Midway Recap: NBA 2024/25 Season Highlights

As the NBA 2024/25 season hits the halfway mark, fans have witnessed some amazing moments, from rookie performances to the biggest upsets. If you’ve missed out on this exciting season so far, don’t worry, here’s a quick recap of the top highlights of the season to catch you up on the NBA 2024/25:

Greatest hits of the season so far

The NBA 2024/25 season has been nothing short of unforgettable moments and standout performances. Here are the greatest moments you have missed in the season so far:

Biggest upset of NBA 2024/25: Brooklyn Nets vs Houston Rockets 110-98

The Houston Rockets has a strong lineup in the NBA 2024/25 averaging 121 points per game for all five starters. However, they had to play at home court without Alperen Sengun and Fred VanVleet. It’s a big handicap that gave the Brooklyn Nets one of the most exciting NBA season opportunities for an upset.

The Nets had the lead by double digits for most of the night following a balanced attack where all five starters scored at least 13 points each. They’ve kept this lead up to the third quarter where they had a strong 15-6 run over five and a half minutes. The Rockets were unable to close the gap and the Nets kept a relaxed pace in the last quarter that concluded with a 12-point difference.

Best trade of the NBA 2024/25: Lakers odds up by more than double

Basketball fans have relatively low confidence in the Los Angeles Lakers, giving the team only +4,000 odds in outright betting for the first half of the season. However, their odds rose up to approximately +1,200 to +1,800 after the team traded Anthony Davis for Luka Dončić on the 2nd of February 2025.

Dončić brings a 28.1 points-per-shot statistic into the table, sharing the front with LeBron James. Having two future hall-of-famers in the team is impressive but there’s a matter of who gets the ball when it’s time to attack. There is consideration of pairing both players, opting for the team to move away from their standard rotation and prepare for the long term.

NBA 2024/25 Rookie of the Year contender: Kel’el Ware takes the spotlight

January was a strong month for Miami Heat rookie, Kel’el Ware. For this month alone, he secured an average of 8.4 points and 4.8 rebounds as of his game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on the 28th of January 2025. It was a surprising development for the rookie who once spent most of the time on the bench until his late-season surge in late December 2024.

From 21st December to 29th January, Ware has caught the eyes of analysts Tim Legler and Adam Mares. In a segment of the All NBA podcast on 28 January, they talked about how Ware’s performance can almost guarantee him the Rookie of the Year award for his consistency. He has become an essential part of the rotation despite starting late in the season.

Exciting rivalries to look forward to

More matches are coming to the NBA 2024/25 season. Here are the top head-to-head to watch in February:

Mavericks vs Rockets: 8th of February

The Rockets enter as the favorites for this matchup having star players like Jalen Green, Alperen Šengün, and Fred VanVleet ready for action by then. With their key players, the Rockets are set to dominate. However, the Dallas Mavericks, led by Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and Spencer Dinwiddie, will be no pushover. Most analysts predict a Rockets victory but this leaves an exciting underdog betting opportunity.

Knicks vs Celtics: 8th of February

The Boston Celtics is the current season’s top title contender and they dominated against the New York Knicks in their last head-to-head in October 2024. Fans believe that the second leg will end with similar results where the Celtics will lead most of the match by double digits.

For the most part, this head-to-head will come down to a game between Knicks’ Jalen Brunson and Celtics’ Jayson Tatum as the season leaders for points and assists of each side. Karl-Anthony Towns will have to work his magic to deter all offenses to prevent the Celtics’ from building up a significant lead.

Bucks vs 76ers: 9th of February

The Milwaukee Bucks have a strong lead over the Philadelphia 76ers in many metrics, including their season leaders. Giannis Antetokounmpo has a 31.8 points average and 60.6 rebounds while Tyrese Maxey has 27.5 and 44.2 respectively. The 76ers have also lost all the last 5 head-to-head with the Bucks, giving analysts little confidence in the underdog. If they win this, then it will be an impressive upset to break their losing streak.

Top favorites of the season and most likely finalists

As it stands, the Boston Celtics are leading the predictions to win the NBA 2024/25 season. Close behind them are the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers respectively. The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks are also in the mix, making a competitive race to the finals. With several months of action still ahead, there’s plenty of time for these teams to solidify their positions in what promises to be one of the most exciting NBA season runs in recent history.