For the third straight season, the Western Conference Playoffs run through OKC.
With their seventh straight win, the Thunder secured the West’s No. 1 seed – again.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
April 9, 2026
West Streaks: A first for Denver in the Jokić era, a third straight No. 1 seed for the defending champs
More Heat: Cade’s return sparks Pistons, Spida lifts Cavs over Hawks, Spurs win shorthanded
Roundup: Magic make it four straight, Book boosts Suns to secure No. 7 seed
Tonight On Prime: Tatum makes MSG return as C’s visit Knicks, LeBron & Steph square off
League Pass Spotlight: The offensive evolution fueling Houston’s 7-game heater
BUT FIRST … ⏰
A Prime Thursday…
Six games tip off tonight, headlined by a monster doubleheader on Prime as the Knicks host the Celtics (7:30 ET | Tap to Watch), before the Lakers visit the Warriors (10 ET | Tap to Watch).
Postseason Countdown: With five days until the SoFi Play-In Tournament, see the current Playoff Picture.
Chasing History Returns: “Chasing History,” the all-access series documenting the NBA Playoffs presented by Google and NBA Finals, is back for another season on the NBA App.
1. WEST STREAKS: NUGGETS MAKE IT 10, THUNDER CLINCH TOP SEED
Denver’s longest win streak of the Nikola Jokić era has come at the perfect time.
Twenty-two days ago, the Nuggets were 6th in the West. Ten straight wins later, they’ve emerged with a 1.5-game lead for 3rd.
Nuggets 136, Grizzlies 119: Down four at the half, Jokić (14 pts, 16 reb, 10 ast) and Jamal Murray (26 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast) ignited a 39-22 3rd quarter for Denver, which took a double-digit lead and never looked back for its 10th straight win. | Recap
- Golden Stretch: It’s the Nuggets’ longest win streak since 2013. During the run, Jokić (25.2 pts, 12.7 ast) and Murray (27.6 pts, 7.1 ast) have combined for 52.8 pts and 19.8 ast per game
- Constant Creator: That includes seven triple-doubles from Jokić amid the streak, orchestrating the offense to the tune of 130.6 ppg
- Offensive Barrage: That’s the highest-scoring 10-game stretch of any team this season and Denver’s highest-scoring 10-game stretch since 1990
- “Doing everything in our power to catch this wave,” said Murray postgame. “Catch this rhythm, and be ready for Playoffs.”
- Final Stretch: With two games left on their schedule, the Nuggets (52-28) now hold a 1.5-game lead for 3rd over the Lakers and Rockets (both 50-29)
Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images
Three straight seasons. Three straight No. 1 seeds – and another win streak to go with it.
Thunder 128, Clippers 110: Chet Holmgren was a monster on both ends (30 pts, 14 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 4 blk), while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (20 pts, 11 ast) extended his record 20-point streak to 140 consecutive games as the Thunder never trailed after the opening minute for a seventh straight dub. | Recap
- 🔒Top Dogs: With the win, the Thunder secure the West’s top seed and the league’s best record, a feat they’ve now pulled off in back-to-back seasons
- “It’s extremely important,” said Holmgren on securing the No. 1 seed. “Just knowing that in the event of a Game 7, it’s always gonna be at home. You can’t underestimate how valuable that is … now, we got more to do.”
- Seeking 65: At 64-16, OKC is one win shy of the franchise’s first-ever back-to-back 65+ win seasons
- Clips Stay Put: Kawhi Leonard (20 pts, 8 reb) led LA, which remains one game up on Portland for 8th
2. MORE HEAT: CADE RETURNS, CAVS EXTEND STREAK, SPURS STAY ROLLING
The East’s No. 1 seed got its All-Star guard back Wednesday, and its offense felt the boost.
Pistons 137, Bucks 111: In his first action in 11 games, Cade Cunningham (13 pts, 5 reb) dished 10 assists to help get six other Pistons into double figures, while Jalen Duren (21 pts, 9 reb) and Duncan Robinson (20 pts) pushed Detroit to its 4th-highest scoring game of the season. | Recap
- On The Gas: Detroit dropped a 75-point 1st half and won the 2nd and 3rd quarters 78-52, building to a 31-point 4th quarter lead
- “I think I learned a lot, watching the team grow the way they did,” Cunningham said of his recovery time. “But I’m glad I’m back.”
- Bucks’ Best: Jericho Sims (11 pts, 11 reb, 10 ast) logged a triple-double for Milwaukee, while Ryan Rollins (23 pts, 6 ast) led all scorers
- Twenty Years Later: The Pistons can reach 60 wins for the first time since 2005-06 if they win out against the Hornets (Friday) and Pacers (Sunday)
In a top-5 East duel, the league’s top 2nd-half scorer did what he does best.
Cavaliers 122, Hawks 116: After not taking a shot for the first eight minutes, Donovan Mitchell took over, turning in 31 points, 7 boards and 4 dimes, while Evan Mobley dominated inside (22 pts, 19 reb, 3 blk), rallying the Cavs past Nickeil Alexander-Walker (25 pts) and the Hawks. | Recap
- Spida Swing: With Cleveland down seven at the half, Mitchell scored 13 in the 3rd as the Cavs went on a 44-20 run to seize control
- Clutch Close: Cleveland never trailed again, with Mitchell scoring the game’s final four points to stave off a late Atlanta push – securing the Cavs’ fourth straight win
- “It’s very tough to beat a team like this,” said Mitchell of Atlanta, which had won 18 of its last 21 games entering Wednesday. “This was a Playoff-like atmosphere in a Playoff-like game.”
- East Race: Cleveland moves just a half-game back of 3rd-place New York, while Atlanta – which has now dropped two straight – sits a half-game up on Toronto for 5th
Ronald Cortes/NBAE via Getty Images
San Antonio’s pursuit of the West’s No. 1 seed may have ended, but its scorching play continued, even without Victor Wembanyama (rib) and Stephon Castle (knee).
Spurs 112, Blazers 101: De’Aaron Fox (25 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast) scored 10 points in the opening 5:13, and just over 4 minutes later, San Antonio took the lead for good, getting past Portland despite Deni Avdija’s game-high 29 points. | Recap
- Separate Strengths: Keldon Johnson’s 20 points off the bench helped the Spurs win the reserves battle 48-10, as the Blazers got 91 of 101 points from five starters in double figures
- Silver Spurs: Now 29-3 since Feb. 1, San Antonio is locked into the No. 2 seed in the West in its first Playoff appearance since 2019
- 8th On The Line: The Blazers (9th) remain one game back of the 8th-place Clippers, who they meet on Friday in Portland (10 ET, League Pass)
3. ROUNDUP: MAGIC MAKING THEIR MOVE, SUNS LOCK IN 7-SEED
Rich Storry + Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images
In a four-team race for the East’s final Playoff spot, Orlando is clicking at the right time.
Magic 132, Wolves 120: After seven 1st-half lead changes, Orlando took control from half to horn, with Paolo Banchero (20 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast) leading seven Magic players in double figures in a fourth straight win. | Recap
- Terrence Tunes Up: Terrence Shannon Jr. (5 reb, 5 3s, 1 poster) led all scorers with a career-high 33 points for a shorthanded Wolves team that falls 3.5 games behind the 5th-place Rockets
- It’s Go Time: Orlando has climbed to 7th during its four-game win streak, now a half-game behind Toronto for the final guaranteed Playoff spot
Suns 112, Mavericks 107: Devin Booker was on one, dropping 37 points and 9 dimes while Dillon Brooks scored 28, as Phoenix staved off Cooper Flagg (11 pts, 11 reb, 6 ast) and Dallas to lock in the West’s No. 7 seed. | Recap
- Book Balling: It’s Booker’s third straight 30-piece and his fifth in his last six games
4. TONIGHT ON PRIME: TATUM, C’S RETURN TO MSG, STEPH & LEBRON DUEL
Madison Square Garden is a storied arena, rich with basketball history.
For Jayson Tatum, it carries another meaning.
“I knew at some point I would have to get over that hurdle and play there again,” Tatum said. “So, it’s going to have to be this Thursday.”
Tonight (7:30 ET, Prime), he returns to MSG for the first time since his season-ending Achilles injury, as the Celtics visit the Knicks. With a win, Boston can secure the East’s No. 2 seed.
- All-Star Form: The Celtics are 13-2 this season with Tatum in the lineup, and recently, he’s leveled up, averaging 25.3 pts, 10.7 reb and 7.3 ast over his last six games – all of which have resulted in wins
- All Together: As Tatum prepares to take another step – back onto the MSG floor – his longest-tenured teammate, Jaylen Brown, will be right there with him
- “That’s what teammates are there for,” said Brown on Tatum’s return to MSG. “We got his back, so we go out there and do what we got to do.”
Adam Glanzman/NBAE via Getty Images
The Test: Like Tatum and the C’s, the Knicks are heating up, too. They’ve won three in a row to maintain a one-game edge on the Cavaliers for the No. 3 seed.
- Captain Clutch, Again: Jalen Brunson, the reigning Kia Clutch Player of the Year, scored 17 of his 30 points in the 4th quarter to beat the Hawks on Monday, 108-105
- “Things aren’t going to be perfect all the time,” said Brunson after the win on his late-game heroics. “But you trust your work and find a way.”
- Another Key Duel: Now, Brunson and the Knicks – who sent Boston home last season – will aim to knock off another top-5 East squad, with the streaking Cavs on their heels
Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
A pair of modern legends are prepared to battle out West, as the Warriors host the Lakers (10 ET, Prime) for the fourth time in 2025-26.
Because for the first time this season, LeBron James and Steph Curry are set to go head-to-head.
- Legendary History: This will be the 28th regular-season meeting between the multi-time NBA champions. James holds a slight edge, 14-13, all-time
- King vs. Chef: James has averaged 30.2 pts, 9.1 reb and 7.3 ast in those matchups, while Curry’s posted 24.9 pts, 6.5 ast and 3.7 triples per game
- “What makes Steph one of the most dangerous players of all time is the fact that you’re going to get (scored on) in so many different ways,” James said
Golden State has locked up the No. 10 seed as it prepares for the Play-In, while Los Angeles sits in 4th, looking to get back in the win column after three losses.
5. LEAGUE PASS SPOTLIGHT: ROCKETS SEEK 8TH STRAIGHT WIN VS. SIXERS
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
Tied with the Lakers at 50-29 are the red-hot Rockets, who look to extend their season-long win streak to eight games tonight as they host the Sixers on League Pass (8 ET).
Houston’s surge isn’t just coming at a critical time – with Playoff seeding and homecourt advantage on the line – it’s a sign of something deeper: a team finding its offensive identity.
Amid their 7-0 run, the Rockets posted six straight games of 30+ assists, their longest such streak since 1986. And while that run ended in Tuesday’s win over Phoenix (26 assists), the blueprint behind it remains, writes The Athletic’s William Guillory:
The Rockets have tweaked their offense and found a spark that has them playing their best basketball.
They’re playing fast. They’re playing with physicality. They’re playing with confidence. And, most importantly, they’re playing together. | Read More
League Pass features three more games, including the Raptors and Heat meeting for the second time in three days (7 ET) after Toronto’s Tuesday win pushed it to 6th in the East.
Meanwhile, the Bulls visit the Wizards (7 ET), while the Nets host the Pacers (7:30 ET).
