The Milwaukee Bucks will face off against the Boston Celtics on Sunday December 25, Christmas Day, in the middle game of the NBA’s five-game Christmas present to basketball fans. The game will be played in Boston.
Games played on Christmas Day has been an NBA tradition since 1947. Since 1995, the defending champion has been one of the 10 teams playing on Christmas Day.
Here are 12 stats you may not know about games played by the Bucks on December 25.
Bucks played their first December 25 game in 1968
One: This will be the ninth Christmas game played the Bucks in their history. On Christmas Day 1968, the Bucks’ played their first Christmas game in their inaugural season in the league. The Bucks were defeated 119-113 by the Detroit Pistons in that game.
Two: The Bucks are 5-3 in the eight games they have played on December 25.
Three: Milwaukee has won five of their last six games played on Christmas.
Four: The Bucks have played three home games on Christmas (1968, 2020 and 2021). They are 2-1 in those games.
Bucks playing on December 25 for fifth straight year
Five: Milwaukee is one of four teams who will have played on Christmas Day in five consecutive seasons. The others: Boston, Golden State, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Six: The Bucks’ 5-3 record (.625 winning percentage) is the sixth-best of NBA teams on Christmas. The teams ahead of Milwaukee are Miami (.846 winning percentage), Portland (.778), Utah (.750), Washington (.696) and Phoenix (.632).
Seven: The Bucks’ largest margin of victory on Christmas was Christmas 2020 when they defeated the Golden State Warriors 138-99.
Kareem holds this Bucks’ Christmas record
Eight: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the Bucks’ record for most points scored in a single game on Christmas. He had 38 points on Christmas 1971.
Nine: Seven different Bucks’ players have scored 20 or more points in a game on Christmas. The seven: Guy Rodgers (1968), Jabbar (1971, 1972), Bob Dandridge (1971, 1972), Brian Winters (1977), Giannis Antetokounmpo (2018, 2021), Brook Lopez (2018), and Khris Middleton (2019, 2020).
Ten: The Bucks played in four Christmas games from 1968 to 1977. They did not play another Christmas game until 2018, a span of over 40 years.
Eleven: Milwaukee has averaged 117.4 points in their eight games played on December 25.
Twelve: Home teams are 142-75 on Christmas Day, a winning percentage of .654.
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