“'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” It seemed this Christmas that NBA arenas around the country were going to be just like the house in this famous Christmas poem. Empty arenas, no basketball, nothing. Little did the dreaded NBA lockout know that the basketball gods would not allow a Christmas pass by without the traditional star studded match-ups of NBA basketball. NBA on Christmas day has became a great tradition for all basketball fans around the globe, and it will continue this year. The NBA has five games on tap including Thunder/Magic, Clippers/Warriors, Celtics/Knicks, Heat/Mavs, and Bulls/Lakers.

Orlando Magic @ Oklahoma City Thunder

In one of the two newly announced games for Christmas Day, Dwight Howard and his Orlando Magic will travel to OKC to take on the Thunder. The Orlando Magic do not enter the game without drama, though. Rumors have been running rampant of Dwight Howard possibly being traded from the team. It will be interesting to see if this has any effect on the Magic. On the other hand, the Oklahoma City Thunder are poised to be one of the best teams in the league this season. With two young superstars in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, they have to be considered one of the favorites to win it all this season. When it comes to this game, I see the Thunder pulling out the victory in this match-up.

Los Angeles Clippers @ Golden State Warriors

This game may fly under the radar due to star power in the other four Christmas games. However, there is no doubt this will be one of, if not the most entertaining game to watch of the day. When you have the human highlight reel of last season, Blake Griffin, playing in a game, you never know what to expect. Besides Griffin, the Warriors have their own talent to be watching out for. The Warriors have one of the most dangerous backcourts in the league with the one-two punch of Steph Curry and Monta Ellis. With a duo of the lights out shooting of Curry and the amazing scoring ability of Ellis, the Warriors are going to make it rough on some teams this season. You may not see too much defense in this game, but you will see some entertaining basketball. My prediction? It's a tossup, but I will go with Golden State.

Boston Celtics @ New York Knicks

The Celtics will be traveling to the Mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden, to play the New York Knicks. After the Melo drama finally ended last season, Carmelo Anthony finally found a home with the Knicks. After a first round sweep from the Celtics in last year's playoffs, Carmelo and the Knicks seek revenge in this NBA season opener. Will the experienced Celtics team commanded by elite point guard Rajon Rondo be able to conquer the Knicks for a 5^th straight game? Or will Melo and company get the revenge from last year's sweep? My answer is the Knicks pull this one out in a tight game.

Chicago Bulls @ Los Angeles Lakers

Two of the NBA's most storied franchises meet in a potential NBA Finals matchup. (A little early for that I suppose...but oh well!) MVP Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls invade the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles to meet the Lakers. After a disappointing showing in last year's playoffs, The Lakers look to rebound back with new coach Mike Brown. When you have arguably the best player in the league on your team in Kobe Bryant, you always have a chance to win the game. Besides Kobe, one thing the Lakers have been known for are their length and size. With the forward/center combination of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, the Lakers always have tough interior defense. With all of this said, I suspect this Chicago Bulls team will be too much for the Lakers and gain their first victory of the season.

Miami Heat @ Dallas Mavericks

The NBA Finals rematch that the Miami Heat have been awaiting will finally come true on Christmas Day. The two teams will meet in Dallas, where the Mavs will also receive their championship rings. Dirk Nowitzki will bring in his defending champion Mavericks into a tough game against the Heat. While the Mavericks are no slouches, I do not see them pulling out the victory in this one. Whether you love them or hate them, you can't deny how talented this Miami Heat team is. They will be seeking redemption and honestly, I think they will get their redemption. I see LeBron James having a huge game, potentially a triple double in a Miami victory.

That does it for this blog entry. Let's everyone enjoy the Christmas season, and let's enjoy it with an entertaining day of some NBA basketball!