The NBA is planning a festive feast for fans.
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They have confirmed their Christmas Day schedule will feature a showdown between the star-studded Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers.
Following a shortened off-season, the 2021-22 regular season is scheduled to begin on October 19 with two games, also showcasing the Nets and Lakers.
The champion Milwaukee Bucks host the Nets and the Lakers will be visited by Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in a doubleheader.
Other games on the December 25 slate include the Atlanta Hawks meeting the Knicks at Madison Square Garden in a re-match of the Hawks' first-round, five-game playoff series win, as well as Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks meeting Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.
The full schedule for the 82-game season will be released on August 20.
The first four days of the season will feature eight national TV games and 12 different teams.
A match-up between the Nets and Lakers is a chance for fans to decide who has the better "big three" as the game will potentially showcase Brooklyn's Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving against the Los Angeles trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the newly acquired Russell Westbrook.
The 2022 NBA All-Star Game will take place on February 20 in Cleveland.
The regular season is scheduled to end April 10.
Following the April 12-15 play-in tournament, the NBA play-offs are scheduled to open on April 16.
Australian Associated Press
