The moment most hoops fans all over the world were waiting for is finally here: The NBA has announced its slate for opening night and its signature Christmas games.
NBA insider Shams Charania shared the slate, which features the Milwaukee Bucks at the New York Knicks, then the Philadelphia 76ers at the Miami Heat, then the Boston Celtics at the Los Angeles Lakers.
The last two games of the evening will feature the Dallas Mavericks at the Phoenix Suns, and the nightcap has the Golden State Warriors visiting the reigning champions, Denver Nuggets.
Needless to say, this news didn’t go unnoticed on social media, with countless fans taking to Twitter to share their thoughts on this slate.
Awesome slate of games
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) August 11, 2023
Celtics gonna ruin LeBrons Christmas
— Mike (@MikeAdxx) August 11, 2023
2021: Suns win West
Christmas 2021: Warriors @ Suns
2022: Warriors win title2023: Nuggets win West
Christmas 2023: Warriors @ Nuggets
2024: 🤔— WarriorsMuse (@WarriorsMuse) August 11, 2023
WHERE ARE THE CHICAGO BULLS SHAMS
— Ross Pins (@chisportsross) August 11, 2023
Lakers demolishing the Celtics for Christmas 🤝
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) August 11, 2023
There will be some interesting storylines to follow ahead of these matchups.
Obviously, another edition of the iconic Celtics vs. Lakers rivalry is always must-watch television, even if the Larry Bird-Magic Johnson era is far behind us.
Luka Doncic and Devin Booker have become sworn enemies as of late, and it’ll be interesting to see Kyrie Irving facing off against his former teammate and best friend, Kevin Durant.
Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic always put on a show, so it’s no wonder why the league chose that game to be the cherry on top of the sundae.
Also, the game between the Sixers and Heat could look quite different from their encounters from last season, as there’s a chance James Harden will be out in Philly and Damian Lillard is playing for Erik Spoelstra’s team.
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