Celtics Snap Long Streak With NBA’s Reported Christmas Schedule

Fans have gotten used to watching the Boston Celtics play on Christmas, but that reportedly won’t be the case this year.

ESPN’s Shams Charania shared the five NBA games scheduled for Dec. 25. The slate noticeably excludes the Celtics:

• Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks
• San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder
• Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers
• Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors
• Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets

SB Nation’s Noa Dalzell was among the many observers to note that this schedule would halt a long holiday streak. It’d mark the first time since 2015 that the Celtics don’t play on Christmas.

Boston has secured an annual spot on a day that’s become synonymous with basketball. The NBA typically books the best and brightest teams for the holiday, and the Celtics have met that label by making 11 straight postseasons.

Jaylen Brown was a freshman at California the last time the Celtics had Christmas off. Jayson Tatum was still in high school.

It’s a stark signal of how the league perceives the Celtics without Tatum. The superstar will miss the 2025-26 season after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon during the playoffs. Boston has signaled a possible transition year by trading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis this season.

Similarly, the NBA is omitting the Indiana Pacers from the Christmas festivities sans Tyrese Haliburton. The reigning Eastern Conference champions will miss their 21st straight Christmas slate.

Only the Knicks and Cavaliers are scheduled to represent the East. If the reported itinerary sticks, fans will find a stocking full of Western Conference matchups under the tree.