A look back at 10 of the most memorable Christmas Day games in NBA history, featuring legendary performances by Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and Shaquille O'Neal.
Since 1947, the NBA has treated fans to special matchups on Christmas Day, and this year will be no different. The league has once again left five star-studded matchups under the tree for basketball fans, including Timberwolves- Before things tip-off on Christmas Day, let's look back at 10 of the most iconic holiday moments in NBA history.Much like the Abominable Snowmonster of the North, Wilt Chamberlain towered over everyone on Christmas .
The legendary center posted a wild statline on the holiday in 1961, scoring 59 points to go along with 36 rebounds. However, his Philadelphia Warriors ultimately lost to theThe Hall of Famer posted the best scoring performance in NBA Christmas history, tallying 60 points in the Knicks' 120-114 loss to thePatrick Ewing played the role of the Grinch in Michael Jordan's NBA Christmas debut. The former college rivals squared off at Madison Square Garden on Christmas Day in 1986, and Ewing got the last laugh with a game-winning putback to give his Knicks an 86-85 win over Jordan'sThe NBA put the previous season's Finals teams against one another on Christmas Day for the first time in 1995, pinning the Houston Rockets against the Orlando Magic. The Magic got a little revenge on the 1994-95 champions, with Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway scoring 22 points apiece to beat Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets 92-90.Shaq was back in the Christmas spotlight in 2004, this time in a highly anticipated showdown against his former running mate in Los Angeles.following a blockbuster trade that summer. The stars came to play, with O'Neal and Dwyane Wade posting 20-point double-doubles to give the Heat just enough to defeat Bryant and his 42 points in overtime.entered the game on an 18-game winning streak, but the Lakers put that to a stop with a 92-83 victory.The Bulls opened the 2011-12 lockout-shortened season with a bang on Christmas Day. Derrick Rose led the charge as Chicago overcame a late 11-point deficit to stun the Lakers in L.A. The reigning NBA MVP hit the go-ahead basket with
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The NBA will air a Christmas Day game with Disney charactersDanny Gallagher is a writer and reporter based in Dallas. His work has appeared in The Dallas Observer, D Magazine, CNET, Cracked, The Onion AV Club and Retro Gamer magazine. He's also written material for games published by Jackbox Games and the first ever Halloween episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. His website is dannygallagher.
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