Christmas Day is one of the biggest dates on the NBA calendar every year, and 2025 will be no different. There are a total of five NBA games on the holiday this year, with one of the games being an intriguing matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets.

Both the Lakers and Rockets are jockeying for playoff positioning in the competitive Western Conference. The Lakers are currently fourth in the conference standings at 19-9 while the Rockets are two spots behind them at 17-10.

Luka Doncic expected to play vs. Rockets on Christmas Day

The Christmas Day stage provides a platform for stars to shine, and luckily the Lakers will have one of the league’s biggest stars available for the game.

After missing L.A.’s last game with a left calf contusion, Luka Doncic is expected to play against Houston, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

This is obviously good news for the Lakers and basketball fans alike, as Doncic is one of the most exiting – and productive – players in the league. On the season he’s averaging a league-leading 34.1 points per game to go along with 8.8 rebounds and 8.6 assists.

There will be no shortage of star power in the game between L.A. and Houston. In addition to Doncic, LeBron James will be available for the Lakers, and he’ll face off against a familiar foe in Kevin Durant.

That duo will combine to make some NBA history when they take the floor on Christmas. The pair has scored a total of 73,630 points in the league, which represents the most combined points in a head-to-head matchup ever.

The holiday matchup between L.A. and Houston will be the first of three meetings between the two teams on the season. They’ll meet again twice in March.