Last second of OT. Double-team. Left-hand take…
Luka Dončić shines once again.
Keep reading for insights into how the Lakers orchestrated this play and everything you need for a gripping seven-game Sunday, starting with the anticipated matchup of Ant versus Shai.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
March 15, 2026
L.A. Magic: Dončić sinks game-winner in OT as Reaves’ strategic miss extends a thrilling contest against Jokić and the Nuggets.
Saturday Statements: Wemby’s staggering performance leads the Spurs to outshine Charlotte, Magic sweep the Heat 5-0, and the Hawks secure their 9th consecutive victory.
Roundup: Jayson Tatum showcases all-around skills in the Celtics’ victory, Sixers hold off the Nets’ surge, Kings put an end to the Clippers’ streak.
Today On ABC: SGA & OKC brace for a high-octane attack from Ant and the Wolves.
Sunday Night Basketball: Depth, defense, and late-game heroics; the clutch Warriors face off against the Knicks.
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Seven more games are on the schedule for Sunday…
The Wolves and Thunder kick off your day of hoops on ABC (1 ET | Tap To Watch), while Sunday Night Basketball features the Warriors visiting the Knicks at MSG (8 ET, NBC/Peacock | Tap To Watch).
Last Chance: Access more games with NBA ID Member Days. Any NBA ID member can watch up to 15 games this weekend for free on League Pass, along with other member-only perks. Not yet a member? Join now.
1. LUKA MAGIC: DONČIĆ HITS WINNER AFTER REAVES FORCES OT
An OT game-winner.
A Playoff atmosphere.
Dueling triple-doubles.
An A+ intentional miss.
Speaking to the ball… along with a 41-year-old’s full-extension dive.
Nuggets-Lakers had it all last night, with L.A. clinching the victory and basketball fans enjoying every minute.
Lakers 127, Nuggets 125 (OT): Austin Reaves (32 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast) forced overtime by rebounding his own intentionally missed free throw. Luka Dončić (30 pts, 11 reb, 13 ast) secured the win with 0.5 seconds remaining on a fadeaway jumper, elevating LA into 3rd place in the West.
Nikola Jokić (24 pts, 16 reb, 14 ast) notched his 27th triple-double, adding five steals, while Aaron Gordon topped the Nuggets with 27 points. Denver fought back from a 17-point deficit to briefly take the lead in the 4th quarter but finished the night back in 6th place. | Recap
- After a timeout with 15 seconds left in OT, tied at 125, LA held for the final shot. Denver’s double-team chased Dončić down the left side, where he found his rhythm
- “I put in the work, so I trust my shot,” Luka noted about his game-winning step-back.
- A Win & A Tie: This 30-point triple-double was Dončić’s 55th career triple-double, tying him with Jokić for second-most all-time.
- “This is huge for us,” Dončić added. “We treat each game seriously. We’re in a tight battle with Denver for the standings.”
- “That’s the best crowd response since I’ve been with the Lakers,” Luka said about the overtime fever.
Reaves’ sharp strategy with 5 seconds remaining was crucial for that extra period, as he converted a trip to the free-throw line into a 3-point possession.
- After hitting the first to bring the deficit to two, Reaves promised chaos with a miss on the second foul shot that ricocheted off the left side of the rim, allowing him to gather for a floater that leveled the score.
- “They had one defender on that side, so [I] aimed for the miss and went for the play,” Reaves explained.
- Something You Practice? “Yes,” Reaves shared. “I have done it before, back in AAU, and it worked. This one, however, was on a whole different level.”
- “I’m grateful.” Austin then expressed his gratitude to the bouncing basketball.
“So many guys made winning plays,” Lakers coach JJ Redick commented. “We came into this game treating it like a Playoff contest… aiming for the tie-breaker against Denver.”
- One of those impactful plays was LeBron James (17 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast) diving for a loose ball late in regulation, securing a crucial rebound.
- “I told him after the game: In all my years of watching you play, I’ve never seen a dive like that,” Redick remarked about LeBron.
L.A. is now half a game ahead of Houston, while Denver sits just 1.5 games above Phoenix for the last Playoff spot. The standings from 3rd to 6th in the West (L.A., Houston, Minnesota, Denver) are merely a game and a half apart.
2. STATEMENT W’S: SPURS STOP HORNETS, MAGIC SWEEP, 9 STRAIGHT FOR ATL
Returning from a brief absence due to an ankle issue, Victor Wembanyama marked his presence with authority in a matchup between two heated teams.
Spurs 115, Hornets 102: Wemby (32 pts, 12 reb, 4 blk, 5 3s) showcased his versatility, even contributing eight assists as the Spurs led from the first quarter onward, shutting down Miles Bridges (22 pts) and Kon Knueppel (20 pts), claiming their 17th win in the last 19 games. | Recap
- “Winning is our goal,” Wemby declared, speaking with the NBA Nightcap crew after the game. “I also aim for MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year, so I’m pushing the gas now.”
- Chasing 50: The 2nd-place Spurs, three games behind OKC, are just one win shy of their first 50-win season since 2016-17.
- In his last five games, Wemby recorded an astounding 165 points, 57 rebounds, and 18 blocks, becoming the first player to hit those stats in a five-game stretch since Yao Ming in 2006.
Only one team’s winning streak would survive this series finale in South Beach, with 5th place in the East on the line.
Magic 121, Heat 117: Paolo Banchero (27 pts, 8 reb, 7 ast) shined, with Desmond Bane contributing 21 points. Orlando led throughout and narrowly escaped a late surge from Jaime Jaquez (22 pts, 7 ast), concluding Miami’s 7-game win streak and sweeping the season series 5-0. | Recap
- Magic Milestones: Banchero surpassed Penny Hardaway for second-most 20+/5+/5+ games (76) in Magic history, only trailing Tracy McGrady (117).
- Five Wins: Orlando is only the second team since 1995-96 to defeat the same opponent five times in a season, joining the 2023-24 Pelicans.
Orlando now boasts a 7-game win streak, pushing the Heat back to 7th with the Raptors between them. The Magic have also hit 10 games over .500 for the first time since 2024.
Shifting to wins, the Hawks extended their streak to the longest in the league on Saturday.
Hawks 122, Bucks 99: Jalen Johnson (23 pts, 10 reb, 12 ast) notched his 12th triple-double, while CJ McCollum added 30 points and seven threes in a 9th straight win, defeating Ryan Rollins (22 pts, 8 ast) and the Bucks without Giannis (calf). | Recap
- Hawks’ Hot Streak: Atlanta’s nine-game win streak is the franchise’s longest since a stretch of 19 in 2014-15.
- Doubling Trip-Dubs: Johnson’s triple-double was the 14th of his career, far ahead of the nearest player in Hawks history, Mookie Blaylock (7).
- 3J: McCollum’s seven triples moved him past Paul Pierce (2,143) for 16th place on the NBA’s all-time made 3-pointers list.
3. ROUNDUP: TATUM STARS FOR C’S, SIXERS CLEAR NETS, KINGS STOP CLIPS
Celtics 111, Wizards 100: In a season-high 34 minutes, Jayson Tatum (20 pts, 14 reb, 7 ast, 2 stl) demonstrated his versatility, and Neemias Queta (24 pts, 10 reb) contributed 22 points in the first half, leading the second-seeded Celtics past Tristan Vukcevic (22 pts, 6 3s) and the Wizards. | Recap
Sixers 104, Nets 97: Philly stifled Brooklyn to just 31 points in the first half and responded when the Nets executed a 28-point comeback to grab their first lead in the 4th. Quentin Grimes scored 15 of his season-high 28 points in the closing quarter, sealing Philly’s victory. | Recap
- 9th-place Sixers stay competitive with a red-hot Atlanta in 8th and gain ground on Charlotte, now 2.5 games clear of the final Play-In position.
Kings 118, Clippers 109: DeMar DeRozan (27 pts, 7 ast), Precious Achiuwa (25 pts, 13 reb, 4 blk), and Maxime Raynaud (23 pts, 5 reb) overcame Kawhi Leonard (31 pts, 6 reb), Darius Garland (25 pts, 7 ast), and Bennedict Mathurin (24 pts, 6 reb) to halt the 8-seed LA’s four-game win streak. | Recap
- Russell Westbrook (12 pts, 12 reb, 10 ast, 4 stl) earned his 209th career triple-double and is only three assists away from surpassing Steve Nash for 5th most all-time.
4. ON ABC: HIGH-SCORING ANT HUNTS THIRD WIN OVER SGA, THUNDER
William Purnell/NBAE via Getty Images
Historic scorer, matched with formidable defense.
Fresh off a record-setting offensive performance, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder gear up for a defensive showdown against today’s opponent.
Who awaits them? The season’s top scorer against OKC.
Wolves at Thunder (1 ET, ABC): In a rematch of the Western Conference Finals, the top three scorers clash as Anthony Edwards (29.7 ppg, 3rd) seeks a third win over Shai (31.8 ppg, 2nd) and the defending champions.
- Beyond Wilt’s Record: Shai steps onto the court looking to maintain his newly set all-time 20+ point scoring streak, always in pursuit of victories:
- “All the accolades are phenomenal, but they truly mean nothing if you lose. That’s my focus,” SGA stated after his record-setting game.
- Winning They Have: Undefeated in March, OKC has secured seven straight wins since Shai returned from injury on February 27.
Facing SGA, Ant rides a wave of scoring prowess after a stunning 42-point game against Golden State on Friday.
- Edwards’ 42-point performance marked his 10th 40-point game of the season, only behind Luka Dončić for the league lead, and it’s the most he’s ever achieved in a single season.
- Thunder-Proof: Edwards’ average of 27.7 ppg in three games (2-1) against OKC this season is higher than any player with multiple face-offs against the Thunder.
- Thinking 40? The Thunder haven’t allowed any opposing player to score 40+ since LeBron James did so on December 23, 2023 – a stretch of 204 games.
- That’s the longest stretch of holding opponents under 40 points since San Antonio did it over a similar span between 2015 and 2018.
What can Ant </strong— in the midst of a career year— deliver in a game he describes as “super personal?”
“They knocked us out last year, and they have the reigning MVP, so this game definitely has meaning,” he asserted.
Minnesota joins the Spurs as the only teams achieving multiple wins over the Thunder this season, with the home team prevailing in each of the three matchups thus far.
5. SNB: NO LEAD IS SAFE AS CLUTCH KNICKS, WARRIORS MEET
Tonight, Sunday Night Basketball features two of the season’s top finishers, both possessing a flair for thrilling comebacks.
Warriors at Knicks (8 ET, NBC/Peacock): Two Playoff-bound teams converge, each equipped with potent offenses and a knack for dramatic late-game finishes.
- The City That Never Sleeps: New York has tied for registering the two biggest 4th-quarter comebacks this season: 18 points against the Rockets on February 21, and a 17-point rally on Christmas Day against the Cavs.
- Comeback Capital: Golden State has recorded two of the season’s 10 largest 4th-quarter comebacks: a 15-point recovery against the Grizzlies in February and 14 points against the Suns earlier that month. The Dubs also staged a 22-5 run in the 4th quarter against Denver.
So how do they achieve it?
Late-game turnarounds like these require swift scoring and strong defensive performances—qualities both teams have consistently showcased this season.
- Offense On Lock: The Knicks have been mainstays among the top three offenses, boasting a 118.2 Offensive Rating. Meanwhile, the Dubs lead the league in three-pointers made per game (16.3).
- NY Defense: The Knicks are establishing themselves with a top-10 defense in 2025-26; since January 1, they rank 4th in Defensive Rating (108.6), trailing only the Pistons, Thunder, and Spurs.
- Steph the Stopper? Prior to his injury, Curry was pivotal to the Warriors’ 7th-ranked defense (112.1). Since then, the team dropped to 22nd (117.1).
With the 9th-place Dubs contending for Play-In positioning, the 2025-26 Knicks are back in their familiar spot, applying pressure on the 2nd-place Celtics with their formidable depth.
- New York is benefitting from high-level three-point shooting by Landry Shamet (40.0% from deep), a career-best average of 12.9 points from Miles McBride, and stellar steals from Jose Alvarado, who averages 1.1 steals per game, tied for most on the team.
- Strength In Numbers: The Dubs also utilize depth well, scoring the third-most points collectively off the bench (44.4) and featuring the same number of players averaging over 7 points per game (12).
Roundup: Mitchell, Harden, and the Cavs are set to face Flagg and the Mavs on NBA TV (3:30 ET), along with the Raptors hosting the top-seeded Pistons (3:30 ET).
- Pacers at Bucks (3:30 ET)
- Blazers at Sixers (6 ET)
- Jazz at Kings (10 ET)
