LaMagic in Los Angelesto tip off the 2nd half of the regular season.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀Feb. 20, 2025
Hornets Sting Lakers:Charlotte knocks off Los Angeles for a dramatic clutch dub
KD Returns To Austin:From Longhorn to NBA legend, KD’s journey comes full circle tonight
C’s Surge Into Philly:The defending champs look to stay hot against East rival
Mile-High Efficiency:The secret to Denver’s eight-game win streak lies inside
LP Lineup:Two premier offenses clash, while East powers make their Playoff push
BUT FIRST … ⏰We’re just getting warmed up…
Nine games tip off tonight,headlined by a TNT doubleheader. First, Jayson Tatum and the C’s face Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers in Philly (7 ET). Then, the Spurs host Kevin Durant and the Suns in Austin (9:30 ET).
1. HORNETS RALLY PAST LAKERS FOR CLUTCH WIN
The first game backfrom the All-Star break? A last-second thriller in Los Angeles.
Hornets 100, Lakers 97:In their third game as a duo, LeBron James (26 pts, 7 reb, 11 ast,1 mammoth poster) and Luka Dončić (14 pts, 11 reb, 8 ast) both stuffed the stat sheet, but the Hornets rallied for a gutsy win behindMiles Bridges and LaMelo Ball. |Recap
B&B Buckets:Bridges finished with a game-high 29 points and a career-high 5 steals, while Ball added 27 points and 6 assists.
In the 2nd half,the duo went off for 35 points, with Ball pouring in 18 and Bridges adding 17 – leading to the Hornets’ first road win in over a month.
On the other side,the Lakers – who entered Wednesday with an NBA-best 12-3 record since Jan. 15 – have now dropped two in a row as they continue to find their rhythm with Dončić in the fold.
2. TONIGHT ON TNT: KD RETURNS TO AUSTIN AS THE SPURS HOST THE SUNS
The last time Kevin Durantplayed meaningful minutes in Austin, he was an 18-year-old freshman for the Longhorns, torching Texas A&M for 30 points – including Texas’ final five in double OT – to seal a rivalry win.
That was Feb. 28, 2007.
Eighteen years later,he returns to the city where his rise to superstardom began, as the Spurs host the Suns at UT’s Moody Center (9:30 ET, TNT).
Last week,Durant matched Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,101 games) as the third-fastest player to score 30,000 career points, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan.
Last weekend,he returned to the Bay Area as a 15-time All-Star, where he helped lead Golden State to two NBA championships.
Tonight,his February comes full circle on a campus where his legacy extends beyond hardware.
One of the purest scorersthe game has ever seen, Durant has gotten buckets at every stop of his career – whether it’s burning defense in the Burnt Orange or making history at hoops’ highest level.
3. CELTICS BRING STREAKING SUCCESS TO PHILLY TONIGHT
The 40-win club,which already features Cleveland and Oklahoma City, will welcome a third member if Boston secures a win over Philadelphia tonight (7 ET, TNT).
In the previous meeting,Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown teamed up for 56 points as part of a 26-point comeback that’s tied for the season’s largest in a 118-110 triumph on Feb. 2.
Seven timesover their last eight, the Celtics have won, including victories over the 1st-place Cavaliers and 3rd-place Knicks – their best stretch since going 10-1 from Nov. 13 to Dec. 6.
Tyrese Maxeywas on fire prior to the break with 25 or more points in 18 consecutive games played from Jan. 6 to Feb. 9, but the 76ers have dropped seven of their last eight.
4. DENVER EYES NINTH STRAIGHT WIN BEHIND OFFENSIVE SURGE
The last timethe Nuggets won nine straight games was in January 2023, opening a year that saw them win their first NBA title in franchise history.
That season,Denver entered the All-Star break with 18 losses.
Last week,the Nuggs hit the break with 19 – riding an eight-game heater into tonight’s game against Charlotte (9 ET, LP) as they look to match their longest win streak since their championship campaign.
While the Jokerhas been dominant all season, two players have been just as key to Denver’s recent surge – Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray.
Both MPJ and Murrayhave seen their scoring and shooting percentage skyrocket amid Denver’s eight-game heater – and this is no accident.
Their secret?Attacking the cup.
The Result?Denver ranks first in ppg off cuts (16.3), first in ppg off post-ups (8.7) and third in ppg off handoffs (7.5) – leading to one of the league’s most prolific offenses, despite ranking 28th in 3s made (31.2).
Tonight,as Denver seeks nine in a row, Malone also eyes his 500th career win. Will he hit the milestone, or will the Hornets knock off another West contender?
5. LEAGUE PASS LINEUP: ELITE OFFENSES & EAST POWERS IN ACTION
The Pacers opened Decemberwith a 15-point loss to the Grizzlies. By Dec. 8, Indy had fallen to 10-15, marking the first time it was five games below .500 since the 2022-23 season.
Since then,last year’s East finalists have gone 20-8, jumping from 9th in the East to 4th.
Tonight (7 ET, LP),they’ll face Memphis again in a matchup between two of the hottest teams in hoops.
Three other beastsin the East will resume their seasons tonight, including two playing in the same city.
Cavaliers at Nets (7:30 ET):After a season-worst three-game skid, Cleveland won eight of its last nine outings to enter the All-Star break at 44-10 – tied with OKC for the best record in the NBA.
Bulls at Knicks (7:30 ET):At MSG, the 3rd-place Knicks will look to improve to 11-3 in their last 14 games. But New York has failed to run with the Bulls this season, as Chicago has taken both matchups.
Clippers at Bucks (8 ET):Up next, in a battle between two All-Star OGs, Damian Lillard and the Bucks (5th in the East) will face James Harden and the Clips (6th in the West), with both teams gearing up to make a Playoff push.
Two more gamestip offon League Pass, as the Hawks host the Magic (7:30 ET), before Luka, LeBron and the Lakers cap the night in Portland (10 ET).