Ranking the NBA's slate of Christmas Day games
As per usual, the NBA has done a phenomenal job of assembling a quintuple-header on Christmas Day that both casual and hardcore fans alike can really sink their teeth into as they celebrate with loved ones.
Here's a look at all five games scheduled for the holiday, and which ones should have your attention.
5. Los Angeles Clippers (22-9) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (11-22)
Feel free to bump this Battle of Los Angeles up a notch or two should All-Star point guard Chris Paul suit up, but if he misses the festivities due to a strained left hamstring he suffered on Thursday, Clippers-Lakers will lose a lot of its luster.
It's bad enough that the dunktastic Blake Griffin (knee) is sidelined, so not having his Lob City running mate around should and probably will tune out a few families looking to end the day on a high note. The Clippers' offense sits fifth overall at 110.2 points per 100 possessions, but is 12.5 points worse when Paul's not on the floor.
Remember when the Lakers hovered around the .500 mark and were glowingly talked about as being a pleasant surprise (which they certainly were to start) in the post-Kobe era? Well, they've only managed to win once in December at 1-12, so any momentum they once had has gone down the drain.
4. Chicago Bulls (14-15) vs. San Antonio Spurs (24-6)
There's no bad blood here. No juicy angles or storied history between the two clubs. You need to dig deep into the pairing to truly find substance, and when you do, you'll be somewhat happy with what you find.
Pau Gasol only spent two seasons in the Windy City, but he was an All-Star with the organization, and this will be his second time facing his former club in a matter of weeks. There's also plenty to like from watching two of the top two-way players in the sport in Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler go at each other on opposite ends.
Again, nothing about Bulls-Spurs screams "must-see television," and while it could end up being just as competitive as their game on Dec. 8 (a 95-91 Bulls win at home), the lack of sizzle for this T-bone steak will turn some away.
3. Boston Celtics (17-13) vs. New York Knicks (16-13)
It's been firmly established that the Cleveland Cavaliers are in a league of their own atop the Eastern Conference, followed by the Toronto Raptors being in firm control of that No. 2 spot. After that, it's a cluster of several teams sitting in the middle jockeying for position and seeding.
Only 3.5 games separate the No. 3 and 10 spots, which includes just half a game keeping the Knicks and Celtics apart at No. 3 and 5. One hot streak could change the landscape of the East quickly, and firmly establish one of the two as the definitive third honcho behind Cleveland and Toronto.
Mixing the ingredients that are scoring machine Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis' unicorn-esque play, Mr. Consistency Al Hoford, and all 5-foot-9 of All-Star Isaiah Thomas together in front of a rowdy MSG crowd ecstatic to once again have a winning product to call their own makes this clash required viewing.
2. Minnesota Timberwolves (9-20) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (18-12)
Russell Westbrook is the gift that keeps on giving, and with the spotlight beaming down on Chesapeake Energy Arena, we could be in store for his most robust performance to date - a scary, yet not entirely outlandish notion when taking into account some of the ridiculous stat lines he's already had.
With three-straight games of at least 40 points (the second time in his career he's pulled that off), adding a fourth to his tally against Minnesota's 26th-ranked defense is very much in play. And, of course, there's always the possibility that Westbrook notches yet another triple-double, adding to his league-leading total of 14.
Despite the team's glaring shortcomings and disappointing start, the Timberwolves still put forth an appealing on-court product with Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Zach LaVine leading the way. That, paired with whatever Westbrook musters up, is enough to keep anyone's attention.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers (22-6) vs. Golden State Warriors (27-4)
It's the teams with the two best records in the Association going head to head in a rematch of the last two NBA Finals. This is easily the most hyped and highly-anticipated meeting of the 2016-17 campaign thus far, and rightfully so.
It's full of star power, sex appeal, offensive firepower, the last five league Most Valuable Players, and an added wrinkle now that four-time scoring champion Kevin Durant is in the mix.
The end result shouldn't be an indicator as to what we'll see June should Golden State and the reigning titleholders have their rubber match, though. J.R. Smith - Cleveland's fifth-leading scorer - isn't in the lineup with a broken thumb, so head coach Tyronn Lue won't have all hands on deck Sunday afternoon. The Warriors have also taken three of the last four regular-season affairs, but, as we're all constantly reminded of, it was the Cavaliers pulling off the impossible in the Finals by overcoming a 3-1 deficit.