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Jayson Tatum got off to a 0-for-6 start in his return from a torn Achilles.

But he then drilled his next five shots and finished with 15 points on 6-for-16 shooting with 12 rebounds and seven assists in the Celtics’ 120-100 win over the Mavericks on Friday.

Tatum, who was off the court for 298 days following the torn Achilles suffered at Madison Square Garden in Game 4 of the Knicks-Celtics Eastern Conference semifinals, scored his first points on a put-back dunk.

The jam came on a missed 3 from Payton Pritchard with 1:16 to go in the second quarter, where Tatum — one of the best rebounding forwards of this era — easily boxed out Rookie of the Year contender Cooper Flagg to position himself for the two-handed slam to give the Celtics a 52-51 lead shortly before halftime.

“This is a huge step. I’ve still got a long ways to go,” Tatum told reporters after the game.

Tatum joins the Celtics as the team moves to 42-21, maintaining the second spot in the Eastern Conference, temporarily holding off the Knicks, who won 142-103 over the Nuggets on Friday night, improving to 40-23.

Tatum started and was a plus-20 in his 27 minutes, logging the fourth-highest total on his team during his return.

“Nights and days I dreamed about this moment,” Tatum said, according to NBA.com. “It’s been 42 1/2 weeks since I played in an NBA game. Just trying catch up on the speed … but the game started slowing down.”

Jaylen Brown, who has carried much of the offensive mantle in Tatum’s absence, paced the team with 24 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

Flagg was held to just 16 points on just 7-of-23 shooting, adding eight boards and six dimes in the Dallas loss.

Boston will play the Cavaliers in an afternoon tip-off Sunday at 1 p.m.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Chris Kreider got the tying goal with 42 seconds left in regulation and Alex Killorn scored in the sixth round of the shootout, sending the Anaheim Ducks to a 6-5 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night.

Kreider matched his career best with a four-point night for the Ducks, who won for the seventh time in eight games despite blowing a two-goal lead in the third period. Cutter Gauthier, who also scored in the shootout, and Leo Carlsson had a goal and an assist apiece.

Anaheim improved to 8-0 in shootouts this season despite going just 2 for 6 against Montreal, with even Mason McTavish failing to score for the first time in six tries this season.

Radko Gudas and Jackson LaCombe also scored, and Lukas Dostal stopped 23 shots in a rough performance before he came up big in the shootout. Anaheim earned its 19th comeback victory, matching Montreal for the NHL lead.

Cole Caufield scored two of Montreal’s three goals in the third period and Lane Hutson had a goal and two assists. Samuel Montembeault made 28 saves for the Habs, who have lost four of six.

Gauthier got his 32nd goal just 33 seconds after the opening faceoff, giving him seven goals in five games since the Olympic break.

Nick Suzuki answered moments later, securing the fifth consecutive 20-goal season for Montreal's captain.

After Gudas got his first goal since Nov. 19, Carlsson added his 21st goal early in the third off a 2-on-1 pass from Kreider.

But Caufield got his 36th and 37th goals of the season with Alexandre Carrier's tying goal with 8:13 left in regulation sandwiched between them.

With the Ducks in desperation mode, Kreider skillfully redirected Jacob Trouba’s shot from the point for the 21st goal of his first season with Anaheim.

Olen Zellweger committed a tripping penalty in overtime, but Anaheim killed the 4-on-3 disadvantage.

The Ducks played without new defenseman John Carlson, who flew to the West Coast on Friday after a late-night trade ended his 17 seasons with Washington. Montreal stayed pat at the trade deadline.

Up next

Canadiens: At Los Angeles on Saturday.

Ducks: Host St. Louis on Sunday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

The San Antonio Spurs escaped from the jaws of defeat with an epic comeback against the Los Angeles Clippers on the second night of a back-to-back. They also closed the distance further in the standings with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2.5).

A few artillery strikes uncorked the Spurs’ offense, and Devin Vassell and a few others kept the pressure on when Victor Wembanyama checked out. Yet they were mostly sloppy and the help defense was a step slow, surrendering unnecessary 3-pointers and cheap fouls.   

They subsequently had trouble running their offense at the start of the second quarter, allowing multiple pick-6s, which allowed Kawhi Leonard to find his rhythm. Wemby checked back in and despite making a few baskets, he was pressing. He was unable to close the distance and then it became a 20-point crater in Luke Kornet’s minutes going into halftime. 

The strategy in the third quarter was to feed Wemby and use him as a decoy. They later found something when De’Aaron Fox got free for a floater to cut the deficit to 19- points, forcing the Clippers to call a timeout. They kept chopping away and flipped the script by the time the fourth quarter started.

Wembanyama checked back in while they were down seven with nine minutes left and the snowball effect continued until Leonard got hot again. Then every time it seemed one like team was about to gain an edge, the other side came storming back or made a mistake. It took late heroics from Wemby, Fox, Carter Bryant and Julian Champagnie to get away.

Observations

• This was San Antonio’s first of three games with the Clippers this season and the first time seeing them without Ivica Zubac. LAC had a few key guys out, yet still had an older shooting presence in Brook Lopez. He had a hot start that lasted until the third quarter.
• The defense was stuck in quicksand much of the night, not pressuring drives enough and being slow to recover to the perimeter. Their performance the previous night against a top-tier team wasted lots of physical and mental energy. The Clippers have been good, and the Spurs should have been better prepared for them like a top-three team in the conference because of the tension that will forever linger between the fans and Leonard. Still, being able to erase a 25-point deficit says a lot about their talent and resiliency, especially the late part of the fourth where they took the lead with Wemby resting.
• The Spurs did not push the pace enough and saw too much of the Clippers’ half-court defense. Part of the problem was taking the ball up slowly and getting scored on too often, which makes it take longer to get across half-court. The Clippers had the fresher legs in the open court, outscoring them 21-12, but wasting this much energy was a reason their defense was weaker in the second half.
• Champagnie emerged in the third quarter, making four 3-pointers, including two and three freebies when Leonard was on the bench. He was a big reason why the Spurs didn’t fall apart in the non-Wemby minutes. The team even mixed in and out of a zone in that stretch, and it got stronger as the game went on. Bryant’s hustle was another key factor in a late 13-0 run.
• Luke Kornet is a fine backup because of his rim protection, but opponents sag off him making it harder for the others to get loose, and he lacks the foot speed to keep up outside of the lane. It might be worth a try to experiment with some Bryant as a small-ball five in situations that are not favorable for Kornet when Wemby rests. He has a limited offensive game as well, but he’s fast and strong enough. 
• Leonard had the perfect blend of power and finesse as bodies bounce off of him and then he gently rises for a jumper. Nonetheless, Stephon Castle got the most time guarding him 25.5 hours after spending lots of time on MVP candidate Cade Cunningham.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Tyler Herro had 33 points, nine rebounds and nine assists and the Miami Heat snapped the Charlotte Hornets’ six-game winning streak with a 128-120 victory Friday night.

Herro was 8 for 10 from 3-point range, including one that broke a 108-all tie with 7:06 to play. That came during a 9-0 run after the Hornets led by two and was essentially the difference in the game.

Bam Adebayo added 24 points and 12 rebounds to help the Heat win their fourth straight game. Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 21 points off the bench. Miami was 18 for 38 (47%) on 3s.

Kon Knueppel scored 27 points for the Hornets, going 6 for 10 behind the arc. Brandon Miller had 22 points and 13 rebounds, while LaMelo Ball scored 21 points but was 7 for 22 from the field.

Charlotte fell back to .500 at 32-32. All the victories during the Hornets’ winning streak had been by 15 or more points, tying the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors for the second-longest streak in NBA history.

The first meeting between the teams in four months showed how much things had changed for the Hornets. Miami rang up a franchise-record 53 points in the first quarter of that Nov. 7 game, rolling to a 126-108 victory.

Charlotte had become the team hanging big numbers on opponents and tried to rally behind Knueppel, who hit consecutive 3-pointers to cut it to 120-117. But Herro hit a jumper and Dru Smith had a follow shot to push it back to seven.

ROCKETS 106, TRAIL BLAZERS 99

HOUSTON (AP) — Alperen Sengun scored 28 points, Amen Thompson had 26 and Houston used a dominant fourth quarter to beat Portland.

Sengun shot 11 of 15 from the field while playing just 26 minutes due to foul trouble, while Thompson converted all but one of his 12 shot attempts and scored eight points in the fourth quarter.

Houston trailed 85-77 after Matisse Thybuille drained a 3-pointer a minute into the final period, but Portland missed 11 of its next 13 shots and the Rockets went on a 23-4 run that covered close to eight minutes.

Houston shot 67% in the fourth quarter, outscoring Portland 29-17.

Kevin Durant added 20 points for the Rockets (39-23), who entered the day tied for fourth in the Western Conference.

Jerami Grant led Portland with 21 points. Jrue Holiday added 20 points and 10 assists, while Donovan Clingan finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

CELTICS 120, MAVERICKS 100

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown had 24 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and Boston beat Dallas in Jayson Tatum’s first game in almost 10 months after rupturing his right Achilles tendon.

Tatum had 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting, 12 rebounds and seven assists in a rust-filled 27 minutes. He played in five- and six-minute spurts in his first game since suffering the injury in during Game 4 of Boston’s Eastern Conference semifinal loss to New York in May.

Derrick White added 20 points to help Boston win for the fourth time in five games. Dallas has lost six straight.

No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, a Maine native playing his first game in TD Garden, had 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Dallas. Klay Thompson finished with 19 points, and Naji Marshall had13 points.

Tatum missed his first six shots, including three 3-pointers. But he continued to look for his teammates and actively screening to initiate the offense.

KNICKS 142, NUGGETS 103

DENVER (AP) — OG Anunoby scored 34 points to power New York to a win over Denver, who lost All-Star point guard Jamal Murray to a sprained ankle Friday night just when its starting lineup was back together.

Josh Hart added 18 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 points and 17 rebounds as the Knicks kicked off a five-game trip in resounding fashion, their starters taking the fourth quarter off to enjoy the rare rout.

The 39-point home loss tied the Nuggets’ record set against Chicago in 1998.

Nikola Jokic led Denver with 38 points but the Nuggets suffered their biggest loss of the season — both on the scoreboard and on the court with Murray’s injury.

Aaron Gordon (hamstring) played for the first time since Jan. 23 and Cam Johnson returned from a sprained ankle, giving the Nuggets their original starting lineup for the first time since Nov. 12.

SUNS 118, PELICANS 116

PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker scored 18 of his 32 points in the third quarter, and Phoenix held off New Orleans.

Jalen Green had 25 for the Suns, who led by 14 in the second half before the Pelicans trimmed the lead to one point.

Grayson Allen made two free throws with 9.8 seconds remaining to give the Suns a 116-113 lead. Zion Williamson made one of two and Booker made a pair with 7.8 seconds left. Herb Jones scored with 5 seconds to go but the Suns were able to run out the clock.

Trey Murphy III led New Orleans with 22 points. Williamson had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Saddiq Bey also had 19 points for the Pelicans.

Oso Ighodaro, starting for injured Mark Williams, had 13 points and six rebounds before fouling out with 1:08 remaining. Allen had 12 points and eight assists, and Collin Gillespie also had 12 points for Phoenix.

SPURS 116, CLIPPERS 112

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 27 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks as San Antonio rallied from a 25-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Clippers.

Kawhi Leonard had 30 points and nine rebounds for Los Angeles, which had a three-game winning streak snapped.

San Antonio (46-17) has won 14 of 15 and is second in the Western Conference.

After defending a missed 3-pointer by Leonard, Wembanyama broke free for an uncontested dunk that gave the Spurs a 113-112 lead with 16 seconds left. Clippers forward Nicolas Batum turned the ball over on the ensuing possession when his foot crossed the boundary while inbounding the ball. Stephon Castle closed out the win by rebounding his own missed free throw and converting a layup with 1 second remaining.

After trailing 75-50 in the third quarter, the Spurs opened the fourth with an 18-5 run to take their first lead since the opening minutes.

Wembanyama blocked Kris Dunn’s reverse layup, creating a fast break that ended with an alley-oop dunk by Carter Bryant. Devin Vassell followed with a 3-pointer for a 99-97 lead.

Julian Champagnie finished with 20 points and nine rebounds for the Spurs, and De’Aaron Fox had 19 points and nine rebounds.

Brook Lopez had 26 points for the Clippers.

LAKERS 128, PACERS 117

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 44 points in the first three quarters Friday night, overcoming LeBron James’ absence and leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a victory over Indiana.

Doncic hit seven 3-pointers on a 14-for-25 shooting night and grabbed nine rebounds before sitting out the fourth for the Lakers, who rebounded from a road loss to Denver on Thursday and won for the fourth time in five games overall.

James sat out to rest his accumulation of minor injuries in his 23rd NBA season, but Doncic picked up any offensive slack from the start. The Slovenian superstar scored 22 points in the first quarter, topping 20 in the opening period for the fifth time this season — the most such first quarters in the NBA in one season at least 30 years.

Doncic capped his barrage by banking in his seventh 3-pointer late in his 15-point third quarter.

Doncic became only the fourth player in Lakers history to score 40 points in at least 10 games in a season, joining Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor and Jerry West. He also has the most 40-point games in the NBA this season, passing Anthony Edwards.

No. 20 Miami (Ohio) has finished a perfect regular season, and its athletic director believes it “should cement” the RedHawks as an NCAA Tournament team.

The last remaining undefeated team in men's college basketball capped off a 31-0 campaign with a wild overtime win against rival Ohio on Friday, March 6. Despite five technical fouls and 14 made 3-pointers from the Bobcats, the RedHawks didn't falter.

Down by one point with less than 30 seconds left in overtime, star guard Peter Suder drew a foul with 12 seconds left to get to the free throw line. Ohio had a chance to retake the lead in the final seconds, but was unable to get a basket. The RedHawks added a free throw and the Bobcats couldn't hit the last-second 3-pointer to seal a 110-108 win for the RedHawks.

With the victory, Miami is the fifth team this century to have a perfect regular season, last accomplished by Gonzaga in 2020-21. It also snapped a 14-game losing streak at Ohio, last winning at the Bobcats’ home arena in 2011.

The undefeated record has put the RedHawks at the center of an NCAA Tournament debate, focused on whether the mid-major team needs the automatic bid to get a spot in the big dance.

On the surface, they have the qualifications. A 31-0 record is hard to ignore, and the tournament selection committee has never done so. Since the tournament expanded in 1985, no team with more than 28 wins has ever missed out on March Madness, and a squad with less than four losses has always made it. Now, the most Miami can lose before Selection Sunday is one game.

It’s why athletic director David Sayler said the victory over the Bobcats virtually punches the RedHawks' ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

“An undefeated season, it has to matter, right?” Sayler told USA TODAY Sports. “Otherwise, why wouldn't we just play three days in (the MAC tournament) and the winner goes to the (NCAA) tournament and forget the regular season if you're not going to take an undefeated team?"

“It should cement it,” he added.

However, the argument for Miami's omission from the bracket is the quality of the resume. Miami doesn't have any Quad 1 games, just one Quad 2 victory and the majority of its wins come in the Quad 4 category, a 16-0 record. Three victories also came against non-Division I teams.

In KenPom, the RedHawks have a strength of schedule ranking of 285nd out of 365, and the nonconference rating is fifth-worst in Division I. Their rating of 88 puts them around teams that aren’t in the NCAA Tournament at-large conversation. It also hasn't helped the past three wins were all by one possession.

It’s led to pundits like former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl stating Miami needs the auto-bid or it shouldn’t be in the tournament, resulting in some frustration for those trying to celebrate a historic run.

“It's disappointing that more people across the country can't just enjoy a good story,” Sayler said. “They're on the verge of a historic thing here, and all people try to do is tear them down.”

He pointed to two reasons why people have been trying to discount the program: “Expert” bias toward power conference schools and that fans “can’t sit back and acknowledge” what’s happening, instead making excuses for their teams while belittling others.

“That's why I've been quoting Yoda sometimes, because we're fighting the evil empire here,” Sayler said. “It's inevitability. These forces are out there that are against you, and you're trying to carve a path.”

Still without a loss, Miami is eager to prove its worth. While there’s so much conversation on qualifying for the field of 68, coach Travis Steele has already said the second week of the tournament – the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight – is where the RedHawks want to be. 

Sayler supports the idea, and likes his team’s chances of getting there. There's still the MAC tournament, which kicks off the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 12 with the championship game two days later. The RedHawks will be the No. 1 seed, and there's stiff competition challenging to secure the automatic March Madness spot, including defending conference champion Akron.

But it shouldn't stop the historic RedHawks from dancing.

“We're not a fluky story,” Sayler said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miami Ohio perfect season 'should cement' NCAA Tournament spot

DENVER — There’s something about playing a mile high that suits OG Anunoby. 

After dropping a career-best 40 points last season in Denver, the surging two-way forward again carved up the Nuggets on Friday at Ball Arena, dropping an efficient 34 as the Knicks started their West Coast swing with a blowout 142-103 win. 

It was the Nuggets’ worst home loss since Michael Jordan’s Bulls beat them in 1998. 

“I just think [Anunoby] likes Denver, he likes the altitude,” Josh Hart said. “That’s what he can do, defensively guard one through five, and obviously, offensively get to his spots, knock down shots, get in the paint and just be a force.” 

Anunoby shot a slick 11-for-17 and highlighted his evening with a breakaway double-pump reverse jam to end the third quarter. The move jump-tarted extended garbage time and sent Nuggets fans funneling very early to the exits, leaving the traveling Knicks faithful to dominate the arena chants. Anunoby also grabbed four steals and helped defend a frustrated Nikola Jokic, who scored 38 points but missed his first six 3-pointers. 

“Defensively, he’s on another level, man,” coach Mike Brown said. “If he keeps that up, that’s Defensive Player of the Year type stuff. For sure First Team All-Defense. He’s guarding point guards. He’s guarding the muli-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Then he’s guarding everybody in between.” 

Anunoby picked up the slack for an ice-cold Jalen Brunson, who only managed nine points on 3-for-13 shooting. Brunson did have 15 assists, however, representing his third straight game with double-digit dimes. Hart, playing with a sore back, added 18 points in 25 minutes. Karl-Anthony Towns (17 points, 13 rebounds) and Mitchell Robinson (13 points, five rebounds) both had strong nights alternating at center. 

The Nuggets, injury-riddled all season, were finally at full strength, returning Aaron Gordon after a 17-game absence because of a hamstring strain. His dunk after about two minutes sent the Denver crowd into an uproar. 

The environment felt ready for a Nuggets’ steamroll. 

But their good health was short-lived. Jamal Murray, the star point guard, came up limping late in the second quarter after accidentally stepping on the foot of Jokic. 

His left ankle turned over rather dramatically, leaving Murray unable to walk off the court without assistance. The air was removed from Denver’s sails. The Knicks, who trailed by nine in the first quarter, took off. 

They led by 13 at the break, then 25 after Anunoby’s athletic jam in the third quarter. Even DNP regular Pacôme Dadiet shined in garbage time with 11 points in just eight minutes. 

Anunoby has rediscovered his rhythm after his toenail avulsion, shooting 45 percent from deep in the last five games. He added seven rebounds and five assists Friday. 

So Anunoby and the Knicks had no problems dealing with the high altitude in Denver, although he claimed his consecutive stellar performances at Ball Center were just “a coincidence.” 

But Anunoby soared on that double-pump dunk like gravity wasn’t a problem. 

“I was thinking 360-degree [dunk], windmill,” Anunoby said. “Then I just thought I’ll do the double-pump.” 

Historically, the Knicks have had problems with the thin air, however. They recently went 16 years without a win in the Mile High City, a streak that mercifully ended during Brunson’s first season in 2022. 

New York also won last year in Denver — a 145-118 shootout led by Anunoby’s career night. 

Towns said he’s more acclimated after spending most of his career in the Western Conference. He still thinks it’s a factor, however. 

“Hell, yeah,” Towns said. 

While with Minnesota, Towns endured a 12-game losing streak against the Nuggets from 2018-21. They then split a pair of playoff series — in 2023 and 2024 — leaving Towns as an expert dealing with Jokic. 

“He’s really damn good. That’s pretty much it, pretty much all there is to it,” Towns said. “You just go out there and compete at a high level against one of the best.” 

But Anunoby was better than Jokic on Friday and everybody else on the court. 

The Knicks fans behind the basket understood, chanting, “OG, OG, OG” as the final buzzer neared. 

“Obviously, OG had a whale of a game for us,” Brown said.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Jackson Blake scored twice, K’Andre Miller had three assists and the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina Hurricanes beat the Edmonton Oilers 6-3 on Friday night for their seventh victory in eight games.

Nikolaj Ehlers added a goal and an assist, and Shayne Gostisbehere, Jordan Martinook and Jordan Staal also scored, and Frederik Andersen made 13 saves. The Hurricanes are 40-16-6 overall, going 16-2-3 in their last 21.

Zach Hyman scored twice for Edmonton, and Vasily Podkolzin added a goal. The Oilers have lost six of eight to fall to 30-25-8.

Tristan Jarry stopped 26 shots for Edmonton.

Ehlers has five goals in his last three games, hitting the 20-goal mark Friday for the ninth time in his 11 NHL campaigns.

Oilers star Connor McDavid picked up an assist to extend his points streak to six games.

Up next

Hurricanes: At Calgary on Saturday night.

Oilers: At Vegas on Sunday night.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The Phoenix Suns needed a response after an abysmal performance against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night. They delivered one, defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 118-116. It was a little more uncomfortable than it needed to be, as Phoenix allowed 35 points in the fourth quarter while scoring only 26. Still, the result is what matters. The Suns secured their 36th win of the season, matching their total from a year ago.

The Phoenix Suns have matched their win total from last season, doing so in 63 games played pic.twitter.com/CjeDAPGBwC

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) March 7, 2026

Devin Booker led the charge with 32 points, shooting 10-of-21 from the field and 5-of-12 from beyond the arc. Collin Gillespie added 12 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds. Jalen Green looked far more comfortable, scoring 25 points on 8-of-17 shooting and 3-of-9 from deep. Grayson Allen chipped in 12 points and 8 assists, and the Suns received positive minutes from rookies Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming.

New Orleans pushed throughout the night, especially in the closing minutes. All five Pelicans starters finished in double figures. They scored 54 points in the paint, which was 20 more than Phoenix managed. The difference came from the perimeter. The Suns knocked down 23 three pointers, a number that ultimately carried them to the win.

The two point victory completed a season sweep of the Pelicans and moved Phoenix to within one and a half games of the Los Angeles Lakers for the sixth seed in the Western Conference.

Game Flow

First Half

The Suns’ offense opened the Chicago game looking completely inert. Possessions stalled, shots did not fall, and the rhythm never appeared. Against New Orleans, the opening stretch felt different.

Phoenix looked organized. The ball moved with purpose. Shots started dropping. They opened the game on a 7-0 run, a quick burst that set the tone early. New Orleans answered with a 7-0 run of its own, although the Suns still looked far more fluid than they did the night before.

Jalen Green set that tone early by applying pressure at the rim. He attacked downhill, forced the defense to react, and turned those drives into trips to the free throw line.

Good job by Green drawing fouls on back-to-back drives. Went for the poster with a clear runway and then held his guy on his hip there to get the bump.

— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) March 7, 2026

Green ended the first quarter with 8 points on 3-of-7 shooting. 

We once again saw first quarter minutes for Khaman Maluach. That continues to be part of his development curve. One thing he clearly needs to clean up is his movement on screens. He was called for an offensive foul when he shifted during a pick, and that marks the second time in two games where it has happened. That is the kind of detail young bigs learn over time, understanding when to hold position and when to release.

The offense began to wane as the quarter drew to a close. The team shot 4-of-13 (30.8%) from beyond the arc and the bench unit certainly didn’t help as they came in and went 1-of-6. Thankfully, New Orleans shot under 40% as a team.

After one, the Suns trailed 29-26.

Phoenix put together a 10-2 run early in the second quarter, and Oso Ighodaro played a big role in that stretch on the offensive end. That element is key. Having someone who can attack the interior adds another dimension to the offense. It gives the Suns a pressure point near the rim instead of becoming a team that stands around the arc firing three pointers all night.

Love this empty corner action between Grayson Allen and Oso Ighodaro.

If Oso sets a good screen, at the right angle, it allows for a roll like this. From there, just attack with aggression: pic.twitter.com/VRpkBkX6Px

— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) March 7, 2026

Phoenix pushed the lead to five early in the quarter, although New Orleans answered midway through the period with a 7-0 run. That stretch arrived when the ball began sticking in Jalen Green’s hands, and the rhythm of the offense slowed down.

Green still produced in the quarter. He scored 10 points in the quarter, putting him at 18 for the half. He finished the period 2-of-6 from the field, both makes coming from beyond the arc, and he went 4-of-4 from the line.

Devin Booker eventually took more control of the offense, and the game began to settle for Phoenix. The Suns responded with an 8-0 run, and the lead continued to grow. It reached 10 with under two minutes remaining in the half. Booker closed the first half with 7 points and 4 assists.

Zion Williamson added four points during the final minute of the half, part of his 15 first-half points, which trimmed the margin. Phoenix headed into the locker room with a six-point advantage. Oso Ighodaro had 10 points, and Royce O’Neale, who was questionable to play, had 6 rebounds.

The Suns outscored New Orleans 32-23 in the second quarter and carried a 58-52 lead into halftime.

OSO FIRST-HALF DUNK SHOW 🎬

10 PTS from the big man! pic.twitter.com/PRcCWBlROB

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 7, 2026

Second Half

Royce O’Neale opened the third quarter with a quick five points in the first couple of minutes. The burst forced Pelicans head coach James Borrego to call an early timeout as the Suns pushed their lead to nine.

The timeout helped settle New Orleans. They responded with a 10-2 run of their own and quickly chipped into the margin.

The Pelicans began attacking the rim with even more aggression during that stretch, and it created problems for Oso Ighodaro. With 5:52 left in the third quarter he picked up his fifth foul, which meant the Suns would lean on rookie Khaman Maluach for extended minutes.

Devin Booker steadied the group with a lineup that featured Grayson Allen alongside the young trio of Maluach, Ryan Dunn, and Rasheer Fleming. That unit started to find rhythm. Phoenix strung together an 11-0 run, capped by a Devin Booker three. Fleming knocked down a three during the run as well, giving the offense another spark.

Devin, Grayson, and the kids (Fleming, Dunn, and Maluach) with an 8-0 run

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) March 7, 2026

Rasheer Fleming knocked down another three. Khaman Maluach rejected an Yves Missi attempt at the rim. I was sitting there smiling like an idiot watching it unfold.

The third turned into the Devin Booker show. He poured in 18 points and caught absolute fire. Booker went 6-of-9 from the field in the period and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Every possession started to bend in Phoenix’s direction once he found that rhythm.

The Suns scored 34 points in the quarter, shooting 45.8% from the field and 6-of-17 from deep.

After three quarters, Phoenix held an 11 point lead, 92-81.

TOUGH FINISH

Book with 15 PTS so far in the third 😤 pic.twitter.com/iQePvD4r2C

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 7, 2026

The fourth quarter opened with the teams trading buckets, and Jalen Green carrying much of the scoring load for Phoenix early in the period. He had five of the Suns’ first 10 points in the quarter.

He also delivered a nice pass to Khaman Maluach inside, which is something this team still needs to get more comfortable with. The Suns are not used to having a true interior presence. There were multiple possessions where Maluach had position near the rim and the entry pass never arrived, or the pass came late and off target.

Coverage lapse from New Orleans leads to Jalen Green seeing 3(!) to the ball.

Khaman Maluach with the dunk off the roll. Really good tempo re-established in this recent stretch of minutes. pic.twitter.com/Nogdaewh6E

— Stephen PridGeon-Garner 🏁 (@StephenPG3) March 7, 2026

Dejounte Murray, who is working his way back after the Achilles injury that ended his season last year, kept probing the Suns defense throughout the fourth quarter. He stayed patient with the ball, poking and prodding until he found a seam. He kept New Orleans within striking distance as the clock passed four minutes left. Suns were up by 9.

The Pelicans had their chances. Shots were not falling, although they continued to extend possessions by grabbing offensive rebounds. As the quarter moved toward the final moments, the game tightened.

Dejounte Murray kept applying pressure, probing the defense and keeping New Orleans within striking distance. With 11.7 seconds left, Saddiq Bey stepped to the line and hit a pair of free throws, trimming the Suns lead to 114-113.

Grayson Allen answered on the other end. He calmly sank two free throws of his own with 9.8 seconds remaining, pushing the lead back to three. Phoenix then chose to foul Zion Williamson. Only 1.2 seconds came off the clock in the process. Williamson missed the first free throw, then knocked down the second.

The Pelicans then fouled Devin Booker. The foul game is always a thrill, right. One minute on the clock somehow turns into twenty.

Booker stepped to the line and knocked down both free throws, pushing the lead to four with 7.8 seconds remaining. Herb Jones answered quickly with a bucket to keep the pressure on. New Orleans nearly stole the ensuing inbound pass, although Phoenix managed to secure it and close the door.

The Suns held on and secured their 36th win of the season.

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Up Next

The next opponent for Phoenix is one of the best stories in the NBA this season, the Charlotte Hornets. Charlotte has been on an absolute heater lately. They may have dropped a game tonight against the Miami Heat, although that loss came after a six game winning streak that had people around the league starting to pay attention. That team is playing with confidence right now, and they are going to arrive in Phoenix believing they can keep that momentum rolling.

See you Sunday.