Preview and predictions for the NBA's spectacular Christmas Day game slate
The 2015 NBA Christmas Day jerseysEach year the NBA makes it a point to arrange high drama or huge rivalry games on marquee days in the regular season such as Christmas, Veteran's day, Martin Luther King day and Super Bowl Sunday. Unfortunately the league has to include its big teams on a huge game night like Christmas, resulting in the Los Angeles Lakers featuring in one of the match-ups.Other than that disappointing inclusion all of the other teams playing on Christmas deserve the national TV spotlight on them. The five games scheduled for Christmas will be broadcasted nationwide by ESPN and ABC. What are the NBA match-ups on Christmas in 2015? Hereâs a summary:1.A young superstar looking to make his mark against a reputed and veteran franchise.2.Two title contenders playing under rookie NBA Head Coaches3.Rematch of the 2015 NBA Finals.4.Two Texas giants collide5. Battle for Los Angeles. Here we preview and predict each game:
#1 Miami Heat vs New Orleans Pelicans
Telecast: 25th Dec, 22:30 hrs IST on Sony SIX and Sony SIX HD
Team Previews:
Early on the New Orleans Pelicans were struggling to keep players on the floor that would make their team competitive, courtesy of the injury epidemic that struck them mid-preseason. Now that the primary rotation players have recovered from injuries, the team is taking its time to find its rhythm and groove.
They are lethal, no doubt but their current play is such that the result of a game will depend on which team shows up on that given day. Since the return of Tyreke Evans and Norris Cole, who are the last players from the team’s primary rotation to return from injuries, the team has a sub-par record of 4-6. That's good considering their overall record is 8-19.
There are two major differences between the Miami Heat and the Pelicans. First, Miami have been relatively injury free and second, on their day they play like East contenders. The catch lies in the fact that this team is highly unpredictable as well and has struggled to be consistent and build some sort of a streak or momentum.
Over the course of their 26 games so far, they have beaten powerhouses like Oklahoma City Thunder and the Atlanta Hawks however at the same time they have dropped easy games against weak depleted squads like the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors.
Prediction:
With the nature of both these teams, it’s tough to pick a clear winner. Having said that, purely based on the performance of the teams so far, it’s safe to say the Miami Heat is the team to put your money on.