The last two times the New York Knicks played at home on Christmas Day they were embarrassed, and the last time they played the Boston Celtics they suffered a similar fate. The Knicks will try to make amends for those recent results when they host the Celtics in the kickoff to the NBA's five-game Christmas celebration Sunday afternoon.

The Golden State Warriors were up 3-1 in the NBA Finals last spring before Draymond Green got suspended, Andrew Bogut got hurt and LeBron James unleashed the full arsenal of his talents to help the Cleveland Cavaliers storm to the title. Both teams look prepared to make it three straight meetings in the Finals and will see each other for the first time in the 2016-17 regular season Sunday when the Cavaliers host the Warriors on Christmas.

The last thing the struggling Chicago Bulls need is a trip to San Antonio in a nationally televised game, but that's just what they're going to get Sunday when they visit the Spurs on Christmas. The Bulls are making a series of small mistakes while dropping five of their last six contests, and San Antonio is the type of disciplined group that takes advantage of those miscues.

Russell Westbrook gets another big stage on which to display his prodigious talents Sunday when the Oklahoma City Thunder host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Christmas. Westbrook posted his 51st career triple-double and scored 20 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter on Friday in a win at the Boston Celtics.

The battle of Los Angeles in the NBA has been pretty one-sided over the past few seasons, with the Clippers working among the elite teams in the NBA and the Lakers lounging in the lottery. The Lakers will try to turn the tables and snap an 11-game skid in the series when they host the Clippers on Sunday.