Timberwolves are honored with a Christmas Day game

The NBA showcases its most popular teams on Christmas Day, playing five nationally televised games.

For 27 seasons, the Timberwolves have gotten a lump of coal from the league. But this year, they'll be at the center of attention when they play in Oklahoma City, a prime-time 7 p.m. Dec. 25 matchup against the Thunder.

The game is the first on Christmas for the Wolves, who have only eight winning seasons in their history, the last in 2004-05. With emerging young stars in Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony-Towns, national interest is high for the team under first-year coach Tom Thibodeau.

The league schedule was released Thursday. Other Christmas games include a rematch of the NBA Finals with Golden State at Cleveland, Boston at the Knicks, Chicago at San Antonio and the Clippers at the Lakers.

Highlights for the Timberwolves:

• The home opener is Nov. 1 at Target Center against the Memphis Grizzlies. The regular-season opener is Oct. 26, also against the Grizzlies, in Memphis.

• NBA champion Cleveland visits Target Center on Feb. 14; Golden State is in town Dec. 11 and March 10.

• Thibodeau will face his former team, Chicago, on Dec. 13 in the Windy City and on Feb. 12 at Target Center.

• The Wolves will appear on TNT four times, six times on ESPN and nine times on NBA TV. The TNT games are Nov. 17 vs. Philadelphia, Dec. 8 at Toronto, Jan. 19 at the Clippers and April 6 at Portland.

• The Wolves will have 14 back-to-back games, and will play 14 times with at least one day's rest against opponents who played the day before.

• The longest homestand is six games in February, and there are two four-game road trips.