NBA Game Notes (Feb. 12, 2025)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on Feb. 12, 2025.

Feb 13, 2025

Three Stars

The three stars in ice hockey are the three best players in a game, with the “first star” considered the best of the three players, similar to the player of the match in other sports. Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games.

First ⭐️

Jamal Murray erupted for a career-high 55 points as the Denver Nuggets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 132-121 for their eighth straight victory. Murray shot 20-36 from the field (7-15 on 3-pointers) and 8-9 from the free throw line. He added five assists, four rebounds, and two steals, posting a game-high rating of plus-26 points in 42 minutes of court time.

Second ⭐️

Karl-Anthony Towns recorded his second straight 40-point game, scoring a game-high 44 points in the New York Knicks’ 149-148 overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks. Towns went 14-25 from the floor (7-10 on 3-pointers) and made nine of his 11 free throw attempts. He also contributed team highs of 10 rebounds (tied with Josh Hart) and two steals (tied with Mikal Bridges) in 43 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Kyrie Irving poured in a game-high 42 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 111-107 victory over the Golden State Warriors. Irving shot 15-25 from the field (7-10 on 3-pointers) and was a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line. He also had seven rebounds and one steal in a game-high 40 minutes played.

Milestones

Murray became just the third player to record a 55-point game for the Denver Nuggets since they joined the NBA in 1976. The others to achieve the feat are David Thompson (73 on April 9, 1978) and Nikola Jokic (56 on Dec. 7, 2024).
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic recorded his 25th triple-double of the season, racking up 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists. It’s the third time he’s reached that mark, tying Oscar Robertson for the second-most such seasons in NBA history (Russell Westbrook, 4).
Murray and Jokic are just the third duo in NBA history to record a 55-point game and a 25-point triple-double, respectively, in the same game. The others to achieve the feat are the Los Angeles Lakers’ Elgin Baylor and Jerry West (Dec. 8, 1961) and the Boston Celtics’ Kevin McHale and Larry Bird (March 3, 1985).
Murray and Jokic are only the fourth pair of teammates in NBA history to each record a 55-point game in the same season. They join Baylor and West (1961-62 Los Angeles Lakers); Bird and McHale (1984-85 Boston Celtics); and Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving (2021-22 Brooklyn Nets).
Chris Paul had four thefts in the San Antonio Spurs’ 116-103 loss to the Boston Celtics, tying Jason Kidd for second place on the NBA’s career leaderboard with 2,684 steals (a statistic the league began tracking in 1973-74).
The LA Clippers’ James Harden tallied 18 points, a game-high 10 assists, and eight rebounds in a 128-114 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Harden increased his career point total to 26,949, passing Hakeem Olajuwon (26,946) to take over 13th place on the NBA’s all-time list.
The Hawks’ Trae Young scored a team-high 38 points and dished out a game-high 19 assists. It’s his 13th career 30-point, 15-assist game, tying Harden for the fifth-most such games in NBA history.
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards tied a franchise single-game record by attempting 17 threes, but made only four of them in a 103-101 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. His 13 misses from 3-point range are the most in a game in franchise history.
The Washington Wizards went 23-45 from beyond the arc in a 134-130 overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers, setting a franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a game. The previous mark of 22 makes was established just last month, on Jan. 18 versus the Golden State Warriors.
The Los Angeles Lakers launched a franchise single-game record 50 threes (making 20 of them) in a 131-119 loss to the Utah Jazz. The previous record of 48 attempts had been set earlier this season, on Nov. 6 versus the Memphis Grizzlies.

Streaking

Towns is just the second player in New York Knicks history to record back-to-back 40-point, 10-rebound games. He joins Patrick Ewing, who did so twice (Feb. 17 & 22, 1990 and March 24 & 27, 1990).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander registered game highs of 32 points and nine assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder overcame a 21-point deficit to defeat the Miami Heat 115-101. He’s produced 48 straight 20-point games, the longest such streak of his career and the third-longest such streak in franchise history.
Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 25 points in each of his last 22 games, the longest such streak of his career and the fourth-longest such streak in franchise history. He’s averaging 35.0 PPG and 5.9 APG with 54.1/37.4/91.2 shooting splits over that span.
Jokic has recorded at least 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists in each of his last eight games, the longest such streak in Denver Nuggets history. He’s averaging 30.1 PPG, 10.9 RPG, and 11.1 APG with 63.4/35.7/87.5 shooting splits over that stretch.
Jokic has made at least half of his shots from the floor in each of those games. He’s the first player in NBA history to record eight straight 25-point, 5-rebound, 5-assist games with a field goal percentage of 50% or higher.
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama had 17 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks. He’s blocked at least one shot in 85 consecutive games, the longest such streak in franchise history (by 24 games) and the longest such streak in the NBA this century.
Wembanyama went just 1-6 from beyond the arc, but that was enough to extend his streak of games with at least one 3-pointer made and one block to 42. It’s easily the longest such streak in NBA history, double that of the next-closest player (Kristaps Porzingis, 21).
Edwards scored a game-high 28 points, but was terribly inefficient in doing so (10-33 field goals, 4-17 on 3-pointers). He’s recorded 15 straight 20-point games, the second-longest such streak of his career.
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Denver Nuggets (eight) and Oklahoma City Thunder (seven).
Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games: New Orleans Pelicans (10) and Philadelphia 76ers (five).
The Boston Celtics went 18-55 from long range, the 10th straight game in which they’ve made 15 or more 3-pointers. That matches the longest such streak in franchise history (achieved twice previously) and is tied for the fourth-longest such streak in NBA history.
The Cleveland Cavaliers sank 18 threes in a 131-108 rout of the Toronto Raptors, the 59th consecutive game in which they’ve made 10 or more 3-pointers. It’s the longest such streak in franchise history (by a whopping 33 games) and the third-longest such streak in NBA history.

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A total of 14 players scored at least 30 points last night, led by Murray’s career-best 55-point effort. He was joined by Towns (44); Irving and the Wizards’ Jordan Poole (42 each); Young (38); the Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant (37); the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson (36); the Pelicans’ Zion Williamson (33); Gilgeous-Alexander, the Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen, and the Celtics’ Jayson Tayum (32 apiece); the Pacers’ Obi Toppin (season-high 31); and the Sixers’ Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. (season-high 30 for each).
The Trail Blazers’ Donovan Clingan was the night’s top board man, hauling in a career-high 20 rebounds. Next in line were the Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo, Jokic, the Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley, and the Sacramento Kings’ Domantas Sabonis with 15 apiece.
Young was the top playmaker last night, handing out 19 assists. Also delivering double-digit dimes were the Lakers’ Austin Reaves (11), the Houston Rockets’ Amen Thompson (career-high-tying 11), the Jazz’s Keyonte George (10), Harden (10), and Jokic (10).
Thompson recorded his fourth career triple-double (and third in his last 11 games), compiling 18 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds. Over his last 19 games, all of which he started, Thompson is averaging 17.2 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 5.4 APG, 2.1 SPG, and 1.5 BPG with a field goal percentage of 53.4%.
Clingan is the first Trail Blazers rookie to produce a 20-rebound game since Sam Bowie on April 7, 1985. Clingan also blocked three shots, becoming the first Portland rookie to record at least 20 rebounds and three blocks in a game since Mychal Thompson on Nov. 3, 1978.