**Starting 5 Daily Newsletter** **Starting 5: Shai shoots OKC to 50th win, Tatum vs. Harden starts Sunday ft. Wemby, Luka, Knicks** OKC is first to 50 wins, new-look Celtics & Cavs clash today before Lakers host Knicks, Wemby vs. KD and Hornets visit Suns. **NBA.com Staff | March 8, 2026 | 4:30 PM** The MVPâs dagger 3 secured win No. 50 for OKC. The champs are 5-0 since Shaiâs return. Read on for everything you need to know for a busy Sunday in the Playoff push. **5 STORIES IN TODAYâS EDITION đ** **March 8, 2026 ABC Sunday:** Celtics, Cavs showcase key additions with Tatumâs first road test at Hardenâs new home **Also On ABC:** Knicks look for defensive edge in scoring showdown with Lukaâs Lakers **Sunday Night Basketball:** West contenders Rockets & Spurs meet with differing approaches to big expectations **Clutch Closers:** SGA secures OKCâs 50th win, Jalen Johnson ices Philly, Nets take down Pistons **Saturdayâs Stars:** Kawhi keeps Clips hot, Giannis stuffs stats, Bane & Banchero beat Ant **BUT FIRST ââ°Sunday packs nearly 12 hours of hoopsâ/span>** A 10-game Sunday awaits with four national opportunities to see eight Playoff contenders: **ABC Sunday:** Action starts early with the new-look Celtics and Cavs (1 ET, ABC | Tap To Watch), followed by an L.A. matinĂ©e between the Knicks and Lakers (3:30 ET, ABC | Tap To Watch). **Sunday Night Basketball:** Texas rivals clash as the Rockets travel to face the Spurs (8 ET, NBC/Peacock | Tap To Watch), and a nightcap in the desert between the Hornets and Suns (10 ET, Peacock | Tap To Watch). **1. ABC SUNDAY: TATUM, HARDEN BOOSTING TWO OF EASTâS TOP CONTENDERS** *Brian Babineau + Nick Cammett/NBAE via Getty Images* **Contenders, upgraded.** Since Jan. 28, the Cavs and Celtics have been right there alongside the much-discussed Pistons and Knicks in the top half of the East. They were never on the outside looking in, but they each emphasized their win-now opportunities with big swings. Now, 2-seed Boston and 4th-seeded Cleveland are implementing team-altering additions that could reshape the Eastern Conferenceâs path to the Finals. Today on ABC (1 ET), theyâll measure up those upgrades face-to-face, with Jayson Tatum playing his first road game of the season at James Hardenâs new Cleveland home. **Two Of The Best Got Better:** Since Jan. 1, the Celtics (22-9) and Cavaliers (20-8) hold the 2nd and 4th-best records in the NBA, respectively **Boston welcomed Tatum back Friday,** who settled in with an impactful 27 minutes (15 pts, 12 reb, 7 ast) that had TD Garden rocking **With The Beard:** Hardenâs arrival and pairing with Donovan Mitchell has lifted Cleveland to the 4th-best offensive rating (119.4) *Brian Kolin/NBAE via Getty Images* While Tatumâs first step in returning was to begin rebuilding his own confidence, Hardenâs time in Cleveland has been all about building up others. **Affecting Allen:** Jarrett Allen has more 25+ point games since Hardenâs Feb. 7 arrival (4) than in this seasonâs 39 games prior (3) âItâs so much fun,âAllen said of playing with Harden. âHe finds me on every pick-and-rollâheâs just getting back into his bag. Everybodyâs meshing well together.â**Rest Vs. Rust:** The Cavs closed February with 5 games in 7 nights (3-2) after All-Star Weekend, and started March 2-0 before four days of rest **Head To Head:** Cleveland has also had Bostonâs number this season, holding a 2-0 edge in the series But both squads are different now, and with 19 games remaining apiece until the Playoffs, each battle will be a critical crash-course in chemistry. **2. ALSO ON ABC: KNICKS TEST DEFENSE VS. LEADING SCORER LUKA, LAKERS** *Jim McIsaac/NBAE via Getty Images* 142 points in Denver for the leagueâs 3rd-ranked offense. 44 points in three quarters for the leagueâs leading individual scorer. On Friday, the high-powered Knicks and the Luka-led Lakers each put on head-turning offensive displays. Today on ABC (3:30 ET), theyâll fight fire with fire, head-to-head, in an L.A. matinĂ©e. **Mile-High Efficiency:** New Yorkâs 142-point outburst was its 2nd-highest scoring game this season, made more impressive by a 57.9% shooting clip from the field **Quantity & Quality:** Lukaâs 44-point Friday was his league-leading 10th 40+ point game of the season, and matched his 4th-highest output of the campaign But as The Athleticâs James L. Edwards III writes for NBA.com, itâs the Knicksâcommitment to the leagueâs best-rated defense since Jan. 20 that could give them an edge in showdowns like Sundayâs, and beyond: > âIt was after that loss to Dallas on Jan. 19 that things changed, like a flipped switch, but no one was able to credit one person for turning the lights on. The team started to funnel ballhandlers to the sideline and baseline more often, after having funneled teams to the middle more often. That method left the Knicks vulnerable to drive-and-kicks and slow rotations, and teams often made them pay. Outside of that tweak, though, no one has copped to any other structural changes. As trivial as it sounds, they say they just started caring more. The team has defended with more physicality, and communicated louder and with more regularity. The help defender is getting help. In short, pride and trust took over. âŠNow, New York is in a different conversation âone that could propel this team to the NBA Finals if it remains committed to the bit.â| *Read More* **Lukaâs Leverage:** However improved New Yorkâs defending is, DonÄiÄ has a history of going off against the Knicks, averaging 30.5 ppg, 10.2 reb and 8.8 ast in his career against them Will New Yorkâs two-way attack overtake L.A., or can DonÄiÄ crack the Knicksâlockdown ways to lead the Lakers to victory? **3. SNB: SPURS, ROCKETS APPROACH PLAYOFFS AND EXPECTATIONS** *Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images* Expectations abound in Texas as time runs down on the regular season. San Antonioâs group, often deemed âahead of schedule,âhas a leader who knows it. âI know Iâm in MVP conversations. Of course, itâs one of my goals,âWembanyama said last month. âIâm also conscious that I need to press the gas a little bit in the last games of the season.â The third-place Rockets âno stranger to meteoric rises, after winning 22 games just 3 years ago âhave their sights set high, too. And this year, they have the veteran leadership of Kevin Durant to help. âI feel like when you put huge expectations on anything, itâll never meet up to your standards,âDurant said. âSo I try to just take it a day at a time and truly assessâthe process itself.â How either team handles that pressure will determine a Texas-sized chunk of what happens in the Playoffs. **Rockets at Spurs (8 ET, NBC/Peacock):** As second-place San Antonio continues its surge toward the top of the standings, Houston fights to stay at the front of the Westâs enmeshed middle seeds. **Well-Timed Surge:** San Antonio has won 14 of its last 15 games, its best stretch in a decade, to clinch its first postseason appearance of the Wemby era **Built To Rise:** The Spursârapid ascent has been fueled by a series of key additions âdrafting Wembanyama in 2023, selecting Stephon Castle and adding Harrison Barnes in 2024, acquiring DeâAaron Fox and developing Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant in 2025 **Familiar Fire:** Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson were part of the SpursâPlay-In appearances in 2021 and 2022, and are key to prepping the young core for the NBA Playoffsâall-or-nothing atmosphere The Rockets shoot to even the season series with their in-state rivals today at two wins apiece. **Key Mile Marker:** With a Wolves loss returning the Rockets to 3rd place, an H-Town win today would make them the fourth West team to reach 40 this season It was Houston who was considered ahead of schedule last year, finishing one spot behind West winner OKC âright where San Antonio is now. Which of the two takes that next step first? To find out, theyâll have to get past each other Sunday. **4. CLUTCH CLOSERS: SGAâS DAGGER, JALEN JOHNSONâS TAKEOVER, NETSâUPSET** A five-game sprint in Shai Gilgeous-Alexanderâs return has made OKC the seasonâs first 50-game winner. And the reigning MVP hit the biggest shot of the night to make it happen. **Thunder 104, Warriors 97:** OKC never trailed Golden State but found themselves in a one-possession game with under a minute to play, calling on Shai for the dagger step-back triple to secure a fifth straight win and bolster the leagueâs best record. | *Recap* âOn that play, Draymond was forcing me [to] my right, so I knew Iâd be able to get that shot off, regardless,âShai said postgame. âStepped into it with confidence.â**Wiltâs One Away:** SGA (27 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast) eclipsed the 20+ point mark for the 125th straight game and is now just one game from Wiltâs all-time record **Without starters** Chet Holmgren (illness), Jalen Williams (hamstring) and Isaiah Hartenstein (leg), Shai carried the day, with OKC improving to 5-0 since his Feb. 27 return (abdomen) Fittingly in the Bay, the Thunder became the first team since the 2016-17 and 2017-18 Warriors to win 50 of their first 65 games in consecutive seasons *Gui Santos logged a career-high 22 points to lead the Warriors without Steph Curry.* **Hawks 125, Sixers 116:** Jalen Johnson (35 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast) took over for 11 points in Atlantaâs 23-14 4th-quarter closeout to pull away from Tyrese Maxey (31 pts, 5 ast, 4 stl) and Philly and secure a season-best six-game win streak. | *Recap* **Stacking Stats:** JJ collected his 10th game of the season with 30+ pts, 10+ reb, 5+ ast âmost in a single season by a Hawks player in 64 years (Bob Pettit, 14x) **Second Scorers:** Nickeil Alexander-Walker (24 pts, 6 ast, 4 3s) supported Johnson, while Philly got a big night from Quentin Grimes (26 pts, 6 reb) **Big Domino:** Atlantaâs win knocked Philly down from 6th to 8th place, with the 9th-place Hawks a game and a half back amid the Play-In positions **Nets 107, Pistons 105:** Ziaire Williams (23 pts, 5 3s) came up double-clutch and Michael Porter Jr. (30 pts, 13 reb) led the way in Brooklynâs 23-point 2nd-half comeback past a short-handed Pistons squad, snapping a 10-game skid. | *Recap* **Finishing Flurry:** Williams hit two clutch triples within a minute to erase a four-point gap and give Brooklyn the final lead, its first since it was 8-7 **Throwback Comeback:** The 23-point rally was the Netsâlargest since March 3, 2023, executed, in part, by holding Detroit to 43 2nd-half points *Tobias Harris (18 pts, 10 reb) and Jalen Duren (17 pts, 14 reb, 3 blk) led the way for Detroit, which was without Cade Cunningham (quad) and Ausar Thompson (ankle)* **5. SATURDAYâS STARS: KAWHI DELIVERS, GIANNIS SHINES** **Clippers 123, Grizzlies 120:** LAâs trade deadline acquisitions had big nights (54 combined points) in support of Kawhi Leonard (28 pts, 5 reb) as the Clips outlasted Ty Jerome (23 pts, 7 ast, 3 stl) and the Grizzlies for a fourth win in five games. | *Recap* **Quick Catchup:** Leonard unloaded 15 points in the 2nd quarter to erase an early 19-point hole and key a back-and-forth 2nd half of 13 lead changes Darius Garland scored 11 of his 21 points in the 4th for his first 20+ point performance with LA, and Bennedict Mathurin matched his 21 points **ClipsâClimb:** LA is now one game under .500 and the same distance away from Golden State in 8th place, among the Westâs Play-In teams **Magic 119, Wolves 92:** Desmond Bane (30 pts) and Paolo Banchero (25 pts, 15 reb) teamed up to overpower Anthony Edwards (34 pts, 5 3s) as Orlando surged late to seal the road win and snap Minnesotaâs five-game win streak. | *Recap* **Road Runs:** Orlando finished the 1st half on a 19-2 run that included 14 unanswered points, built a 20-point lead with a 17-4 3rd-quarter run, and opened the 4th with a 7-1 edge to ice the W **Clamp Down:** The Magic held Minnesota to 35.7 FG% and its second-lowest score of the season, limiting their opponent to just 14 4th-quarter points **Level Up:** Orlando moves from Play-In position into the 6th and final guaranteed Playoff spot by a percentage point over Miami, after Phillyâs loss *Patrick McDermott/NBAE via Getty Images* **Bucks 113, Jazz 99:** Giannis had his highest-scoring night since returning Mar. 2 (calf), with an efficient 27 points in 27 minutes and Kyle Kuzma scored half of his 18 points in the Bucksâ13-2 closeout of Utah to help snap a four-game skid. | *Recap* Giannis (9 reb, 8 ast) and teammates Ryan Rollins (13 pts, 11 reb, 8 ast) and Ousmane Dieng (11 pts, 8 reb, 9 ast) all came within a few plays of triple-doubles --- **Related** * How SGA came to contest one of Wilt's records * Recap: Saturday's scores & top moments *
Top 5 Headlines: Shai Leads OKC to 50th Win; Tatum vs. Harden Tips Off Sunday Feat. Wemby, Luka, Knicks
