NBA Christmas Day Games 2013: Watch Knicks Vs. Thunder, Heat Vs. Lakers And More!

Heat Lakers Reuters Pic — LeBron and the Heat hope to earn a Christmas Day victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Reuters

With Christmas Day just around the corner, folks everywhere are putting the finishing touches on food menus, travel plans and even late gift purchases in order to make the holiday season a bit more special. Though spending time with family and loved ones is undoubtedly the most important part of the holiday season, sports enthusiasts will be happy to know that some of the top teams in the NBA will be playing on Christmas Day, adding an extra element of enjoyment to one of the busiest days of the year.

The Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets will open the five-game Christmas slate with a Noon contest at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Though Derrick Rose was lost for the season last month after suffering a torn right meniscus, the Bulls (10-16) are still a threat in the Eastern Conference as far as playoff seeding is concerned. Sitting .5 games behind the Boston Celtics for the eighth and final playoff spot, the Bulls will travel to Brooklyn to face a Nets team looking to get in better form. Much like Chicago, the Nets (9-18) will be without their biggest star after learning recently that All-Star center Brook Lopez will miss the rest of the season after suffering a broken right foot last week against the Indiana Pacers.

High-powered Oklahoma City will meet a struggling New York Knicks team at Madison Square Garden following the conclusion of the Bulls v. Nets game, with the Knicks looking for a statement win after struggling early this season. Once the Knicks and Thunder wrap-up their holiday contest, LeBron James and the Miami Heat will travel to Los Angeles to meet the Lakers, who are once again without star Kobe Bryant. The final two Christmas Day games will feature Dwight Howard's Houston Rockets against the defending Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers against the Golden State Warriors, completing a very appetizing list of holiday meetings.