The New York Knicks have December 25 circled on their calendar as they host their annual Christmas Day game against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
It will be the first of five games of the day at noon ET, but According to CBS Sports reporter Sam QuinnIt’s also the second worst Christmas contest.
“The last time Victor Wembanyama played the Knicks, he had a 40-point, 20-rebound double-double,” Quinn wrote. “That game was in San Antonio, but historically, almost every NBA legend has at least one major regular-season performance at Madison Square Garden. LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kobe Bryant all scored 50 or more points in games there. The odds of Wembanyama having his first major performance at Madison Square Garden on Christmas are high enough to get that game on TV.”
The only game ranked after the Spurs-Knicks game is the Los Angeles Lakers-Golden State Warriors game. The Denver Nuggets-Phoenix Suns game, the Minnesota Timberwolves-Dallas Mavericks rematch in the Western Conference Finals, and the Philadelphia 76ers-Boston Celtics game rank ahead of the Spurs-Knicks game.
One of the main reasons for this, however, is related to the Spurs squad, apart from Wembanyama.
“Unfortunately, the rest of [Wembanyama’s] “The roster is still relatively thin,” Quinn wrote. “The Knicks are a title contender, but they’re playing an opponent who could very well be a draw, which drops this game down a spot or two in the standings. Wembanyama against the Villanova alumni team will be fun, but won’t quite be a top-three contender.”
Perhaps a game like this will spark a Christmas rivalry between the two teams and a rematch will take place in a few years when Wembanyama is at his peak and the Spurs are back to relevance against a Knicks team looking to stay in the contender conversation and in the national spotlight.
