Tyrese takes it To The Max.
A double-poster dunk as Philly outduels Minnesota.
With exactly 50 days ‘til the SoFi Play-In Tournament tips off on April 14. read on for what to know heading into the final week of February.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
East vs. West Contenders: Celtics spoil Lakers’ historic day, OKC stops Cavs’ streak
Star Guards Surge: Maxey soars to snap Sixers’ skid, LaMelo catches fire from afar
4th-Quarter Fire: Warriors climb back vs. Nuggets, Bane outduels Kawhi, KAT & Knicks reject Bulls’ run
Roundup: Portland’s 80-point improvement, Quickley leads Raps to snap Bucks’ streak
The Week Ahead: Wemby’s Spurs visit Cade’s Pistons at pivotal point in regular season
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Peacock’s doubleheader headlines tonight’s three-game slate, with top-3 teams San Antonio and Detroit meeting in MoTown (7 ET | Tap To Watch), followed by the Rockets hosting the Jazz (9:30 ET | Tap To Watch)
1. EAST VS. WEST CONTENDERS: CELTICS SPOIL RIVAL’S BIG DAY, THUNDER HALT CAVS
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Magic Johnson. James Worthy.
And that was just pregame.
Pat Riley’s statue unveiling brought out the Showtime Lakers’ legends Sunday, and with them, the history that makes this rivalry so special.
But come game time, the Celtics won the day.
Celtics 111, Lakers 89: Jaylen Brown (32 pts, 8 reb, 7 ast) and Payton Pritchard (30 pts, 8 ast, 6 3s) led the C’s to a third straight win with 19 points apiece in the 2nd half. Boston held Luka Dončic (25 pts) and LeBron James’ (20 pts) Lakers to their 2nd-lowest score of the season. | Recap
Pritchard logged 30+ points, 5+ assists and 5+ 3s off the bench for the second time in his career. Dee Brown (1995) is the only other C’s player to do that
Bird, McHale, Pritchard: Payton also joined Larry Bird and Kevin McHale as the only Celtics to record 25+ points off the bench in three straight games
C’s Specialty: It’s his fifth time this season with 25+ off the bench, tying for the league lead with former teammate Anfernee Simons and two others
Boston is keeping the pressure on the Pistons in 2nd place in the East, with outings like Pritchard’s lifting the C’s to the league’s 2nd-best offensive rating (120.1) and 3rd-best 3-point mark (15.4 3pg)
Luka, LeBron and Austin Reaves (15 pts, 7 reb) played in their 12th game together, as L.A.’s top three scorers have the team within a half game of 4th-place Houston.
More Than Scoring: Dončić continues to lead the league with 32.8 points per game, while ranking No. 3 in assists (8.5)
Reaves’ return from a 19-game absence (calf) resumed his pursuit to be the first undrafted player to average 25+/5+/5+ for a season (25.2 ppg, 5.1 reb, 5.7 ast)
As for LeBron, he crossed the 43,000 career points mark Sunday in his 1,600th regular season game, which trails only Robert Parish (1,611)
James congratulated his fellow Laker legend and former Heat boss in the tunnel, before Riley’s enshrinement was celebrated with fans at halftime
Thunder 121, Cavaliers 113: OKC got out to a 28-5 advantage and hit 8 of 12 3s in a 40-point 1st quarter, never trailing by more than a bucket on the way to ending Cleveland’s 7-game win streak.
Isaiah Joe (22 pts, 5 stl, 6 3s) and Cason Wallace (20 pts, 10 ast, 3 stl) paired big nights to lead seven short-handed Thunder scorers in double figures. | Recap
One To Remember: Joe tied his season-highs for points and made threes, and achieved a career-high in steals, while Wallace’s game-high 10 assists were also a career-high
“Lot of confidence, just building our individual games,” Wallace said postgame of playing without four Thunder regulars. “We play together… and we just have fun just taking the life out of people.”
Cavs’ 20s: Cleveland got 40 combined points from James Harden (20 pts, 5 reb, 9 ast) and Donovan Mitchell (20 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast), and 20 more from Sam Merrill
Champs Holding Steady: OKC is now 4-3 since reigning Kia MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went down (abdomen), maintaining the West’s best record (44-14) and league’s top defensive (106.1) and net (11.6) ratings
Cavs Still Climbing: Despite the loss, Cleveland has won 12 of its last 14 games, pulling within 1 game of New York for 3rd in the East. Harden’s numbers (18.7 ppg, 8.7 ast) continue to climb in his six Cavs games
2. STAR GUARDS SURGE: MAXEY SOARS FOR SIXERS, LAMELO CATCHES FIRE
A Tyrese takeover was just what the Sixers needed to get back in the win column.
Sixers 135, Wolves 108: Tyrese Maxey (39 pts, 8 ast) outdueled Anthony Edwards (28 pts, 9 reb), detonating a double-poster slam while snapping Philly’s four-game skid and ending Minnesota’s three-game win streak. | Recap
A Tyrese takeover was just what the Sixers needed to get back in the win column.
While Maxey made his mark above the rim, LaMelo was launching from long distance.
Hornets 129, Wizards 112: LaMelo Ball (37 pts, 8 reb, 7 ast) went off with six of a career-high 10 made 3s in Charlotte’s red-hot, 44-point 3rd quarter where they went 12-for-14 from deep to speed away from Bilal Coulibaly (17 pts) and the Wiz. | Recap
On A Heater: Ball ignited for four made 3s in a span of 99 seconds in the 3rd, on the way to an 18-point quarter
His career-day from distance made him the first Hornets player with 35+ points, 5+ assist and 10+ 3s in a game, also tying the franchise record for 3s in a game
Charlotte’s 12 triples in the 3rd tied the play-by-play era record for most in any quarter, on the way to logging one of just four games of 25+ 3s in the league this season
Winners of 11 of the last 14 games, the Hornets are thriving with rookie total points leader and league 3s leader (198) Kon Knueppel (28 pts, 7 reb, 5 3s).
Among Elites: Knueppel’s 9th game of at least 25 points and five 3s tied Steph for most such games by a rookie
Heat Check: Kon is now just 8 triples behind Keegan Murray’s rookie record (206, 2022-23), and is aiming to be the first rookie in NBA history to lead the league in 3s
3. 4TH-QUARTER FIRE: WARRIORS RALLY, BANE WORKS MAGIC, KNICKS CLOSE OUT
Warriors 128, Nuggets 117: Brandin Podziemski poured in 15 of his 18 points in Golden State’s 33-16 comeback 4th quarter, as seven Warriors double figure scorers overpowered Nikola Jokić’s (35 pts, 20 reb, 12 ast, 3 stl) massive triple-double. | Recap
Podziemski pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds, plus nine assists, for the Warriors’ first 15+/15+/5+ regular season game since Draymond Green in 2019
Strength In Numbers: In addition, Moses Moody (23 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast) led a trio of 20-point scorers, including Al Horford (22 pts) and De’Anthony Melton (20 pts)
Turn Back The Clock: Setting a season-high in points, Horford matched his career-high with six made 3s, which had Steph doing the Gator chomp
Coming off a league season-high 157 points Friday, Denver trailed until midway through the 3rd, and were held to just two 3s in the 4th by a Warriors team who hit 21 in the game
Huge Numbers: Jokić’s stat-stuffing showcase was his sixth career 35+/20+/10+ game, five behind Wilt Chamberlain’s all-time mark (11)
Joker’s also chasing Wilt with his league lead in rebounds (12.3) and assists (10.5), trying to join Chamberlain as the only players to lead the league in both categories for a full season
Nuggets Recipe: That cross-category dominance, along with Jamal Murray’s (21 pts) career offensive year, has Denver (36-22) holding firm to the West’s 3-seed
Magic 111, Clippers 109: Desmond Bane scored 11 of his 36 points in a back-and-forth 4th quarter, and Paolo Banchero (16 pts, 7 reb, 8 ast) had the game-sealing breakaway dunk, as Orlando outlasted Kawhi (37 pts) & LA for its 5th win in the last 7 games. | Recap
Bane Unleashed: Desmond has hit the 30-point mark in three of his last four games, including back-to-back nights Saturday and Sunday
“Last night we played a super emotional game, lost at the wire,” Bane said after the win that followed a 2OT loss in Phoenix Saturday. “We were able to turn the page fast… Super proud of this group.”
Klaw’s Streak: Kawhi scored 20+ points for the 36th consecutive game, tying World B. Free for the Clips’ 3rd-longest streak ever
Leonard found Bennedict Mathurin (21 pts, 9 reb, 5 ast), who’s scored over 20 points in three of his first five games for LA, for an attempted winner at the buzzer that missed long
Must-See: This Clips fan drilling the halfcourt heave to win $10K
Knicks 105, Bulls 99: After Matas Buzelis’ (15 pts) 3 with under 4 minutes left capped Chicago’s 13-point 2nd-half comeback, New York flipped on an 11-4 run to win the game, including six straight points from Karl-Anthony Towns (28 pts, 11 reb, 3 stl, 5 3s). | Recap
Finish Strong: Towns contributed 11 of his 28 points in that key 4th quarter, also grabbing six of his 11 boards to secure his league-leading 39th double-double
Clutch Corner: Jalen Brunson (19 pts, 5 reb, 9 ast) found Mikal Bridges (11 pts, 5 ast) in the corner for the triple to ice the win
Star Duo: KAT led all scorers as he and Brunson continue guiding the league’s 3rd-best offense (118.5) and, over the last 13 games, the top defense (105.3)
Hawks 115, Nets 104: Jalen Johnson (26 pts, 12 reb) scored half of Atlanta’s points in a 24-2 closeout run to erase an 11-point 4th-quarter deficit, holding Michael Porter Jr.’s (18 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast) Nets to a single field goal (1-15) over the final 8 minutes. | Recap
4. ROUNDUP: BLAZERS’ 80-POINT IMPROVEMENT, MAVS, RAPTORS ROLL
Raptors 122, Bucks 94: Immanuel Quickley (32 pts, 9 ast, 5 3s) piled up a 20-point 1st-half and Toronto pulled away after halftime, despite 21 points each from Kevin Porter Jr. (10 ast) and Ryan Rollins (9 reb), ending Milwaukee’s 3-game win streak. | Recap
Bucks’ Boost: Cam Thomas scored 15 points off the bench in his fifth outing for the Bucks, who are 6-2 in their last eight games
Blazers 92, Suns 77: Jerami Grant and Donovan Clingan (13 reb, 4 blk) each provided 23 points to lead Portland past Collin Gillespie (18 pts), Jalen Green (13 pts) and a depleted Phoenix squad for a fifth win in its last seven games. | Recap
Rip City Responds: The Blazers bounced back after allowing a league season-high 157 points to Denver Friday, limiting the Suns to their season-low in an 80-point defensive improvement
Tough Forecast: Phoenix was without Devin Booker (hip), Dillon Brooks (hand), Grayson Allen (leg) and Jordan Goodwin (calf), the latter three having played in Saturday’s 2OT win
Avdija Update: Portland lost All-Star and leading scorer Deni Avdija less than a minute into the contest due to an aggravated lower back injury
Mavericks 134, Pacers 130: Khris Middleton (25 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast) and P.J. Washington (23 pts, 9 reb) teamed up to lead six Mavs in double figures and overpower Pascal Siakam (30 pts, 8 reb) and Indy, snapping a 10-game losing streak. | Recap
Rookie Report: Dallas was without leading scorer Cooper Flagg (foot) for a third straight game, with Flagg now two steals off the pace of being the first rookie since Michael Jordan to lead his team in total points, rebounds, assists and steals
5. SPURS, PISTONS CLASH TO START HIGH-STAKES WEEK
Contender versus contender.
Superstar against superstar.
A battle between not only two of the league’s top teams, but also two premier performers, will start this week with a bang.
Tonight (7 ET, Peacock), the Spurs take their eight-game winning streak and Western 2-seed out East to face the top-seeded Pistons, who have won five in a row themselves.
This showcase is a testament to two franchise turnarounds, sparked by the ascendence of Cade Cunningham and Victor Wembanyama, respectively.
Fresh Fuel: Cunningham was a rookie back in 2021-22 when the Pistons finished 23-59 and were 14th in the East. They’re now 42-13 with a six-game cushion for 1st place
Cowboy Up: In 2023-24, the Spurs ended 22-60 and 14th in the West to conclude Wembanyama’s first season. They’re now 40-16 and just three games back of OKC
Both players, who are no older than 24 years old, each have stellar supporting casts.
Rising Star Stephon Castle and All-Star De’Aaron Fox play alongside Wembanyama, while Cunningham teams up with All-Star center Jalen Duren on a nightly basis.
Motoring Along: With 25.5 points and the 2nd-most assists per game (9.8), Cunningham has facilitated the offense ranked 2nd in PITP this season (57.1 ppg)
Extraterrestrial Excellence: Wembanyama is responsible for 24.3 points and 11.2 rebounds per game in his own right, and holds a No. 8 defensive rating of 104.7
Later in the evening, Kevin Durant continues his pursuit of Michael Jordan for 5th on the all-time scoring list when the Rockets face the Jazz (9:30 ET, Peacock). But not before the Kings pay a visit to the Grizzlies (8 ET, League Pass).
Looking at the slate of games for the week ahead, the stretch run brings consequences for the standings and seed positionings on a nightly, can’t-miss basis.
Tuesday on Peacock: A clash between top-five East foes in the Cavaliers and Knicks (7:30 ET) will be followed by the Timberwolves taking on the Trail Blazers (10 ET)
Wednesday on ESPN: 1st-place squads duke it out when the Pistons play the Thunder (7:30 ET) before the Celtics’ road trip ends with a test — Nikola Jokić’s Nuggets (10 ET)
Thursday on Prime: Sizzling scorers hit the hardwood, first when the Rockets visit the Magic (7:30 ET) and then once the Clippers and Timberwolves take center stage (10 ET)
Friday on ESPN: A battle of premier guards in Pistons versus Cavaliers (7 ET) will be the precursor to a showdown of top-five West teams, the Nuggets and Thunder (9:30 ET)
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