NBA Countdown | Stephen A. predicts matchups of Christmas Day: Lakers vs Celtics; Mavericks vs Suns

NBA Countdown | Stephen A. predicts matchups of Christmas Day: Lakers vs Celtics; Mavericks vs Suns

Y’all Merry Christmas Merry Christmas hoop heads Jaylen Brunson he is on Pace to be the second guard in franchise history to average 25 points per game and the Knicks Stephen A they are going to need every bit of it and even then the Knick’s a win it might be a Christmas

Miracle Giannis and the Bucks they’ve beaten New York nine straight times we are setting the table for all five games and Counting you down but first Santa perk he is coming to town what’s up my good people it’s yours truly Santa perk it’s my job to deliver

Y’all the only gift that matters NBA games all day first up Christmas at the Garden guess what I have these two special game balls one for each team son of a nutcracker two NBA champs squaring off what do you get the teams that have everything thing let’s read

Their letters send a per please send a new horse stay fell no Celtics Lakers classic like leaving cookies for Santa LeBron always leave Santa goat milk can you guess which ones Jason T made they the ones without chips six is heat how about tyres maximm this guest L is

F I already got my hair did what’s all that racking what the LCA Luca you’re freaking me out what’s that LCA you save the best for last Luca versus KD and Booker it’s the greatest day for ho ho hoop it’s time to get festive y’all a Christmas Day gift so to

All my jingle Ballers on NBA Countdown here some special Christmas magic just for you welcome to NBA Countdown presented by door dash Merry Christmas everybody and welcome to NBA Countdown alongside Kendrick Perkins the legend Michael wilbon the one and only Stephen A Smith I’m Malik Andrew it really is a

Privilege to spend some of this holiday with all of you gentlemen and with all of you at home we are going to be with you for the next 14 hours 14 hours my friends there five excellent games on ESPN and ABC it all starts with the Bucks visiting the New York Knicks we

Have such a Fay of NBA action in store after that though Steph Curry and the Warriors they’re going to be in Denver in the mile high city to face the two-time MVP Nicola yok and the defending Champion nuggets it’s a matchup of the last two NBA champions

And then it’s off to Los Angeles the latest chapter of the NBA’s most storied rivalry the Celtics they visit LeBron’s Lakers this marks the 100th time James has faced Boston in his career that includes the playoffs after that Stephen A you know where we’re headed we’re going to one of your favorite cities

South Beach Joel embiid he is out for this one but we still get Jimmy Butler going up against his former team the Philadelphia 76ers emerging star tyres Maxi is averaging 26 a game and after that the night cap LCA donic visits a team that passed on him in the 2018

Draft the Phoenix Suns Luca is just 2-9 in regular season games against Devin Booker but upset the suns in the 2022 playoffs this is one of my favorite days of the NBA calendar to me it’s really hard to not be looking at the Celtics and the Lakers as the pesta resist St

Here but what is your magnum opus game well for me it’s it’s this game it’s the Lakers Celtics I’m looking at the Boston Celtics right now they’re my favorites to win the chip which I said at the beginning of the season I didn’t have to

Wait I didn’t have to wait to see the 30 games in but that’s acep for another day big perk at the end of the day here’s my concern my concern is their Reliance on the three-point shot they’re shooting over 43 threes per game I don’t believe that’s how you win a championship

They’re number one in attempts they’re number one in in in in in threes made but they’re like ninth in in terms of percentage all I’m saying is against some of the better teams you’re going to need to show an ability to do something on the interior to some degree tonight

Is not going to be the perfect indication if Chris porzingis is not available he’s not expected to be available if that is if that is the case okay then the chances are they’re going to launch a whole bunch of more threes okay so it’s not going to be the ideal

Indication of what we’re going to see as the season WS I just need to see them do something other than shoot threes especially with Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown because obviously they’re the cornerstones of this franchise you want him to get to the free throw line what

Do you want to see today Celtics Lakers I’m much more concerned with with with porzingis is absence St a the other thing is just adjustments it’s not like the the Celtics don’t have the people on board to do exactly what you’re saying they need to do and they they will do it

They have to do it no it’s not sustainable to win a championship by shooting 53s which is sort of amazing I think that the the Celtics are biting their time until they get to this point porzingis in that lineup to me look he what he play 36 games last year that’s

Not going to get it we talk about the health of AD and LeBron porzingis is health and his availability is critical for the Celtics that is the matchup there’s some other themes yep I mean I’m interested to see Dallas and the Suns who’ve been the single most disappointing team and there’s always

Fireworks those go head tohe single most disappointing but you know what Stephen A is not just injuries they have no fire that team plays like they’re on a low simmer you can’t be on a low Sim if you don’t have your three starters out there and they haven’t shown anything in the

West you got to call over too many teams I’m with Willborn on that say we can’t make excuses for the Phoenix Suns I won’t let you do it okay I won’t let you do it today but here’s the thing I’m looking forward to the Celtics the city

Of Champions and the Los Angeles Lakers right and I think the fan base is as well but when I think about it I’m looking at the bigs right hopefully Pingas plays but I’m looking at Anthony Marshon Davis right we we we we criticize him when he match up with yic

And rightfully so because yic standing on business when it comes to playing ad so so do MB when he plays ad but then ad revers the script and stand on business when he plays guys like Miles Turner and Pingas he’s averaging 311 and two blocks on porzingis throughout his career this

Is ad’s moment tonight today not Brun not not nobody else Anthony Davis to dominate on both sides of the floor he’s shown us time and time again he’s capable of doing that and then here’s another thing ifz zingas do play the lights are bright the way the Boston

Celtic fans have been raving and praising about him I haven’t seen this much praise since they uh acquired Kevin Garnett that’s how much they love the Pres he’s averaging 19 a game I will say this though if he doesn’t play it’s not about hoping from ad it’s about

Expectations cuz who are you going against Al Horford that’s really the only other big that they have you’re averaging 24.3 points per game Anthony Davis right now is a leading candidate for defensive play of the year he’s one of the leading candidates I mean he is

Playing at an elite level but what what we what we constantly let him get away with because we get we on occasion some people listen to the idiot idiot trolls out there when they you’re acting like ad can’t play we all know ad is great what we’ve questioned is the level of

Consistency that you bring with the greatness in other words you can’t drop 40 on your one day and in 11 the next yic might do 30 but it’s 30 game after game after game after game like you said he stands on business he brings what he

Brings night and Night Out ad is have been a roller coaster so in a game like this this Christmas Day if porzingis isn’t available to you considering the the bodies that Boston has to throw in your direction you’re Anthony Davis you’re supposed to handle your business tonight and that should be the

Expectation not to mention this could be a litmus test right when you look at these games today which ones are the ones that we we could potentially be seeing come back in the playoffs in the meantime Damen Lillard in Madison Square Garden getting ready to take on the New

York Knicks it really feels like the Milwaukee Bucks have found something recently Lillard Giannis they have scored or assisted on the second most points by a Duo this season so to come on NBA Countdown I mean Lakers Legends they’ve been made by playing for foreign spee foreign foree fore speee Byeee fore Foree for spee Foree Spee speech Foreign spee foree for Spee for Fore For oh man fore speee speech spee fore fore speech spee spee

NBA Countdown | Stephen A. predicts matchups of Christmas Day: Lakers vs Celtics; Mavericks vs Suns