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Live Updates: Jayson Tatum's return leads tonight's NBA game doubleheader featuring Mavs-Celtics, Clippers-Spurs

Check out the best highlights and moments from Friday with the NBA.com live blog, featuring Mavs-Celtics, Clippers-Spurs on ESPN.

NBA.com Staff

Jayson Tatum goes for 15 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists in his season debut to help Boston defeat Dallas 120-100. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

Enjoy the best of Friday’s 7-game slate with the NBA.com live blog, featuring all of the meaningful moments, performances, observations, news, notes and highlights.

11:46 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Friday’s final scores:

11:48 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Clippers-Spurs down to wire

Kawhi Leonard (30 pts) sinks two free throws to give the Clippers a 109-108 lead with 1:17 remaining, but Victor Wembanyama (25 pts, 10 reb, 4 blk) drains a clutch triple to retake the lead, 111-109, with 54.7 seconds left. Tune in on ESPN!

11:37 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Spurs take lead late in 4Q

San Antonio rattles off an 18-5 run midway through the final frame to take a 2-point lead, 99-97. Get to this game NOW!

11:28 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Booker’s getting buckets

Devin Booker scores 18 of his 28 points on 6-for-9 shooting in the third quarter, and the Suns have a 112-105 lead over the Pelicans with 2:12 remaining in the game. Jalen Green chips in 25 points and 3 made 3s in 30 minutes.

Trey Murphy III is the leading scorer for New Orleans with 22 points on 6-for-17 shooting to go along with 2 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals and one block in 39 minutes.

11:22 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Spurs storm back in 3Q

Down by 20 at halftime, San Antonio gets 17 points from Julian Champagnie (20 pts, 6 reb) in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 11, 92-81, going into the fourth.

 

Victor Wembanyama matches him with 20 points of his own, adding 8 boards, 3 blocks and one steal in 16 minutes.

Kawhi Leonard (20 pts, 8 reb, 2 stl) and Brook Lopez (22 pts, 4 stl) are battling to keep the Clippers out front, as ‘The Klaw’ notches his 40th straight 20-point outing.

11:12 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Luka magic on full display

Luka Dončić cooks for an absurd 22 points on 7-for-9 shooting and 5-for-5 from downtown, adding 4 rebounds, 3 assists and one steal in 12 first-quarter minutes. The Lakers hold a 37-31 advantage over Indiana with 10:09 left in the second quarter.

Jay Huff has 7 points and 4 rebounds to lead the Pacers in both categories.

11:07 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Knicks up 25 after 3Q

New York outscores Denver 40-28 in the third to take a commanding 105-80 lead heading to the fourth quarter. OG Anunoby is having himself a night, tallying a team-high 34 points (11-17 FG) and 6 3PM to go along with 7 boards, 5 assists, 4 steals and one block in 31 minutes.

Nikola Jokić has a game-high 38 points on 14-for-21 shooting with 8 boards, 5 assists and 2 steals, but the only other Nugget in double figures is Jamal Murray with 12 points. Murray left the game in the third with a left ankle sprain and will not return, however, as Denver trails 114-88 with 9:03 left in the contest.

10:54 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Suns separating in 3Q

Devin Booker is up to a game-high 22 points on 7-for-13 shooting in 26 minutes, adding 4 boards, 4 dimes and 2 steals. Jalen Green is right behind him with 20 points on 6-for-15 from the field with 2 made 3s.

Zion Williams has 18 points and 7 rebounds to lead the Pelicans in both categories, but New Orleans trails Phoenix 89-76 with 1:14 remaining in the third quarter.

10:45 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Clips cruise to 20-point lead at half

Kawhi Leonard (11 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl) and Brook Lopez (17 pts, 3 3PM, 3 stl) fuel an efficient first half for LA, as they shoot 55.6% (25-45 FG) from the field and 9-for-21 (42.9%) from downtown to secure a 66-46 edge over San Antonio at halftime.

The Spurs have struggled to get much going on the second leg of a back-to-back, with their 22-point deficit in the first half representing their largest at home this season.

Victor Wembanyama is the only Spur in double figures scoring with 14 points on 5-for-13 shooting (3-7 3PM) in 10 minutes, adding 6 boards, one assist, one steal and one block.

10:35 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Alpi & Amen combine for 54 in W

Alperen Sengun tallies a game-high 28 points (11-15 FG) with 6 rebounds, 2 assists and one block in only 26 minutes, and Amen Thompson goes off for 26 points on 11-for-12 shooting with 7 boards, 7 assists, 2 steals and one block in Houston’s 106-99 win over Portland.

Kevin Durant adds 20 points, 8 boards and 5 assists, while Reed Sheppard posts a full line with 17 points, 3 boards, 6 assists, 3 blocks and one steal.

Jrue Holiday (20 pts, 4 reb, 10 ast) and Jerami Grant (21 pts, 2 ast, 2 stl) were the leading scorers for the Blazers.

10:25 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Oh my, Dylan Harper 😱

The rook goes right through Bennedict Mathurin (4 pts, 2 reb) on this emphatic poster jam, as we’ve got a good one going on ESPN. The Clippers lead the Spurs 46-37 midway through the second quarter.

Victor Wembanyama is back and better than ever, scoring 14 points with 5 boards, one steal and one block in only 8 minutes of play.

Kawhi Leonard and Brook Lopez each have 9 points apiece to drive the Clips’ 9-point lead.

10:11 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Joker’s tough and-1

Nikola Jokić continues to make his presence felt for Denver in the Mile High City, cooking for 21 points on 7-for-9 shooting with 4 rebounds and 4 assists in 16 minutes.

Jalen Brunson has just 2 points on 1-for-7 shooting, but he’s making a difference for New York with 8 dimes and zero turnovers in 17 minutes. Mitchell Robinson (13 pts) and OG Anunoby (12 pts, 2 stl) lead four Knicks in double figures scoring.

The Knicks lead the Nuggets 63-52 with 1:05 remaining in the second quarter.

10:04 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Holiday reaches 17K career points

Portland’s Jrue Holiday has 16 points (7-14 FG), 4 rebounds, 9 assists and one steal in 30 minutes, and the Blazers hold a slight 87-85 lead over Houston with 9:37 remaining in the game. Congratulations Jrue!

Alperen Sengun (28 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk) and Amen Thompson (20 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk) are doing a little bit of everything to keep the Rockets close.

9:59 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Clippers-Spurs underway on ESPN!

Victor Wembanyama leads San Antonio with 7 points and 2 made 3s in 5 minutes, but he was just seen heading back to the Spurs’ locker room on the ESPN broadcast. We’ll keep you posted with any news as it becomes available.

Brook Lopez has a game-high 9 points on 4-for-7 shooting and 2 steals for the Clippers. This game is knotted at 20 apiece with 3:38 left in the opening quarter.

9:50 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Heat swat Hornets, win 128-120

Tyler Herro tallies a season- and game-high 33 points and 8 made 3s to go along with 9 rebounds, 9 dimes and one steal in 37 minutes, and Bam Adebayo drops 24 points (10-26 FG), 12 rebounds, 4 assists, one steal and one block to give Miami their fourth straight victory.

Kon Knueppel finishes with a team-high 27 points (9-14 FG) and 6 made 3s, while Brandon Miller (22 pts, 13 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk) and LaMelo Ball (21 pts, 5 3PM, 5 ast) combine for 43 points in the loss.

9:43 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Pelicans off and running

Trey Murphy III has a game-high 10 points to lead New Orleans, who holds a 33-31 edge over Phoenix with 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter.

Jalen Green has a team-high 8 points in 9 first-quarter minutes.

9:37 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Nuggets lead Knicks after 1Q, 29-27

Nikola Jokić has a game-high 10 points to go along with 4 rebounds and 4 assists in 12 minutes, while Jamal Murray pours in 9 points on 4-for-8 shooting.

Mitchell Robinson is the high man for New York with 9 points (4-5 FG) and 3 rebounds, all on the offensive end, in just 6 minutes off the bench.

9:30 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Celtics win in Tatum’s return

The Boston crowd shows love to Jayson Tatum in his first NBA game action since May 12, 2025. After 298 days of recovery, JT drops 15 points, 12 boards and 7 assists in 27 minutes in his return, and the Celtics take down the Mavericks 120-100.

Jaylen Brown finishes with a game-high 24 points on 9-for-17 shooting, along with 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals to lead six Celtics in double figures scoring.

Klay Thompson posts a team-high 19 points and 5 3PM in only 18 minutes off the Dallas bench, while Cooper Flagg goes for 16 points (7-23 FG), 8 rebounds, 6 assists and one steal in 30 minutes.

9:20 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Air Gordon returns for Denver

Aaron Gordon is back in the lineup for Denver tonight after missing the last 17 games with a hamstring injury.

9:17 PM ET / March 6, 2026

JB 🤝 JT

Boston’s superstar duo is officially back. Jaylen Brown (24 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast, 2 stl) and Jayson Tatum (15 pts, 12 reb, 7 ast, 1 stl) have the Celtics up 118-96 over the Mavs with less than 3 minutes to play.

9:07 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Rockets fight back in H-town

Portland led by 13 in the first quarter, but a 12-5 Houston run in the second has them up 51-46 over the visiting Blazers with 2:31 left before halftime.

Alperen Sengun leads the Rockets with 15 points (6-8 FG, 3-3 FT) to go along with 5 boards, 2 assists and a block.

Jerami Grant (16 pts) and Toumani Camara (14 pts, 3 stl) combine for 30 points as the only two Blazers in double figures scoring.

9:01 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Heat-Hornets is GOOD

Bam Adebayo has 16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 dimes, 2 steals and one block in 30 minutes, while Tyler Herro drops 14 of his 27 points in the third quarter.

Brandon Miller (22 pts, 11 reb), LaMelo Ball (21 pts) and Kon Knueppel (18 pts) continue to fuel the Hornets’ high-flying offense, and they lead 108-106 with 8:04 remaining in the contest.

8:50 PM ET / March 6, 2026

JT cooking in 3Q

Jayson Tatum is up to 12 points (5-12 FG, 2-6 3PM), 9 rebounds and 6 assists in just 20 minutes of action. He started 0-for-6 from the field before connecting on his next five shot attempts, helping Boston take an 84-75 advantage over Dallas with 2:40 left in the third.

Jaylen Brown has a game-high 19 points with 5 boards, 5 assists and one steal, while Derrick White is right behind him with 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting.

Max Christie (12 pts, 4 3PM, 4 reb) and Cooper Flagg (12 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl) are fighting to keep the Mavs within striking distance.

8:40 PM ET / March 6, 2026

LaMelo shakes his defender

LaMelo Ball sinks 3 of his 21 points in brilliant fashion, helping the Hornets keep a slight edge over the Heat, 92-89, with 2:25 remaining in the third quarter.

Tyler Herro (22 pts, 6 3PM, 8 reb, 6 ast) and Jamie Jaquez, Jr. (16 pts, 4 3PM) lead five Miami players in double figures scoring.

8:31 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Blazers-Rockets live on League Pass

Portland grabs a 30-18 lead with 2:40 remaining in the opening quarter. Jerami Grant (11 pts) and Toumani Camara (game-high 13 pts) are rolling early for the Blazers.

Amen Thompson is the high man for Houston with 6 points on 3-for-3 shooting.

8:25 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Volume up for JT

Boston crowd going absolutely nuts for Tatum’s first points in nearly 300 days.

8:20 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Tatum, C’s close 1H strong

Jayson Tatum gets the Boston crowd roaring with a thrilling back-to-back sequence, giving him 5 points (2-8 FG, 1-4 3PM), 5 rebounds and 5 assists in 14 minutes. The Celtics take a 58-53 edge over the Mavericks at halftime.

Derrick White leads Boston with 13 points and 2 steals, while Jaylen Brown adds 10 points, 4 boards, 4 assists and one steal.

Cooper Flagg (10 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl) and Naji Marshall (13 pts, 2 ast, 1 reb) fuel a strong first half for Dallas.

8:12 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Heat-Hornets battling at halftime

Miami shoots 50% (9-18 3PM) from 3-point range, with Tyler Herro (13 pts, 3 3PM, 6 reb, 4 ast) at the forefront. Bam Adebayo adds 10 points (4-12 FG), 7 rebounds and one block in 18 minutes, but the Heat trail the Hornets 61-58 at the break.

Brandon Miller has a game-high 19 points on 6-for-9 shooting with 2 3s, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals, while LaMelo Ball tallies 13 points (4-12 FG, 3-9 3PM) in 15 minutes.

7:48 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Back and forth in Boston

It’s early, but Mavs-Celtics has seen 4 ties and 11 lead changes through 15 minutes of play.

Jayson Tatum remains scoreless in 8 minutes (0-4 FG), but he’s got 2 boards and 3 assists, and Neemias Queta has 6 points (3-4 FG), 5 rebounds and a steal for Boston.

Cooper Flagg (6 pts, 1 reb, 1 stl) and Naji Marshall (6 pts, 2 ast) have the Mavericks up three, 29-26, with 8:59 remaining in the second quarter.

7:36 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Streaks on the line in Charlotte

The Hornets have won six straight games while the visiting Heat have won three in a row. Who comes out on top tonight?

Brandon Miller (11 pts, 4 reb), LaMelo Ball (8 pts, 2 3PM) and Kon Knueppel (8 pts, 2 3PM) lead the way for Charlotte, but they trail Miami 30-27 after one quarter of action.

Tyler Herro and Pelle Larsson pace the Heat with 7 points apiece.

7:23 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Mavs-Celtics live on ESPN

Jayson Tatum is back for the first time in 298 days!

He’s scoreless in the early going, but Tatum has 2 rebounds and 2 assists with the Celtics and Mavericks tied at 7 midway through the opening quarter on ESPN.

7:07 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Just moments away from tip!

6:38 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Hornets ready to keep rolling

Charlotte is an NBA-best 16-3 since Jan. 22 and look to extend their current winning streak to seven games tonight against the Miami Heat (7 ET, League Pass). Over their last six games, all wins by 15+ points, the Hornets rank first in scoring (122.8 ppg), 3-point percentage (43.6%) and plus-minus (+24.2).

6:15 PM ET / March 6, 2026

JT getting loose 🥹

What a sight for sore eyes. Jayson Tatum prepares for his season debut after missing the last 10 months while recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon.

6:10 PM ET / March 6, 2026

Welcome to a 7-game Friday night of hoops!

Brandon Miller and the red-hot Hornets take aim at a seventh consecutive victory when they host the Heat tonight on NBA League Pass. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)

Basketball fans everywhere can rejoice today, as Boston’s Jayson Tatum will start in his 2025-26 season debut when the Celtics host Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks to tip off ESPN’s primetime doubleheader (7 ET). The six-time NBA All-Star, who ruptured his right Achilles tendon during Game 4 of last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals versus the Knicks, averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists across 72 games in 2024-25.

Following the action in Beantown, the Clippers visit the Spurs for the first meeting between these two Western Conference foes (9:30 ET). Los Angeles is currently riding a three-game winning streak, while San Antonio has won two straight and 13 of their last 14 contests.

Here’s tonight’s complete schedule:

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