Milwaukee Bucks: Complete history of Christmas Day games

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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BALTIMORE, MD – CIRCA 1970’s: (Photo by Focus On Sport/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – CIRCA 1970’s: (Photo by Focus On Sport/Getty Images) /

1972 – Kansas City-Omaha Kings at Municipal Auditorium

To this day, 1971 and 1972 mark the only occasions when the Bucks have been included in the league’s five-game Christmas Day slate for consecutive seasons.

At the time, it was also a game that represented a couple of notable firsts. It was the first time the Bucks played a Christmas game against a team other than the Pistons, and it would also prove to be the first of Milwaukee’s Christmas Day wins.

The opponent on this occasion was the catchily named Kansas City-Omaha Kings, marking a point, long prior to the franchise’s move to Sacramento, when they split their home games between those two cities in Missouri and Nebraska.

This game, staged in Kansas City, represented a battle between two above .500 teams, and is the first and only time the Bucks have taken part in such a contest on Christmas Day.

Still, the 25-9 Bucks were well-placed to get the better of the 20-18 Kings, and they delivered on that front. While Tiny Archibald scored 20 for the Kings, Abdul-Jabbar and Dandridge poured in 32 and 21 points respectively to secure a 104-99 victory for Milwaukee.