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Kevin Durant's game-winner highlights eight-game night

Enjoy the top highlights, moments, stats and observations from Monday's action with the NBA.com live blog.

Ben Lambert, for NBA.com

Kevin Durant sunk a game-winner to lead the Houston Rockets over the Phoenix Suns.

Enjoy the best of Monday’s schedule with the NBA.com live blog, featuring all of the meaningful moments, performances, observations, news, notes and highlights.

KD’s game-winner was the top story of the night. Read on to learn more!

What we know about Monday night’s games:

  • The Pistons made a statement by defeating the Knicks 121-90, led by 29 points and 13 assists from Cade Cunningham, who shot 11-of-17 from the field.
  • The Hornets went into the Paycom Center and beat the Thunder 124-97, hitting 19-of-37 from three-point range along the way.
  • The short-handed Nuggets defeated the 76ers 123-122 in overtime as Jalen Pickett dropped a career-high 29 points.
  • Kevin Durant (26 pts, 10 reb, 4 ast) knocked down a game-winner to lead the Rockets over the Suns 100-97.
  • With Snoop Dogg on the call, the Clippers held on to beat the Warriors 103-102 on Peacock.

JANUARY 6, 2026 / 12:35 AM

“The Clippers, the Clippers, the Clippers”

Intoned Snoop Dogg after Jimmy Butler’s fadeaway went wide left, giving LA the 103-102 victory to end the night on Peacock.

Kawhi Leonard had 24, while Kobe Sanders put up a career-high 20, defending Stephen Curry along the way.

It’s the seventh win for the Clippers in their last eight.

“Next man up. Our coaches, our players instill a lot of confidence in me… they want me to play confident, play free. With them on my back, I feel like I can do anything,” said Sanders.

JANUARY 6, 2026 / 12:33 AM

Warriors-Clippers comes down to one shot

103-102 with 6.9 seconds remaining, Warriors ball.

Stephen Curry has fouled out. Who will take the last shot for Golden State?

JANUARY 6, 2026 / 12:27 AM

“Eye of the Tiger”

With Snoop Dogg repeating the mantra, Stephen Curry just knocked down a three to cut it to 101-100 on Peacock with under a minute remaining.

Put some sizzle on your night with the finish on Peacock!

JANUARY 6, 2026 / 12:14 AM

Clippers open up lead

94-81 with just over four minutes to go in the Intuit Dome.

Kawhi Leonard’s got 24 points, leading the way for LA.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 11:55 PM

Kobe starring in LA

78-73 Clippers with 9:48 to go in the the fourth quarter on Peacock. Check out the game to end your night!

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 11:45 PM

The legendary Snoop Dogg

Check it out on Peacock!

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 11:22 PM

Deni on the drive again

Avdija on the attack. Learn more about the Blazers forward’s slashing ability here.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 11:17 PM

Nuggets defeat 76ers in a thriller

Without Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon or Christian Braun, the Nuggets knocked off the 76ers 123-122 in a game that saw 16 lead changes.

It was a career night for Jalen Pickett, who put up 29 points, including seven three-pointers. Peyton Watson had 24 points, while Bruce Brown added 19.

Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 32, while Tyrese Maxey had 28.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 11:08 PM

Clippers up on Warriors at the half

55-51 on Peacock. Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Curry both have 14 to pace their respective squads.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 11:00 PM

Overtime in Philly!

Paul George swatted Peyton Watson’s drive to the rim and grabbed the board, but Maxey couldn’t convert the three-pointer.

We’re headed for bonus basketball in Philadelphia!

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 10:56 PM

Nuggets-Sixers going down to the wire

120-all with 49.6 seconds to go, as Tyrese Maxey swoops to the hoop in transition to tie it.

Get to Peacock for the finish!

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 10:42 PM

The Slim Reaper delivers

Vintage. Kevin. Durant.

Rockets win 100-97 over the Suns in a thriller.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 10:38 PM

Deni on the drive

Deni Avdija — the subject of tonight’s mini-profile — is the league leader in drives per game.

Here, he styles for two points, as the Blazers take an early lead on the Jazz.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 10:29 PM

Hornets knock off Thunder

124-97. Oklahoma City had won five straight against Charlotte before tonight, but walked off their home court with a defeat.

Brandon Miller led the way for the Hornets with 28 points, while Kon Knueppel — No. 2 on the latest Kia Rookie Ladder — posted 23, including five three-pointers.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 10:23 PM

Have a night, Jalen Pickett

The Siena and Penn State product was selected 32nd overall by the Pacers in the 2023 NBA Draft and traded to the Nuggets that evening.

Tonight, he’s had his best game in the NBA.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 10:04 PM

LaMelo is a magician

Ball, a walking highlight reel, delivers for Charlotte.

The Hornets are up 106-82 on the Thunder with 7:36 to go in the fourth.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 9:57 PM

Celtics hold on against Bulls

115-101, although the Bulls won the second half by seven points.

Anfernee Simons had the answer, though, dropping all of his 27 points in the second half.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 9:49 PM

Raptors seeking to ground Hawks

102-93 with 4:36 to go in the fourth, thanks in part to this smooth dime from Scottie Barnes (18 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast).

Toronto has seven players in double figures, as does Atlanta.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 9:43 PM

Hornets still leading OKC

85-67 Hornets with just over five minutes to go in the third. A major upset could be brewing.

Charlotte’s knocked down 56 percent of its threes — 14-of-25 — so far tonight, which has helped.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 9:28 PM

Suns rising out West

60-54 Phoenix over Houston at the half. Devin Booker, Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin all have 11 points to lead the Suns, while Kevin Durant has 13 to pace the Rockets.

The Suns are 7-3 in their last 10 and looking for their third straight win tonight.

They’re up to ninth in the NBA with a 113.1 defensive rating while also grabbing the fourth-most offensive rebounds, by percentage, in the league at 34.1.

The Rockets are better in both categories, though — sixth in DRtg at 112.1 and tops in the Association at 40.1 percent of possible offensive rebounds.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 9:17 PM

Pistons at full force

108-82 Detroit with 5:21 to go, holding the Knicks to 43 percent shooting. Watch out for these Pistons.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 9:12 PM

Hornets up on the Thunder

67-50 at the half, as Charlotte takes a lead on the defending champs on the road at the Paycom Center.

The Hornets are shooting 59 percent from the field, led by Brandon Miller (19 points on 5-of-7 shooting, 2 stl, 2 blk).

Chet Holmgren and Ajay Mitchell both have 11 for the Thunder, who are a startling 6-4 in their last 10.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 9:07 PM

Tyrese to the tin

The Eastern Conference Player of the Week at work on Peacock. Tyrese has 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, while Joel Embiid’s added 11.

But the Nuggets are up 29-26 at the quarter break, led by Spencer Jones and Peyton Watson, who each have 8 points.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 8:51 PM

Payton does this

Classic stuff from the reigning Kia Sixth Man of the Year, who’s up to 21 points. Celtics up 77-53 over the Bulls in the third.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 8:24 PM

Detroit on defense

69-56 Pistons on Peacock, as they continue the great Detroit tradition of rock-ribbed defense while shooting 61 percent from the field.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 8:14 PM

The Notorious B.I.3. at work

33-27 Raptors over the Hawks with 10:49 to go in the second quarter.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 7:44 PM

Snoop in the house

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 7:37 PM

Cade on the attack

45-42 Pistons with 6:34 to go in the second quarter. Cade’s up to 12 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists.

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 6:00 PM

Deni’s been dominant

Deni Avdija came in at No. 7 among Western Conference forwards in the initial fan returns for NBA All-Star Voting 2026, ahead of legendary veterans LeBron James and Kevin Durant, to add his name to the game’s elite.

The Trail Blazers’ leader has been an offensive force during this breakout season, putting up 25.7 ppg, 7.2 reb, 7.1 ast on 46.6/36.2/79.2 shooting.

He’s been at his best in recent days, putting up a dominant double-double in New Orleans on Jan. 2 and his third triple-double of the season (29 pts, 11 reb, 10 ast) against the Spurs Jan. 3, on his way to earning Western Conference Player of the Week.

Check out the 6-foot-8 wing’s all-around game in the video above.

He’s physically strong and tenacious, coupling it with creative flair, skill and deliberate, focused court vision.

Avdija leads the NBA in drives per game at 20.8, putting up 10.1 points and 2.9 assists while attacking the rim. He’s a gifted slasher, comparable to stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (13.3, 1.8), Jaylen Brown (13.2, 1.4) and Cade Cunningham (11.2, 1.5).

Avdija also draws 2.1 personal fouls on drives per game — tied with Zion Williamson for the best in the NBA.

“He finds a way to get to the rim or find teammates,” said Interim Coach Tiago Splitter. “He’s been aggressive the whole season.”

“Deni’s always important to us. The way he pushes tempo, the way he gets down into the paint, gets to the free throw line,” said Jrue Holiday. “(He’s) doing a little bit of everything.”

JANUARY 5, 2026 / 5:30 PM

Welcome to an eight-game night in the NBA!

Tyrese Maxey

Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers host the Denver Nuggets to open tonight’s triple-header on Peacock.

We’ve got a Peacock triple-header leading tonight’s action, as Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks run back last year’s Playoff series with Cade Cunningham and the Pistons (7 ET), Tyrese Maxey and the 76ers host Cameron Johnson and the Denver Nuggets (8:30 ET), and Stephen Curry’s Warriors take on James Harden’s LA Clippers (10 ET).

Here’s tonight’s complete schedule:

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