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Recap: Thunder, Nuggets & Celtics Make Statements on NBA Sunday

Follow along with live updates around Sunday's NBA action, featuring Clippers-Bucks, Knicks-Thunder, and Warriors-Nuggets.

NBA.com Staff

The Celtics look to avenge a 118-89 loss to the Hornets back on March 4.

Check out the best of Sunday’s 9-game slate with the NBA.com live blog, featuring all of the meaningful moments, performances, observations, news, notes and highlights.

What we know after Sunday’s games:

  • Kawhi Leonard (20 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast) tallied his 51st consecutive game with 20 or more points during the Clippers’ 127-113 win over the Bucks. The mark extended a career- and franchise-best streak for ‘The Klaw’, while LA pushed their own win streak to five.
  • Pascal Siakam dropped 30 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists to lead seven Pacers in double figures scoring during their 135-118 victory against Miami.
  • Jayson Tatum scored a season-high 32 points to lead the Celtics to a double-digit victory over the resurgent Hornets. Payton Pritchard continued his hot play with 28 points, as Jaylen Brown and Derrick White sat out.
  • Houston improved to 45-29, and enters a tie with Minnesota for the 5th seed in the Western Conference with just a right games remaining. Alperen Sengun dazzled with 36 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and five made threes.
  • The Nuggets are rounding into playoff form right on time. Nikola Jokić’s triple-double streak ended tonight, but his heroics remained in the form of 25 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists alongside 20 from Jamal Murray. Tim Hardaway and Bruce Brown added a combined 31 points off the bench, as Golden State faded in the second half.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 7:24 ET

Sunday’s final scores 📋

MARCH 30, 2026 // 12:50 ET

Nuggets pull away from GS 🙌

This game was truly a tale of two halves. After two quarters, the Warriors were on track for an upset bid, however that all changed in the third. Denver outscored Golden State 70-40 in the final two quarters to easily secure the home-court victory.

Even without Aaron Gordon, the Nuggets had too many weapons for the Dubs to slow down. The conductor, Nikola Jokić, was exceptional per usual. Check out his highlights below, as the three-time MVP ended two assists shy of a fifth straight triple-double.

MARCH 30, 2026 // 12:10 ET

Denver starts clicking 🏀

Having Nikola Jokić is nearly a cheat code by itself, but when the ball starts buzzing around like this in Denver the opposing team is in trouble. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Christian Braun were apart of a Nuggets offensive blitz that gave them the lead.

The Warriors are playing from behind as the final 12 minutes unfold on NBC and Peacock.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 11:40 ET

2H starts now ⏳

Golden State took a seven-point lead into halftime after holding the Nuggets to only four points over the final three minutes. Denver has come out firing in the second half however, drilling three shots from deep to open up the third quarter.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 10:55 ET

Good one brewing in Denver

Golden State is giving the Nuggets a good test so far in the night’s finale on Peacock and NBC. They trail by two points midway though the second quarter, even with circus shots like the one below from Bruce Brown going in for the home team.

Kristaps Porzingis also hit a personal milestone, sinking his 1,000th career three-pointer.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 10:40 ET

Call the closer ☎️

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a subpar shooting night through three quarters before coming alive in the fourth. New York drew within one point after a 10-0 run midway through the quarter, but that’s when SGA rose to the occasion.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 10:14 ET

No AG for Denver

Aaron Gordon was a late scratch for the Nuggets matchup with the Warriors. David Aldridge reported that Gordon was experiencing calf soreness, leading the team to rest him instead of risking any potential injury setback.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 9:44 ET

Josh Hart has been New York’s saving grace tonight, sinking timely shots from deep to keep his team close.

The Thunder opened the fourth quarter with a few quick baskets, however, to grab their largest lead of the night.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 9:34 ET

Back like he never left ⛹️

Check out the best plays from Jayson Tatum’s 32-point effort in the victory over Charlotte. Boston also clinched a playoff spot in the process.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 9:28 ET

Full head of steam 🚂

Jalen Williams missed a large chunk of the regular season, but he looks fully healthy tonight against New York. Williams leads the Thunder in scoring with 20 points, including this fast-break deuce.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 8:58 ET

Brunson swings momentum before HT 👏

Jalen Brunson made a huge impact on this game in the final minute of the second quarter. He drilled a triple with 0:54 remaining, and drew a charge on Jalen Williams in transition in the last 10 seconds that gave his team a shot at beating the buzzer. He successfully lulled the defense to sleep before hitting Josh Hart for this three-pointer that cut Oklahoma City’s lead to just one point.

The second half resumes now on Peacock.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 8:38 ET

Showing off the range 🎯

Alperen Sengun is compiling a great game against New Orleans, including a heat check from outside. The Rockets big man is 4-4 from deep, and has a game-high 25 points along with eight rebounds and eight assists in the third quarter.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 8:29 ET

Wizards, Magic lose big 😬

Washington (17-57) is now only a half-game ahead of Indiana for worst record in the NBA. Deni Avdija, Scoot Henderson and Toumani Camara all scored 20 or more points in the victory while Donovan Clingan added elite rim protection with five blocks.

Tonight’s loss sets a new franchise record for worst margin of defeat for Orlando. The Magic lost by 52 points against Toronto, after the team never recovered from a historic 31-0 Raptors scoring run. Toronto keeps a half-game edge on Atlanta for the 5th seed in the East after the win.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 8:15 ET

NYK-OKC trading 3’s

The Knicks and Thunder are separated by single digits in the early going of the second quarter. No player has reached double figures yet, but the teams are spreading the ball well and finding open shooters like in the two sequences below.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 7:57 ET

Hornets fighting back in 4Q👀

Down by as many as 20 in the latter stages of the third quarter, the Hornets trail Boston 99-88 with 7:05 remaining in the contest.

LaMelo Ball leads Charlotte with 17 points, while Jayson Tatum pours in a season-high 27 points (11-22 FG) to go along with 5 boards, 8 assists and one block.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 7:53 ET

Tune in for Sunday Night Basketball!

The Thunder and Knicks are all knotted up at 9 points apiece with 7:21 remaining in the opening quarter on NBC/Peacock.

Mikal Bridges has 4 points to lead New York, while Luguentz Dort paces the Thunder with 3 points on one made triple.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 7:48 ET

Siakam’s 30-piece caps Pacers’ W

Pascal Siakam and Micah Potter (21 pts, 5 3PM, 5 reb) go off to help Indiana earn a 135-118 win over Miami. The Pacers outscore the Heat 27-11 in the final frame, and finish with seven players in double figures scoring.

Tyler Herro (31 pts, 5 3PM, 4 ast), Bam Adebayo (15 pts, 12 reb, 1 blk) and Jaime Jaquez, Jr. (17 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast) did their thing, but it wasn’t enough to keep Miami from falling to 1-7 in their last eight outings.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 7:30 ET

Rockets-Pels punishing the rims

Zion Williamson (6 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast) and Dejounte Murray (7 pts, 2 ast, 1 blk) have the Pelicans on top of the Rockets, 26-23, with 1:56 remaining in the opening frame.

Alperen Sengun (6 pts, 3 reb) and Kevin Durant (5 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast) power Houston’s attack early.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 7:25 ET

Blazers go showtime

Deni Avdija (15 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast) and Toumani Camara (11 pts, 6 reb, 1 stl) have the Portland home crowd in a frenzy, as they lead the Wizards 58-50 with 10:33 left in the third quarter.

Bub Carrington is stuffing the stat sheet for Washington with 11 points (4-10 FG), 2 boards, 3 assists and one steal in 16 minutes.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 7:21 ET

Knicks-Thunder tips at 7:30 ET!

Superstar point guards get locked in ahead of their heavyweight showdown on NBC/Peacock.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 7:13 ET

Halftime scores around the league:

MARCH 29, 2026 // 7:10 ET

Raptors in total control

Scottie Barnes (14 pts, 7 ast, 3 stl) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (17 pts, 2 reb, 2 stl) fuel a dominant first-half showing from Toronto so far, as they lead the Magic 61-35 with less than three minutes remaining in the second quarter.

Jalen Suggs remains Orlando’s leading scorer with 11 points and 2 made 3s, adding 2 dimes, one rebound, one steal and one block in 16 minutes.

The Raptors set a new NBA record en route to the huge advantage.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 6:54 ET

JT feeling it tonight

Jayson Tatum is up to 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting and 3-for-4 from behind the arc, along with 2 boards and 3 assists to power the Celtics to a 55-36 advantage over the Hornets with 4:41 remaining in the first half.

Kon Knueppel (9 pts) and Miles Bridges (8 pts) lead Charlotte with their five-game winning streak in a bit of trouble thus far.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 6:48 ET

Heat-Pacers dueling in 2H

We’ve seen 10 ties and 10 lead changes between Miami and Indiana, with the Pacers leading 103-102 with 1:36 remaining in the third quarter.

Micah Potter has 21 points and 5 made 3s to lead six Pacers in double figures, while Tyler Herro tallies a game-high 31 points on 12-for-19 shooting for the Heat.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 6:44 ET

Nets home cooking

Noah Clowney (11 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl) and Ben Saraf (4 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast) are doing a bit of everything to help the Nets burst out to a 43-20 lead with 8:06 left before halftime.

Maxime Raynaud (7 pts, 3 reb) and Nique Clifford (6 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast) lead the way for Sacramento.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 6:38 ET

Blazers take 24-15 lead to 2Q

Portland gets 7 points apiece from Deni Avdija and Scoot Henderson (2 reb, 2 ast) to fuel an early 9-point lead over Washington after one quarter.

Bub Carrington and Sharife Cooper have 4 points each to pace the Wizards.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 6:34 ET

Postseason implications galore

The East’s fifth-seeded Raptors host the eighth-seeded Magic with two games separating them in the standings. Toronto is out to a 32-20 advantage behind Scottie Barnes (10 pts, 3 ast, 1 stl) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (8 pts, 2 stl).

Jalen Suggs is the high man for Orlando with 11 points and 2 made 3s in just 6 minutes of action.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 6:28 ET

Celtics up early in Charlotte

Jayson Tatum has a game-high 9 points on 4-for-6 shooting with 2 assists to help Boston jump out to a 21-16 edge over the Hornets with 2:29 remaining in the first quarter.

Kon Knueppel leads Charlotte with 5 points and one made 3, giving him the most consecutive games with a 3PM by a rookie in NBA history.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 6:15 ET

All offense in Indy

Pascal Siakam (18 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl), Micah Potter (19 pts, 5 3PM) and T.J. McConnell (11 pts, 5 ast) have the Pacers firing on all cylinders through 24 minutes of play, as Indiana takes a 79-75 edge at the break.

The Pacers shoot 68.2% (30-44 FG) overall and connect on a season-high 13 first-half triples (13-22 3PM) in the high-scoring matinee.

Tyler Herro has a game-high 23 points on 9-for-14 shooting with 3 assists, while Jaime Jaquez, Jr. tallies 15 points (6-8 FG, 2 3PM), 3 boards and one assist in 14 minutes off Miami’s bench.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 6:03 ET

Clippers win 5th straight

Bennedict Mathurin pours in a team-high 28 points (7-10 FG, 13-14 FT) with 6 rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench to lead six Clippers in double figures. John Collins (22 pts), Kawhi Leonard (20 pts, 8 reb) and Darius Garland (15 pts, 11 ast, 2 stl) provide backup in the balanced effort for LA.

Gary Trent, Jr. erupts for a season-high 36 points (12-21 FG) and 9 made 3s across 37 minutes in the losing effort, adding 2 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 5:45 ET

🍀Celtics starters vs. Hornets🐝

Boston will be without starters Jaylen Brown (left Achilles tendinitis) and Derrick White (right knee contusion) tonight against Charlotte (6 ET, League Pass).

MARCH 29, 2026 // 5:42 ET

Herro, Potter balling early

Micah Potter (14 pts, 4 3PM) and T.J. McConnell (11 pts, 4 ast) are doing work for the Pacers’ second unit, but they trail Miami 38-36 in the first minute of the second quarter.

Tyler Herro cooks for a game-high 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting to pace the Heat.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 5:29 ET

Heat-Pacers live on League Pass

Davion Mitchell and the Heat are out to an early 22-15 lead over the hosting Pacers with less than 5 minutes to go in the opening quarter on League Pass!

MARCH 29, 2026 // 5:24 ET

Clippers cruising in Milwaukee

Brook Lopez is doing a little bit of everything in his return to Milwaukee, posting 8 points (2-3 FG, 4-5 FT), 7 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 blocks and one assist in 25 minutes. The Clippers have a 96-74 lead over the Bucks as we head to the final frame on NBA TV.

Kawhi Leonard extends his career-best and Clippers franchise record streak of 20+ point games to 51!

The Bucks have a steep hill to climb if they want to avoid a fourth straight loss.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 5:12 ET

Collins getting crafty

John Collins gets the hoop and harm with beautiful footwork, giving him 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting. Milwaukee has jumped out to an 85-67 edge with 3:33 remaining in the third.

Kawhi Leonard (20 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast) and Darius Garland (15 pts, 9 ast, 2 stl) lead four Clippers in double figures scoring.

Gary Trent, Jr. (20 pts, 5 3PM, 3 ast, 1 stl) and Taurean Prince (16 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk) are stuffing the stat sheet for the Bucks.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 4:38 ET

Clippers up 11 at half

LA grabs a 57-46 advantage over Milwaukee after two quarters of play. Kawhi Leonard (15 pts, 3 3PM, 8 reb) and Darius Garland (12 pts, 5 ast, 2 stl) have the Clippers’ offense rolling, as they finish the half shooting 54.8% (23-42 FG) overall and 41.2% (7-17 3PM) from downtown.

Gary Trent, Jr. fuels the Bucks’ first-half, dropping a game-high 18 points and 5 made 3s in 20 minutes. Taurean Prince tallies 8 points (2-3 3PM), 4 boards, 2 assists and one block in 15 minutes off the bench.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 4:26 ET

Clips gaining ground in 2Q

Los Angeles holds a 47-37 edge over Milwaukee with 3:57 remaining before halftime. Kawhi Leonard has a team-high 10 points and 8 rebounds, while Darius Garland (4 ast) and Bennedict Mathurin (2 reb) each have 8 points apiece.

Cormac Ryan gets 2 of his 5 points in style, while Gary Trent, Jr. continues to lead the Bucks with 11 points.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 4:06 ET

Clippers-Bucks underway on NBA TV

Darius Garland (5 pts, 3 ast, 1 stl), Kawhi Leonard (5 pts, 6 reb) and Bennedict Mathurin (6 pts, 2 reb) have the Clippers up 29-25 on the Bucks after the first quarter.

Gary Trent, Jr. leads all players with 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting with 3 made 3s in 9 minutes, adding 2 rebounds, one assist and one steal for Milwaukee.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 3:55 ET

Bucks show love to Lopez

The Bucks organization and fans showed plenty of love to Brook Lopez in his return to Milwaukee. The 18-year veteran spent seven seasons with the franchise from 2018-2025, and was an integral piece of their 2020-21 title team.

MARCH 29, 2026 // 3:00 ET

Welcome to an action-packed 9-game Sunday!

Darius Garland and the Clippers will go for a fifth consecutive victory when they visit the Bucks on NBA TV. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers take on Gary Trent, Jr. and the Bucks in Milwaukee while attempting to win their fifth straight contest (3:30 ET, NBA TV). Ryan Rollins will miss the matinee affair due to a hip injury on the second day of a back-to-back for the home team.

In the first of two primetime matchups to tip Sunday Night Basketball, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder look to make it six straight wins versus Jalen Brunson and the Knicks (7:30 ET, NBC/Peacock). Oklahoma City will try to extend their two-game advantage over the red-hot San Antonio Spurs for the top seed in the Western Conference, while New York hopes to shrink their 1.5-game deficit behind the second-place Boston Celtics in the East.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points with 8 assists during OKC’s 103-100 triumph over the Knicks at MSG on Mar. 4. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

In the nightcap, the Warriors and Nuggets put their win streaks on the line in a Western Conference showdown with plenty of playoff positioning at stake (10 ET, NBC/Peacock). Golden State has won three in a row after posting a 2-8 record in their previous 10 games, and Denver takes aim at a sixth consecutive dub while gaining some ground on the third-place Los Angeles Lakers, who currently hold a 1.5-game edge in the standings.

Here’s tonight’s complete schedule:

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