The NBA has been celebrating Christmas Day with marquee matchups since 1947.
The 2021-22 season, the 75th of the league, will be the 74th edition of the NBA on Christmas Day. It's also the 14th consecutive season that the NBA's slate on the holiday includes five star-studded matchups.
The NBA will feature five games on Christmas Day (Saturday, Dec. 25) for the 14th year in a row, with ESPN or ABC televising each matchup. pic.twitter.com/IEvOgFkXCQ
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) August 17, 2021
More importantly for NBA fans in India, the league's Christmas Day slate this season has two great aspects.
- Given how early the NBA schedule tips off on Christmas in the United States, it actually begins late into the night on Christmas for fans in India and rolls through until late on the morning of Dec. 26. And this year, NBA fans in India will have an opportunity to enjoy that overnight experience given that the two days of Dec. 25-26 are a Saturday and Sunday.
- It's probably the first time since the league began having five games on Christmas that each and every matchup will be broadcast on television.
How to watch NBA's Christmas Day games live in India
Apart from NBA League Pass, the league's fans in India can watch the marquee holiday games on television channels like MTV and Vh1, and digital platforms like Voot Select, Jio TV.
| Day, Date | Game | Time | TV | Digital Platforms |
| Sat., Dec. 25 | Hawks @ Knicks | 10:30 PM | MTV, Vh1 | Voot Select, Jio TV |
| Sun., Dec. 26 | Celtics @ Bucks | 1:00 AM | MTV, Vh1 | Voot Select, Jio TV |
| Sun., Dec. 26 | Warriors @ Suns | 3:30 AM | MTV, Vh1 | Voot Select, Jio TV |
| Sun., Dec. 26 | Nets @ Lakers | 6:30 AM | MTV, Vh1 | Voot Select, Jio TV |
| Sun., Dec. 26 | Mavericks @ Jazz | 9:00 AM | MTV, Vh1 | Voot Select, Jio TV |
Christmas Day Games preview
With the surge in positive COVID-19 cases in the league in December, numerous players across multiple teams have been sidelined in the league's health and safety protocols.
MORE: Full list of players sidelined in NBA's health and safety protocols
This surge has led to a lot of uncertainty regarding the players that will suit up in these marquee Christmas Day Games.
Hawks at Knicks
After eliminating the Knicks in five games in the 2021 postseason, the Hawks return to MSG in what will be the franchise's first Christmas Day appearance since 1989. Meanwhile, the Knicks, a regular fixture on the holiday's marquee games, return to the slate after not playing since 2018.
Heading into this contest, in a total of 381 regular-season games played, the Hawks hold a 197-184 head-to-head advantage against the Knicks, with the latter having won nine of the 11 regular-season matchups since the 2018-19 season.
Saturday's Christmas Day game will be the second of four meetings during the 2021-22 season between the two teams that faced off in the first round of the 2021 playoffs.
Their first meeting on Nov. 27 (ET) in Atlanta ended in favour of the Knicks, 99-90. Trae Young scored 33 points while Clint Capela recorded a double-double of 16 points and 22 rebounds, but New York came out on top behind a combined 43 points from Alec Burks and Evan Fournier, which included 8-of-13 shooting from beyond the arc.
Celtics at Bucks
This game will be the second of four meetings during the 2021-22 season between these two teams, with the first matchup on Dec. 13 being a thrilling contest.
Jayson Tatum scored 16 of his 42 points in the fourth quarter to help Boston overcome the defending champions.
This is the Celtics' 35th total appearance and sixth consecutive on Christmas, winning 15 of their previous 34 games, their most recent appearance coming in a 123–95 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
For Milwaukee, this is just its eighth-ever and fourth consecutive appearance on the holiday slate, having won four of its previous seven. The Bucks' most recent appearance ended in a blowout 138–99 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
Warriors at Suns
The Warriors and Suns' Christmas Day contest will be the third meeting between these two teams in the span of a month. They have split the season series so far, which has been heavily dependent on the performance of Stephen Curry.
In the game Curry struggled, the Suns defeated the Warriors in a close one in Phoenix. In the game the Warriors won, he scored 23 in a blowout victory.
This is the Suns' first appearance back on Christmas Day since 2009 and their 19th Christmas Day game all-time, having a 12-6 record in those contests. Meanwhile, for the Warriors, this is their 31st ever and ninth consecutive game on Christmas with an overall record of 13-17.
Nets at Lakers
The first of two meetings this season between the Nets and Lakers, two teams considered to be preseason championship favourites.
Brooklyn comes into this one with its previous three games postponed due to the recent COVID-19 surge not allowing it to field the necessary number of players required.
With respect to Christmas Day games, this will be the Lakers' 48th overall, having won 24 of those previous games. The Lakers have been part of every Christmas Day slate since the 1999-00 season.
For the Nets, this is the franchise's 11th game on Christmas Day. They enter with a 5-5 record on the holiday.
Mavericks at Jazz
The final game of the Christmas Day slate is the first of four meetings between the Jazz and Mavericks this season.
This is just the Jazz's eighth appearance on Christmas Day, having won five of their previous contests. Meanwhile, for the Mavericks, it's just their fifth game on the holiday, having split the previous four games.
How to watch live 2021-22 NBA games in India
Prior to Dec. 2, 2021, the only means to watch live NBA games on demand was by getting an NBA League Pass subscription.
NBA League Pass: Sign up to unlock live out-of-market games (7-day free trial)
However, just over a month into the 2021-22 NBA season, it was announced that live games will return to television sets and streaming platforms in India.
Following the NBA's new multiyear partnership with Viacom18, live NBA games return to the television screens in India.
The NBA and Viacom18 announce a multiyear broadcast and streaming partnership in India. 🏀 x 📺
— NBAIndia (@NBAIndia) December 3, 2021
You can now watch NBA games live on @MTVIndia, @Vh1India, @justvoot, and @OfficialJioTV#NBA75 #NBAonMTV #NBAonVoot #NBAonVh1 #NBAonJioTV pic.twitter.com/c3WCjsWukW
Live NBA games can now be watched on television on Vh1 and MTV, while they can be streamed on digital platforms like VOOT and Jio TV. Live NBA games can also be watched on-demand on your favourite device - mobile, tablet or desktop - with NBA League Pass. There are two choices while picking up a subscription - annual and eight-game.
The annual package presents every game for every team live and on-demand for a yearly subscription fee of 1500/- rupees. On the other hand, the eight-game package allows fans to choose any eight games to watch each month for 799/- rupees.
Since the NBA's five-year broadcast deal with Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) expired after the conclusion of the 2020 NBA Finals, NBA League Pass has become the one-stop-shop for NBA fans in India.
MORE: TV schedule for live 2021-22 games in India
NBA games made a brief return to television when Star Sports bagged the rights; however, this deal was only for the 2021 NBA Playoffs and the 2021 NBA Finals.
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