STARTING 5 DAILY NEWSLETTER

Starting 5: Throwback Tuesday on NBC, Murray drops 45, Celtics spoil Giannis’ return

Throwback NBC broadcast for Spurs-Sixers opens Coast 2 Coast Tuesday. Murray catches fire, Celtics top Giannis’ Bucks and more.

NBA.com Staff | March 3, 2026 | 2:38 PM

Stepback Monday. Throwback Tuesday. Before NBC’s throwback broadcast tonight for Spurs-Sixers (8 ET | Tap to Watch), Jamal Murray delivered a classic scoring clinic for Denver.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Mar. 3, 2026

• Monday Fire: Murray erupts to edge Utah in crunch time, C’s overcome Giannis’ return to stay rolling
• Roundup: Rockets quartet combines for 103, Clippers rally in Garland’s debut
• Coast 2 Coast Tuesday: A blast from the past meets two young superstars, Suns seek key win at Kings
• On League Pass: An emerging Cavs connection faces Cade, Duren and the East-best Pistons
• Power Rankings Spotlight: Schuhmann breaks down the Wolves’ recent rise, more Tuesday matchups

BUT FIRST … ⏰ A stacked slate…

Ten games tip off tonight, headlined by NBC’s throwback broadcast for Spurs at Sixers (8 ET | Tap to Watch), featuring Bob Costas, Doug Collins, Mike Fratello and other notable NBC voices. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday wraps with the Suns visiting the Kings (8 PT | Tap to Watch).

(New) LeBron Tracker: LeBron James is 11 FGM away from passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (15,837) for the most in NBA history. That would make him the all-time leader in points, field goals, 10-pt games, 20-pt games and 30-pt games. To see the historical leaders in FGM, tap here.

1. MONDAY FIRE: MURRAY POPS OFF, CELTICS SPOIL GIANNIS’ RETURN

On a two-game skid amid a heated West race, the Nuggets entered Monday searching for a spark. Instead, Jamal Murray delivered a full-blown inferno.

Nuggets 128, Jazz 125: Murray scored 17 in the 1st half, but Denver still found itself down one, with Keyonte George (36 pts, 14-22 FG) feeling it for Utah. Then Murray leveled up, dropping 28 in the 2nd half while shooting 8-of-10 from the field with five 3s, before sinking the go-ahead free throws with 32 ticks left to give Denver a timely road dub. | Recap

• Golden Hand: Murray finished with 45 points, 8 assists and 8 3s, including 18 points in the 3rd to flip the game
• Denver Duo: Nikola Jokić added 22 points, 12 boards and 5 dimes, as he and Murray scored Denver’s final 16 points to outduel George in a back-and-forth finish
• Big Buckets: It’s Murray’s seventh career 45+ point game, matching Carmelo Anthony for the 3rd-most in Nuggets history, while trailing only Jokić (12) and Alex English (8)

Gary Dineen + Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

Bigger Picture: Two of Murray’s seven 45-point outings have come this season – coinciding with his first All-Star nod – as he’s averaging career highs in points (25.7), rebounds (4.4), assists (7.3), and field goal percentage (48.4).

The Murray Effect: The leap has Denver posting an NBA-best 120.5 ppg, despite missing Jokić for 16 outings, as the Nuggets sit just one game back of Houston for 3rd in the West

“It was a Jamal night,” said Nuggets coach David Adelman postgame. “I love these nights because he has these in him. He can take over a game … and that’s what we needed.”

Gary Dineen + Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

Giannis is back, but the C’s refuse to slow down.

Celtics 108, Bucks 81: After missing 5+ weeks with a calf strain, Giannis Antetokounmpo made his presence felt right away, powering his way to the rack early en route to 19 points and 11 boards in 25 minutes. But Boston was too much, as Payton Pritchard (25 pts, 9 ast, 5 3s) and rookie Hugo González (18 pts, 16 reb, 3 stl, 2 blk) led six double-digit scorers in a near wire-to-wire win, despite being without Jaylen Brown (illness). | Recap

• C’s Surging: It’s the Celtics’ seventh win in eight games as they improve to an NBA-best 12-2 since Jan. 30
• Winning Both Ways: Boston leads the league in OffRtg this season (120.3). Amid its 12-2 run, its defense has followed suit, allowing an NBA-best 96.4 ppg
• Clamps Of Its Own: That’s nearly 10 points fewer than the next closest team in that span (NYK: 106.07 ppg allowed)

2. ROUNDUP: ROCKETS CORE COOKS, CLIPS RALLY BACK

In D.C., Houston’s quartet took over to hold 3rd in the West.

Rockets 123, Wizards 118: Alperen Sengun (32 pts, 13 reb) and Kevin Durant (30 pts, 7 reb) combined for 62 points, while Amen Thompson (22 pts, 12 reb) and Reed Sheppard (19 pts, 10 ast, 6 stl, 2 blk) shined on both ends, as the Rockets outpaced the Wiz for their fourth win in five games. | Recap

• Sheppard Spark: It’s a career-high in steals for Sheppard, who is the youngest Rocket to post 15+ pts, 10+ ast, and 5+ stl in a game
• Wild West: At 38-22, Houston is a half-game up on 4th-place Minnesota and one game up on 5th-place Denver

The Clips keep closing the gap in the NBA SoFi Play-In Tournament race out West.

Clippers 114, Warriors 101: After trailing by 17 in the 2nd quarter, Kawhi Leonard scored 15 of his team-high 23 points in the 2nd half, where LA outscored Golden State 72-45 to earn a key comeback dub. | Recap

• Garland’s Debut: In his Clippers debut, Darius Garland tallied 12 pts, 2 reb and 2 ast off the bench, as LA’s reserves scored 52 points
• Benn Boost: That included 17 points and 7 boards from Bennedict Mathurin, who continues to excel with LA, averaging 18.8 ppg with his new team
• Gaining Ground: It’s the Clippers’ second straight win, moving them just 1.5 games back of the Warriors for 8th

3. COAST 2 COAST TUESDAY: SPURS AT SIXERS THROWBACK, SUNS VISIT KINGS

Brian Sevald + Isaiah Vazquez/NBAE via Getty Images

Tonight (8 ET), a blast from the past meets two teams – and stars – shaping the now.

NBC turns back the clock when the Spurs visit the Sixers, featuring a vintage broadcast led by Bob Costas, Doug Collins, Mike Fratello and other classic NBC voices from the 1990s and early 2000s. But this is more than a throwback – it’s a duel between two Playoff contenders led by young superstars, catapulting their franchises forward.

• Then: At the turn of the century, the Spurs and Sixers were defined by rising generational talents – Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson – one a steady anchor, the other an electrifying guard
• Now: Those contrasting blueprints are back, with a transcendent big leading San Antonio in Victor Wembanyama and a lightning bolt jolting Philly in Tyrese Maxey

Full Circle: Wemby and Maxey aren’t just following legendary footsteps – they’re matching record production, joining the stars who came before them.

• The Alien Fundamental: Last Thursday, Wemby became the first player since Duncan to record 1,000+ points, 500+ rebounds and 125+ blocks through the first 45 games of a season
• The Answer Maxed: That same night, Maxey passed Iverson for the most 3s in Sixers history. They are now the only Sixers to tally 1,600+ points and 115+ steals through the first 58 games of a season

“AI is someone we’ve all looked up to,” said Maxey on Thursday. “Who I’ve looked up to being a small guard. To be able to pass him in anything in basketball – that’s cool.”

The parallels run deeper, showing up not just in numbers, but in style and impact.

• Turbo Charged: This season, Maxey leads the league in fast break points and points off turnovers – categories Iverson also topped in 2000-01 en route to the Kia MVP
• Anchor Excellence: That same year, San Antonio led the league in DefRtg with Duncan manning the middle
• Another Force: This season, the Spurs rank 3rd in DefRtg (110.5). With Wemby on the floor, that number improves to 105.3 – a figure that would top OKC’s NBA-best 106.1 DefRtg

That impact has translated to wins. After missing the postseason last year, both teams are back in the Playoff picture, with San Antonio holding 2nd out West and Philly sitting 6th in the East.

Like Duncan and Iverson, both teams’ stars are driven by the same goal.

“I just want to win,” said Maxey in January. “I leave it all out on the court every single night. That’s the legacy I want to leave behind.”

“Winning is so important to me,” said Wemby last month. “It’s just how I’m built … I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Kate Frese + Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images

The second leg of NBC’s Coast 2 Coast Tuesday brings more Playoff implications as the West’s 7th-place Suns seek a timely win in Sacramento (10 PT).

• Hanging Tough: Despite being without Devin Booker (since Feb. 10) and Dillon Brooks (since Feb. 21) for multiple games, Phoenix has held firm in 7th, just 2 games back of the Lakers for the final guaranteed Playoff spot
• Stepping Up: They’ve done it with Grayson Allen (23 |