{"id":373067,"date":"2026-04-03T14:12:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T14:12:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/373067\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T14:12:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T14:12:16","slug":"starting-5-spurs-thunder-roll-on-what-to-expect-over-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/373067\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting 5: Spurs, Thunder roll on; What to expect over weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

Around, over and through.<\/p>\n

Against another top-3 West squad, SGA and OKC showed there\u2019s more than one way to rise to another level.<\/p>\n

With 9 days left in the regular season, keep reading to catch up on the Playoff Picture as it stands heading into the weekend \u2014 and all the stories you gotta know.<\/p>\n

\"Shai<\/p>\n

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

Defensive Dominance: Shai\u2019s Thunder stifle Lakers\u2019 offense, steals & swats key to Pistons\u2019 power<\/p>\n

Sustaining Streaks: Spurs\u2019 guard trio fills in for Wemby, Kon gets record as Charlotte\u2019s shooters stay sharp<\/p>\n

Roundup: Mitchell, Cavs clinch top-6 seed, Jrue Holiday\u2019s vintage play helps Blazers climb<\/p>\n

League Pass Spotlight: NAW\u2019s rise fuels Hawks\u2019 17-2 surge, with Nets up next<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Next: What to know for the penultimate weekend of the regular season<\/p>\n

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

\"Scores<\/p>\n

Nine games tip off tonight, including eight matchups on League Pass<\/a> and Bulls-Knicks on NBA TV (7:30 ET<\/a> | Tap to Watch<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Postseason Countdown: The SoFi Play-In Tournament is 11 days away. See the current Playoff Picture here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

New Era In Portland: The Blazers held a press conference yesterday for their new ownership group, led by Tom Dundon. Watch it here<\/a><\/p>\n

1. DOMINATING DEFENSES: TOP-SEEDED THUNDER, PISTONS FLEX TWO-WAY POWER<\/p>\n

\"OKC<\/p>\n

In a showdown of the two of the West\u2019s top 3 teams \u2014 and two of the league\u2019s top-2 scorers \u2014 SGA\u2019s Thunder fought fire with a fire extinguisher.<\/p>\n

Thunder 139, Lakers 96: OKC jumped out to an 18-4 start on the way to a season-high 82-point 1st half<\/a>, where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (7 reb, 7 ast) had 21 of his game-high 28 points<\/a>, while the Thunder D held the Lakers under 100 points for the first time since Feb. 22, in their largest defeat of the season. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cMost importantly, we got stops defensively,\u201d SGA said. \u201cI think they had like 21 points in the 1st quarter and their offense had been really good, so that\u2019s pretty impressive.\u201d
\nDort Darts Out: OKC won that quarter 44-21 on the strength of Luguentz Dort\u2019s 5-for-5 start from the field (14 pts, 4-4 3FG, 2 stl)
\n\u201cThey were obviously playing really good basketball coming in here, but so were we,\u201d Shai said. \u201cWe just wanted to put our best foot forward, and see where we stood.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Thunder continue to stand on the strength of their defense, leading the league in point differential again (+11.4) after last season\u2019s record-setting +12.9.<\/p>\n

\"Shai<\/p>\n

Historical Context: OKC has won 23 games by 20+ points this season, tying the 2016-17 Warriors for 3rd-most in any season, trailing only the 1970-71 Bucks and 1995-96 Bulls
\nShot Challengers: The Thunder (43.5 OppFG%) are on pace to join the 2019-20 Bucks and the 2007-08 Celtics as the only teams since 2000 to hold opponents at least 3.5% below the league average FG% (47%)
\n\u201cIt\u2019s that time of year. Habits matter,\u201d SGA said. \u201cThe most important games are about to come up pretty soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanna make sure all those habits are in a good place, and ready to go come \u2013 we call it \u2018when the t-shirts are in the seats\u2019 and the fans are going crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The reigning MVP\u2019s (31.6 ppg, 2nd) duel with scoring leader Luka Don\u010di\u0107 (33.5 ppg) was cut short when the Lakers star left the game midway through the 3rd.<\/p>\n

Luka Update: Don\u010di\u0107 (hamstring) will have an MRI on Friday, coach JJ Redick said<\/a> postgame
\nAR & LBJ: Austin Reaves (15 pts) and LeBron James (13 pts, 6 reb) paced the Lakers<\/p>\n

\"Jalen<\/p>\n

Pistons 113, Wolves 108: In another showcase of depth, Daniss Jenkins (26 pts, 5 reb, 8 ast) led Detroit while Jalen Duren (22 pts, 14 reb, 2 blk<\/a>) battled Julius Randle (27 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast) and the Pistons held the Wolves scoreless for nearly 3 minutes in the 4th quarter to pull away. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

It was Detroit\u2019s second win in a week over Minnesota, with both teams missing their All-Star guards.<\/p>\n

Ant Edwards (knee, illness) was a late scratch on Thursday, while the Pistons announced Cade Cunningham (chest) will be re-evaluated next week.<\/p>\n

Ausar Assists: Without Cade, Ausar Thompson (7 pts, 9 reb, 9 ast) stepped up with a career-high in dimes \u2013 and this long-distance lob finish<\/a><\/p>\n

Ausar Assists: Without Cade, Ausar Thompson (7 pts, 9 reb, 9 ast) stepped up with a career-high in dimes \u2013 and this long-distance lob finish<\/a><\/p>\n

Active Hands: The Pistons are on pace to be the first team in over 30 years to average 10 or more steals and six or more blocks per game
\nRare Totals: With five games remaining, the Pistons\u2019 800 steals and 488 blocks have only been matched by one team, the 2021-22 Grizzlies, in the last 30 seasons
\nDetroit\u2019s lead over 2nd-place Boston extends to 4.5 games, while 6th-place Minnesota falls a game behind Houston as the West\u2019s only top-6 team still in search of a Playoff spot<\/p>\n

2. STAYING HOT: GUARDS KEEP SPURS, HORNETS STREAKING<\/p>\n

\"Stephon<\/p>\n

Take away Wemby\u2019s otherworldly play and the Spurs still have a backcourt mix few teams have an answer for.<\/p>\n

Spurs 118, Clippers 99: San Antonio\u2019s guard trio of De\u2019Aaron Fox (22 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl), Stephon Castle (20 pts, 5 ast) and Dylan Harper (19 pts, 5 ast) propelled the Victor Wembanyama-less Spurs past Kawhi\u2019s (24 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast) Clippers for an 11th straight win. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Early Fox: De\u2019Aaron netted 10 of his 22 in San Antonio\u2019s 35-19 2nd-quarter liftoff, which Harper punctuated<\/a> by tapping into his Kia Shooting Stars skills from All-Star weekend
\nCastle\u2019s Closeout: After Bennedict Mathurin (18 pts, 7 reb) helped LA turn the tables with its own 34-19 3rd quarter, Castle clicked in the 4th (10 pts, 4-5 FG) to seal the win<\/p>\n

\"Dylan<\/p>\n

The guard trio took turns going off for 61 combined points, as San Antonio surged to 27-2 in its last 29 games, the NBA\u2019s best 29-game record since the 2017-18 Rockets.<\/p>\n

More Than Wemby: During that stretch, the Spurs lead the league with 31.4 assists per game, with over half (18.5 apg) coming from Castle (7.6), Fox (6.4) and Harper (4.5)
\nThe Key Is Key: Spurs\u2019 guards have also found an edge in the paint, as the team ranks 3rd this season in FG% on drives and 6th in assists off drives
\n\u201cGetting in the paint, kicking out\u2026 Once I kick out, the lane is open for me, for 1-on-1,\u201d Harper said of his approach. \u201cOnce I get in the paint, I feel like I\u2019m unguardable.\u201d<\/p>\n

The scorching Spurs stay within 2 games of top-seeded OKC with five games remaining.<\/p>\n

Second only to San Antonio\u2019s extended heat, the game\u2019s next-best record since Jan. 22 belongs to Buzz City.<\/p>\n

\"Kon<\/p>\n

Hornets 127, Suns 107: Rookie Kon Knueppel (20 pts, 4 3s) set the Hornets\u2019 franchise record for 3s in a season (261) and paired with Miles Bridges (25 pts) to outduel Jalen Green (25 pts, 7 ast) and Devin Booker (22 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast) for Charlotte\u2019s seventh win in nine games. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Kon Passes Kemba: Knueppel\u2019s 4th triple of the night, at the 8:25 mark of the 4th<\/a> quarter, shot him past Kemba Walker (2018-19) for the franchise single-season record
\n\u201cEspecially with the team success, it\u2019s been real fun to enjoy some of that individual success as well,\u201d Knueppel said, after getting doused by his coach,<\/a> Charles Lee
\nThat 4th-quarter make also got Kon to the 20-point mark for the 35th time this season, joining Alonzo Mourning (45) and Larry Johnson (42) as the only Hornets to amass that many in a season
\nSimilar Feat: Earlier, in the 2nd quarter<\/a>, Phoenix\u2019s Collin Gillespie passed Quentin Richardson (226) for most-ever 3s in a Suns season
\nCourse Correct: Phoenix started fast with a 41-point 1st quarter, but Charlotte limited the Suns to 19 points in the 2nd to grab a halftime lead they\u2019d never surrender
\nPostseason Impacts: 8th-place Charlotte pulls within 1.5 games of 7-seed Toronto, while in the West, the 7th-place Suns\u2019 loss locks Houston into a top-6 Playoff spot<\/p>\n

3. ROUNDUP: CAVS CLINCH PLAYOFFS, BLAZERS OVERTAKE CLIPS<\/p>\n

\"James<\/p>\n

Cavaliers 118, Warriors 111: Donovan Mitchell (25 pts, 6 reb) and Max Strus (24 pts, 5 reb, 6 3s) helped keep the Cavs ahead for their seventh win in nine games, desspite a late Warriors charge and 25 points apiece from Gui Santos (5 reb) and Brandin Podziemski. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Cleveland Clinched: The 4th-place Cavs earned a guaranteed, top-6 Playoff seed in the East with the win, and moved within a game of 3-seed New York<\/p>\n

\"Donovan<\/p>\n

Blazers 118, Pelicans 106: Jrue Holiday (27 pts, 5 reb, 9 ast, 7 3s<\/a>) was everywhere, especially in the final stretch to hold off Jeremiah Fears (21 pts) and the Pelicans for a third straight win, bumping Portland up past LA for 8th-place in the West. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Jrue<\/p>\n

A Couple Of Closers: With NOLA pulling within 5 points in the 4th quarter, Holiday (11 pts) and Deni Avdija (7 pts) ignited for 18 combined points over the final 7 minutes
\nElite OG Group: Holiday joined Steph, LeBron, James Harden and KD as the only players age 35 or older to log 25+ pts, 5+ reb and 5+ 3s in back-to-back games<\/p>\n

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

4. LEAGUE PASS SPOTLIGHT: NAW & HAWKS SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS<\/p>\n

\"Nickeil<\/p>\n

Six weeks ago, the Hawks suffered their largest loss of the season \u2013 a 31-point defeat on their home floor at the hands of the Heat.<\/p>\n

It was Atlanta\u2019s sixth loss in nine games, dropping to 27-31 and 9th in the East.<\/p>\n

Forty-two days later, the Hawks are in 5th, eyeing their first top-6 Playoff berth in five years \u2013 fueled by a 17-2 run.<\/p>\n

What clicked? Not just Jalen Johnson further elevating his All-Star season<\/a>, but the emergence of a two-way problem \u2013 Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who found a new home in Atlanta and unlocked another level, writes NBA.com\u2019s Jeff Zillgitt:<\/p>\n

Hawks coach Quin Snyder envisioned a role for Nickeil Alexander-Walker that Alexander-Walker hadn\u2019t considered.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe saw a ceiling higher for myself than I did,\u201d Alexander-Walker told NBA.com in a phone interview. \u201cAnd that was really cool for me because I felt like in my career I\u2019ve never had that before.\u201d<\/p>\n

What did Snyder see? A player who could average 20 points, contribute more as a playmaker and still provide strong defense.<\/p>\n

What has Alexander-Walker done? After joining the Hawks in free agency last summer, Alexander-Walker is having the best season of his career. | Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

Tonight on League Pass (7:30 ET), the Hawks can move to 18-2 in their last 20 \u2013 which would be their best 20-game stretch in 11 years \u2013 as they visit Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

\"Jalen<\/p>\n

More Tonight: The Knicks host the Bulls on NBA TV (7:30 ET), while seven more games tip off on League Pass, including the Rockets seeking a fifth straight win against the Jazz (8 ET) and the Wolves visiting the Sixers (7 ET).<\/p>\n

Pacers at Hornets (7 ET)
\nRaptors at Grizzlies (8 ET)
\nCeltics at Bucks (8 ET)
\nMagic at Mavericks (8:30 ET)
\nPelicans at Kings (10 ET)<\/p>\n

5. WHAT TO KNOW FOR THE PENULTIMATE WEEKEND OF THE REGULAR SEASON<\/p>\n

\"Nikola<\/p>\n

The six-month regular season marathon is down to nine days, and it\u2019s a sprint to the finish.<\/p>\n

The 20-team postseason field is set, but not a single seed is locked in. That leaves homecourt advantage, Playoff positioning and Play-In seeding all in flux.<\/p>\n

Before a pivotal weekend, let\u2019s take a look at the current Playoff Picture and some key dates to know<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Sunday, April 12: Regular season ends (All 30 teams play)
\nTuesday, April 14-17: SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament
\nSaturday, April 18: NBA Playoffs begin<\/p>\n

\"Playoff<\/p>\n

With the Playoff Picture still taking shape, this weekend\u2019s national slate carries major weight, beginning with a monster Saturday showdown on Prime.<\/p>\n

Spurs at Nuggets (3 ET, Prime): The league\u2019s two longest active win streaks \u2013 and two of its hottest stars \u2013 collide as Victor Wembanyama\u2019s Spurs (W11) visit Nikola Joki\u0107\u2019s Nuggets (W7).<\/p>\n

Run It Back: San Antonio\u2019s last loss came at the hands of Denver on March 12, behind Joki\u0107\u2019s monster triple-double (31 pts, 20 reb, 12 ast) \u2013 but Wemby (ankle) was out
\nThe Stakes: Now the two stars face off for the first time this season, both on dominant runs, with Denver 1 GB of the 3rd-place Lakers and San Antonio 2 GB of 1st-place OKC
\nThe Finale: The cherry on top? The Nuggets and Spurs meet again on the last day of the regular season<\/p>\n

Pistons at 76ers (7 ET, NBA TV): Saturday closes with a key East showdown as Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and the Sixers \u2013 currently 6th via a tiebreaker \u2013 host the East-leading Pistons.<\/p>\n

Right behind Philly? Toronto, which opens Sunday\u2019s slate with another major East matchup, visiting Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and 2nd-place Boston (3:30 ET, NBA TV).<\/p>\n

Lakers at Mavericks (7:30 ET, NBC): Then, NBC\u2019s Sunday Night Basketball tips with the Lakers visiting Cooper Flagg and the Mavs.<\/p>\n

Rockets at Warriors (10 ET, NBC): Last, Kevin Durant faces his former team as the streaking Rockets (W4) visit the Warriors, who could get a major boost as they look to improve their Play-In position.<\/p>\n

Steph Eyeing Return: Sidelined since Jan. 30, Steph Curry (knee) fully participated in practice on Tuesday<\/a> and reportedly hopes to play Sunday<\/p>\n

Want to share\u00a0Starting\u00a05\u00a0with a friend?\u00a0Send them this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Shape the Starting 5.\u00a0\u00a0Email us here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t have the NBA App? Download it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n