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Nightly Pulse: NBA news & highlights from Feb. 25

Stay in the know on tonight's NBA action with the latest news, scores and highlights from around the league.

NBA.com Staff

⛹🏾‍♂️🏀Tuesday hoops🏀⛹

  • Celtics 111, Raptors 101 (Final)
  • Cavaliers 122, Magic 82 (Final)
  • Spurs 103, Pelicans 109 (Final)
  • Suns 148, Grizzlies 151 (Final)
  • Bucks 97, Rockets 100 (Final)
  • Mavericks 99, Lakers 107 (Final)
  • Hornets 92, Warriors 128 (Final)

📝Final notes📝

  1. The Suns and Grizzlies played to a tight, high-scoring overtime finish, with Memphis prevailing 151-148. The game featured eight players surpassing the 20-point mark, with Ja Morant (29), Jaren Jackson Jr. (28), Desmond Bane (25), Devin Booker (28), Kevin Durant (26), Bradley Beal (24), Bol Bol (23), and Grayson Allen (21) all reaching the feat. The win puts the Grizzlies back in a tie with Denver for the No. 2 seed in the West and pushes Phoenix further out of a play-in spot, 2.5 games back from Sacramento for the No. 10 seed. 
  2. Cleveland remains white-hot, earning their eighth win in a row, a lopsided 40-point win over the Magic. They now have three separate win streaks of eight or more games on the season, a feat that hasn’t been achieved since the Suns in the 2021-22 season. The Magic never had a lead in this one and were outscored by the Cavaliers by 26 in the second half. 
    The Lakers prevailed over the Mavericks, backed by a Luka Dončić triple-double, and 16 fourth-quarter points from LeBron James. The game was close to the finish, but the Lakers were able to pull away in the end, securing a 107-99 win.

🌟🌟Top performers🌟🌟

 

  • Luka Dončić: 19 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, two blocks. 
  • LeBron James: 27 points (11-17 FG), 12 rebounds, three assists. 
  • Ja Morant: 29 points, four rebounds, eight assists, and two steals. 
  • Kyrie Irving: 35 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks. 

✨New Laker duo shines✨

Luka and LeBron came through, securing a 107-99 win over Dallas. Dončić was huge in the first half and ultimately secured a 19-point, 15-rebound, 12-assist triple-double, but it was James who took over in the final frame, scoring 16 of his 27 points in the fourth. 

Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson provided the Mavericks with strong performances, including 35 points from Irving, and a 5-10 long-range shooting night for 22 points from Thompson. However, it ultimately wasn’t enough to get Dallas the W.

🌉Warriors get the dub🌉

 

Golden State is now 6-1 with Jimmy Butler in the lineup after their 128-92 victory over Charlotte.

The Warriors led by as much as 39 in this one and spread out the scoring along the way, with seven players in double figures and Buddy Hield’s 16 leading the team.

The victory was the Warriors’ 3,000th franchise win.

♨️Hot finish coming in LA♨️

 

The Lakers and Mavericks are knotted up at 91 with just under six minutes remaining in the matchup.

These teams are going back-and-forth highlight plays, like this amazing finish by LeBron on a feed from Reaves.

Klay Thompson has caught fire for the Mavericks, scoring 11 straight points,

and Luka now has a triple-double, with this assist,

Dray day

 

The Warriors are rolling with a 71-46 lead over the Hornets midway through the third quarter.

A big reason why is Draymond Green, who has 13 points, including this dunk below, and six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks.

📺The Luka show📺

No one should be surprised, but Luka Dončić is having himself a game. 

He’s scored 12 points, grabbed 12 boards, and also has seven assists, two blocks, and two steals, as the Lakers head to halftime up 59-51 over Dallas.

Of Luka’s seven dimes, none of more impressive than this no-look, behind-the-back dish to Reaves for a triple.

🐻Grizzlies roar in OT🐻

Memphis hung on to win an electric matchup with Phoenix, 151-148 in overtime.

These teams lit up the box scores, but it was Morant’s 29 points that led all scorers. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 28 and six boards, while Desmond Bane finished with 25 and nine assists.

Jaylen Wells just missed the 20-mark with 19 points, and none more important than this dunk that helped seal the victory,

The Suns had five players score at least 20 points, with Devin Booker (28), Kevin Durant (26), Bradley Beal (24), Bol Bol (23), and Grayson Allen (21) all reaching the feat.

🎉Bonus basketball🎉

 

Ja Morant hits a clutch jumper with 1.4 seconds left on the clock to tie the Suns at 137 and send the game to overtime. Morant is now up to 29 points, with just a couple of minutes remaining in overtime and the Grizzlies holding a two-point lead.

🚀Rockets lift off🚀

 

Houston secured a tight win over Milwaukee, 100-97.

Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun were clutch for the Rockets down the stretch, nailing key free throws on their way to victory. Green ultimately finished with 25 points, eight rebounds, and three assists, while Sengun added a 23-point, 11-rebound double-double with three blocks.

Key in the victory was this Dillon Brooks block, which helped keep a one-point lead over the Bucks with just over a minute to go.

🚦Moving through traffic🚦

 

Luka Dončić scores his first bucket against his former team with a tough finish in traffic. Luka now has four points, three boards, and two assists, and the Lakers have a 16-14 lead over Dallas. 

⚔️ Cavaliers ride to victory⚔️

 

There was no magic for Orlando tonight, as Cleveland cruised their way to a 40-point, 122-82 victory.

The Cavaliers have won eight in and row and are now 47-10 on the season. Due to the lopsided score, their contributions were spread out, with Ty Jerome’s 20 points the top mark for the club, while De’Andre Hunter, Max Strus, and Evan Mobley each added 17.

😱Morant goes way up😱

 

Ja Morant gets served a lob from Jaylen Wells and gets up like he’s using a trampoline for the finish.

Morant has 12 points and five assists, but it’s Jackson Jr. doing most of the damage for Memphis with 23 points on 9-for-10 shooting.

However, it’s the Suns who go into the final frame up 103-101. Bradley Beal has a double-double for Phoenix with 20 points and 10 assists.

🛫Watch him fly🛫

 

The Pelicans get a three-on-one break off a steal and Zion Williamson serves Trey Murphy III a lob for a two-handed finish.

Murphy has 13 points to lead the Pelicans, while Zion has 10 and three dimes, but the Spurs are beating New Orleans 68-64, near the midpoint of the third quarter.

🍀Celtics win🍀

 

Boston took care of business on their way to a 111-101 win over the Raptors for their sixth straight victory. Boston never trailed by more than one, and only did so momentarily in the second quarter.

Jaylen Brown led the team with 24 points and also contributed five rebounds and four assists. Tatum registered a double-double, adding 19 points and 11 assists, while Derrick White chipped in 22, with three boards, five dimes, three steals, and two blocks.

Payton Pritchard was effective off the bench with 20 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

🛠️Building a connection🛠️

 

Kyle Kuzma and Giannis Antetokounmpo are learning to play together and combine nicely here, ending the sequence with a layup for Kuzma.

Giannis leads Milwaukee with 15 points, and he also has six boards and four dimes, while Kuzma has added nine.

The Bucks hold a 59-57 lead over the Rockets at the break.

🫳I’ll take that🫳

 

Kevin Porter Jr. is finding his niche in Milwaukee. He grabs two steals, each leading to breakaway dunks.

It’s the Rockets though that hold a 44-36 lead over the Bucks midway through the second quarter. Tari Eason is leading the scoring with 10, and Amen Thompson is tallying up the stat sheet, with six points, six boards, and four assists.

👓He spots him👓

 

Donovan Mitchell finds Jarrett Allen for the lob throwdown for his second assist, and Allen’s sixth point.

Cleveland takes a 57-43 lead over the Magic into halftime.

Cleaning up🧹🪣

 

A missed three by Ja Morant turns into a hard one-handed slam by Brandon Clarke on the rebound.

Clarke has six points off the bench for Memphis, while Jaren Jackson Jr. leads the way with 10.

It’s the Suns’ Kevin Durant that leads all scorers with 11 though, as these teams are knotted up at 36 early in the second quarter.

½ Way there

 

Boston is holding a 66-54 lead over Toronto at the half.

Tatum is just one assist shy of a double-double at the break, also racking up 12 points, including this dunk,

The Celtics have three other players who have scored in double figures, including White (12), Jaylen Brown (13), and Payton Pritchard (10).

The Raptors are being paced by RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes, who have scored 13 and 15 respectively.

🚫Nah, dude🚫

 

Okoro gets way up to tell Paolo Banchero to get that out of here with an impressive block in the paint.

Okoro and the rest of the Cavaliers are locking down Orlando early. They’ve scored just 11 points on 3-for-16 shooting late in the first, and Cleveland has built a 23-11 lead.

Okoro and the rest of the Cavaliers are locking down Orlando early. They’ve scored just 11 points on 3-for-16 shooting late in the first, and Cleveland has built a 23-11 lead.

Cleveland’s main point of offensive success has been a three-triple burst off the bench from De’Andre Hunter.

 

🤝Handbands unite🤝

 

The Celtics have jumped out to a 35-24 lead over the Raptors after a quarter of play.

The driving force has been Derrick White and Jayson Tatum, who combined to end this play with a successful three-ball from White.

White has six points and three steals already, while Tatum has contributed five points and five assists.

 

Starting5️⃣

 

Darius Garland will not play tonight against Orlando due to a hip contusion.

Starting in his place will be Isaac Okoro.

This will be Garland’s second straight missed game due to the injury. Without him, the Cavaliers were still able to topple the Grizzlies on Sunday for their seventh straight win.

🏟️In the building🏟️

 

Luka Dončić has arrived at the Crypto.com arena in Los Angeles for tonight’s showdown against his former squad, the Dallas Mavericks.

That action is just a little over three hours away and will be live on TNT, truTV, and Max.

📚Three key stories📚

 

  1. Luka Dončić will square off against his former team, the Mavericks under the bright lights of Los Angeles to cap off tonight’s doubleheader on TNT, truTV, and Max. After three games of limited production (by Luka standards) and minutes, Dončić broke out in his fourth game with the Lakers on Saturday, posting 32 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. Beneath the obvious layer of intrigue that Luka brings against his former team, this game is also important to the NBA playoff chase. With a crowded Western Conference every win matters, especially for the Mavericks who are 2.0 games in the wrong direction from being out of the playoff picture entirely. 
  2. A rematch from a 2024 first-round playoff series is what gets us started on TNT tonight. Cleveland and Orlando went the distance, with the Cavaliers ultimately winning the seven-game series. The Magic’s season hasn’t gone as planned, as injuries have severely impacted their roster throughout the season, but as winners of three of their last four, they may be turning the corner. A win here against Cleveland, who is going for their eighth straight victory, could be the spark needed to fully ignite the Magic. 
  3. Golden State made a significant move at the trade deadline, bringing in Jimmy Butler to revitalize its season and championship chances. So far, the move has not disappointed, as the Warriors have gone 5-1 with Butler in the lineup. They will be aiming for their fourth straight win tonight when they host the Hornets. Golden State currently holds the No. 9 seed in the West but is just 1.0 games out of the No. 6 seed in a congested battle for playoff positioning. 

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