{"id":577405,"date":"2026-04-02T12:56:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T12:56:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/577405\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T12:56:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T12:56:16","slug":"starting-5-west-win-streaks-continue-thunder-lakers-looms-tonight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/577405\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting 5: West win streaks continue; Thunder-Lakers looms tonight"},"content":{"rendered":"

Victor Wembanyama: youngest player ever to record back-to-back 40-point, 15-rebound games.<\/p>\n

San Antonio Spurs: first team ever to win 26 of 28 games while averaging 120+ points and 30+ assists.<\/p>\n

The West Playoff Race: just got even hotter thanks to the Spurs, Rockets and Nuggets.<\/p>\n

\"Victor<\/p>\n

5 STORIES IN TODAY\u2019S EDITION \ud83c\udfc0<\/p>\n

West Streaks: Wemby sparks Spurs\u2019 10th straight W, Nuggets push streak to 7, Rockets climb<\/p>\n

East Heat: Tatum & Brown take over, Hawks stay soaring, PG-13 pushes Sixers into Playoff position<\/p>\n

Roundup: Knicks halt slide, DeRozan shines vs. Raptors, Pacers win again<\/p>\n

Lakers at Thunder: The league\u2019s top two scorers collide on Prime as Luka faces Shai in a pivotal West duel<\/p>\n

Wolves at Pistons: Ant brings sharper lens into Detroit rematch as Wolves push ahead<\/p>\n

BUT FIRST \u2026 \u23f0<\/p>\n

\"Scores<\/p>\n

Six games tip off tonight, highlighted by a huge doubleheader on Prime as the Wolves visit the Pistons (7 ET<\/a> | Tap to Watch<\/a>), before the Thunder host the Lakers (9:30 ET<\/a> | Tap to Watch<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Postseason Countdown: The SoFi Play-In Tournament is 12 days away. See the current Playoff Picture here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1. WEST STREAKS: SPURS, NUGGETS, ROCKETS ADD WINS IN ALL-TIME APRIL ENTRANCE<\/p>\n

\"San<\/p>\n

For the first time in NBA history, April opened with the West\u2019s top four teams all riding 3+ game win streaks \u2013 combining for 22 straight wins.<\/p>\n

One day later, that surge has only grown \u2013 up to 24 straight among the top four, and 28 including fifth-place Houston, who\u2019s also on a tear:<\/p>\n

1. Thunder: 3 straight wins
\n2. Spurs: 10 straight wins
\n3. Lakers: 4 straight wins
\n4. Nuggets: 7 straight wins
\n5. Rockets: 4 straight wins<\/p>\n

The Spurs are rolling, and once again Victor Wembanyama blurred the line between ridiculous and reality.<\/p>\n

Spurs 127, Warriors 113: Wemby had 27 points and 13 rebounds at the half \u2013 becoming the first Spurs player with 25\/10 in any half since play-by-play tracking began in 1997-98.<\/p>\n

He finished with 41 points, 18 boards and 3 blocks on 16-of-22 shooting, pairing another highlight-reel performance<\/a> with another Spurs dub, extending their streak to 10. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

D\u00e9j\u00e0 Vu Dominance: Wemby\u2019s takeover comes just two nights after recording 41 points, 16 rebounds and 3 blocks in a win over Chicago
\nFifty-Year First: At 22 years and 88 days, he\u2019s not just the youngest player to notch back-to-back 40\/15 games \u2013 he\u2019s the only player in 50 years to post consecutive games of 40+ pts, 15+ reb and 3+ blk<\/p>\n

\"Victor<\/p>\n

Rare Air, Real Results: Wemby has tallied 275 points, 132 boards and 34 blocks over the Spurs\u2019 last 10 games. Only two other players have hit those totals during a 10-game win streak: Shaquille O\u2019Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon.<\/p>\n

And that dominance is translating directly to wins.<\/p>\n

26 Of 28: The Spurs are the first team since 2020-21 to go 26-2 or better over a 28-game span in a single season
\nChampionship Company: Only two other teams in NBA history have won 26 of 28 games while averaging 120+ points: the 1966-67 Sixers and \u201871-72 Lakers, both of whom won the NBA title
\nWinning Impact: That stretch includes 15 straight wins with Wemby in the lineup, where he\u2019s posted an NBA-best +17.9 plus-minus<\/p>\n

\"Jamal<\/p>\n

Next up? Denver\u2019s seventh straight win, delivered by the hot hand of Jamal Murray.<\/p>\n

So hot, even his lob off the glass<\/a> connected.<\/p>\n

Nuggets 130, Jazz 117: Murray drilled three 3s in the opening 90 seconds to help launch Denver\u2019s 39-point 1st quarter \u2013 and punctuated it from halfcourt<\/a> \u2013 in a wire-to-wire win.<\/p>\n

Murray (37 pts) matched his career-high of 10 treys, while Nikola Joki\u0107 (15 pts, 17 reb, 12 ast) collected his 32nd triple-double of the season. Brice Sensabaugh (28 pts, 6 reb, 6 3s) led the Jazz. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Jamal & JR: Murray joined JR Smith as the only players in franchise history to sink 10+ triples in multiple games
\n\u201cI\u2019m just playing free. That\u2019s the biggest thing, this whole year,\u201d said Murray. \u201cAnd my teammates trust me and I\u2019ve been able to back them up.\u201d
\nTriple-Double Season: Joki\u0107 has been finding Murray all year, and the Joker\u2019s 12 dimes secured a triple-double average for the season<\/a> (27.7 pts, 12.9 reb, 10.8 ast)
\nElite Club: Joki\u0107 and former teammate Russell Westbrook are the only players to average a triple-double in back-to-back seasons
\nSteps Up The Mountain: Denver (4th) moved within 1.5 games of the 3rd-place Lakers, while a new team climbed to 5th\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Reed<\/p>\n

Houston, we have liftoff \u2013 the Rockets are soaring up the standings.<\/p>\n

Rockets 119, Bucks 113: Reed Sheppard went 9-of-14 from 3 en route to 27 points, while Alperen Sengun (25 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl) did a bit of everything, staving off the Bucks for a fourth straight win, despite Ousmane Dieng\u2019s career night (36 pts, 10 ast). | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Reed Rain: Sheppard\u2019s nine 3s are a career high, making him the fifth-youngest player to reach the mark (21y, 282d)
\nCore Delivers: Kevin Durant (19 pts, 5 reb, 9 ast) and Amen Thompson (18 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast) added to the attack, including a clutch bucket from Thompson in the final minute to halt a late Bucks push
\n\u2b06\ufe0f Rockets Rise: With the win, Houston jumps Minnesota for 5th in the West, sitting 1.5 GB of Denver<\/p>\n

2. EAST HEAT: JAYS IGNITE C\u2019S, HAWKS SOAR, PG POPS OFF<\/p>\n

\"Jayson<\/p>\n

Three hundred twenty-five days ago, Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles.<\/p>\n

On Monday, he was named East Player of the Week.<\/p>\n

Last night? A triple-double \u2013 while his co-star caught fire.<\/p>\n

Celtics 147, Heat 129: Jaylen Brown scored 20 of his 43 points in the 1st quarter, as the Celtics erupted for 53 in the opening frame, before Tatum (25 pts, 18 reb, 11 ast) helped put the game away, beating Miami for a bounce-back win. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Boston Barrage: The Celtics went 11-of-15 from 3 in the opening frame, resulting in their highest-scoring quarter in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98)
\nTatum Effect: It\u2019s Tatum & Brown\u2019s highest-scoring game as a duo (68) since Tatum\u2019s return, moving Boston to 10-2 with him in the lineup this season
\nBrown Boost: Brown now has seven 40-pieces on the year, more than double his previous season-high (3). The last five have all resulted in wins<\/p>\n

\"Nickeil<\/p>\n

Hawks 130, Magic 101: Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 17 of his game-high 32 points in Atlanta\u2019s 47-26 2nd-quarter takeover, as the Hawks pulled away for their 17th win in 19 games, spoiling Franz Wagner\u2019s (12 pts, 20 min) first action since Feb. 11 (ankle). | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Offense & Defense: During their 17-2 stretch, Atlanta ranks 2nd in DefRtg (106.7) and 2nd in scoring (122.5 ppg)
\nJalen Johnson (18 pts, 14 reb, 8 ast) piled stats, while Jamal Cain, a full-season signee from a two-way contract, led Orlando with a career-high-tying 17 points
\nEast Race: Atlanta holds a 1.5-game cushion for 5th, while Orlando slips to 9th behind Charlotte via tiebreak<\/p>\n

\"Paul<\/p>\n

76ers 153, Wizards 131: Paul George put on a show (39 pts, 6 ast), going 15-of-22 from the floor with six 3s, while Tyrese Maxey (28 pts, 9 ast) and VJ Edgecombe (23 pts, 10 ast) combined for 51, fueling Philly past Washington. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Philly Fire: It\u2019s George\u2019s most points as a Sixer and Philly\u2019s second-highest scoring game in 40 years. The highest? 157 \u2013 eight days ago in a win over Chicago
\n\u2b06\ufe0f Sixers Climb: With the win and the Raptors\u2019 loss, Philly jumped Toronto for 6th in the East, moving into Playoff position<\/p>\n

3. ROUNDUP: KNICKS REBOUND, DEROZAN LEADS KINGS PAST RAPS, PACERS WIN<\/p>\n

Knicks 130, Grizzlies 119: Without Jalen Brunson (ankle), Karl-Anthony Towns (20 pts, 11 reb, 11 ast) stepped up with his fourth career triple-double as New York used a 48-point 1st quarter to fuel a wire-to-wire win, snapping its three-game slide. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Playmaking KAT: Towns\u2019 first triple-double of the season was flanked by 49 combined points from OG Anunoby (25 pts, 13 reb) and Mikal Bridges (24 pts)
\nUpward Again: The Knicks (3rd) sit 2.5 GB of 2nd-place Boston, while holding a 1.5-game edge over 4th-place Cleveland<\/p>\n

Kings 123, Raptors 115: Facing his former team, DeMar DeRozan dropped 28 to pass Dominique Wilkins (26,668) for 17th on the all-time scoring list, while Precious Achiuwa dominated inside (28 pts, 19 reb), leading the Kings past RJ Barrett (20 pts, 6 ast) and the Raptors. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Pacers 145, Bulls 126: Pascal Siakam (25 pts, 5 ast) and Ethan Thompson (career-high 24 pts, 5 ast, 5 3s) sparked an 83-point 1st half for Indy, which took an early lead and never looked back for its second straight win. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Standings\"\/<\/p>\n

4. ON PRIME: LUKA & SGA DUEL IN CRITICAL WEST SHOWDOWN<\/p>\n

\"Luka<\/p>\n

Ten days remain in the regular season. The top of the West is streaking \u2013 and nobody\u2019s giving an inch.<\/p>\n

At the very top of it, while the second-place Spurs have the longest win streak in the league, the first-place Thunder (W3) and third-place Lakers (W4) are riding runs of their own.<\/p>\n

Tonight on Prime (9:30 ET), they collide \u2013 with a pivotal win on the line.<\/p>\n

The Thunder sit just 2 games clear of the streaking Spurs
\nThe Lakers are just 1.5 games up on the blazing Nuggets<\/p>\n

With so little time left, and such tight margins, every game \u2013 and bucket \u2013 is magnified.<\/p>\n

Enter the league\u2019s top two scorers: Luka Don\u010di\u0107 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.<\/p>\n

March Magic: Don\u010di\u0107 leads the league with 33.8 ppg, coming off a 600-point March \u2013 the most by any Laker since Jerry West in Dec. 1965
\nShai Standard: SGA (31.6 ppg) is the only other player this season averaging 30+. He is one 30-piece shy of matching Don\u010di\u0107 (44) for the most in 2025-26. No other player has more than 34
\nWinning Ways: The Thunder are 36-7 when Shai scores 30+ this season. When Luka hits 30+, the Lakers are 33-11. That\u2019s a combined 69-18 record<\/p>\n

The Details: What makes these scorers so special? Neither relies on eye-popping speed or size \u2013 instead, SGA and Don\u010di\u0107 carve up defenses with pace, balance and surgical shot creation.<\/p>\n

Note: Advanced stats through April 1.<\/p>\n

Self-Made: The most reliable scorers don\u2019t need a numbers advantage \u2013 they are the advantage. Shai (80.1%) and Luka (72%) create their own looks as well as anyone, ranking 1st and 3rd, respectively, in unassisted field goal rate (min. 20 GP)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

(Above: SGA and Luka also rank 1st and 3rd in iso points (494 | 396) and ppg off drives (14.2 | 10.7) this season)<\/p>\n

The Difference: Though their production is similar, they get there in different ways \u2013 with Shai testing the defense & slithering into space, while Don\u010di\u0107 controls the tempo with deception.<\/p>\n

Mike Brown On SGA: \u201cHis body control is amazing \u2026 he knows when to attack, how to attack and who to attack, and he still has the awareness of where everybody is on the floor.\u201d
\nJJ Redick On Luka: \u201cHe can get deep into the paint, and you don\u2019t know if he\u2019s going to shoot or pass \u2026 then there\u2019s the rhythm, the touch, it all goes together.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Counter: Take away the paint, and they both have an answer \u2013 the stepback, a move they\u2019ve mastered, with Luka (385 pts) and Shai (344) ranking 1st and 2nd in stepback points this season.<\/p>\n

\"Shai<\/p>\n

Their impact is undeniable: When Luka is on the floor, the Lakers\u2019 OffRtg increases by 8.1 points. With Shai on the floor, OKC\u2019s jumps 10.3 points.<\/p>\n

In games that Don\u010di\u0107 and SGA have played this season, L.A. (43-20) and OKC (52-12) are a combined 95-32.<\/p>\n

Now, the two heavyweights \u2013 and superstars \u2013 go toe-to-toe with the West race at an all-time high.<\/p>\n

5. ALSO ON PRIME: ANT BACK FOR WOLVES-PISTONS REMATCH<\/p>\n

\"Anthony<\/p>\n

Saturday night\u2019s loss to Detroit gave Anthony Edwards a different vantage point \u2013 one that may shape what comes next.<\/p>\n

Sidelined with a knee injury, Edwards watched closely, picking up on what Minnesota lacked against one of the league\u2019s top teams.<\/p>\n

Ant\u2019s back for tonight\u2019s rematch (7 ET, Prime), coming off a win in his Monday return, with a clearer view of what the Wolves need down the stretch, writes The Athletic\u2019s Jon Krawczynski:<\/p>\n

Many factors will decide just how far these Timberwolves can go \u2026 But so much of it will come down to Edwards. He is their brightest star, the Playoff riser who can be one of the very best two-way players in the league\u2026<\/p>\n

Edwards knows this, which is why he was watching the team so closely while he was out\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cJust watching the game from a distance, you start to see what the team is missing, what\u2019s wrong internally, the problems and (stuff),\u201d Edwards said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I needed that, especially going into the Playoffs to see what we needed.\u201d | Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

Now, Edwards puts those takeaways to the test in a key rematch against the East leaders, with Minnesota now a half-game back of Houston, looking to reclaim 5th in the West.<\/p>\n

League Pass delivers four more matchups, including the 9th-place Blazers hosting the Pelicans (10 ET), as Portland chases the 8th-place Clippers, who face the Spurs (10:30 ET).<\/p>\n

Suns at Hornets (7 ET)
\nCavaliers at Warriors (10 ET)<\/p>\n

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