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🏀 Weekly Recap: February 3 – February 9, 2025 🏀

We had a crazy week of NBA leading into the All-Star weekend. There will be a lot of must watch games just to see how new teammates mesh together. Halfway through the season the Thunder still look like the team to beat, even without one of their best young players in Chet who is coming back soon. While the Cavs are still the top in the east, it’s hard for me to think they could beat the Celtics or Bucks in a series. But let’s get into it.

Full Court Watch: The 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend 🏀✨

From February 14-16, the San Francisco Bay Area will host one of the most highly anticipated events of the season—NBA All-Star Weekend at the Chase Center. With a fresh tournament-style format and exciting events, this year promises to be a game-changer.

A New Era: The Tournament-Style All-Star Game

Forget the typical All-Star format—this year, the game transforms into a four-team tournament.

• Three teams will consist of the 24 NBA All-Star selections, while the Rising Stars Challenge winners form the fourth team.

• To advance, teams must score 40+ points in their semifinal matchups before battling for the crown.

Weekend Highlights: Must-See Events

• Friday, Feb 14

  • NBA All-Star Celebrity Game – 7 PM (Oakland Arena)

  • Rising Stars Challenge – 9 PM (Chase Center)

• Saturday, Feb 15

  • NBA All-Star Practice – 2 PM (Oakland Arena)

  • HBCU Classic – 5 PM (Oakland Arena)

  • All-Star Saturday Night (Chase Center)

    • Skills Challenge – 8 PM

    • Three-Point Contest – 8:30 PM

    • Dunk Contest – 9 PM

• Sunday, Feb 16

  • NBA All-Star Game – 8 PM (Chase Center)

Celebrity Game: Star Power on Display

A loaded roster promises both entertainment and competition:

• Druski

• Noah Kahan

• Terrell Owens

• Kai Cenat

• WNBA stars Allisha Gray and Kayla Thornton

Notable Coaches:

• Barry Bonds

• Jerry Rice

• 2 Chainz

• Khaby Lame

This year marks TNT’s final year covering the event before NBC takes over next season. Catch every highlight and buzzer-beater as the weekend celebrates basketball’s finest. Stay tuned for coverage and recaps in the next edition! 🍊🏀

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Breaking the Press: This Trade Deadline Was Wild

Brandon Ingram to the Raptors
The Raptors secured elite scorer Brandon Ingram from the Pelicans, sending Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, and a pair of draft picks (one first-round and one second-round) to New Orleans.

🔥 Hot Take: Ingram brings elite scoring, but can the Raptors’ defensive system thrive with another offensive-minded forward? If they can’t find balance, this blockbuster move could backfire.

Jimmy Butler to the Warriors
The Warriors added proven playoff performer Jimmy Butler from the Heat. In return, Miami received Andrew Wiggins and a protected first-round pick. Dennis Schroder and Kyle Anderson were also part of this multi-team trade, with Schroder being rerouted to the Jazz.

🔥 Hot Take: Butler’s playoff mentality is exactly what the Warriors need, but the loss of Wiggins could leave them exposed defensively. If Butler and Draymond clash, it could be chaos in the Bay. Plus Butler mentioned he would not resign with the warriors, so will he just cruise the rest of the season until he can get to Phoenix next year?

Daniel Theis to the Thunder
The Thunder picked up veteran big man Daniel Theis and a 2031 second-round pick from the Pelicans, adding depth to their rotation.

🔥 Hot Take: Theis is a solid veteran, but the Thunder are playing the long game. This move feels like insurance rather than a game-changer. Another big body to backup Chet coming off his injury.

Jaden Springer to the Rockets
The Rockets acquired young guard Jaden Springer and a 2030 second-round pick from the Celtics, giving up a heavily protected future second-round pick in return.

🔥 Hot Take: Springer is a low-risk, high-reward pickup. If the Rockets develop him properly, this trade could quietly become one of the steals of the season.

Kyle Kuzma to the Bucks
The Bucks made a bold move, trading Khris Middleton to the Wizards in exchange for Kyle Kuzma and Patrick Baldwin Jr.

🔥 Hot Take: Trading Middleton for Kuzma shakes the core of the Bucks’ identity. Kuzma’s versatility will help, but if they miss Middleton’s clutch gene, this move could be a disaster in the postseason. Middleton was a huge reason they got a ring a few years ago.

With major names shifting across the league, fans should buckle up—this could be one of the most unpredictable playoff races in recent memory.

Suns Land Cody Martin, Hornets Bet on Nurkić

The Suns are adding Cody Martin and Vasilije Micić (plus a 2026 second-rounder), while the Hornets get Jusuf Nurkić and a 2026 first-round pick in a deadline deal.

🔥 Hot Take: The Suns needed defense and depth, but is Martin really moving the needle? Meanwhile, Charlotte gets a solid veteran in Nurkić—but is this just another case of the Hornets off loading players and trying to reset once again in the offseason?

📈 Standout Performances

The past week in the NBA featured several standout performances, headlined by historic debuts, explosive scoring displays, and all-around dominance. Here are the key highlights:

🏀 Anthony Davis Makes Mavericks History

In his first game with Dallas after a blockbuster trade, Davis recorded 20+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a single half, becoming just the third Maverick in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98) to achieve this feat. His debut powered the Mavericks to a 116-105 win over the Rockets.

🔥 Austin Reaves’ Career Night

Reaves erupted for 45 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in the Lakers’ fifth straight win, joining LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Kobe Bryant as the only Lakers since 2000 with a 45/5/5 stat line. He scored 25 points in the second half, including 14 in the fourth quarter.

☘️ Jayson Tatum Lights Up MSG

Tatum dropped 40 points (including seven three-pointers) to lead the Celtics past the Knicks, marking his ninth 40-point game of the season. Payton Pritchard added 25 points off the bench with six threes.

🃏 Nikola Jokić’s Near Triple-Double

Jokić dominated with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists in Denver’s sixth consecutive win, falling just one assist shy of his 25th triple-double this season. He shot 11-of-16 from the field.

🎯 Trae Young’s Playmaking Clinic

Young orchestrated Atlanta’s offense with 35 points, 14 assists, and five three-pointers, surpassing Damian Lillard for third-most career games with 35+ points, 10+ assists, and 5+ threes (23). Only Luka Dončić and James Harden have more.

Other Notable Performances

• James Harden: 23 points and 17 assists in the Clippers’ rout of Utah.

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 32 points in OKC’s win over Memphis, extending his 25+ point streak to 20 games.

• Victor Wembanyama: 18 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocks in a narrow loss to Orlando.

• Jaden McDaniels: Career-high 30 points to fuel Minnesota’s 38-14 fourth-quarter comeback against Portland.

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🧐 Upcoming Top 25 College Basketball Matchups:

February 10 – February 16, 2025

The upcoming week features several crazy matchups between teams ranked in the AP Top 25 as well as some good NBA matchups. Could these be the last time you see some of these guys on their respective teams before the trade deadline?

Here are the games I will not be missing.

👀 Press Coverage: Game to Watch

🌶️ Upcoming Drops of the Week

"Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." — Galatians 6:9

This verse can be applied to basketball by emphasizing persistence in practice, trust in the process, and teamwork. Let me know if you’d like alternative verses!