NBA's Christmas Day success couldn't have come at a better time

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Kevin Durant was on the court in Phoenix, warming up for an extra late 8:30 p.m. tipoff for the NBA's Christmas Day finale, when Stephen Curry and LeBron James were putting the final touches on the fourth thriller of the best day of the NBA season thus far. Yet somehow Durant knew exactly how important this day had been for the league.

"Today was a step in the right direction to get people excited again for the game of basketball," Durant told ESPN during a wide-ranging interview after leading the Phoenix Suns to a 110-100 win over the Denver Nuggets. "Hopefully it's not just because it's Christmas. Hopefully they stay invested in the game, invested in each player, each…