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A Utah Jazz Christmas Carol: The Ghosts of Past, Present, and Future

Ebenezer Scrooge might have begrudgingly taken a day off on Christmas, but the National Basketball Association does not. In fact, holiday games are some of the league’s most watched, with December 25 itself garnering the highest regular season NBA ratings every year since 2002. Over the years, Utah has jazzed up the Christmas holiday for their fans with a record of 5-2, with outings in every decade of the twentieth century since the 70s.

Utah Jazz 1997

Jazz vs. Rockets Christmas Past: 1997

In their last Christmas game before the millennium, the Jazz put on a show. The NBA hadn’t scheduled them on December 25 since 1988. Back then, future franchise superstars John Stockton and Karl Malone were still early in their careers. By 1997, however, the team had matured into a consistent play-off contender. In fact, although they didn’t know it on Christmas day, this team would be twice stymied in their quest for a championship only by the legendary Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

Fortunately for the Jazz, though, it wasn’t the Bulls they faced on Christmas. Instead, they tipped off against the Houston Rockets and emerged victorious from a high-scoring thriller 107-103. Malone and Stockton, both in their primes, delivered presents in the form of points for the fans. Stockton netted 24 points, and Malone recorded a double-double securing 20 points and 10 rebounds.

The victory was sweet, but the aftertaste was not. That season ended in play-off heartbreak and two decades of game-free Christmas days for the Jazz.

Jazz vs. Blazers Christmas Present: 2018

After a 21-year hiatus, Utah returned to the Christmas courts with a fury in 2018. A home game against the Portland Trailblazers,  the matchup proved a huge success both for the newly energized Donovan Mitchell led team and the network ratings.

18,306 fans in the sold out Vivint Arena watched the Jazz dominate the Blazers 117-97, and millions more watched from home. In fact, the Utah-Portland game boasted the highest ratings for a late window Christmas game since 2015, and it set the Jazz up for future success on the NBA’s biggest regular season stage.

Utah Jazz 2021 | https://www.slcdunk.com/2021/10/20/22737504/utah-jazz-vs-oklahoma-city-thunder-game-thread-and-live-updates-nba-2021

Utah Jazz Christmas Future: 2021

In five days, a mere three years since their last yuletide matchup, the Jazz will take the court against the Dallas Mavericks. The Jazz, who lead the Northwest with a record of 20-9, will host Dallas, who sits at 14-15. Utah’s Mitchell continues his dominance in the conference this year, averaging nearly 30 points per game. The Maverick’s, meanwhile, will likely still be without their resident superstar Luka Doncic, who suffered a sprained ankle back in November.

Whether Utah Jazz fans will celebrate their holiday with a victory and improve their December 25 record to 6-2 remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: if Utah keeps playing at the standard they’ve shown over the past several seasons, including their current eight game winning streak, they’ll never have to wait twenty one years for Christmas to come again.

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