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SALT LAKE CITY — There will be hoops during the holiday in Utah.
For the first time since 1997, the Utah Jazz will be hosting a Christmas Day game.
The NBA released its Christmas Day schedule late Tuesday night. The Jazz will be one of several teams that will get the national spotlight, as Utah will host the Portland Trail Blazers at Vivint Arena on Tuesday, Dec. 25 at 8:30 p.m. MT.
Other games on Christmas Day will be the Milwaukee Bucks vs. New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets, and LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
The NBA Christmas schedule is set.
— ESPN (@espn) August 8, 2018
Look who's coming to town 🎅 pic.twitter.com/mddZabVD0G
With sensational guard Donovan Mitchell leading the way, it’s no surprise the Jazz were selected as one of the teams to be featured on Christmas Day. Basketball pundits are setting expectations high for Utah. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton picked the Jazz to finish second in the NBA’s Western Conference this upcoming season.
Earlier on Tuesday, the NBA announced the Jazz would play a regular season game in Mexico City against the Orlando Magic on Dec. 15. It's the franchise's first time playing out of the country during the regular season.
The full NBA schedule is expected to be released later this month. Nevertheless, with Utah playing one international game and one Christmas Day game, it’s clear the Jazz have once again become a team in demand to be featured in the NBA national spotlight.
Speak it into existence 🤷🏾♂️ https://t.co/vBSknlNa0S
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) August 8, 2018
