Dec 24, 2025, 09:15 PM ET

For Filipino hoop junkies, Christmas doesn’t really end on Dec. 25.

It rolls right into Boxing Day, when a loaded NBA Christmas Day slate takes center stage on Disney+, turning the post-holiday lull into a full-blown basketball feast.

With rivalries renewed and storylines colliding, expect fireworks from all ten teams suiting up to cap the yuletide season.

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Here’s why these games are must-watch on Disney+.

Possible Eastern Conference Finals preview (Dec. 26, 1 a.m. PHT: Cavaliers vs Knicks)

With the Indiana Pacers navigating the season without Tyrese Haliburton and 2024 NBA champion Boston Celtics missing Jayson Tatum, the Eastern Conference hierarchy has shifted.

That vacuum at the top has turned the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers into the clearest candidates to emerge as the East’s next powerhouse — making this matchup feel less like a regular-season game but a prelude of what may come around May.

The Knicks continue to ride the high of winning this season’s NBA Cup, while also owning the second-best home record in the league so far — trailing only defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder — led by the undisputed king of New York in the modern era in Jalen Brunson.

On the other hand, after a dominant 2024-25 campaign that ended with a conference-best 64-18 record, the Cavaliers have experienced a bumpier start this season despite the best scoring form of Donovan Mitchell‘s in his NBA career at 30.7 points per game.

That context raises the stakes even higher: is this game a statement that Cleveland is still considered a team to beat, or a sign that New York has finally seized control of the conference?

The return of animated NBA Christmas special Dunk the Halls return through this matchup, which is available on Disney+.

Brewing Western Conference rivalry (Dec. 26, 3:30 a.m. PHT: Spurs vs Thunder)

With much of the Western Conference still sorting itself out, one thing has become increasingly clear: the Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs are positioning themselves as the league’s next great rivalry.

After San Antonio snapped OKC’s 16-game winning streak in the NBA Cup semifinals, this Christmas Day rematch promises to be thrilling.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is once again putting together a historic campaign, averaging 32.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists on blistering 55.4/44.1/88.5 shooting splits, with Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren continuing to provide the necessary support around him.

On the other hand, Victor Wembanyama remains unworldly in his own way even coming off the bench, while young contributors Stephon Castle and Fil-American Dylan Harper have emerged as vital pieces for the Spurs, averaging 18.3 and 12.6 points respectively.

This matchup serves as a statement opportunity for both sides, with Oklahoma City aiming to reaffirm tag as the league’s best team and San Antonio looking to show that its young core is ready to compete with the West’s best on the brightest stage.

Splash Brothers clash in San Francisco (Dec 26., 6 a.m. PHT: Mavericks vs Warriors)

Golden State has long been a staple of Christmas Day basketball, with Stephen Curry often at the center of the spectacle.

This year, however, the tradition takes on a different meaning as Curry faces longtime backcourt partner Klay Thompson on opposite sides for the first time on the holiday stage.

Curry remains one of the best players in the league, averaging 28.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while continuing to serve as the engine of the Warriors’ offense.

Meanwhile, Thompson is experiencing a struggle in his second season with Dallas by just averaging 11.1 points on a lowly 36.9% shooting, which has contributed to a slow start for the Mavericks in this season.

Beyond the nostalgia, this game functions as a measuring-stick contest, testing whether Golden State is still a contender in the Western Conference or can Dallas still make a push for the postseason with the development of rookie Cooper Flagg.

KD vs. LeBron on Christmas (Dec 26., 9 a.m. PHT: Rockets vs Lakers)

With the Western Conference still in flux, Christmas provides the perfect stage for another chapter in one of the NBA’s defining rivalries, as it took almost five years before Kevin Durant and LeBron James faced off in the hardwood back on Nov. 10, 2023.

And, seven years after their last Christmas Day meeting in 2018, Durant and James once again share the floor in a matchup that blends legacy with present-day stakes.

Now with the Houston Rockets, Durant remains an elite scorer with numbers of 25.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on almost another 50-40-90 shooting splits (50.9/43.5/89.3).

For the 41-year old James, even with his remarkable 1,297-game streak of scoring 10 points or more ending, he has bounced back since then by averaging 27.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 2.6 stocks (steals + blocks).

Beyond the marquee names, this game carries real weight — with Houston’s push for legitimacy with the rise of Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson against a Los Angeles Lakers squad still built around championship expectations through the brilliance of Luka Dončić and emergence of Austin Reaves.

It’s legacy, star power, and playoff positioning all wrapped into one holiday showdown.

Familiar playoff counterparts meet (Dec. 26, 11:30 a.m. PHT: Wolves vs Nuggets)

As the Western Conference race tightens, few matchups feel as revealing as another meeting between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets.

Having crossed paths in recent postseasons, this game carries the weight of familiarity, where each possession feels less like December basketball and more like a postseason rehearsal.

Denver continues to rely on its execution-heavy and league leading offensive rating of 123.8 points per 100 possessions led by Nikola Jokić, who continues to be stellar as ever with triple-double averages of 28.9 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 10.8 assists.

While bucking a slow start to the season, Anthony Edwards is now showing why he’s arguably the best shooting guard in the league with numbers of 28.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists on 48.6/40.4/82.1 shooting splits.

This Christmas nightcap offers a clear barometer of where both teams stand, highlighting the Nuggets’ poise in their offensive execution or if Minnesota’s physical approach of the defensive end continues to be a familiar against a familiar postseason obstacle.

Rematch of two teams in different directions (Dec. 28, 9 a.m. PHT: Cavs vs Rockets)

The NBA’s debut on Disney+ back on Nov. 20 opened with a matchup between the Cavaliers and the Rockets, making it only fitting that their rematch also airs on the same platform.

This time around, the Eastern Conference contenders are out for payback after absorbing a 114-104 loss in their first meeting with the Rockets.

Both teams, however, enter the game with something to fight for. The Rockets are pushing to secure a top seed and homecourt advantage in the playoffs, while the Cavaliers look to steady themselves and avoid the complications of the play-in picture.