Christmas Day Ballin'

Jordan is right, there are other things to do on Christmas.  You should be thankful.  You should enjoy yourself.  And, if you find yourself not Jewish (or at least with not Jewish relatives--guilty), sit down and watch basketball.  

You've read right--basketball.  National Basketball Association, basketball.  Not college, not high school, not pick up.  But, the seemingly all-but-forgotten art of pro-basketball in this country.

It's not yet January, so these games aren't that important.  But, in some cases, they could be little statement games, call it like a midseason report card.

All day, and all night, great basketball action.  Starting right at noon and straight until past midnight, there's hours of reasons to avoid your family.  Sit right in front of the tube, strap yourself in, grab some egg nog or whatever the hell it is you drink.

Noon Tip:  New Orleans @ Orlando ESPN

Chris Paul and Dwight Howard.  They won't be guarding one another, but expect some fun finishes around the rim.  Paul's in the running for best point guard, ever.  Howard's slowly becoming one of the best big men in the league.  That said, Orlando's off to a great start, the sort of start that New Orleans was supposed to get off to.  Lack of the same sort of play from Tyson Chandler, has really hurt the Hornets this year.  On the other side, additions like Pietrus and the emergence of Jameer Nelson have really helped put the Magic on that next level.  Would be a nice win for the Hornets early on.  

2:30 Tip San Antonio @ Phoenix ABC

The Spurs have rebounded from a poor start, but, don't be fooled by the 18-10 record.  They're not that good.  Most wins have come against bad teams, like the Minnesota's and Oklahoma City's of the world.  Phoenix on the other hand not only isn't that good this year, but, isn't even playing fun basketball under new coach Terry Porter.  Should be a good game, could be a statement game for the Boot Clips on the road, but, should also be one you could miss. 

5:00 Tip Boston @ Los Angeles

It's Christmas Day, the Celtics have lost twice.  If the world seems upside down, that's

 likely because it is.  A few things a Boston hater can take comfort in: 

1. Of the 19 wins in the streak, only 6 were against teams with winning records.  Two games a piece against New York and Indiana don't hurt.
2. There's 3 other teams have 6 or less losses (Orlando, L.A., and Cleveland).

However, on the other hand, the Celtics truly are dominant.  The best start in NBA history, two losses, shooting over 50% in the streak.  The Lake show wants to prove, on a national stage that they are ready to take down the team that beat them in the Finals last year.  Players like Kobe have been way more open than usual about how big this game is.

8:00 Tip Washington @ Cleveland TNT

OK, maybe they're not all good games.

10:30 Tip Dallas @ Portland TNT

Good capper to the evening--if only for Portland's sake.  There's reason to watch this Portland team, if only for Brandon Roy.  Don't expect much out of Greg Oden, he's still slow, surly and not the player he'll be even a year from now.  That's not entirely fair.  If you watch the 75-year old center for long enough, you'll catch a glimpse.  Maybe a hard dunk, a nice block, good back door rotation.  But, soon after, he won't get back on D, mis-dribble.  Something.  In a way, the Blazers desire to give him serious playing time and make him a part of their future, may actually be hurting their chances to compete this year.  And Dallas is always fun to root against so long as Mark Cuban's there, no?