March 2 Starting 5: Quentin Grimes shines, De’Aaron Fox seals win, and Sunday’s national TV match-ups

A Duren block party and a Detroit rebound.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION

March 2, 2025

Saturday Thrillers: De’Aaron Fox shows off his clutch gene, while Quentin Grimes goes off on ABC

Roundup: Bucks hit their stride, Pistons bounce back, Kings keep rolling, Wizards win

Nuggets-Celtics: Kia MVP candidates Tatum & Jokić lead, as last 2 champs meet today on ABC (1 ET)

ESPN Duels: Can Shai keep his streak alive in San Antonio (7 ET), plus a Wolves-Suns showdown (9:30 ET)

Sunday Heaters: The Cavs aim for a 10th straight win, while the Lakers look to stay surging

BUT FIRST … ⏰

It all starts on ABC…

Sunday Matinee: Today’s 9-game slate opens on ABC, as Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets face Jayson Tatum and Celtics (1 ET). Then, the Cavs host the Blazers on NBA TV (3:30 ET).

ESPN Doubleheader: Tonight, the West-leading Thunder visit the Spurs (7 ET), before the Suns battle the Wolves in a Playoff rematch (9:30 ET).

1. SATURDAY SHINE: FOX CALLS GAME, GRIMES DROPS 44

Nine days removed from learning their superstar center, Victor Wembanyama, would miss the rest of the season, the Spurs found themselves on a four-game skid, sliding to 13th in the West.

Seeking a much-needed W, they turned to their newest star guard – who delivered.

Spurs 130, Grizzlies 128: Down 19 at the break, Jaren Jackson Jr. willed the Grizzlies back with 31 points in the 2nd half, including a game-tying 3 with 23 seconds left in the 4th.

That set the stage for De’Aaron Fox, who eluded a double team at midcourt, drove left, slammed on the breaks and rose up from the elbow with less than 3 seconds left – splash. | Recap | Watch The Thrilling Finish

The 2022-23 Clutch Player of the Year, Fox has built a reputation for delivering down the stretch, as it’s his 41st go-ahead field goal in the final five minutes of a game – tied with Nikola Jokić for the most in that span.

Saturday Was No Different: Fox was 6-of-16 before the game’s last possession, but with 1.8 ticks left, his final shot dropped, marking his sixth career game-winner in the final 10 seconds of a gameFox On The Winner: “For some reason, no matter how I’m playing, the last shot just always goes in.”Rookie & The Vet: Fox finished with 20 points and 7 assists, while Stephon Castle – the Kia Rookie Ladder leader – also dished out 7 dimes along with 24 points, improving San Antonio to 25-33JJJ poured in 42 points

on 15-of-25 shooting for Memphis, which has now dropped two straight games

After his 56-point outburst on Thursday, all eyes were on Steph Curry entering Saturday’s ABC showdown.

But an unsuspecting hero stole the show.

76ers 126, Warriors 119: Entering the night averaging 10.7 ppg this season, Quentin Grimes went off for a career-high 44 points, shooting 18-of-24 from the field while splashing six 3s to stave off the Warriors in crunch time, snapping Philly’s nine-game skid. | Recap

Grimes Time: With Golden State rallying from a 15-point deficit, Grimes scored 24 in the 2nd half, including a tiebreaking bucket with 1:45 left before a Paul George dagger sealed the W“We had to come together collectively in the last two, three minutes,” said Grimes on the win. “But we stayed tough. I feel like this is a game we can build on.”Catching Fire: It’s Grimes’ fourth career 30-piece and his second in the last month as he dropped 30 against Brooklyn on Feb. 12. Entering Saturday, his previous career-high was 36 (April, 2023)Dubs’ Streak Snapped:

Curry (29 pts, 13 ast) led the Warriors, who saw their five-game win streak end with Jimmy Butler sidelined due to back spasms

2. BUCKS, PISTONS & KINGS STAY HOT, WIZARDS WIN

Don’t look now, but the Deer are starting to hit their stride.

Bucks 132, Mavericks 117: Giannis Antetokounmpo stuffed the stat sheet (29 pts, 9 reb, 9 ast, 2 blk), while Damian Lillard added 28 points and 6 dimes to push Milwaukee past Kyrie Irving (31 pts) and Dallas, marking the Bucks’ sixth win in seven games. | Recap

Pistons 115, Nets 94: After seeing Denver snap its eight-game win streak on Friday, Detroit responded one night later thanks to a monster outing from Jalen Duren, who notched 18 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 6 blocks for a bounce-back dub. | Recap

Block Party: Duren is the first Piston to record 6+ blocks in a game since Andre Drummond in March 2019

Kings 113, Rockets 103: Despite losing Domantas Sabonis early in the 1st quarter to a hamstring injury, the Kings outlasted Alperen Sengun (30 pts, 10 reb) and the Rockets behind DeMar DeRozan (21 pts, 6 ast) and Zach LaVine (20 pts) for their third straight win. | Recap

Wizards 113, Hornets 100: After trailing by 5 at intermission, the Wizards outscored the Hornets 59-41 in the 2nd half thanks to eight double-digit scorers, including 17 points apiece from Khris Middleton and Bilal Coulibaly. | Recap

3. ABC MATINEE: FORMER CHAMPS & KIA MVP CANDIDATES COLLIDE

Only two players in the NBA lead their team in total points, rebounds and assists this season – Nikola Jokić and Jayson Tatum.

This week, both moved up the Kia MVP Ladder, with Jokić taking the top spot and Tatum rising to No. 3.

Today (1 ET, ABC), two of the league’s most complete stars – both having career years – face off as the Nuggets and Celtics clash in Boston.

Tatum’s Tear: Fresh off a 46-point eruption against the Cavs, Tatum is averaging the second-most ppg of his career (27.0), while hauling in 8.8 rebounds, tying his career-bestDeadly From Deep: He’s also averaging a career-high 3.6 triples per game thanks to a lethal stop-and-pop, as he ranks 2nd in the NBA in pull-up 3sInitiator:

Tatum has leveled up as a playmaker too, leading all forwards in ppg in pick-and-roll action as the ball-handler while dishing out a career-best 5.8 assists per game

On the other side, Jokić is averaging a career-high in points (29.1) and assists (10.5) while posting the second-most rebounds of his career (12.7).

Walking Triple-Double: Jokić has recorded a triple-double in 51.9% of his games this season, with an NBA-best 28 through 54 outingsInside Operator:

And the Joker’s arsenal is endless — leading the league in post-up ppg (6.5) while ranking 6th in ppg off cuts (4.1) and 3rd in points in the paint (16.6)

Since 2022-23, no team has won more games than the Nuggets and Celtics, who rank 2nd and 4th in OffRtg this season. Yet, despite having two elite all-around stars, they excel in opposite areas.

Inside-Out Duel: Fueled by Tatum, the Celtics are averaging an NBA-best 17.8 3s per game, while Jokić and the Nuggets rank first in PITP (59.5)Denver Distribution: The Nuggets also lead the league in assists per game (31.2) and points off cuts (16.3)The Orchestrator? Jokić – on pace to become the first center to average 10+ assists, while leading in the NBA in passes per gameBoston Buckets: The C’s rank 18th in apg (25.8), but thrive in isolation, where they’re averaging the third-most points in the NBAThe Leader?

You guessed it – Tatum, who ranks 3rd in the NBA in isolation scoring

Now, Tatum and Jokić go toe-to-toe on the national stage. Will Boston bounce back after two straight losses, or will Denver notch its 12th win in 14 games?

4. WEST DUELS ON ESPN: THUNDER-SPURS, WOLVES-SUNS

Ranked No. 2 on the Kia MVP Ladder is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is riding a special streak – putting his name in the same breath as some of the game’s greatest scorers.

In the history of the NBA, only 13 players have recorded 20+ points in 50+ consecutive games.

Their Names? Wilt, Elgin, Oscar, West, Kareem, McAdoo, Gervin, MJ, AI, Kobe, KD, Harden – and now, Shai, who tallied his 54th straight 20-piece with 31 points in Friday’s win over AtlantaChasing 60: With six more consecutive 20-pieces, SGA will become just the third player in the last 50 years to notch 60 straight, joining Durant and MJMore Milestones: Friday was also SGA’s NBA-best 36th 30-piece of 2024-25, marking his third consecutive season of 35 such games – a feat only accomplished by AI (2000-03), Kobe (2005-08) and Harden (2014-17) since 2000Dominance:

Those buckets have led to big OKC wins, as the Thunder (+12.7) are on pace to record the highest point differential in a single season

Tonight (7 ET, ESPN), SGA will look to stay streaking, while OKC eyes its 49th win as they visit De’Aaron Fox and the Spurs.

In the second leg of ESPN’s doubleheader, Anthony Edwards and the Wolves visit Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and the Suns in a budding West rivalry (9:30 ET, ESPN).

Playoff Rewind: In the First Round of last year’s Playoffs, the Wolves sent the Suns home in four games, with Edwards – who is questionable with a calf injury – averaging a series-high 31.0 ppgA Second Howl:

This season, Minnesota is 2-0 against Phoenix, with Ant again shining, posting 28.5 ppg while shooting 40.0% from deep

Red, White & Blue Reunion: While Edwards ranks 2nd in total made 3s this season (238), Durant and Booker – his USA Olympic teammates from last summer’s gold medal run – have done work inside the arc for Phoenix.

Surgical Scorers: Combining for 52.9 ppg, Durant (26.7) and Booker (26.2) are shooting 56.2% and 51.1% from the midrange – the highest two marks in the NBA (min. 100 FGA)

Now, with Phoenix looking to get back into Play-In position and Minnesota seeking a timely win, the trio of stars will meet again.

5. CAVS SEEK 10TH STRAIGHT WIN ON NBA TV; BATTLE OF LA ON LP

“It’s a great win,” said Donovan Mitchell after the Cavs’ 22-point comeback over the Celtics on Friday. “But at the end of the day, it’s just another step in the right direction.”

“Now, the biggest thing is to capitalize.”

With a signature victory in Boston, the Cavs improved their record to an NBA-best 49-10 – one dub shy of becoming just the 12th ever team to reach 50 wins through 60 games.

And that’s not the only history Cleveland can make today as it hosts Portland on NBA TV (3:30 ET).

10 Again: Entering Sunday on a nine-game heater, the Cavs will look to become just the seventh team to record three separate 10+ win streaks in a single season

Leveling Up: Despite a historic 15-0 start and a 12-game win streak that spanned over a month between December and January, Cleveland may be playing its best ball right now.

Dominant Dubs: Amid their current nine-game run, the Cavs own a +17.8 point differential – higher than both of their previous two 10+ game win streaksBeating The Best: That includes wins over six teams in postseason position, highlighted by victories over Detroit, New York, Memphis and BostonNew Heights:

In that stretch, Cleveland has boosted its NBA-best OffRtg from 121.5 to 126.6, while jumping from 8th to 3rd in DefRtg

While the Cavs seek their 10th straight win, the Lakers aim for six in a row as they host the Clippers in the fourth and final Battle of LA this regular season (9:30 ET, LP).

Lake Show Surging: With a 106-102 win over the Clips on Friday, the Lakers improved to an NBA-best 17-4 since Jan. 15 – their best 21-game stretch since the 2020-21 seasonLeBallin’: In that span, LeBron James is averaging 27.1 pts, 9.0 reb and 8.2 ast while shooting 40.2% from 3Luka Acclimation:

Meanwhile, Luka Dončić is beginning to find his groove, averaging 25.8/10.0/7.3 amid the Lakers’ five-game win streak (4 GP)

Four more games tip off today on League Pass, including a marquee East matchup as Tyler Herro and the Heat host Jalen Brunson and the Knicks (6 ET).

Bulls at Pacers (5 ET)Raptors at Magic (6 ET)Pelicans at Jazz

(8 ET)

Want to share Starting 5 with a friend? Send them this link.

Shape the Starting 5. Email us here.

Don’t have the NBA App? Download it here.