Knicks fans question Christmas game against unexpected opponent

New York Knicks fans knew their favorite team would be in action on Christmas Day 2024, but they didn't expect it to be against a team that finished near the bottom of the Western Conference standings last season. It's been 11 years since the Knicks hosted an out-of-conference opponent on the holiday.

The full NBA schedule will be released sometime after the Olympics end. Typically, the Christmas Day schedule is released beforehand. Shams Charania of The Athletic had the scoop this year. On Thursday night, he tweeted the five games scheduled for Dec. 25 (subscription required).

Spurs at the Knicks on Christmas Day doesn't feel right, but the NBA's decision makes sense. The league wants as many of Victor Wembanyama's prime-time games as possible. He's somehow exceeded expectations in his rookie season, but San Antonio isn't a true contender (yet).

The Spurs should improve on their 22-60 record from last season. In 2024-25, they will have experienced key players Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes on the roster. Paul will free up Wembanyama down low, something San Antonio struggled to do last season.

The other four matchups on December 25th make sense. Minnesota and Dallas played in the 2024 Western Conference finals, Philadelphia and Boston are hated division rivals, LeBron James and Steph Curry will always be must-sees, and Denver and Phoenix are likely to be two of the top teams in the West.

Even with Wembanyama, San Antonio in New York doesn't have the same appeal as the other games. The Knicks played the Bucks on Christmas Day last year, so sending the Pacers to MSG would have been a better option.

Thunder fans are upset that Oklahoma City didn't get a holiday game. Even though the Knicks and Thunder aren't rivals, this would be an exciting duel, and not just because of Isaiah Hartenstein. Both teams should end up back at the top of their conferences.

Oh well. A Christmas Day game is a Christmas Day game. There's nothing better than spending the holidays at Madison Square Garden. What could be better than that? Mitchell Robinson knocking out Wembanyama on Christmas Day? Yes, of course!