The start of the five-game Christmas Day NBA slate is disappointing, with struggling clubs like the Nets, Knicks, Bulls and Lakers featured, but things get much better late with two Western Conference showdowns.
Christmas Day is arguably the NBA's biggest regular-season event and we've got no less than five games on the docket. Unfortunately, the schedule-makers did us no favors with some of these matchups, but we'll play along.
Bulls at Nets, 12 p.m. ET, ESPN
Take your time opening presents. Enjoy a late brunch. Go out and make a snowman. There's nothing to see here except two beaten down teams staring at the harsh glare of tattered expectations and broken dreams. But hey, maybe Kevin Garnett and Joakim Noah can get into the holiday spirit. Just keep those courtside mics on a 35-second delay.
Thunder at Knicks, 2:30 p.m. ET, ABC
This will be hyped as Kevin Durant vs. Carmelo Anthony and that's fine as far as it goes, but it might be time to introduce the Sunday Shootaround Drinking Game to help us get through this one. Take it slow, we've got all day.
Drink once whenever:
Mike Woodson stares incredulously at the court
Andrea Bargnani takes an ill-advised jumper
J.R. Smith takes a shot, any shot
The Knicks botch a 2-for-1
You should be good and toasty by halftime and on the same elevated plane with your favorite Knick bloggers who have been absolutely brilliant during these trying times.
Heat at Lakers, 5 p.m. ET, ABC
The following matchups would be better than this one:
Miami vs. Indiana
Miami vs. San Antonio
Miami vs. Oklahoma City
Miami vs. Clippers
Miami vs. Golden State
Miami vs. Houston
Miami vs. Portland
Miami vs. Kentucky
Rockets at Spurs, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
Okay, now we're talking. Two good basketball teams and traditional rivals to tip-off the evening slate. You'll probably have to involve the whole family so here's some talking points:
1. Dwight Howard's free agency was less about a pampered star wanting his own spotlight and more about establishing a new paradigm in franchise building.
2. Extol the virtues of the corner three and both teams' significance in making it such an integral part of the modern game.
3. Explain why that angry man in the sideline interviews is in fact doing performance art.
4. Have a Euro-step contest during commercial breaks.
5. James Harden's beard: Real or fake?
Clippers at Warriors,
This one is for us. It's our present from the league from suffering through an abominable slate of early games. Let's all meet up on Twitter and talk about it.
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