Feb. 13 Starting 5: Murray & Jokić make history in OT thriller at MSG

Captain Clutch pops and delivers in crunch time.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION

Feb. 13, 2025

Wednesday’s Finest: Trae duels KAT & Brunson at MSG, Murray drops 55 and an all-time OKC run

Beasts In The East: Cavs and C’s keep rolling, Pacers & Bucks bounce back and more

West Showdowns: Kyrie, Amen & Kawhi shine in marquee wins, Jazz top Lakers, Kings heat up

SGA vs. Ant: Two of the game’s most dynamic scorers go toe-to-toe tonight (8:30 ET, TNT)

Meet The Dunkers, Pt. 3: One of the NBA’s highest fliers is no stranger to the bright lights

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Five more matchups before NBA All-Star 2025…

The last night of NBA action before the All-Star break features five games, headlined by Anthony Edwards’ Wolves hosting the NBA-best Thunder on TNT (8:30 ET).

NBA All-Star 2025 is just one sleep away. See the full All-Star Weekend schedule and catch all the latest All-Star buzz here.

Reads Of The Day: ABC SF on former Warriors Festus Ezeli hosting All-Star events to benefit Africa … AP on Mac McClung looking to 3-peat as Dunk champ, and his road back … NBA.com on Wemby’s rise.

1. WEDNESDAY’S ONES: 1 OT THRILLER, 1 50-PIECE, 1 HISTORIC RUN

Knicks-Hawks at the Garden – does it ever disappoint?

Knicks 149, Hawks 148 (OT): In another classic between Atlanta and New York, Trae Young went off for 38 points and 19 dimes to will the Hawks back from 18 points down – including a five-point deficit in the final 18 seconds – to force overtime.

But Jalen Brunson & Karl-Anthony Towns wouldn’t be denied, as the duo combined for 80 points, capped by Brunson’s go-ahead jumper with 11 ticks left in OT to seal a dramatic dub. | Recap

KAT & Pat: After a 40/12 night on Tuesday, Towns (44 pts, 10 reb, 7 3s) joined Patrick Ewing as the only Knicks to record 40+ points and 10+ boards in back-to-back gamesJB In The Clutch: Brunson added 36 points and 8 dimes, and scored six of the Knicks’ 12 points in OT to secure the winTrae Shines: Meanwhile, Young became the first player to post 35+ pts and 15+ ast at MSG since Walt Frazier did so in the 1970 NBA Finals

Through Jan. 13, Jamal Murray was averaging 19.0 ppg this season.

In the last month, he’s posted 25.1 ppg.

And on Wednesday, he found another level.

Nuggets 132, Blazers 121: In an offensive masterpiece, Murray exploded for a career-high 55 points on 20-of-36 shooting and seven 3s, while Nikola Jokić notched his league-leading 25th triple-double of the season (26 pts, 15 reb, 10 ast), lifting Denver its season-best 8th straight win. | Recap

Mile High Murray: Murray’s 55 points mark the third-most in Nuggets history, trailing only David Thompson’s 73 (April 1978) and Jokić’s 56 in DecemberGolden Nugget: But Murray stands alone with the most career 50-pieces of any Denver player in the regular season and postseason, with fourThe Joker’s Milestone: At the same time, Jokić became just the third NBA player to tally 25+ triple-doubles in three seasons, joining teammate Russell Westbrook (4x) and Oscar Robertson (3x)

Seeking a franchise-best 44th win before the All-Star break, OKC picked up one of its best dubs all season.

Thunder 115, Heat 101: Down as many as 21 and facing a 10-point deficit entering the 4th, OKC went on a 24-0 run as it outscored Miami 32-8 in the final frame, improving to an NBA-best 44-9 thanks to its largest comeback of the season. | Recap

Electric Jolt: OKC is the first team in 20+ years to open a 4th quarter on a 24-0 run, hitting six 3s amid the surge while holding Miami scoreless for nearly six minutesShai Leads The Way: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32 pts, 9 ast, 2 stl) notched his league-leading 33rd 30-point game this season, while Jalen Williams (18) and Lu Dort (17) combined for 35

2. IN THE EAST: LEADERS ROLL, CONTENDERS BOUNCE BACK & MORE

Cavaliers 131, Raptors 108: The East-leading Cavs only trailed for 17 seconds early in the 1st as Donovan Mitchell (21) led seven double-digit scorers to secure Cleveland’s fourth straight win and its eighth in nine games. | Recap

Elite At The Top: With victories from OKC and Cleveland, this marks just the third season in NBA history that two teams have reached 44+ wins before the All-Star break (2015-16 & 2017-18)

Celtics 116, Spurs 103: Jayson Tatum (32 pts, 14 reb, 7 ast) scored 14 points in the 1st quarter as the C’s jumped out to a 37-19 lead and never looked back to top Victor Wembanyama (17 pts, 13 reb, 2 blk) and the Spurs, improving Boston to 7-1 in its last eight games. | Recap

Pacers 134, Wizards 130 (OT): After dropping a career-high 45 points on Friday, Jordan Poole went for 42. But the Pacers got the win in OT behind Obi Toppin’s season-high 31 points and 10 boards, halting a two-game slide for Indy. | Recap

Bucks 103, Wolves 101: Missing both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard – and having lost six of its last eight – Milwaukee tamed a red-hot Anthony Edwards (28 pts) to pick up a huge win over the Wolves. | Recap

Kyle Kuzma joined five Bucks in double figures with 19 points, 13 boards and 4 assists

For the first time since 2008-09, the Pistons enter the All-Star break above .500.

Pistons 128, Bulls 110: Cade Cunningham turned in a game-high 29 points, while Jalen Duren added a double-double (16 pts, 14 reb) as Detroit defeated Chicago for its fourth straight win, improving to 29-26. | Recap

Magic 102, Hornets 86: Orlando held its opponent under 90 points for a league-best sixth time this season, while Paolo Banchero led the way offensively (24 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast) to beat the Hornets, who were without LaMelo Ball (ankle). | Recap

Nets 100, 76ers 96: With Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid out, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Quentin Grimes scored 30 apiece for Philly, but Brooklyn staved off the Sixers late for their sixth win in seven games. D’Angelo Russell led the Nets with 22 points. | Recap

3. OUT WEST: MAVS & ROCKETS REBOUND, JAZZ, CLIPS & KINGS DUB

Mavericks 111, Warriors 107: After a last-second loss to Sacramento on Monday, Dallas bounced back with a big dub over Golden State, led by Kyrie Irving’s 42 points and Naji Marshall’s tiebreaking floater with 26 ticks left. | Recap

New Dubs Duo: Steph Curry (25 pts, 8 ast) and Jimmy Butler (21 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast) combined for 46 points in the loss

Rockets 119, Suns 111: One night after hitting 30,000 career points, Kevin Durant poured in 37, but the Rockets raced past the Suns, outscoring Phoenix 35-19 in the 4th to claim a back-and-forth battle that featured 21 lead changes. | Recap

Rocket Fuel: Amen Thompson (18 pts, 10 reb, 11 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk) stuffed the stat sheet for his third triple-double of the season, while Tari Eason (25) and Jalen Green (22) led Houston in scoringRockets Rebounding: After a season-long six-game skid, Houston has notched back-to-back wins

Jazz 131, Lakers 119: In his second game as a Laker, Luka Dončić tallied 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists – including one must-see behind-the-back pass – while LeBron James added 18/6/7.

But the Jazz got the win behind Lauri Markkanen (32 pts) and Jordan Clarkson (21 pts, 7 ast), snapping the Lakers’ six-game win streak. | Recap

Clippers 128, Grizzlies 114: Kawhi Leonard (25 pts, 3 stl) and James Harden (18 pts, 10 ast) led the Clips as all five starters scored in double figures to outpace Desmond Bane (23 pts) and the Grizzlies, who were without Ja Morant (knee soreness). | Recap

The Beard The Dream: In the win, Harden passed Hakeem Olajuwon (26,946) for 13th on the all-time scoring list

Kings 119, Pelicans 111: Zion Williamson was a force (33 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast), but the Kings trio of Domantas Sabonis (16 pts, 15 reb), DeMar DeRozan (24 pts) and Zach LaVine (23 pts, 7 ast) were too much as Sacramento held on for its third win in a row. | Recap

4. TONIGHT ON TNT: SGA & ANT GO HEAD-TO-HEAD

One stands atop the Kia MVP Ladder, averaging an NBA-best 32.6 ppg, including three 50-pieces in the last 22 days.

The other ranks fifth in the NBA in scoring (27.5), first in total made 3s and is coming off three 40-pieces in his last four games.

Tonight, they face off as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder visit Anthony Edwards and the Wolves (8:30 ET, TNT).

When it comes to scorers that defenders don’t want to see one-on-one, SGA and Ant are at the top of the list, ranking 2nd (361) and 4th (229), respectively, in total isolation points this season.

But the two dynamic guards get their buckets in different ways.

(Note: all advanced stats reflect numbers entering Feb. 12 games)

The Shai Way: SGA ranks 2nd in 2-point FGs this season with 461, trailing only Giannis (515). The next closest guard? Cade Cunningham with 356Eating Inside: Shai is also one of just three qualified players shooting over 50% from the midrange at 51.1% and is averaging an NBA-best 16.0 ppg off drives this season

On the other side, at 23 years old, Ant doesn’t just lead the league in 3s this season (224), he’s the youngest player to reach 1,000 career triples in NBA history.

Ant’s Arc: Shooting a career-high 41.8% from deep, Ant is just the fifth player ever to hit 220+ 3s in his first 53 games of a seasonHis Company? Steph Curry (6x), James Harden (2x), Damian Lillard (1x) and Klay Thompson (1x)Can’t Touch This: Ant has also coupled his rare burst with an elite stop-and-pop, as he’s averaging an NBA-best 11.9 ppg off pull-up shots this season

Same, But Different: While SGA and Ant score in different facets, they have similar fundamental tendencies.

Despite each being right-handed, both guards feast on the left side of the court.

To The Left: Of SGA’s league-leading 1,465 drives this season, 865 of them (59.0%) have gone to the left – also an NBA-highTo The Left: Meanwhile, Ant ranks 7th in left-wing 3-point attempts (142) and 3rd in left-wing made 3s (61) – highlighted by his signature stepback

Tonight, both stars will look left to keep their teams on the right track heading into the All-Star break.

Four more games get underway on League Pass, including Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and the Warriors facing the Rockets (8 ET).

Kings at Pelicans (8 ET)Heat at Mavs (8:30 ET)Clippers at Jazz (9 ET)

5. MEET THE DUNKERS, PT. 3: ANDRE JACKSON JR.

Andre Jackson Jr. has a knack for bringing the crowd to its feet when he leaves his, and on Saturday in San Francisco, he’ll take center stage at the AT&T Slam Dunk competition (8 ET, TNT).

One of the league’s highest-fliers, Ajax is no stranger to the spotlight.

In April 2023, he helped lead UConn to a national championshipIn December 2024, he helped the Bucks to an NBA Cup title after entering the starting lineup in NovemberOn Saturday, he’ll look to rise above the competition in his first NBA Slam Dunk contest

But first, here’s Ajax rising above the rim for an outrageous putback during his rookie season:

“This was last year, so I wasn’t playing very much,” said Jackson Jr. on the slam. “So every time I got in, I was just taking it as a chance to prove to the coaches and everybody that I deserved to be out there on the court.”

This season, Jackson Jr. has made that clear. In the 43 games he’s started, Milwaukee is 25-18, with Ajax serving as one of its top perimeter defenders while throwing down highlight jams on the other end.

The dunk ⬆️ The metrics ⬇️