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The NBA's Christmas Day tradition continues this year with a five-game slate featuring some of the best teams and players in the league, including the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trying to avenge some recent losses against the up-and-coming San Antonio Spurs, led by Victor Wembanyama. 

Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, De'Aaron Fox, Jalen Williams, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg, LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokić and Anthony Edwards are some of the other stars who will be in action throughout the day. 

The action will tip off with a Madison Square Garden matinee featuring the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, and conclude with a Mile High matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets. Before you settle in for 12 hours of hoops, let's take a closer look at the slate with an X-factor to keep an eye on and a bold prediction for each game. 

Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks

  • Time: 12 p.m. ET
  • Watch: ABC/ESPN/fubo (Try for free) 
  • Odds: Knicks -6 | O/U: 238.5 (via FanDuel)

X-factor: Jaylon Tyson

Tyson didn't play much as a rookie, but he's quietly become an important piece for the Cavs this season. He's averaging 13 points, 5.4 rebounds and two assists on 52.4/45/78.4 shooting splits in 19 starts. He's fourth on the team in minutes and has been their best 3-point shooter thus far. 

During this chaotic season in Cleveland, Tyson has been one of the few constants. He's also been unafraid to speak his mind, and called out the team earlier in the season for a lack of effort. "We're not hungry enough," Tyson said after their loss to the Celtics on Nov. 30. "I feel like teams want it more than us, there's a target on a lot of our guys' backs, and it's everyone's job to say, 'you wanna come at us, let's go.'"

Tyson and the Cavaliers will have a chance to respond on Christmas. 

Bold prediction: The Cavaliers will win

It's crazy that this qualifies as a bold prediction, but the Cavaliers have been the most disappointing team in the league. After winning 64 games last season, they're just 17-14 and stuck in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. While they've had major injury issues, poor health doesn't explain everything that's gone on in Cleveland this season. 

This remains one of the most talented rosters in the league, and the Cavs are only two games back of the No. 3 seed in the crowded middle of the pack in the East. Their Christmas showdown with the Knicks is the perfect opportunity to snap out of their funk, pick up a signature win and start climbing back up the standings. They'll enter the game off the back of consecutive victories (albeit against the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans) where they put up 139 and 141 points, respectively, which should give them a real confidence boost. 

Can the Cavaliers -- the NBA's most expensive team -- snap out of their funk?
John Gonzalez
Can the Cavaliers -- the NBA's most expensive team -- snap out of their funk?

San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder

  • Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
  • Watch: ABC/ESPN/fubo (Try for free)  
  • Odds: Thunder -9.5 | O/U: 233.5

X-factor: Luke Kornet

The Spurs gave Kornet a four-year deal in free agency to steal him away from the Boston Celtics and shore up their frontcourt situation behind Victor Wembanyama. That was hailed as a smart move in the offseason, and looks even better now. Kornet slid into the starting lineup while Wembanyama was out with a calf injury, and has remained in that role as the Spurs work the French phenom back slowly. 

Kornet is averaging career-highs of 8.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, two assists and 1.4 blocks per game, while shooting 63.5% from the field. He doesn't put up huge numbers, but he's always in the right spot and making smart, connective plays. Somehow, he also seems to be good for one highlight reel play each night. In the Spurs' win over the Thunder on Tuesday, he threw down an alley-oop over Chet Holmgren. 

Bold prediction: There will be multiple technical fouls

Familiarity breeds contempt, as the saying goes, and this will be the third matchup between these teams in the last two weeks. The first two have been competitive, physical affairs won by the up-and-coming Spurs. There's also some real animosity between Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren. 

The Thunder are going to be back at home on national TV looking for revenge and to snap their first skid (2-3 in their last five games) of the season. It would not be a surprise to see some emotions boil over on Christmas. 

Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors

  • Time: 5 p.m. ET
  • Watch: ABC/ESPN/fubo (Try for free)  
  • Odds: Warriors -8 | O/U: 227.5

X-factor: Ryan Nembhard

Ryan Nembhard, the younger brother of Pacers point guard Andrew Nembhard, went undrafted this year despite leading the NCAA in assists last season. It hasn't taken him long to prove that every single team besides the Mavericks made a mistake by passing on him. 

After playing sparingly early in the season, he earned the starting point guard role the day after Thanksgiving and hasn't given it back. He's averaging 10.9 points and seven assists on 51.5 shooting, including 48.6% from 3-point range as a starter, and is coming off an 11-point, seven-assist effort in the Mavericks' victory over the Thunder, during which he played all but eight seconds of the fourth quarter. 

Bold prediction: Stephen Curry scores 40 points

It's unbelievable that Curry is still carrying such a burden for the Warriors and scoring so efficiently while doing so. In NBA history only four other players -- Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Alex English -- have averaged at least 20 shots per game after turning 35. None of them have been as efficient as Curry, who is shooting 39.8% on 12.3 3-point attempts per game, and boasts a 64.2% true shooting percentage.

Curry has always had the ultimate green light, but this season, in particular, he can do whatever he wants. Jimmy Butler doesn't seem super interested in shooting, Brandin Podziemski is their third-leading scorer at 12.4 points per game and Draymond Green has more turnovers (75) than made baskets (72). Curry already has four 40-point games this season, and a showcase game on Christmas against the No. 1 pick is a perfect time to add another one. He's certainly going to take enough shots to get there. 

Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers

  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • Watch: ABC/ESPN/fubo (Try for free)  
  • Odds: Rockets -3.5 | O/U: 229.5

X-factor: Reed Sheppard

After a strong start to the season, the Rockets have lost four of their last five games to fall to 17-10 and sixth place in the Western Conference. Their lone win during that skid came against the Nuggets when Reed Sheppard hit a career-high six 3-pointers en route to 28 points, his second-highest scoring game of the season. 

Sheppard, the No. 3 pick in last year's draft, barely played as a rookie, but has been thrust into a big role this season due to Fred VanVleet's injury. Boasting extreme confidence in his shot, Sheppard has been lighting it up from behind the arc. He's making 43.5% of his 6.3 3-point attempts per game, and leads the Rockets with 73 makes from long distance. In fact, he's made nearly a quarter of their 3s on the season. 

The Rockets are dead last in 3-point attempts per game (30.2), and are perhaps overly reliant on Sheppard to provide an outside threat that opponents have to respect. Despite some inconsistent production from the second-year man, Houston has a 121.9 offensive rating with Sheppard on the floor and a 115.7 offensive rating when he sits. 

The Rockets are 5-2 when Sheppard scores more than 15 points and 12-8 when he does not. If they want to beat the high-powered Lakers, they may need a big night from Sheppard. 

Bold prediction: This is the last time LeBron plays on Christmas

No one has played on Christmas Day more often than LeBron James, who is making his 20th appearance on the holiday. Earlier this month, he made it clear that he's had enough of the occasion. 

"I'd much rather be at home with my family," James said earlier this week. "But I mean, it's the game, it's the game I love. It's the game I watched when I was a kid on Christmas Day, watching a lot of the greatest play the game on Christmas. It's always been an honor to play it. Obviously, I'm gonna be completely honest, I would like to be home on the couch with my family all throughout the day. But my number is called -- our number is called, so we have to go out and perform and I look forward to it."

James has not announced any retirement plans, but given his age (he'll turn 41 next week), growing injury issues due to sciatica and these comments, it's fair to wonder if this is the last time we'll see him suit up on Christmas. 

Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets

  • Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
  • Watch: ABC/ESPN/fubo (Try for free)  
  • Spread: Nuggets -4 | O/U: 238.5

X-factor: Tim Hardaway Jr. 

Hardaway was one of the Nuggets' many veteran additions during the offseason, and has been a perfect fit alongside Nikola Jokić. He's shooting a career-high 41.7% from 3-point range on six attempts per game, is the team's leading scorer off the bench and has appeared in every game this season. 

Hardaway has been a constant source of production for the Nuggets while Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun have been sidelined, and has helped the team maintain a 21-8 record, which is good for third place in the Western Conference. If they want to get back on track and take down the Timberwolves after a narrow loss to the Mavericks on Tuesday, they'll need another strong showing from Hardaway, who has had at least 20 points and six 3s in each of his last two games. 

Bold prediction: Anthony Edwards is going to put someone on a poster

Edwards said earlier this month that he doesn't consider himself a superstar. 

"I don't think it's no pressure. I don't think I'm under a spotlight. I don't really think I'm a superstar," Edwards said. "I think to some people I may be. But to myself, I'm really not. So I don't really put no pressure on myself. They got other guys in the league for that."

However he categorizes himself, he's one of the game's best players and thrives under the bright lights. He'll be eager to put on a show on Christmas, especially against another Western Conference contender. Don't be surprised if he tries to put someone on a poster in the process.