NBA Christmas Eve Games History

Christmas Day has been one of the NBA's most celebrated regular-season traditions since 1947, but Christmas Eve has a very different history. While the league has scheduled hundreds of games on December 25, only two games in NBA history have been played on December 24.

The first took place in 1960, when the Boston Celtics defeated the Detroit Pistons in a high-scoring contest. Seven years later, the San Francisco Warriors defeated the expansion Seattle SuperSonics in what remains the most recent NBA game played on Christmas Eve.

Since 1967, the NBA has avoided scheduling games on December 24, generally leaving the day open before its nationally televised Christmas Day schedule. These two games are unusual pieces of NBA scheduling history, connecting two very different eras of professional basketball.

The Boston Celtics dominated the Detroit Pistons on Christmas Eve in 1960, winning 150-106 in one of the highest-scoring games of their championship era. Boston was led by Hall of Fame point guard Bob Cousy, who scored a game-high 25 points.

The Celtics controlled the contest from the opening quarter, scoring 38 points in the first period and adding 35 in the second to take a 73-46 halftime lead. Boston continued its offensive performance with 42 points in the third quarter before finishing with 35 in the fourth.

Boston outscored Detroit in every quarter and won by 44 points. The Celtics were led by coach Red Auerbach and featured a roster built around Bill Russell, Cousy and several other key contributors from the franchise's championship dynasty.

The victory improved Boston's record to 22-9. The Celtics went on to win the 1961 NBA championship, defeating the St. Louis Hawks in five games in the NBA Finals.

Leading Scorer: Bob Cousy, Boston Celtics — 25 points.

Margin of Victory: Boston by 44 points.

Historical Significance: First NBA game played on Christmas Eve and the highest team score recorded on December 24.

Box Score: View the December 24, 1960 box score.

The second and most recent NBA Christmas Eve game was played on December 24, 1967, when the San Francisco Warriors defeated the Seattle SuperSonics 127-113 in Seattle.

Warriors guard Jeff Mullins led all scorers with 31 points, shooting 12-for-19 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line. San Francisco center Nate Thurmond added 18 points and 29 rebounds, giving the Warriors a powerful presence around the basket.

San Francisco opened the game with a 35-26 first-quarter advantage and extended its lead to 67-56 by halftime. Seattle narrowed the deficit slightly in the third quarter, but the Warriors scored 36 points in the fourth to secure the 14-point victory.

The game took place during Seattle's inaugural NBA season. The SuperSonics had joined the league as an expansion franchise in 1967 alongside the San Diego Rockets. The Warriors, meanwhile, were an established Western Division contender featuring Thurmond and Mullins.

This remains the last NBA game played on December 24, making the contest a unique part of the histories of both franchises.

Leading Scorer: Jeff Mullins, San Francisco Warriors — 31 points.

Other Notable Performance: Nate Thurmond, San Francisco Warriors — 18 points and 29 rebounds.

Margin of Victory: San Francisco by 14 points.

Historical Significance: Last NBA game played on Christmas Eve and part of the Seattle SuperSonics' inaugural season.

Box Score: View the December 24, 1967 box score.

Unlike Christmas Day, December 24 has not developed into a regular part of the NBA calendar. The league traditionally leaves Christmas Eve open, giving players, coaches, officials and team employees a brief break during the holiday period.

The Christmas Day schedule, however, has become one of the NBA's premier annual events. Teams are selected for nationally televised matchups featuring stars, rivalries and championship contenders.

The contrast is remarkable. Christmas Day has hosted NBA games since 1947, with the exception of the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season, while Christmas Eve has featured only two games in league history.

For fans of unusual NBA records, the 1960 Celtics-Pistons game and the 1967 Warriors-SuperSonics matchup remain two of the rarest scheduling entries in professional basketball history.

NBA Christmas Day Games History — Explore the history, memorable games and records from December 25.

NBA Christmas Basketball Archive — Return to the main Christmas basketball history page.

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