WASHINGTON — Ah, the holidays. It’s the time of year when you get together with your family for just long enough to help you remember why you don’t spend long, uninterrupted stretches of time together. And if you’ve gotten on each other’s nerves a bit early this holiday season, Christmas can seem like an agonizingly long day of stepping on eggshells.

[related_gallery align=”right”]That’s where basketball can help. Much like the NFL does on Thanksgiving, the NBA comes to the rescue Christmas Day, offering a quintet of matchups to watch. This can be tremendously helpful, whether you’re in full-on “hide in the den” mode or just want to throw something on the TV in the background to help keep that one aunt (you know which one) from filling the silence with uncomfortable questions.

Even if you’re not a big NBA fan, there’s plenty to like on this year’s slate. I’ve broken down the five matchups and ranked them in the related gallery, giving you an excuse to tell the family why you should watch any or all of them. Enjoy.

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