NBA Game Notes (Feb. 28, 2025)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on Feb. 28, 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 ⭐️

Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 41 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied from a 22-point deficit to defeat the Boston Celtics 123-116. Mitchell shot 13-26 from the field (5-12 on 3-pointers) and made 10 of his 11 free throw attempts. He also recorded five assists and one steal, committing just one personal foul in 35 minutes played.

Second ⭐️

Jayson Tatum produced game highs of 46 points, 16 rebounds, and nine assists, but it wasn’t enough as the Celtics fell to the Cavaliers. Tatum went 19-37 from the floor (4-12 on 3-pointers) and 4-5 from the free throw line. He also blocked a game-high three shots in 41 minutes of action.

Third ⭐️

Nikola Jokic recorded his league-leading 28th triple-double of the season, scoring 23 points to go with game highs of 17 rebounds and 15 assists in the Denver Nuggets’ 134-119 win over the Detroit Pistons. Jokic shot 6-12 from the field and sank 11 of his 12 free throw attempts. He added two blocks and one steal, posting a rating of plus-33 points in 34 minutes of court time.

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Milestones

• Tatum made the 1,500th 3-pointer of his career in the second quarter. At 26 years and 362 days old, he became the youngest player in NBA history to reach that mark, surpassing Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson (both 27 years and 363 days old).

• The LA Clippers’ James Harden went 7-7 from the free throw line in a 106-102 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. He became just the fifth player in NBA history to reach 8,000 career free throws made, joining Karl Malone, LeBron James, Moses Malone, and Kobe Bryant.