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Adelaide to stage NBL's first Christmas Eve game

Adelaide will host Cairns in the league's inaugural Christmas Eve fixture. Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Adelaide will stage the NBL's inaugural Christmas Eve game when the 36ers host the Cairns Taipans at Titanium Security Arena in the headline fixture of the league's 2017-18 schedule, to be released on Wednesday.

Adelaide 36ers chief executive officer Guy Hedderwick said the club was "thrilled to be hosting the first ever Christmas Eve game and hope we can give our fans an early Christmas present with a win".

"We are no stranger to playing games during the Christmas period," Hedderwick said.

"We hosted a game on the 23rd of December two seasons ago which nearly sold out, so we are confident Adelaide fans will come out in force to support us during the festive season."

Power forward Daniel Johnson said the team would welcome the game, to tip off at 3pn (ACDT).

"The game is early, so it will be great to play and then have time to spend Christmas with the family, which is really important," Johnson said.

"It will also give the interstate boys a chance to head home for a couple of days and spend some quality time with their family, so it's a great idea."