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Milwaukee Bucks: Complete history of Christmas Day games

By Adam McGee

Milwaukee, WI - DECEMBER 22: the Milwaukee Bucks mascot is seen dressed as Santa during the halftime performance during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on December 22, 2017 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
Milwaukee, WI - DECEMBER 22: the Milwaukee Bucks mascot is seen dressed as Santa during the halftime performance during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on December 22, 2017 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 01: (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 01: (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

The 2018-19 season will mark the fifth time the Milwaukee Bucks will play on the NBA’s marquee Christmas Day slate. How did they fare previously?

Christmas Day is a day that’s anticipated by many for a wide variety of reasons, and for Milwaukee Bucks fans this year, that includes the chance to see their team compete under one of the brightest spotlights the NBA has to offer.

The Milwaukee Bucks will end a 41-year wait in returning to the NBA’s traditional five-game Christmas Day slate on Tuesday, as Mike Budenholzer’s team will match-up with the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

More from Bucks History

As the only major sports league to schedule games on Christmas Day, the NBA’s December 25 festivities have grown into one of the signature events of the season, and one of the more widely-watched series of games on the sporting calendar.

The old adage goes that the NBA season doesn’t really get serious until Christmas Day, and for more casual fans of the league that certainly still holds up. As a result, Tuesday may mark the first time that many will tune in to a get a sense of the lie of the land in the NBA this season, and they’ll find the Bucks in a suitably prime spot that mirrors their place in the standings.

For the current iteration of the Bucks, a Christmas Day appearance signals an arrival of sorts in the wider sports consciousness, yet the Bucks have been here before.

On those previous occasions, Milwaukee has achieved a record of 2-2 in its four Christmas Day games, but what was the wider background to each of those contests?

Let’s take a trip back down memory lane to find out.

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