Today may be a day of presents, family, and giving, but for sports fans it is also an opportunity to watch basketball while opening presents. And this year, the NBA will have a whopping five games, culminating in a matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns. [LeBron James and Jayson Tatum face off in a game that will see two of the most talented and attractive basketball teams of the year take the court. The games will begin at 5 p.m. ET on both ABC and ESPN.

As with other major matchups in the NBA, there are many intriguing matchups this Christmas Day. For one, LeBron James is a veteran now about to spend his final year in the league, but he has had a stellar 2023-2024 season, averaging 25.2 points. He is flanked by the Lakers, who are over .500 and are experiencing their first ever in-season tournament championship. This is a team that knows how to win, and is led by a player who has proven he can win for years.

But even with all that, there is no guarantee that LeBron and the Lakers have what it takes to beat a completely dominant Celtics team. This year, the Celtics lead the Eastern Conference with a 21-6 record and can do whatever they want on and off the court. Tatum, meanwhile, is averaging 36.8 points, eight rebounds, and four assists per game, making him a worthy MVP. If there is one player who should have the ball in his hands at key moments in the game, it's Tatum.

Needless to say, the Celtics have the edge in today's game, and the oddsmakers at DraftKings agree, giving the Celtics 5 points over the Lakers. But LeBron and the Lakers know how to win. So get ready for a fun game and read below to see how to watch today's match.

If you are traveling on Christmas Day and just can't find a platform to watch the game, you are not out of luck. With a virtual private network or VPN, you can pretend you are surfing the web from your hometown (or anywhere else not hit by a power outage) and access the same streaming services you have already paid for.

Not sure which VPN is right for you? We tested a variety of services and chose ExpressVPN as the best VPN overall; ExpressVPN offers great speed, excellent customer service, and a 30-day money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied. [| you can do it so that you can really come across that you can in fact i promise with my partner, anyone can quickly forget about just how seemingly exactly {} these seemingly just ignore people. Both networks are available on cable and satellite television, so you should have no trouble watching. If you have a terrestrial dish, you can also pick up ABC and watch the games completely free.

ABC and ESPN are also available on several streaming platforms, including Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, and Sling TV.

Sling Orange, one of our favorite streaming platforms, offers 40 channels, including ESPN. And it's affordable at $40/month. Another favorite service of ours, Fubo, costs $75/month and offers 121 channels, including ABC and ESPN.

The Celtics-Lakers game is not available on Canadian cable or satellite TV, but Fubo Canada streams ESPN, making it a viable option in Canada.

Those who are not Fubo customers may want to opt for ExpressVPN, our favorite VPN service.

If you are in the UK, the Lakers-Celtics game will not be broadcast live, so you will need to opt for a VPN like ExpressVPN to access the streaming service and stream from afar.

It is similar in Australia, and the only way to watch the game in Australia is to log on to ExpressVPN and access the desired streaming service from Australia.