Timberwolves vs. Thunder 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online

Christmas day basketball may be headlined by an NBA Finals rematch between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers, but an evening matchup between two youthful Western Conference team proves equally exciting.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, led by league Most Valuable Player of the Year award front-runner Russell Westbrook, play host to the promising, young Minnesota Timberwolves team in a game televised on ESPN and available for live streaming on WatchESPN at 8 p.m. EST.

The Thunder, despite losing former league MVP Kevin Durant to the Warriors in free agency, have gone all-in on Westbrook, whose historic production has catapulted the team into playoff contention.

The Timberwolves, though, ceded control to Tom Thibodeau as the team’s new head coach and president of basketball operations. The future is bright for the Minnesota franchise riding its second-year big man Karl-Anthony Towns and emerging star in Andrew Wiggins. But the T’Wolves lack the veteran leadership to string together a successful 2016-17 season.

Oklahoma City (18-12) enters its Christmas day matchup sixth, having won three of its last four games. Minnesota (9-20) stands 3.5 games behind Sacramento for the eighth spot in the West, but it has won three of five coming into the game.

Tip-Off: 8 p.m. EST
TV Broadcast: FSOK, ESPN
Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK

3 things to know

When Durant opted to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors, one thing became certain: Westbrook was going to have a big season.

But no one could have anticipated this. Westbrook is averaging 31.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 10.8 assists per game, leading his Thunder team to an 18-12 record good for 6th in the Western Conference. He is on pace to join just Oscar Robertson as the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double.

Towns (22.1 PPG), Wiggins (21.9 PPG) and Zach LaVine (20.7 PPG) all have found ways to get their shots this season. Each has been drafted in the past three summers. Minnesota is one of two NBA teams to have three players scoring at least 20 points per game.

The other team is the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Still not buying how excited you should be to watch the league’s leading MVP candidate clock in on Christmas? You just might get to see him do something like the vicious Shammgod crossover he unleashed against Phoenix earlier in December.

If that doesn’t get you running to your nearest television, nothing will.