The 2025 NBA Christmas Day delivered high-level hoops and dramatic finishes across a full slate of five games, with several teams making the holiday spotlight on the national stage.

Knicks rally to edge Cavaliers in MSG thriller

The day’s action kicked off at Madison Square Garden, where the New York Knicks completed a stunning comeback to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 126-124. Trailing by 17 in the fourth quarter, New York rallied behind Jalen Brunson’s 34 points and timely contributions from Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson – turning a huge deficit into a late lead and Christmas Day victory.

Spurs dominate Thunder again, go up 3-0 in season series

In yet another heated Western Conference rivalry, the San Antonio Spurs took down the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder 117-102 in a rematch from just two days ago. De’Aaron Fox led San Antonio with 29 points, while Victor Wembanyama added a strong all-around showing off the bench. The win marked another impressive Christmas Day performance for the Spurs and another blemish on the Thunder’s otherwise elite season, as they have completely outclassed the defending champs. The Spurs have now won all three games against the Thunder this season, with one more play date to happen in January.

Warriors outlast Mavericks in Cooper Flagg’s Christmas debut

The Golden State Warriors continued their holiday bliss with a 126-116 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Stephen Curry led the way with 23 points, including a clutch fourth-quarter three that helped separate the Warriors from Dallas. Jimmy Butler added 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists for the Dubs, who are now on their first three-game win streak this season. Rookie Cooper Flagg starred for the Mavs with 27 points, but Golden State’s depth ultimately made the difference. Nevertheless, Flagg showed out in his first-ever Christmas Day game and should be a fixture in the NBA’s annual event for years to come if he keeps up his play.

Rockets roll past Lakers behind Amen, KD

Over in LA, the Houston Rockets pulled off a dominant 119-96 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Amen Thompson (26 points) and Kevin Durant (25 points) spearheaded Houston’s balanced attack as the Rockets raced out to a big lead and never looked back. The defeat marked another frustrating Christmas Day outing for the Lakers despite Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James playing in the starting lineup.

Nuggets top Timberwolves in overtime shootout

In the nightcap, the Denver Nuggets survived a wild overtime battle against the Minnesota Timberwolves, winning 142-138. Nikola Jokić was sensational, recording a historic triple-double with 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists – one of the greatest individual performances in Christmas Day history. Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards dropped 44 points to pace his team in the defeat, after hitting a wild left fading corner triple to tie the game and force overtime.

THE HIGHLIGHTS:

• New York’s comeback over Cleveland was one of the biggest fourth-quarter rallies of the season.
• The Spurs continued their strong trend vs. the Thunder with another decisive win, seemingly being their kryptonite. The Thunder are 26-2 against the entire league, but are 0-3 against the Spurs.
• Curry and the Warriors remained a tough holiday matchup, a team that’s a fixture in the NBA’s annual premier play date.
• Houston’s balanced scoring showcased the Rockets’ roster depth, while it showed the Lakers’ flaws as a team.
• Jokic’s historic triple-double capped off a memorable Christmas slate with one of the best games of the season thus far, including one of the best for Jokic’s entire career. It spoiled an otherwise great game for Anthony Edwards, who scored 40 points after his interview with ESPN’s Shams Charania where he said he will be scoring 40 points in Christmas – and he did.