The Miami Heat travel to Dallas on Christmas Day, and get to begin the season by watching the defending champion Mavericks raise the title banner in their holiday home opener.
Dallas defeated the Heat in six games in last year's Finals, but the loss of several key contributors has seen the Mavericks fade to the background of title talk while the Heat triumvirate of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have been dubbed the odds-on favorite to capture this year's NBA crown.
The Christmas Day matchup will serve as a first look at a Tyson Chandler-less Dallas defense, as well as the incorporation of veteran free agent Shane Battier into the Heat rotation.
Here is all you need to know for today's battle between the Heat and the Mavericks:
Game Date/Time: Sunday, December 25, 2:30 p.m. ET
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
TV: ABC (National)
Listen: ESPN Radio
For more on these two teams leading up to their big rematch, head to Mavs Moneyball and visit Heat blog Peninsula Is Mightier. For news and notes from around the league, be sure to follow SB Nation's NBA hub.