On Giannis, On Julius! Knicks Face Bucks in NBA Christmas Showdown

The New York Knicks will welcome in the Milwaukee Bucks, visitors from up north in their Christmas Day showdown.

The New York Knicks will reportedly be dealing with reindeer in more ways than one this coming Christmas. 

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Knicks are set to tip off the NBA's 2023 Christmas Day slate against the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden. The game will perhaps be a look into an alternate vision of the most recent NBA playoffs: the Knicks and Bucks were poised to face off in the second round on the Eastern Conference bracket, but top-seeded Milwaukee's upset loss to the eighth-ranked Miami Heat denied such a matchup. The fifth-seeded Knicks topped No. 4 Cleveland in five games before their ousting at the hands of the Heat in six.

New York and Milwaukee previously did Yuletide battle on Christmas in 2018, a 109-95 decision in the Bucks' favor. Giannis Antetokounmpo guided Milwaukee to victory at MSG with a 30-point, 14-rebound double-double, also adding four steals to his tally. Both teams will be looking to avenge losses from last holiday season: the Knicks also opened last year's slate at MSG, falling 119-112 to the Philadelphia 76ers while the Bucks dropped a 139-118 decision to the Boston Celtics.

The Knicks dropped all three meetings against the Bucks last season though the tiro was decided by a combined 21 points. New York and Milwaukee have also been situated in the same group when it comes to preliminary play at the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament this coming fall.

While Charania's report did not list times, he does list the Knicks-Bucks game first and it can be assumed that New York will once again be part of the 12 p.m. opener. As the NFL continues to impede on what's traditionally been the NBA's holiday, the New York Giants face the Philadelphia Eagles at 4:30 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field. The Christmas appearance will allow the Knicks to extend their record to 56 holiday appearances, with their last win coming in 2021 against Atlanta.

After the Knicks and Bucks face off in Manhattan, the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat will host the Philadelphia 76ers. The middle portion, on the other hand, will resurrect one of the most prominent rivalries in NBA history, as the Celtics head west to face the Los Angeles Lakers. 

To open the nightcap, the Phoenix Suns will host the Dallas Mavericks while the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets close out the holiday at home against the Golden State Warriors.

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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