Analysis: The Christmas Day matchup between Thunder and Spurs in the NBA

FAN BOTS

Thank you for watching the video     Link:https://arizonasports.com/nba/jalen-williams-christmas/3606634/     Important warning⚠️⚠️   My friend, please check the accuracy of the information. The information I provide may be  incorrect, late, or outdated.    #JalenWilliams#ChristmasDaySlate#NBAThunder#YoungStarPlan#FutureAllStar

Transcript

00:00Hey NBA fans, Jalen Williams has his Thursday all planned out, presents in the morning, then

00:06a game in the afternoon, for the former Gilbert Perry High School standout that sounds like

00:10a perfect Christmas.

00:11Williams and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who felt snubbed by the Christmas

00:17schedule last year, are finally on the league's showcase slate this year.

00:21They're taking on the San Antonio Spurs as part of the annual December 25th Quintuple

00:26header.

00:26Here's the full schedule.

00:27All Times, MST, Cleveland, at New York, tips things off at 10 a.m., then it's the Spurs

00:35at the Thunder at 12.30 p.m., followed by Dallas at Golden State at 3 p.m., Houston at the Los

00:41Angeles Lakers at 6 p.m., and Minnesota at Denver wraps it up at 8.30 p.m.

00:46As a basketball player you grow up, actually if you're a sports fan, you grow up watching

00:51sports on Christmas, to be able to be a part of it is really cool.

00:55Williams said, What time do we play?

00:571.30 Central.

00:59Yeah, we're like, the cool game.

01:01Presents have been opened and everybody's kind of watching, I'm really looking forward

01:04to that.

01:05For most of this Thunder squad, it's a first.

01:07The only current OKC players with Christmas game points are Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex

01:13Caruso.

01:14It'll be the second Christmas game for San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama, who dropped 42

01:19points and 18 rebounds in his holiday debut last year against the Knicks.

01:23It's a big day for the NBA, and the guys are excited.

01:28Thunder coach Mark Danio said, It's 1 of 82, but it is an elevated circumstance because

01:34of the attention.

01:35Those are good experiences for any team.

01:38Listen to this.

01:39The Thunder are an NBA best, 26-4 this season.

01:43But get this, they're 26-2 against everyone else and 0-2 against the Spurs.

01:49San Antonio just beat them 130-110 on Tuesday after ousting them in the NBA Cup semifinals

01:56earlier this month.

01:57They're going to be locked in, more than any time before probably, Wembanyama said about

02:01this rematch.

02:02For LeBron James, this is old hat.

02:04If he plays Thursday with the Lakers, it'll be his 20th Christmas game.

02:08That's more than 17 current NBA franchises have ever played.

02:12I'd much rather be at home with my family, James said, but it's the game I love.

02:16It's a game I watched as a kid.

02:18It's always been an honor to play it.

02:20Let's talk LeBron's Christmas legacy.

02:22He already is the all-time Christmas leader in games played, points, 507, wins, 11, field

02:30goals, 180, and is tied with James Harden for made three-pointers, 31.

02:36He's chasing records on Thursday.

02:37He's 2nd in assists with 137, 8 behind Oscar Robertson, 2nd in steals with 28, 2 behind

02:45Russell Westbrook, and 2nd in made free throws with 116, 9 behind Robertson.

02:51He's also 6th in rebounds with 143.

02:55Speaking of threes.

02:57While LeBron and Harden are tied at the top, some big names could move up.

03:00Dallas' Klay Thompson is no.

03:03Sufrici Skirin.

03:06With 27 Christmas threes, one ahead of Golden State's Stephen Curry and Houston's Kevin Durant.

03:12Some teams are still waiting for a Christmas invite.

03:14Sacramento hasn't played since 2003.

03:17Indiana, who might have gotten it if Tyrese Halliburton didn't get hurt in Game 7 of the

03:21Finals, hasn't, since, 2004, and Detroit's last was 2005.

03:28For context, Seattle, which hasn't had a team in 16 years, last played on Christmas in 2007,

03:35more recently than those three.

03:37Orlando hasn't played since 2011, and Chicago since 2016.

03:42Boston's nine-year Christmas streak ends this year.

03:45On the flip side, the Lakers are playing for the 27th straight year,

03:48and the Warriors for the 13th straight.

03:51Just excited for another big game on Christmas Day, Curry said.

03:55Monday.

03:56The vibes are good right now.

03:59Keep an eye on Dallas' Cooper flag, who just turned 19.

04:03If he plays, he'll be the fourth youngest player ever in a Christmas game,

04:07behind only Kobe Bryant, Bill Willoughby, and, an 18-year-old LeBron.

04:12Kevin Durant is set to play on Christmas for a fifth different team,

04:15in a sixth different jersey.

04:17Seattle.

04:18Oklahoma City.

04:19Golden State.

04:20Brooklyn.

04:21Phoenix and now Houston.

04:22Only Shaquille O'Neal with six teams, has done it for more.

04:25Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony have also played for five.

04:28Here's a wild stat.

04:30Of the ten teams playing this Christmas, eight are from the Western Conference.

04:34That's the most from one conference since 1978.

04:37The East hasn't had more teams playing than the West since 2004.

04:41So who are you most excited to watch this Christmas?

04:43Is it the Thunder looking for revenge, LeBron adding to his legacy,

04:47or a rookie making his holiday debut?

04:49Or a rookie making his holiday debut?

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended