The MVP’s dagger 3 secured win No. 50 for OKC.
The champs are 5-0 since Shai’s return.
Read on for everything you need to know for a busy Sunday in the Playoff push.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
March 8, 2026
ABC Sunday: Celtics, Cavs showcase key additions with Tatum’s first road test at Harden’s new home
Also On ABC: Knicks look for defensive edge in scoring showdown with Luka’s Lakers
Sunday Night Basketball: West contenders Rockets & Spurs meet with differing approaches to big expectations
Clutch Closers: SGA secures OKC’s 50th win, Jalen Johnson ices Philly, Nets take down Pistons
Saturday’s Stars: Kawhi keeps Clips hot, Giannis stuffs stats, Bane & Banchero beat Ant
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Sunday packs nearly 12 hours of hoops…
A 10-game Sunday awaits with four national opportunities to see eight Playoff contenders:
ABC Sunday: Action starts early with the new-look Celtics and Cavs (1 ET, ABC | Tap To Watch), followed by an L.A. matinée between the Knicks and Lakers (3:30 ET, ABC | Tap To Watch).
Sunday Night Basketball: Texas rivals clash as the Rockets travel to face the Spurs (8 ET, NBC/Peacock | Tap To Watch), and a nightcap in the desert between the Hornets and Suns (10 ET, Peacock | Tap To Watch).
1. ABC SUNDAY: TATUM, HARDEN BOOSTING TWO OF EAST’S TOP CONTENDERS
Brian Babineau + Nick Cammett/NBAE via Getty Images
Contenders, upgraded.
Since Jan. 28, the Cavs and Celtics have been right there alongside the much-discussed Pistons and Knicks in the top half of the East.
They were never on the outside looking in, but they each emphasized their win-now opportunities with big swings.
Now, 2-seed Boston and 4th-seeded Cleveland are implementing team-altering additions that could reshape the Eastern Conference’s path to the Finals.
Today on ABC (1 ET), they’ll measure up those upgrades face-to-face, with Jayson Tatum playing his first road game of the season at James Harden’s new Cleveland home.
- Two Of The Best Got Better: Since Jan. 1, the Celtics (22-9) and Cavaliers (20-8) hold the 2nd and 4th-best records in the NBA, respectively
- Boston welcomed Tatum back Friday, who settled in with an impactful 27 minutes (15 pts, 12 reb, 7 ast) that had TD Garden rocking
- With The Beard: Harden’s arrival and pairing with Donovan Mitchell has lifted Cleveland to the 4th-best offensive rating (119.4)
Brian Kolin/NBAE via Getty Images
While Tatum’s first step in returning was to begin rebuilding his own confidence, Harden’s time in Cleveland has been all about building up others.
- Affecting Allen: Jarrett Allen has more 25+ point games since Harden’s Feb. 7 arrival (4) than in this season’s 39 games prior (3)
- “It’s so much fun,” Allen said of playing with Harden. “He finds me on every pick-and-roll… he’s just getting back into his bag. Everybody’s meshing well together.”
- Rest Vs. Rust: The Cavs closed February with 5 games in 7 nights (3-2) after All-Star Weekend, and started March 2-0 before four days of rest
- Head To Head: Cleveland has also had Boston’s number this season, holding a 2-0 edge in the series
But both squads are different now, and with 19 games remaining apiece until the Playoffs, each battle will be a critical crash-course in chemistry.
2. ALSO ON ABC: KNICKS TEST DEFENSE VS. LEADING SCORER LUKA, LAKERS
Jim McIsaac/NBAE via Getty Images
142 points in Denver for the league’s 3rd-ranked offense.
44 points in three quarters for the league’s leading individual scorer.
On Friday, the high-powered Knicks and the Luka-led Lakers each put on head-turning offensive displays. Today on ABC (3:30 ET), they’ll fight fire with fire, head-to-head, in an L.A. matinée.
- Mile-High Efficiency: New York’s 142-point outburst was its 2nd-highest scoring game this season, made more impressive by a 57.9% shooting clip from the field
- Quantity & Quality: Luka’s 44-point Friday was his league-leading 10th 40+ point game of the season, and matched his 4th-highest output of the campaign
But as The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III writes for NBA.com, it’s the Knicks’ commitment to the league’s best-rated defense since Jan. 20 that could give them an edge in showdowns like Sunday’s, and beyond:
“It was after that loss to Dallas on Jan. 19 that things changed, like a flipped switch, but no one was able to credit one person for turning the lights on.
The team started to funnel ballhandlers to the sideline and baseline more often, after having funneled teams to the middle more often. That method left the Knicks vulnerable to drive-and-kicks and slow rotations, and teams often made them pay.
Outside of that tweak, though, no one has copped to any other structural changes. As trivial as it sounds, they say they just started caring more. The team has defended with more physicality, and communicated louder and with more regularity. The help defender is getting help.
In short, pride and trust took over.
…Now, New York is in a different conversation — one that could propel this team to the NBA Finals if it remains committed to the bit.” | Read More
- Luka’s Leverage: However improved New York’s defending is, Dončić has a history of going off against the Knicks, averaging 30.5 ppg, 10.2 reb and 8.8 ast in his career against them
Will New York’s two-way attack overtake L.A., or can Dončić crack the Knicks’ lockdown ways to lead the Lakers to victory?
3. SNB: SPURS, ROCKETS APPROACH PLAYOFFS AND EXPECTATIONS
Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images
Expectations abound in Texas as time runs down on the regular season.
San Antonio’s group, often deemed “ahead of schedule,” has a leader who knows it.
“I know I’m in MVP conversations. Of course, it’s one of my goals,” Wembanyama said last month. “I’m also conscious that I need to press the gas a little bit in the last games of the season.”
The third-place Rockets — no stranger to meteoric rises, after winning 22 games just 3 years ago — have their sights set high, too. And this year, they have the veteran leadership of Kevin Durant to help.
“I feel like when you put huge expectations on anything, it’ll never meet up to your standards,” Durant said. “So I try to just take it a day at a time and truly assess… the process itself.”
How either team handles that pressure will determine a Texas-sized chunk of what happens in the Playoffs.
Rockets at Spurs (8 ET, NBC/Peacock): As second-place San Antonio continues its surge toward the top of the standings, Houston fights to stay at the front of the West’s enmeshed middle seeds.
- Well-Timed Surge: San Antonio has won 14 of its last 15 games, its best stretch in a decade, to clinch its first postseason appearance of the Wemby era
- Built To Rise: The Spurs’ rapid ascent has been fueled by a series of key additions — drafting Wembanyama in 2023, selecting Stephon Castle and adding Harrison Barnes in 2024, acquiring De’Aaron Fox and developing Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant in 2025
- Familiar Fire: Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson were part of the Spurs’ Play-In appearances in 2021 and 2022, and are key to prepping the young core for the NBA Playoffs’ all-or-nothing atmosphere
The Rockets shoot to even the season series with their in-state rivals today at two wins apiece.
- Key Mile Marker: With a Wolves loss returning the Rockets to 3rd place, an H-Town win today would make them the fourth West team to reach 40 this season
It was Houston who was considered ahead of schedule last year, finishing one spot behind West winner OKC — right where San Antonio is now.
Which of the two takes that next step first? To find out, they’ll have to get past each other Sunday.
4. CLUTCH CLOSERS: SGA’S DAGGER, JALEN JOHNSON’S TAKEOVER, NETS’ UPSET
A five-game sprint in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s return has made OKC the season’s first 50-game winner.
And the reigning MVP hit the biggest shot of the night to make it happen.
Thunder 104, Warriors 97: OKC never trailed Golden State but found themselves in a one-possession game with under a minute to play, calling on Shai for the dagger step-back triple to secure a fifth straight win and bolster the league’s best record. | Recap
“On that play, Draymond was forcing me [to] my right, so I knew I’d be able to get that shot off, regardless,” Shai said postgame. “Stepped into it with confidence.”
- Wilt’s One Away: SGA (27 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast) eclipsed the 20+ point mark for the 125th straight game and is now just one game from Wilt’s all-time record
- Without starters Chet Holmgren (illness), Jalen Williams (hamstring) and Isaiah Hartenstein (leg), Shai carried the day, with OKC improving to 5-0 since his Feb. 27 return (abdomen)
- Fittingly in the Bay, the Thunder became the first team since the 2016-17 and 2017-18 Warriors to win 50 of their first 65 games in consecutive seasons
Gui Santos logged a career-high 22 points to lead the Warriors without Steph Curry.
Hawks 125, Sixers 116: Jalen Johnson (35 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast) took over for 11 points in Atlanta’s 23-14 4th-quarter closeout to pull away from Tyrese Maxey (31 pts, 5 ast, 4 stl) and Philly and secure a season-best six-game win streak. | Recap
- Stacking Stats: JJ collected his 10th game of the season with 30+ pts, 10+ reb, 5+ ast — most in a single season by a Hawks player in 64 years (Bob Pettit, 14x)
- Second Scorers: Nickeil Alexander-Walker (24 pts, 6 ast, 4 3s) supported Johnson, while Philly got a big night from Quentin Grimes (26 pts, 6 reb)
- Big Domino: Atlanta’s win knocked Philly down from 6th to 8th place, with the 9th-place Hawks a game and a half back amid the Play-In positions
Nets 107, Pistons 105: Ziaire Williams (23 pts, 5 3s) came up double-clutch and Michael Porter Jr. (30 pts, 13 reb) led the way in Brooklyn’s 23-point 2nd-half comeback past a short-handed Pistons squad, snapping a 10-game skid. | Recap
- Finishing Flurry: Williams hit two clutch triples within a minute to erase a four-point gap and give Brooklyn the final lead, its first since it was 8-7
- Throwback Comeback: The 23-point rally was the Nets’ largest since March 3, 2023, executed, in part, by holding Detroit to 43 2nd-half points
- Tobias Harris (18 pts, 10 reb) and Jalen Duren (17 pts, 14 reb, 3 blk) led the way for Detroit, which was without Cade Cunningham (quad) and Ausar Thompson (ankle)
5. SATURDAY’S STARS: KAWHI DELIVERS, GIANNIS SHINES
Clippers 123, Grizzlies 120: LA’s trade deadline acquisitions had big nights (54 combined points) in support of Kawhi Leonard (28 pts, 5 reb) as the Clips outlasted Ty Jerome (23 pts, 7 ast, 3 stl) and the Grizzlies for a fourth win in five games. | Recap
- Quick Catchup: Leonard unloaded 15 points in the 2nd quarter to erase an early 19-point hole and key a back-and-forth 2nd half of 13 lead changes
- Darius Garland scored 11 of his 21 points in the 4th for his first 20+ point performance with LA, and Bennedict Mathurin matched his 21 points
- Clips’ Climb: LA is now one game under .500 and the same distance away from Golden State in 8th place, among the West’s Play-In teams
Magic 119, Wolves 92: Desmond Bane (30 pts) and Paolo Banchero (25 pts, 15 reb) teamed up to overpower Anthony Edwards (34 pts, 5 3s) as Orlando surged late to seal the road win and snap Minnesota’s five-game win streak. | Recap
- Road Runs: Orlando finished the 1st half on a 19-2 run that included 14 unanswered points, built a 20-point lead with a 17-4 3rd-quarter run, and opened the 4th with a 7-1 edge to ice the W
- Clamp Down: The Magic held Minnesota to 35.7 FG% and its second-lowest score of the season, limiting their opponent to just 14 4th-quarter points
- Level Up: Orlando moves from Play-In position into the 6th and final guaranteed Playoff spot by a percentage point over Miami, after Philly’s loss
Patrick McDermott/NBAE via Getty Images
Bucks 113, Jazz 99: Giannis had his highest-scoring night since returning Mar. 2 (calf), with an efficient 27 points in 27 minutes and Kyle Kuzma scored half of his 18 points in the Bucks’ 13-2 closeout of Utah to help snap a four-game skid. | Recap
- Giannis (9 reb, 8 ast) and teammates Ryan Rollins (13 pts, 11 reb, 8 ast) and Ousmane Dieng (11 pts, 8 reb, 9 ast) all came within a few plays of triple-doubles
