First reported by ESPN, the Milwaukee Bucks are slated to host their first Christmas Day game since 1968 when they take on the Golden State Warriors.
The Milwaukee Bucks will return back to the Christmas Day slate this year, with a little bit of a twist.
First reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski Tuesday night, the Bucks are set to host the Golden State Warriors on Christmas for a 1:30 p.m. central time tip-off. Whether this will kick off the Bucks’ 2020-21 season remains to be seen as the schedule continues to be worked within the league.
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This marks the third straight year that the Bucks have been included on the league’s marquee Christmas Day slate.
After 41 years of being passed over for a Christmas game, the Bucks returned back to the scene during the 2018-19 season when they beat the New York Knicks 109-95, while led by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 30-point double-double performance.
Last year was less than welcoming for the Bucks as they were drubbed the Philadelphia 76ers in a 121-109 loss at the Wells Fargo Center.
The Milwaukee Bucks are slated to host their first Christmas Day game since their expansion season back in 1968.
While the Bucks will put together a better performance than they did last Christmas, the real news here is the fact that they will be hosting their first Christmas Day game in 52 years. The only time the Bucks have hosted a Christmas game came on December 25, 1968 where they bested the Detroit Pistons in a 119-113 win where they led by Guy Rodgers and his 24 points.
Considering the Bucks landed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar just a few months later and enjoyed plenty of success during the Don Nelson era, it has certainly been a long time coming for the Bucks to have their own Christmas Day game at home.
Unfortunately, the Bucks hosting their first Christmas game for the second time in franchise history comes when there will be no fans in attendance at Fiserv Forum as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. There’s no question that takes away some of the celebration in the Bucks achieving the milestone, but it’s a milestone all the same.
All of this comes after the Bucks made a substantial upgrade this offseason by acquiring Jrue Holiday from the New Orleans Pelicans to fortify their foundation. And with the two-time MVP in Antetokounmpo a must-watch every night, much less on Christmas, the Bucks will remain a fixture on the Christmas slate as long as Antetokounmpo is in town.
After many years of waiting, the Bucks finally have their first home Christmas game in more than half a century, though it may not come under the terms that all Bucks fans were hoping for.