The NBA season shuffles into December with a crowded streaming schedule, bundled in nylon fabric and charcoal hand warmers. There are national games running Tuesday through Saturday on five different networks and apps. Four teams have multiple prime-time tipoffs in this stretch. Now, to choose our fighter:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, reigning MVP and elastic space creator, leads the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in Tuesday and Friday telecasts. OKC opens the week at a terrifying 20-1 record, as it mows past the league with replicant consistency. This team is mounting a viable challenge to Michael Jordan’s 72-10 Chicago Bulls, who set the regular-season wins record on their way to a championship in 1995-96. That mark was later topped by the 73-9 Golden State Warriors, who fell infamously short in the 2016 NBA Finals.
Or, we can roll with the Boston Celtics, regular competitors that are starting to cook (seven wins in their last 10 tries ahead of Tuesday). The parquet courters are home against two marquee rivals from the abbreviation glamour markets (N.Y., L.A.). The Warriors, fellow cultural footholds, have three national TV games of rising urgency. And the Dallas Mavericks are in the spotlight twice, which means more Cooper Flagg previews to stack up the hype.
NBA national TV guide
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GameTime (ET)TVStream
Knicks at Celtics
8 p.m., Tue.
NBC, Peacock*
Peacock
Thunder at Warriors
11 p.m., Tue.
NBC, Peacock*
Peacock
Heat at Mavericks
8:30 p.m., Wed.
NBA TV, League Pass
Warriors at 76ers
7 p.m., Thu.
NBA TV, League Pass
Lakers at Celtics
7 p.m., Fri.
Prime
Prime Exclusive
Mavericks at Thunder
9:30 p.m., Fri.
Prime
Prime Exclusive
Warriors at Cavaliers
7:30 p.m., Sat.
NBA TV, League Pass
*Depending on local market
NBC is free over the air, and it also streams on Peacock. All ESPN broadcasts stream on ESPN Unlimited. NBA TV and out-of-market games are available on NBA League Pass.
Tuesday, NBC/PeacockNew York Knicks at Boston Celtics
Why it’s worth the watch: Current Knick legacies are cut and pressed against the Celtics, because Boston is still the platinum standard for Eastern Conference legacy franchises. Jalen Brunson has inherited that compounded gravity, and he tends to do cool things with it. In four regular-season games versus Boston last year, Brunson’s shooting splits were 52.8/43.3/100 on a 30-percent usage rate. He then engineered back-to-back 20-point road comebacks in their playoff series in May. The Knicks offense continues to hum, beginning the week at No. 3 in offensive rating and No. 5 in points per game. After this spring’s indignities, Jaylen Brown will be motivated by wintergreen revenge Tuesday night. The Celtics can keep up in a perimeter pop-a-shot, right behind their guests with the fourth-best offensive efficiency. They lead the NBA in pull-up scoring through 20 games.
Fan-imosity: It’s New York and Boston.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State Warriors
Why it’s worth the watch: Again, 20 wins and one singular loss as they reach shore in San Francisco — the Thunder are going for unprecedented NBA dominance. We can’t accuse them of chasing artificial or conditional greatness as their gold rings glisten. Nor can we assure ourselves that it’s all temporary, as their top nine rotation players by minutes per game are all under 28 years old. All we can do is brace for impact. Mark Daigneault coaches for a 13th straight win Tuesday. With Stephen Curry (quadriceps) on ice, the Warriors need to get right and find cohesion before the West speeds up beyond reach. That means takeover mode for Jimmy Butler and bully ball for Draymond Green. Surliness begets surliness.
Fan-imosity: We can get there in three words: “Game 6 Klay.”
Wednesday, NBA TV/League PassMiami Heat at Dallas Mavericks
Why it’s worth the watch: The usual ESPN Wednesday window is now closed until Christmas Day. What tempo-edited “Jingle Hoops” remix are we in for this year? Wednesday national broadcasts get a brief and low-key stopover on the league’s media providers. Miami might fall beneath the radar of studio shows and timeline aggregation, but this Heat iteration is a lot of fun. Erik Spoelstra has his group playing uncharacteristically fast, with league-leading pace and a feverish commitment to head-on drives. “A new era,” indeed. The Mavs are sixth in pace, throwing everything to the wall in rookie-year Flagg intel collection. On Saturday, Flagg became the youngest player in NBA history to score 35 points. The only other 18-year-old to go for 30-plus was LeBron James in 2003.
Fan-imosity: Somewhere, Jason “The Jet” Terry raises his arms and makes airplane engine noises.
Thursday, NBA TV/League PassGolden State Warriors at Philadelphia 76ers
Why it’s worth the watch: The Warriors are juking around to avoid the corner of the wall, but the Sixers don’t have much room for lulls, either. Former MVP and centrifugal force Joel Embiid returned Sunday. Philly lost that game in double overtime, because basketball forever swats sentimentality into the mezzanine. At least Embiid logged his first minutes since Nov. 8, when he felt the increased knee soreness that took three more weeks off his comeback season effort. Unattended impatience leads to other, more corrosive chemical reactions. Thursday’s matchup between the Warriors and 76ers is marked by a shared pressure around .500 struggles and superstar injuries. And if nothing else, it’s a chance to see Tyrese Maxey, maximalist bucket:
https://t.co/uW3TaGZ7u5 pic.twitter.com/Jd9tfjMx9m
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 1, 2025
Fan-imosity: Someone’s grandparents are still riled up about the Philadelphia Warriors-Syracuse Nationals swap.
Friday, Amazon PrimeLos Angeles Lakers at Boston Celtics
Why it’s worth the watch: Take your pick. LeBron James is an eternal showman on 100 Legends Way. Luka Dončić is averaging more than 35 points per game (!) as he folds over his Lakers pocket calendar. Derrick White is eager to guard the league’s leading scorer, just like he did on its biggest stage. Los Angeles has hopes of an 18th NBA championship after its effervescent 15-5 start. Boston’s 18 banners hang above in eerie, perfect stillness. The crowd will stand for former Defensive Player of the Year and franchise id Marcus Smart, regardless of his game-time availability (back spasms as of Monday).
Fan-imosity: It’s Los Angeles and Boston.
Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder
Why it’s worth the watch: Every Thunder game moves the champs a step closer to reinforced glory. This relentless and clinical OKC defense will throw learning-curve coverages at Flagg. The on-ball pressure should pop through the television, or the phone, or the ancient alabaster tablets that someone uses in an undisclosed location. Let’s see how the presumed Rookie of the Year handles the toughest of challenges.
Fan-imosity: Last seen somewhere around the 2024 playoffs, when the fifth-seeded Mavs jolted the No. 1 Thunder in six games. Dončić was Dallas’ leading scorer, rebounder and assister in that second-round upset. Call our hotline if you have any leads on where all that went.
Saturday, NBA TV/League PassGolden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers
Why it’s worth the watch: As fresh snow falls onto December grounds and fresh jumpers drop into new netting, two teams stand alone in their commitment to the long ball. Golden State and Cleveland entered the month atop the league in made 3s. Seven Cavs are averaging at least 1 1/2 of them, spearheaded by Donovan Mitchell (39.1 percent on more than 10 takes per game). Incumbent DPOY Evan Mobley has rubberized hops but cement-truck rim presence. His pending zig-zag matchup with Green is something both personal and philosophical. Just act cool if Mitchell soars in to crash their paint party:
SPIDA’S CAN FLY. @spidadmitchell | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/PDdHOyDjyh
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) November 30, 2025
Fan-imosity: It fueled four consecutive NBA Finals (2015-18).
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