August 15, 2022
James Harden and the Sixers will be back playing on Christmas Day.
The veteran guard, who officially re-upped with the Sixers on a two-year deal late last month, leaked his team's part in the holiday schedule when he tweeted "Christmas in the Garden!" Sunday night – The Garden obviously meaning Madison Square Garden, which means the opponent is the New York Knicks.
NBA Insiders Marc Stein and Shams Charania later verified the Sixers-Knicks matchup along with the rest of the Christmas Day lineup.
Sources: NBA’s 2022 Christmas Day schedule:
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2022
Bucks at Celtics
76ers at Knicks
Suns at Nuggets
Lakers at Mavericks
Grizzlies at Warriors
The Sixers weren't part of last season's run of Christmas Day games – they played the Wizards on the road the day after – but that they're returning as part of the league's holiday tradition isn't all that surprising.
With a big three headlined by a star center and MVP candidate in Joel Embiid, Harden, who can still be a lethal scoring threat even at 32 (going on 33), and a rising young star in Tyrese Maxey, not to mention a major Philadelphia market, the Sixers are a massive draw.
Harden did play Christmas Day last year when he was still with the Brooklyn Nets and recorded a triple-double (36 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) in a 122-115 win over the Lakers in Los Angeles.
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