NBA Christmas Slate Preview

Milwaukee Bucks (22-7) vs. New York Knicks (16-12)

The Bucks are in New York for three straight games over the holidays, two games against the Knicks and one against the Nets. They faced the Knicks Saturday afternoon and won 130-11. Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 36 points, but it was not enough to propel the Knicks to victory.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 28 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Averaging 124.7 points per game, the Bucks average the second highest in the league and are in second place in the Eastern Conference. They look to win their fourth game of the season against the Knicks on Christmas Day at noon.

Golden State Warriors (15-14) vs. Denver Nuggets (21-10)

The Nuggets beat the Warriors, 108-105, the other time they have played this season. In this game, Steph Curry recorded 23 points, five rebounds and four assists. The reigning league champions hold second place in the Western Conference behind the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Draymond Green did not play in the previous matchup and will not play on Christmas Day as he serves his indefinite suspension. The Warriors look to extend their five-game win streak. To do so, they will need to limit Nuggets star center, Nikola Jokic, who averages 12.3 rebounds per game, second in the league, and 26.4 points per game.

Boston Celtics (22-6) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (16-14)

The Celtics hold first place in the Eastern Conference, tied for first place for best record in the league with the Minnesota Timberwolves. They lead the league in total three-point shots with 458 on the season.

They travel to Crypto.com Arena to face off against the inaugural in-season tournament champions. Both teams' stars, Jayson Tatum of the Celtics, and Lebron James of the Lakers, average about 26 points per game.

The Lakers are 17th in the league for points per game and the Celtics are sixth. The Celtics look to take the top record in the league with a Christmas evening win.

Philadelphia 76ers (20-8) vs. Miami Heat (17-12)

The league’s reigning MVP, Joel Embiid, enters this game with a 13-game streak with 30 points and 10 rebounds. He is currently behind Elgin Baylor, who recorded 15 straight in the 1961-62 season. This is the longest 30-10 streak since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 16 straight, in 1971-72.

The team was led by Embiid, Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey in the Sixers' 121-111 win Friday night over the Raptors. The trio became the second trio in franchise history to all have scored 30-plus points in a game. The Sixers are currently in third place in the Eastern Conference and the Heat are in sixth place. The Heat have been led by Tyler Herro’s average of 24.2 points per game in the 11 games he has played so far this season. Both teams are looking to pick up their third straight victory.

Dallas Mavericks (17-12) vs. Phoenix Suns (14-14)

Luka Doncic is second in the league, averaging 32.9 points per game. He’s also third in the league for turnovers with an average of four per game. The Mavericks are currently ranked sixth in the Western Conference, holding the last playoff spot before the Play-In Tournament.

The Suns sit at .500 on the season, who had Bradley Beal join the duo of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker for just ten games before injuring his ankle. Durant is third in the league with points per game at 30.9. This season, the Suns are under a new head coach, Frank Vogel. The Mavericks look to power to an away victory in Phoenix on Christmas behind the efforts of Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Julia Henry is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email jbh6443@psu.edu.