No. 9 All-Time.
James Harden needed 15 points on Monday to pass Shaq for 9th on the all-time scoring list.
He did it with this triple – and he was just getting started.
Keep reading to go inside the Beard’s big night, get what to know before the West’s top two teams meet on NBC & Peacock (8 ET), meet the (fast) rising Suns & more.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Rivalry Round 4: The top 2 teams out West meet again as OKC hosts San Antonio tonight
Power Rankings Spotlight: Inside the Suns’ big jump in Schuhmann’s latest rankings
Defying Father Time: Three ageless legends take the floor tonight in LeBron, Steph and KD
Monday’s Best: Harden pops off to pass Shaq, Siakam calls game, Coop catches fire
Roundup: Kings spoil Luka’s masterclass, Maxey & Embiid take over, Keyonte cooks
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Seven games tip off tonight, highlighted by a top-2 West showdown as the 2nd-place Spurs visit the 1st-place Thunder on NBC’s Coast 2 Coast Tuesday (8 ET | Tap to Watch).
The doubleheader closes in San Francisco as the Warriors host the Blazers (8 PT | Tap to Watch).
All-Star Clock’s Ticking: Only two days remain to vote for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game starters. Submit your daily ballot through Wednesday using your NBA ID. Don’t miss your shot, vote now.
Europe Games Await: On Thursday, the Grizzlies and Magic square off in the NBA Berlin Game 2026 (2 ET, Prime) before meeting again on Sunday in the NBA London Game 2026 (Noon ET, Prime).
1. TONIGHT ON NBC: SPURS-THUNDER, RIVALRY ROUND 4
The NBA-best Thunder have played 19 teams this season. They’re a combined 33-4 against 18 of those squads.
Against the Spurs, they’re 0-3.
- “You don’t lose to a team three times in a row in a short span without them being better than you,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after OKC’s most recent loss to San Antonio on Christmas
- “We have to get better. We have to look in the mirror – and that’s everybody, top to bottom – if we want to reach our ultimate goal.”
The Thunder reached that goal just six months ago, becoming the youngest team to win an NBA title in nearly 50 years. That momentum carried into a 24-1 start – tied for the best 25-game open in league history – capped by a franchise-best 16 straight wins.
Then came the Spurs.
- Opening Statement: On Dec. 13, in the Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals, San Antonio handed OKC its second loss of the season, stunning the league’s top squad behind Victor Wembanyama’s scintillating return from a calf injury
- Doubling Down: On Dec. 23, the Spurs extend their win streak to seven games by beating OKC again – this time by 20, the Thunder’s largest loss of the season
- Xmas Exclamation: Two days later, on Christmas Day, San Antonio did it again, knocking off OKC by 15 on its home floor (where the Thunder hadn’t lost all season)
The wins didn’t just amplify the Spurs’ arrival — they intensified a rivalry between a blossoming contender and a certified champion.
It’s a rivalry between the West’s top two teams — and one where the Spurs have held the edge, beating OKC at its own game.
- Lightning Bottled: While OKC owns the league’s top DefRtg, it’s been San Antonio’s defense that’s owned the rivalry, holding the Thunder’s top-2 offense to just 107 ppg – 14.4 below their season average
- The Anchor? Wemby. Dominant on both ends in limited minutes (17.7 pts, 8.3 reb, 1 blk), he owns the best plus/minus of any player in the season series by 5+ points (+15.7)
- Spurs Speed: In the backcourt, De’Aaron Fox (19 pts, 5.3 ast) and Stephon Castle (21.7 pts, 4 ast) have cracked OKC’s perimeter pressure, combining for 40.7 points and 9.3 assists per game
- The Result: Of the teams to play OKC twice this season, the Spurs rank first in ppg (119.3), while allowing the fewest (107), making for a +12.3 average margin of victory
But the Thunder still hold a 5.5-game lead over the Spurs atop the West and are back rolling, winners of three straight.
Tonight (8:30 ET, NBC), they’ll look to make it four against the one team that’s consistently cracked their code. A newfound rival that’s challenged the champs like no other.
- “They’re a good team who’s gotten the better of us recently,” said SGA of the Spurs on Sunday. “Should be a fun one. Should be competitive. Got to go out there and do the necessary things to win…
- “If we don’t, we’ll most likely lose.”
2. POWER RANKINGS SPOTLIGHT: SCHUHMANN ON THE RISING SUNS
Every Monday, John Schuhmann’s Power Rankings offer an overarching view of the NBA landscape, tracking which teams are climbing, sliding and settling in.
Today, we’re shining the spotlight on one notable riser: the Phoenix Suns. They are up three spots to No. 5 thanks to nine wins in their last 11 games, including victories over the Lakers, Thunder and Knicks.
Below are three takeaways from Schuhmann on what’s driving Phoenix’s surge:
The Suns have had the league’s No. 1 defense (107.3 points allowed per 100 possessions) over the 9-2 stretch, climbing from 12th to fifth for the season as a whole.
… [Phoenix’s] current starting lineup has outscored opponents by 9.1 points per 100 possessions and allowed just 106.8 per 100, the third-best defensive mark among 15 lineups that have played at least 150 minutes.
… The Suns have seen a big jump in transition points and a big drop in opponent transition points from last season. They’ve outscored their opponents on fast breaks in 13 of their last 15 games, with a margin of 57 points (108-51) over their first six games of 2026. | Read More
The West’s No. 6 seed, Phoenix looks to stay rolling tonight as it visits Miami (7:30 ET, League Pass).
3. NBA OG’S HEADLINE MORE TUESDAY MATCHUPS
This week on NBA.com, Jerry Jiang took a closer look at four NBA legends who continue to push back against Father Time.
LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and James Harden are all producing at a level rarely seen this deep into a career — and three of them take the floor tonight.
- Blazers at Warriors (8 ET, NBC): Averaging 28.8 ppg, Curry leads the Warriors against the surging Blazers to cap NBC’s Coast 2 Coast Tuesday
- Bulls at Rockets (8 ET, LP): At the same time, Durant – posting 25+ ppg on over 50% shooting for a 14th straight season – guides Houston against Chicago
- Hawks at Lakers (10:30 ET, LP): To wrap the night, LeBron (22 ppg, 6.8 apg) looks to stay hot in Year 23 as the Lakers host the Hawks
Jiang breaks down the historic context behind their production:
There’s an adage that says Father Time remains undefeated, but these NBA veterans may say otherwise.
Only seven players in NBA history have averaged 20 or more points per game in their 17th season or later. Four of them are doing so this season.
Below is the full list (* indicates this season):
- LeBron James (seven times)*
- Kevin Durant (twice)*
- James Harden (once)*
- Stephen Curry (once)*
- Kobe Bryant (once)
- Karl Malone (once)
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
… Durant, James and Harden continue to prove that age is but a number while Curry is having another historic season himself.
Haven’t seen NBA OGs, last year’s wide-ranging conversation between three legends: James, Curry and Durant? Tap here
4. MONDAY’S BEST: HARDEN PASSES SHAQ, SIAKAM WINS IT, FLAGG SHINES
The most recent “moment” from the four legends? This one ⬆️
Clippers 117, Hornets 109: With 9:12 left in the 3rd quarter, James Harden nailed a 3-pointer to pass Shaquille O’Neal (28,596) for 9th on the all-time scoring list. The Beard wasn’t done, finishing with 32 points, 10 dimes and 4 steals to power LA past Charlotte. | Recap
- On The Rise: Harden’s jump comes just 38 days after passing Carmelo Anthony (28,289) for 10th on the all-time scoring list, as the Beard’s still getting vintage buckets in Year 17, averaging 25.6 ppg
- Aging Gracefully: That’s his highest scoring average since 2019-20, when he paced the league with a scalding-hot 34.3 ppg
Even more mind-blowing? Harden is the only top-10 scorer with fewer than 10,000 career made field goals. In fact, he has just 8,442, with nearly 10,000 of his points coming from deep – where he’s cleared 36% in 11 different seasons.
That’s led to a scoring arc defined by consistency.
- “It says a lot about James, and who he is as a player,” said Clippers coach Ty Lue. “A true testament to his work … if you pass greats like Shaq, you’ve really done something.”
- 1-2 Punch: Kawhi Leonard added a game-high 35 points, as he and Harden led LA to its third straight win, improving to an NBA-best 10-2 in its last 12 games
Resiliency may be in the Pacers’ DNA.
After a 16-18 start last season, Indy went 34-14 after the New Year, authoring a storybook run to the Finals.
This season looks different. But another calendar flip has sparked something familiar in Indiana. Something that’s never left – persistence.
Pacers 98, Celtics 96: Ten different Pacers scored, led by Pascal Siakam (21 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast), who buried the night’s most important bucket: a go-ahead floater with 6 seconds left to knock off the surging Celtics, stamping Indy’s third straight win. | Recap
- C’s Slowed: The Celtics entered Monday with nine wins in their last 12 games. They exited with their first back-to-back loss since Dec. 15
- The Key? A relentless defensive effort from Indy, holding Boston one point shy of its season-low in scoring, including just 40 in the 2nd half
- The Closer? Siakam, who has been a bright spot for the Pacers all season, playing in 39 of their 40 games while leading the team in points (23.5), rebounds (6.8) and steals (1.3)
- “It’s so fitting that Pascal has the ball on our last possession and hits the game-winning shot,” said Rick Carlisle postgame. “His level of discipline, patience and everything … it’s really, really big-time.”
While the Pacers’ vet said goodnight, the Mavs’ rook said hello.
Mavericks 113, Nets 105: Cooper Flagg dazzled on both ends, racking up 27 points, 5 boards, 5 assists, 3 steals and 1 block to power Dallas past Michael Porter Jr. (28 pts, 9 reb, 6 3s) and Brooklyn, halting the Mavs’ two-game slide. | Recap
- Flying Flagg: Flagg leads Dallas in scoring since Dec. 1, averaging 21.7 points along with 6.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 1 block – numbers no other NBA player has matched in that span
- “He’s never gonna be afraid,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd on Flagg postgame. “He’s built differently.”
5. ROUNDUP: KINGS SPOIL LUKA MAGIC, SIXERS STAY HOT, JAZZ DUB
In another offensive masterclass, Luka Dončić shined bright – but the beam shined brighter.
Kings 124, Lakers 112: In his NBA-leading seventh 40-piece this season, Luka put on a show (42 pts, 7 reb, 8 ast), going 16-of-25 from the field and dropping 26 in the 1st half to keep the Lakers in it.
But it wasn’t enough to overcome a complete Kings effort, as DeMar DeRozan (32 pts, 6 ast) and Malik Monk (26 pts, 8 ast, 7 3s) sparked Sacramento’s offensive eruption as it secured back-to-back wins after beating Houston on Sunday. | Recap
- Can’t-Miss Kings: Russell Westbrook (22 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast, 4 3s) and Zach LaVine (19 pts, 3 3s) combined for 41 more points as Sacramento went 17-of-26 from downtown (65%)
- Luka Joins Elgin: Despite the loss, Dončić hit 1,000 points on the season in just his 30th game – a feat matched by only one other Laker: Elgin Baylor
The Sixers just keep winning, and Tyrese Maxey just keeps cooking – with another star starting to feast.
76ers 115, Raptors 102: Maxey went 6-of-9 from deep en route to 33 points, while Joel Embiid added 27 more, including one big-time hammer as the Sixers topped the Raptors to avenge Sunday’s last-second loss in Toronto. | Recap
- Star Surge: Philly is now 6-2 in its last eight games, with Maxey (31.8) and Embiid (27.3) combining for 59.1 ppg in that span
- Lowry Love: In what may have been his final game in Toronto, Kyle Lowry – who spent nine seasons and won the 2019 NBA title with the Raptors – received a standing ovation when he checked in late
- 🗣️ Lowry: “[That] was one of the greatest basketball moments of my personal career.”
Jazz 123, Cavaliers 112: Keyonte George went off for 32 points and 9 dimes, Lauri Markkanen added a double-double (28 pts, 12 reb) and the Jazz outscored Cleveland 69-50 in the 2nd half for a big road win. | Recap
- Year 3 Leap: George is averaging career-highs across the board (23.8 pts, 4.2 reb, 6.9 ast) and now has 10 30-pieces in 2025-26 after six in his first two seasons combined
