NBA Christmas Day scores, live updates: Knicks hosting Cavaliers to open holiday slate

NBA fans are being treated to five games on Christmas Day

Merry Christmas, basketball fans. The NBA is celebrating the holiday with a jam-packed schedule that features five intriguing matchups and 12-plus hours of basketball. The action tips off at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks host the Cavaliers. The Spurs and Thunder then will meet for the third time in 13 days. San Antonio is looking for its third straight win over the reigning NBA champions, while the Thunder are hoping to keep their perfect home record intact.

The rest of the slate features star-studded matchups. Stephen Curry and the Warriors host the Mavericks and No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg. LeBron James and Kevin Durant will square off on Christmas once again as the Lakers face the Rockets. And Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets are going up against Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves.

Bold predictions for each NBA Christmas Day game: Thunder-Spurs tension, a Curry flurry and more

Jack Maloney

NBA Christmas Day schedule, scores

Odds via Caesars

• Knicks (-6) vs. Cavaliers | 12 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN/fubo (Try for free)
• Thunder (-9) vs. Spurs | 2:30 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN/fubo 
• Warriors (-8) vs. Mavericks | 5 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN/fubo
• Lakers (+3) vs. Rockets | 8 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN/fubo
• Nuggets (-3.5) vs. Timberwolves | 10:30 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN/fubo

CBS Sports will have live updates throughout the Christmas Day NBA slate. Follow along below for key moments throughout the day.

[Dec 25, 2025 at 12:56 pm ET · James Herbert]

With 7:50 left in the first half, the Cavaliers are up 41-38. After their 2-for-15 start, the Knicks have shot 13 for 16 to get back in it. Jordan Clarkson has been a big part of that -- he made two quick 3s at the beginning of the second quarter, then stole the ball from Darius Garland and scored on the break.

Clarkson has 11 points in 10 minutes. He's the main reason that New York has been able to make a run with Jalen Brunson on the bench.

After turning the ball over just once in the first quarter, the Cavs have turned it over five times in the second quarter. They obviously need to clean things up.

[Dec 25, 2025 at 12:42 pm ET · James Herbert]

The Knicks were ho ho horrible at the beginning of this game. They struggled against the Cavs' switches, missed their first seven 3-point attempts and fell behind 18-3 at home. Two and a half minutes in, Karl-Anthony Towns picked up his second foul. After missing 13 of their first 15 field goal attempts, they made six of their next seven, but they're still down 15 heading into the second quarter.

The Cavaliers, meanwhile, have been having a merry old time. Donovan Mitchell already has 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting, including this bucket:

On ESPN2's Disney broadcast, Mickey Mouse is standing in for Mitchell. Here's Mickey draining a pull-up 3:

Cleveland is shooting 13 for 19 early, including 6 for 11 from deep. Darius Garland is looking zippy on offense, and he's already put up nine points.

Jalen Brunson has 10 points on 4-for-10 shooting for New York.

Evan Mobley checked in off the bench for the first time in his career. He's expected to play 20 to 24 minutes.

[Dec 25, 2025 at 12:09 pm ET · James Herbert]

Merry Christmas, Cleveland: Evan Mobley is available to play against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. This will be Mobley's first game since Dec. 12; he missed the Cavs' last five games with a strained right calf.

Mobley is not starting, however, and he'll presumably be on a minutes limit. Cleveland is going with a starting lineup of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill, Dean Wade and Jarrett Allen.

The Knicks are going with their normal starters: Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns.

[Dec 25, 2025 at 11:55 am ET · Stephen Pianovich]

Knicks vs. Cavaliers prediction, odds: Best bets, where to watch Christmas game

Sam Quinn

[Dec 25, 2025 at 11:12 am ET · Stephen Pianovich]

Bold predictions for each NBA Christmas Day game: Thunder-Spurs tension, a Curry flurry and more

Jack Maloney