Ranking of NBA games on Christmas Day

PHOENIX – According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the expectation for the Phoenix Suns has almost become official.

The Suns are scheduled to play their fourth consecutive Christmas Day game in 2024. It will be the last game on the slate when the Denver Nuggets come to town.

Just a year ago, both the Suns and the Nuggets seemed to be the rulers of the West for years to come, but disappointing seasons from both teams have raised concerns from the outside.

Nonetheless, this is a star-studded duel that should provide a satisfying end to this day of basketball.

Other reported encounters:

A comprehensive ranking of the games based on a number of factors such as star cast, storylines and expected team success:

Don’t get me wrong – there’s a lot of top-notch talent in this game.

Victor Wembanyama is the main draw, but throw All-NBA PG Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Julius Randle, Devin Vassell and even Chris Paul into the fray.

The main reason why this competition is currently ultimately the last is Spurs' poor performance in the 2023/24 season, but there is reason for optimism that they can improve drastically this season.

This will be an entertaining sight at the legendary Madison Square Garden.

LeBron James. Stephen Curry. Possibly the NBA legends' final runs for their respective franchises. Lakers-Warriors have been a pillar of quality regular season and postseason matchups over the past few years.

This could well set up a classic clash, but it feels like both teams' lineups are in limbo and won't appear in the top tier of teams in the West this season – so this one is ranked lower.

As a repeat of the 2024 Western Conference final, this should be a high-class duel in every respect.

Anthony Edwards leads a very balanced and strong Wolves team against the dynamic duo of Luka Doncic/Kyrie Irving in front of what is expected to be an electrified crowd in Dallas.

What many may have forgotten is that Dallas took a 3-0 lead in this series after three nail-biting wins. Minnesota played a good series but couldn't close the deal.

There are several reasons to look forward to this duel.

As mentioned, this competition could get lost in the shuffle as both teams disappointed compared to expectations for 2023-24.

However, the top talent is still there. Three of the league's top 15 players are expected to compete in this competition, along with two All-Star buddies.

The Suns and Nuggets have also played some great games, including on Christmas Day 2022. This was once seen as a budding rivalry – and there may be some sparks to come in the future.

This has a great chance of becoming the best game of the day.

The 76ers and the Celtics have been rivals for decades. The Celtics are the clear defending champions. Philadelphia has formed a brand new Big Three to prevent the Celtics' chance of repeating their title in 2025.

This is sure to be a heated encounter with the intensity of a playoff and both teams are likely to be in the top three in the East at this point.

This could be an epic duel between Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum, with both teams having plenty of depth on the bench.

This should be a must-see on television.