Russ rises up for the game-sealing slam as Denver rises up to No. 2 in the West — on a night when the Cavs set a franchise record with their 16th straight win.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

March 15, 2025

Primetime Matchup: Steph begins his next milestone quest tonight against NY on ABC (8:30 ET)

League Pass Free Preview: Kia MVP Ladder candidates highlight Saturday’s slate

16 Straight: Cavs break their team record win streak for the 2nd time this season

East Roundup: Celtics clinch Playoffs, Pacers pull even with Bucks, Hornets rain 3s

West Musical Chairs: A shake up from seeds 2-5 & the West Play-In race tightens

BUT FIRST … ⏰

A full day of free hoops awaits…

Free League Pass Today: Today is the LAST day to stream League Pass for free with your NBA ID. Tap here to get yours

ABC Primetime: Two of the NBA’s hottest teams lead a trio of ABC matchups this weekend. Tonight, the Warriors go for their 7th straight win when they host the Knicks (8:30 ET). Tomorrow, the Cavs put their 16-game win streak on the line when they host the Magic (1 ET), followed by Suns-Lakers on ABC (3:30 ET) and Thunder-Bucks on ESPN (9 ET).

1. TONIGHT ON ABC: STEPH, WARRIORS HOST KNICKS

As soon as Steph Curry became the first player in NBA history to reach 4,000 career 3s, the questions began:

• How many 3s will he make in his career?
• How high can he set the bar for others to chase?
• Is 5,000 3s in play for Steph?

The first step toward answering those questions begins tonight in San Francisco as Curry and the Warriors host the Knicks (8:30 ET, ABC).

• Golden State enters the game on a six-game win streak and has won 13 of its last 15 games to jump from 10th to 6th in the West
• New York enters the game seeking a third straight win after Mikal Bridges’ game-winning buzzer-beater in Portland on Wednesday

Curry, who celebrated his 37th birthday on Friday, needed three years and three months to go from 3K to 4K in career 3s.

As we watch LeBron James redefine what a 40-year-old can do in this league, the thought of Curry splashing 3s into his 40s – and adding to these highlight reels below – doesn’t seem unrealistic.

• More on Steph: Journey To 4K | Clutch 3s | Look-Aways

Curry’s journey to becoming the greatest shooter in history is unique.

• He grew up around the NBA with his father, Dell, in the league. Steph and his brother, Seth, could be seen getting buckets in NBA arenas as youngsters
• As a three-star prospect, he was not heavily recruited out of high school. Rather than coming from a traditional powerhouse program, Curry played at Davidson College
• After three years at Davidson, Curry made the leap to the NBA. But many still questioned if he could make it in the league
• The Warriors drafted Steph with the 7th pick in 2009, and over the past 16 years, he’s proven every one of those doubters wrong with four titles and two MVPs while rewriting the 3-point record books
• Full Circle: Curry was recently named assistant GM for the basketball programs at Davidson, giving him a chance to mentor a new generation of players ready to defy the odds and the critics

While Curry will forever be known for his shooting, there is an underrated part of his game that is worth celebrating – his handles.

Curry’s ability to shoot off the catch and off the bounce is what truly sets him apart from other great shooters. Below are a few examples of Curry putting the ball on a string and creating a shot out of nothing.

Mar. 8, 2015 vs. Clippers: Weaving through four defenders to find some daylight

Jan. 15, 2024 vs. Grizzlies: Three crossovers, a driving finger roll and a shimmy

Another legendary part of Steph’s game is his celebrations. From the lookaway 3, to the scream, the shimmy and the Night Night, Curry has some of the most iconic cellys in the game today.

Oct. 29, 2023 vs. Rockets: Even Steph couldn’t believe this move in Houston

June 16, 2022 vs. Celtics: Saying ‘Night, Night’ to Boston and the 2022 NBA Finals in Game 6

2. TONIGHT ON LEAGUE PASS: MVP LADDER LEADERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

With the MVP race coming down to the wire, you can watch the latest Kia MVP Ladder leaders on League Pass tonight for free with an NBA ID.

• Wizards at Nuggets (9 ET): Nikola Jokić has averaged 30.3 ppg, 11.5 rpg and 6.5 apg over his last week, including the first-ever 30-20-20 game. On pace to be the 3rd player to average a triple-double for a season, he’s one shy of becoming the 4th with 30 in a season
• Thunder at Pistons (7 ET): OKC has rolled to a 17-3 mark since the start of February. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – on pace to take the scoring title for the first time in his career – is responsible for 33 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 6.3 apg this week
• Pacers at Bucks (8 ET): Giannis and the Bucks will try to avenge Tuesday’s loss on Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winner in a rematch that’s also a pivotal battle for Playoff position. The teams are tied at 37-28 with the winner of this game holding No. 4 in the East
• Celtics at Nets (6 ET): Of all the ladder leaders, Jayson Tatum has arguably been the hottest over the last week, averaging 33.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 7.0 apg. Boston is searching for a 13th win in its last 16

Three other games are set to tip off on League Pass, with the Rockets seeking their sixth straight win when they host the Bulls (8 ET), along with Heat-Grizzlies (8 ET) and Pelicans-Spurs (8:30 ET).

3. 16 STRAIGHT FOR CAVS, NO. 7 FOR WOLVES

For the second time this season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have set a franchise record for consecutive wins.

• 15-0 Start: The Cavs opened the campaign with 15 straight wins, topping the previous record (13) for any win streak in team history
• 16-0 Statement: The Cavs have sat atop the East since Oct. 30, but have kept their foot on the gas, with a 70-win season within reach

Cavs 133, Grizzlies 124: Playing without leading scorer Donovan Mitchell and facing a Grizzlies team on a four-game win streak, the Cavs showcased their balance to overcome a 44-point night from Ja Morant and earn their 16th straight win. | Recap

• The Other Two All-Stars: With Mitchell out, it was Evan Mobley (22 pts, 11 reb) and Darius Garland (20 pts, 9 ast) that led seven Cavs in double figures in the win
• Nothing New: Six different Cavs have led the team in scoring during this 16-game streak as Cleveland improved to 6-0 on the season without Mitchell
• Sweet 16: The Cavs became the first team to win 16 straight since the 2022-23 Bucks and join the 1959-60 champion Celtics and 1971-72 champion Lakers as the only teams to average at least 124 ppg during a 16-game streak

Wolves 118, Magic 111: After being outscored 29-16 in the 3rd and trailing by 11 early in the 4th, Minnesota found its offense – dropping 40 in the final frame – to rally past Orlando for a seventh straight win. | Recap

• Wolves Duo: Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle combined for 50 points and 10 dimes to help Minnesota overcome a 43-point night from Paolo Banchero
• The Key Run: Minnesota capped off a 25-9 run with a putback slam by Randle to take a seven-point lead with 2:13 to play that ignited the Minnesota crowd and this Ant celly

Postseason Race Updates

• ↔️ Minnesota: Remains No. 7 in West with the win, pulls into a virtual tie with No. 6 GSW and moves 1.5 games up on No. 8 LAC
• ↔️ Orlando: Remains No. 8 in the East with the loss, 1.5 games back of No. 7 ATL

4. EAST ROUNDUP: CELTICS CLINCH, PACERS PULL EVEN, HORNETS RAIN 3s

Celtics 103, Heat 91: Derrick White scored 12 of his 18 points in the 4th as Boston pulled away from Miami to clinch a Playoff berth. Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday combined for 53 points and 10 3s in the win. | Recap

Pacers 112, Sixers 100: Trailing by as many as 16 in the 1st half, the Pacers outscored the Sixers 65-49 in the 2nd half behind 27 points from Pascal Siakam and 14 pts and 10 dimes from Tyrese Haliburton. | Recap

Postseason Race Updates

• ☑️ Boston: Clinches a Playoff berth with a guaranteed top-6 finish
• ↔️ Indiana: Remains No. 5 with the win, pulls even with No. 4 MIL, but Bucks own tiebreaker; moves 1.0 games up on No. 6 DET
• ↔️ Miami: Remains No. 9 with the loss, 1.0 games back of No. 8 ORL and 1.0 games up on No. 10 CHI

Ronald Cortes/Getty Images

Hornets 145, Spurs 134: Led by LaMelo Ball (27 pts, 15 ast, 7 3pm), Josh Green (6 3pm) and Nick Smith Jr. (6 3pm), the Hornets splashed a franchise-record 26 3s, becoming the fifth team in the last 25 years to make 18+ 3s on 65% shooter or better in a half. | Recap

Raptors 126, Jazz 118: Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley dropped 20 points apiece to lead Toronto past Utah. | Recap

5. MUSICAL CHAIRS IN THE WEST RACE

The phrase “every game matters” could not have been more evident on Friday night in the West Playoff race.

• How It Started: (2) Grizzlies, (3) Nuggets, (4) Lakers, (5) Rockets
• How It Ended: (2) Nuggets, (3) Rockets, (4) Grizzlies, (5) Lakers

Let’s dive into how this happened.

Nuggets 131, Lakers 126: Jamal Murray has built an impressive resume of clutch buckets. And he added to it on Friday night in the Mile High City.

Trailing 126-123 with 52 seconds left, Denver closed the game with an 8-0 run, with Murray hitting the go-ahead 3 with 5.6 seconds left to lift Denver over the Lakers, who were playing without LeBron James (groin) and Luka Dončić (calf). | Recap | Watch The Wild Final 4:20

• Clutch Jamal: Friday was Murray’s sixth go-ahead bucket in the final seven seconds of the 4th quarter and OT in his career, including Playoffs. Half of those six have come against the Lakers
• Triple 20s: Nikola Jokić (28 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl), Murray (26 pts, 5 ast, 5 3pm) and Christian Braun (22 pts) each scored 20+ for Denver, combining for 76 points
• Double 30s: Austin Reaves (37 pts, 13 ast, 4 stl) and Dalton Knecht (32 pts) combined for 69 for the shorthanded Lakers

Rockets 133, Mavs 96: Tari Eason dropped a career-best 30 points, while Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun combined to add 39 as the Rockets rolled to their fifth straight win. | Recap

West Playoff Race Updates

• ⬆️ Denver: Rises to No. 2 with the win, 1.0 games up on No. 3 HOU and No. 4 MEM
• ⬆️ Houston: Rises to No. 3 with the win via tiebreaker over No. 4 MEM, 1.0 games back of No. 2 DEN, 1.0 games up on No. 5 LAL
• ⬇️ Memphis: Falls to No. 4 with the loss via tiebreaker to No. 3 HOU, 1.0 games back of No. 2 DEN, 1.0 games up on No. 5 LAL
• ⬇️ L.A. Lakers: Fall to No. 5 with the loss, 1.0 games back of No. 3 HOU and No. 4 MEM, 2.5 games up on No. 6 GSW and No. 7 MIN

Clippers 121, Hawks 98: Down eight at the half, LA opened the 3rd on an 11-2 run to take the lead and never trailed again. LA dominated the 3rd quarter, 35-8, and cruised to the win behind matching 25-point games from James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. | Recap

Suns 122, Kings 106: The Suns got 22 points apiece from Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and knocked down a season-high 24 3s on 55.8% shooting from deep to defeat the Kings and continue to challenge for a Play-In spot. | Recap

West Play-In Race Updates

• ↔️ Minnesota: Remains No. 7 with the win, in a virtual tie with No. 6 GSW (Warriors also own tiebreaker), 1.5 games up on No. 8 LAC
• ↔️ LA Clippers: Remain No. 8 with the win, 1.5 games back of No. 7 MIN and 3.5 games up on No. 9 SAC
• ↔️ Sacramento: Remains No. 9 with the loss, 1.0 games up on No. 10 DAL and 3.5 games back of No. 8 LAC
• ↔️ Dallas: Remains No. 10 with the loss, 1.0 games back of No. 9 SAC and 1.5 games up on No. 11 PHX
• ↔️ Phoenix: Remains No. 11 with the win, pulls within 1.5 games of No. 10 DAL