Miami Heat are back playing on Christmas Day vs. Boston Celtics

The Miami Heat might have not landed LeBron James during his recent free-agent sweepstakes, but they are back playing on Christmas Day.

After years of being as much a part of December 25th as Santa, egg nog and mistletoe, the Heat will play on Christmas Day, vs. the Celtics in Boston at 2:30 p.m. The game will be televised by ABC.

Having played on Dec. 25 only once in the past five years, we likely can thank Giannis Antetokounmpo, acquired in a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks, for this holiday appearance.

The Heat last played on the holiday in 2023 when they defeated the 76ers 119-113. The Heat also played on Christmas during the pandemic in 2020. They were regulars during the Big Three era of James, who ended up signing with Philadelphia, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, owning a 12-2 record on Dec. 25.

While the rest of the NBA schedule will not be revealed until October 13, it was announced that the Heat will open the 2026-27 season hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 21, in a game nationally televised by ESPN.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Heat are back playing on Christmas Day vs. Boston Celtics