1) Washington Wizards vs. New York Knicks
Hosted in New York, the Knicks and Wizards went head- to - head in a east coast battle. As expected, the Wizard handled the Knicks 101-91. John Wall led the way for the Wizards, totaling 24 points and 11 assist. Melo was able to drop 34. The biggest highlight of the game was the scuffle between Wall and Knicks forward Quincy Acy. Acy fouled Wall , in which Wall fell to the ground. After landing on the ground awkwardly, Wall quickly stood up and shoved Acy. Acy then retaliated with a weird half punch towards Wall. The fight was swiftly broken up players and referees.2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs
This game was quite the surprise. The Spurs were the favorites in many NBA fans' eyes due to Kevin Durant's injury. In addition, the Spurs were playing at home. The Spurs' game plan would seem simple: stop Russell Westbrook and everything else will fall into place. Unfortunately for the Spurs, everything did not go according to plan. Russell Westbrook went off for 34 points and 11 assist. Westbrook received plenty of help in this game. Serge Ibaka scored 21, Steven Adams scored 16, Perry Jones scored 16, and Anthony Morrow added 15 off of the bench. In the final quarter, Morrow hit 2 key three pointers to hold off the Spurs. The Spurs were able to keep the game close for the entire 48 minutes, but a key missed three pointer by Manu Ginobli ended their late game push.3) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat
This was the marquee game of the day. LeBron was returning back to Miami for the first time since he decided to play for the Cavs once again. Many were anxious to see how:1) the Miami Heat fans would respond to LeBron
2) how LeBron would perfom against the Heat
In his first return to Cleveland back in the 2010-2011 season, LeBron exploded for 38 points. Needless to say, his return to Miami was quite the different story. When LeBron was introduced prior to the start of the game, the crowd reacted with mixed sounds. While there were a few boos , the majority of the noises were cheers. In addition, during the first quarter of the game, the Miami Heat organization played a video thanking LeBron for his time in Miami. While many expected the actual game to be a blowout, the Heat had other plans. Dwayane Wade finished the game scoring 31 points, with Loul Deng backing him adding 25. LeBron was able to hit 30 points, with Kyrie adding 25 points. Much love was seen between LeBron and the Heat players, as he talked to all of them after the game. His bond is especially strong with Wade as they were talking and laughing before, at halftime, and after the game.
4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls
For the first time since leaving the Lakers , Pau Gasol played against his former team. With Kobe not playing due to "old age" , the Bulls were just too much for the Lakers. While the Lakers were able to keep the game close for the first three quarters, the Bulls were outscored 16-30 in the 4th quarter. Pau Gasol led all scorers with 23 points. Rose added 20, and the future Most Improved Player of the Year Jimmy Butler added 21 points (predicting that award already). Look for the Bulls to be the biggest threat for the Cavaliers in the playoffs this season. For the Lakers , Wesley Johnson led all scorers with 19 points.
5) Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Clippers
The final game of the NBA Christmas Day games ends with two high powered offenses. Golden State has simply been on a tear this year with the best NBA record: 23-4. The Clippers have been pretty good, with a 19-10 record. While the Warriors have the much better record, the Clippers were able to cool down the Warriors, winning the game (). Chris Paul finished the game with 22 points and 7 rebounds. Both Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan finished the game with double-doubles. Jamal Crawford added 24 points off of the bench. The Warriors had a 4th quarter let down, shooting horribly in the 4th quarter. The Splash Brothers (Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson) shot for a combined 11-30. They were just unable to really get it going tonight.Another year, another NBA Christmas Day gone. This Christmas was filled with fights, thrillers, love, and make-or-break 4th quarters. Hopefully this level of high quality basketball can continue into the rest of the season.