Starting 5, Feb. 20: LaMelo's late dagger leads Hornets past Lakers ...

LaMagic in Los Angeles to tip off the 2nd half of the regular season.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION ????Feb. 20, 2025

Hornets Sting Lakers: Charlotte knocks off Los Angeles for a dramatic clutch dub

KD Returns To Austin: From Longhorn to NBA legend, KD’s journey comes full circle tonight

C’s Surge Into Philly: The defending champs look to stay hot against East rival

Mile-High Efficiency: The secret to Denver’s eight-game win streak lies inside

LP Lineup: Two premier offenses clash, while East powers make their Playoff push

BUT FIRST … ⏰We’re just getting warmed up…

Nine games tip off tonight, headlined by a TNT doubleheader. First, Jayson Tatum and the C’s face Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers in Philly (7 ET). Then, the Spurs host Kevin Durant and the Suns in Austin (9:30 ET).

1. HORNETS RALLY PAST LAKERS FOR CLUTCH WIN

The first game back from the All-Star break? A last-second thriller in Los Angeles.

Hornets 100, Lakers 97: In their third game as a duo, LeBron James (26 pts, 7 reb, 11 ast, 1 mammoth poster) and Luka Dončić (14 pts, 11 reb, 8 ast) both stuffed the stat sheet, but the Hornets rallied for a gutsy win behind Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball. | Recap

• Buzzing Bees: After trailing by 13 in the 3rd quarter, Bridges and Ball sparked a 23-1 run that stretched into the 4th to take control
• Back-&-Forth Finish: A Luka putback put the Lakers up one with 1:03 left, but Nick Smith Jr. responded with a 3 before Ball splashed a clutch floater to push Charlotte’s lead to four with 14 ticks to play
• The Final Stand: Although a late LeBron 3 cut L.A.’s deficit to one, James couldn’t get another to drop, as Charlotte stood tall on the final possession to snap its three-game skid

B&B Buckets: Bridges finished with a game-high 29 points and a career-high 5 steals, while Ball added 27 points and 6 assists.

In the 2nd half, the duo went off for 35 points, with Ball pouring in 18 and Bridges adding 17 – leading to the Hornets’ first road win in over a month.

• “It shows the grit of this team – the discipline,” said Hornets coach Charles Lee on the rally. “I’m really proud of the group for being as resilient as they were.”

On the other side, the Lakers – who entered Wednesday with an NBA-best 12-3 record since Jan. 15 – have now dropped two in a row as they continue to find their rhythm with Dončić in the fold.

• “It’s his third game with us,” said LeBron on Luka. “We’re trying to fast-track him on the fly. He’s coming back from his injury and getting back into form. So, we’re all working through it together.”

2. TONIGHT ON TNT: KD RETURNS TO AUSTIN AS THE SPURS HOST THE SUNS

The last time Kevin Durant played meaningful minutes in Austin, he was an 18-year-old freshman for the Longhorns, torching Texas A&M for 30 points – including Texas’ final five in double OT – to seal a rivalry win.

That was Feb. 28, 2007.

Eighteen years later, he returns to the city where his rise to superstardom began, as the Spurs host the Suns at UT’s Moody Center (9:30 ET, TNT).

• “It does mean a lot to me,” Durant said on tonight’s homecoming. “Austin is a place where I kind of started this journey, and to have so many friends and family that are still there from, what, 16, 17 years ago is pretty sweet. This is a unique time.”

Last week, Durant matched Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,101 games) as the third-fastest player to score 30,000 career points, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan.

Last weekend, he returned to the Bay Area as a 15-time All-Star, where he helped lead Golden State to two NBA championships.

Tonight, his February comes full circle on a campus where his legacy extends beyond hardware.

• “To have him come back here and be here this week and be around our guys and see our guys, I mean, you can’t ask for anything better than that,” said Texas coach Rodney Terry.
• “A lot of our guys’ favorite player is Kevin Durant. Why they chose to come to Texas was Kevin Durant. He’s had an incredible impact not only on our basketball program but also on our athletic program as a whole.”

One of the purest scorers the game has ever seen, Durant has gotten buckets at every stop of his career – whether it’s burning defense in the Burnt Orange or making history at hoops’ highest level.

• How It Started: In KD’s lone season with the Longhorns (2006-07), he averaged 25.8 ppg while shooting 40.4% from 3
• How It’s Going: This season with the Suns, he’s posting 27.3 ppg while shooting the same exact percentage from deep – 40.4%
• “He’s scored over 30,000 points, he’s one of the all-time scorers at the next level, one of the all-time scorers at the collegiate level,” said Terry on Durant
• “I think it’s an awesome opportunity for himself — and for the city of Austin to come out and support one of our great players who is still in the prime of his career right now.”

3. CELTICS BRING STREAKING SUCCESS TO PHILLY TONIGHT

The 40-win club, which already features Cleveland and Oklahoma City, will welcome a third member if Boston secures a win over Philadelphia tonight (7 ET, TNT).

In the previous meeting, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown teamed up for 56 points as part of a 26-point comeback that’s tied for the season’s largest in a 118-110 triumph on Feb. 2.

Seven times over their last eight, the Celtics have won, including victories over the 1st-place Cavaliers and 3rd-place Knicks – their best stretch since going 10-1 from Nov. 13 to Dec. 6.

• The Hot Hand: Jayson Tatum is lighting up the scoreboard, scoring 30 or more points in three consecutive games and can make it four in a row for the first time in 2024-2025
• Spreading The Wealth: Tatum’s on pace for a fifth straight season with 26+ ppg, but ball distribution from him (5.6 apg) and Brown (4.8 apg) has reached an entirely new level
• Both Jays are on track for their best single-season assist averages of their 8+ year careers, helping Boston rank 4th in the NBA for assist-to-turnover ratio
• Prestigious Pursuit: Also posting 27.0 ppg and 8.7 rpg, Tatum is on pace to join Larry Bird and John Havlicek as the only Celtics to average 25/5/5 in a single season

Tyrese Maxey was on fire prior to the break with 25 or more points in 18 consecutive games played from Jan. 6 to Feb. 9, but the 76ers have dropped seven of their last eight.

• Difference Maker: Philadelphia has a 118.4 OffRtg with Maxey on the court since Jan. 6 – a mark that would qualify as 5th in the league – but overall, the team ranks 18th
• Ballin’ On Both Ends: The Celtics, meanwhile, are the league’s only squad ranking in the top five in OffRtg (4th) and DefRtg (5th), and were joined only by the Thunder in that regard last campaign en route to Banner 18
• Road Warriors: That two-way success has especially shined beyond the confines of TD Garden, where Boston boasts an NBA-best 22-6 road record and has won six straight

4. DENVER EYES NINTH STRAIGHT WIN BEHIND OFFENSIVE SURGE

The last time the Nuggets won nine straight games was in January 2023, opening a year that saw them win their first NBA title in franchise history.

That season, Denver entered the All-Star break with 18 losses.

Last week, the Nuggs hit the break with 19 – riding an eight-game heater into tonight’s game against Charlotte (9 ET, LP) as they look to match their longest win streak since their championship campaign.

• The Driving Factor? Offense. Amid their eight-game win streak, the Nuggets lead the league in scoring (128.1 ppg), assists (33.4) and OffRtg (129.4)
• That begins with Nikola Jokić, who is nearly averaging a 30-point triple-double with 29.8 pts, 12.6 reb and 10.2 ast per game this season

While the Joker has been dominant all season, two players have been just as key to Denver’s recent surge – Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray.

Both MPJ and Murray have seen their scoring and shooting percentage skyrocket amid Denver’s eight-game heater – and this is no accident.

Their secret? Attacking the cup.

• The Conductor: Amid the win streak, Murray’s increased his drives per game from 10.3 to 12.7 – boosting his points in the paint from 6.9 ppg to 12.0
• Winning Numbers: That includes 16 points in the paint last Wednesday on his way to a career-high 55 against Portland

• MPJ On The Move: Meanwhile, Porter, known for his 3-point shooting, has utilized Jokić’s vision to find easy looks off-ball – nearly doubling his points in the paint amid Denver’s win streak (6.9 ppg to 12.8)

• Two-Man Game: Murray’s done the same, leveraging Jokić’s presence in the post for easy hand-off buckets ⬇️

The Result? Denver ranks first in ppg off cuts (16.3), first in ppg off post-ups (8.7) and third in ppg off handoffs (7.5) – leading to one of the league’s most prolific offenses, despite ranking 28th in 3s made (31.2).

• “It’s kind of like pick your poison,” said head coach Michael Malone last week on when Denver’s offense is clicking
• “How do you guard that two-man game? How do you guard Nikola in the post? How do you guard Jamal in space? … It’s really good to see.”

Tonight, as Denver seeks nine in a row, Malone also eyes his 500th career win. Will he hit the milestone, or will the Hornets knock off another West contender?

5. LEAGUE PASS LINEUP: ELITE OFFENSES & EAST POWERS IN ACTION

The Pacers opened December with a 15-point loss to the Grizzlies. By Dec. 8, Indy had fallen to 10-15, marking the first time it was five games below .500 since the 2022-23 season.

Since then, last year’s East finalists have gone 20-8, jumping from 9th in the East to 4th.

Tonight (7 ET, LP), they’ll face Memphis again in a matchup between two of the hottest teams in hoops.

• Roaring & Scoring: Up a half-game on Denver for 2nd in the West, Memphis has gone 11-3 in its last 14 games, led by the highest-scoring offense in the NBA (123.3 ppg)
• Where Does That Stack Up? If the season ended today, Memphis’ 123.3 ppg would be tied for the highest-scoring average in the last 40 years
• The Other Team To Hit The Mark? The 2023-24 Pacers. And amid its current 20-8 stretch, Indy has found its groove again, posting 117.8 ppg
• Now, with both offenses clicking, which team will take Round 2?

Three other beasts in the East will resume their seasons tonight, including two playing in the same city.

Cavaliers at Nets (7:30 ET): After a season-worst three-game skid, Cleveland won eight of its last nine outings to enter the All-Star break at 44-10 – tied with OKC for the best record in the NBA.

• Hot Streaks Collide In BKN: Tonight, the Cavs aim for their fifth straight win. However, the red-hot Nets stand in their way, who have won three straight games and six of their last seven

Bulls at Knicks (7:30 ET): At MSG, the 3rd-place Knicks will look to improve to 11-3 in their last 14 games. But New York has failed to run with the Bulls this season, as Chicago has taken both matchups.

• Heavyweight Bout Brewing: After two tough tests tonight, the Cavs will host the Knicks on Friday (7 ET, ESPN)

Clippers at Bucks (8 ET): Up next, in a battle between two All-Star OGs, Damian Lillard and the Bucks (5th in the East) will face James Harden and the Clips (6th in the West), with both teams gearing up to make a Playoff push.

Two more games tip off on League Pass, as the Hawks host the Magic (7:30 ET), before Luka, LeBron and the Lakers cap the night in Portland (10 ET).