NBA Christmas Day Games: Schedule and Early Predictions

The 2020-21 NBA season is just around the corner, and fans are excited to see the game return. Defending champions Los Angeles Lakers face the challenge of many teams coming for their throne. The new season is sure to have some fantastic games, especially on NBA Christmas Day.

Fans will be looking forward to NBA Christmas Day after the league announced the games for the festive day. There are several headlining games, providing interesting match-ups with great entertainment value. But which teams will come out the victor? While it is way too early to pick a solid winner, here are the predictions for the NBA Christmas Day.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Dallas Mavericks (8 PM EST)

Lakers vs. Mavericks is by far the most exciting game in the list of Christmas Day fixtures. The defending champions will take on the exciting Dallas team that almost shocked the Clippers in the playoffs last year. Both teams, however, will be missing significant stars. LeBron James has come forth and said that he will miss a portion of the season, due to the short turnover between the finals and the tip-off for the new season.

The Mavericks will be without Kristaps Porzingis, who underwent knee surgery and will not be rushed to return. However, both teams will have big names such as Anthony Davis and Luka Dončić on the court. The new-look Lakers with signings like Dennis Schröder, Montrezl Harrell, and Marc Gasol will look to get off to a strong start. But Luka is an offensive powerhouse, and a favorite to win MVP this year.

Dončić will do everything in his power to help the Mavs take the W in this. Without LeBron James, the Lakers will struggle to find chemistry so quickly with many new names.

Prediction – Mavericks beat the Lakers in a very close game.

LA Clippers vs Denver Nuggets (10:30 PM EST)

A rematch from the Western Conference semi-finals is the most interesting story on Christmas Day. Fans still remember the Clippers’ shockingly collapsing and blowing a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets. The Clippers were the favorites to win the NBA championship last year but didn’t even make the Western Conference Finals.

Neither team has made major moves to address their concerns in the off-season. The Clippers got Serge Ibaka to replace Montrezl Harrell, which is a major upgrade. But they’re still lacking a point guard. The Nuggets had a fairly silent off-season, not signing any major names. But the Nuggets have a great weapon – the duo of Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray.

Without a point guard to run the offense for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers will continue to struggle.

Prediction – The Clippers fall (once again) to Murray, Joker, and the Nuggets

Golden State Warriors vs Milwaukee Bucks (2:30 PM EST)

This game could be looked at five years later as the turning point for the Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo is rumored to leave the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency, and the Warriors are one of the contenders to sign him. The Bucks haven’t made any significant improvements to the team. They added Jrue Holiday as a point-guard but he doesn’t improve the team greatly.

The Warriors, on the other hand, have made some good signings. They acquired James Wiseman with the second pick in the draft, and they signed Kelly Oubre Jr. through a trade to replace Klay Thompson, who is once again out for the season. A fully healthy Steph Curry will be eager to carry his team this season and show that he is a superstar among superstars.

The Warriors may not be able to stop the Greek Freak, but they can take care of everyone else.

Prediction – The Warriors trounce the Bucks, thanks to a Steph Curry shooting masterclass.

Brooklyn Nets vs Boston Celtics (5 PM EST)

This is one of the most exciting games on the docket. Kyrie Irving takes on his former team after leaving in 2019. Celtics fans have no love lost for Kyrie after he went back on his word and signed with the Nets. Even Kevin Durant will be ready to go after spending a year and a half on the shelf.

The Celtics, on the other hand, are a little depleted. They lost Gordon Hayward and Enes Kanter in free agency. But they did sign former NBA champion Tristan Thompson to fill their center position. This could be a very high-scoring game, with neither side having the flat-out advantage.

The Nets are championship contenders this year and want to prove their worthiness for the title.

Prediction – KD does KD things as the Nets pick up the win.

Miami Heat vs New Orleans Pelicans (12 PM EST)

This match up will be the dark horse for the match of the night. Two extremely young and talented teams take on each other. Zion Williamson and the Pelicans will take the court with new coach Stan Van Gundy. Van Gundy will be ready to get the win over his former team, the Miami Heat.

The Heat will also be ready to show that their run to the NBA Finals last year wasn’t a fluke and that they are to be taken seriously. Players like Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro will want to put on a show, but it might not be easy.

Zion Williamson missed a lot of time last year and will want to prove he is the rightful new face of the NBA.

Prediction – Zion Williamson turns back the time to his days at Duke to help the Pelicans get a win.

These are some extra-early predictions for the NBA Christmas Day fixtures. There is still a lot of time before the season begins, and these predictions might change as more information becomes available. Who do you think will come out victorious on Christmas Day?