Warriors-Cavaliers finals rematch highlights NBA’s Christmas Day games

The eighth consecutive year with so many holiday games again features several of the league’s top players and clubs, the prime attraction being reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Curry’s Warriors taking on four-time MVP James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. They’ve lost once in 27 games this season – the “96 Bulls” NBA-record 72-10 regular-season mark seemingly well within reach. Thompson, 25, was the Warriors’ 11th overall pick during the 2011 National Basketball Association draft and moved up to be a starter for the team by his second year. The final result was a 103-85 win for the NBA Champions, a game they had to actually play to win.

Maybe Thompson would look better in a leading role, but I tend to think he’s already in the best position to succeed.

Much can happen between now and then. Kobe Bryant said this season would be his last, and Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis have been terrific in their first.

After holding a lengthy team film session to focus on defense earlier this week, the Warriors got off to a fine start against the Jazz, which was held to 13 points in the first quarter and 38 points in the first half.

In all, 33 players from beyond United States borders will be on rosters in the five games, Cleveland and San Antonio having the most with six each. With his help, the team has been just about unbeatable and they began the season with a historic winning streak. “I know he’s really into it and it’s killing him not being out there with the guys”, Walton said.

PELICANS AT HEAT, noon, ESPN. With Kobe Bryant retiring and Dwyane Wade declining, Thompson has a shot to be the best in a few years.

Kyrie Irving returned Sunday and will back on the floor where he fractured his kneecap in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Obviously, he wouldn’t choose any other player to name as the best point guard except for his buddy Curry. The Spurs are 23-5 and playing the finest basketball anywhere outside the Bay Area. It will be the start of a stretch of nine games in which the Knicks play against teams above.500, so there is a chance that the 18th spot they climbed into this week could be the highest we see the Knicks at for for the remainder of 2015. The younger, bigger Splash Brother scored an average of 35.0 points in only 33.7 minutes per game on 60.5 percent shooting from the field and 45.5 percent shooting from three-point land in the two victories last week. They stay at the Staples Center where they are set to face the Los Angeles Lakers, a team they beat by 40 points on Saturday.