NBA · 1 hour ago

On This Day in NBA History, February 12: Wilt, AI, and LeBron

Sportsgrid Staff

Host · Writer

The Legacy Of February 12th
February 12th doesn't pick one lane. It gives you buzzer-beater daggers, record-book explosions, and scoreboard-melting shootouts. From Iverson's 60 to LeBron's step-back winner, it's a date that keeps finding new ways to get loud.

Data from Blitz. Stats as of February 12.
On This Day in NBA History: Thursday, February 12
Here's a look into some of the most memorable moments on February 12th in NBA history. The ball finds LeBron James on the right wing, and the clock is bleeding out. He sizes up the look, takes a hard step-back, and lets a three fly from deep. It drops. The Golden State Warriors don't get a response. The Miami Heat steal it 111-110 on February 12th, and the arena goes quiet in a hurry.

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The Shot That Stopped Time: LeBron James' Step-Back Winner
That 2014 finish is pure late-game theater. James ends it with a 27-foot three in the fourth quarter, flipping the game at the horn in a 111-110 Heat win over Golden State.

The full line is loud. He posts 36 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists on 14-26 shooting (53.8%) in 42 min. He also hits 4-8 from three (50.0%). That's a monster night even by his standards, with season averages of 27.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.3 assists.

And February 12th doesn't stop there. It's a date that loves a walk-off.
February 12th's Other Walk-Offs
The same night in 2014, James Harden ends a different kind of thriller.Washington Wizards are up one, Houston needs two, and Harden gets all the way to the rim for a driving layup at the buzzer. Final: Houston 113, Washington 112.

Harden finishes with 35 points, six rebounds, and six assists in 41 min. He shoots 8-14 (57.1%), goes 3-6 from three (50.0%), and lives at the line with 16-16 free throws. That's a clean match for his season profile too: 25.4 points and 6.1 assists per game.

Then there's 2011, when Stephen Jackson closes the door with a turnaround fadeaway in the fourth. Charlotte beats Atlanta 88-86, and Jackson supplies the entire edge with 32 points in 43 min. He's not just the closer. He's the engine.

Three different years. Three different styles. Same theme: February 12th is a finisher's date.
For The Record Books: The Biggest Single-Game Marks On This Date
Some February 12th nights don't need a buzzer. They just need a scoreboard.

Allen Iverson owns the loudest scoring total for the date. In 2005, he detonates for 60 points as Philadelphia beats Orlando 112-99. He adds four rebounds, six assists, five steals, and one block in 42 min. That is the highest point total recorded here on February 12th, and it comes in a win.

The other end of the spectrum is pure muscle. Wilt Chamberlain puts up a 33-rebound game in 1969 as the Los Angeles Lakers beat OKC1 109-92. He pairs it with 32 points in 48 min. That's the biggest rebounding number listed in the single-game records section, and it reads like a different sport.

Wilt shows up again in 1963 with a rare bruiser's masterpiece: 46 points and 32 rebounds for GSW2 in a 120-115 loss at Detroit. It's logged as a 40-20 game, and it clears that bar by a mile.

And if you want the cleanest blend of power and playmaking, Joel Embiid stamps 2022 with a 30-plus point triple-double. He goes for 40 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 103-93 Philadelphia win over Cleveland. He even hits 4-5 from three (80.0%) in 33 min. His season averages that year sit at 30.6 points and 11.7 rebounds, so this is still a spike, especially with the ten assists.

One more record belongs in the same 2014 chaos as Harden's buzzer. Trevor Ariza drills 10 threes for Washington in that same 113-112 loss at Houston. He finishes with 32 points and 11 rebounds in 42 min. Ten made threes in a one-point game, and it still isn't enough. That's how thin the margin gets on this date.
The Loudest Game On The Calendar: Hawks vs. Knicks Hits 297 Points
If February 12th has a signature vibe, it's offense with consequences. The clearest example is 2025 in Madison Square Garden, when Atlanta and New York combine for 297 total points in a 149-148 Knicks win.

Karl-Anthony Towns leads New York with 44 points and 10 rebounds on 56.0% shooting, and he goes 70.0% from three in 47 min. He's averaging 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds that season, so this is a full-volume ceiling game.

Atlanta has its own chaos agent. Trae Young drops 38 points and 19 assists in 44 min. Nineteen assists is a game-warping number, especially with his season average at 11.6 assists. New York survives anyway, because Jalen Brunson stacks 36 points and eight assists on 61.9% shooting in 43 min.

A one-point finish. Nearly 300 points. One forty-plus scorer. Another guy with nineteen assists. This is the kind of game that makes you check the score twice.
The Legacy Of February 12th
February 12th doesn't pick one lane. It gives you buzzer-beater daggers, record-book explosions, and scoreboard-melting shootouts. From Iverson's 60 to LeBron's step-back winner, it's a date that keeps finding new ways to get loud.

Data from Blitz. Stats as of February 12.
On This Day in NBA History: Thursday, February 12
Here's a look into some of the most memorable moments on February 12th in NBA history. The ball finds LeBron James on the right wing, and the clock is bleeding out. He sizes up the look, takes a hard step-back, and lets a three fly from deep. It drops. The Golden State Warriors don't get a response. The Miami Heat steal it 111-110 on February 12th, and the arena goes quiet in a hurry.

Attack the Paint with SportsGrid's Free NBA Picks and Player Props Markets.