NBA: Ranking the 12 best Christmas Day performances in history

6. Kevin Durant (2010)

The Oklahoma City Thunder had built a young, exciting squad with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, and Serge Ibaka. Durant was emerging as one of the game’s best players and showed why during an impressive performance against the Denver Nuggets.

He had an efficient 44 points (14-20 shooting), 21 of which came in the 3rd quarter to go along with seven boards, four assists, two steals, and two blocks. The Thunder beat the Nuggets 114-106. Durant and the Thunder had arrived on the national stage.

5. Scottie Pippen (1994)

Scottie Pippen was literally Mr. Everything for the Bulls during the 1994-95 season. He led the Bulls in every major statistical category (points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks) and is one of five players in NBA history to do so for an entire season.

Pippen carried the Bulls to a 107-104 overtime victory over their arch-rival New York Knicks on Christmas Day 1994. This was despite an all-time Not Top-10 play by Steve Kerr that allowed the Knicks to force overtime.

Pippen scored 36 points, 16 rebounds, three assists, five steals, two blocks, and a partridge in a pear tree. Oh, and he played ALL 53 minutes. His two blocks were in the final seconds of the game to preserve a Bulls win.