One of the best days in the NBA season is Christmas day. Christmas day is chock full of exciting games and great storylines to follow. This list will break down some of the good, the bad and the ugly moments from throughout the day.
The Warriors Defense
Coming into this game it’s likely that most fans figured the Rockets would run away with it. But, thanks to some great defense, the Warriors were able to stifle James Harden and the Rockets to come away with a win.
Anthony Davis falls into Kevin Hart’s lap.
On average James Harden gets to the free-throw line a staggering 12.4 times per game. The Warriors managed to let Harden shoot one free throw in this game. On top of that, the Warriors defense forced Russell Westbrook to shoot the 3-ball. Westbrook was 0-8 from beyond the arc. Overall, it was a great performance by the new-look Warriors and it seems the curse that keeps the Rockets from beating the Warriors in big games is alive and well.
Lakers vs. Clippers
So far this new rivalry between the LA teams has been everything fans could hope for. The Christmas day game added even more to it. It was an exciting game filled with big plays, big dunks, and celebrities.
(Thank you, Kevin Hart)
Despite LeBron James not having the best start to the game, by the end though, all of the All-Stars were putting on an incredible show. Kawhi Leonard put up a great performance, as usual, and fueled the Clippers to come back from down 15 in the 3rd quarter.
The Bucks
Really, this game was a mix. The Bucks were playing poorly while the 76ers were also playing a great game. But, so many times throughout the game the Bucks looked like a deer in the headlights.
Joel Embiid was able to impose his will anywhere he wanted to on the court. He made things as difficult as ever for Giannis Antetokounmpo and shut down any attempts at making this a close game.
Joel Emiid smiles for the camera.
Scheduling
Honestly, all that needs to be said is the battle for LA should have been the game to close out the night. Having two smaller market teams play
The new camera angle
It makes sense why the NBA tries changes like these out during Christmas. The more people watching the more feedback they get. But, this idea should have been scrapped before it ever saw the light of day.
One of the biggest issues wasn’t that it was used. But that it was way overused.
Every once in a while a new camera angle is interesting, for something like a fastbreak especially. But, this was way overdone and felt like it was forced down viewers’ throats. Twitter immediately jumped to calling it out and letting the NBA know what they thought about it, hopefully, this means fans see a lot less of this angle.
At the end of the day, NBA Christmas is fun for fans, even with the bad and the ugly, and adds an exciting pre-All-Star break event.
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