Chicago and Miami have been two of the fastest-paced teams in the NBA this season, setting up an entertaining showdown between two Eastern Conference squads vying to move up the standings. Here are three key storylines to know heading into Thursday’s tilt.

The NBA schedule will have a full slate of six games on TV for January 6th, two of which will be nationally televised on NBC and Peacock.

This year features another five games being played on Christmas Day, including several NBA title contenders, which basketball fans can watch nationally. The Cleveland Cavaliers (17-14) will take on the New York Knicks (20-9) at Madison Square Garden on Thursday at noon ET on ABC and ESPN and the ESPN app.

This roster includes Mike Tirico, Noah Eagle and Grady for play-by-play. In-game analysts include Reggie Miller, Vince Carter, Jamal Crawford and more. Maria Taylor is the lead sideline reporter, and some of the broadcasts have also included former players such as Robbie Hummel and Austin Rivers sitting on the benches for a different perspective.

Merry NBA Christmas to all who celebrate, with a whole bunch of games in 2025 to enjoy on Thursday, Dec. 25. We've got some incredible matchups -- we ranked them for you, so you know which games to skip and which ones to watch -- all day and night.

The Cleveland Cavaliers (18-16) host the Phoenix Suns (19-13) at Rocket Arena on Wednesday. Phoenix has been one of the biggest surprises in the NBA, and they’ll look to keep that momentum rolling in a New Year’s Eve matchup against Cleveland.

NFL games drew more than four times the viewership of the NBA’s matchups on Christmas Day, with the Vikings win over Detroit leading the way.