Future Note For Forecasters: Feb. 27 means a high chance of Curry flurries.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Feb. 28, 2025

Steph Magic: 56 points, 12 treys, 5 straight wins and 1 day on the calendar that’s been special for Steph

Cavs-Celtics: The East’s top 2 teams duel for the final time this regular season (7:30 ET, ESPN)

East Beasts: A season series defined by star power, explosive offenses & nail-biting finishes

Battle Of LA: A new chapter in a historic crosstown rivalry opens tonight (10 ET, ESPN)

Thursday Roundup: LeBron shines, Luka closes, Giannis & Jokić duel and more

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Get your popcorn ready…

The Grand Finale: In their fourth and final matchup of the regular season, the Cavs visit the Celtics tonight (7:30 ET, ESPN), before the Lakers host the Clippers in the Battle of LA (10 ET, ESPN).

This Weekend On ABC: The Warriors visit the Sixers on Saturday (8:30 ET), followed by the Celtics hosting Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets on Sunday (1 ET).

Reads Of The Day: The Ringer on Cade Cunningham’s rise … Indy Star on how Tyrese Haliburton ‘weathered the storm’ … NBC News on how OKC, the youngest NBA squad, has made itself into the league’s top team.

1. THE DAY OF CURRY: ANOTHER FEB. 27 STEPH STORM

After one quarter in Orlando, the Warriors trailed by 11, with Steph Curry limited to 5 points.

And then, well – magic.

Warriors 121, Magic 115: By halftime, Curry had 21 points on five triples, including a 51-foot heave to beat the buzzer – foreshadowing the historic storm that was brewing.

While the Dubs entered the 3rd down 14, Curry entered another dimension, splashing four more 3s for 22 points in 9:39 of game time, single-handedly outscoring Orlando in the quarter to give Golden State its first lead of the game.

In the 4th, with the Magic battling back, Curry said ‘night, night,’ draining three more 3s in the final 4:01 – including a dagger with 1:31 left for 12 triples on the night and the Warriors’ fifth straight win. | Recap

• The Steph Show: Curry finished 12-of-19 from deep for a season-high 56 points, marking his 14th career 50-piece and his 3rd game with a dozen triples – one shy of his single-game record (13)
• That ties him with Rick Barry for the second-most 50-pieces in Warriors history, while extending his NBA record to 26 games of 10+ 3s. No other player has 10
• Feb. 27 Flurries: The date of Steph’s first 50-piece? Exactly 12 years from Thursday, with 54 points and 11 treys against the Knicks on Feb. 27, 2013
• AKA Steph Day: Exactly three years later, on Feb. 27, 2016, Steph splashed 12 3s for 46 points to beat OKC, prompting Mike Breen’s first “double bang” call

Rare Eruption: Thursday also marked just the 39th instance in NBA history that a player has notched 11+ 3s in a game. Responsible for 14 of those games? You guessed it – Curry.

• “It never gets old watching,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr on Steph’s outbursts. “I think the fans here tonight, even the Magic fans, they know they’re witnessing the greatest shooter ever – and one of the greatest performers ever.”
• Golden Duo: Jimmy Butler overcame an off-shooting night with 7 assists, as Golden State improved to 7-1 with him in the lineup
• Paolo’s 40-Piece: On the other side, Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 41 points and 5 assists while shooting 16-of-27 from the floor

2. CAVS AT CELTICS: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR ROUND 4

In their 55-year history, the Cavs have never had a season like this one.

At 48-10, Cleveland isn’t just off to its best-ever 58-game start – it’s two consecutive wins shy of becoming just the 12th team in NBA history to reach 50 wins through 60 games.

Standing in its way? The defending champion Celtics, who are 2-1 against the Cavs this season and will play host tonight at TD Garden, where they ended Cleveland’s season in last year’s Playoffs.

And Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson isn’t downplaying the magnitude of tonight’s matchup.

• “We still have to prove we can beat them, beat them at their place,” said Atkinson on Boston. “I think we go in there, kind of guns blazing, go for the win, whatever it takes, throw everything at them.”

Surging: Cleveland has owned the East’s best record since Oct. 30 and enters Friday on an 8-game win streak, powered by the league’s most-potent offense – one that’s only getting better.

• New Heights: Before their heater, the Cavs led the NBA with a 121.5 OffRtg. Over their last eight games, that number has jumped to 126.1
• Their Offensive Engine? All-Stars Donovan Mitchell (24.0), Darius Garland (21.3) and Evan Mobley (18.7), who are combining for 64.0 ppg
• Big Boost: Amid the win streak, Mobley has shined (22.3 pts, 10.4 reb, 2.5 blk, 60.5 FG%), while six other Cavs are posting 10+ ppg
• “We have a special group,” said Ty Jerome, averaging 16.0 ppg amid the win streak. “Everyone is selfless … winning is at the forefront of our minds.”

The last team to beat Cleveland? Boston, which has held the No. 2 spot in the East, directly behind the Cavs, for 121 straight days — but can take the season series with a win tonight.

• Champs Rolling: Despite their 6-game win streak ending in Detroit on Wednesday, the Celtics are 10-2 in their last 12 games, trailing only the Cavs for the best record in that span
• All-Around Elite: While Cleveland owns the NBA’s top OffRtg, Boston is the only team to rank in the top five in both OffRtg (4th) and DefRtg (5th)
• C’s 3s: The Celtics are also the only team hitting more 3s per game than the Cavs, with 17.8 – on pace to break the single-season NBA record
• Leading The Charge? Jayson Tatum (26.6 ppg), posting career-highs in 3PM (3.6) and assists (5.8) while combining for 49.5 ppg with Jaylen Brown (22.9), who is questionable with a thigh contusion

3. EAST BEASTS & A SERIES OF SLIM MARGINS

The Cavs & Celtics have flexed their dominance all season, owning the top two point differentials in the East at +11.7 and +8.8, respectively.

But when the two titans have gone head-to-head this season, the difference between winning and losing has been razor thin, with their three games coming down to an average of 4.7 points.

• Nov. 19 in Boston: The C’s held off the Cavs, 120-117, in NBA Cup Group play to hand Cleveland its first loss of the season after a historic 15-0 start
• Dec. 1 in Cleveland: The Cavs rallied back from 14 down to defeat the Celtics, 115-111, snapping Boston’s longest win streak of the season
• Feb. 4 in Cleveland: The C’s staved off a 4th-quarter Cavs rally for a 112-105 win, marking Cleveland’s only loss in the past month

That leaves just six points of separation in their three meetings this season, with the Celtics holding a slight 343-337 edge.

That margin shrinks even more in clutch time – where Cleveland and Boston rank first and second in point differential – with the C’s holding just a three-point edge across three single-digit finishes.

Cavs & Celtics’ stats in head-to-head matchups this season

Another Key? The 3, which the Celtics and Cavs shoot better than anybody.

• Deadly From Deep: While the C’s are splashing 3s at a historic rate, the Cavs boast a higher percentage, shooting an NBA-best 39.4% from downtown
• The Cavs’ Top Marksmen? Mitchell (39.5%), Garland (42.5%), Jerome (44.4%) and newly acquired De’Andre Hunter (41.2%) – all shooting a career-high from 3 this season
• Leading Boston’s Barrage? Tatum (3.6), Derrick White (3.4) and Payton Pritchard (3.2) – combining for 10.2 triples per game
• Winning Results: In Cleveland & Boston’s three matchups this season, the team that’s shot a higher percentage from deep has earned the W

Each with six players averaging double figures, the Cavs and Celtics boast two of the NBA’s deepest rosters. But when they’ve clashed, two stars have taken over.

• Spida Spark: Mitchell has stepped up for Cleveland, averaging 33.7 pts, 8.3 reb, and 4.0 ast against Boston, including 35 points on six 3s in the Cavs’ lone win
• JT Takeover: Tatum’s been just as valuable for Boston, posting 29.3 pts, 8.0 rebs, and 6.0 ast while shooting 43.3% from deep against Cleveland
• “I think he’s still underrated,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla on Tatum earlier this month. “He’s one of the best players out there.”

With the season series on the line, can Tatum and the C’s deliver a championship reminder, or will Mitchell and the Cavs even the score with a signature road win?

4. BATTLE OF LA ON ESPN, PISTONS AIM FOR 9 STRAIGHT WINS ON LP

The Lake Show will take center stage later tonight for the front half of a two-game homestand against the Clippers (10 ET, ESPN).

Friday marks a homecoming of sorts for the Clips, who played their previous 26 seasons at Crypto.com Arena/Staples Center and will visit for the first time since moving to the Intuit Dome.

• Luka Magic: There have been 241 battles all-time between these rivals, but none featured Luka Dončić, who has averaged 32.6 pts, 8.3 rebs and 7.4 ast in 18 career contests against the Clippers
• Hitting His Stride: Dončić notched his first triple-double in the Purple & Gold on Tuesday – his fifth game as a Laker – after rattling off 32 points on Saturday
• LA Lockdown: On the other end, the Lakers carry the No. 1 DefRtg in the league across their last 18 games

James Harden may be the scorer to cut through the curtain. He sank seven 3s en route to 30 points in Wednesday’s win over the Bulls – his third 30-piece in his last five games.

• Exclusive Company: Only Steph Curry has more career games (253) with 30+ points on 5+ 3s, relative to Harden’s 146
• Believe In The Beard: LA is 6-1 in games where Harden scores 30 or more, including victories over the 3rd-place Nuggets (Dec. 1) and the 5th-place Bucks (Jan. 25)

With the season series tied 1-1 and a rematch set for Saturday in the same building, who will take a pivotal Game 3?

On Wednesday, the Pistons beat the Celtics for their eighth straight win, marking their longest win streak since 2007-08 – the same year Detroit last totaled 34+ victories through their first 60 games of a season.

Now standing at 33-26, the Pistons have a chance to end another 17-year drought tonight as they host Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets (7 ET), opening an eight-game slate on League Pass.

5. THURSDAY ROUNDUP: LEBRON SHINES, JOKIĆ & GIANNIS DUEL, PELS & MAVS DUB

While Steph put on a show in Orlando, one of his fellow NBA ‘OGs’ went off out West.

Lakers 111, Wolves 102: In yet another time-defying performance, LeBron James tallied 33 points, 17 rebounds and 6 assists, while Luka Dončić added a double-double (21 pts, 13 reb, 5 ast) along with a ridiculous dagger 3 to outlast the Wolves. | Recap

• Lake Show Surging: Los Angeles has now won four straight games and is an NBA-best 14-3 since Jan. 20
• LBJ Makes History: LeBron’s performance marks just the second time a player has recorded 30+ pts, 15+ reb and 5+ ast in a game at 40 or older
• The First Instance? LeBron, 22 days ago
• Rook Cooks: Terrence Shannon Jr. led the Wolves with a career-high 25 points after Anthony Edwards was ejected in the 3rd quarter (18 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast)

Meanwhile, a duel between two of the game’s most dominant bigs delivered.

Bucks 121, Nuggets 112: Nikola Jokić was clinical, tallying his NBA-best 27th triple-double of the season (32 pts, 14 reb, 10 ast), but Giannis Antetokounmpo was too much, posting 28 points, 19 boards and 7 dimes to power the Bucks past the Nuggets. | Recap

• Dame Dagger: Milwaukee outscored Denver 67-55 in the 2nd half, stamped by a Damian Lillard 3 with 58 ticks left to ice it, marking the Bucks’ fifth win in six games

Pelicans 124, Suns 116: Devin Booker dropped a game-high 36 points along with 7 rebounds and 9 assists.

But Zion Williamson was a force (27 pts, 10 reb, 11 ast), notching his first career triple-double to lift the Pels over the Suns for their third-straight win. | Recap

Mavericks 103, Hornets 96: Kyrie Irving scored 18 of his 25 points in the 2nd half, while Klay Thompson (18 pts) hit three big shots in the 4th to help the Mavs stave off Mark Williams (26 pts, 16 reb) and the Hornets. | Recap