It’s Christmas morning as I’m writing this, it’s chaos in my household. But the good kind. Last night I asked the staff what their favorite Christmas memory was of something basketball-related. These are the answers! To those who celebrate, Merry Christmas from the staff at Mavs Moneyball.
Tyler: Two Christmas Day moments will stick in my head forever. The first is when the Mavs raised the championship banner against the Miami heat on Christmas Day, 2011. A little weird that everyone showed up for the celebration and then they didn’t play a game afterwards, but nonetheless it was an iconic moment! And the second being Luka Doncic lighting the Phoenix Suns on fire to the tune of a Christmas 50-piece. Being the last game of the night, it was a perfect nightcap for Mavs fans everywhere. Even with LD in LA, it’s always fantastic to see him light up the Suns.
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Michael: I’ve got a couple that come to mind. The first was 2003 when the Mavs faced the Kings. The two teams were definitely rivals in that era, with a few Playoff matchups and certainly no love lost between the squads. I can’t say I remember the game in full detail, but I do know where I was when watching it, and it was a generally memorable one where the Mavs came back to win after being down by 16 at the half. The second was 20 Christmases later, when the Mavs faced the Suns. Once again, this was a matchup between teams that did not like each other, and the Mavs got the better of their then-rival behind 50-points from Luka Doncic.
Bryan: I’ll never forget the Christmas Night Massacre. Christmas 2023, Mavericks vs Suns where Luka, in what was supposed to be the boring nightcap game, dropped a flawless 50-point, 15-assist performance on the Suns. I’d had a decent Christmas up to that point and that was the star on the tree. Went to bed with a smile on my face.
Chris: December 25, 2003: Mavericks at Kings. Dallas entered the night 15-12 against the Sacramento Kings who were tied for the best record in the NBA at 20-6. The Mavericks won 111-103 in a thrilling 16-point comeback against a Kings team with Peja Stojakovich, Mike Bibby, and Chris Webber all in their prime. This was Dirk’s first Christmas Day game and he did not disappoint. He was the leading scorer with 31 points, including 22 in the second half. Dallas outscored Sacramento in the final two frames 67-43, fueled by Antoine Walker’s four threes and 20 points. Antawn Jamison added 16 points of his own.
This game felt like a prime moment for Dirk, as he quickly ascended to stardom. This was truly a special game that capped off a very Merry Christmas for Mavs fans.
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Isaac: For me, the two Christmas games I’ll never forget are notable for two very different reasons, but are centered around one man. On December 25, 2023, Luka Dončić lit up the Phoenix Suns for 50 points and 15 assists and started the Mavericks’ run that resulted in a Finals appearance just six months later.
A year later, on December 25, 2024, Luka and the Mavericks fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dončić left the game early with an injury. It seemed at the time like a minor setback but in reality, it was the last time we’d ever see him in a Mavericks uniform.
I know not everything is about Luka and we have to move on, but watching this year’s Mavericks Christmas game will come with a harsh reminder: it’s been exactly one year since the last time we saw The Don in blue and white.