NBA Christmas Day 2026 delivers the league’s signature holiday showcase: five games spread across the day on Friday, December 25, all on ABC and ESPN. From Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs at Madison Square Garden to a Nuggets-Warriors nightcap, here is the full NBA Christmas Day 2026 schedule with tip times, matchups, and how to watch, plus a printable slate for the family room.
2026 NBA Christmas Day schedule
| Tip (ET) | Matchup | TV |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 PM ET | San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks | ABC / ESPN |
| 2:30 PM ET | Miami Heat at Boston Celtics | ABC / ESPN |
| 5:00 PM ET | Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers | ABC / ESPN |
| 8:00 PM ET | Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves | ABC / ESPN |
| 10:30 PM ET | Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors | ABC / ESPN |
All five games are carried nationally on ABC and ESPN, running from noon Eastern straight through the West Coast nightcap.
The matchups to watch on Christmas
The slate opens with the Spurs visiting the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, the kind of big-stage stage Wembanyama was made for. Then it is Heat-Celtics renewing an East rivalry, the 76ers at the Lakers in the afternoon showcase, and Thunder-Timberwolves in a heavyweight Western clash. Denver at Golden State closes the night, with Nikola Jokic and Stephen Curry sending everyone into the holiday on a high note.
How to watch NBA on Christmas Day 2026
Every NBA Christmas Day 2026 game airs on ABC or ESPN, so you can watch on cable, on the ESPN app with a TV login, or through a live-TV streaming service like Fubo that carries both networks. Because the games run back to back from noon to night, you can leave it on all day without missing a tip.
The bigger 2026-27 picture
Christmas sits right in the heart of a season that tipped off October 20, 2026 and runs through April 11, 2027, with the Emirates NBA Cup and All-Star Weekend in Phoenix also on the calendar. For the complete night-by-night slate you can check the official NBA schedule at NBA.com, and for every key date in one place see our 2026-27 NBA schedule hub.
Why Christmas Day is the NBA’s showcase
Christmas has been the NBA’s marquee regular-season stage for decades, and the 2026 slate keeps the tradition going for a 19th straight year of holiday hoops. It is the day casual fans tune back in, contenders make statements, and the league’s biggest stars get the national spotlight to themselves. Spreading five games wall to wall across ABC and ESPN, from a noon tip in New York to a West Coast nightcap in the Bay, gives you a full day of appointment basketball. Expect coastal rivalries, MVP-caliber headliners, and a couple of playoff previews that set the tone for the second half of the season. It is the unofficial midpoint check-in on which teams are for real.
More from Basketball Schedules
Want your team’s full slate on one page? Grab our printable 2026-27 NBA team schedules for all 30 teams, free to print.
FAQ
How many NBA games are on Christmas Day 2026?
Five games, played Friday, December 25, 2026, from noon ET through the late West Coast window.
What channel are the NBA Christmas games on?
All five games are on ABC and ESPN, and stream on the ESPN app or a service like Fubo.
What time does the NBA Christmas Day 2026 slate start?
The first game, Spurs at Knicks, tips at 12:00 p.m. ET.
