Lakers-Rockets, Mavs-Warriors Reportedly Headline 2025-26 NBA Christmas Day Schedule

A loaded five-game Christmas Day slate reportedly awaits NBA fans this year, per a report from ESPN's Shams Charania.

This year's contests begin with the New York Knicks hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers in a potential Eastern Conference Finals preview. The night ends with two Western Conference powerhouses facing off in the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Of course, fans will see some Christmas Day staples, particularly LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers as well as Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

They've played each other on Christmas in the past, but this time, L.A. will host a potentially dangerous Houston Rockets team, which earned the Western Conference's No. 2 seed last year and traded for 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant.

Curry and the Warriors will be facing off against the Dallas Mavericks, who have great potential with superstar rookie/No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg joining established stars Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving.

The second game of the day sees the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder taking on the San Antonio Spurs. Reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will face off a player in Victor Wembanyama who could very well be winning an MVP of his own sometime soon.

The Christmas Day opener, interestingly enough, is the only Eastern Conference matchup going on. The Knicks and Cavs look like the early East favorites on paper, although this could very well be a wide-open conference race. Both teams are looking to take the next step after falling in the playoffs last year to the Indiana Pacers.

The night ends with three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets going up against Anthony Edwards. It's a rematch of their classic 2024 Western Conference semifinal round, won by the Wolves in seven games.

Both teams figure to be back in the playoff mix yet again, and this could also be a postseason preview too.

Overall, this looks like a solid group of games featuring a mix of NBA title contenders, younger (and older) superstars and squads on the rise.