Starting 5 Daily Newsletter

Starting 5, Mar. 2: Knicks snap Spurs’ streak, SGA sparks OKC, Pistons & C’s stay winning & what’s trending

New York halts San Antonio’s 11-game heater; OKC, Detroit & Boston shine on an 11-game Sunday and the top storylines around the league.

NBA.com Staff
March 2, 2026 3:08 PM

Fifty-nine straight road games with 20+ points, passing Wilt for the longest such streak all-time. One road poster, reminding the league that the reigning Kia MVP is all the way back. SGA hasn’t missed a beat in his return for the West-best Thunder, who are picking up steam with the Playoff push at a full sprint.

See what else is trending around the league with the regular-season finale just 41 days away ⬇️

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Mar. 2, 2026

• Sunday’s Best: Knicks make statement against Spurs, Thunder & Pistons heat up atop the standings
• Full Stride: Wolves climb to No. 4 out West, Celtics surge, Harden boosts Cavs
• California Dubs: Luka & LeBron fuel Lakers, Clippers keep climbing
• Roundup: Hawks win fourth straight, Bulls end slide in style, Grizzlies win
• What’s Trending & What’s Next: Two key national games tonight tip off a critical week

BUT FIRST …

⏰ Monday means more hoops… Four games tip off tonight, including the Celtics visiting the Bucks on NBA TV (7:30 ET | Tap to Watch), before the Warriors host the Clippers on Peacock (10 ET | Tap to Watch).

Throwback Tuesday On NBC: NBC’s Coast 2 Coast Tuesday will feature a special throwback broadcast for the Spurs-76ers game (8 ET), including the return of Bob Costas, Doug Collins and Mike Fratello and other notable NBC voices from the 1990s and 2000s. See Section 5 for more.

1. SUNDAY’S BEST: KNICKS SLOW SPURS, THUNDER & PISTONS WIN AGAIN

Dustin Satloff/NBAE via Getty Images

After an unbeaten February, the Spurs entered Sunday’s ABC showdown at MSG riding 11 straight victories, their longest win streak since 2015-16. But to open March, it was the Knicks who marched to a statement win against the hottest team in hoops.

Knicks 114, Spurs 89: Victor Wembanyama continued to shine with 25 points, 13 boards, 4 blocks and 1 poster, but Mikal Bridges (25 pts, 5 stl, 5 3s), Jalen Brunson (24 pts, 7 ast) and the Knicks were too much, as New York pulled away to hand San Antonio its first loss since Jan. 31. | Recap

• NY Heat: Brunson scored 16 in the 1st half as New York entered the break up 10 and never trailed again, improving to 14-4 in its last 18 games
• NY Clamps: Over that span, the Knicks rank 1st in DefRtg, and it showed Sunday, holding the Spurs to a season-low in points in their largest loss of the season
• Wemby’s Block Party: Despite the defeat, Wemby became the fourth player in NBA history to record 100 career games with 3+ blocks before turning 23, joining Josh Smith, Shaquille O’Neal and Anthony Davis
• Races At The Top: New York is just 1.5 games back of Boston for 2nd in the East, while the Spurs sit 3 games back of OKC for the top spot out West

Sam Hodde/NBAE via Getty Images

Speaking of which, the Thunder continue to roll with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander back healthy – and last night, the reigning Kia MVP joined a class of his own.

Thunder 100, Mavericks 87: After dropping 36 in an OT win over Denver on Friday, SGA turned in 30 along with 5 dimes and 4 steals on Sunday, powering OKC to a near wire-to-wire win over Dallas, which remains without Cooper Flagg (foot). | Recap

• Road Streak: SGA, ranked No. 1 on Shaun Powell’s latest Kia MVP Ladder, now has 59 straight 20‑point games on the road, passing Wilt Chamberlain for the longest such streak in NBA history
• Chasing Wilt: Shai has 123 consecutive 20-pieces overall, just three shy of Wilt’s all-time record (126)
• Champs Rumbling: Despite missing SGA from Feb. 3 to Feb. 26, the Thunder have won seven of their last nine games, including a 5-1 run in their last six

Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images

The only team with fewer losses than the defending champs? The East-leading Pistons.

Pistons 106, Magic 92: After trailing the entire 1st half, Detroit flipped the game with a 31-18 3rd quarter behind Cade Cunningham (29 pts, 6 reb, 10 ast), then slammed the door shut in the 4th to top Paolo Banchero (24 pts, 11 reb) and Orlando. | Recap

• Purring: It’s the Pistons’ third straight win and their eighth in the last nine games, moving to 45-14
• 45 Before 60: It’s just the second time in franchise history that Detroit has collected 45 wins before its 60th game. The other such season came in 2005-06
• The Engine? Cunningham, ranked No. 3 on the latest Kia MVP Ladder with 19 games of 25+ pts and 10+ ast this season – the most in the NBA

2. FULL STRIDE: WOLVES & CELTICS STAY SURGING, HARDEN BOOSTS CAVS

There’s a new No. 4 in the crowded West race – and they’re starting to find another gear.

Wolves 117, Nuggets 108: Entering Sunday a half-game back of Denver, Minnesota jumped its West rival for 4th behind Anthony Edwards (21 pts, 6 ast, 2 blk) and Jaden McDaniels (20 pts, 9-12 FG), overcoming another offensive clinic from Nikola Jokić (35 pts, 13 reb, 9 ast) for a huge W. | Recap

• Turning Point: The Wolves took control with a 36-19 2nd quarter, then held off a late Nuggets push, with McDaniels scoring six key points down the stretch
• Late-Game Ant: Edwards added a big 3 in the 4th as he continues to level up in crunch time, ranking 3rd in total clutch points this season (130)
• Howling: It’s Minnesota’s third straight win as it moves to 4-1 since the All-Star break. In that span, Ant is pouring in 30.8 ppg
• Masterful Joker: One assist shy of another triple-double, Jokić still leads the NBA with 22 this season, eleven more than the next closest player (Jalen Johnson: 11)
• Mile-High Attack: Jokić ranks 1st in rebounds (12.6) and assists (10.5) per game and 6th in scoring (28.8), powering Denver’s league-best offense (120.3 ppg)

Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

As the Wolves climbed the West standings, the Celtics continued to surge in the East.

Celtics 114, 76ers 98: With Philly seeking a fourth straight win, Tyrese Maxey (23 pts, 6 ast) and VJ Edgecombe (23 pts, 5 reb) combined for 46 points. But the Sixers had no answer for Neemias Queta, who dropped a career-high 27 points (10-14 FG), 17 rebounds and 3 blocks, while Jaylen Brown also stuffed the stat sheet (27 pts, 8 reb, 8 ast), guiding Boston to its sixth win in seven games. | Recap

• Boston Balance: Since Jan. 30, the C’s are tied with the Pistons and Spurs for the best record in the NBA at 11-2. In that span, Boston ranks 3rd in OffRtg and 1st in DefRtg
• JB Balling: Brown continues to excel as the Celtics’ lead man, averaging career-highs across the boards (29 pts, 7.7 reb, 8.6 ast), while ranking 5th in ppg
• Ranked 4th? Maxey (29.1), who tallied his 65th game of 30+ pts and 5+ assists, passing Wilt Chamberlain (64) for the 4th‑most in 76ers history
• Wholesome Hustle: Meanwhile, Edgecombe made a new friend after flying into the stands to save a loose ball

While Boston stayed winning, the Cavs got back on track with James Harden back in the lineup.

Cavaliers 106, Nets 102: After a two-game slide with Harden sidelined (thumb), the Beard provided a big boost in his return, posting 22 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, while Jarrett Allen stayed hot (20 pts, 6 reb), as Cleveland staved off Michael Porter Jr. (26 pts) and Brooklyn. | Recap

• Clicking In Cleveland: The Cavs, who were without Donovan Mitchell (groin), are now 7-1 with Harden in the lineup
• Dishing & Dunking: Since joining Cleveland, Harden’s averaging 19.3 points and 8 assists, while Allen’s scoring has spiked from 13.9 to 21.5 ppg

3. CALIFORNIA DUBS: LUKA & LEBRON LEAD LAKERS, CLIPPERS CLIMB

The West Playoff race is jam-packed, with five teams – from No. 3 Houston to No. 7 Phoenix – separated by 3.5 games. Holding the final guaranteed Playoff spot are the 6th-place Lakers, who closed a strong weekend with a convincing win.

Lakers 128, Kings 104: After beating the Warriors on Saturday, the Lakers took down another in-state rival last night, as Luka Dončić put on a show (28 pts, 5 reb, 9 ast, 1 circus trey), alongside LeBron James (24 pts, 5 ast), leading Los Angeles past Sacramento.