All the live sports on TV on Christmas Day: NFL, NBA and college … – St. Louis Post-Dispatch

A nightly look at the day’s top sports stories, and a first look at the topics St. Louis fans will be talking about tomorrow.
Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (0) shoots against Minnesota Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Starting with an 11 a.m. NBA tipoff at Madison Square Garden, highlighted with three NFL games and running through a late-night college basketball tilt in Honolulu. there’s a strong schedule of sporting events on Christmas Day this year.
A game-by-game look at each and every matchup in chronological order.
Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid leads the NBA in scoring, teammate James Harden just dished out a franchise-record-tying 21 assists on Friday night, and you can’t beat the allure of a game in Madison Square Garden.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) warms up on the field before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams Monday, Dec. 19, 2022, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
The Packers have won 14 consecutive December games. The only team ever to have a longer December winning streak was the San Diego Chargers with 18 straight December wins from 2006-09, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Both teams are in the bottom half of NCAA Division I by Ken Pomeroy rankings, but this one could come down to the wire with Seattle as a slight favorite. George Washington guard James Bishop is one of the nation’s top scorers. He scored 44 earlier this year vs. Hofstra.
LeBron James will play his 17th Christmas game, one more than Kobe Bryant for the most in NBA history. Dallas’ Luka Doncic is league’s second-leading scorer after his 50-point outburst on Friday.
Pepperdine forward Jevon Porter (14) is guarded by Hawaii forward Kamaka Hepa (44) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)
Iona routed the Billikens earlier this month, and St. Louis U. remains the Gaels’ only top-100 win by Ken Pomeroy rankings. Pepperdine freshman Jevon Porter, of the renowned Columbia, Mo., basketball family, averages 10.9 points per game for the Waves.
The Rams are the 17th team to miss the playoffs after winning the Super Bowl the previous season. They are the second team to have double-digit losses the year after a Super Bowl title, joining the 1999 Broncos, who went 6-10 following the retirement of John Elway.
Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner, left, reaches to block a shot from Nebraska’s Derrick Walker during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
St. Louisan Ryan Kalkbrenner ranks first in the nation in field goal percentage (.775) this season. He returned in Creighton’s last game after missing three games with illness. His return helped the Bluejays snap a six-game skid. Creighton is 7-3 with him in the lineup and has looked like an elite team.
Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, left, drives past Minnesota Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
The two best teams in the East square off as do superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and St. Louis’ own Jayson Tatum in what could be a preview of the Eastern Conference finals.
This looks like the best college matchup of the day, with Ken Pomeroy giving Utah State, one of the highest scoring teams in Division I, a 61% chance to win. Utah State coach Ryan Odom led Maryland-Baltimore County to the first ever win by a 16 seed over a 1 seed in the 2018 NCAA tournament.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) dunks against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Andy Clayton-King)
With Golden State’s Stephen Curry out, the spotlight will shine on ascendant Grizzlies star and human highlight machine Ja Morant.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) braces for a sack and fumbles the ball leading to a turnover during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)
Tom Brady is playing on Christmas for the first time in a 23-year career.  The Bucs have lost two in a row to fall two games under .500, but are still clinging to first place in the NFC South.
SMU, under new head coach Rob Lanier, is having its worst season in years but has beaten a pair of NCAA tournament contenders to advance to this Diamond Head Classic title game vs the host squad. The Rainbow Warriors could challenge for an NCAA berth out of the Big West.
Nikola Jokic, the league’s MVP each of the last two seasons, is shooting better than 60% from the floor this year and leads the league in triple doubles. Both teams are part of a logjam of squads battling for the top spot in the West.
A nightly look at the day’s top sports stories, and a first look at the topics St. Louis fans will be talking about tomorrow.
The Battlehawks led the XFL in attendance and television ratings, but that didn’t keep the league from reportedly losing about $60 million this year.
From delivering papers as a child to delivering championship coverage as a reporter, Jim Thomas’ legacy is cemented.
Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (0) shoots against Minnesota Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner, left, reaches to block a shot from Nebraska’s Derrick Walker during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) warms up on the field before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams Monday, Dec. 19, 2022, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, left, drives past Minnesota Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) dunks against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Andy Clayton-King)
Pepperdine forward Jevon Porter (14) is guarded by Hawaii forward Kamaka Hepa (44) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) braces for a sack and fumbles the ball leading to a turnover during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)
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