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Nightly Pulse: NBA news & highlights from Feb. 20

Stay in the know on tonight's NBA action as we keep you updated with the latest news and happenings around the league.

NBA.com Staff

Charlotte beat LeBron James, Luka Dončić and the Lakers on Wednesday to kick-off games following the All-Star Break.

Results from Thursday’s follow-up nine-game slate🍿🍿

Top Performers🏆🏆

  1. LeBron James: 40 points (14-24 FG), eight rebounds, four assists, two steals, one block
  2. Karl-Anthony Towns: 32 points (14-30 FG), 18 rebounds, two assists, two steals
  3. Josh Giddey: 27 points (11-18 FG), 16 rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block

🔑 Key takeaways

  1. Top teams stay hot. Denver wins their ninth consecutive game. The Knicks hang on in overtime. Boston showcases their potent shooting. Cleveland wins again. There is a deep cast of championship contenders.
  2. James Harden becomes the 13th player in NBA history with 27,000 points on his career resumé. The 35-year-old is on pace to pass Elvis Hayes later this season, with Moses Malone and Carmelo Anthony next on the horizon.
  3. Chris Paul passes Jason Kidd in career steals, moving into sole possession of 2nd place in NBA history with 2,686 steals following Thursday’s game. Paul trails only John Stockton’s 3,265 career steals.

⭐⭐Nugget starpower⭐⭐

Denver wins their ninth consecutive game fueled by 34 points from Jamal Murray (12-18 FG, 7-10 3PM, 3-4 FT) and 29 points from Nikola Jokić (11-22 FG, 6-14 3PM, 1-2 FT). Jokić also delivered 17 rebounds and 9 assists, while this duo accounted for 13 of Denver’s 19 made threes as a team.

Julian Strawther chipped in 16 points (5-10 FG, 4-7 3PM, 2-2 FT) to profile as the Nuggets’ third shooter on a night when Michael Porter Jr. finished with just six points (2-11 FG, 0-3 3PM, 2-2 FT).

Miles Bridges posted an incredible all-around performance for Charlotte, headlined by efficient scoring en route to a season-high 36 points (12-23 FG, 5-10 3PM, 7-7 FT). He added 13 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and one block without recording a turnover.

Karl Anthony-Towns steps up in OT, Knicks win

Overcoming a 2-for-15 shooting start from the field, Towns finished Thursday’s victory with 32 points (14-30 FG, 2-10 3PM), 18 rebounds, two assists and two steals to lead all scorers.

A double-double from Jalen Brunson (22 points, 12 assists) and defensive heroics from Mikal Bridges were other key factors in New York’s win.

Miles McBride was the Knicks’ second-leading scorer with 23 points, delivering stellar two-way play with six rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks.

Josh Giddey’s 27-point, 16-rebound double-double popped despite Chicago’s defeat. The 22-year-old delivered a season-best scoring performance while matching his season-high with four made threes.

🚨OT AT THE GARDEN🚨

Mikal Bridges with a clutch, game-saving block after a savvy play call from Bulls’ coach Billy Donovan at the end of regulation. Bridges also blocked Coby White on Chicago’s prior possession, so the Bulls and Knicks head to overtime tied at 104.

Bridges has struggled offensively, but he’s stuffing the stat sheet with 13 points (6-16 FG), nine rebounds, five assists and two blocks.

LeBron James & Austin Reaves outduel Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara

In a contest where only four players exceeded 12 points and only one player exceeded eight rebounds, the star power of James (40 points, 14-24 FG, 4-8 3PM, 8-8 FT) and co-starring of Austin Reaves (32 points, 9-21 FG, 2-8 3PM, 12-13 FT) catalyzed a 110-102 victory for the Lakers.

Notably, James also had 11 turnovers, accounting for half of the Lakers total as a team. Toumani Camara was a factor, as the second-year forward set a new career high with five steals. Adding 19 points (7-8 FG, 3-4 3PM, 2-2 FT) and seven rebounds, Camara’s momentum was on display after earning a Rising Stars appearance at All-Star weekend.

Avdija’s signature downhill prowess was on display as well, with the 24-year-old matching his second-highest scoring performance of the season.

Spurs win without Wembanyama

San Antonio was limited to a nine-man rotation Thursday, but each player scored at least eight points and five players hit multiple threes en route to a 112-109 upset victory over Phoenix.

De’Aaron Fox (26 points, nine rebounds, seven assists) was San Antonio’s fulcrum, with Phoenix cutting their deficit to two points on two separate occasions midway through the fourth quarter when Fox was playing off-ball or briefly resting.

Rookie Stephon Castle’s physicality and strength translated to his 12 points (4-12 FG), 10 rebounds and three steals while helping guard Kevin Durant (22 points, 9-13 FG).

Royce O’Neale led the Suns in scoring, as the 31-year-old notched a career high 27 points (10-16 FG, 6-12 3PM, 1-2 FT). His four turnovers contributed to a grand total of 18 for Phoenix as a team, however, which proved to be a serious difference-maker compared to San Antonio having just nine total turnovers.

Boston erupts in dominant showing🍀🍀🍀

Reminiscent of Boston tying the NBA record with 29 made threes on Opening Night vs. the Knicks, the 76ers fell victim to the Celtics’ bombardment Thursday. Boston rained in 24 of 54 3P attempts (44.4 3P%) after starting 19 for 39 from deep.

Payton Pritchard led the impressive shooting with a team-high 28 points (10-18 FG, 8-15 3PM).

Jayson Tatum notched his second triple-double of the season. The versatility of his game continues growing, as Tatum combined for just two triple-doubles across his first seven years in the league.

Paolo Banchero & Trae Young duel🍿🍿

Banchero’s 36 points (11-25 FG, 3-10 3PM, 11-16 FT), 10 rebounds and five assists was largely matched by Trae Young’s 38 points (13-28 FG, 4-13 3PM, 8-10 FT), three rebounds and six assists, but the former led his team to a 114-108 victory as Orlando prevailed.

No other Hawk exceeded 13 points, while Franz Wagner co-starred for the Magic with 25 points (9-18 FG, 0-3 3PM, 7-11 FT) in efficient fashion.

Harden makes history, but Bucks play spoilers

Thursday night, James Harden became the 13th player in NBA history to score 27,000 points in his NBA career!

Kawhi Leonard posted a team-high 25 points for the Clippers, but he was not part of the closing lineup after topping out at 32 minutes of action. Ivica Zubac boomed for 20 points and 15 rebounds, absorbing some of the offensive void created by Norman Powell (knee) being unavailable.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was dynamic in limited run as well, posting a team-high 23 points, eight rebounds and four assists in just 24 minutes of gameplay. Brook Lopez co-starred with 22 points (8-14 FG, 4-7 3PM), shooting with confidence and scoring inside with conviction. He also had seven rebounds and four blocks.

Mitchell scores, Allen boards. Cavaliers win

Born and raised in the New York/Connecticut area, Donovan Mitchell lead all scorers with 26 points, while Jarrett Allen posted a monster double-double with 16 points and 20 rebounds — representing a new season-high and his ninth game of the year with at least 15 rebounds.

Cameron Johnson led Brooklyn with 18 points (6-11 FG, 3-6 3PM), although the Nets connected on just 40.0% of 95 shots as a team in total.

Game of Runs: Pacers Prevail

After trailering for the majority of the first half, Indiana’s offense ignited and never looked back — posting 50 points in the second quarter and ultimately entering halftime with a 19-point lead. That lead would expand to as large as 26 in the third quarter despite the Grizzlies cutting it to four at one point.

Ultimately, Indiana never relinquished the lead in the second half. Steady offensive play from Tyrese Haliburton (22 points, nine assists) and Bennedict Mathurin (16 points, one assist), as well as elite two-way contributions from Myles Turner (17 points, 10 rebounds, seven blocks) anchored the Pacers.

Highlight reel from Cleveland’s Core 4

Jarrett Allen block✔️

Darius Garland tough drive✔️

Donovan Mitchell dime✔️

Evan Mobley slam✔️

Cavaliers lead Brooklyn 83-77 entering the fourth quarter. Mitchell leads all scorers with 24 points, while Cameron Johnson (17 points) and Keon Johnson (14 points) lead the offensive attack for Brooklyn.

Monster Q3 from KAT

Karl Anthony-Towns scored 20 points in the third quarter to bring his total to 26 points along with 15 rebounds as the Knicks hold a narrow 83-81 edge over Chicago.

Josh Giddey is assembling a sizable double-double of his own, accumulating 14 points and 13 rebounds in under 20 minutes of action thus far.

Bennedict Mathurin jelly🍇🍇

Mathurin has 16 points (6-9 FG) to join a well-balanced attack from Indiana, featuring two fancy finishes plus the foul on perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate Jaren Jackson Jr.

Mathurin’s advantage creation to the hoop has looked elite throughout Thursday’s game.

NBA Debut in Cleveland!

Nae’Qwan Tomlin checks in for Cleveland, representing the rookie’s first NBA minutes. Tomlin finished his collegiate career at Kansas St. and is among the top combo-forward athletes in the G League.

KYLE KUZMA FROM THE PARKING LOT

Kuzma hits from well beyond halfcourt to beat the Q1 buzzer. He has totaled 11 points to lead all scorers through the opening minutes of the second quarter.

New Clipper connection👀👀

In his second game with the Clippers, Ben Simmons continues acclimating and shows off his passing chops with a nice lob to the high-flying Derrick Jones.

Desmond Bane 💃🏻🕺🏽

Bane getting into his bag and capitalizing on Memphis’ quick ball movement to punish his defender.

KORNET STATUE OF LIBERTY DUNK🗽🗽

Boston isn’t missing a beat in their return to action after the All-Star Break.

The Celtics have opened up a double-digit lead over Philadelphia in the first half, fueled by a barrage of threes and crisp facilitating from Jayson Tatum.

Philadelphia Big 3 Assembles

Philadelphia looks to upset Boston led by a currently healthy Joel Embiid. The 76ers have posted an 8-9 record with Embiid on the court this season, but Philadelphia has gone just 12-25 without the MVP-caliber big man.

Thursday marks the 14th occasion in which Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey have played together this season through Philadelphia’s first 55 games.

CrunchTime Thursday‼️

No better way to tune into a busy night of ball than the CrunchTime broadcast on NBA TV:

Top Storylines👉📝

  1. San Antonio begins the stretch run of the season without young phenom Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama is expected to be out for the remainder of the season with a blood clotting issue in his shoulder.
  2. Memphis and Indiana square off as two teams deep in the playoff mix. Memphis holds a 0.5 game lead over Denver for the No.2 seed in the West, while Indiana holds a one-game advantage over Milwaukee for the No.4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
  3. Entering the All-Star Break with a league-best eight-game winning streak, Denver will look to extend that number to nine against Charlotte, who will be closing a back-to-back set.

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