The Best Christmas Day Games in NBA History

Let’s talk about the best Christmas Day games in NBA history! As you might know, the Christmas Day games are somehow a tradition in the NBA. It first started in 1947. Right now it’s really part of the Christmas tradition between the NBA fans and people are waiting for these games all year long. 

Nowdays there are 5 games each year and they are always between the finest NBA teams. since its long history, fans could see some of the most amazing games and in this article, we tried to collect the best of them. If you visit any of the online sportsbook sites in the US you can still put bets on this year’s games. Let’s start!

1984 – New Jersey Nets vs. New York Knicks: King Scores 60 points

When it comes to the best Christmas Day games in NBA history we have various different games that people will always remember. Some will be remembered because of the excitement of the game, some because of some conflict. Although there are games that are comparable because of one individual. It’s true for the 1984’s Christmas Day game between the New Jersey Nets and the New York Knicks. Of course, it was an exciting game but it was Bernard King who made history that day. 

King was one of the best players back then and people knew he would score nicely. Although what happened no one expected. King managed to score 60 points. In case you are into NBA, you know very well what that means. With that, he made the greatest individual score in a Christmas Day game. And still, no one was able to score more than him. 

1985 – Boston Celtics vs New York Knicks: A Game to Remember

Even before the online sportsbooks in the US there have been some amazing games or bettors. One of those was the game between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks back in 1985. This game was definitely one of the best Christmas Day games in NBA history. 

Why? This was one of the most exciting NBA Christmas games ever and there was so much action. What’re more some people believe this game was Patrick Erwing’s entrance to the NBA as an exceptional player. He even faced Larry Bird but his playing was just amazing. He scored 32 points and finally, the Knick won 113-104. So all in all this game was the game where Erwingfirst showed off his talent. 

1986- Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks: An other best Christmas Day games in NBA history

Another interesting game and one of the best Christmas Day games in NBA history took place in 1986. This was the year when the rivalry between the Bulls and the Knicks started. Let’s take a closer look at that game. Also in the meantime don’t forget to visit 22BET Sportsbook for the best NBA bets. So back to the game. If you are an NBA fan you know very well that the Knicks and the Bulls had a long rivalry back in the day. Well, this Christmas game was the beginning of that. 

The main focus this time was Erwing and the uprising star Jordan. After all this time Erwing was the one to come out the winner. This time the Heat beat the Bulls 86-85. After this game, we could see many exciting games between these two teams. One of those was the 1994’s Christmas Day game where the Bulls beat the Knicks 107-104.

2004 – Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat: When Kobe and Shaq Met 

This game wasn’t really special because of the matches but it was more about emotions. If you are old enough you might just remember what happened when the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat played against each other in 2004. 

Before the game, everyone was excited and everyone was looking forward to this game like nothing else. There was a bit of rivalry going on between Kobe and Shaq. Shaq was just back to the game and many people believe it was Kobe’s fault that he left the Lakers. And now he was back in the Heat. You could literally cut the tension with a knife. Would Kobe and Saqu at friendly or just go against each other? All in all, there wasn’t any conflict throughout the game, and the Heat beat the Lakers 104-102.

2016 – Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors: One of the Best Christmas Day Games in NBA History

This game without a doubt is one of the best Christmas Day games in NBA history and one of the most recent ones. In 2016 the Cavaliers faced the Warriors and it was just amazing to watch. The Warriors had just lost to the Cavaliers in a dramatic seven-game (and even contentious) Finals series, but had managed to add Kevin Durant to their already brilliant lineup. 

The very first occasion these two teams would play one another following the signing of KD came on Christmas Day, and both teams continued the game exactly where they left off, with Kyrie Irving once again making the game-winning shot with 3.4 seconds remaining on the clock. 

Hopefully this year too we’ll be able to see some exciting games on Christmas Day. What’s more, don’t forget that you can still bet on this year’s Christmas Day game at 22BET SPortsbook!

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