Another Christmas Day is in the books, and the NBA once again provided all sorts of entertainment to keep you company as you enjoyed a day with family and friends. 

Early on, the Milwaukee Bucks pulled away from the New York Knicks in the second half to win their first Christmas game since 1977. Then, James Harden dropped 41 points in yet another excellent performance to get the Houston Rockets past the Oklahoma City Thunder in a close game. 

Later on, Kyrie Irving went for 40 in the Boston Celtics' exciting overtime victory over Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. Then, in the marquee game, the Los Angeles Lakers crushed the Golden State Warriors by 26 points, but also lost LeBron James to a strained groin. 

Finally, the Utah Jazz closed the Christmas Day festivities by pulling away from the Trail Blazers in the second half to win by 21 points.

Here are five takeaways from another NBA Christmas:

LeBron's injury overshadows Lakers' win

The Lakers might have gotten the most impressive win of the day, crushing the Warriors by 26 points. Playoff Rajon Rondo showed up, Ivica Zubac continued his strong run of form and they beat the two-time defending champs on the road. That's a statement win from a team with plenty of doubters. Unfortunately, the win was overshadowed by LeBron James' injury. "The King' strained his groin during the third quarter, and did not return to the game. While the Lakers still got the win, the good vibes could go away quickly if this turns out to be serious. ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported that LeBron should be considered "day-to-day," but LeBron still needs to undergo an MRI, and the Lakers are preparing to play without him on Thursday night against the Kings at the very least. 

Kyrie leads Celtics to important win

After the Celtics' win over the Sixers, Kyrie Irving relayed a story to the media from pre-game, in which he told his teammates that he was planning to show out because he had a lot of family in attendance. He certainly did so, dropping 40 points and 10 rebounds -- the first time he's done that in his career. Irving went 17-of-33 from the field, but most importantly he came up clutch when it mattered most. First, he hit a bucket to send the game to overtime late in the fourth, then in that extra frame hit two huge 3s to secure the win. While it was a great night for Irving, it was also an important night for the Celtics. Heading into this game, they hadn't beaten a playoff team since before Thanksgiving, and this was a good reminder of this team's potential. 

Harden keeps up torrid pace

While the Rockets as a team have struggled over the course of the season -- though they have been better as of late, winning seven of their last 10 games -- James Harden has been spectacular. Even though the Rockets' rough start has largely kept Harden out of the early-season MVP discussion, he's having a better individual season than this past year. Leading the league in scoring, Harden is putting up 32 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game, while shooting 37.9 percent from downtown. On Christmas he was once again spectacular, finishing with 41 points, six rebounds and seven assists. He's now scored at least 32 points in the last seven games. 

Bucks get big win in showcase game

The Bucks got to play on Christmas for the first time since 1977, and they took full advantage of the opportunity by cruising past the Knicks, 109-95. While the Bucks have been one of the league's best teams so far this season, this was still the biggest stage they've played on, and it was a good chance to show the general NBA public that they're legit. Of course, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way, finishing with 31 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, four blocks and two steals on 13-of-21 shooting. With this win, the Bucks are now 23-10, and just one game back of the Raptors for the top spot in the East. 

Jazz show they may be back on track

After making it to the second round of the playoffs last season, there were pretty high expectations for the Jazz this season. Through the first two months, it's safe to say they didn't come close to living up to them. Heading into Christmas, they were under .500 and not in a playoff spot in the crowded Western Conference. But after their big 21-point win over the Trail Blazers, there may be a reason to believe that they're back on track. They've now won three of their last four games, including two dominant wins over the Blazers, and a win over the Warriors. Meanwhile, the one loss was by one point to the Thunder. The Jazz still have plenty of work to do, but this is another step in the right direction.