An N.B.A. Christmas Gift: LeBron, Steph and Luka in Action

The Celtics are coming off an Eastern Conference finals run last year, in which they were upset by the Heat. They had a challenging off-season, losing the former All-Star Gordon Hayward in a free agency related trade, while Kemba Walker, another All-Star, continued to deal with knee issues that will keep him out for several more weeks. Instead, the Celtics are relying on Tatum, 22, and Brown, 24, to carry them, in addition to their young players, like Robert Williams III and Grant Williams. (The Celtics did add two quality veterans in the off-season, Tristan Thompson and Jeff Teague, who will help.)

For the Nets, Irving and Durant have looked like the superstars the Nets hoped for when they were signed before the 2019-2020 season. They dominated on opening night at home against the Golden State Warriors. Durant, who had not played competitive basketball in 18 months, did not look like he’d lost a step. Caris LeVert has looked comfortable running the second unit. This team has quickly established itself as the favorite in the Atlantic Division if not the East.

This game will also mark Irving’s official return on court in Boston, where he played for two seasons. The team underachieved in 2018-2019, and Irving left for the Nets, despite having said that he was committed to staying in Boston. The Celtics players seem to have remained on good terms with Irving. The fans, not so much.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/25/sports/basketball/nba-christmas-schedule.html