16. Jazz Christmas Night Game
Oct 4, 2021, 4:01 PM
Mike Conley of the Utah Jazz vs. Trey Burke of the Dallas Mavericks (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz open their season on October 20, just 16 days from today. With the clock ticking, we look at 50 things for Jazz fans to be excited about leading up to the 2021-22 NBA season. Coming in at number 16, the Jazz Christmas night game.
Jazz Christmas Night Game
The Jazz will serve as the nightcap during the NBA’s Christmas Day showcase, hosting the Dallas Mavericks in the final game of the league’s five-game lineup.
The game will mark the second time the Jazz have appeared on Christmas in the last four seasons, having welcomed the Portland Trail Blazers to town in a 117-96 blowout victory in 2018.
Our countdown of the top 50 reasons to be excited for the 2021-22 @utahjazz season. #TakeNote https://t.co/X45AS6m2de
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 8, 2021
The Jazz are 5-2 all-time in Christmas Day games but hadn’t been highlighted on the platform since 1997 before their battle with the Blazers in 2018. The team also played on Christmas Day in 1975, 1977, 1979, 1982, and 1988.
The NBA traditionally reserves Christmas Day games for the top teams in the league that it wants to profile in front of a national audience, highlighting the Jazz growth to one of the teams in the Western Conference.
The league will also feature the Atlanta Hawks revisiting their opening-round playoff matchup against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Brooklyn Nets at Staples Center, the Boston Celtics hosting the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks, and the Golden State Warriors hosting the Phoenix Suns.
The @utahjazz released their television and radio broadcast schedule, including tonight's preseason opener available on @kslnewsradio. #TakeNote https://t.co/PmfXtOz0xT
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 4, 2021
Last season, the Mavericks Christmas Day game against the Lakers was the highest rated of any regular-season game averaging over 7.0 million viewers.
In addition to Christmas, the Jazz will be featured heavily on the NBA’s holiday schedule. The team also plays on Halloween, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Halloween @ Milwaukee Bucks
Christmas Day vs. Dallas Mavericks
New Year’s Eve vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
New Year’s Day vs. Golden State Warriors
Martin Luther King Jr. Day @ Los Angeles Lakers
With so many high-profile games to anticipate, none are bigger than Christmas Day, and that’s one of the top 50 storylines to watch ahead of opening night.
