NBA games on Christmas Day are an age-old tradition that contributes to the holiday season being the most wonderful time of the year. For the 16th straight year, a five-game slate will be headlined by some of the league's brightest stars.
The action begins at noon ET and will be nonstop through the midnight hour on the East Coast. The schedule features each of the last four NBA champions and six players who have won a combined 12 league MVP awards.
From a marquee matchup featuring the last two NBA champs to one of the league's most historic rivalries taking center stage in Los Angeles, this year's Christmas Day schedule has it all.
Ahead of this year's Christmas Day slate, here is everything you need to know, including the schedule, how to watch, key injuries and a few storylines to keep an eye on.
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NBA Christmas Day 2023 schedule
| Game | Time (ET) | Location | TV channel |
| Bucks vs. Knicks | 12 p.m. | Madison Square Garden | ESPN |
| Warriors vs. Nuggets | 2:30 p.m. | Ball Arena | ABC, ESPN |
| Celtics vs. Lakers | 5 p.m. | Crypto.com Arena | ABC, ESPN |
| 76ers vs. Heat | 8 p.m. | Kaseya Center | ESPN |
| Mavericks vs. Suns | 10:30 p.m. | Footprint Center | ESPN |
How to watch NBA Christmas Day 2023 games
In the United States, each of the five NBA Christmas Day games in 2023 will be broadcast on ESPN, with Warriors vs. Nuggets and Celtics vs. Lakers also airing on ABC.
Viewers can stream each game on Sling TV.
Fans in the U.S. can watch the biggest games of the 2023-24 NBA season on Sling TV, which is now offering HALF OFF your first month! Sling base packages (Sling Orange or Sling Blue) start at just $20 for your first month, or you can get Sling Orange + Blue starting at $27.50 for your first month. There are no long-term contracts, and you can change your channel lineup anytime. DVR is included along with thousands of on-demand shows and movies.
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NBA Christmas Day 2023 games
Bucks vs. Knicks, 12 p.m. ET
| Bucks on Christmas | Knicks on Christmas | |
| Record | 5-4 | 23-32 |
| Most recent game | 2022 (Celtics 139, Bucks 118) | 2022 (76ers 119, Knicks 112) |
| Single-game scoring high | 38 points — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1971 (OT) | 60 points — Bernard King, 1984 |
Warriors vs. Nuggets, 2:30 p.m. ET
| Warriors on Christmas | Nuggets on Christmas | |
| Record | 15-17 | 2-6 |
| Most recent game | 2022 (Warriors 123, Grizzlies 109) | 2022 (Nuggets 128, Suns 125) |
| Single-game scoring high | 59 points — Wilt Chamberlain, 1961 (2OT) | 41 points — Nikola Jokic, 2022 |
Celtics vs. Lakers, 5 p.m. ET
| Celtics on Christmas | Lakers on Christmas | |
| Record | 16-20 | 24-25 |
| Most recent game | 2022 (Celtics 139, Bucks 118) | 2022 (Mavericks 124, Lakers 115) |
| Single-game scoring high | 45 points — Tom Heinsohn, 1961 | 47 points — Jerry West, 1963 |
76ers vs. Heat, 8 p.m ET
| 76ers on Christmas | Heat on Christmas | |
| Record | 19-14 | 11-2 |
| Most recent game | 2022 (76ers 119, Knicks 112) | 2020 (Heat 111, Pelicans 98) |
| Single-game scoring high | 41 points — Billy Cunningham, 1969 | 40 points — Dwyane Wade, 2006 |
Mavericks vs. Suns, 10:30 p.m. ET
| Mavericks on Christmas | Suns on Christmas | |
| Record | 3-3 | 12-8 |
| Most recent game | 2022 (Mavericks 124, Lakers 115) | 2022 (Nuggets 128, Suns 125) |
| Single-game scoring high | 32 points — Luka Doncic, 2022 | 38 points — Charles Barkley, 1993 |
NBA Christmas Day 2023 storylines
Bucks vs. Knicks
Thanks to an added meeting in the In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals, this is the fourth of five matchups between Milwaukee and New York this season. The two teams squared off in a matinee two days prior on Dec. 23 before meeting on Christmas.
In each of the first two games, the Knicks had 40-point scorers, with Jalen Brunson scoring 45 points in the first meeting and Julius Randle putting up 41 the second time around. Will there be a different 40-point scorer on Christmas Day?
Warriors vs. Nuggets
The last two NBA champions are in action as the Nuggets uphold the tradition of the defending champs having a home game on Christmas. With Draymond Green serving a league-mandated suspension, the Warriors will have their hands full with the already impossible task of slowing Nikola Jokic down.
Stephen Curry missed last year's Christmas Day game with an injury. He'll look to match — or exceed — his 33-point effort on Christmas in 2021.
Celtics vs. Lakers
It's one of the most iconic rivalries in the NBA on the Christmas stage. What more could you ask for?
Jayson Tatum and the Celtics swept the regular-season series last year, winning two games that were decided in overtime. LeBron James and company will look to exact revenge as LA meets Boston on Christmas for the first time since 2008.
76ers vs. Heat
Reigning MVP Joel Embiid has been on a tear this season but has yet to go against this Miami team. Former Sixer Jimmy Butler always seems to have something to prove against his old team and Erik Spoelstra, who enters the day with an 8-0 record on Christmas, will look to stay flawless on the holiday.
Mavericks vs. Suns
In a rematch of the 2022 Western Conference Semifinals, the individual rivalry between Luka Doncic and Devin Booker takes center stage.
Despite injuries to Dallas' Kyrie Irving and Phoenix's Bradley Beal, there is plenty of star power present among the two teams that look to seriously contend in the West this year. Not a bad way to close out the holiday slate, eh?
Notable players with injuries on NBA Christmas Day 2023
| Team | Player | Status | Reason |
| Bucks | Jae Crowder | Out | Left adductor surgery |
| Knicks | Mitchell Robinson | Out | Left ankle surgery |
| Jericho Sims | Out | Right ankle sprain | |
| Warriors | Draymond Green | Out | League suspension |
| Gary Payton II | Out | Left calf strain | |
| Nuggets | |||
| Celtics | Kristaps Porzingis | TBD | Left ankle sprain |
| Jayson Tatum | TBD | Left ankle sprain | |
| Lakers | Gabe Vincent | Out | Left knee effusion |
| 76ers | |||
| Heat | Jimmy Butler | Questionable | Left calf strain |
| Mavericks | Josh Green | TBD | Right elbow sprain |
| Kyrie Irving | TBD | Right heel contusion | |
| Dereck Lively II | TBD | Sprained left ankle | |
| Suns | Bradley Beal | Out | Right ankle sprain |
| Jusuf Nurkic | Out | Personal reasons |
NBA Christmas Day records
| Single game | All-time | |
| Points | 60 – Bernard King, 1984 | 460 – LeBron James (17 games) |
| Rebounds | 36 – Wilt Chamberlain, 1961 | 176 – Bill Russell (8 games) |
| Assists | 18 – Guy Rodgers, 1966; Nate Archibald, 1972 | 144 – Oscar Robertson (12 games) |
| Steals | 7 – Kyrie Irving, 2016 | 29 – Russell Westbrook (12 games) |
| Blocks | 8 – DeAndre Jordan, 2011 | 25 – Shaquille O'Neal (13 games) |
| 3-pointers | 8 – Patty Mills, 2021 | 31 – James Harden (10 games) |
| Free Throws | 22 – Bernard King, 1984 | 125 – Oscar Robertson (12 games) |
NBA Christmas Day 2023 milestone watch
- The Knicks are the all-time leader in games played on Christmas Day. This year marks New York's 56th game on the holiday.
- 2023 marks the 50th time that the Lakers will play on Christmas Day. They have the most all-time victories with 24.
- LeBron James is the co-leader in Christmas Day victories (10). A win would break a tie with Dwyane Wade.
- Joel Embiid's 31.3 points per game average on Christmas Day is the highest mark among active players who have played two or more games on Christmas.
- Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is 8-0 on Christmas Day, the most victories without a loss on Christmas for an NBA head coach.
NBA Christmas Day 2022 results
| Result | Location | High scorer |
| 76ers 119, Knicks 112 | Madison Square Garden | J. Randle & J. Embiid (35 PTS) |
| Mavericks 124, Lakers 115 | American Airlines Center | L. James (38 PTS) |
| Celtics 139, Bucks 118 | TD Garden | J. Tatum (41 PTS) |
| Warriors 123, Grizzlies 109 | Chase Center | J. Morant (36 PTS) |
| Nuggets 128, Suns 125 (OT) | Ball Arena | N. Jokic (41 PTS) |
