The job of an NBA scheduler on a day like Christmas used to be much easier.
For instance, throughout the 1990s, when the Michael Jordan–era Bulls dominated things and were an obvious choice to feature on television, the league held only two games on the holiday—a far cry from the five contests it’s played for most of the past 14 seasons.
The lack of dynasties aside, it goes without saying that this week’s holiday pairings could look relatively silly through no real fault of the scheduling gurus.
Sure, Hawks-Knicks was always up for debate after both clubs had surprisingly strong campaigns last season and built a dislike for one another after Trae Young sparred with Madison Square Garden and vice versa.