Starting 5: LeBron James' milestone, Jayson Tatum's possible return & more

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Tatum Upgraded: Celtics’ star could return as Boston preps for showdown with Dallas on ESPN

Also On ESPN: Wemby’s scorching Spurs welcome Kawhi’s Clippers in Playoff push

Wild West: LeBron passes Kareem but Nuggets deny Lakers, Wolves overtake Rockets, Spurs roll

East Race: Orlando’s last-second slam spoils Flagg’s return, keeps Magic ahead of streaking Heat

Roundup: Ace Bailey crashes Trae Young’s Wiz debut, Bulls thwart Suns, Pels top Kings

BUT FIRST … ⏰

ESPN Doubleheader: Jayson Tatum (Achilles) could return tonight as the Celtics host the Mavs (7 ET | Tap To Watch), followed by a battle of streaks between the Spurs and Clippers (9:30 ET | Tap To Watch).

MVP Race: He’s led the Rockets to the 3rd-best record in a loaded Western Conference. And now, Kevin Durant enters Shaun Powell’s Kia MVP Ladder. Tonight on League Pass (8 ET | Tap To Watch), Durant’s 3rd-place Rockets seek a third straight win as they host the Blazers.

More stars on Powell’s Kia MVP Ladder take the floor tonight, including the Ladder’s 2nd-ranked Nikola Jokić facing Jalen Brunson (No. 10), as the Nuggets host the Knicks (9 ET | Tap To Watch).

1. ON ESPN: TATUM COULD RETURN FOR CELTICS IN MEETING WITH FLAGG, MAVS

Could tonight be the night?

For the first time since he tore his Achilles in Game 4 of the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinals, Jayson Tatum is listed as questionable — with reports that he’ll be active tonight.

Two-hundred ninety-eight days of waiting. 298 days of work. 298 days of belief.

And if tonight is the night — when the Celtics take on the Mavs on ESPN (7 ET) — he’ll be rejoining a Boston team that’s defied the odds with their 6-time All-Star out.

Standing at second in the East, after only receiving a single vote to finish top-4 in the NBA GM Survey, the Celtics will look to get back to their winning ways from long distance against Dallas, which limits the 3 better than anybody.

• Long-Range Reputation: With 15.4 3pg this season, Boston finds itself in the top-3 most made 3s per game for the fourth straight season, including an NBA-record 17.8 3pg last season
• Key Stat: The C’s are undefeated in games where they hit at least 20 3s, something they’ve done more than any other team this season (14-0)
• Key Shooter: Sixty-one games into a career-year, Payton Pritchard needs one more 20+ point outing to match his career-high for 20+ point games in a season (24). Boston is 20-3 when he hits that mark
• “He’s just constantly wanting to learn, constantly wanting to get better,” coach Joe Mazzulla said of Pritchard. “His confidence comes from his work ethic.”
• Mavs Match Up: Beyond the arc is where this game could be won or lost, with Dallas holding opponents to 34.2 3P%, 2nd lowest this season

Speaking of returns, Mavs leader Cooper Flagg is back in action, dropping 18 pts in his return Thursday from an eight-game absence (foot), as Dallas aims to snap a five-game skid.

Read on for more from Flagg’s first game back in Section 4.

2. ALSO ON ESPN: SCORCHING SPURS HOST PLAYOFF-HOPEFUL CLIPPERS

Every year since 2003, the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo has been staged at Frost Bank Center in February.

It forces a three-week road trip into the Spurs’ regular-season schedule.

But it’s not every year the team takes its “Rodeo Road Trip” by the horns quite like this. The Associated Press’ Dan Gelston explores the Spurs’ latest success, with San Antonio back home to host the Clippers tonight (9:30 ET, ESPN):

“The Spurs went a sparkling 8-1 on their near month-long road trip, necessitated annually while the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo camps out in their arena. Behind 18 3-pointers and 22 points from star rookie Dylan Harper, the Spurs punctuated the road finale on Tuesday night with a 131-91 romp past the undermanned and overwhelmed Philadelphia 76ers.

“The Spurs posted their largest win since February 2018 and improved to an NBA-best 13-1 since Feb. 1. | Read More.

• Elite Company: The last time they were 8-1 on that trip? In 2003, before they went on to defeat the then-New Jersey Nets, 4-2, in the Finals and claim their second NBA title
• “When we’ve committed to just not getting bored with our success at times and staying with what’s working, we’ve had some really good stretches,” said coach Mitch Johnson
• Climbing: San Antonio is 3 games back of Oklahoma City for 1st place, and has won four of their five head-to-head meetings in 2025-26

LA, on the other hand, has won seven of its last 11 games with sights set on the postseason. A victory tonight would push the 9th-place squad closer to the Playoff picture.

• Leonard Leads: Seven-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard was the team’s leading scorer in 12 of the last 14 outings. He averaged 29.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in February

3. WILD WEST: SPURS ROLL, WOLVES RISE, LEBRON’S HISTORY IN NUGGETS’ VICTORY

Coming into Thursday, seeds No. 3-7 in the West were separated by just 3.5 games.

All five of those teams were in action, plus two more West Playoff contenders, making for a critical night in the standings.

And in a marquee showdown on Prime, the Nuggets and Lakers waged a Playoff-position battled a mile high — while King James took yet another step into rarefied air.

Nuggets 120, Lakers 113: Nikola Jokić (28 pts, 12 reb, 13 ast) collected his league-high 23rd triple-double and Jamal Murray’s (28 pts, 7 ast, 5 3s) hot start helped Denver build an early double-digit lead it never surrendered, spoiling LeBron’s record-setting night as the NBA’s all-time leader in field goals made. | Recap

• Denver’s Duo: Murray sparked for 20 points with four triples and five assists before halftime, and Jokić sealed the win late with a tough take for a two-possession lead
• Lakers Leaders: In his 500th career game, Luka Dončić’s (11 reb, 7 ast, 4 stl) 27 points paced L.A., with James (8 ast, 3 stl) and Austin Reaves (7 ast, 3 stl) adding 16 points apiece
• Trailing the Rockets by just .004 percentage points, 5th-place Denver adds a game to their edge over L.A. (1.5 GB), who have a 2-game edge on Phoenix for the final guaranteed spot

With the final seconds of the 1st quarter ticking down, LeBron sunk his 15,838th career field goal.

• Fittingly getting to work from the low block, James hit a fadeaway jumper to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most made field goals in NBA history
• “It’s one of my patented shots, it’s something I’ve worked on my whole career,” LBJ said of the low-post fadeaway for the record. “It’s pretty cool.”
• “It’s an unbelievable feat,” James said. “To see the list … for my name to be mentioned with the greats and for my name to be at the top of it is awesome.”
• Next Milestone: LeBron is closing in on more NBA history, just six games away from passing Robert Parish (1,611) for most ever

Spurs 121, Pistons 106: Back home from a 5-game road trip that started with a win in Detroit 10 days ago, San Antonio greeted their fans with a 38-22 1st quarter and twin 20+ point 1st halves from Victor Wembanyama (38 pts, 16 reb, 5 blk) and De’Aaron Fox (29 pts).

The Spurs would never trail, sweeping the season series from Cade Cunningham (26 pts, 8 ast) and the Pistons for a 13th win in their last 14 games. | Recap

• A First For Wemby: Victor logged at least 35 points, 15 boards and five blocks in a game for the first time
• Spurs Greats: That places him with Tim Duncan and David Robinson as the only other Spurs since 1973-74 to post 35/15/5 minimums in a game

Wolves 115, Raptors 107: Anthony Edwards took over for 11 of his 22 points in Minnesota’s lead-flipping, 35-22 3rd quarter, leading six double-digit Wolves scorers over RJ Barrett (25 pts, 6 reb) and Toronto for a fifth straight win. | Recap

• “Ant, as we know, is an incredible talent, but it’s important that he has fun,” coach Chris Finch said on Edwards’ mindset. “I think he feels that support and energy from his teammates, which is really important.”
• Making Their Move: The Wolves become the West’s third 40-win team this season, racing into 3rd-place with a one-game gap over Houston

Warriors 115, Rockets 113 (OT): A 15-4 3rd-quarter comeback run secured Houston’s first lead of the night, which it maintained until the final 3 minutes, where five lead changes sent the game to overtime.

Brandin Podziemski (26 pts, 9 reb) shined in OT, netting half of Golden State’s 14 points in the extra frame to outlast Reed Sheppard (30 pts, 6 ast, 6 3s), Durant (23 pts) and the Rockets. | Recap

• Finishing Forces: Alperen Sengun (17 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast) scored Houston’s final seven points in the 4th to force overtime, leading to De’Anthony Melton’s (23 pts, 6 reb, 3 stl) OT putback with 5.3 remaining to seal the Warriors’ win
• Playoff Pack: Golden State gained a half-game on the idle Clippers for the West’s 8th-seed, while Houston slips to 4th

4. FLORIDA’S RACE: MAGIC WIN IN FLAGG’S RETURN TO STAY AHEAD OF HEAT

Cooper Flagg returned from an eight-game absence (foot), right into familiar, late-game territory.

Magic 115, Mavericks 114: Battling late with Flagg and the league leaders in clutch games played (39), Orlando won the final minute with Jalen Suggs’ (17 pts, 7 ast) lead-trimming triple and contested dish to Wendell Carter Jr. for the game-winning slam with 1.4 remaining. | Recap

• Coop returned with 18 points and a season-high four blocks in a limited 26 minutes. Off the bench, Klay Thompson (24 pts, 7 3s) led all scorers
• Back & Forth: Dallas held the lead, as large as 14 points, for two and a half quarters before a 23-7 run gave Orlando an 11-point edge. The Mavs’ 19-8 response set up the clutch finish
• Playing in his 50th game, Flagg became the 2nd youngest player to get to 1,000 points, 300 rebounds, 200 assists and 50 3s in that span, trailing only Luka
• Clutch Coop: Adding to the 12th-highest total of clutch points in the league, Flagg’s and-1 with under a minute to play made it a two-possession Mavs lead, forcing Orlando’s heroics

Orlando’s clutch win keeps it ahead of Miami for the East’s 7th seed, who won at home to keep pace.

Heat 126, Nets 110: Miami rolled to a third straight win on the wings of Tyler Herro (25 pts), Bam Adebayo (21 pts, 7 reb) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (18 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast), overpowering Michael Porter Jr.’s (27 pts, 13 reb) Nets. | Recap

• Kel’el Everywhere: Ware stuffed the stat sheet (16 pts, 11 reb), matching his career-high in steals (5) and setting a new one for blocks (7). He joins Hakeem (3x) and Shaq as the only players with such minimums since 1973-74

5. ROUNDUP: ACE BAILEY’S BEST OUTSHINES TRAE YOUNG’S WIZ DEBUT

Jazz 122, Wizards 112: In his Wizards debut, Trae Young tallied 12 points and six assists in 19 minutes, but Ace Bailey’s career-high 32 points and 7 3s won the day, allowing Utah to snap its seven-game losing streak. | Recap

Bulls 105, Suns 103: Collin Sexton (30 pts, 5 ast) and Tre Jones (21 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast) helped Chicago outlast Devin Booker (27 pts) and Phoenix’s 17-7 run in the final 5 minutes, as the Suns remain in 7th out West, 2 games behind the Lakers for the final Playoff spot. | Recap

Pelicans 133, Kings 123: Zion Williamson (23 pts, 9 reb, 5 ast), Trey Murphy III (21 pts, 7 reb) and Saddiq Bey (20 pts) combined for 64 points to lead New Orleans past Precious Achiuwa (29 pts, 12 reb, 5 ast) and Sacramento. | Recap

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