everything you need to know about the 5 scheduled matches

There will be 5 matches Christmas Day NBA 2024here's everything you need to know about each of the meetings, with the Italian times and how to watch them!

San Antonio Spurs @ New York Knicks (Ore 18:00; SKY SPORT NBA/NBA LEAGUE PASS)

• Reigning Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama will play for the first time on Christmas Day. When the Spurs faced the Knicks on March 29, the French star scored 40 points, 20 rebounds and 7 assists, becoming the first NBA rookie with a 40-point, 20-rebound game since Shaquille O'Neal in 1993. It was his career-high scoring game until his 50-point performance earlier in the season.
• The Knicks, one of the NBA's historic franchises, are playing their 57th Christmas game, an all-time record, continuing a tradition that began in 1947. Among the memorable performances at Madison Square Garden is that of Bernard King, who scored on Christmas 1984 a record of 60 points, of which this year marks the 40th anniversary.
• Knicks guard Jalen Brunson scored a career-high 61 points in their last game against San Antonio. In the 2023-24 season, he was selected as both an All-Star and the All-NBA Team for the first time, finishing fifth in MVP voting and leading the Knicks to the Conference Semifinals for the second consecutive year. On Christmas, he will face 12-time All-Star Chris Pau.
• The Knicks and Spurs produced one of the most exciting games of last season on March 29, when New York overcame a 21-point deficit to take the lead in the fourth quarter, but San Antonio prevailed 130-126 after overtime.
• Karl-Anthony Towns, in his first season with the Knicks, is proving why he was selected as an All-Star four times. He will face Victor Wembanyama, a finalist for the 2023-24 Defensive Player of the Year award and likely leader in blocks for the second consecutive year.
• The Spurs and Knicks meet for the first time on Christmas Day and San Antonio returns to the Christmas stage for the first time in eight years. New York hosts the first of the NBA's five Christmas Day games for the fourth consecutive season.

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Dallas Mavericks (8.30pm; SKY SPORT NBA/NBA LEAGUE PASS – Cielo Channel 26)

• The Timberwolves and Mavericks face off in a rematch of last season's Western Conference Finals. The first match this year was a thriller: Kyrie Irving scored 35 points, Anthony Edwards scored 24 of his 37 in the first quarter, and Luka Dončić hit a triple from the logo to close the match at 120-114 in favor of Dallas
• Anthony Edwards, in his fifth NBA season, debuts on Christmas Day at just 23 years old. After leading the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years, Edwards prepares to challenge Dallas' dynamic duo of Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving.
• Luka Dončić, last season's leading scorer and MVP finalist, delivered a historic performance at Christmas 2023: 50 points, 15 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks in the win against Phoenix. He was the first player in 39 years to score at least 50 points on Christmas Day.
• After reaching the NBA Finals (Dallas) and one step away from the first final in franchise history (Minnesota), both teams are aiming for the title this year. Dallas added five-time All-Star Klay Thompson, while Minnesota acquired three-time All-Star Julius Randle
• Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, one of the most talented backcourt duos in NBA history, led Dallas to the NBA Finals in their first full season together. At Christmas, they will play their first Christmas match as a duo.

Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics (Ore 23:00; SKY SPORT NBA/NBA LEAGUE PASS)

• One of the NBA's most historic rivalries writes a new chapter as defending champions Boston host Philadelphia in the season opener. The two teams, opponents for 75 years, have faced each other in 22 playoff series, an NBA record. The last Christmas clash between the two teams, in 2018, was decided in extra time
• Led by five-time All-Star Jayson Tatum and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, the Celtics are looking to win the NBA title for the second consecutive year, a feat never achieved in the last 50 years. Boston has reached the playoffs 10 years in a row and the Conference Finals in six of the last eight seasons
• A road win against the defending NBA champions would help revive the 76ers' season, as they look for a midseason surge thanks to 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid, nine-time NBA All-Star Paul George and NBA Most Improved Player 2023-24 Tyrese Maxey. Philadelphia is one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, with seven consecutive playoff appearances and five victories in as many years.
• Boston boasts one of the best offenses in NBA history, capable of fielding five players on the court at the same time who can dribble, pass, shoot threes and score in various ways. Stopping the Celtics is one of the league's toughest challenges.
• Tyrese Maxey, an All-Star for the first time last season, and Jared McCain, an emerging rookie, give Philadelphia a promising backcourt. They will face Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, two of the best perimeter defenders in the league.

Los Angeles Lakers @ Golden State Warriors (Ore 02:00 ; SKY SPORT NBA/NBA LEAGUE PASS)

• LeBron James and Stephen Curry, two living legends of the NBA, face off in a new chapter of their historic rivalry. After competing in four consecutive NBA Finals, the two continue to compete at the highest level, representing an unforgettable era of basketball.
• The Warriors, after a sparkling start to the season, aim to reaffirm themselves as the team to beat in the Western Conference, ten years after winning their first title in the Curry era. A deep and balanced roster keeps them among NBA title contenders.
• LeBron James, the NBA's all-time leader in points scored on Christmas, is ready to play his record-breaking 19th Christmas game, five days before he turns 40. In his 22nd season, James continues to impress with dominant performances.
• Anthony Davis, a nine-time All-Star, has started the season in MVP form, leading the Lakers to a promising start. His Christmas duel against Draymond Green, one of the best defenders of his generation, will be unmissable.
• Two outsiders contributed to the Lakers' strong start to the season: Austin Reaves, the team's third-leading scorer, and Dalton Knecht, an emerging rookie known for his ability to score in a variety of ways.

Denver Nuggets @ Phoenix Suns (Ore 04:30; SKY SPORT NBA/NBA LEAGUE PASS)

• The rivalry between the Nuggets and Suns has intensified in recent years, with two playoff clashes in the last four years, including the 2022-23 Conference Semifinal, won by Denver on their way to their first NBA title.
• Reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokić's phenomenal start to the 2024-25 season immediately put him in contention to become the sixth player ever to win the MVP award four times. The Serbian star's basketball genius was on display against Phoenix on Christmas Day 2022, when he recorded 41 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists to join Oscar Robertson and James Harden as the only players with 40/15/15 in a regular season game.
• The Nuggets and Suns, two of the most consistent teams in the Western Conference, rely on MVP stars to lead them to the title: Nikola Jokić for Denver and Kevin Durant for Phoenix. Both franchises aim to dominate the Conference, with Denver defending its title and Phoenix aiming for its first ever victory
• Phoenix's Kevin Durant and Devin Booker form one of the NBA's highest-scoring pairs of players, each capable of a special performance at any moment. Durant, a four-time NBA champion, is about to become the eighth player to reach 30,000 career points. Booker, in his 10th season with the Suns, is on pace to become the franchise's all-time scoring leader this season.