NBA Schedule Release: Predicting the 2021 Christmas Day slate
Predicting what the 2021 NBA Christmas Day slate could look like.
As we enter the NBA dog days of August, now that the NBA Draft and Free Agency are pretty much over and done with, it’s natural to anticipate the next big drop of news from the Association. And that just happens to be the NBA’s schedule release.
According to recent reports, the schedule is slated to be released sooner rather than later. As it possibly the next week. While most of the attention and intrigue of the NBA’s schedule release revolves around which teams will be playing on opening night, the other big day for the Association is Christmas.
It’s often when the casual fans plug into the NBA season and when it gets its day of national recognition – though, that has begun to change as the NFL has slowly tried to stick its nose with Christmas Day games as of late.
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For the most part, however, Christmas Day is often associated with NBA basketball. Ahead of the actual schedule release, we try to predict what we could possibly expect from a Christmas Day slate this season.
A Christmas Day slate of NBA glory
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks – The early game
The early game is usually what gets our NBA stomachs warmed up, and you can bet that the league is going to want to make a return to New York on Christmas Day now that the Knicks are somewhat relevant. After trading Ben Simmons away, the Sixers are stuck on the road on Christmas Day in what could end up being a first-round playoff matchup.
Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks – The early afternoon
Who doesn’t want to see the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks square off on Christmas Day? After the Bucks swept the Heat in the first round of the playoffs this past season, a new and improved Miami will be looking to send a message not only to the defending NBA champions but also to the rest of the league on Christmas Day.
Brooklyn Nets vs. Los Angeles Lakers – The main event
In a potential NBA Finals preview, the Brooklyn Nets will head on the road to take on LA’s new trio at the Staples Center. Christmas Day basketball without the Los Angeles Lakers just seems odd. The Lakers will get one and it will be the primetime game of the day.
Utah Jazz vs. Phoenix Suns – The early evening game
In what would be the early evening game, the NBA will throw a bone to the West Coast with a matchup between two of the rising teams in the league – the Jazz and Suns. There is plenty of star power in this one and should be one of the most competitive games of the day. Both will be vying for one of the top 3 seeds in the Western Conference.
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Dallas Mavericks vs. Denver Nuggets – The late game
To close out the night, Luka Doncic will get the national stage as he faces off against Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray (assuming he is back from injury at this point). The Mavs and Nuggets are expected to be two of the top teams in the West and this could also very well be a playoff preview.