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USA Today via Reuters

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USA Today via Reuters

The NBA Christmas Day is set to kickstart in a few hours. There are five games lined up for the big day expected to be a treat for the fans. However, JJ Redick is not pleased with the lineup of stars for the day. As per the NBA veteran, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Karl-Anthony Towns should be playing today.

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Neither the Oklahoma City Thunder nor the Minnesota Timberwolves are on the Christmas Day card. Although there is a plethora of superstars who will be taking center stage today, Redick’s issue with the selection is due to one specific reason.

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JJ Redick vouches for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Karl-Anthony Towns

The NBA veteran said, “It’s a shame that we don’t get either Shai or Ant on Christmas this year”. Redick said that these two teams are among the very best in the Western Conference and they deserve to get into action on the day of the festival.

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The NBA veteran is particularly concerned about OKC not being picked for the day. He said, “Particularly I think with Oklahoma City…felt like there was a decent amount of buzz during the summer that this team would be good”. Both the teams are in the top 3 of the Western Conference charts with the Wolves at #1 and OKC at #3.

Tim Legler added his take to the conversation by saying that the league “is trying to super hype this day” and not having the two best teams on the card is a miss. Legler said that he wants to see these two teams in action and play against each other. The NBA veteran also has a slot in mind.

Read More: JJ Redick Unveils Strategic Masterclass Behind Absence From First Take With Stephen A. Smith

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Legler said the two should have been on the court for the 5’o clock slot. However, now it’s too late to get those wishes fulfilled as some superteams are already slated to perform today.

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The Christmas Day card will begin with the New York Knicks going against the Milwaukee Bucks at the MSG. The next 4 games boast some of the biggest stars this game has ever produced.

The Los Angeles Lakers will go against the Boston Celtics, giving an ode to the decades-old rivalry between the two franchises. Stephen Curry is also going to take on the hardwood today as the Golden State Warriors are to face the defending champions, the Denver Nuggets.

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Apart from that, we also have Philly v Miami and Dallas v Phoenix on the stacked lineup of games on Christmas Day.

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Prateek Singh

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Prateek Singh is a senior NBA writer for EssentiallySports, known for his insightful coverage of the league. With a deep passion for basketball fueled by the late Kobe Bryant's championship runs, Prateek has built his writing career on astute analysis and a firm understanding of the game. His area of expertise lies in breaking down trade reports and their implications for fans. His heartwarming coverage of tributes to NBA legend Magic Johnson’s father after his passing saw very high ratios of fan engagement. While this serves as a step closer to him writing a biography on his idol Kobe Bryant, for now, his focus is on delivering trustworthy coverage of the league he loves.

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Bilal Handoo

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