NBA Christmas 2014, Thunder vs. Spurs: Time, TV schedule and live stream

The Spurs and Thunder meet on Christmas Day for the first time since the 2014 Western Conference Finals.

by Satchel Price

Dec 25, 2014, 4:00 PM UTC

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

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Holiday hoops continues on Christmas Day with an afternoon matchup between the surging Oklahoma City Thunder and the defending champion San Antonio Spurs.

These two Western Conference powers aren’t where you’d expect this deep into the season. The Spurs and Thunder are currently No. 7 and No. 10 in the Western Conference standings, respectively, and each has lost three of its past four games.

The Spurs' once legendary defense has hit a recent low, allowing 114.2 points on average over the past five contests, and those back-to-back overtime losses last week were surely tough on an aging roster. The Thunder, meanwhile, have stumbled lately with Kevin Durant sidelined, dropping games to Golden State, New Orleans and Portland.

However, those struggles are largely reflective of injury woes and one of the most stacked conferences we've seen in recent memory. OKC and San Antonio have both had key players miss several games due to injury, and in the ridiculously competitive West, all those little differences can really add up. Unfortunately, while Tony Parker returned to the lineup for the Spurs earlier this week after a five-game absence, Durant will not play with an ankle injury.

Even so, this adds up for one of the most exciting matchups on a day full of good basketball.

Despite being over one third into the season, the Thunder and Spurs haven't played yet in 2014-15. The last time these two met on the court was Game 6 of the 2014 Western Conference Finals, when San Antonio eliminated Oklahoma City en route to winning its fifth title of the Tim Duncan era.

Given the competitive nature of the Western Conference, the holiday festivities and the memories of last season’s postseason battle, it should be quite the atmosphere in San Antonio.