NBA Christmas Games: How to Watch and Stream All 5 Match-Ups
- - NBA Christmas Games: How to Watch and Stream All 5 Match-Ups
Samantha StutsmanDecember 25, 2025 at 6:30 PM
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Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets during an NBA game on December 15, 2025 in Denver, Colorado ; LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during an NBA game on November 18, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Get ready for a basketball-packed Christmas Day!
On Dec. 25, fans will be treated to a full slate of NBA action, with five match-ups airing throughout the day — perfect for watching between opening presents and holiday meals.
The Christmas Day schedule tips off with the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. the New York Knicks. That game is followed by four more, ending with the Minnesota Timberwolves taking on the Denver Nuggets.
This isn't the first holiday hoops marathon. In fact, the NBA has been playing games on Christmas nearly since its inception.
Here’s everything to know about the 2025 NBA Christmas games, including how to watch the match-ups.
Which NBA teams are playing on Christmas?
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty ; Ethan Miller/Getty
Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors during an NBA game on December 20, 2025 in San Francisco, California ; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during a semifinal game of the Emirates NBA Cup on December 13, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ten NBA teams will take the court on Christmas Day, delivering a full day of marquee match-ups.
The holiday slate opens with the Cleveland Cavaliers facing the New York Knicks. That game is the subject of the league's second annual Dunk the Halls: In addition to a traditional broadcast, the match-up will also be recreated live in real-time animation, set against a festive version of Main Street, U.S.A., at Walt Disney World. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto will appear — plus, Stitch will make his Dunk the Halls debut this year.
That game will be followed by the San Antonio Spurs taking on the league's reigning champs, a.k.a. the Oklahoma City Thunder — a rematch after the two teams met earlier this month in the NBA Cup on Dec. 13.
The action continues as the Dallas Mavericks square off against the Golden State Warriors. Later in the evening, the Houston Rockets face the Los Angeles Lakers, before the night wraps up with the Minnesota Timberwolves playing the Denver Nuggets, closing out a festive day of Christmas basketball.
What time are the NBA Christmas games?
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Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks during an NBA game on December 18, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The NBA’s Christmas Day games air throughout the day, starting at noon ET and running late into the night.
The schedule tips off at 12 p.m. ET with the Cleveland Cavaliers facing the New York Knicks, followed by the San Antonio Spurs vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder at 2:30 p.m. ET. The late afternoon match-up features the Dallas Mavericks taking on the Golden State Warriors at 5 p.m. ET.
Prime time begins at 8 p.m. ET with the Houston Rockets vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, before the holiday slate closes out at 10:30 p.m. ET, when the Minnesota Timberwolves face the Denver Nuggets.
How can I watch the NBA Christmas games?
Justin Edmonds/Getty
Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets during an NBA game on December 15, 2025 in Denver, Colorado.
ABC and ESPN will nationally televise all five NBA Christmas Day games, with every match-up also streaming live on the ESPN app.
Fans can also tune in for Dunk the Halls, which is airing on ESPN2 and streaming on Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney XD and the ESPN App.
Who will be commentating on the NBA Christmas games?
David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty
Shaquille O'Neal, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley during Game 5 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals on May 29, 2025 in New York City.
Viewers tuning in on Christmas Day can expect familiar voices across ESPN and ABC’s NBA coverage.
For the traditional broadcasts, ESPN’s top commentators will be in the mix throughout the five-game slate, including play-by-play announcer Ryan Ruocco, analyst Doris Burke and sideline reporter Jorge Sedano, who are slated to call the Cavaliers vs. Knicks match-up and are expected to rotate across the day.
Studio coverage will also be featured throughout the holiday schedule, with Inside the NBA segments led by host Ernie Johnson alongside analysts Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith.
Meanwhile, the Dunk the Halls alternate animated broadcast of the Cavaliers vs. Knicks game will feature its own commentary team, with Drew Carter handling play-by-play duties and Monica McNutt serving as analyst, adding a festive, family-friendly twist to the Christmas Day action.
What is the history of NBA Christmas games?
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The Luvabulls perform on Christmas during a game on December 25, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois.
NBA Christmas Day games date back nearly to the league’s beginning. The National Basketball Association first played on Christmas Day in 1947, just one year after its inception. That day, six teams played, per the NBA: The Baltimore Bullets defeated the Chicago Stags 87-70, the New York Knicks beat the Providence Steamrollers 89-75 and the Washington Capitols steamrolled the St. Louis Bombers 73-56.
Those inaugural holiday match-ups helped establish Christmas Day as a special stage for the league, particularly in New York, where Knicks home games would become a near-annual tradition.
Since then, the NBA has played games on Christmas Day every year except 1998, when a league lockout canceled half of the 1998–99 season and wiped the holiday slate.
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Source: “AOL Sports”
