Top 5 Headlines: Luka vs. Joker in Epic Duel, KD Secures the Win, Ant Drops 42, Wemby Hosts Hornets

**Top Stories: Starting 5**

Luka vs. Joker Duel Tonight, KD Wins It, Ant Drops 42, Wemby Hosts Hornets
Durant’s 12th game-winner ties Melo, Ant erupts in The Bay, Nuggets-Lakers tonight after Wemby’s Spurs host matinée.

NBA.com Staff
March 14, 2026 3:29 PM

KD called game. The active leader in game-winners came through yet again to lift Houston into 3rd place. Read on for more Friday fireworks from big names and everything you need for a Saturday of key clashes.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
March 14, 2026

Tonight on ABC & ESPN: Luka & Joker’s rematch in Nuggets vs. Lakers, Kawhi’s Clips host Kings
On Prime: Wemby makes a leap on MVP Ladder as Brandon Miller’s red-hot Hornets visit
League Pass Spotlight: Winner takes 5th place as Magic eye 5-0 season sweep of streaking Heat
Big Plays, Big Names: KD’s game-winners, Ant’s 40-ball, Raps’ swat-and-slam, Detroit’s duo rolls
Roundup: Kawhi & Mathurin guide Clips, Mobley lifts Cavs, Knicks and Blazers grab victories

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Saturday brings a seven-game slate spanning 12 hours…

What To Watch Today: On Prime, Wemby’s Spurs take on the streaking Hornets (3:30 ET | Tap To Watch) before an L.A. doubleheader with the Lakers hosting the Nuggets (8:30 ET | Tap To Watch) on ABC, and the Clippers welcoming the Kings (10:30 ET | Tap To Watch) on ESPN.

League Pass On Us: Unlock more games with NBA ID Member Days. Any NBA ID member can watch up to 15 games this weekend for free on League Pass, on us — along with other member-only perks. Not an NBA ID member yet? Join the action now.

1. ON ABC & ESPN: SURGING LUKA & JOKER DUEL, KAWHI’S CLIPS HOST KINGS

Anything you can do, I can do better. Over the past nine days, since Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić last met, the pair has each found yet another level — even for them. Tonight, under the bright lights of Saturday Primetime on ABC (8:30 ET), the two offensive engines meet to close the circle, carrying unmatched momentum.

• In his last four games Dončić is averaging 40 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 7.3 apg and 6.3 3s, numbers not seen in any other four game span in NBA history.
• Jokić, meanwhile, has averaged 26.3 ppg, 15.3 reb and 12.7 ast on 56.3% FG in his last three — a run only he and Wilt Chamberlain have ever accomplished before.
• Last Thursday, Joker’s Nuggets got the W, with his monster triple-double (28 pts, 12 reb, 13 ast) outdueling Dončić’s near match (27 pts, 11 reb, 7 ast).

Joker’s Latest: Jokić (31 pts, 20 reb, 12 ast) fueled Denver’s comeback win in San Antonio Thursday, giving him the 2nd-most 30/20/10 games in NBA history.
Fresh Off 50: Luka enters coming off an explosive 51-point, 10-rebound, 9-assist outing last time out, his first 50-point game as a Laker.

While fiery competitiveness defines them on the court — the two also share a long, often hilarious, friendly rivalry together.

• ‘Brotherly’ Love: Their relationship (and antics) were on full display for Team World at NBA All-Star in LA. Joked the Joker: ‘They think we’re good friends, so they put us next to each other.’
• Inspiring 51? On a podcast this week discussing play styles, Joker cited a 51-point EuroLeague final score, saying “Luka Dončić would score that alone.” Luka then went off for exactly 51 points in Thursday’s win over the Bulls.

Just a half-game separates the 4th-seeded Lakers and 5th-place Nuggets entering tonight, with the season tie-breaker also up for grabs in this series finale between the two contenders.

ESPN then picks up the action across town, as Kawhi and the climbing Clippers host the Kings (10:30 ET).

• Plus Two: The first NBA team to ever move above .500 after starting 15-or-more games under (6-21), 8th-place LA rolled to 34-32 last night.
• Kawhi Carrying: Since returning from All-Star Weekend, Kawhi’s career-best scoring clip (28.3) has increased to 29.6 ppg.
• “Ain’t no stopping Kawhi,” Ant Edwards said Wednesday. “Kawhi may be one of the best players to ever play the game when he’s healthy. I think a lot of his peers feel the same way about him.”
• Westbrook Watch: On the other side, Russ can make his own history, needing just 12 assists to pass Mark Jackson and 13 to outdo Steve Nash for fifth most all-time.

2. ON PRIME: WEMBY’S MVP STOCK SOARS, HOSTING HOT-SHOOTING HORNETS

With 14 more wins than they had all of last season, the 2nd-place Spurs are crashing the top tier of the West. And now, when it matters most, they’ve won 16 of their last 18 games, in the lead-up to their first Playoff appearance since 2019.

In this week’s Kia MVP Ladder, the battery at the center of their streak is invading an equally exclusive rankings club.

“It would always be a tall order for anyone to crack the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander/Nikola Jokić stranglehold on the top two spots in the Kia Race to the MVP, so it’s a good thing Victor Wembanyama stands 7-foot-4. Or maybe even 7-foot-5. The MVP conversation has centered on those two, not only this season but also last season… And now along comes a player who is doing much the same… He’s perhaps sitting in pole position for the league’s top defensive award… Also factor in this perspective: Wembanyama is doing damage against the best the league can offer.” | Read More

Today on Prime (3:30 ET), shown at prime time in his home country of France, Wemby leads San Antonio’s top-3 defense (110.6 DefRtg) against the league’s highest rated offense of 2026, the Charlotte Hornets (120.1).

• Linked Legacies: Opposing Wemby today is the player picked just after him in 2023’s Draft, Charlotte’s leading scorer and 2nd overall pick Brandon Miller (20.7 ppg).
• Similarly Streaking: Charlotte enters a game over .500 (34-33) for the first time since starting 2-1, having only lost five times since Jan. 22.

3. ON LEAGUE PASS: MAGIC EYE 5-0 SWEEP, BUT THE BUZZ GOES ON IN MIAMI

4-0 but far from over. With one game left in a season series they’ve dominated, the 5th-place Magic can’t shake the 6th-place Heat in the run-up to the Playoffs. And as dueling win streaks collide, both teams bring their best basketball into a matchup with the 5th-seed on the line in South Beach (8 ET, League Pass).

• Hot On The Heels: The Heat (38-29) are just .002 win percentage points (and a tie-break) behind the Magic (37-28) in the East’s final two Playoff spots.
• Going For Five: With a win, the Magic would join the 2023-24 Pelicans (vs. Kings) as the only teams since 1995-96 to go 5-0 against an opponent in the regular season.
• Recipe For Success: In their four wins over the Heat this season, the Magic are averaging 120.3 ppg while holding Miami to a 108.3 OffRtg (-6.5).
• Key Stat: Desmond Bane (22.0) and Paolo Banchero (20.5) are each averaging 20.0+ against the Heat this season.

But if this one-way series has hinged on scoring, Miami may have found the fix recently – as you may have heard…

• Offensive Bam: Including his 83-point outburst Tuesday, Bam Adebayo has outscored his season average (20.0 ppg) in 8 straight games, for a 7-1 record.
• Points Wave: The league’s second-highest scoring offense this season (120.5 ppg), Miami is up nearly 5 ppg during its 7-game win streak (125.1 ppg).

Roundup: Speaking of streaking teams, the Hawks seek their first 9-game win streak since 2014-15, hosting Giannis and the Bucks (3 ET), plus Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Celtics host the Wizards on NBA TV (6 ET), and the Sixers seek a timely win, hosting the Nets to tip off Saturday’s slate (1 ET).

4. FRIDAY FIRE: KD WINS IT, 42 FOR ANT, RAPS DROP HAMMER

Kevin Durant kicked off Houston’s crucial five-game homestand with some Friday night fireworks.

• Rockets 107, Pelicans 105: KD (32 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast) drilled the game‑winning jumper with 7.6 left to cap a big night as Houston survived Dejounte Murray’s 35-point performance. | Recap
• KD’s game-winner was the 12th of his career in the final 10 seconds, tying Carmelo Anthony for the most since Durant entered the league in 2007-08.
• Battle For 3rd: Houston (41-25) retakes 3rd place from L.A. (41-25) via tie-breaker, before hosting the Lakers for its next two games.

In the North, the Raps rallied to catch the Suns and flipped the game with a wild D-and-dunk.

• Raptors 122, Suns 115: Brandon Ingram erupted for 36 points as Toronto erased a double-digit gap. Up 4 with under a minute to play, Scottie Barnes swatted Jalen Green’s dunk attempt, leading to a breakaway dunk for RJ Barrett to seal the win. | Recap
• Waiting In The Wings: Toronto is now just a half-game out for the East’s final Playoff spot.

Ant-Man put on a show for Steph and the Bay faithful to get the Wolves back in the win column.

• Wolves 127, Warriors 117: Anthony Edwards ignited for 42 points to push Minnesota past Golden State, snapping a three-game skid. | Recap
• Double-Digit 40s: Ant logged his 10th 40+ point game this season, trailing only Luka (11) for the league lead.

• Pistons 126, Grizzlies 110: Jalen Duren (30 pts, 13 reb) and Cade Cunningham (17 pts, 8 reb, 15 ast, 3 stl) powered Detroit to a third straight win. | Recap
• Cade Ties Joker: Cunningham matched Nikola Jokić for most games with at least 15 points and 15 assists this season (4).

5. ROUNDUP: CLIPS & CAVS CRUISE, KNICKS CLOSE OUT W, BLAZERS GO BIG

• Clippers 119, Bulls 108: Kawhi Leonard (28 pts) and Bennedict Mathurin (26 pts) paired to bring 8th-place LA a fourth straight win. | Recap
• Cavaliers 138, Mavericks 105: Evan Mobley matched his season‑high with 29 points, as the Cavs shot a scorching 61.5 FG%. | Recap
• Knicks 101, Pacers 92: Jalen Brunson (29 pts) led the charge, with a big contribution from OG Anunoby (25 pts). | Recap
• Trail Blazers 124, Jazz 114: Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson each scored 25, while Donovan Clingan (21 pts, 15 reb, 6 blk) dominated the paint. | Recap
• Trail Blazer: At 22 years, 17 days, Clingan is the youngest Portland player ever to record 20+ points, 15+ boards and 5+ blocks in a game.

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