NBA TV will air a special Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET to reveal the games and break down the matchups.
Opening night and Christmas Day in particular have become two of the biggest days during the NBA regular season. As such, the league generally tries to highlight its top stars and offer games that could be a preview of a possible playoff series.
The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn reported Aug. 1 on two potential games for opening night: the Philadelphia 76ers vs. the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder. Both would be suitable for the occasion.
Kevin Durant is approaching his third year in Golden State, but time has unlikely done anything to temper the rivalry between the Warriors and Thunder.
The Sixers and Celtics, meanwhile, faced off in the second round of the 2018 playoffs, with Boston winning in five games. After LeBron James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Sixers and Celtics are among the biggest threats to win the Eastern Conference, so a conference finals battle could be on the cards next summer.
Speaking of James, he has played on Christmas Day 12 times over his career. It seems a pretty safe bet the NBA will make it 13 years in December.
The only question is whether the league pits him against his old team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, or instead has him take on a title contender from the Western Conference. Plenty of fans would be eager to see the Lakers tested against the two-time defending champion Warriors or the Houston Rockets.
Courtesy: Bleacher Report
