Report: Knicks won't play on Christmas for first time since 2008

There will be no basketball for New York Knicks fans on Christmas Day, 2015.

For the first time since 2008, the Knicks will not be featured on the NBA's Christmas slate, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports.

It's damning for one of the league's most popular franchises to not be featured on arguably the biggest night of the regular season, but there's good reason for dropping the Knicks from the spotlight: they won just 17 games last year.

Last Christmas, the Knicks lost to the Washington Wizards, 102-91, despite a valiant 34-point outing from Carmelo Anthony. His teammates let him down, with only Cole Aldrich and Jose Calderon joining Anthony in double-digit scoring.

The loss dropped New York to 5-26 and prompted a frustrated Quincy Acy to throw a punch at Wizards guard John Wall, who had dazzled the Garden faithful with a 360-degree layup moments earlier.

Berman also reports that the Knicks will open the season in Milwaukee against the Bucks on Oct. 28, before taking on the Atlanta Hawks on the second night of a back-to-back.

For the Bucks, it will mark the first time they open the season at home since 1984.

The Knicks sport a 22-28 all-time record on Christmas Day. The complete schedule will be released Wednesday, but it's reported that the Christmas slate will feature a rematch of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers.