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Miami Heat's Best Christmas Day Game Moments

The Miami Heat's first ever Christmas Day game was in 1997 when they lost to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. Since then, the Heat have played 9 other times in the NBA's annual X-Mas game, going 7-2 in that span. The Heat will face the L.A. Lakers today at 5:00p.m. for...
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The Miami Heat's first ever Christmas Day game was in 1997 when they lost to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls.

Since then, the Heat have played 9 other times in the NBA's annual X-Mas game, going 7-2 in that span.

The Heat will face the L.A. Lakers today at 5:00p.m. for their 10th go-round as the rest of America drinks their egg nog and opens their presents.

But before tip-off tonight, we revisit the five greatest Christmas Day game moments for the Miami Heat.

5. 2012: Heat Thunder Finals rematch

It was the highly anticipated rematch between the Heat and Thunder since Miami took down OKC in the Finals the previous summer. And both teams delivered a Christmas Day game for the ages. LeBron James dropped 29 points, while Dwyane Wade added 21 of his own. The game seemed to revisit and reignite the rivalry between the two conference super powers, as the teams incurred five technical fouls between them. The game came down to the wire, but the Heat would ultimately prevail.

4. 2010: Kobe meets the Big Three for the first time

It was the first ever meeting between Kobe Bryant and the Heat as comprised by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

And the Big Three announced their presence with authority.

Bosh scored 24 points, Wade added 18.

LeBron recorded a triple double, scoring 27 points, grabbing 11 boards, and 10 assists. He also flushed down 5 three pointers, leading the Heat to the 96-80 victory.

3. 2011: The Heat ruin the Mavericks ring ceremony

The NBA lockout wiped out a quarter of the season's games, which meant the Heat had a long time to seethe after dropping the 2011 Finals to the Dallas Mavericks.

But the season opened on that Christmas Day, and it was a day of vengeance for the Heat.

The Mavericks opened things up by raising their championship banner and the players received their rings. And then they proceeded to get steamrolled by the Heat.

LeBron scored 37. Wade, 26. And the Heat pretty much ruined ring ceremony day for the Mavs in a 105-94 shellacking.

2. 2004: Shaq's first game versus the Lakers

Shaq had been traded to the Heat that summer. So when this game was announced, the entire world circled their calendars.

Things went as about as everyone expected. Shaq and Kobe barely acknowledged each other during pre-game.

Shaq blocked Kobe's first shot attempt, setting the pace to what would be a thriller.

Bryant scored 42 points, while Shaq threw down 24 and 11 rebounds. O'Neil fouled out of the game when he delivered a hard foul on Bryant and the game went into overtime.

But Kobe was held scoreless in the OT as a young Dwyane Wade went to work, scoring 29 points for the game. Meanwhile, the other former Laker -- Eddie Jones -- contributed 18.

The Heat went on to win, and Shaq went on to ask Kobe how his ass taste.

1. 2009: Dwyane Wade explodes all over the Knicks' faces

It's always fun whenever the Heat take down the Knicks. And in 2009, D-Wade delivered his own personal highlight tape against the obnoxious Knickerbockers. Wade went supernova all over New York, scoring 30 points, and devastating the Garden crowd with dunks, spin moves, Euero-steps and daggers. Michael Beasley was also in on the punching the Knicks in their collective dicks action. Also, a reminder that Mario Chalmers once wore LeBron's number. Weird.

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