NBA Game Notes (Feb. 25, 2025)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on Feb. 25, 2025.

Feb 26, 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 ⭐️

Luka Doncic recorded a triple-double in his first game against his former team, scoring 19 points to go with game highs of 15 rebounds and 12 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 107-99. Doncic also contributed a game-high three steals (tied with Kyrie Irving) and a team-high two blocks (tied with two others) in 35 minutes played. On the downside, he shot an inefficient 6-17 from the field (1-7 on 3-pointers), but went 6-8 from the free throw line.

Second ⭐️

Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 35 points in the Mavericks’ loss to the Lakers. Irving went 12-27 from the floor (5-11 on 3-pointers) and made all six of his free throw attempts. He added seven rebounds, four assists, a game-high three steals (tied with Doncic), and two blocks in 40 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Desmond Bane scored 25 points and dished out a team-high nine assists as the Memphis Grizzlies outlasted the Phoenix Suns 151-148 in overtime. Bane shot 8-15 from the field (3-9 on 3-pointers) and a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line. He also swiped two steals and posted a game-best rating of plus-12 points, committing just one turnover and one personal foul in a team-high 43 minutes of playing time.

Milestones

Doncic is just the third player in NBA history to record a triple-double in his first game facing the team that traded him. He joins the Chicago Bulls’ Guy Rodgers (Oct. 18, 1966 versus the San Francisco Warriors) and the San Antonio Spurs’ DeMar DeRozan (Jan. 3, 2019 versus the Toronto Raptors).
Doncic’s teammate, LeBron James, scored a team-high 27 points (11-17 field goals) and grabbed 12 rebounds. It’s the 21st time he’s scored at least 20 points in a game since turning 40 years old, snapping a tie with Michael Jordan for the most such games in NBA history.
Five Phoenix Suns scored at least 20 points last night: Devin Booker (28), Kevin Durant (26), Bradley Beal (24), Bol Bol (23), and Grayson Allen (21). That ties the NBA record for most such players in a game, a feat that had been achieved 59 times previously.
All five of the players listed above made at least one three, making the Suns just the second team in NBA history to have five players score at least 20 points with one 3-pointer made in a game. They join the Oklahoma City Thunder, who became the first team to achieve the feat on Feb. 4, 2024.
The Golden State Warriors routed the Charlotte Hornets 128-92, becoming the fifth franchise in NBA history to reach 3,000 regular season wins. They join the Boston Celtics (3,676), the Los Angeles Lakers (3,585), the Philadelphia 76ers (3,121), and the New York Knicks (3,011). The Warriors’ .487 winning percentage is the lowest in that group.

Streaking

Doncic has scored at least 10 points with one 3-pointer made in 97 straight regular season games, tying Stephen Curry for the longest such streak in NBA history. Points aside, Doncic’s 97-game 3-point streak ranks seventh in league history.
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Cleveland Cavaliers (eight) and Boston Celtics (six).
The Charlotte Hornets became the first team in NBA history to lose three consecutive games by 35 or more points. Charlotte has been outscored by 131 points over that span, the worst three-game point differential in NBA history by 17 points.
The Celtics went 15-51 from beyond the arc in a 111-101 victory over the Toronto Raptors, the 13th straight game in which they’ve made 15 or more 3-pointers. It’s the longest such streak in NBA history, breaking the record of 12 games set by the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this season (Dec. 13, 2024 to Jan. 9, 2025).
Speaking of the Cavaliers, they shot a blistering 19-32 from long range in a 122-82 demolition of the Orlando Magic. Cleveland has made 10 or more 3-pointers in each of its last 63 games, the third-longest such streak in NBA history.
The Memphis Grizzlies have scored at least 100 points in 60 consecutive games dating back to last season, the longest such streak in franchise history by 25 games. They are the eighth team in NBA history to score at least 100 points in each of their first 58 games of a season.

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Irving was the night’s top point producer, netting 35 points. He was followed by the Grizzlies’ Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. with 29 and 28 points, respectively, and the Suns’ Devin Booker with 28.
Doncic was the chairman of the boards, snagging a season-high 15 rebounds last night. The San Antonio Spurs’ Bismack Biyombo, James, the New Orleans Pelicans’ Kelly Olynyk, and the Hornets’ Mark Williams tied for second with 12 boards apiece (a season high for Biyombo).
Doncic was the nightly leader in assists, handing out 12 dimes. Also delivering double-digit helpers were the Suns’ Bradley Beal (season-high 11), the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (season-high-tying 11), the Suns’ Devin Booker (10), and the Spurs’ Chris Paul (10).