The 10 Best NBA Christmas Games Since 2000

Christmas Day isn’t just for relatives asking you when you’re going to get your life together. It’s not about the eggnog, the presents, or Santa Claus. It’s about something much more important for basketball fans: the NBA.

That’s right. It’s a time to kick back and watch your favorite stars battle it out on the court. While they and their families might not be too thrilled about spending the holiday working, we certainly are. And this year is no exception. With a rematch of June's NBA Finals highlighting this year's slate, we suggest postponing the family dinner until after we see LeBron and Steph face-off.

Nevertheless, to get you into the holiday spirit, here are the The 10 Best NBA Christmas Games Since 2000​.

During the early 2000s, it was the Sacramento stop along road trips that had NBA teams on high alert. So when the Mavericks came to Sacramento riding a four-game losing streak there wasn’t much hope. In fact, by the end of the first half, the Kings were speeding ahead and it looked like the Mavs were staring at a fifth straight loss.

Everything changed in the second half as a Mavs team that wasn’t clicking all season finally came together to get a much needed W. Coach Don Nelson actually abandoned his set plays all together and let the team run their own plays as they overcame a 16-point deficit at halftime. Dirk Nowtizki wound up recording 31 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks with Antoine Walker not far behind finishing with 23 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 blacks.

And while the Kings would go on to blame their defeat on the absence of important players, including Peja Stojavkovic and Chris Webber, the Mavericks still had one hell of a second half considering the Kings were rocking a 20-6 record.

With Christmas one of the most important days of the year for the NBA, there’s always a lot of hype. This 2007 game was no different as it made for one of the more exciting matchups with neither team ever leading by more than seven points. Then the end of the fourth quarter came and Kobe Bryant took over.

To say Kobe was on fire would be an understatement as he scored 38 on a phenomenal 60 percent shooting. Plus, with Andrew Bynum scoring a career-high of 28 points, it’s not that big of a surprise that the Lakers pulled away for a 10-point victory. The win moved Los Angeles within a game of the Pacific division-leading Suns, who they would later overtake on their way to a 57-win regular season.  

Though it was clear the game would go to Orlando as they established a lead straight from the beginning, it wasn’t the win that makes this one of the best Christmas games.

Instead, it was Tracy McGrady. Still suffering from a lower back bruise he got when Kobe Bryant elbowed him during their meeting 10 days before, McGrady's status for the matchup with the Pistons was up in the air considering he had played only 17 minutes since the Lakers game.

Yet, Christmas came and McGrady got off the bench ready to play through the pain. While there was wincing, and he even had to lay down on the floor during a timeout, nothing stopped him that day. He scored a whopping 46 points, hitting 14 of 26 shots from the field and 18 of 21 from the line, to give the Magic a 104-99 victory.

Like its many predecessors, this 2011 Christmas NBA game was a rematch of the previous season's finals. So naturally, it was hyped. Why wouldn’t it be? The Heat were shocked by the underdog Mavs and Dallas had waited for their visit to raise its championship banner.

So it’s safe to say the Heat were feeling extra salty before this one and they immediately took it to the Mavs from the get-go, amassing 35-point lead in the third quarter on their way to an 11-point victory. LeBron ended up scoring 37 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out 6 assists with Dwyane Wade not far behind recording 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. 

Motivated by last year's defeat—and the chance to show a national audience that they were the team to beat—it was another showcase game for James who went on to win MVP and his first ring.

The Blazers and Lakers went head-to-head in a rematch of the previous season’s Western Conference Finals. It was heated, to say the least, with the Blazers ready to earn a W over their rivals. 

For those that don’t remember, the Blazers lost their spot in the NBA Finals after they blew a 15-point 4th quarter lead on the road in Game 7 to the Lakers. Los Angeles would go on to win  against the 76ers and the Blazers were obviously carrying a grudge into Christmas.

Kobe Bryant had 29 while Shaquille O'Neal added 32, but Rasheed Wallace set fire to the net, scoring 33 points to give the Blazers a five-point win and a measure of revenge.

It all started when Ben Wallace went for a layup and was fouled by Ron Artest. It was Nov. 19 and it would grow to be known as Malice at the Palace, the worst brawl in NBA history.

So it was easy to anticipate the worst during this 2004 Christmas matchup, as it was the first time that the two teams met since. Nevertheless, the game went on without a hitch, and though Wallace was booed every time he touched the ball, fans behaved. As did the two teams.

Without the services of the suspended Artest, Detroit pulled out the 98-93 victory behind Richard Hamilton's 25 points, Chauncey Billups' 20, and a late Rasheed Wallace 3-pointer. While some still say the game was over-hyped, signs like “Who needs the NHL when the Pacers are playing the Pistons?” or “Indiana Subs vs. Detroit Thugs” added a hilarious subtext to a game no NBA fan wanted to miss. 

In what could be the greatest Christmas game not only of the 2000s, but of all time, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant faced off for the first time since their divorce and a thrilling game between two marquee franchises went to overtime. 

For those that don’t remember (if those people even exist), Shaq and Kobe teamed up for three straight NBA championships but acrimoniously parted ways the previous off-season. O’Neal was dealt to Miami because he couldn't stand to play with Bryant for another season. And entering the Christmas showdown, the animosity between the former co-stars was real. 

With a who's who of Hollywood stars on hand to watch, Dwyane Wade and Eddie House were the heroes for the Heat with Shaq fouling out in the fourth quarter. Bryant did his best to ruin his former partner's Christmas, scoring 42 points, but was held scoreless in overtime and missed a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.

"I knew that it wasn't going to go in," O'Neal said. "It's called Shaq O'Neal fate."