Starting 5, Mar. 1: Cavs stage incredible comeback to shock Celtics; Warriors set to take on 76ers live on ABC

The reach back, the comeback and a battle for the ages in Boston.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION

March 1, 2025

Epic Clash Atop East: Cleveland & Boston exchange blows in an instant classic

All-Stars Shine: The Jays combine for 83, while the Cavs’ core closes in clutch time

Steph The Showman: After a masterpiece last time out, what does Steph have in store vs Philly? (8:30 ET, ABC)

Best Out West: Lakers extend streak, Nuggets jump Grizz thanks to OG’s winner, OKC rolls

Friday Roundup: More drama at the buzzer, Bol Bol balls out, Herro & Sharpe shine

BUT FIRST … ⏰

A Saturday show…

Curry’s Encore On ABC: Coming off a season-high 56 points, Steph Curry will look to lead the Warriors to their sixth straight win as they face Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers (8:30 ET).

Embiid Out For Season: On Friday, the 76ers announced that Joel Embiid will miss the rest of the season due to “ongoing issues with his left knee.”

Champions Collide: Tomorrow on ABC, the Celtics host Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets in a matchup between the last two NBA champs (1 ET).

Speaking of Jokić, there’s a new name atop the latest Kia MVP Ladder.

1. CAVS’ STATEMENT: AN EPIC RALLY & A SIGNATURE WIN

The Cavs have spent all season proving themselves – from a historic 15-0 start to maintaining the top spot in the East for 122 straight days. But as coach Kenny Atkinson saw it, one challenge remained.

“We still have to prove we can beat them,” said Atkinson on the Celtics earlier this week. “Beat them at their place.”

Five minutes in, that test looked tall, as Boston – already holding a 2-1 season series lead – stormed out to a 25-3 advantage on their home floor.

But, as they have all year, the Cavs had an answer.

Cavaliers 123, Celtics 116: Inside a raucous TD Garden, Cleveland weathered the storm, trimming the lead to 10 entering the break before outscoring Boston 59-42 in the 2nd half for its ninth straight win in a heavyweight bout with Playoff-like intensity. | Recap

Spida Delivers: Donovan Mitchell finished the game with a season-high 41 points, including 26 in the 2nd half to ignite the Cavs’ largest comeback win this seasonJT Takeover: Jayson Tatum went off for 46 points, 16 boards, 9 dimes and 3 blocks for Boston, which now trails Cleveland by 7.5 games with the season series closed at 2-2

The Rally: Tatum dominated the 1st half with 30 pts, 9 reb and 7 ast, before helping push Boston’s lead to 17 with 8:17 left in the 3rd.

But Cleveland responded with a 53-29 run, digging deep when it mattered most – with Mitchell leading the way.

Spida Surge: With Tatum at 40 and the Garden ready to pop, Mitchell silenced the crowd with a personal 10-0 run to make it a 3-point game entering a dramatic 4th quarterBack & 4th: The Cavs’ push continued early in the final frame, where they took their first lead of the game and held a 6-point edge with just under five minutes to playChamps Clap Back: But a Tatum dunk and two Jaylen Brown buckets knotted things up at 114 with 3:15 left, bringing the Garden back to lifeClosing Time: That’s when Cleveland delivered the final blow, closing on a 9-2 run – with 7 points coming from Mitchell – to seal a signature win while improving its record to an NBA-best 49-10“Everything that could’ve went wrong, went wrong,” said Mitchell on the slow start postgame. “But it’s how do you respond … the biggest thing is we fought.”

2. ALL-STARS STEP UP, CAVS CORE CLOSES

The saying goes that big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games.

And in the first February matchup between two teams with a combined 90+ wins in five years, the game’s five All-Stars shined brightest – combining for 67.4% of the total points (161 of 239).

Capital Jays: Brown added 37 points for the C’s, combining for 83 with Tatum – their most-ever as a duo in a single gameJT Stands Alone: Tatum also made individual history, becoming the first Celtic to record 46+ pts, 16+ reb and 9+ ast in a gameAnd in the 4th quarter, both players stepped up, combining for 16 of the Celtics’ 18 points

Clutch Cavs: Meanwhile, Mitchell, Evan Mobley (17 pts, 12 reb) and Darius Garland (20 pts, 7 ast) scored all 28 of the Cavs’ points in the final frame – each making key contributions for a gutsy win.

Go-To Guy: In his fourth straight 30+ point game against Boston, Mitchell led all scorers with 12 4th-quarter points and 2 assistsBig Boost: Mobley tallied 11 points and 8 boards in the 4th, including the Cavs’ first 9 points of the quarter to secure their first lead of the gameThe Decider: Garland – shooting an NBA-best 58.5% from the field in clutch time (min. 30 FGA) – delivered a dagger stepback with 55 ticks left, marking the largest comeback against Boston this season“This is our measuring stick,” said Mitchell on Boston postgame. “These guys have won a championship, and we want to continue to get to where they’re at … We haven’t done anything yet.”

Chasing History: Now one win shy of becoming just the 12th ever team to reach 50 wins through 60 games, the Cavs will face the Blazers on Sunday (3:30 ET, NBA TV).

3. TONIGHT ON ABC: STEPH & THE STREAKING DUBS FACE PHILLY

LeBron James. Steph Curry. Michael Jordan.

Those are the only three players in NBA history to record multiple 45-point games at 35 years or older, led by James (6).

On Thursday, Curry (4) jumped MJ (3) on the legendary list in typical Steph-style, splashing 12 3s on his way to 56 points and the Warriors’ fifth straight win.

“We’re spoiled around here – we’re used to it,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr on Curry’s eruption. “But it never gets old…“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.”

Considered one of the best shooters to walk the planet, Curry’s name has become synonymous with 3-point greatness, leading the NBA in all-time triples with 3,969.

But it’s not just the quantity of the 3s that makes Curry great – it’s the timing of them, often coming in bunches to light up arenas and demoralize defenses.

Curry Flurries: On Thursday, Steph drained four 3s in both the 2nd and 3rd quarter, giving him 125 career quarters of 4+ triplesThe Next Closest Player? Damian Lillard, with 68Class Of His Own: Thursday also marked Curry’s 45th career game with 9+ 3s – equal to the next five players combined (Lillard 14, Klay Thompson 12, James Harden 9, JR Smith 5, Anfernee Simons 5)

And while timing is everything, every great showman knows you can never reveal your next move.

For Curry, that means mixing up his shot selection – whether it’s wearing down defenders off-ball, dicing double teams off the dribble, or even launching from the other 3-point line, like his 51-foot heave to beat the 1st-half buzzer on Thursday.

“It’s not just the shots going in,” said Kerr on Curry’s game. “It’s the fluidity and the beauty of his motion, and the audacity, the shots he’s willing to take.”

When those shots are falling, it turns every game into an unforgettable spectacle.

“When you have nights like these, you get them in all different types of ways,” said Curry of his 12 3s on Thursday. “Because you’re in the rhythm and the flow, and the ball is finding you at the right time…“But you’ve got to have the footwork, the balance, the confidence to shoot it no matter what, no matter how they come, and be ready for your moment. So I practice all of ’em, and on some nights, it just flows.”

Tonight, flowing on a 7-1 run since acquiring Jimmy Butler, Curry and the Warriors aim to stay hot as they visit the Sixers on ABC (8:30 ET).

Will one of the game’s greatest showmen deliver an encore?

Five more matchups tip off on League Pass tonight, capped by Giannis and the Bucks visiting Kyrie Irving and the Mavs (8:30 ET).

4. BEST OUT WEST: HOT STREAKS AND A NEW NO. 2

On his 26th birthday, Luka was feeling 30+, while his new co-star made history – again.

Lakers 106, Clippers 102: Dončić poured in 31 points along with 5 assists and 3 steals, while LeBron James added a double-double (28 pts, 13 reb) to lead the Lakers past Ivica Zubac (27 pts, 16 reb) and the Clips in the Battle of LA, marking the Purple & Gold’s fifth straight win. | Recap

LBJ & MJ: It’s LeBron’s third straight 25/10 game, passing Michael Jordan (2) for the longest streak by any player 40 years or olderL.A. Elevation: The Lakers are now an NBA-best 15-3 since Jan. 20 and just a half-game back of the Grizzlies for third in the West

Amid their eight-game win streak, the Pistons owned an NBA-best 105.9 DefRtg.

Then, they ran into the Kia MVP Ladder leader.

Nuggets 134, Pistons 119: On his way to 23 points, 17 boards and 15 assists, Nikola Jokić notched his NBA-best 28th triple-double before the 4th quarter, while Jamal Murray scored a game-high 31 in a near wire-to-wire win, ending Detroit’s heater. | Recap

Joker & The Big O: It’s Jokić’s 13th career game of 20+ pts, 15+ reb and 15+ ast, moving him one shy of matching Oscar Robertson for the most all-time (14)Rising: Like the Lakers, the Nuggets are now 11-2 in their last 13 outings

Knicks 114, Grizzlies 113: Ja Morant tallied 25 points and 7 assists, including an inexplicable floating, and-1 layup, before another and-1 to put Memphis up two with 14 ticks left.

But OG Anunoby had the highlight of the night, splashing the game-winning 3 with five seconds remaining to give the Knicks a thrilling road dub. | Recap

NY Shine: Jalen Brunson (23) and Anunoby (19) led New York in scoring, while Mitchell Robinson made his season debut (6 pts, 5 reb) after recovering from ankle surgeryNew No. 2: With Denver’s win and Memphis’ loss, the Nuggets jumped the Grizz for 2nd in the West

And don’t forget about the West leaders.

Thunder 135, Hawks 119: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 31 points for his NBA-best 36th 30-piece of the season, as the Thunder never trailed to beat Trae Young (19 pts, 12 ast) and the Hawks. | Recap

Chet Holmgren left the game in the 1st quarter after appearing to suffer a left ankle injury

5. ROUNDUP: BOL BOL BALLS OUT, HERRO & SHARPE SHINE & MORE LATE DRAMA

Suns 125, Pelicans 108: On his way to a season-high 25 points, Bol Bol drained 5 triples while adding 2 blocks, as the Suns jumped out to a 40-18 1st-quarter lead and never looked back, halting a 3-game slide while snapping the Pels’ 3-game win streak. | Recap

Heat 125, Pacers 120: Pascal Siakam caught fire, nailing eight 3s en route to 36 points, while Tyrese Haliburton added 19 points and 10 dimes. But the Heat staved off a late Pacers push thanks to Tyler Herro (29 pts, 7 ast) and Duncan Robinson (20 pts). | Recap

Blazers 121, Nets 102: After a career-high 36 points in Wednesday’s win over the Wizards, Shaedon Sharpe turned in 25, along with 5 dimes, as the Blazers beat the Nets for their fourth straight win. | Recap

And how about two more nail-biters?

Bulls 125, Raptors 115 (OT): Coby White (24 pts) led eight Bulls in double figures, while converting a clutch 4-point play in regulation to force OT, where Chicago outpaced Toronto 15-5 for a timely dub. | Recap

Lonzo Boogie: Lonzo Ball (14 pts) iced the game with a triple before dancing it out with the bench

Jazz 117, Wolves 116: John Collins posted a season-high 29 points and 12 boards for Utah, while Walker Kessler fought through traffic to slam home the go-ahead dunk with 9.7 ticks left, stamping a Jazz win over Naz Reid (27 pts, 11 reb) and the shorthanded Wolves. | Recap