NBA: Christmas schedule features star-studded slate

Once the Clippers and Lakers collectively corralled three elite players last month, the surest NBA-related bet became obvious: The Los Angeles rivals would face off on Christmas Day at Staples Center.

The inevitable was confirmed Friday by ESPN, which reported L.A. versus L.A. as the featured matchup on the holiday's wall-to-wall basketball schedule.

The top two favorites to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy next June will meet in the building where they are co-tenants. (No word on which will be the designated home side.) As if the league needed further nudging, the pairing means that one fewer team in the league will be spared air travel on X-mas Day.

The Clippers coaxed Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard out of Toronto and traded with Oklahoma City for Paul George. The Lakers imported Anthony Davis from New Orleans to collaborate with LeBron James, who stands to play his 14th Christmas gig. Only retired Laker Kobe Bryant, with 16, has logged more.

Other games, according to ESPN, with the order yet to be disclosed:

-- Houston at Golden State in the Warriors'  spanking-new arena in San Francisco;

-- Milwaukee at Philadelphia, a confrontation between the two favorites in the Eastern Conference;

-- Boston at Toronto, the defending champion who must rebuild minus Leonard;

-- New Orleans at Denver.

Any team with star power and with valid aspirations for a title generally can count on working on Santa Claus' busiest day.

The upcoming quintuple-header involves the seven leading candidates and eight of the first nine, based on odds, for MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Stephen Curry (Warriors), James Harden (Rockets), Leonard, James, Davis, Joel Embiid (76ers) and Nikola Jokic (Nuggets).

The six likeliest champions, according to odds, and eight of the first nine made the cut: Lakers, Clippers, Bucks, Rockets, 76ers, Warriors, Nuggets and Celtics.

Aside from the reigning champ north of the border, the outlier is New Orleans, whose rookie, Zion Williamson, offers a certain viewing attraction.

While the intra-city affair in L.A. towers above the rest, Houston versus Golden State oozes with intrigue. The Rockets have ostensibly replaced Chris Paul with Russell Westbrook in a curious twinning with Harden. The Warriors, who are semi-rebuilding by their lofty standards, bade farewell to Kevin Durant and do not expect to have injured Klay Thompson back on duty.