The Washington Wizards haven’t played on Christmas Day in over half a decade and they’ll have a chance to snap their two game losing streak in New York against the Knicks. The game will tip-off at 12:00pm EST. It will be broadcasted nationally on ESPN.

Key Match Up:

Although the New York Knicks haven’t played well and seem to continually get worse, Madison Square Garden is still the premier arena for basketball.

Like many other future Hall-of-Famers, Paul Pierce has made memories in MSG from his time with the Boston Celtics. Of course, he’s not the same player he once was, but something about the Garden just brings an extra energy out of players. Pierce is used to the spotlight and big moments in the Garden, as it’s documented in this short clip from the NBA:

Pierce and Carmelo Anthony have had their battles in the past and I expect playoff-like intensity between the two on Christmas Day.

Washington is coming off two straight losses, while the Knicks are desperately looking to gain some momentum in what appears to be a lost season. Anthony has dealt with lingering injuries this season, but he’s still capable of taking over games. Pierce has typically played well against Anthony and the two always seem to get the most out of each other.

The Knicks aren’t very good, but when Anthony gets into a rhythm, they’re difficult to stop. Pierce will be faced with the task of containing Anthony. It should be a fun one.

Prediction:

The Washington Wizards have struggled offensively over the past few games, but that shouldn’t be the case against the New York Knicks, who are the third worst defensive team in the NBA.

John Wall and Bradley Beal should be able to get great shots against the Knicks, while Marcin Gortat should also be able to get it going after a few miserable performances. Washington wasn’t able to utilize the pick-and-roll against the Chicago Bulls’ elite defense on Tuesday night, and they should be able to get some clean looks inside against the Knicks’ poor defensive bigs.

With all that said, I think the Washington Wizards will get their 20th win of the season on Christmas Day.

Many of the Wizards have never played on Christmas and they should be fired up after dropping two straight. They’re a bad match up for the Knicks and they will get the ‘W’ as long as they don’t take plays off.

Happy Holidays!