Complete history of the Brooklyn Nets playing on Christmas Day

Dec. 25, 1979

In 1976, the ABA merged with the NBA, and in 1977, the Nets moved back to New Jersey and became the New Jersey Nets. Although the team played in their first Christmas Day game 11 years prior, New Jersey played in its first holiday game as a member of the NBA on Dec. 25, 1979.

The Nets faced the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden with 11,614 fans in attendance. The matchup marked the first of five times that New Jersey would face New York on Christmas over the following 15 years. But the Nets didn’t get the result they had hoped for.

New Jersey shot 38.8% from the field (38-of-98), while the Knicks shot 51.6% (47-of-91). The Nets had no answer for Bill Cartwright, who led New York with 33 points. Toby Knight contributed 25 points for the Knicks as they breezed past New Jersey, 131-102.

There was one bright spot for the Nets, as they out-rebounded New York 54-46, but it wasn’t nearly enough to overcome New York.

Calvin Natt (6-of-14) and Mike Newlin (6-of-16) scored a team-high 19 points, Robert Smith added 13 (6-of-12), and Eddie Jordan (5-of-9) and Cliff Robinson (5-of-14) each scored 12.