NBA Game Notes (March 21, 2025)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on March 21, 2025.

Mar 22, 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 ⭐️

Deni Avdija racked up game highs of 36 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists as the Portland Trail Blazers took down the Denver Nuggets 128-109. Avdija shot 12-16 from the field (4-6 on 3-pointers) and 8-9 from the free throw line. He also recorded a game-high three steals (tied with three others) and one block, posting a game-best rating of plus-27 points in 38 minutes of court time.

Second ⭐️

Kevin Durant recorded his 72nd career 40-point game (ninth in NBA history), pouring in a game-high 42 points to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 123-112 win over the slumping Cleveland Cavaliers. Durant went 17-29 from the floor (4-9 on 3-pointers) and made all four of his free throw attempts. He added eight assists, six rebounds, and one block, committing just one personal foul in 39 minutes played.

Third ⭐️

Fred VanVleet scored a game-high 37 points in the Houston Rockets’ 102-98 victory over the Miami Heat, Houston’s nine straight win and Miami’s 10ths straight loss. VanVleet was red-hot from the field, going 13-17 with nine 3-pointers made. He also swiped three steals and committed just one turnover in 36 minutes of action.

Milestones

Durant (17-29 field goals) increased his career total to 10,508 field goals made, passing Kevin Garnett (10,505) to take over 13th place on the NBA’s all-time list.
James Harden (5-10 on threes, two steals) recorded his 200th 3-pointer made and 100th steal of the season in the LA Clippers’ 128-108 rout of the Memphis Grizzlies. It’s the seventh time he’s reached both of those marks in the same campaign, two more such seasons than any other player in NBA history.
The Phoenix Suns (19-42 on threes) set a franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a season with 1,026, eclipsing the 1,020 they made last season. They also tied the franchise single-season record for 3-pointers attempted with 2,674 (originally set in 2022-23).
The Cleveland Cavaliers (17-45 on threes) broke the franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a season, raising their total to 1,118. The previous mark of 1,108 triples was set last season.

Streaking

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (30 points) recorded his 63rd straight 20-point game in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 141-106 demolition of the Charlotte Hornets. It’s the second-longest such streak in franchise history (one shy of Durant’s record) and tied for the 10th-longest such streak in NBA history.
Harden (30 points, nine assists) has produced at least 20 points and five assists in each of his last 10 games, the longest such streak in LA Clippers history. He’s averaging 28.4 PPG and 9.8 APG with 45.1/38.0/84.9 shooting splits over that span.
The Orlando Magic’s Paolo Banchero (30 points) reached 20 points for the 12th consecutive game in a 120-105 victory over the Washington Wizards. It’s the longest such streak of his career, a stretch in which he’s averaged 30.6 PPG on 49.8/39.2/81.9 shooting splits.
Quentin Grimes (25 points) extended his streak of 25-point games to a career-high seven in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 128-120 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. He’s averaging 30.9 PPG, 5.6 APG, and 2.4 SPG over that span, shooting 51.4% from the field and 41.8% from 3-point range.
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Houston Rockets (nine), LA Clippers (five), and Oklahoma City Thunder (five).
Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games: Miami Heat (10).
The Cavaliers have made 10 or more 3-pointers in 75 straight games, the third-longest such streak in NBA history. The top two spots belong to the Houston Rockets (97 games) and the Utah Jazz (87).
The San Antonio Spurs (19-39 on threes) have made 15 or more 3-pointers in each of their last five games, matching the longest such streak in franchise history. They also recorded five such games in a row earlier this season in November.

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Durant led the nightly scoring barrage, netting 42 points. He was followed by VanVleet (37), Avdija (season-high 36), the Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham (35), the Dallas Mavericks’ Spencer Dinwiddie (season-high 31), Banchero (30), Gilgeous-Alexander (30), Harden (30), the Utah Jazz’s Collin Sexton (season-high-tying 30), and the Heat’s Andrew Wiggins (30).
The Heat’s Kel’el Ware was the top board man, collecting 14 rebounds. The Suns’ Oso Ighodaro ranked second with a career-high 13 rebounds, while the Magic’s Wendell Carter Jr. and the Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley tied for third place with 12 each.
The Spurs’ Stephon Castle was the night’s leading playmaker, handing out a career-high 14 assists. The Suns’ Devin Booker and Grimes also delivered double-digit dimes with 10 apiece (a career high for Grimes).
Castle’s 14 assists are the most by a Spurs rookie since Alvin Robertson also recorded 14 helpers on Nov. 17, 1984.
The Charlotte Hornets have recorded five 35-point losses in their last 16 games, the most such losses in NBA history over a 16-game span.