Eight straight wins for OKC.
A record 128 straight 20-pieces for SGA.
Only four weeks remain in the regular season, and the reigning champs are rolling. See what else is trending amid an epic postseason sprint ⬇️
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Sunday’s Best: A streak extending dagger from SGA, a 21-point rally from Brunson’s Knicks
Key East Dubs: Toronto tops 1st-place Detroit, Philly’s depth delivers again
Roundup: Flagg joins special company, DeRozan erupts, Giannis dominates before exiting
What’s Trending – East Heat: Win streaks collide as Atlanta (W9) hosts Orlando (W7) tonight on Peacock
What’s Trending – Wild West: Surging squads take center tonight stage amid a loaded Playoff push
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Eight games tip off tonight, including three matchups on Peacock, starting with Magic-Hawks (7 ET | Tap to Watch). Then, the Rockets host the Lakers (9:30 ET | Tap to Watch), before the Spurs visit the Clippers (10 ET | Tap to Watch).
An All-Time Week: Relive an unforgettable week around the league, from Bam Adebayo’s historic 83-point outburst to Shai’s streak and a slew of instant classics.
Playoff Picture: The SoFi Play-In Tournament is just 29 days away. See what the postseason bracket would look like if it started today, and check out more key dates below:
April 12: Regular season ends (All 30 teams play)
April 14-17: SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament
April 18: NBA Playoffs begin
1. SUNDAY’S BEST: THUNDER WIN 8TH STRAIGHT, KNICKS STORM BACK
The NBA-best Thunder are rolling, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 20-point game streak is alive and well.
Thunder 116, Wolves 103: One game after breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s record (126) for the most consecutive 20-point games in NBA history, SGA pushed his streak to 128, with 20 points and 10 dimes.
OKC’s defense wreaked havoc on the other end, forcing 22 turnovers, while Chet Holmgren owned the inside (21 pts, 9 reb, 3 stl, 1 blk), extending the Thunder’s win streak to eight games. | Recap
The Closer: With 10 points entering the 4th, SGA doubled his total in the final frame, capped by an and-one with 1:46 left to reach 20 and seal the win
The Consistency: Sitting 1st on Shaun Powell’s latest Kia MVP Ladder, SGA ranks 2nd in scoring this season (31.6 ppg) while shooting 54.9% from the field
The Company: It would mark his fourth straight season averaging 30+ pts on 50% shooting or better, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since Michael Jordan (1987-88 through 1991-92)
The Contributions: Isaiah Joe (20 pts) and Alex Caruso (17 pts) combined for 37, while Jared McCain scored 15 on five 3s
The Clamps: Julius Randle (32 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast) and Anthony Edwards (19 pts, 5 ast) led the Wolves, but Minnesota’s 22 turnovers were tied for its 2nd-most this season.
It’s what OKC does, leading the league in DefRtg, while ranking 2nd in caused turnovers and 1st in points off turnovers.
The Result: The Thunder are 53-15 with an NBA-best +10.8 point differential, holding a 3.5-game lead on the Spurs for 1st in the West
“Defense is the one thing you can control in a basketball game,” said SGA postgame. “That’s why we hang our hat on it.”
Defense is part of what’s driven the Knicks to 3rd in the East, and last night, it fueled a monster comeback on NBC’s Sunday Night Basketball – while Jalen Brunson finished the job.
Knicks 110, Warriors 107: After going down 21 early in the 2nd quarter, New York outscored Golden State 84-61 the rest of the way, as Brunson took over (30 pts, 9 ast) while New York’s defense clamped down for a third straight win. | Recap
Rally Starter: After allowing 35 points in the 1st quarter, the Knicks held the Warriors to 19 in the 2nd to claw back into the game
Captain Clutch: Brunson delivered in crunch time, hitting a lead-extending stepback with 1:04 left, before New York held strong on the game’s final possession to secure its largest comeback win of 2025-26
Winning Ways: The Knicks are 18-7 since Jan. 20 – tied for the 3rd-best record in the NBA in that span – while ranking 1st in DefRtg
Chasing Boston: They are one game back of 2nd-place Boston and 2.5 games ahead of Cleveland
More Shine: Karl-Anthony Towns (17 pts, 12 reb) notched his league-leading 47th double-double of the season, while Brandin Podziemski (25 pts, 6 ast) led Golden State, which remains without Steph Curry (knee)
2. EAST UPDATE: TORONTO & PHILLY RESPOND WITH KEY WINS
Over the last two weeks, three East teams – Orlando (5th), Miami (7th) and Atlanta (9th) – have surged up the standings with extended win streaks.
Grouped between the three scorching squads are 6th-place Toronto and 8th-place Philly, who each entered the week on skids.
On Sunday, both finished it with a bang.
Raptors 119, Pistons 108: In a game that featured 8 ties and 17 lead changes, Brandon Ingram (34 pts) and RJ Barrett (27 pts, 6 reb) sparked a decisive 34-17 3rd quarter as Toronto staved off East-leading Detroit for a huge dub. | Recap
Core Clicking: Ingram (11 pts) and RJ Barrett (7 pts) single-handedly outscored Detroit in the 3rd, while Jakob Poeltl (21 pts, 18 reb, 5 ast) and Scottie Barnes (14 pts, 10 reb) finished with double-doubles
East Heat: It’s Toronto’s second straight win, holding the 6th seed while moving just a half-game back of Orlando
Pistons’ Edge: Cade Cunningham shined for Detroit (33 pts, 9 ast), which still holds a four-game lead atop the East after three straight wins entering Sunday
Last Tuesday, Philly learned it would be without Tyrese Maxey (finger) for at least three weeks.
Instead of fading without their star guard, the shorthanded Sixers have dug in.
76ers 109, Blazers 103: Quentin Grimes scored 14 of his season-high 31 points in the 4th, while VJ Edgecombe flashed on both ends (18 pts, 12 reb, 2 blk) as Philly staved off Deni Avdija (25 pts, 6 reb, 9 ast) and Portland for a gritty W. | Recap
Philly Fighting: It’s the Sixers’ third win in four games, moving just a game back of 7th-place Miami and 1.5 games back of Toronto
3. ROUNDUP: FLAGG & DEROZAN SHINE, GIANNIS EXITS AFTER BIG DAY
Only two rookies in the last 60 years have led their team in total points, rebounds and assists: Blake Griffin (2010-11) and Michael Jordan (1984-85).
Cooper Flagg is on pace to join them – and on Sunday, he entered rare air.
Mavericks 130, Cavaliers 120: Flagg dazzled with 27 points, 6 boards and 10 dimes, while P.J. Washington was everywhere (20 pts, 11 reb, 5 stl), leading Dallas past Donovan Mitchell (26 pts, 11 ast) and Cleveland for the Mavs’ second win in three games. | Recap
Coop & The King: Flagg (19y, 84d) – ranked 2nd on the latest Kia Rookie Ladder – is the youngest player to tally 25/5/10 in a game since LeBron James (18y, 355d) in 2003
Young Orchestrators: Only two other teenagers have recorded such a game: Luka Dončić (3x) and Josh Giddey (1x)
Strus Returns: Back from a foot fracture, Max Strus caught fire in his season debut for Cleveland (24 pts, 8 reb, 6 3s), while James Harden added 13 points and 7 assists in just his fourth loss as a Cav (10-4 record)
While Flagg joined elite teenage company, DeMar DeRozan made veteran history.
Kings 116, Jazz 111: DeRozan went off for 41 points and 11 dimes, going 11-of-21 from the field and scoring 23 in the 2nd half to lift the Kings past Cody Williams (career-high 34 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast) and the Jazz. | Recap
Timeless Takeover: DeRozan (36y, 220d) is the oldest player to record 40+ pts and 10+ ast in a game, surpassing Harden, who set the previous mark last November (36y, 80d)
Bucks 134, Pacers 123: In a dominant performance, Giannis Antetokounmpo (31 pts, 14 reb, 8 ast) passed Oscar Robertson (159) for the most 30/10/5 games in NBA history to lead Milwaukee past Aaron Nesmith (32 pts, 7 3s) and Indy.
However, Giannis left the game late in the 3rd quarter with an apparent knee injury and did not return. | Recap
4. WHAT’S TRENDING: EAST STREAKS COLLIDE TONIGHT ON PEACOCK
Along with OKC, two other teams are riding 7+ game win streaks: the Hawks and Magic.
Tonight on Peacock (7 ET), the two sizzling squads meet as the East Playoff race keeps tightening.
Sitting in 9th, Atlanta seeks its 10th straight win as it hosts 5th-place Orlando, winners of seven in a row. Just 2.5 games separate the teams.
Alakazam: Orlando last won eight straight in 2023. Should the Magic remain in the top-6, they’ll head to the Playoffs for a 3rd consecutive season – their longest such streak since 2009-10 to 2011-12
Hawks Soaring: Atlanta last won 10 straight games in 2014. The Hawks’ current 9-0 surge has them two games back of 6th, as they seek their first Playoff berth since 2022-23
Stars Collide: Both squads are led by star forwards in Jalen Johnson (23 pts, 10.4 reb) and Paolo Banchero (22.3 pts, 8.6 reb), who have each elevated their game amid the runs
Stepping Up: Fresh off a triple-double, Johnson has tallied four straight games of 20/7/7 for Atlanta, while Banchero has averaged 25.9 ppg amid Orlando’s streak – his highest-scoring 9-game stretch of the season
Closing Chaos: How crowded is the East? From 2nd-place Boston through 10th-place Charlotte, no two neighboring teams are separated by more than 2.5 games.
Turning Up: Only one of those nine teams has a losing record in its last 10 games (Toronto, which has now won two straight), while five of them have won 7+ in that span: New York, Orlando, Miami, Atlanta and Charlotte
Dive Deeper: With the East race tightening, NBA.com writers predicted who they think will earn a top-6 Playoff berth and why | Read More
What’s Next: A crucial week in the East continues with the Cavs visiting the Bucks to open NBC’s Coast 2 Coast Tuesday (8 ET), before more marquee national games.
Wednesday On ESPN: It’s a rematch of the 2024 NBA Finals as the Celtics welcome the Warriors (7 ET)
Thursday On NBA TV: Two of the hottest teams in hoops collide as the streaking Magic visit Kon Knueppel and the Hornets (7 ET)
Friday On NBA TV: A six-game road trip for the Warriors reaches its fourth stop in the Motor City to face the East-leading Pistons (7:30 ET)
5. WHAT’S TRENDING: WILD WEST RACE CAPS PEACOCK TRIPLEHEADER
Entering the final day of last year’s regular season, only three of the West’s 10 postseason seeds were locked.
This season, we could be headed for another photo finish, with five teams – seed No. 3-7 (LAL, HOU, DEN, MIN, PHX) – separated by just 3 games.
Seeds 3 through 6, the final four Playoff berths, are grouped even tighter, with just 1.5 games between the 3rd-place Lakers and 6th-place Wolves.
Tonight on Peacock (9:30 ET), Los Angeles – winners of five straight – visits 4th-place Houston, with just a half-game separating them.
Lake Show Surge: Capped by Luka Dončić’s game-winner to beat Denver on Saturday, Los Angeles has won eight of its last nine, jumping from 6th to 3rd in the last week
Luka Magic: In those nine games, Dončić (averaging an NBA-best 32.8 ppg) has boosted his scoring to 33.2 ppg, including outings of 35, 44 and 51
LA’s X-Factor: The Lakers thrive in crunch time as they’re 18-6 in clutch games and 31-1 when leading entering the 4th quarter – both NBA-bests
Greatness Collides: Houston is coming off a game-winner of its own, with Kevin Durant drilling a go-ahead jumper with 7 seconds left to beat New Orleans on Friday.
Now KD faces a fellow OG in LeBron James, with both superstars on the cusp of more milestones.
KD Eyeing MJ: Durant enters tonight 87 points away from passing Michael Jordan (31,562) for 5th on the all-time scoring list
King’s Quest: James sits just four games shy of surpassing Robert Parish (1,611) for the most games played in NBA history
Fire Meets Fire: Right in front of Los Angeles and Houston sits 2nd-place San Antonio, the league’s best team since the New Year, with Victor Wembanyama reaching new heights.
Tonight (10 ET), Wemby’s Spurs close Peacock’s three-game slate against the Clippers – another West squad that’s red-hot.
Spurs Scorching: San Antonio is 25-9 since the calendar flipped to 2026 and an NBA-best 17-2 since Feb. 1, moving just 3.5 games back of OKC for the West’s top spot
Alien Impact: Amid the 17-2 run, Wemby (18 GP) is averaging 24.9 pts, 11.2 reb, 3.7 blk and 2.4 3s – numbers no other player has ever matched across an 18-game span
Clips’ Climb: At 34-33, LA is looking to become the first team to finish above .500 after starting 6-21 or worse, jumping from 13th to 8th
Kawhi Time: Fueling the turnaround? Kawhi Leonard, averaging a career-high 28.3 ppg, with a career-best five 40+ point games this season
What’s Next: After becoming the first player to tally 25+ triple-doubles in four straight seasons last week, Nikola Jokić takes center stage tomorrow as the 5th-place Nuggets host the Sixers to close NBC’s Coast 2 Coast Tuesday (10 ET).
But first, Monday delivers five more matchups on League Pass, including the 7th-place Suns visiting the Celtics (7:30 ET).
Warriors at Wizards (7 ET)
Blazers at Nets (7:30 ET)
Grizzlies at Bulls (8 ET)
Mavericks at Pelicans (8 ET)
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