NEW YORK – The NBA delivered its most-watched Christmas Day in five years, averaging 5.25 million viewers per game in the U.S. across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, Disney+ and ESPN+, according to Nielsen Fast Nationals. Viewership was up 84% vs. last year.

The NBA has long dominated Christmas, just as Thanksgiving has become synonymous with football, but viewers got the best of both worlds on Wednesday.

There was one good thing to come out of the subpar Wednesday football we got on Christmas. Lamar Jackson cemented his status as the best rushing QB ever. The Ravens quarterback broke Michael Vick’s all-time rushing record for quarterbacks (6,109) after his 87-yard rushing performance against the Texans.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was fined $75,000 by the NBA for making "obscene gestures" during the club's 118–114 Christmas Day win over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden, the league announced on Friday.

The NBA fined Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid $75,000 for making obscene gestures toward the Boston Celtics' home crowd during their game on Christmas Day.

Philadelphia center Joel Embiid, who fell to the parquet floor during warmups before Wednesday's win in Boston but remained in the starting lineup, was fined $75,000 by the NBA Friday for making obscene gestures during the first half of the road victory.