NBA: Ranking the 12 best Christmas Day performances in history

Some of the most memorable regular-season moments in the NBA have taken place on Christmas Day. Let's take a look back at some of the best.

New Orleans Pelicans v Orlando Magic
New Orleans Pelicans v Orlando Magic | Douglas P. DeFelice/GettyImages
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10. Tiny Archibald (1972)

During the 1972-73 season, Nate “Tiny” Archibald became the first and remains the only player in NBA history to lead the league in both scoring and assists in the same season. Santa Claus wasn’t the only one in a giving mood on Christmas Day 1972.

Archibald dished out an NBA Christmas Day record 18 assists to go along with scoring 20 points. It wasn’t enough to secure victory as Tiny’s Kings fell to the Milwaukee Bucks 104-99.

9. Kyrie Irving (2018)

This matchup featuring long-time Atlantic Division rivals, Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics took on the newly acquired Jimmy Butler and the Philadelphia 76ers. When I say newly acquired, it was Butler’s FIRST game with the Sixers.

Kyrie Irving stole the show with 40 points, 10 rebounds, and three dimes. More importantly, Irving hit the game-tying shot with about 20 seconds left to force overtime – where the Celtics pulled out a 121-114 dub.