Christmas Day NBA Games 2017 on ABC, ESPN and TNT
Sports don’t take holidays off, and that’s the perfect gift for fans looking for a distraction at a family gathering.
Christmas Day is always big for the NBA, and the festivities tip off at New York City’s Madison Square Garden as the Philadelphia 76ers (probably with starting center Joel Embiid) visit the Knicks on ESPN (noon/11c).
Action switches over to ABC with a tripleheader featuring the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Golden State Warriors (3/2c) in an NBA Finals rematch. The Christmas Day clash will lose some of its luster without Warriors’ star Stephen Curry, who’s been sidelined since Dec. 4 with an ankle injury. Then the Washington Wizards are at the Boston Celtics (5:30/4:30c) in a big Eastern Conference rivalry game, followed by a matchup of Western Conference contenders with the Houston Rockets at the Oklahoma City Thunder (8/7c).
With ESPN airing a Monday Night Football NFL game, TNT picks up the Christmas Day nightcap featuring the Minnesota Timberwolves at the L.A. Lakers (10:30/9:30c).