In an eight-game NBA Thursday, the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team to punch a postseason ticket while a vintage James Harden showed up in Inglewood, and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo joined an exclusive company.
CAVS SEAL PLAYOFF SPOT; ANTETOKOUNMPO JOINS 20,000 POINT CLUB
- Cleveland Cavaliers (52-10) def. Miami Heat (29-32), 112-107: Donovan Mitchell and the league-best Cavaliers became the first team to clinch a playoff spot after holding off the Heat, extending their winning run to 12 games.
- Historic Cav-alanche: Besides punching a postseason ticket, Cleveland also joined the 2006-07 Dallas Mavericks as the only teams in league history to post three 12-game winning streaks in a single season.
12 in a row for the Cavs 🔥
— NBA (@NBA) March 6, 2025
They join the 2006-07 Mavericks as the only two teams in NBA history with three 12+ game win streaks in a single season!
- Milwaukee Bucks (36-25) def. Dallas Mavericks (32-31), 137-107: Giannis Antetokounmpo bullied his way to 32 markers, becoming just the 52nd player ever to surpass 20,000 career points, as the Bucks rolled past the injury-hit Mavericks.
- Fear These Deers: With Antetokounmpo marking another major milestone, Damian Lillard added 34 markers, five assists, and five dimes for a fourth straight Milwaukee dub.
- Minnesota Timberwolves (35-29) def. Charlotte Hornets (14-47), 125-110: The Timberwolves have now won eight straight games when Julius Randle played, after the bulky lefty flirted with a triple-double outing of 25 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists against the Hornets.
- Washington Wizards (12-49) def. Utah Jazz (15-47), 125-122: The Wizards secured their third win in the last five games while sending the Jazz to a third straight defeat.
HARDEN DROPS 50-BURGER; PRITCHARD, WHITE FIRE CAREER-HIGHS
- LA Clippers (33-29) def. Detroit Pistons (36-27), 123-115: James Harden turned back the clock with a vintage outing, unleashing a season-high 50 points to lead the Clippers in snapping a three-game skid.
JAMES HARDEN DROPS 50 IN THE CLIPPERS' WIN ??
— NBA (@NBA) March 6, 2025
🧔 50 PTS
🧔 4 REB
🧔 5 AST
🧔 6 3PM
His 24th 50-PT game leaves him 1 behind Kobe Bryant for 3rd all-time!
- Boston Celtics (44-18) def. Portland Trail Blazers (28-35), 128-118: Payton Pritchard and Derrick White put on a shooting clinic en route to career outings, pushing the Celtics past the Trail Blazers.
- Double Trouble: Pritchard and White exploded for 43 and 41 markers respectively, becoming the first Celtic duo to both drop 40 or more points in a single game. The tandem also made league history as the only teammates so far to hit nine or more threes in a single game, combining for 19 treys.
- OKC Thunder (51-11) def. Memphis Grizzlies (38-24), 120-103: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander followed up his 51-point outing with a 41-point outburst — his 10th 40-point game of the season — en route to lifting the West no. 1 Thunder to a fifth successive dub at the Grizzlies’ expense.
- Denver Nuggets (40-22) def. Sacramento Kings (32-29), 116-110: The trio of Russell Westbrook, Jamal Murray, and Nikola Jokic combined for 71 points, anchoring a strong Nuggets bounce back over the Domantas Sabonis-less Kings.
