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The NBA has revealed the Christmas Day slate for the 2022-23 season. Their announcement has got fans talking about the potential matchups.
There isn't much basketball action right now, except the occasional exhibition game, as the draft, summer league and free agency is behind us.
Fans and pundits reacted to the Christmas Day schedule after The Athletic's Shams Charania tweeted a list of teams playing on Boxing Day. Unlike the NFL's traditional Thanksgiving Day games, the NBA showcases the top teams and players on December 25th.
Unlike in recent years, this season will not feature a rematch of the 2022 NBA Finals. Fans expected Boston to take on Golden State at the Chase Center, but the league decided to milk the newest rivalry between the Warriors and Grizzlies.
The only game that fans seem to have no problem with is the Suns facing the two-time reigning MVP at Denver. Many wanted Jokic to have a Christmas Day game and he got one against the West's former top seed.
However, fans have complained against every other game as they expected better matchups.
Fans react to the NBA Christmas Day slate on Twitter
The Milwaukee Bucks take on the reigning Eastern Conference champions in Boston and the Memphis Grizzlies face the Western champs in San Francisco. The problem with these games is that the fans wanted a traditional NBA Finals rematch.
Additionally, fans were enraged over the LA Lakers and New York Knicks getting a game. Other playoff teams like the Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, and Minnesota Timberwolves didn't get one.
The reality is that big markets like Los Angeles and New York City demand viewership and arenas like Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) and Madison Square Garden put on a show.
Moreover, fans were surprised to see superstar-studded teams like the Brooklyn Nets and LA Clippers not get a game on Christmas. That is especially since they are from the same big market cities as the Knicks and Lakers.
Regardless of the matchups that fans want, we are going to witness some incredible games on NBA Christmas Day. These matchups feature most of the potential MVP candidates and title-contenders anyway and we are about to witness some wire-to-wire thrillers.
