NBA on Christmas Day 2023: What teams are playing, keys to watch for each game

The NBA on Christmas Day is one of the league’s great traditions, dating back 76 years. Those first games in 1947 included the New York Knickerbockers hosting a game at Madison Square Garden and beating the Providence Steamrollers.

The NBA is back on Christmas, and for the 16th consecutive year the league will showcase five games. The NBA stacked the schedule with the last four NBA champions — Lakers (2020), Bucks (2021), Warriors (2022) and Nuggets (2023) — and all five games feature at least one former MVP (Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. New York; Denver's Nikola Jokić vs. Golden State's Stephen Curry; Los Angeles' LeBron James vs. Boston; Philadelphia's Joel Embiid vs. Miami; Phoenix's Kevin Durant vs. Dallas).

Here are the five NBA on Christmas Day 2023 games, where to watch and one key for each contest.

Milwaukee Bucks at New York Knicks (Noon ET; ESPN)

The Knicks playing at Madison Square Garden on Christmas Day is a New York holiday tradition — this will be the 56th time the Knicks play on Christmas Day. This year New York welcomes the hottest team in the NBA, the Milwaukee Bucks, winners of six straight as superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard find their groove (the Bucks are just half a game back of the Celtics for the best record in the East). Jalen Brunson has been good this season, All-Star good, but this is a big ask and the Knicks will miss center and defensive anchor Mitchell Robinson (ankle surgery) in this one.

Key to the game: New York's transition defense. The Knicks are solid in slowing teams on the fast break (ninth-best in percentage of transition offense allowed, 13th in points per possession on those), but that will be put to the test on Christmas Day. Antetokounmpo and Lillard are thriving when playing at a faster pace. Over their last 15 games, the Bucks are playing at the third-fastest pace in the NBA and have the third-best offense in the league (and the third-best net rating). If the Bucks get out and run the Knicks can't keep up, this game needs to be a Tom Thibodeau grind-it-out special for New York to have a chance.

Golden State Warriors at Denver Nuggets (2:30 p.m. ET; ABC)

It's a star-studded clash of the last two NBA champions, Stephen Curry and the Warriors travel to the Rocky Mountains to take on defending champion Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. After a fast 9-2 start the Nuggets have battled injuries and a champions' disinterest in the regular season having gone 10-8 since, but still sit third in the West and look like the team to beat. Golden State has been unimpressive much of this season at 13-14, with coach Steve Kerr eventually having to move a struggling Andrew Wiggins to the bench in favor of young players (Jonathan Kuminga and rookie Brandin Podziemski). Klay Thompson has looked like his vintage self in flashes and the Warriors will need those flashes in this game. The only consistent thing for Golden State has been the elite play of Curry, who remains one of the games top players at age 35.

Key to the game: Warriors defense against Nuggets two-man game. Denver sits third in the West — behind the upstart Timberwolves and Thunder — but remains everyone's pick to make the Finals out of the West because, when focused, nobody can stop the two-man game of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Denver has a +14.5 net rating when those two are on the court, and they have a chemistry that won the Nuggets a ring last June. The Warriors will be without their best defender in Draymond Green (indefinite suspension) and their defense has struggled with him out (five points per 100 possessions worse). Stephen Curry can put on a show under the bright lights of a Christmas Day game, but it will not matter if the Warriors can't get a few stops on the other end.

Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers (5 p.m. ET; ABC)

LeBron James has been a Christmas Day fixture for nearly two decades. Monday marks his record 18th time playing on Christmas and he owns the record for total points scored on Christmas (460 and counting) and is tied with former teammate Dwyane Wade for most wins on Christmas with 10. To break that last tie, LeBron and the Lakers will need to win a game in the NBA's most storied rivalry, knocking off the Boston Celtics. That will not be easy, with Boston adding All-Stars Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday to a lineup with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics are 21-6 and in first place in the East. The Lakers stumble into this game having lost four in a row and 5-of-6 since winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament.

Key to the game: Is Anthony Davis the best player on the court? LeBron, playing at an All-NBA level (he maybe even deserves to be on the bottom of the MVP ballot) and about to turn 39 next week has been one of the great stories of the NBA season. It's unprecedented. It's also not a great sign for a team when a guy in his 21st NBA season has to be on and carrying the shot-creation load for the team to win. When the Lakers have looked their best this season, it is because Anthony Davis is their best player. He's not a shot creator the way LeBron (or Austin Reaves off the bench) is for this team, but he's an elite offensive finisher who also can play at a Defensive Player of the Year level at the other end. For the Lakers to have a chance against a deep Celtics team, they need that Davis — and all game, not for a quarter or two.

If Los Angeles can keep this game close late they have a real chance — Boston has struggled with late-game execution. In crunch time their offense gets stagnant and predictable (and in the NBA, predictable is defendable). LeBron and the Lakers have been the better clutch team this season, they just need to hang around the game until the final minutes.

Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat (8 p.m. ET; ESPN)

Joel Embiid is the reigning MVP and early favorite to repeat with the award, but his game looks a little different this season — he is posting up less and doing a lot more damage from the elbows and nail (free throw line area). Embiid spacing the floor has opened driving lanes for point guard Tyrese Maxey, who is having a breakout season averaging 26.1 points and 6.7 assists a game (and shooting 40% from 3). Miami is the defending Eastern Conference champions and despite injuries and stumbles to open the season they are a respectable 16-12 and Jimmy Butler knows how to raise his game on the biggest stages — like Christmas Day.

Key to the game: Joel Embiid vs. Bam Adebayo matchup. If these teams' 2022 playoff matchup is any indication, the Heat are not about to leave Adebayo on an island against Embiid; they swarmed the 76ers' center in that series. Still, it is Adebayo who gets the primary assignment. Nobody is stopping Embiid this season, but can Adebayo — one of the best defensive big men in the NBA — make the reigning MVP look human? There have been a dozen meetings between these two in their career and Embiid averages 23.1 points and 11 rebounds a game on 49.5% shooting — which are below his career average numbers, but not dramatically.

Adebayo has the speed to stay with Embiid on the perimeter but would struggle in the post, we'll see how the 76ers adapt their game (and how the Heat defend that). If Embiid goes off for a monster game the 76ers will get the win, keep him in check and the chance for Butler or Tyler Herro to take over late and get Miami the win becomes real.

Dallas Mavericks @ Phoenix Suns (10:30 p.m. ET; ESPN)

This is star power to close out the NBA's night. Two players who are off to fast starts this season and can get white hot for a game go head-to-head — Luka Doncic vs. Kevin Durant. Both of these guys have to be in the MVP ballot conversation at this point in the season. Doncic is averaging 32.7 points, 9.1 assists and 8.4 rebounds a game while shooting 48.5% and carrying a heavy workload for his team. Durant is averaging 31 points per game on a crazy efficient 51.8% shooting overall and 46.7% from 3, plus 6.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists a game. Part of the question for this game is who else will be healthy enough to play: The Suns' Bradley Beal is out with a sprained ankle, while Dallas may be without Kyrie Irving, who missed the last six games with a bruised heel. The Mavericks' Josh Green and Dereck Lively II also have missed time recently.

Key to the Game: The Luka Doncic vs. Devin Booker rivalry. The NBA needs good rivalries to thrive and Doncic vs. Booker might be the best one in the NBA right now.

While they profess mutual respect, this duo loves to antagonize each other, leading to monster performances from two of the best scorers in the game today. It's been a long Christmas Day by the time this game comes on, grab the popcorn, sit back, and watch these two go at it.