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The NBA schedule December 2021 is one for the ages. Once again, the National Basketball Association has gone to great lengths to provide top-notch entertainment for its millions of fans all over the globe.
Following a fun start to the season, the upcoming NBA games in December will just take the intensity up a notch. Teams will get healthier, make adjustments, and look to avoid sliding in the standings before the first trimester of the season is on the books.
December features one of the best days of the NBA season: the Christmas slate, featuring nothing but the crème of the crop of the Association. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the most interesting matchups of the month in the best basketball tournament in the world.
NBA Schedule December 2021: The best NBA games in December
- Friday 3: Phoenix Suns at Golden State Warriors
- Saturday 4: Miami Heat at Milwaukee Bucks
- Tuesday 8: Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers
- Saturday 11: Golden State Warriors at Philadelphia 76ers
- Sunday 19: Los Angeles Lakers at Chicago Bulls
- Monday 20: Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics
NBA Christmas Day games 2021
The NBA continues to sit at the top of the list when it comes to their Christmas Day slate. Playoff previews, heartfelt rivalries, and the best players in the world will take the floor once again while we’re still recovering from all the eating and drinking of the Holidays.
Hawks at Knicks
Even though the New York Knicks haven’t been as good as they were last season, everybody knows they’ve had this game marked on their calendars since the league released its schedule. And we’re not just talking about the players and the coaching staff.
The Madison Square Garden crowd won’t ever forget or forgive Trae Young‘s trash-talking, and we expect them to be ruthless to the Oklahoma product once again. Young, on the other hand, is definitely looking forward to that challenge again.
The Hawks handled the Knicks without much trouble in the playoffs and Young became NYC’s public enemy number one, with fans even spitting on him during the game. Hopefully, that won’t be the case this time and they’ll keep things civil, though.
Read more: Seven surprise candidates to make the 2022 All-Star team
Celtics at Bucks
The Boston Celtics haven’t exactly been box office this season. They’ve been inconsistent and people have criticized Jayson Tatum for hero-balling and playing too much iso. That’s just the growing pains Ime Udoka will have to deal with.
But all those things aside, the Celtics still feature one of the most talented young duos in the league, and visiting the reigning NBA Champions on Christmas should be motivation enough for them to bring their A-Game. Maybe, a Heat-Bucks matchup would’ve been better, but it is what it is.
Following a slow start to the season, the Milwaukee Bucks have finally turned the corner. They’re healthy again and their defense continues to be dominant, physical, and a cohesive unit. Oh, and that guy Giannis Antetokounmpo is still pretty good.
Warriors at Suns
The Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns have been the best teams in the Association this season and it hasn’t even been close. Mikal Bridges put the clamps on Stephen Curry in their first meeting of the year, forcing the worst shooting performance of his career.
That means that the two-time MVP will have plenty of motivation to unleash hell upon Bridges and the Suns when they meet again. And to make it even better, this game could mark the long-awaited return of Klay Thompson after two years on the shelf.
The Suns aren’t likely to keep their NBA-best 17-game winning streak alive until that day. They were perfect in November and look even better than when they made it to the NBA Finals last season, so expect this to be the best game of the slate.
Nets at Lakers
Not so long ago, people talked about how the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers were a lock to meet in the NBA Finals. Fast-forward to the start of December and they’re no longer clear-cut favorites in either conference. But that doesn’t mean that this game won’t be epic.
For starters, there will be just too much talent on the court. Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, James Harden, Kevin Durant, LeBron James. What’s not to love about that? Also, both teams should look way better at that point in the season.
Westbrook vs Durant is always a treat to watch, and the Durant-LeBron Christmas day matchups have also been some for the ages. Even if they’re not playing their best basketball right now, it wouldn’t be smart to put your money against either of these teams.
Mavericks at Jazz
Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz close out the NBA Christmas Day games 2021. Luka Doncic is box office all over the world, so it’s not a surprise to see the league winking at foreign audiences by putting Jason Kidd‘s team in the Christmas slate.
The Mavericks have been fairly inconsistent this season and there are still doubts about the Doncic-Kristaps Porzingis duo. The Jazz, on the other hand, will once again be a top-3 team in the West thanks to Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.
The Jazz boast one of the best defensive units in the league and a well-balanced offense. Even so, neither of these teams are true championship contenders, as both are still lacking a third star that could help them carry the load.
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