Starting 5: Pair of must-see showdowns await on ESPN

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Tonight On ESPN: Four title contenders, two interconference duels, one epic doubleheader

Tuesday Heat: Cavs beat Knicks behind Harden & Mitchell, Knueppel & Hornets make 3-point history

Locked In: Thunder and Celtics gain steam ahead of tonight’s ESPN showdowns

Stars Shine: Paolo & Magic edge Lakers in thriller, Sixers trio dominates, Ant & McDaniels ice it

Roundup: Kuminga goes off in Hawks debut, Dejounte returns, Bucks and Mavs dub

BUT FIRST … ⏰

A massive ESPN doubleheader highlights tonight’s six-game slate as the East’s top-seeded Pistons host the West’s top-seeded Thunder (7:30 ET), before the red-hot Celtics visit Nikola Jokić’s Nuggets (10 ET).

Kia Rookie Ladder: The Starting 5 has your first look at Steve Aschburner’s newest Kia Rookie Ladder, with Kon Knueppel reclaiming the top spot after a record Tuesday (see Section 2 for more).

1. TONIGHT ON ESPN: A RARE 1 VS. 1 SHOWDOWN, THEN CHAMPS VS. CHAMPS

Less than two months remain until the regular season reaches its end. Time is quickly running out for teams to make their moves up the standings.

Tonight on ESPN, there’s more than one major matchup between squads with their sights set on April and beyond.

It starts with a colossal collision between the Pistons and Thunder (7:30 ET) as the East and West’s No. 1 seeds, respectively.

How big is colossal? Just ask the history books – it’s been six years since two teams with winning percentages of .750+ squared off this late in the season.

Until tonight.

• Bouncing Back: Detroit is fresh off a 114-103 loss Monday to San Antonio, but is 11-2 after losses in 2025-26, good for the league’s best such percentage
• “They crash the boards, they force bad shots, they try to play bully ball,” said Victor Wembanyama. “This is the reason they are the 1st seed.”

Chet Holmgren is the Thunder’s two-way big man. Thanks in part to him, the reigning champions have maintained a stifling brand of defense.

• Standing Tall: The No. 2 pick from the 2022 Draft has posted a 103.5 DefRtg this season, alongside 17.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game
• This Is The Way: Without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander since Feb. 4 and Jalen Williams since Feb. 12, the Thunder have relied on depth, winning five of their last six games

Another heavyweight bout awaits in the nightcap (10 ET, ESPN).

Each chasing critical Playoff positions, the East’s 2nd-place Celtics roll into Denver riding a four-game win streak to face the West’s 4th-place Nuggets.

And both squads are playing some of their best ball.

• Second-Half Success: Boston thrives this time of year. Since its title-winning campaign in 2023-24, the franchise is a combined 46-11 after the All-Star break
• Tighten Up: The Celtics are also 9-1 in their last 10 games, and have improved defensively along the way, allowing a league-low 103.8 points per game since Jan. 30

The Test: Stopping Denver’s offense is a tall order. Following Nikola Jokić’s return Jan. 30 from a 16-game absence, the squad has scored a league-high 124.4 ppg.

• Favorable Figures: Jokić has five triple-doubles in his last seven games, and the Nuggets are 142-43 whenever he records one

On League Pass, the Spurs visit the Raptors (7:30 ET) in search of their 10th straight win – their longest streak since 2015 – before the Cavs look to stay rolling against the Bucks (8 ET).

• Warriors at Grizzlies (7:30 ET)
• Kings at Rockets (8 ET)

2. TUESDAY HEAT: CAVS BEAT KNICKS, KNUEPPEL & HORNETS BREAK RECORDS

The Beard is balling. Spida is scorching. And Cleveland is rocking.

Cavaliers 109, Knicks 94: In a pivotal game against the 3rd-place Knicks, the 4th-place Cavs delivered a statement win over their East rivals, holding New York to its third-fewest points this season, while Donovan Mitchell and James Harden operated offensively. | Recap

• The Duo: Mitchell (23 pts, 4 ast, 1 poster) and Harden (20 pts, 4 ast) combined for 43 points and 8 dimes, balancing the offense as six Cavs scored in double figures
• The Finisher: That included another strong night from Jarrett Allen (19 pts, 10 reb), who went 7-of-8 from the floor, feasting inside off Harden’s delivery
• The Turn: On the other end, Cleveland held New York to 11 points in the 3rd – its lowest-scoring quarter of 2025-26 – to fuel its 13th win in 15 games
• The Result: The Cavs are now tied with the Knicks for 3rd in the East (37-22), and are 6-1 since inserting Harden into the starting lineup
• “We’re working to build something special,” said Harden postgame. “Tonight was a team effort, and it’s been like that since I’ve been here.”

As the Cavs rolled on, the Hornets rained down – making history from deep, with their standout rookie adding another record to the downpour.

Hornets 131, Bulls 99: On a night when Charlotte splashed 25 triples, Kon Knueppel’s three treys pushed him into the record books, becoming the fastest player to hit 200 career 3s to lead Charlotte past Matas Buzelis (32 pts, 7 reb) and Chicago. | Recap

• Purple Rain: Brandon Miller (23 pts, 5 3s) and LaMelo Ball (16 pts, 7 ast, 4 3s) added nine more treys, as Charlotte shot a ridiculous 25-of-57 from deep (43.9%)
• Golden Tear: The Hornets are now the first team ever to hit 25+ 3s in back-to-back games, after also burying 25 against Washington on Sunday
• Road Buzz: The barrage secured Charlotte’s eighth straight road victory, its longest streak in franchise history
• Postseason Push: The Hornets are now 12-3 since Jan. 22 – tied with the Cavs for the most wins in that span – and hold a 1.5-game lead over Milwaukee for the final Play-In spot

As Charlotte climbs the East standings, Knueppel has climbed Steve Aschburner’s Kia Rookie Ladder, reclaiming the top spot with a rookie shooting run unlike any before, writes Aschburner:

Fifty-eight games. Two hundred 3-pointers.

It’s not just that Kon Knueppel reached that milestone number faster than any player in NBA history. It’s that he has another 20 games or so to keep rewriting the NBA rookie record book, for range and proficiency.

The Charlotte forward hit three of his six shots from deep Tuesday in the Hornets’ victory in Chicago, upping his total to 201. He’s on the brink of matching and passing Sacramento’s Keegan Murray, who sank 206 in 2022-23. | Read More

3. LOCKED IN: THUNDER, CELTICS WIN AHEAD OF WEDNESDAY’S ESPN DUELS

Before tonight’s 1 vs. 1 matchup against Detroit (7:30 ET, ESPN), the defending champs rolled into Toronto and reminded the league why they sit atop the NBA standings.

Thunder 116, Raptors 107: Facing a top-5 team in the East without SGA and Jalen Williams, OKC delivered a complete team performance, using 10 different scorers while holding Toronto to 18 points in the 4th quarter for its third straight win. | Recap

• Depth Delivers: Cason Wallace matched his career-high with 27 points, while Isaiah Joe scored 22 and Alex Caruso (16 pts, 4 ast) and Lu Dort (15 pts, 5 reb) combined for 31
• East Feast: It’s OKC’s fifth win in six games, and it’s now an NBA-best 42-6 against the East since last season
• Up Next? The ultimate test, as the East-leading Pistons await

Also adding momentum before tonight’s ESPN doubleheader? Boston.

Celtics 97, Suns 81: Like OKC, the Celtics produced 10 different scorers, while their defense clamped down, allowing fewer than 90 points for the second straight game – something they haven’t done since 2022 – to move to 9-1 in their last 10. | Recap

• Big Shots: Derrick White (22 pts, 8 reb, 8 ast) and Sam Hauser (16 pts, 4 ast) led the way in scoring, hitting four 3s apiece
• Big Stops: On the other end, the C’s held Phoenix to 36.7% shooting, marking the sixth time they’ve allowed fewer than 100 points in their last 10 games
• Next Up? Nikola Jokić and Denver’s league-leading offense (10 ET, ESPN)

4. STARS SHINE: PAOLO MAGIC, SIXERS SURGE, WOLVES HOWL

Tuesday’s 11-game slate closed with a wild finish in Los Angeles amid a superstar duel, but it wasn’t the Lakers who had the final say.

Magic 110, Lakers 109: LeBron James was running the floor on both ends (21 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 1 chasedown block), while Luka Dončić dissected Orlando’s defense (22 pts, 15 ast).

But Paolo Banchero was too much (36 pts, 10 reb, 6 ast), scoring 17 points in the 3rd, then dropping in a go-ahead and-1 in clutch time before Wendell Carter Jr. called game – laying in a go-ahead putback with 6 ticks left to sink the Lakers. | Recap

• Frantic Finish: The 4th quarter saw 11 lead changes, including three in the final minute as Desmond Bane (22 pts) gave Orlando the lead with 35 ticks left, before Luka found LeBron for a go-ahead dunk nine seconds later
• Final Bucket: Banchero’s potential answer fell short, but Carter (20 pts, 11 reb) was there to clean it up, snaring the loose board below the rim and dropping in the winner for Orlando’s sixth dub in eight games

One game after dropping 39 to beat the Wolves, Tyrese Maxey turned up again.

And more Sixer stars joined the party.

76ers 135, Pacers 114: Maxey went off for 32 points, 9 boards and 8 dimes, while Joel Embiid (27 pts) and VJ Edgecombe (23 pts, 7 reb) combined for 50, helping spark a 45-point 2nd quarter as Philly raced past Indy for its second win in a row. | Recap

• Embiid Buckets: Embiid scored 20 of Philly’s 75 1st-half points. He’s now averaging 32.5 ppg in his last 10 outings
• Winning Formula: Philly is 4-0 when Embiid, Maxey and Edgecombe all score 20+

Anthony Edwards dagger. Jaden McDaniels exclamation.

Wolves 124, Blazers 121: Edwards poured in 34 points, capped by a clutch pull-up trey to push Minnesota’s lead to seven with 1:23 left. Fourteen seconds later, McDaniels finished it, throwing down a self alley-oop to stamp the Wolves’ fourth win in five games. | Recap

• Ant’s Tear: Edwards scored 25 in the 1st half en route to his 27th 30-piece, surpassing his total from last season
• McDaniels’ Boost: McDaniels was just as good, stuffing the stat sheet on both ends (29 pts, 6 reb, 3 stl, 5 blk), while Rudy Gobert was a force inside (10 pts, 19 reb)

5. ROUNDUP: KUMINGA DEBUTS, MURRAY RETURNS, BUCKS & MAVS WIN

Hawks 119, Wizards 98: Jonathan Kuminga threw down a breakaway hammer for his first points as a Hawk and never slowed down, posting a game-high 27 points and 7 boards in his Atlanta debut, as the Hawks soared past the Wiz. | Recap

• Trae Love: Trae Young, who is out for Washington with a knee injury, received a standing ovation from the Hawks faithful in his first return to Atlanta

Pelicans 113, Warriors 109: In his first game back since suffering an Achilles injury in January 2025, Dejounte Murray scored on the game’s opening possession, then dropped in a clutch driving layup with 1:04 left to give the Pels a 109-104 lead.

Zion Williamson was dominant throughout (26 pts, 6 reb), capped by a 10-point 4th quarter to propel the Pels past De’Anthony Melton (28 pts) and the Steph Curry-less Warriors. | Recap

Bucks 128, Heat 117: Down 116-114 with 3:47 left, a 4-point play from Kevin Porter Jr. (32 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast) kickstarted a 14-1 closing run, as the Bucks surged past Norman Powell (26 pts, 6 reb) and the Heat to snap Miami’s three-game win streak. | Recap

Mavericks 123, Nets 114: With Cooper Flagg out (foot), Marvin Bagley III (22 pts, 10-13 FG) and Naji Marshall (21 pts, 7 ast) stepped up, lifting the Mavs over Michael Porter Jr. (26 pts) and Brooklyn for their second win in three days. | Recap

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