Twas the night before Christmas, and all round the league, not a player was stirring, because there are no games on Christmas Eve. That’s because everyone is gearing up for the Christmas Day lineup of games that are assembled. There are five solid games on the docket featuring some of the league’s best teams like the Cavaliers, Warriors, Clippers and Bulls.
If you’re like me, you haven’t done any holiday shopping yet. But as long as it isn’t Christmas, there is still time to do Christmas shopping. You can still get into all five of these games when you check Rukkus.com! These are all fine games, but some are definitely more attractive than others. Here is how I rank the five Christmas Day games.
1. Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers
This one is kind of a no-brainer. The Golden State Warriors have started the year with the best record in the NBA at 23-4, and though the Los Angeles Clippers are sixth in the conference, they have a robust 19-10 record. The star power here is enough to make any NBA fan drool: Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin? You don’t have to do much more convincing after that.
Throw in a raucous home crowd at the Staples Center, and this will be an exciting and entertaining cap to Thursday’s slate of games. If you’re in Los Angeles, you can get in for $103 to add some Lob City to your Christmas.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs
Both of these teams might be struggling right now, but with their track record, you can bet they will bring out the best in each other on Christmas Day. Kevin Durant’s injury takes a little bit of the luster out of this matchup, but these are still two of the most talented clubs in the league. Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson will shoulder the load for the Oklahoma City Thunder against Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs. Westbrook has been playing out of his mind recently, and did you all see what Ginobili did to DeAndre Jordan earlier this week?
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Sign me up. You can get your tickets to see the Spurs take on the Thunder for just $54 a piece.
GIF via Pounding the Rock
3. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat
If we were ranking these games based on the storylines, this would undeniably be on the top. LeBron James returns to Miami to face Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh on Christmas Day. The Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t the juggernaut many assumed they would be, and the Miami Heat have struggled to replace everything that LeBron did. But you better believe this is still a marquee matchup based on the names involved.
The Cavs were dealt another blow earlier today when Anderson Varejao was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a torn achilles. So while this has all of the outside drama to look at, it’s still a matchup of two teams trying to find identities and figure things out. But outside of All-Star games, there aren’t many places where you get to see LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving take the court at the same time. Fans in Miami will still be treated to a great game, and you can get in for $87 a ticket.
4. Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers
The Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers are two teams in two places. The Bulls appear ready to make a legitimate claim to the Eastern Conference, while the Lakers are struggling to win games on a night-to-night basis. The addition of Pau Gasol (from the Lakers) has really buoyed the Bulls offense, and Derrick Rose has returned to form as of late. Just look at what he did to the Toronto Raptors earlier this week:
As for the Lakers, injuries and an odd roster have marred Kobe Bryant’s comeback season. But the Mamba is still playing fantastic basketball this season. You know Kobe is going to have a little extra stored up for this matchup against his former teammate Paul. You can see Kobe take on Rose for just $63.
5. Washington Wizards vs. New York Knicks
As a Knicks fan, it pains me to put them all the way at the bottom of the list. But as owners of the second-worst record in the NBA, they haven’t done much to deserve higher placement. The Washington Wizards have enjoyed a strong start to the season and have the third-best record in the East. They are finally healthy, and between John Wall, Bradley Beal, Marcin Gortat and Paul Pierce, there are no shortage of weapons for this team.
The New York Knicks, on the other hand, haven’t had much luck at all this season. Aside from Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and some glimpses from guys like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Shane Larkin, there hasn’t been a whole lot to get excited about. But, the stars will definitely be out tomorrow to take in the game, and when the Knicks play in primetime, they can surprise. For those in New York City looking to escape the tourists in Times Square, you can make your way to Madison Square Garden and get in for $134.
So to recap, here’s our ranking of all the Christmas games. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you basketball fans out there!
| Game | Location | Price |
| 1. Warriors vs. Clippers | Los Angeles, CA | $103 |
| 2. Thunder vs. Spurs | San Antonio, TX | $54 |
| 3. Cavaliers vs. Heat | Miami, FL | $87 |
| 4. Bulls vs. Lakers | Chicago, IL | $63 |
| 5. Wizards vs. Knicks | New York City, NY | $134 |