Congrats to LeBron James on passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for career field goals made—the King is stacking crowns.
Today’s Lineup
🚀 Golden Revenge
A nostalgic 2010s Western Conference matchup had allll the same excitement.
⛈️ Thunder and Lightning
OKC survived a late Knicks push to grab a win at MSG.
5️⃣ Top Five Friday
Five matchups we wanna see in the playoffs.
🎉 Happy birthday to Walter Clayton, Michael Finley, Marcus Smart, Josh Hart, and Shaquille O’Neal! 🎉
Game Recaps
Warriors survive Rockets’ late-game surge, win 115-113 in Houston
With Kevin Durant going against his old team and Steph Curry injured, a nostalgic Western Conference matchup still retained a lot of its magic in a great game last night.
The Warriors held the lead through the first three quarters, with De’Anthony Melton (23 PTS, 6 REB) and Brandin Podziemski (26 PTS, 9 REB) leading the charge. Reed Sheppard (30 PTS) was the main offensive catalyst for Houston the whole way, but Durant (23 PTS, 6 REB) contributed plenty throughout as well.
Amen Thompson (18 PTS, 10 REB) helped Houston shift the energy in the third quarter, and Alperen Sengun (17 PTS, 7 REB, 7 AST) made a few huge plays in the final minutes to help maintain Houston’s effort until the end of regulation.
But in the extra period, it was Podziemski who got the shots Golden State needed to take the win home, with KD missing a few crucial free throws and Melton hitting the eventual game-winning shot.
🏀 🏀 🏀
Thunder escape with 103-100 win over Knicks in New York
We’re not saying this was a Finals preview—there’s a lot to be said about the rest of the regular season, and the Knicks are among a few contenders coming out of the East.
But in terms of intensity, this one had it all.
After leading by single digits for most of the game, the Thunder came out on top, but only after briefly giving up the lead to the Knicks at the start of the fourth. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (26 PTS) and Chet Holmgren (28 PTS) carried the Thunder throughout the game, with Lu Dort (16 PTS) hitting a couple of threes as well, but most of the offense came from OKC’s top two.
Jalen Brunson (16 PTS, 11 in 3Q) and Landry Shamet (14 PTS) helped the Knicks claw back and put New York in position to win the game, but the Thunder locked in and got the job done with some crucial free throws as the clock ticked and an SGA three with a minute left that shut the door.
🏀 🏀 🏀
Elsewhere around the NBA:
Ace Bailey (32 PTS) had a great night leading the Jazz to a 122-112 win over Washington yesterday. Seven Wizards scored in double figures, with rookie Julian Reese (18 PTS, 20 PTS) leading the team with an impressive double-double in just his third NBA game ever!
The Hornets won their sixth game in a row, a 118-89 W over Boston, where Kon Knueppel (20 PTS) led the team in scoring, and LaMelo Ball (18 PTS) added a few threes of his own. Other than Derrick White (29 PTS) and Jaylen Brown (20 PTS, 11 REB, 7 AST), no Celtic scored in double digits.
With eight seconds left against Dallas, Jalen Suggs (17 PTS, 7 AST) brought the ball down the court and got it down low to Wendell Carter (15 PTS, 7 REB), who slammed home a walk-off dunk to give the Magic a 115-114 win. Khris Middleton (19 PTS, 7 AST) led Dallas in scoring next to Cooper Flagg (18 PTS, 6 AST, 5 REB) in the loss.
A well-rounded Atlanta effort led by Jalen Johnson (20 PTS, 9 AST), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (23 PTS), and Onyeka Okongwu (21 PTS, 8 REB) helped the Hawks to 131-113 win over Milwaukee, their fifth win in a row. Giannis (24 PTS) led the team in scoring in his second game back from injury.
Next to Kawhi Leonard (29 PTS), ex-Pacer Bennedict Mathurin (23 PTS, 8 REB) helped the Clippers to a 130-107 win over his old team with a standout performance off the bench. Jay Huff (18 PTS, 4-8 3PM) did what he does and Pascal Siakam (29 PTS) gave it his all in the loss.
🧠 Daily Trivia 🧠
On this day in 2001, the Trail Blazers retired this franchise legend and HOFer's #22 jersey.
Top Five Friday
Whoever said rivalries in the NBA are dead is wrong. There are so many matchups we’re looking forward to seeing in the postseason, so given what the standings look like and how much shifting could realistically happen over the next month, here are five series we wanna see in the playoffs.
Celtics-Heat: These two have met again and again in the playoffs over the past decade, and no matter the seeding, they’ve been electric series. Miami’s roster looks quite different from how it has since their other matchups with the C’s, who look like they’ll be locked and loaded with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the playoffs.
Thunder-Warriors: If it’s easy to picture the Warriors sliding into the playoffs as an 8-seed and taking down the 60+ win team atop the Western Conference, it’s because you’re thinking about the We Believe Warriors. That symbolism alone would be incredible, but add in Steph Curry versus Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—the past meeting the present—and this would be a must-watch.
Wolves-Nuggets: If there’s one Western Conference rivalry that has shaped up over the past few years, it’s been this one. Nikola Jokic and Anthony Edwards clashed in the playoffs in 2023 and 2024, with the Nuggets taking the former and Minnesota winning the latter, and both series were unforgettable. This rivalry needs another chapter.
Pistons-Knicks: Last year’s playoff series between Detroit and New York was electric, and that energy didn’t disappear this season. MVP candidate Cade Cunningham is leading Detroit’s rise, and Jalen Brunson continues to thrive as the heart of the Knicks—put these two back in a playoff setting, and it would immediately feel like the most intense series on the board. Tight games, celebs courtside, and a classic Eastern Conference throwback energy.
Spurs-Rockets: Headlined by KD and Wemby, this series would bring the Battle of Texas back to the postseason with two incredibly talented rosters on each side. Both teams’ young cores have turned them into serious contenders, while San Antonio’s rapid rise around Wembanyama has reshaped the power structure of the Western Conference.
Who is your sneaky pick to make a run in the playoffs this postseason?
Three in the Key
🍿 Paradise
Us at our next sporting event…
🤔 What’s In A Number
Hear the Bulls explain their jersey number choices.
🏥 Mazzulla on the DTD?
“I go to bed questionable. I wake up probable.”
What We’re Enjoying
🎙️ What’s that signature advantage that every true NBA contender has this season? Tap in with the Numbers On The Board guys to find out: ⬇️
Signing Off
We’ve got about 20 games left, folks. Buckle up. And happy weekend!
