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For many of us basketball fans, the NBA’s Christmas games are better than any gifts under the tree. Every year we get a string of huge matchups featuring the league’s top teams and, best of all, we’re (usually) at home all day with family and friends, ready to enjoy the games.
Related: How to Watch NBA Games Online
If you’re looking to join in and watch any Christmas NBA games today, read on. Below, we’ve rounded up the best ways to watch every NBA Christmas Day game online, and we’ve outlined the schedule for the jam-packed day of basketball.
Note: There’s also plenty of football to watch on Christmas day this year. Head here for the full schedule and our guide on how to watch every Christmas Day NFL game online.
How to Watch NBA Games on Christmas Day
Every NBA Christmas Day game will be broadcast on through ABC and ESPN, so make sure your package has one of those channels if you’re using cable or satellite.
If you’ve already cut the cord, check out some of the best ways to watch NBA Christmas Day games online below. Some of these streaming services offer free trials, which means you can use them to stream NBA Christmas Day games for free.
1. Stream NBA Christmas Day Games on fuboTV
The best way to watch NBA Christmas Day games online is with fuboTV. The live TV streaming service brings up to 230 channels, including ABC and ESPN for NBA games, and starts with a generous seven-day free trial that you can use to watch NBA Christmas Day games for free. After the free trial, a subscription costs $69.99 a month.
2. Stream NBA Christmas Day Games on DirecTV Stream
With ABC and ESPN in its large channel lineup, DirecTV Stream is another great way to watch Christmas NBA games online. A basic subscription normally costs $69.99 per month, but new customers get a five-day free trial to start with; use that to watch NBA games online for free during the window.
3. Stream NBA Christmas Day Games on Sling
AT $40 a month, Sling is more affordable than other live TV streaming services (although Sling doesn’t offer a free trial). It also comes with access to ESPN live streams, letting you watch NBA Christmas games online, as well as 30 other channels in its Blue package.
NBA Christmas Day Games Schedule
Once you’ve secured a subscription to one of the streaming services above, you’ll be ready to watch NBA games live online this Christmas Day. Here’s a schedule and breakdown of all five NBA games to look forward to this Christmas Day (times in ET):
76ers vs. Knicks at 12 p.m.
Unlike most of the teams playing today, the Knicks didn’t make the playoffs last year. But they’ve shown some promise this season — such as when they beat the 76ers in November. It’ll be exciting to watch the two rivals meet again, especially since Joel Embiid and James Harden are both likely to be out on the court.
Lakers vs. Mavericks at 2:30 p.m.
Today’s second game is less Lakers vs. Mavericks, more Lebron James vs. Luka Dončić. And we’re all in for the show. Today will also be the second Christmas in a row that James sets a new record, this time for most games played on Christmas. Last year, he passed Kobe Bryant to become the all-time leading scorer in Christmas Day games.
Bucks vs. Celtics at 5 p.m.
Easily the best basketball game today is a clash between the two top teams in the Eastern Conference: the Bucks and the Celtics. The duo hasn’t met since their seven-game series in the 2022 conference semifinals, where Boston came out on top. Both teams will hopefully be playing their stars — including Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the Celtics and Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo on the Bucks — which should make for some real Christmas Day excitement.
Grizzlies vs. Warriors at 8 p.m.
The Grizzlies and the Warriors churned up a trash-talk-heavy rivalry during the playoffs this year before Golden State beat Memphis and advanced to the conference finals. This will be the teams’ first rematch since then, and things could easily go Memphis’ way this time around, as the Warriors have been somewhat off their A-game lately with a 15-16 season.
Suns vs. Nuggets at 10:30 p.m.
Both the Suns and the Nuggets have a promising trajectory in the Western Conference, where no one team has separated itself from the pack. One of the obvious draws is back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokić, who now has Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. back from injuries as support. And Phoneix brings plenty of star power as well with Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton all expected on the court today.
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