No. 1 is the new Number 1.
With just over two weeks to go in the regular season, Wemby just took over the top spot in Shaun Powell’s Kia MVP Ladder
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Thursday In The East: Hot Hornets snap Knicks’ streak, Pistons power forward, Magic stop skid
Kia MVP Ladder: Wemby is reaching new heights, including the top spot on Shaun Powell’s latest Ladder
NBA TV Doubleheader: Cavs look to split two-game set with Heat, postseason-bound Portland hosts Flagg, Mavs
Where They Stand: Examining the teams playing best since the calendar flipped to 2026
What’s Next: A loaded Saturday & Sunday national slate with big postseason implications
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Friday brings 10 games, including an NBA TV doubleheader as the Cavs host the Heat (7:30 ET | Tap to Watch), before the Mavs visit the Blazers (10 ET | Tap to Watch).
2026 BAL Season Is Here: The sixth season of the Basketball Africa League tips off today. Featuring 12 teams, the season will be played across three African cities, culminating with the Playoffs and Finals from May 22–31 in Rwanda.
1. 3-GAME THURSDAY: HORNETS HALT NY, PISTONS ROLL, MAGIC END SKID
On Thursday’s opening possession, Jalen Brunson collected the first of what would be 17 1st-quarter points.
Charlotte’s sharpshooting trio, though, ensured it would be the Knicks’ only lead of the night.
Hornets 114, Knicks 103: Kon Knueppel (26 pts, 11 reb, 8 ast, 6 3s), LaMelo Ball (22 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast, 4 3s) and Brandon Miller (21 pts, 8 reb, 4 3s) combined for 69 points and 14 of Charlotte’s 16 triples as the Hornets won their fifth straight and halted the Knicks’ run at seven games. | Recap
- “Just coming in with the mentality of ‘Win the day,’ and get better within each day,” Knueppel said of Charlotte’s stretch-run mindset. “We’re not trying to look ahead, we’re not trying to dwell in the past.”
- Mr. 250: Leading the league in made 3s, Knueppel passed 250 total triples Thursday, the only player age 22 or younger to reach that mark in NBA history
- Rare Rookie: Knueppel also becomes just the 6th rookie ever to total at least 25/10/5/5 3s in a game, joining Victor Wembanyama, Cade Cunningham, Stephen Curry, Paul Pierce and Jason Kidd
LaMelo was also ready to meet the moment, speaking postgame about his team’s first win over the 3-seed Knicks this season.
- “I was born for moments like this,” Ball told Kris London and Alexis Morgan on NBA TV’s special presentation of the game
- Swarm Of Threes: LaMelo (150), Kon (130) and Miller (129) rank No. 2-4 in total 3s made since Jan. 1. Read on to Section 4 for more of the best of the new year
- Strong Start: Brunson (13 ast) piled up 17 of his 26 points in the 1st quarter for the Knicks, who remain 3rd in the East but slip a full game behind the Celtics
- East Shuffle: Charlotte stands firmly in 9th place, even now with 8th-seed Orlando and 10-seed Miami, all 39-34, 1 game behind Philly in 7th
After surrendering just their 9th home loss of the season, the Pistons were ready to turn the page.
Pistons 129, Pelicans 108: Jalen Duren (30 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk) fueled Detroit past Zion Williamson (21 pts, 6 reb) and New Orleans, as the Pistons never trailed after the first 13 minutes while bouncing back from Wednesday’s OT home loss. | Recap
- Efficiency First: Duren (10-12 FG) is the first Detroit player ever to post 30+/10+/5+ on 80 FG% or better, and joined Isiah Thomas as the only Pistons under 22 to post such a line
- Back To Business: Detroit improves to 4-1 since Cade Cunningham’s injury, and extends its lead atop the East to 4 games over Boston
To move up from the East’s final Play-In spot, Orlando had to snap out of its season-worst skid.
Magic 121, Kings 117: Paolo Banchero (30 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast) lifted Orlando past DeMar DeRozan (33 pts, 11 ast) and the Kings, with Desmond Bane pitching in 23 points, as the Magic navigated nine ties and a clutch finish to snap their six-game skid. | Recap
- Kings Close In: Sacramento launched an 8-0 run in under 90 seconds to make it a 1-point game with 50 ticks remaining, powered by six points from Daeqwon Plowden (23 pts)
- Orlando’s Answer: Jalen Suggs (8 pts) hit his second triple of the game in response, with 27.4 left to play, to keep the Magic ahead for good
- “It’s better to learn lessons in a win than in a loss,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said postgame. “To get the win and find a way through it all, that’s important right now for us.”
- Moving Win: Orlando jumps from 10th to 8th in the East, past Miami and Charlotte via tiebreakers, to pull within a game of the 7-seeded Sixers
2. KIA MVP LADDER FIRST LOOK: WEMBY SURGES TO TOP SPOT
Sixteen days remain in the regular season, and for the first time since January, there’s a new name atop Shaun Powell’s Kia MVP Ladder:
Victor Wembanyama.
The 7-foot-4 phenom has turned “that can’t be real” into routine amid the Spurs’ 23-2 run. In that span, he has 90 blocks and an NBA-best +388 plus-minus – 97 points more than the next closest player.
He’s made his case for the Kia MVP on and off the court. And now, he’s jumped from No. 3 to No. 1 in Powell’s latest rankings:
There’s a new No. 1 on the Kia MVP Ladder, and it’s the player who’s influencing wins at both rims and has his team within range of securing the top seed in the West…
Wembanyama is transforming into a historic defender in such a short period of time … he is different in that he entered the league with solid defensive instincts and, coupled with his enviable size, is making a massive impact here in his third season …
Wembanyama is ready now because the evidence is compelling enough. | Read More
Sizzling Sprint: While Wemby has claimed Powell’s latest top spot, the race for the Kia MVP is far from over, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (No. 2), Nikola Jokić (No. 3) and Luka Dončić (No. 4) all red-hot and in action tonight.
Before they take the floor, Powell breaks down each of their Kia MVP cases:
Steady Shai: “The game has never seen a guard average 30 points and do so this efficiently … Gilgeous-Alexander also has the most 30-point games in under 30 minutes per game and the least turnovers per game by a 30-point scorer. That also reflects his historic efficiency.”
Jokić Aces: “The last three games were classic if typical Jokić – 23-point triples in all three, and the most recent game, he nearly went 20-20-20. He’s one of only three players to drop that stat line.”
Luka Magic: “The league’s leading scorer is nearly averaging a triple-double and is ripping through a torrid March with games of 60 points, 50 points and three with 40 points. He’s averaging 39.5 ppg over his last 11 games.”
Tonight on League Pass, SGA leads the Thunder against the Bulls (8 ET), before Jokić and the Nuggets host the Jazz (9 ET) and Luka’s Lakers welcome the Nets (10:30 ET).
3. ON NBA TV: HEAT, CAVS RUN IT BACK, BLAZERS HOST FLAGG’S MAVS
Flames died down. The fire cooled. Five straight games didn’t go in the Heat’s favor.
But they stuck with the same message they’d been spreading for two weeks.
“We’ve been talking about this collective grit,” said coach Erik Spoelstra. “You just have to put your head down and compete and control what you can control.”
Their skid ended on Wednesday. Tonight (7:30 ET, NBA TV), the Heat meet the Cavaliers for the second time in three days, looking to back up their victory.
- Checking In: Miami is 10th in the East — eyeing the Playoff picture — and two games behind 5th-place Atlanta, having lost in the First Round each of the last two seasons
- Temperature Turned Up: On Wednesday, the Heat had eight double-figure scorers, and flexed their 112.2 defensive rating by holding the Cavaliers to 103 points
- “We’ve taken a lot of pride in trying to build a top-five defense,” Spoelstra said. “And we want it to show, right now, when it matters the most.”
One defeat didn’t change Cleveland’s postseason outlook. It still holds a four-game lead for 4th, and the duo of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell helped create that cushion.
- X-Factor: The Cavaliers are 14-5 with Harden in the lineup, and since making the move from LA, the 17th-year guard has shot 45.2% on 3s
- Behemoth Backcourt: Combined, Mitchell (26.7 ppg, 5.3 apg) and Harden (21 ppg, 7.7 apg) account for 47.7 ppg and 13 apg
- “It’s two different styles, which makes us unique and tough to guard,” Mitchell said. “We’ve been scoring and getting to the paint in two different systems, essentially.”
The postseason will also feature Portland, which hasn’t gotten this far since a 2021 First Round exit.
The Trail Blazers can take one step closer to the Playoffs tonight (10 ET, NBA TV) with a defeat of the visiting Mavericks.
- Locked Down: Over the last 10 games, Portland has the No. 1 defensive rating (106) and has six players averaging 12 ppg or more
- Mr. Dependable: Donovan Clingan has 10 double-doubles this month, and since Jan. 1, boasts 23 — tied with Victor Wembanyama for 2nd-most behind Karl-Anthony Towns
4. WHERE THEY STAND: THE TOP TEAMS OF 2026 SO FAR
They were 11-22 on Dec. 31.
They’re 27-12 since.
The 2025-26 Hornets have shown us that the flip of a calendar can mean more than just a new year.
It’s a fresh start, even in the middle of a season.
We saw it last season with the Pacers, who went 16-18 in 2024, before going 34-14 in 2025 to close the regular season en route to the NBA Finals.
NBA.com’s Shaun Powell has analyzed the standings strictly through the lens of 2026. With just over two weeks left in the regular season, which teams have made the most of the new year?
“This question matters for a few reasons: there are more games in 2026 than in 2025, fortunes often flip during the season’s final three-and-a-half months and those shifts tend to reveal a team’s true identity.
For example, 2026 gave the Charlotte Hornets a chance to develop a rotation full of young players, and now they’re enjoying the trend in the right direction. …
Here’s a look at the standings in both conferences since New Year’s Day:” | Read More
Tonight’s slate is full of chances to watch 2026’s winningest teams:
- Two of the East’s best this year collide, as the Hawks (25-13 since Jan. 1) visit a Celtics squad boasting a 28-12 record in 2026 (7:30 ET)
- “So much has gone right for the Hawks after a 16-19 start. Nickeil Alexander-Walker thrived… and, coupled with the playmaking of Dyson Daniels, the drop-off in guard play was surprisingly minimal. Jalen Johnson also blossomed into an All-NBA-level player.”
- From one of the West’s best of the year, the 26-15 Clippers continue their historic turnaround visiting the Pacers (7 ET)
- “… Even after losing James Harden and Ivica Zubac at the February trade deadline… and throughout 2026, Kawhi Leonard has played some of the best ball of his career.”
Also on League Pass, KD and the Rockets look to keep climbing as they visit the Grizzlies (8 ET), plus the Raptors host the Pelicans (8:30 ET) before the Wizards visit the Warriors (10 ET).
5. WHAT’S NEXT: STACKED WEEKEND ON THE NATIONAL STAGE
After 10 games tonight, 15 more matchups get underway across Saturday and Sunday.
That includes six national showdowns with heavy postseason implications.
Saturday starts on Prime (3 ET), with Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs seeking an eighth straight win as they visit the Bucks. San Antonio is 22-4 (.846) against the East this season – the best interconference record of any team.
- Chasing The Champs: The Spurs will look to keep that rolling as they eye their 24th win in 26 games, sitting two games back of OKC for the West’s top seed
Wolves at Pistons (5:30 ET, ABC): Next up, depth vs. depth. The East-leading Pistons are 4-1 since Cade Cunningham’s lung injury, while the Wolves are 4-1 without Anthony Edwards (knee). Which squad will stay hot on ABC?
Jazz at Suns (10 ET, NBA TV): The night wraps with Devin Booker’s Suns seeking a timely win against the Jazz, with Phoenix 3.5 games back of Houston for the West’s 6th and final Playoff spot.
Nipping at the Suns’ heels? The 8th-place Clippers, who have cut Phoenix’s 7th-place lead to 3 games.
LA opens Sunday on NBA TV (3:30 ET) against Milwaukee, with Kawhi Leonard, Darius Garland and Co. seeking a 4th straight win.
Knicks at Thunder (7:30 ET, NBC): Then, Sunday Night Basketball on NBC, featuring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the West-best Thunder hosting Jalen Brunson’s Knicks. In their last 20 combined games, OKC (9-1) and New York (7-3) have gone 17-3.
Now, both seek a crucial win in heated races atop their conferences.
Warriors at Nuggets (10 ET, NBC): To cap Sunday Night Basketball? A red-hot Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray lead Denver’s top-scoring offense against Golden State.
After a historic Wednesday – with Jokić posting back-to-back 20/15/15 games and Murray erupting for 53 – the Nuggets sit just 1.5 games back of the Lakers for 3rd. Can the duo deliver again for a key Sunday dub?
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