August 10, 2017
We have speculated about the possibility of the NBA putting the up-and-coming Philadelphia 76ers on the schedule this Christmas, and according to both WIP’s Spike Eskin and the Inquirer’s Keith Pompey, that’s exactly what will happen.
According to both reports, the Sixers will play the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden before departing for the West Coast on the annual Ice Capades trip:
Been told that the Sixers will play the Knicks on Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden.
— Spike Eskin (@SpikeEskin) August 9, 2017
#Sixers will play #NewYorkKnicks on Christmas Day, source confirms. @SpikeEskin 1st to report news. https://t.co/VVzHjYa4Ia via @phillysport
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) August 10, 2017
The Knicks typically play the noon game on Christmas, which we won’t know for sure until the NBA schedule is released (likely sometime over the next week). I would imagine that the game is scheduled early, simply because the NBA should want no business competing with the NFL. The Eagles are scheduled to host the Oakland Raiders on Christmas night.
That’s right, it sounds like the Sixers and Eagles will both be playing on Christmas, which should make Mike Trout pretty happy. That could be an amazing day for Philadelphia sports fans, as long as the Eagles are still competitive and the Sixers can stay healthy.
Even though one-third of the NBA gets to play on Christmas, the league views the holiday as a showcase. Could this signal a major increase in nationally televised Sixers games this upcoming season?
We’ll find out soon.
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