The NBA will feature five games on Christmas Day in 2026, beginning with a rematch of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks.
The Friday, Dec. 25 slate also includes Miami at Boston, Philadelphia at the Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City at Minnesota and Denver at Golden State.
2026 NBA Christmas Day Schedule
- San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks, noon ET (ABC)
- Miami Heat at Boston Celtics, 2:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers, 5 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 p.m. ET (ABC)
- Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors, 10:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Spurs on the Knicks
Christmas basketball begins at Madison Square Garden with a rematch of the 2026 NBA Finals. New York enters the season as the defending NBA champion after also winning the 2025 NBA Cup.
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The NBA has released its opening night and Christmas Day schedules, with marquee matchups featuring LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers. Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, and Kevin Wildes question if the NBA got the schedule right.
Cale
Miami visits Boston in the second game of the day. The Eastern Conference puts two longtime rivals on the Christmas stage.
76ers at the Jets
Philadelphia visits Los Angeles for a game in the middle of the holiday schedule. The matchup sends LeBron James to Los Angeles to face his former team, the 76ers.
Thunder on the Timberwolves
Oklahoma City visits Minnesota for the fourth game. The Timberwolves will have their first Christmas Day home game.
Nuggets at the Warriors
Denver and Golden State close the Christmas in San Francisco. 10:30 pm ET starts the only game in the last window of the day.
How many NBA games are played on Christmas?
The NBA will play five games on Christmas in 2026. It marks the 19th consecutive season with a five-game Christmas schedule.
When Does the 2026-27 NBA Season Start?
The 2026-27 regular season begins Tuesday, Oct. 20, with Boston at Detroit, Philadelphia at New York and Lake City at San Antonio. The regular season concludes on Sunday, April 11, 2017.
WHAT TO READ NEXT
Here’s how Nick Wright breaks down the league entering Week 1 of the preseason.
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