NBA CHRISTMAS DAY PREVIEW
By, Zach Burridge
This Christmas Day, as usual, will be a huge treat for NBA fans. Littered with All Star players and big story lines, each game should be entertaining and some might even be future playoff matchups. We previewed each game and made predictions following tomorrow's National T.V layout.
Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks
Noon E.T on ESPN
Photo from Uproxx.com
The Knicks have played well recently and extremely well in New York. They are 15-5 at home while only 2-10 on the road. The Sixers have found themselves in a 5 game losing streak with Embiid missing a few of those games due to rest/injury. Ben Simmons has been awesome in his Rookie campaign averaging 17.1 PPG 8.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists. He also has an incredible 62 dunks on the year so far, some showcased in this YouTube clip.
Porzingis has been special this year for the Knicks. He's averaging 24.7 PPG and is shooting 38.2% from 3.
PREDICTION
Line: Knicks -1
I'll take the Knicks at Home with Porzingis having a big game to extend the 76ers losing streak to 6 in our opening game in Christmas Day.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors
3pm E.T on ABC
Photo from SI.com
The Christmas Day Marquee matchup is the second game of the day featuring the Cavs playing the Warriors in Oakland. The big news is that Curry still won’t be available to play in the finals rematch. The Cavs have won 18 of their last 20, while 2nd in offensive rating. Their defense has continued to lag behind at 26th in the league. The warriors continue to be the juggernaut they have been over the last 4 years. They are first in assists, blocks and Field goal percentage, and are top 5 in both offense and Defense rating. We get our first look at a potential 4 time rematch in the NBA Finals as well.
PREDICTION
Line: Warriors -4.5
I expect this game to be close and exciting with Curry out and the Cavaliers being hot right now. I'll take the Cavs to keep the game close and have a chance to win it at the end.
Washington Wizards at Boston Celtics
5:30pm E.T on ABC
Photo from nba.com
The Third game of the day features the top seed Celtics of the East and the Washington Wizards who after starting slow are still 7th in the conference right now. This rematch of the eastern conference semifinals has some serious bad blood. Enough last year for a highlight video sure to get you excited for this matchup tomorrow.
The Celtics are first in defensive rating and have the most wins in the NBA while the Wizards are looking for a big win to spark the rest of their season.
PREDICTION
Line: Celtics -5
Boston is a tough home team and could see Jaylen brown back in the lineup after missing a few straight. I'll take the Celtics to cover -5 at home in a tough matchup.
Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder
8pm E.T on ABC
Photo from SI.com
As the Rockets have been the darling of the league so far, the Thunder could be called the opposite. The Rockets are first in offensive rating and PPG at 115.4. Until the December 20th loss to the Lakers, they had won 14 straight in dominating fashion. Drama and struggle have headlined the Thunder’s season and the problem is hard to pinpoint. 26th in the league in assists might be an answer but a big win on Christmas might help build some chemistry. Harden might be leading the MVP race so far and could further the argument with a big time performance Tomorrow.
PREDICTION
Line: Rockets -4
The Thunder have played pretty well on national T.V and I believe will make this game close at home. I'll still take the Rockets to cover and bounce back from back to back losses.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers
10:30pm E.T on TNT
Photo from silverscreenandroll.com
The Lakers and Lonzo Ball have been one of the biggest stories of the year, even at 11-20 and far out of the playoff picture. The Timberwolves are currently fourth in the West at 20-13 and the addition of Jimmy Butler has the team primed to finally make the playoffs again. Lonzo struggles to start the season were pretty known, but December has been a different story. In the 10 games this month Lonzo has shot .377 percent from 3 and his offensive rating increased from 89 in November to 99 in December.
PREDICTION
Line: Timberwolves -3
I expect to see the Timberwolves strong starting lineup show up in Staples Center on the big stage. I'll take the Timberwolves covering and beating the young Lakers.
Lots of All-Stars, hopefully some good games, a potential NBA Finals preview and even some Lavar Ball, MERRY CHRISTMAS NBA FANS!!!!!
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