NBA Game Notes (Feb. 23, 2025)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on Feb. 23, 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 ⭐️
Cade Cunningham compiled team highs of 38 points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds (tied with Malik Beasley) as the Detroit Pistons outscored the Atlanta Hawks 148-143 for their sixth straight win. Cunningham shot 14-24 from the field, sinking seven of his 10 attempts from 3-point range. He added a game-high three blocks and one steal in 38 minutes of playing time.
Second ⭐️
Tyrese Haliburton scored a team-high 29 points and dished out a game-high 12 assists to lead the Indiana Pacers past the LA Clippers 129-111. Haliburton went 9-14 from the floor (4-8 on 3-pointers) and made all seven of his free throw attempts. He also swiped a game-high three steals (tied with James Harden), committing just one turnover and zero personal fouls in 30 minutes played.
Third ⭐️
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander netted a game-high 37 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 130-123 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Gilgeous-Alexander shot 13-24 from the field (3-6 on 3-pointers) and 8-11 from the free throw line. He also contributed eight rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and three blocks in 38 minutes of action.
Milestones
Stephen Curry scored a game-high 30 points in a 126-102 rout of the Dallas Mavericks. It was his 701st career 20-point game, breaking a tie with Allen Iverson for the most such games in NBA history by a player with a listed height of 6 feet 2 inches or shorter.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard produced team highs of 28 points and eight assists in a 120-113 win over the Miami Heat. He reached 6,000 career assists in the third quarter, becoming the 42nd player in NBA history to attain that milestone.
The New Orleans Pelicans set a franchise single-game record with 52 defensive rebounds in 114-96 win over the San Antonio Spurs. Kelly Olynyk led the way with 10, followed by Jose Alvarado and Yves Missi with nine apiece. The previous mark of 51 defensive boards was set on March 12, 2021.
Streaking
Jayson Tatum fell one assist shy of a triple-double, racking up 25 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists in the Boston Celtics’ 118-105 victory over the New York Knicks. Tatum has scored at least 15 points in each of his last 93 games, the second-longest such streak in franchise history behind Isaiah Thomas (97).
Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 20 points in 51 consecutive games, the longest such streak of his career and the third-longest such streak in Oklahoma City Thunder history. He’s averaging 32.8 PPG and 6.2 APG with 53.0/37.0/89.4 shooting splits over that span.
The Hawks’ Trae Young recorded game highs of 38 points (tied with Cunningham) and 13 assists, his third straight 35-point, 5-assist game. That matches the longest such streak in franchise history, a record he already shared with Pete Maravich and Dominique Wilkins.
Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 33 points with four 3-pointers made to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 129-123 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. He’s hit at least one three in 78 consecutive games, the longest such streak in franchise history (by a whopping 40 games) and tied for the 16th-longest such streak in NBA history.
The Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards tallied 29 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, his 18th straight 20-point game. It’s the second-longest such streak of his career, one game shy of his career best.
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Cleveland Cavaliers (seven), Detroit Pistons (six), and Boston Celtics (five).
Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games: Washington Wizards (six).
The Pistons’ six-game winning streak is the franchise’s longest since the 2014-15 season. They have outscored their opponents by an average of 16.8 PPG over that span.
The Celtics went 17-44 from beyond the arc, the 12th straight game in which they’ve made 15 or more 3-pointers. That matches the longest such streak in NBA history achieved earlier this season by the Cleveland Cavaliers (Dec. 13, 2024 to Jan. 9, 2025).
The Cavaliers hit 13 triples to extend their streak of games with 10 or more 3-pointers made to 62, the third-longest such streak in NBA history. Cleveland is shooting a league-leading 39.1% from long range this season.
Miscellany
The Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro led all scorers yesterday, matching his season high with 40 points. Also scoring at least 30 points were Cunningham (38), Young (38), Gilgeous-Alexander (37), Mitchell (33), the Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker (31), the Clippers’ James Harden (31), the Suns’ Bradley Beal (season-high 30), and Curry (30).
The Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns was the day’s leading rebounder, hauling in 18 boards. The Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo was next in line with 16 rebounds, followed by Pelicans teammates Yves Missi and Kelly Olynyk with 15 apiece (a career high for Missi and a season high for Olynyk).
Young was the top playmaker, handing out 13 assists yesterday. Cunningham (12), Haliburton (12), Harden (11), Herro (11), and the Grizzlies’ Ja Morant (10) also delivered double-digit dimes.
Herro became just the third player in Miami Heat history to record a 40-point, 10-assist game, joining Dwyane Wade (five times) and LeBron James.
The Hawks’ Dyson Daniels swiped four steals, the 20th time he’s recorded at least four thefts in a game this season (13 more than any other player). The last player to record at least 20 such games in a season was Chris Paul in 2008-09.
The Pistons’ 148 points are the most the franchise has scored in a regulation game since a 148-129 win over the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 19, 1984. It’s just the third regulation game in franchise history in which the Pistons both scored and allowed at least 140 points.