Report: Timberwolves will play Mavericks on Christmas Day in Dallas
Even as the NFL begins to take over the day that once belonged to basketball, Christmas Day games are still a status symbol for NBA teams.
Only the brightest stars and most intriguing watches are featured on the five-game, 10-team slate.
And, for many, many years, the Timberwolves weren’t invited to the party.
They now have a seat at the table. For the first time since 2017 — Jimmy Butler’s one full season with the Timberwolves — and only the third time in franchise history, Minnesota will play on Dec. 25.
According to The Athletic, the Wolves will meet the Mavericks in Dallas for a rematch of the Western Conference Finals. Minnesota’s game appears to be the second of the day, which would be expected to tip around 1:30 p.m. Central.
That would put the Wolves up on the sports schedule against the NFL’s doubleheader that day, which features Kansas City playing Pittsburgh and Baltimore taking on Houston.
The Wolves’ first Christmas Day game was in 2016, when they lost 112-100 to the Thunder in Oklahoma City. In 2017, Minnesota played at the Los Angeles Lakers and won 121-104.
Minnesota’s success from a year ago makes it a more attractive team to put in spotlight games, but the real attraction for the NBA likely comes in the form of Anthony Edwards, a now 23-year-old superstar who’s captivated a number of basketball fans across the globe.
The Christmas Day schedule is reportedly as follows:
San Antonio at New York
Minnesota at Dallas
Philadelphia at Boston
L.A. Lakers at Golden State
Denver at Phoenix
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