BOTTOM LINE: Jalen Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks visit Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.
The Magic have gone 24-24 against Eastern Conference opponents. Orlando ranks seventh in the Eastern Conference with 50.7 points per game in the paint led by Franz Wagner averaging 10.9.
The Hawks are 8-6 against the rest of the division. Atlanta is second in the league scoring 18.2 fast break points per game. Nickeil Alexander-Walker leads the Hawks averaging 4.1.
The Magic average 11.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.3 fewer makes per game than the Hawks allow (13.1). The Hawks are shooting 47.3% from the field, 0.4% lower than the 47.7% the Magic's opponents have shot this season.
The teams play for the fourth time this season. In the last meeting on March 16 the Hawks won 124-112 led by 41 points from Alexander-Walker, while Desmond Bane scored 18 points for the Magic.
TOP PERFORMERS: Banchero is scoring 22.6 points per game with 8.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the Magic. Bane is averaging 16.5 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 45.9% over the last 10 games.
Johnson is scoring 22.9 points per game and averaging 10.2 rebounds for the Hawks. Alexander-Walker is averaging 3.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 2-7, averaging 113.6 points, 39.6 rebounds, 24.0 assists, 7.3 steals and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 122.0 points per game.
Hawks: 8-2, averaging 121.5 points, 43.5 rebounds, 30.1 assists, 9.1 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.8 points.
INJURIES: Magic: Franz Wagner: out (ankle), Anthony Black: out (abdomen), Jonathan Isaac: out (knee).
Hawks: Jock Landale: day to day (illness).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Deni Avdija had 28 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, Jrue Holiday hit seven 3s and finished with 30 points, and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped the Los Angeles Clippers' five-game win streak, 114-104 on Tuesday night.
The Clippers (39-37) are eighth in the Western Conference, a half-game in front of the ninth-place Blazers (39-38). Los Angeles leads the season series — which wraps up April 10 in Portland — with the Blazers 2-1.
Toumani Camara scored 17 points and Scoot Henderson added 15 for the Trail Blazers.
Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 23 points. Darius Garland scored 20, Brook Lopez 18, John Collins added 17 and Jordan Miller 16 points.
Leonard has scored at least 20 points in 52 consecutive games, the second-longest active streak of its kind in the NBA (Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a 136 game streak).
Matisse Thybulle hit a 3-pointer that made it 31-29 with 1:06 left in the first quarter and the Blazers led the rest of the way.
Garland made a bucket in the lane that trimmed the Clippers' deficit to eight with 3:44 left in the third quarter but they got no closer. Henderson hit a step-back 3 at the buzzer to cap a 16-5 run that made it 91-74 going into the fourth.
Portland had 18 offensive rebounds and 32 second-chance points. The Blazers went into the game leading the NBA in second-chance points (18.2 per game) and are second in offensive rebounds (14.1 per game).
Avdija made 11 of 12 from the free-throw line and has 31 games this season with at least 10 free-throw attempts, second most in the NBA behind Luka Doncic.
Portland's Jerami Grant (calf) missed his second consecutive game.
The Lakers didn’t need Luka Doncic to take care of business in Monday night’s win over the Wizards as he served his one-game suspension because of an accumulation of technical fouls
Doncic got off to another one of his signature hot starts to keep the Lakers afloat in the midst of the Cavaliers’ hot start on the second night of a back-to-back for both teams, with the 27-year-old Slovenian guard having 14 points and 4 assists in the first quarter to help the Lakers only trail by two after the first period.
From there, Doncic and the Lakers blitzed the Cavaliers, who blew out the Lakers in similar fashion two months ago in Cleveland.
Doncic led the Lakers with a 42-point, 12-assist double-double in 34 minutes, to go with 5 rebounds, continuing his career-best steak of scoring at least 30 points (13 games).
Doncic contests a three by Keon Ellis of the Cavaliers. NBAE via Getty ImagesDeandre Ayton goes up for a rebound. NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers outscored the Cavaliers 78-49 in the middle two quarters, giving them a 110-83 lead going into the final quarter.
The Cavaliers’ all-bench lineup to start the fourth made it a closer game than it was during the competitive portions.
Austin Reaves recorded 19 points (6-of-16 shooting), 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, while Deandre Ayton added 18 points and 9 rebounds (six offensive rebounds).
Jake LaRavia added 14 points (5-of-5 shooting) and 7 rebounds, while Rui Hachimura scored 14 points, surpassing 5,000 career points.
What it means
The Lakers already clinched a playoff spot before beating the Cavaliers thanks to the Suns’ loss to the Magic, but the victory gave them their 50th win of the season.
They went 15-2 in March, and have won 16 of their last 18 games.
LeBron James offers some fatherly advice during the first half. APAustin Reaves recorded 19 points with 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. NBAE via Getty Images
Turning point
When Reaves threw an alley-oop to James at the 7:43 mark of the third quarter in transition.
The Lakers were already up 78-63 before the highlight play, but the Cavaliers were sticking around.
They closed out the third quarter 30-20 from there.
MVP: Luka Doncic
With his 42nd point on Tuesday, Doncic reached 600 points in the month of March.
He’s just the second player in NBA history to reach the 600-point mark in March, joining Michael Jordan (March 1987), and is one of only 10 players ever to record a 600-point month.
Stat of the game: 15,000
Doncic surpassed 15,000 career points on Tuesday, becoming the third-youngest player in NBA history to hit the milestone.
Only James (25 years, 79 days) and Kevin Durant (26 years, 78 days) were younger than Doncic (27 years, 31 days) when they reached 15,000 career points.
Bronny James was all smiles during the Cavaliers game. NBAE via Getty Images
Up next
The Lakers will head back on the road to play the defending NBA champions, the Thunder, on Thursday.
They’ll close out the trip against the Mavericks on Sunday.
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SAN DIEGO (AP) — Willy Adames had four hits, including a leadoff homer, and San Francisco ace Logan Webb finished strong in the Giants' 9-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.
Adames sent Germán Márquez's second pitch for the Padres over the left-field wall to spark a three-run inning with his first home run this season. Adames also doubled and delivered an RBI single that ignited a four-run sixth after San Diego cut it to 4-3.
Matt Chapman hit his first homer — a solo shot in the third for a 4-0 lead — before Webb ran into trouble in the bottom half. He walked Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado with one out. Jackson Merrill and Miguel Andujar had RBI singles sandwiched around a run-scoring groundout by Xander Bogaerts, but that was it for the Padres as they fell to 1-4 before a fifth straight sellout crowd.
Webb (1-1) allowed three hits and walked four before retiring his final 10 batters. He threw 104 pitches in six innings. JT Brubaker and José Buttó finished up for the Giants.
Jung Hoo Lee had three of San Francisco's 16 hits, including a two-run double with two outs in the first and an RBI single in the ninth. Heliot Ramos hit a two-run single in the sixth, and Luis Arraez added a sacrifice fly against his former team.
Márquez (0-1), who spent his first 10 seasons with the Rockies, allowed four runs and eight hits in three innings. Kyle Hart was charged with four runs in 2 1/3 innings.
San Diego has just eight extra-base hits this season.
Up next
RHP Adrian Houser makes his first start for the Giants in Wednesday's series finale opposite RHP Nick Pivetta (0-1).
Lakers star Luka Doncic reacts after scoring during the first half of a 127-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Luka Doncic, with the eyes of five defenders fixed on him in the paint, faked a lob pass. He threatened to wrap a pass around Cleveland center Thomas Bryant’s back. Instead, the Lakers superstar pulled up straight over the top of Bryant’s outstretched arm, dropping a fadeaway jumper softly through the net.
Doncic smiled toward the Lakers’ bench as he backpedaled. He shrugged at himself.
Doncic brought back all his old tricks after serving a one-game suspension and capped his torrid March with 42 points, 12 assists, five rebounds and no turnovers in the Lakers’ 127-113 rout of the Cavaliers (47-29) on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Doncic, who was suspended for Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards because of technical foul accumulation, joined Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to score 600 points in the month of March. He is one of just 10 players to score 600 points in a month.
“You can see he’s the MVP,” forward Rui Hachimura said.
Doncic, in the NBA most valuable player conversation with Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama and Denver’s Nikola Jokic, scoffed at the suggestion that he state his case for the coveted award.
He’ll let his numbers speak: A league-best 33.8 points per game, the only player averaging 30 points a game with more than 100 steals this season and the third-youngest player to reach 15,000 career points.
Doncic said he’s been simply “playing pretty good.” And, most importantly, the Lakers have been winning.
Lakers star Luka Doncic celebrates during the second half of a 127-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
“If you don't win, it doesn't really mean anything,” Doncic said. “So the run we've been on, it means a lot, so we got to just keep playing that."
The Lakers (50-26) reached 50 wins in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. Before tip-off, they clinched a playoff berth when the Phoenix Suns lost to the Orlando Magic, giving the Lakers their second consecutive Pacific Division title.
Entering March, the Lakers, who’ve won 13 of their last 14 games, were fighting to hold off the Suns for sixth in the West. After struggling against winning teams at the beginning of the season, the Lakers faced a daunting stretch of games that included Minnesota, Denver and Houston along with a six-game road trip.
The Lakers answered emphatically with an 8-2 record against teams with .500 records or better and by winning the tiebreakers against their closest Western Conference competition.
Lakers guard Bronny James, left, celebrates with his father and teammate LeBron James during the first half Tuesday against the Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
“I think where our group has been really good, starting [March 6 against Indiana], was just really putting emphasis on building our playoff mentality,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said before earning his 100th career coaching win Tuesday. “Understanding the importance of every game, every possession. Trying to find more consistency within the game and building those habits at a really high level.”
The Lakers’ 30-point loss to the Cavaliers on Jan. 28 was their worst of the season. Hachimura called Tuesday’s rematch “like a revenge game for us.”
The Lakers turned the game in the second quarter, outscoring Cleveland 33-19. Despite entering the game as questionable for the second time in as many nights, LeBron James had a thunderous one-handed dunk off a lob from Austin Reaves in transition with 7:42 remaining in the third quarter that put the Lakers up by 17. Reaves had 19 points as six Lakers scored in double figures.
Doncic lit the record books with his sizzling scoring, but his teammates also put up headline-worthy performances in March. James, who scored 14 points with six assists Tuesday, shot 56.2% from the field, his most efficient month of the season. He also passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most regular-season and playoff wins in NBA history.
During their magical month, the Lakers had a winning buzzer-beater from Luke Kennard, an expertly executed missed free throw from Reaves and a perfect 13-for-13 shooting night from centers Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes.
“Our team right now is the reason that we're winning,” Redick said, emphasizing the second word. “Our team. Because each guy has contributed to winning.”
Even Doncic’s highlight play against the Cavaliers came through a team effort in the fourth quarter. Jake LaRavia, who finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, batted away an entry pass. Hayes scooped up the ball and tossed it up the court toward Doncic. He collected it just inside the three-point line, methodically shuffled his feet then jumped carefully before barely clearing the top of the rim on a two-handed dunk.
Doncic held both arms aloft in sarcastic celebration. The wide grins across the faces of every Lakers player were authentic.
Los Angeles, CA - March 31: Lakers guard Luka Doncic, #77 reacts after making a basket during the first half against the Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
In one of the most impressive wins over the season, the Lakers dominated the Cavs on Tuesday, leading by as many as 27 points en route to a 127-113 win.
After Cleveland led for almost the entire first quarter, the Lakers took control in the second period and never looked back. A huge third quarter pushed LA ahead by 20 points and, despite a shaky start to the fourth quarter, never saw the lead dip back into single digits.
The win is the fourth straight for LA, its 13th in the last 14 games and 16th in the last 18. It also gives them 50 wins, matching last season’s win total.
While fans were immediately treated to a LeBron chasedown block to open the game, it was a slow start for the Lakers as Cleveland scored the first six points of the game until a pull-up midrange jumper from LeBron.
LA eventually played their way back into the game, tying it up on a nifty fastbreak dime from Luka to LeBron and forcing a Cleveland timeout. After the two teams traded baskets, James Harden and Keon Ellis helped the Cavs push their lead to seven at 26-19.
Luka and LeBron found their 3-point shots, which helped the Lakers keep pace with the Cavs, who knocked down a pair of long-range shots of their own to beat the shot clock buzzer. Luka’s second 3-pointer of the first gave him 14 points and pulled the Lakers within two at 34-32 to end the period.
Kennard opened the second period with a jumper that tied the game once again. Jake LaRavia brought the energy in the second period, creating extra possessions with his hustle and converting a pair of baskets at the rim, the latter a fastbreak dunk to put the hosts up 41-36 and force another Cavs timeout.
A foul on a 3-point attempt by Austin Reaves allowed the Lakers to open the lead to 46-39, extending the run to 17-5. While the lead was down to five points when Luka checked back into the game at the midway point of the quarter, Ayton immediately followed a miss of his with a dunk.
Luka then connected on his own deep-range effort before finding Ayton for a mid-range jumper, giving LA a 10-point lead. Out of a Lakers timeout, Rui scored five-straight points before a LaRavia poster extended the lead to 15.
An 18-point first half from Jarrett Allen was the only thing keeping Cleveland in the game. Luka, though, was keeping pace individually as a 3-pointer late in the second gave him 20 points.
At the half, the Lakers led 65-53.
Ayton converted on an and-one to start the second half to set a positive tone for the Lakers. The Lakers continued turning defense into offense, punctuated by a steal that led to a fastbreak alley-oop from Reaves to LeBron, pushing LA’s lead to a game-high 17 points.
The Lakers kept the pedal to the metal out of the timeout, using a Luka baseline fadeaway and then a steal in the backcourt and two LaRavia free throws to open the lead up to 20 points.
A 3-pointer from Luka gave him his 13th-straight 30-point game and made it a 21-point game. He then found Austin for a three on the next possession as the purple and gold kept piling it on.
Cleveland had little response for the Lakers as the margin stayed north of 20. Rui Hachimura really found his groove in the period to keep LA comfortably ahead and LaRavia’s corner three to close the period made it a 110-83 lead to go into the fourth.
The Cavs opened the fourth quarter by clearing the bench, then promptly cut the deficit to 18 points to force a Lakers timeout. Ayton got the first field goal of the fourth out of the break by putting back his own miss.
Austin slowed Cleveland’s push with a stepback 3-pointer to push the lead back to 19, but Tyrese Proctor immediately responded.
The unseriousness continued as a 24-second violation from the Lakers led to a dunk for the Cavs, trimming the lead down to 14 points. A block by Rui led to him getting a deep seal on the other end for an easy layup that stemmed the tide a bit.
A dunk from Jaxson Hayes off a pick and roll put LA up 18 points with 3:21 left before a pair of freebies and a 3-pointer from Luka gave him yet another 40-point game. He put the final touches on the win with a fastbreak dunk, which elicited a roar from the crowd.
Key Player Stats
Luka continued his incredible streak with 42 points to go with 12 assists and five rebounds. Austin struggled with his shot, but still finished with 19 points with six rebounds and four assists. LeBron had 14 points, five rebounds and six assists.
Ayton had a strong showing with 18 points and nine rebounds. LaRavia had 14 points on 5-5 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers to go along with seven rebounds. Hachimura tallied 14 points on 6-8 shooting off the bench.
The Lakers will next be in action on Thursday when they travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder. Tip is set for 6:30 p.m.
HOUSTON — Miles McBride’s reinjury wasn’t as scary as it looked.
After returning from a long absence Sunday and appearing to aggravate his surgically repaired groin area, the Knicks backup guard said he was just feeling discomfort from scar tissue breaking down.
He played again in Tuesday’s 111-94 loss to the Rockets and made it through 13 minutes unscathed, although his shooting rhythm clearly took a hit as he went 1-for-9 from the field.
“It’s tough having surgery in the middle of the season, especially on an area that’s so important to everything you do,” McBride said. “So it’s just going to be a learning process. I’m going to figure it out, though.”
McBride, who missed 28 straight games after undergoing sports hernia surgery in early February, shot 0-for-3 in his first game back Sunday.
In that game, McBride limped to the locker room in the third quarter after chasing a loose ball and falling on OKC’s Lu Dort.
But McBride said he started feeling pain on the previous play while defending a Thunder player. Luckily, it was just scar tissue breaking down. He didn’t even need another MRI exam before returning to play in Houston.
“Scar tissue is built up because it tightens everything. And now it’s getting more elastic, stretching out,” McBride said. “I came down [defending a Thunder player], tried to switch gears, and the scar tissue is ripping and getting better.
“Surgery is going to cause pain,” he added. “I’m not sure when it’s going to fully subside. So whatever I can do to help the team win.”
Miles McBride looks to make a move on Reed Sheppard during the Knicks’ 111-94 loss to the Rockets on March 31, 2026 in Houston. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Next, McBride’s shot needs rebuilding.
“Honestly, I haven’t played in two months, and it was kind of a longer process of being able to get on the court and really do a lot at a high intensity,” he said. “And the last two weeks is when I really take the high intensity up, and even then you’re still dealing with so much. So it’s going to take time.”
This time, Amar’e followed Melo.
A year after his former Knicks teammate was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame, Amar’e Stoudemire was named a somewhat surprising member of the 2026 class, according to ESPN.
Stoudemire earned most of his accolades with the Phoenix Suns as a pick-and-roll partner with Steve Nash but also produced an All-Star campaign with the Knicks after signing as a free agent in 2010.
He and Carmelo Anthony, who headlined the 2025 Hall of Fame class, were pitched as pillars to a championship contender, but Stoudemire’s career in NYC was quickly sabotaged by injuries.
The Knicks ultimately underwhelmed during his tenure with just one playoff series victory.
In 14 NBA seasons, Stoudemire collected Rookie of the Year, five All-NBA selections and six All-Star appearances.
He was also inducted into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame after converting to Judaism in 2020.
Landry Shamet missed his fifth straight game Tuesday because of a knee contusion, but he’s taking contact and practicing fully, according to coach Mike Brown.
A source said Shamet could return as early as Wednesday’s game against the Grizzlies.
PHOENIX (AP) — Jose Fernandez hit two home runs, including the go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning, in his MLB debut and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Detroit Tigers 7-5 on Tuesday night.
Fernandez finished 3 for 4 with an infield single for the first of his career in the second and a solo home run in the fourth.
James McCann hit a double along the third baseline and Jordan Lawlar singled before the Tigers swapped out relief pitcher Drew Anderson for Will Vest (0-1). Vest walked Ketel Marte to load the bases and Corbin Carroll hit a double to the wall in center field, sending two home.
Vest walked the next batter and Marte scored on a groundout before Kenley Jensen replaced Vest with runners at the corners. Fernandez hit a 409-foot shot that capped the scoring.
Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt allowed five runs in six innings. Andrew Hoffmann (1-0) pitching two scoreless innings before Paul Sewald struck out the side in the ninth and earned his second save of the year.
Detroit had all of its six hits in the Tigers' five-run third. Riley Greene hit a two-run double, and Kevin McGonigle, Kerry Carpenter and Jake Rogers each added an RBI.
Up next
Detroit's Tarik Skubal (1-0, 0.00 ERA) starts opposite Zac Gallen (0-1, 9.00) in the series finale Wednesday.
Los Angeles, CA, Sunday, March 8, 2026 - Los Angeles Lakers guard Luke Kennard (10) celebrates with teammate guard Austin Reeves (15) after hitting a three pointer late in the game against the New York Knicks at Crypto.com Arena. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
While the Lakers are zooming into the playoffs on a high, the offseason will present a whole new set of questions for them to address.
A roster full of players set to enter free agency is some form or fashion will create the need for lots of decisions. Some of them are simple, like bringing back Austin Reaves, and others are out of their control, like where LeBron James wants to finish his career or what Deandre Ayton or Marcus Smart do with their options.
But there are still plenty of players the Lakers will have to make a decision on, including a number of key contributors like Jaxson Hayes and Luke Kennard. Both are set for unrestricted free agency and, with lots of cap space, both could be brought back fairly easily.
In an article on Monday, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported on a number of free agents the Lakers are interested in retaining this offseason.
The Lakers aren’t expected to take that $50 million and give it to another star instead of James. They have interest in re-signing Reaves, Jaxson Hayes and Luke Kennard, team sources told ESPN, not to mention Hachimura, if the price is right. Reaves will decline a $14.9 million player option and enter unrestricted free agency, sources familiar with his plans told ESPN.
However, after that, it’ll be interesting to see how things unfold.
Hayes has found success this season and in general alongside Luka Dončić. On a minimum deal, he provides solid value. But, given how much success he’s had this year, has he played so well that he’ll earn more than the minimum next season? And if so, are the Lakers still interested in bringing him back?
Kennard has been a terrific addition to the team since the trade deadline, filling the need for shooting and a secondary ballhandler in many lineups. It feels unlikely he’d make more than the $11 million he made this year and feels possible he’d make less even. If that’s the case, it would make a lot of sense for LA to re-sign him.
Hachimura will be an interesting one. In LA, he’s developed into a sharpshooter and has value as a wing with size and shooting. The price point feels like the biggest factor in whether he comes back, as McMenamin noted.
All of the moving parts of this offseason will make this hard to predict. But the Lakers are going to have a lot of decisions to make.
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Connor Ingram celebrated his 29th birthday Tuesday by making 27 saves for his second shutout of the season as the Edmonton Oilers extended their winning streak to four games by beating the Seattle Kraken 3-0.
Max Jones, Kasperi Kapanen and Connor McDavid scored for the Oilers who have won six of their last eight.
Edmonton moved two points back of Pacific Division-leading Anaheim and three points up on third place Vegas. The Oilers are now 28-5-5 when scoring first this season.
The Kraken have lost six of their last seven and remain two points out of a wild-card playoff position.
Philipp Grubauer made 21 stops for Seattle.
Bobby McMann, who leads Seattle in goals and points since coming over in a deadline trade with Toronto — seven goals, four assists in eight games — had his goal scoring streak stopped at three games. He had a chance to match the second-longest goal streak in franchise history.
McDavid extended his goal streak to five games. He leads the NHL in goals since Dec. 1 with 32. The Oilers captain in now one point back of Dale Hawerchuk for the third-most points by a player before age 30. Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux are first and second on that lofty list.
Edmonton has been a regular pest for Seattle, as no team has recorded more victories over the Kraken than the Oilers. Edmonton came into the contest with a 14-4-0 record all-time against Seattle including going 7-1-0 at home and had outscored them 76-50.
"I just think we're not going in the right direction," Hart said. "We're not trending upwards. So, we've got to figure it out. It was three tough ones. We've got another one tomorrow. That's a must-win for us, and build from there."
The Knicks trailed 14-1 in Tuesday's opening three minutes and entered the second quarter down 37-21.
"That effort, the attention to detail, the discipline was pretty embarrassing," Hart said. "So, we've got to figure it out, make sure we're all locked in mentally to get where we want to go and, like I said, build on that."
Unlike Sunday's game against OKC, which improved to a league-leading 60-16 with a 114-110 overtime win over the Eastern Conference-best Detroit Pistons, Tuesday in Houston saw the Knicks lack a fight, according to Mike Brown, who said that he was "frustrated with that part."
"I think the togetherness is there," Brown said. "Now, like any other team -- throughout the course of the season, sometimes you feel like it's not there, sometimes you don't. But if I'm talking overall, yes, I do. But tonight, it wasn't -- especially in the pick and roll. And there are isolated times where it feels like you're not on a string defensively and/or offensively, and tonight was definitely one of 'em -- especially on the defensive end of the floor."
After Wednesday's game in Memphis against the Grizzlies (25-50), the Knicks return to MSG for Friday's 7:30 p.m. tipoff with the Chicago Bulls.
"The last few games, we haven't had it," Brown said. "And teams go through stretches like that. We've got (six) more games to try to find it."
Draymond Green (23) defends against Victor Wembanyama (1) in the first half as the Golden State Warriors played the San Antonio Spurs at Chase Center in San Francisco, on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Photo by Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Let’s talk about what’s happening Wednesday night, Dub Nation. The San Antonio Spurs are coming to town. Yes, those SpursL winners of nine straight, holding the second best record in the Western Conference, operating with the terrifying efficiency of a franchise that spent a decade in the wilderness. They roll into Chase Center while the Warriors are running a MASH unit masquerading as an NBA roster.
San Antonio Spurs (57-18) at Golden State Warriors (36-39)
When: April 1, 2026 | 7:00 PM PT
Where: Chase Center, San Francisco
TV: ESPN | Radio: 95.7 The Game
Deep breath before I rattle off these depressing injury reports…..Stephen Curry is out with a knee injury. Jimmy Butler is watching from a couch somewhere with a surgically repaired ACL. Moses Moody just got diagnosed with a torn patellar tendon. Al Horford’s soleus strain has him re-evaluating week to week. Will Richard and Quinten Post are both day-to-day.
Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama is out here dropping 41-piece performances against the Bulls, recording the fastest double-double in NBA history, and using these final regular season games as a personal finishing school before the playoffs arrive. He’s averaging 24.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 3.07 blocks this season. He has De’Aaron Fox running point beside him now, and Fox is dishing 7.2 assists per game. The Spurs are 27-11 on the road. This is a machine that is fully assembled and warming up its engines.
The Warriors beat Wembanyama twice in November with Curry going completely supernova for 49 and 46 points in back-to-back outings. Those were different Warriors. Wembanyama returned the favor in February, as the Spurs pulled away late 126-113. He knows what this building feels like now.
This game is a measuring stick held up against a franchise that is about to remind the entire Western Conference exactly where the bar has been set. The play-in is still the mission for Golden State. Surviving to fight another day is the only thing that matters right now.
Tonight is just a reminder of how far the road ahead actually goes.
CHICAGO (AP) — Kyle Connor scored 33 seconds into overtime to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night.
Josh Morrissey, Isak Rosen and Cole Perfetti also scored, and Mark Scheifele added three assists for the Jets, who were coming off a 4-2 win over the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche.
Tyler Bertuzzi scored twice and Anton Frondell also scored for Chicago, which has lost four in a row.
Bertuzzi’s wrist shot 9:46 into the third period sent the game to overtime.
Connor Hellebuyck made 18 saves in the win for the Jets. Spencer Knight made 20 saves for the Blackhawks.
The Jets won 66.7% of the faceoffs in the game.
Up next
Jets: Visit Dallas on Thursday.
Blackhawks: Start their final road trip of the season at Edmonton on Thursday.
The Lakers clinched their spot in the playoffs and won the Pacific Division before they even played the Cavaliers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
With the Suns losing to the Magic in Orlando on Tuesday, the Lakers officially claimed the top spot in their division.
The Lakers clinched their spot in the playoffs and won the Pacific Division before they even played the Cavaliers. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Lakers entered Tuesday with a 49-26 record with six games left in the season after Tuesday, while the Suns fell to 42-34. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Lakers made the playoffs in eight straight seasons from 2005-13.
LeBron James was available on Tuesday against the Cavaliers after entering the day as questionable because of left foot injury management.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Desmond Bane scored 21 points, Jalen Suggs added 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and the Orlando Magic held off the Phoenix Suns 115-111 Tuesday night.
Devin Booker’s 34 points for Phoenix included a 3-pointer that brought the Suns to within two points with 3.1 seconds left. But Tristan da Silva’s two free throws clinched Orlando’s second win in nine games.
Suns forward Dillon Brooks, playing for the first time since breaking his hand in a game against Orlando on Feb. 21, had nine points and five rebounds in 22 foul-plagued minutes. Brooks was called for a technical foul just 89 seconds into the game and was one of 10 players to finish the game with four or more personal fouls.
Paolo Banchero had 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Magic, who survived 25 turnovers after committing 28 in Sunday’s 139-87 loss at Toronto. Wendell Carter Jr. added 15 points and 12 rebounds.
HORNETS 117, NETS 86
NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Miller scored 25 points, Miles Bridges had 19, and Charlotte routed Brooklyn.
Moussa Diabaté finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds while LaMelo Ball had 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to help the Hornets (40-36) stop a two-game losing streak.
Josh Minott scored 14 points for the lottery-bound Nets (18-58), who have lost 11 of their last 12 games.
Charlotte (40-36) is tied with the Miami Heat for ninth in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind Orlando.
BUCKS 123, MAVERICKS 99
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Ryan Rollins had 24 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, Kyle Kuzma added 20 points, and Milwaukee beat Dallas to snap a four-game losing streak.
Milwaukee (30-45), which had lost 14 of its last 17 games overall, won its eighth straight meeting with the Mavericks.
The Bucks led 65-51 at the break behind 17 points from Rollins and 16 by Kuzma. Milwaukee made 11 of its first 22 3-pointers of the second half to take control.
A Rollins jumper with 6:26 left in the fourth gave Milwaukee a 31-point lead at 115-84.
AJ Green added 17 points off the bench for Milwaukee. Gary Trent Jr. added 13 points, Pete Nance scored 11 and Myles Turner 10.
PISTONS 127, RAPTORS 116
DETROIT (AP) — Jalen Duren had 31 points and nine rebounds as Detroit defeated Toronto to clinch the Central Division title.
Duren is averaging 23.4 points and 10.5 rebounds in seven games since Cade Cunningham sustained a lung injury on March 17 in 130-117 win over Washington. The Pistons are 6-2 without their star, including a 114-110 overtime loss in Oklahoma City on Monday - a game Duren sat out.
Daniss Jenkins scored 21 for the Pistons, who have won seven of nine, and Duncan Robinson added 19 points. Detroit won its first division title since 2007-08.
RJ Barrett had 24 points for Toronto, who had won six of nine, including a 119-108 home win over the Pistons on March 15. Brandon Ingram added 22 points.
ROCKETS 111, KNICKS 94
HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant had 27 points and Houston took a huge lead early and rolled to a win over New York.
It’s a third straight win for the Rockets after they’d dropped two in a row. The victory comes after New York got a 108-106 win at home in the first meeting this season in February.
The Rockets never trailed and led by double digits for most of the game after scoring 37 points in the first quarter. They were up 20 entering the fourth quarter and were leading by 19 with about two minutes to go when both teams cleared their benches.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points and eight rebounds for the Knicks, who lost a third consecutive game after winning their previous seven. Each of their three losses have been by double digits.
Tari Eason started over Reed Sheppard and had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Rockets.
