Posters on posters. Buckets on buckets. History on history.
See how one night unfolded into an electric chain of awesomeness ⬇️
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Simply, Special: Jokić & Murray reach new heights, Wolves pull off OT stunner, Luka does it again
Heavyweights & Hot Streaks: Boston bests OKC, Spurs extend streak, Hawks top Pistons in thriller
More Stars Shine: Embiid & PG return with a bang, Kawhi lifts Clips, Adebayo & Powell fuel Heat
Roundup: Blazers overpower Bucks, Warriors lock in West postseason field, Wizards end skid
Tonight On NBA TV: Streaking Knicks & Hornets collide, with New York’s depth in focus
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Three games tip off tonight, including the Knicks seeking an eighth straight win on NBA TV as they visit the Hornets, who have won four in a row (7 ET | Tap to Watch).
The NBA Board of Governors voted Wednesday to authorize the league to formally explore potential team expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle. | Read More
1. A SPECIAL NIGHT: DENVER’S RECORD DUO, WOLVES’ HISTORIC RALLY, LUKA’S MAGIC
Hoop fans entered Wednesday with 12 games on the docket.
They exited with a night that was anything but ordinary – the kind that reminds you that on any night in the Association, almost anything can happen.
The kind that had just about everything.
20/15/15 from Nikola Jokić – again
53 points for Jamal Murray
The largest OT comeback in the play-by-play era
Another 40-piece from Luka Dončić
A second OT thriller decided by the final bounce
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Jaylen Brown dueling in Boston
A Victor Wembanyama spectacle to extend San Antonio’s streak
We start in Denver, where we got not one, but two Mile High performances.
The twin peaks? An unprecedented 27 hours from the Joker – and a scoring avalanche from his co-star.
Nuggets 142, Mavericks 135: One night after posting 23 points, 17 rebounds and 17 assists to beat Phoenix, Jokić raised the bar with 23/21/19, while Murray poured in 53 points on nine 3s.
And with a 2-point lead late in the 4th, the duo sparked the dagger sequence: A Murray dime to Jokić, a Jokić dime to Peyton Watson, followed by back-to-back buckets from Jamal to top Cooper Flagg (26 pts, 8 reb, 7 ast) and the Mavs. | Recap
Never Seen Before: Jokić is the first player in NBA history to record back-to-back games of 15+ pts, 15+ reb and 15+ ast
Big O, Joker, Wilt: It’s also his fourth career 20/20/15 game, passing Oscar Robertson for the 2nd-most ever, and trailing only Wilt Chamberlain (5)
Golden Bucket: It’s Murray’s second 50-ball of the season and the fourth of his career. Only Jokić (5) has more 50-point games for Denver
Together? Jokić and Murray are the first teammates in 60 years to pair a 15/15/15 game with a 50-piece in regulation
“Tonight was just really special,” said Nuggets coach David Adelman. “Fifty-three from your point guard, 23/21/19 from your center – just outrageous numbers from the best tandem in the NBA.”
From one record duo to one record rally.
Wolves 110, Rockets 108 (OT): In a wild finish, Julius Randle (24 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast) led Minnesota to the largest OT comeback since play-by-play data was first tracked in 1997-98, erasing a 13-point deficit in the final 2:45 with an epic 15-0 closing burst. | Recap
Rockets’ Move: Down 11 with 3:47 left in the 4th, Alperen Sengun (30 pts, 6 reb, 4 blk) and Kevin Durant (30 pts, 8 ast) paired individual 6-0 runs to put Houston up 1
Game Of Blocks: After Randle and KD traded scores to knot the game at 95, dueling blocks from Rudy Gobert (14 pts, 14 reb, 5 blk) and Sengun (must-see) forced OT
Game Of Runs: Houston quickly went up 13 to seize control in the extra frame. But then the Wolves flipped a switch, scoring 10 unanswered before Donte DiVincenzo tied the game with a 3 in the final minute
Game Of Randle: One possession later, Randle’s pull-up jumper gave Minnesota the lead with 8.8 left. Durant couldn’t answer at the line, sealing a Wolves win
“We’re built for the moment. Simple as that,” Randle said. “We’re a very resilient group, down a lot of bodies … We showed a lot of mental fortitude tonight.”
The Reward: The 5th-place Wolves keep pace with the Nuggets, while building a 1.5-game lead over Houston in 6th
KD Climbs: Durant’s 30-ball moved him past Karl Malone (435) for the 4th-most all-time. He also passed Dirk Nowitzki (11,169) for the 8th-most FGM all-time
Before all that? More Luka magic – adding to his rare tear.
Lakers 137, Pacers 130: Dončić (43 pts, 6 reb, 7 ast) dropped 40+ for his league-leading 14th time this season, as the Lakers staved off a late Pacers push to end their six-game road trip at 5-1. | Recap
Mamba Amount: Luka used a 21-point 1st quarter to help fuel his 40+, a total he’s reached more than any Laker in a season since Kobe Bryant in 2006-07
Elite Lakers Feat: Dončić joins Kobe, Shaquille O’Neal, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor as the only Lakers to tally 11 straight 30-pieces
Dončić’s totals during this streak (435 pts, 89 reb, 80 ast) place him with James Harden as the only players to amass those numbers in any 11-game span
Road 40s: Luka averaged 40.7 ppg over the Lakers’ road trip, becoming the first player since Michael Jordan (1986) to average 40+ over six straight road games
Lakers Marching: LeBron James added a near triple-double (23 pts, 9 reb, 9 ast), while Austin Reaves scored 25, moving L.A. to 12-2 in March
Capturing The Action? Caitlin Clark, serving as a courtside photographer
2. HEAVYWEIGHTS & HOT STREAKS: C’S TOP OKC, SPURS SHINE, HAWKS TOP PISTONS
Two weeks ago, the Celtics watched SGA make history, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s all-time record with his 127th straight 20-point game – while beating Boston for OKC’s seventh straight win.
Last night, the C’s made sure the latter streak ended.
Celtics 119, Thunder 109: Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 33 points and 8 dimes, but Jaylen Brown owned the night (31 pts, 8 reb, 8 ast). He sparked a 70-point 2nd half with a 3rd-quarter poster (above) before dropping in a dagger floater in the 4th, snapping OKC’s win streak at 12 games. | Recap
JB Delivers: After going down 11 in the 1st quarter, the Celtics outscored the Thunder 99-78 the rest of the way, with Brown pouring in 24 in the 2nd half
JT Ignites: Jayson Tatum came up big on both ends (19 pts, 12 reb, 7 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk), scoring 8 in the 2nd quarter to spark a key 29-15 burst
“This was a big-time win,” said Brown postgame. “OKC is the hottest team in the league. We wanted to come out and show that we can play against anybody … tonight was an example of that.”
⬆️ A reminder from the Spurs that basketball is beautiful – and Victor Wembanyama is special.
Spurs 123, Grizzlies 98: On paper, Wemby’s stat line was ridiculous (19 pts, 15 reb, 3 stl, 7 blk). In action, it was just as absurd – adding another entry to his ever-growing highlight reel while leading San Antonio to a seventh straight win and its 23rd in 25 games. | Recap
Alien & Diesel: It’s Wemby’s fifth game of 15+ pts, 15+ reb and 7+ blk, trailing only Shaquille O’Neal for the most by any player before turning 23
Block Party: Through 175 career games, Wembanyama has 53 outings with 5+ blocks – nearly one-third of his games (30.3%)
World Of His Own: Since entering the league in 2023-24, Wemby’s 53 games of 5+ swats are more than triple the next closest player (Myles Turner: 17)
Spurs Ball: Devin Vassell added 19 points, while Stephon Castle (9 ast) and Keldon Johnson (7 reb) scored 15 apiece
And how about another OT thriller? This one, decided by inches.
Hawks 130, Pistons 129 (OT): Down 2 and 9.5 seconds left, Tobias Harris (22 pts) buried a fadeaway to force OT, where Atlanta seized control, only for the Pistons to claw back.
And with the Hawks clinging to a 1-point lead and 2.9 ticks left, Harris got one more shot to win it – just long. Jalen Duren followed, but his putback caught the top rim and bounced away, sealing a thriller for Atlanta. | Recap
Flying High: The Hawks are 14-1 in their last 15 and jumped the Raptors for 5th with last night’s win
Full Command: Jalen Johnson led the way (27 pts, 8 reb, 12 ast), while CJ McCollum matched him with 27 points (5 3s, 5 ast)
Detroit Fuel: Duren powered the Pistons (26 pts, 14 reb), who fall to 4-1 since losing Cade Cunningham (lung)
3. STARS SHINE: EMBIID & PG POP OFF, KAWHI LIFTS CLIPS, BAM LEADS HEAT
Joel Embiid? Back.
Paul George? Back.
The Sixers? Buckets. Lots of them.
76ers 157, Bulls 137: In his first game since Feb. 26, Embiid went off (35 pts, 6 reb, 7 ast) alongside George (28 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 4 stl), who splashed six 3s in his return from a 25-game suspension, fueling Philly to its highest-scoring total since 1970. | Recap
3rd-Quarter Frenzy: Philly dropped 51 points in the 3rd, its most in any quarter in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98)
3-Point Fire: VJ Edgecombe also shined (22 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast, 4 3s), as Philly splashed 22 3s – two shy of tying its single-game franchise record
As the Clippers keep climbing, Kawhi Leonard’s career year continues – while two new additions shine bright.
Clippers 119, Raptors 94: Kawhi posted 27 points and 6 boards, while Darius Garland (24 pts, 6 ast) and Bennedict Mathurin (23 pts, 6 ast) combined for 47 and 12 dimes, leading LA past Toronto for a third straight win. | Recap
A signature win at a critical time.
Heat 120, Cavaliers 103: After squandering a 21-point 1st-half lead, the Heat responded with a 32-13 closing run in the 4th. Bam Adebayo (17 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast) and Norman Powell (19 pts) led eight double-digit scorers to outlast Donovan Mitchell (28 pts, 6 reb), James Harden (18 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast) and the Cavs. | Recap
East Race: The win halts a five-game slide for 8th-place Miami, which sits 1 GB of Philly for 7th and 1.5 GB back of Toronto
4. ROUNDUP: BLAZERS ROLL, WARRIORS CLINCH, WIZARDS SNAP SKID
Blazers 130, Bucks 99: Ryan Rollins dropped a career-high 36 points, but Scoot Henderson (23 pts), Deni Avdija (18 pts, 7 ast) and Donovan Clingan (14 pts, 15 reb, 4 stl) were too much as Portland led wire-to-wire for a second straight win. | Recap
Warriors 109, Nets 106: Gui Santos’ 31-point career-high and clutch work by the Warriors at the line late wore down the Nets. The Dubs’ win, paired with the Grizzlies’ loss, locked Golden State into the postseason field (with seeding left to be determined). | Recap
Wizards 133, Jazz 110: Julian Reese (career-high 26 pts, 17 reb) led seven Wizards in double figures as Washington never trailed, beating Cody Williams (24 pts) and the Jazz to end a 16-game slide. | Recap
75 Years, 3 Players: Reese joins Austin Reaves (2022) and Don Barksdale (1952) as the only undrafted rookies since 1950-51 to collect 25+ pts and 15+ reb in a game
5. ON NBA TV: STREAKING KNICKS & HORNETS COLLIDE, DEPTH TEST FOR NY
Last season, the Knicks won 51 games en route to their first East Finals appearance in 25 years. But the run fell short of their ultimate goal, losing to Indy in six games.
Entering this season, New York retooled around its core – hiring two-time Coach of the Year Mike Brown while bolstering its rotation, then adding Jose Alvarado at the deadline.
Now, the Knicks have 48 wins with nine games left and are riding a 7-game win streak to move just a half-game back of the 2nd-place Celtics.
Tonight on NBA TV (7 ET), New York faces a streaking Hornets squad (W4) – the kind of test that can call on a team’s depth. As the postseason nears, The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III examines whether the Knicks’ revamped rotation can deliver:
As New York prepares for the postseason, it’s worth asking if the bench is in a better position to contribute this postseason than last.
Some of the same faces are still here such as Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride and Landry Shamet. Cameron Payne, Delon Wright and Precious Achiuwa are replaced by Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson and Mohamed Diawara.
There are reasons to believe that the bench will be more impactful in the Playoffs under Brown. | Read More
The showdown of streaking squads will feature a special NBA TV production, with John Fanta and Brendan Haywood on the call, alongside reporters Alexis Morgan and Kristopher London.
On League Pass, the East-leading Pistons will look to rebound from Wednesday’s loss as they host the Pelicans (7 ET), while the Magic welcome the Kings (7 ET).