It’s Christmas, which means the NBA will have a full slate of primetime games that’ll take place throughout the holiday.
Playing on Christmas is a privilege in the NBA, as it is arguably the biggest day of the regular season. Only the premiere teams and markets get a chance to play on Dec. 25.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are familiar with playing on Christmas, as they played for nine consecutive years from 2010 to 2018 when they rostered superstars like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Paul George.
As the new iteration of the Thunder continues to rise, expect OKC to play on Christmas for the foreseeable future as the trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams opens a new window of contention.
Until then though, let’s reflect and view the nine best Christmas performances from Thunder players.
2010: Kevin Durant vs. Denver Nuggets
In his Christmas game debut, 22-year-old Durant had quite the first impression as he finished the game with 44 points on 14-of-20 shooting while going 12-of-15 from the free throw line. OKC collected a 114-106 win over Denver.
This season marked Durant’s second straight scoring title as he averaged 27.7 points. The Thunder finished with a 55-27 record and made their first Western Conference Finals trip since relocation.
2011: Kevin Durant vs. Orlando Magic
Due to a lockout-shortened season, the 2011 Christmas became the regular-season opener for the Thunder as they faced the Magic.
Durant was once again magnificent as he finished with 30 points on an efficient 11-of-19 shooting in a 97-89 win.
Durant won his third straight scoring title as he averaged 28 points. The Thunder finished with a 47-19 record and went to the NBA Finals before losing to the Heat.
2012: Kevin Durant vs. Miami Heat
The 2012 Christmas received a rematch of the 2012 NBA Finals between the Thunder and Heat. It played out similarly to the Finals, as OKC lost to Miami, 103-97.
The loss shouldn’t take away from another elite Durant performance on Christmas as he scored 33 points on 11-of-21 shooting.
Durant fell short of winning his fourth consecutive scoring title as he averaged 28.1 points and Carmelo Anthony averaged 28.7 points. Durant controversially lost the scoring title despite scoring 360 more points and playing 14 more games.
Meanwhile, the 60-22 Thunder were eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round of the NBA playoffs as Westbrook missed the entire series following a torn meniscus he suffered in the first round.
2013: Kevin Durant vs. New York Knicks
In his lone MVP season, Durant had a productive Christmas in a blowout win against the Knicks. The 25-year-old had 29 points on 10-of-16 shooting, six assists and seven rebounds. OKC won 123-94.
The Thunder finished the season with a 59-23 record and lost in the Western Conference Finals to the San Antonio Spurs.
2013: Russell Westbrook vs. New York Knicks
The second star in the Thunder’s duo also had an impressive performance against the Knicks. Westbrook collected a triple-double of 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists as he returned from knee surgery.
The happy vibes were quickly wiped away as Westbrook underwent a third knee surgery two days after this game.
This game was in the infant stages of Westbrook’s triple-double dominance, who later went on to average that stat line for a historic three consecutive seasons.
2014: Russell Westbrook vs. San Antonio Spurs
With Durant out, Westbrook had free reign to be the focal point of the offense and he took full advantage of that on this Christmas Day in a rare win at San Antonio.
Westbrook finished with 34 points on 14-of-28 shooting, 11 assists, five rebounds and five steals. OKC won 114-106.
Plagued with injuries all season, the Thunder fell short of a playoff appearance as they finished with a 45-37 record. For Westbrook, he won the scoring title averaging 28.1 points.
2015: Kevin Durant vs. Chicago Bulls
Durant had another efficient scoring outing on Christmas as he finished with 29 points on 11-of-21 shooting. Alas, it wasn’t enough to pick up a win as the Thunder lost to the Bulls, 105-96.
The Thunder finished the season with a 55-27 record and fell one win short of their first NBA Finals appearance in four years.
OKC notoriously blew a 3-1 lead to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals and this proved to be Durant’s last Christmas game for OKC, as he signed with the Warriors.
2016: Russell Westbrook vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
In an easy win against the Timberwolves, Westbrook was the conductor of the Thunder’s offense that night as he finished with 31 points and 15 assists. OKC won 112-100.
The Thunder finished the season with a 47-35 record and Westbrook won MVP as he became just the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season.
2017: Russell Westbrook vs. Houston Rockets
In the first of two consecutive Christmas games against the Rockets, Westbrook finished with 31 points on 12-of-24 shooting, 11 assists and six rebounds in a 112-107 win.
The Thunder struggled with consistency as they finished with a modest 48-34 record and a first-round exit despite the additions of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. Westbrook averaged a triple-double for a second straight season.
2018: Paul George vs. Houston Rockets
The NBA scheduled the Thunder and Rockets to face off on Christmas for a second consecutive year. In OKC’s most recent Christmas game, it lost to Houston in a close contest, 113-109.
Despite the loss, George had a dominating performance with 28 points on 10-of-25 shooting, 12 rebounds and three steals. He’d enjoy a career season as he finished third in MVP voting.
Meanwhile, the Thunder finished with a 49-33 record and lost to the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round in five games. Following the disappointing exit, OKC embarked on a rebuild as it traded Westbrook and George in the offseason.
