Scoreboard
Sixers 119, Knicks 112
Mavericks 124, Lakers 115
Celtics 139, Bucks 118
Warriors 123, Grizzlies 109
Nuggets 128, Suns 125
What went down
At the three-and-a-half mark of the fourth quarter, the Golden State Warriors were already a far superior team than the Memphis Grizzlies. But their antics surely didn’t show it.
Klay Thompson hit a jumper and stared down a fallen Dillon Brooks, forcing the ref to call a technical foul—the Warriors’ sixth of the game.
Minutes earlier, their topscorer Jordan Poole was ejected after getting his second technical. The Warriors weren’t playing it cool, as if they weren’t up by double digits most of the game. Perhaps it was part of the game plan of not letting Memphis get any type of momentum in their Christmas Day matchup.
The signs of a trademark Grizzlies game were there: a new Ja Morant sneaker, a missed Ja poster, and Dillon Brooks being his usual aggressive self. Plus, Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins sat this one out due to injuries.
The Warriors wouldn’t let this one slip away though. Poole started the party early and finished with 32 points, despite missing a bulk of the fourth quarter after being tossed out.
Draymond Green also delivered the most Draymond Green performance with 13 rebounds and 13 assists while only scoring three points.
Morant’s 36 points just weren’t enough for the Grizzlies, a team that is at full-force on paper, but some of the guys are still not at a hundred percent.
One of those guys is Desmond Bane, who’s one of the league’s most lethal shooters for deep. He only scored 9 points and missed on all of his seven 3-point attempts.
It was a statement game for Golden State, but Thompson had to spell it out to Memphis in case it wasn’t clear at the end:
“You can’t talk dynasty if you haven’t won before.”
The petty vibes are strong. The rivalry is alive.
Big-time ballers
The Dallas Mavericks have won four of their last six, thanks to Christian Wood looking like he’s finally found his spot. Wood averaged 2 blocks in those six games and scored more than 25 points thrice.
Against the Lakers, Wood put up a 30-8-7 stat line, adding four steals and two blocks. If he keeps this up, he will make the Mavs very dangerous and Luka very happy.
Another Bucks matchup, another Jayson Tatum huge game. Tatum gifted Milwaukee with a 41-point game in 22 shots, reminding them that he’s a problem on Christmas Day–and an even bigger problem come playoffs.
After dishing out a wild 21 assists versus the Clippers, James Harden followed it up with another dime masterclass against the New York Knicks. He threw 13 assists to help give the Sixers their eighth-straight win. Harden just keeps on winning, being generous on and off the court:
Merry Christmas 🎁🎄 pic.twitter.com/hODvqsMwkN
— James Harden (@JHarden13) December 25, 2022
Nikola Jokic was in his peak giving form versus the Suns, dropping yet another triple-double in the big overtime win. Jokic scored 41 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and dished out 15 assists to hand Phoenix their third straight loss.
What he said
LeBron James lost to the Mavs on Christmas Day, but the King made sure to pay his respects to a Dallas legend whose statue was unveiled:
"He's a legend, he's an icon... that boy was cold."
— NBA (@NBA) December 26, 2022
LeBron on Dirk's statue and legacy 🗣? pic.twitter.com/81QoTVfxTA
Did you see that?
Christmas Day 2022 marks a new era in NBA sneakers with the debut of the Ja 1:
“Day One” 🥷🏾 #NBAXmas • #NBAKicks pic.twitter.com/hLWYVeE2z8
— 🏀 #NBAKicks 👟 (@NBAKicks) December 26, 2022
Would’ve been a great day for a poster, too:
"He's a legend, he's an icon... that boy was cold."
— NBA (@NBA) December 26, 2022
LeBron on Dirk's statue and legacy 🗣? pic.twitter.com/81QoTVfxTA
To end NBA Christmas, Aaron Gordon had the best last-minute Christmas gift idea:
AARON GORDON DUNK OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE
— NBA (@NBA) December 26, 2022
NUGGETS LEAD ON ABC/ESPN 😱#NBAXmas 🎄🎁 pic.twitter.com/n0jn4qqaiX
