Good morning, basketball fans! Anyone know what month it is?
Today’s Lineup
⭐️ Luka Madness
Doncic dropped 100 PTS over the span of the Lakers’ back-to-back.
🎆 I’m So ATL
The Hawks have officially arrived in the East.
🏆 Award Tracker
With a few missed games here and there, the MVP race is getting chaotic.
🎉 Happy birthday to Ronnie Brewer, Jamal Crawford, and Pat Riley! 🎉
Game Recaps
Luka shines in Lakers’ back-to-back games, drops 60 in 134-126 win over Miami
With the MVP race thrown into 65-game chaos, Luka Doncic is reminding everyone that he’s still part of the conversation at the perfect time.
Finishing it off by tying the second-highest scoring game of his career, Doncic was the highlight of the Lakers’ back-to-back on Wednesday and Thursday, putting up a near-triple-double (40 PTS, 10 AST, 9 REB) against the Rockets next to LeBron James’ efficient 30-piece and following it up with 60 PTS on 9-17 from three and 15-19 from the line against Miami last night.
The Heat put up a fight behind Bam Adebayo (28 PTS, 10 REB)—they led the entire first half before L.A. got momentum back after the break behind Luka and jumped out to a ten-ish-point lead. Tyler Herro (21 PTS) and Norman Powell (20 PTS) tried to help Miami get back in the game, but Luka backpacked the Lakers to a win despite Herro’s late surge.
Is it MVP time in Los Angeles?
🏀 🏀 🏀
Hawks beat Mavs 135-120 for 11th straight win
Atlanta’s win streak that started with a win over Brooklyn in late February is still going.
As the playoff picture comes into clearer view, the Hawks have shot up the standings with a lengthy win streak that has given them a chance to finish top 5 or higher in the East. CJ McCollum (24 PTS, 7 AST) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (22 PTS) led Atlanta in their most recent win, a 15-point W over Dallas.
Atlanta took the lead early and led the entire way, with guys like Dyson Daniels (19 PTS) and Jalen Johnson (17 PTS, 11 REB, 9 AST) also getting in on the fun. For the Mavericks, it was a lot of PJ Washington (23 PTS, 9 REB) with help from Daniel Gafford (24 PTS, 8 REB) off the bench, but the Hawks have shown that when their shooters get going, this team just wins.
Look out, Toronto and Cleveland! The Hawks are officially knocking on the door.
🏀 🏀 🏀
Elsewhere around the NBA:
Jaylen Brown (32 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST) and Jayson Tatum (24 PTS, 10 REB) looked primed for another Finals run in their 120-99 win over Golden State on Wednesday. Gary Payton and Pat Spencer (14 PTS) led the Warriors in scoring in the loss.
Cleveland survived a late Chicago push orchestrated by Guerschon Yabusele and Leonard Miller (10 PTS each) en route to a 115-110 win, with James Harden (336 PTS, 9 AST, 7 REB) and Evan Mobley (26 PTS, 14 REB) leading the charge and taking Tre Jones (20 PTS) and the Bulls down.
Brice Sensabaugh (41 PTS) exploded once again, but Minnesota prevailed against his Jazz in a 147-111 blowout. Without Anthony Edwards in the mix for the Wolves, it was Julius Randle (21 PTS, 8 AST), Rudy Gobert (21 PTS, 12 REB), and Ayo Dosunmu (23 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST) fitting in and stepping up.
The Hornets continued their rise up the East standings with a 130-111 win over Orlando thanks to big performances from LaMelo Ball (20 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST) and Brandon Miller (25 PTS, 8 AST)—not to mention Coby White’s (27 PTS, 5 AST) huge night off the bench. Desmond Bane (24 PTS) led the Magic in their losing effort.
🧠 Daily Trivia 🧠
Who was the first center in NBA history to lead the league in assists? (with a total of 702, for an average of 8.6 APG)
The MVP Race: What’s Going On?
The news of Cade Cunningham’s collapsed lung adds a new wrinkle to the already complicated 2025-26 NBA MVP race. To be eligible to win MVP (and other major end-of-season awards), players have to participate in at least 65 regular-season games, and we’ve had a season full of injuries to the league’s top talent that puts their eligibility in jeopardy.
With ~12 games left in the season, who’s still in the race? Can the top contenders make the mark? Will a surprise winner peek through in the end? Let’s check it out.
Safe Contenders
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 58 games played
Luka Doncic: 58 games played
Both Shai and Luka have dealt with injuries this year, but they’re sitting in pretty favorable positions with regard to the rest of the pack. With 12 games remaining for both the Lakers and Thunder, SGA and Doncic can miss up to 5 games each and remain eligible for MVP.
In Danger
Nikola Jokic: 54 games played (12 games left, can only miss 1)
Victor Wembanyama: 55 games played (12 games left, can only miss 2)
Cade Cunningham: 61 games played (out, re-evaluated in two weeks)
Jokic and Wemby have put up MVP-caliber campaigns, but even a minor injury or setback that keeps either of them out for a few nights could kill their chances. Cade Cunningham was just ruled out for an extended period of time with a collapsed lung, and while reports say it’s possible he returns before the end of the regular season with the potential to play 4 more games and qualify for awards, it’ll have to be a call the Pistons feel good about ahead of their first-round playoff series.
Dark Horses
Jaylen Brown
Donovan Mitchell
Jalen Brunson
The NBA is a crazy place. An injury here, an injury there, and one of these guys could be the Most Valuable Player—especially if a squad like the Knicks or Cavaliers ups the momentum in the final 10-12 games of the season.
Three in the Key
✨ Jaylen Brown did what?
If it helps, it helps.
😳 75 FEET.
Kuminga has range.
🙏 Prayers up!
Kenny wishing Cade the best.
What We’re Enjoying
You may have heard the news that the NBA is officially looking at Seattle and Las Vegas as expansion cities, targeting a 2028-29 start to the league’s latest round of growth. You may not have heard Kenny, Darrick, Pierre, and Mike simulate a two-team expansion draft on Numbers On The Board this week. Check it out if not: ⬇️
Signing Off
One day of Madness down, plenty to go. Strap in for an electric weekend of hoops!
