Christmas Day Sports - No Football Games But Lots of NBA

The Christmas Day sports schedule is usually pretty uneventful. The 2008 Christmas sports schedule is no different as no NHL, College Basketball, or College Football Bowl Games are held on Christmas Day. Sadly, there are also no Christmas football games, either college or pro.

The main events on the Xmas Day sports schedule are five NBA games.

The first game will see the New Orleans Hornets and the Orlando Magic at noon EST. The game, which will be broadcast on ESPN, will feature Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, two of the most exciting young players in the game.

Next is the San Antonio Spurs taking on the Phoenix Suns at 2:30 pm EST. In the past, this game would have been considered a preview of the Western Conference Finals, but both teams have taken a step back this season. Still, the Spurs and Suns feature plenty of savvy veterans like Tim Duncan and Steve Nash who could make a run at the Finals.

The  big game of the day will be the Boston Celtics taking on the Los Angeles Lakers at 5 pm EST on ABC. Just like back in the day, the Celtics and Lakers are on top of their respective conferences. The Celtics appear to be unstoppable, having reeled off a club-record 19 wins in a row. The Lakers lead the Western Conference, but have struggled a bit of late having lost two in a row and nearly lost to the New York Knicks. Playing the Celtics should bring the best out of Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, so the game has the makings of a Christmas classic.

It's hard to follow the Celtics-Lakers matchup, but LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will give it a shot when they host the Washington Wizards at 8 pm on TNT. The Cavs and Wizards have had some heated exchanges in the past, but this year the Wiz will likely provide little opposition for James, who has been playing like a man possessed this season.

One of the highlights of the game will be when James unveils a new "chalk" Nike sneakers, a tribute to his ritual of throwing chalk powder in the air before games.

The final game will feature the Dallas Mavericks visiting the Portland Trailblazers at 10:30 pm EST (TNT). The two teams have similar records but appear to be heading in different directions. The Mavericks have struggled this season while the Blazers are clearly on the upswing. Brandon Roy has been on fire for the Blazers as of late. He put up 53 points in a game recently and may put on another showcase against the Mavs.