5 key takeaways from NBA Christmas Day games

The NBA’s Christmas Day games did not disappoint. The league’s selection of games to cater during the holidays was everything fans wanted and more– entertaining hoops from start to finish. Over 24 hours have passed since the first game tipped off on the 25th, so let the Christmas hangover sit while we look at the biggest takeaways from Sunday’s action.

Comeback for Harden and the Sixers.

The Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks set the bar very high for the rest of the teams competing on Christmas. On paper, the Knicks are the more complete team, and it showed– for most of the game. Despite the freezing temperatures in New York City, Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle kept it hot in Madison Square Garden. The Knicks led for most of the game behind Randle’s 35 points and eight rebounds and Brunson’s 23 points and 11 assists.

The Sixers got their first lead almost halfway through the fourth and they did not slow down. They went on to edge the Knicks 119-112 at the end of 48 minutes. MVP candidate Joel Embiid lead the 76ers in scoring with 35 points. In the absence of Tyrese Maxey, who has evolved to be the Sixers’ secondary scoring option, former MVP James Harden rose to the occasion with 29 points and 13 assists. The Knicks played an incredible game, But the Sixers proved they can compete and come back from the trenches. They are currently fifth in the east and can work their way up with a healthy squad and more performances like this.

37 is the new 20.

The youngest player on the Dallas Mavericks roster is Jaden Hardy at 20 years old. On the opposite end is 34-year-old veteran JaVale McGee. The Mavericks were led by their 23-year-old star Luka Doncic, who struggled in the beginning but managed to score 32 points as the Mavs edged the Los Angeles Lakers 124-115.

LeBron James’ longevity is never in question. But on Sunday, he once again proved why that age is just a number with another noteworthy performance. With Anthony Davis out due to injury, James stepped up to lead his team with 38 points. Despite the losing result, James started and finished the game strong. In his 20th season in the league, James once again proved that he can still hang with the league’s young talent.

It’s crowded on the top of the east.

As of Sunday the Milwaukee Bucks were on top of the Eastern Conference. But after 48 minutes, that changed courtesy of the Boston Celtics. After a convincing 139-118 victory, the Celtics are once again on top. While the gap is not that big between these teams, the Celtics reminded fans why they came out of the east last season. Jayson Tatum’s 41 points proved too much for Greek Freak and company. And to add insult to injury, Tatum posterized Antetokounmpo for Christmas.

Their records are almost identical, but the Celtics put on a showcase for the Bucks. They reminded them that there is only room for one on top of the Eastern Conference. Both games between eastern teams on Christmas Day showed how competitive things could get. The third and fourth-seed Cavaliers and Nets are playing on Monday, the 26th. However, the Celtics had a statement win and set themselves apart with the victory over Milwaukee.

The Grizzlies are not fine in the west.

Anybody who believed Ja Morant when he said he is not worried about any teams in the west should not be talking about basketball. I am not taking anything away from Morant. As an individual, he is stellar, but as a team, the Grizzlies do not have what it takes to get out the west quite yet. The Golden State Warriors must absolutely despise the Grizzlies. There is not enough history to call this a rivalry, but a lot of drama. Without Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins, the defending champions have dropped to the eleventh seed. However, they rose from the ashes on Christmas Day to beat the Grizzlies 123-109.

The Warriors rode the shoulders of their youngsters to victory. While Draymond Green had a slow scoring night, Jordan Poole tallied 32 points, and Klay Thompson got 24 of his own. Donte DiVincenzo, Ty Jerome, Anthony Lamb, and Moses Moody all reached double-digits in scoring. The Warriors are still the Warriors regardless of where they are in the standings. If this game proved anything, it is that no matter how good the Grizzlies are, and no matter how good they think they are, confidence will not get them past the Clippers, Nuggets, Suns and a healthy Warriors squad come April.

No joking around for The Joker.

The Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns closed the show with a back-and-forth so good, they needed more than 48 minutes. Of course, Nikola Jokic shined like the North Star. Just a week after his historical 40-27-10 triple-double against the Charlotte Hornets, The Joker had another one for the books. Jokic’s 83rd career triple-double came on Christmas Day with 41 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists as the Nuggets outlasted the Suns in overtime. It was only the fourth time this feat was achieved in NBA history. James Harden achieved it in 2016, and Oscar Robertson pulled it off in 1961 and 1962.

Achieving two milestones in a week is impressive, to say the least. Jokic continuously collects these individual milestones while his team remains on top of the Western Conference. Do not be surprised if he collects a third consecutive MVP trophy at the end of the season.