Friday, December 2nd, 2011 at 12:20 pm  |  83 responses

NBA Christmas Day Tip-Off to Feature Five Games


The NBA announced today that the ’11-12 season will tip off on Christmas Day with a five-game slate, provided the ratification of the new CBA goes smoothly. Set your holiday schedules accordingly, as TNT, ABC and ESPN will carry five games on December 25, starting with the Celtics visiting the Knicks at noon and wrapping up with Clippers at Warriors in a late-night matchup. The NBA season will feature each team playing a 66-game schedule, which will be released at a future date. The full Christmas schedule, and details, from the NBA:

Kia NBA Tip-Off ’11 will launch on TNT with one of the NBA’s oldest and most intense rivalries. The Boston Celtics, featuring their All-Star foursome of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo, visit the New York Knicks (12 p.m. ET) with their dynamic tandem of Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire. Kia Motors, the Official Automotive Partner of the NBA, is in its second consecutive season as the title partner of NBA Tip-Off.

The action then will shift to ABC for an afternoon doubleheader when in a rematch of The Finals, 2011 Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki and All-Star Jason Kidd lead the reigning champion Dallas Mavericks against the Miami Heat and its power trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in the first game (2:30 p.m. ET). Prior to tip-off, Dallas will raise its NBA championship banner. The second game features 2011 Kia NBA MVP Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls, who won a league-best 62 games last season, visiting the Los Angeles Lakers (5 p.m. ET) with perennial All-Star Kobe Bryant making his record-tying 13th Christmas Day appearance.

ESPN will round out the day with a pair of matchups. Two-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant leads the Oklahoma City Thunder against the Orlando Magic, which features three-time Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard (8 p.m. ET). Afterward, the Los Angeles Clippers and 2010-11 NBA Rookie of the Year Blake Griffin visit the Golden State Warriors and rookie head coach and former NBA great Mark Jackson (10:30 p.m. ET).

Game                                                                                    Time                Network
Boston Celtics at New York Knicks                                  12 p.m. ET               TNT
Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks                                       2:30 p.m. ET           ABC
Chicago Bulls at Los Angeles Lakers                               5 p.m. ET                ABC
Orlando Magic at Oklahoma City Thunder                       8 p.m. ET                ESPN
Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors              10:30 p.m. ET          ESPN

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  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    Save the best game for last! Lol.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Jahmai

    SO awesome! That means I’m going to watch basketball all day long.

  • MUBWAR

    heat vs mavs and bulls vs lakers will be sweet. We all know how PP plays against the Knicks so that’s already decided(c’s by 10+). Durantula will toast the Magic.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Those should be five good games.
    Celtics over Knicks
    Heat over Mavs
    Lakers over Bulls
    Thunder over Magic
    Clippers over Warriors.
    Let’s see who makes the best picks.

  • O

    EXACTLY what I was hoping DIDN’T happen! Two scrub teams playing the last game. Shoulda been Bulls vs. Magic and Thunder at Lakers.

  • DS44

    Clippers Warriors?

  • http://slamonline.com datkid

    the clippers aren’t scrubs this year O.. and the warriors still play exciting ball

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    The Clips are scrubs until they can prove otherwise.
    Even as great as Blake and EJ are, they still went 32-50 and their number one overall pick will be in a Cavs jersey this year.
    Please they are coach by the dumbest effing coach in the NBA today.

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    *plus not “please”.
    Using my iPhone.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    I can’t wait for the Clips vs Warriors night-cap.
    NY over BOS
    MIA over DAL
    CHI over LAL
    OKC over ORL
    LAC over GSW

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    After all this talk of how “angry” and “disappointed” they are, I better see the Heat’s big 3 combine for like 90 points against the Mavs.

  • http://Slamonline.com Caboose

    Knicks over Celts
    Mavs over Heat
    Bulls over Lakers
    Magic over Thunder
    Warriors over Clippers

    Come at me Miami fans. And cosign Enig on the Big 3 exploding.

  • Riggs

    im gonna play 2k12 all the way til noon and just sit back and enjoy basketball

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    I see a lot of people have a lot more confidence than me in the Knicks against the Celtics. Particularly with Amare still hurt.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    Amare’s still hurt? Sheeeeeeeit, it’s time for me to flip-flop like a politician on that pick.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    His back has been used either as an excuse or a legitimate reason for Amar’e not taking part in a few basketball related activities all summer long.

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    I’m going to literally wake up and start watching the NBA games that day.
    First game comes on at 8 AM for me

  • http://staticseth.blogspot.com/ Seth

    This will be a splendid Christmas indeed! Celtics at noon, please and thank you.

  • http://nba.com GP23

    Can’t wait for Bulls vs. Lakers.

  • Overtime

    @Enig You’re lucky man, my first game will be coming on at 5 PM!
    Having said that:
    Boston over Knicks (Pierce and Anthony being high scorers)
    Miami over Dallas
    Lakers over Bulls (Kobe goes between the legs dunk on Boozer, then points at his new knees)
    Thunder torch Magic
    Clippers over Warriors, but Mr Mark Jackson keeps it close

  • Garrett

    wont have time to watch any NFL games….

  • http://www.slamonline.com Slick Ric

    CANT WAIT!!!!!

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    All right, here’s my picks:
     
    Celtics over Knicks (No Amare plus Big 3 had tons of time to rest)
    Heat over Mavs (Heat will be p*ssed. Mavs will be minus Chandler & Butler probably)
    Bulls over Lakers (No Bynum for LA. Both Rose and Bryant will go off though)
    Thunder over Magic (All alone 12)
    Warriors over Clippers (Blake will go off too though)

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Same Enig, 8am is tip off!

    -Celtics over Knicks

    -Mavs over Heat

    -Bulls over Lakers

    -Thunder over Magic

    -Clippers over Warriors

    That’s right, I think the Bulls will beat the Lakes. Lakes suck on Christmas, it’s tradition.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    What is wrong with Bynum? Is he hurt again?

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    ^^Suspended… Remember he wanted to prove he was badass against a 5’5″ dude.. YA. He’s a smarty.

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    Yup.
    He decided to take out his frustration on the littlest guy on the court who’s a foot shorter and 110 pounds lighter than him so he’s suspended first five games of the season.

  • http://nba.com GP23

    Predictions:
    Heat blowout the Mavs by 20+ (LeBron Triple Double)
    Celtics beat Knicks (Rondo will finally be hittin’ them jumpers)
    Lakers beat Bulls at the buzzer (Kobe does it again !!!)
    Thunder beat Magic (Dwight gets fouled out early in the 4th)
    Clippers beat Warriors (Griffin is posterizing at an alarming rate)

  • BoWeezy24

    Stoudemire Should Just Play, But Carmelo Will Go Off. So I’m Going For The Knicks!

  • http://www.slamonline.com Megatron

    Celtics over Knicks (celtics always start the season strong)
    Heat over Mavs (Lebron is gonna go off)
    Bulls over Lakers (no Bynum)
    Thunder over Magic (Okc is just way better)
    Clippers over Warriors (golden state can’t play D)

  • http://www.slamonline.com Megatron

    added to my reasons for chicago beating the lakers is that they can not guard derrick rose

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNxu7yEwHOM Allenp

    If Darksaber is reading, click my name.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNxu7yEwHOM Allenp

    I forgot about that Barea suspension. And I didn’t realize he got five games for that. That is crazy.

  • Maniac

    - Knicks over Celtics… Will come down to key plays in the last 2 or 3 minutes. Last year was the beginning of the end for the C’s.
    - Heat over Mavs… by 10+ (Big 3 will have a great game).
    - Lakers over Bulls… In a very very close game (overtime maybe?)- Best game of the day. Lakers have a chip on their shoulder.
    - Thunder over Magic… by 10+ (Durant will go off for 30 or 40+)
    - Clippers over Warriors… Who cares? Lmao just kidding, Clips by 5-10. Blake gives a couple highlights

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    I TOO CAN’T WAIT!!!!! GO KNICKS GO!

  • http://www.slamonline.com Angel of Stern

    Celtics 96 Knicks 89
    Heat 103 Mavs 91
    Bulls 97 Lakers 93
    Thunder 112 Magic 101
    Clippers 108 Warriors 103

  • http://slamonline.com datkid

    Thunder over magic
    clippers over warriors

    Enig I really think this is the year the clippers prove that they’re not that scrubby tho.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    ^Whats “not that scrubby”? Like 35 games won, or 40? I think they will win 35-38 personally.

  • chingy

    Clippers and Warriors might actually be the most entertaining game. I can see Melo going off for 40+. He shows up for the big games.

  • http://www.bulls.com Enigmatic

    You’re seriously overrating Vinny Del Negro Please’s coaching abilities tho

  • bike

    Heat 124 Mavs 88
    LeBron 33,12,10
    Bosh 26,11
    Wade 25

  • bull22

    lets try watching some preseason games first, see who will start, what the injury list will look like,see where the free agents will land,etc….
    and not be haphazard fools who base their predictions on last season or pure emotion.. SEE ny knick fans as examples.

  • bull22

    @chingy just like melo showed up against the celtics last year and his bum self got swepted 0-4 with the rest of his team and blamed others for his bad decisions, LOL thanks for the laughs.

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    Shoulda been Spurs vs. Memphis for the final game.. Something, anything, besides Clippers vs. Warriors. Even Cavs vs. Kings.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Megatron

    Jr smith went for 55 points, 22 rebounds, and 7 steals in china. thats crazy numbers

  • LA Huey

    Cs over Knicks (continuity vs a team trying to gather themselves)
    Bulls over Lakers (same as above)
    Heat over Mavs (same as above, I’m assuming they don’t resign Chandler)
    Thunder over Magic (OKC is simply better)
    Warriors over Clippers (Blake puts up the highlights but VDN’s still coaching the Clips)
    I will be surprised to see the Clippers win 35 games. VDN is an awful coach. Part of the reason the Bulls improve so much last season was in large part due to the fact that they went from a awful coach to a very good coach.

  • chingy

    @bull22 – sure he stunk it up in games 2 and 4 but he went off on games 1 (32,9,3) and 3 (42,17,6,2). So for a guy who in 4 games had 1/2 the games where he went off, I don’t think it’s that far fetched for me to predict him going off on opening night.

  • ripslam

    Y’all seriously trippin’ if you think NYK is gonna beat the Celts…

  • LA Huey

    Teddy, don’t diss my Warriors like that.

  • chingy

    22(!) boards…that’s nearing Bill Russell territory. So I’m guessing JR won’t be able to be back til March?

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