How to watch 2024 NBA Christmas games free: Knicks-Spurs, Sixers-Celtics, more

Christmas may be the holiest day of the year for NBA fans.

Every Dec. 25, the league schedules five huge games and, once again, Adam Silver and co. have not disappointed.

Starting at noon EST, the red-hot New York Knicks are taking on the visiting San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden. This rematch of the 1999 Finals is a showcase for two of basketball’s pre-eminent centers, Karl Anthony-Towns and Victor Wembanyama. The pair are averaging 24.5 and 24.7 points-per-game respectively.

2.5 short hours later, Towns’ former team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, will face off against the 2023-24 Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks. Most recently, the clubs met on Oct. 29 and Minny walked away with a 120-114 victory behind a 37-point showing from Anthony Edwards. Kyrie Irving chipped in 35 for the Mavs.

After that game wraps, Eastern Conference foes take the court. The 2023-24 NBA champion Boston Celtics are slated to do battle with the Philadelphia 76ers at 5 p.m. EST. Coming into the matchup, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Celts are sitting pretty with an impressive 22-6 record while Tyrese Maxey and Paul George have led the Sixers to a less-than-stellar 9-17 mark. A win here would be a huge morale boost for the club.

If you’re still around, you’ll catch future Hall of Famers LeBron James and Steph Curry when their Lakers and Warriors go head-to-head at 8 p.m. EST. Since both legends are getting up there in years — James turns 40 on Dec. 30 and Steph will be 37 in March — this may be the last Christmas classic featuring these hardwood heroes.

Finally, Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns and Nikola Jokić’s Denver Nuggets close the hoops marathon with a 10:30 p.m. EST contest. Mike Budenholzer’s Suns have lost two in a row to a pair of sub .500 Eastern Conference teams and could use a win as they move further and further away from a playoff berth. Thankfully, Devin Booker may return and provide the team with the Christmas miracle they so desperately need.

If you want to watch basketball all day, here’s everything you need to know about all NBA Christmas day games, from start time and channel, to how to watch for free.

NBA Christmas Day game times:

There are five NBA games airing back to back on Christmas day.

• 12:30 p.m. ET – San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks
• 2:30 p.m. ET – Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks
• 5:00 p.m. ET – Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics
• 8:00 p.m. ET – Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors
• 10:30 p.m. ET – Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns

What channel are the NBA Christmas games on?

All five games will air on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN+.

How to watch NBA Christmas day games:

If you want to watch any of the NBA Christmas games without cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service that carries ABC or ESPN (these include Hulu + Live TV, DIRECTV Stream, and Sling Orange). You can also tune into it using ESPN+ for just $10.99/month.

How to watch the United States Grand Prix for free:

If you want to watch for free, there are a few streaming options available with free trials for new users; we like DIRECTV Stream, which comes with five days free, before $86.98/month payments begin.

ESPN+ and Disney bundle:

If you want to save a few bucks every month by bundling some streaming services to watch the NBA on Christmas, consider the Disney Bundle. For just $16.99/month, you’ll get access to ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu with ads, and for an additional $10/month, you can remove ads.

How to Watch NBA Christmas day games from Anywhere:

If you are outside of the US or unable to watch NBA Christmas day games in your region, consider a VPN (Virtual Private Network). Whether you’re traveling or living abroad, using a VPN allows you to stream live TV and your favorite shows and movies using your usual streaming services, without any restrictions. A VPN lets you change the IP address on your device so that you can access your favorite apps and websites whether you’re in the UK, Canada, Mexico, or anywhere in the world.

Using a VPN is Easy…

• Choose a VPN that best fits your needs
• Download the software on your device
• Select a country as your new virtual location
• Log into whichever streaming service is carrying the title and start watching your favorite shows and movies from anywhere