basketball community wants to have answered. We'll anxiously await the outcome of this one.
