Starting 5, April 1: Western Conference superstars come through

Happy Monday to the Starting 5 fam.

Whatever life throws at ya this week, may you make it look this easy.

THE LINEUP 🏀

What’s inside today’s edition? 

Stars shine out West: SGA, Bron, Luka (including a 🤯 circus shot) and more highlight a big day for big names

What does it all mean? How did those performances affect the West Playoff race in the final two weeks?

East Roundup: Heat & Sixers hold their spots after a pair of Sunday wins

Rewind & what to know: Catch up on the weekend, and get set for the week ahead

Preview: What’s coming? A few games to circle each day from Tuesday through Friday

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Last night’s scores & what to watch today.

Suns-Pelicans, (8 ET, NBA TV): With both teams in the thick of the West race, and both facing tough schedules to close out – including playing each other twice – Phoenix and New Orleans square off in NOLA

1. WEST SUPERSTARS SHINE

Answering the call: Sunday’s 10-game slate – staged just two weeks before the end of the regular season – saw some of the game’s biggest names find new levels and lead their teams to critical wins.

And on a day that saw West-leading Minnesota fall to Chicago, a few of W’s took on even greater meaning.

• Luka Doncic went for 47 (including this completely absurd long-distance scoop shot) as the Mavs sank a season-high 24 3-pointers to beat the Rockets 125-107, extending their win streak to an NBA-best 7 and ending the Rockets’ streak at 11. | Recap
• Said Jason Kidd: “Picasso when you give him the paint brush, he’s going to do something special, and that shot was special.”
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander answered a go-ahead bucket with 4 seconds left by Jalen Brunson (30 pts) with a silky turnaround from the corner for a game-winner with 1.8 left, sending the Thunder to the 113-112 win at MSG and back to No. 1 in the West. | Recap | Watch The Final 2:00
• Said Shai: “It took everything.”
• LeBron James (season-high-tying 40 pts) found a new zone – even for him – in the Lakers’ 116-104 win over the Nets, becoming the first Laker to hit 9 treys and shoot 90% from beyond the arc in a game. | Recap | Bron’s Best

• Nikola Jokic’s 26-pt, 18-reb, 16-ast night in the Nuggets’ 130-101 win over the Cavs clinched a Playoff spot for Denver, sending them to 2nd in the West and giving Joker three of the season’s four 25-15-15 games. Luka has the only other one. | Recap
• Stephen Curry (33 pts) out-dueled Victor Wembanyama (32 pts), while a late Klay 3 helped the Warriors hold off the Spurs, who cut a 12-put Dubs lead with 6 minutes left to just 2 with a minute left. | Recap
• Paul George went for a season-high 41 points, pushing the Clippers over the Hornets, 130-118, for their 3rd straight win and 25th road W of the year. They join the Wolves & Celtics as the only teams to reach that mark. | Recap

• And finally … DeMar DeRozan (27 pts) and the 9th-seeded Bulls notched one of the biggest wins of the day, taking down the Wolves, 109-101. | Recap

2. HOW THAT ALL IMPACTED THE WEST RACE

Ok, how wild is the West? Right now, just one game separates the top 3 teams in the West. Again.

• No. 1 Thunder ⬆️: OKC (who also clinched a Playoff spot) jumps back to the top spot, which it last occupied on March 23
• No. 2 Nuggets ⬆️: The champs advance to 2nd after starting the day in 3rd
• No. 3 Wolves ⬇️: The loss to Chicago bumps Minnesota to 3rd

That’s gotta be rare, right? Definitely. Conferences were first introduced in 1970-71. Since then, the top 3 teams have been separated by one game or less this late in the year just seven previous times.

Mavs jump to 5th ⬆️ … After sitting in 8th on March 16, the Mavericks’ win over the Rockets tied them with the Pelicans at 45-29 – with Dallas taking the tiebreaker to move into 5th.

• A team game: While Luka’s powering the offense, Dallas has three of the league’s top 15 players in NetRtg over that run – Daniel Gafford in 4th (26.8, with a 94.6 DefRtg!), Derrick Jones Jr. in 6th and Kyrie Irving in 15th (min 15 mpg)

…Helping Warriors create space in 10th: Not only did the Rockets’ win streak end at 11 games, but Houston’s loss and Golden State’s win gave the Warriors a 2-game lead for the 10th seed.

• A new look: Sunday marked the first time that the Rockets lost ground to the Warriors on a day Houston played since Mar. 6. They had cut 5.5 games away from GSW’s lead in that time
• Circle Thursday: The Dubs and Rockets meet on Thursday (8 ET, NBA App), giving Golden State a chance to add another game – or Houston to make another jump 

A Cali thing: Domantas Sabonis became the fourth player since 1980-81 to have 70+ double-doubles in a season, helping the Kings beat the Jazz, 127-106, as Sacramento and both LA teams helped their causes

• No. 4 Clippers ↔️: PG and the Clips held off the Mavs another day, keeping a two-game lead in the standings
• No. 7 Kings ⬆️: Sacramento moves into a tie with Phoenix, but owns the tiebreaker. The Kings sit 2 behind the Pelicans in 6th
• No. 9 Lakers ↔️: L.A. stands 1.5 games behind the Kings & Suns

3. EAST ROUNDUP: SIXERS, HEAT STAY AT 7 & 8

Knicks, Cavs stay put: After losing, the Cavs briefly fell behind the Knicks due to tiebreaker, but New York’s last-second loss kept the Knicks a half-game behind Cleveland for third.

Rozier, Adebayo keep heat on Pacers: Terry Rozier’s 27 points and Bam Adebayo’s 22 gave Miami its second straight win, with a 119-107 W over the Wizards. | Recap

• Playoff Picture (MIA ↔️): Miami moved within a half-game of Indiana, with the Pacers dormant on Sunday

Oubre, Lowry, Treys end 76ers’ skid: Kelly Oubre Jr.’s season-high 32 points, Kyle Lowry’s 11-pt, 10-ast night against his former team and a franchise-record 24 threes sent the Sixers to a 135-120 win over the Raptors, ending Philly’s 3-game losing streak. | Recap

• No Maxey: Philadelphia went without All-Star Tyrese Maxey because of left hip tightness, getting 24 from Cam Payne, 21 from Tobias Harris and 19 from Nic Batum
• Said Lowry: “Kelly was amazing, Cam was amazing. We all stepped up for Tyrese, because he’s an irreplaceable guy.”
• Playoff Picture (PHI ↔️): The Sixers held firm in 8th, 1.5 back from Miami

4. WEEKEND IN REVIEW & WHAT TO KNOW THIS WEEK

How the standings looked when the weekend started … and how they look today.

ICYMI…

• Wemby vs. Brunson’s epic duel: Victor Wembanyama had the first 40-20 for a rookie since Shaq, draining a late 3 to help the Spurs hold off Jalen Brunson’s 61 points – just one shy of Melo’s franchise record – and drop the Knicks in OT
• Wemby’s 🔥Quote: “I’ve never seen so much greatness before… I’ve just witnessed so much greatness and I want to be a part of it… I’m on the right path, I know it
• Largest win in Heat history: Miami took over early and never let go, getting 20+ points from four different players and dishing a franchise-record 41 assists as they dropped the Blazers, 142-82

5 things to know: Before we get into this week’s games in Section 5, catch up quick on what’s at stake

• Down to single digits: No team has more than nine games left
• 22 teams still in mix: Eight teams have been eliminated, leaving just 11 teams in both conferences – the 10 in postseason position and the two teams knocking on the door (Houston in the West, Brooklyn in the East)
• Hottest teams since All-Star break: The Nuggets, Celtics, Rockets, Thunder and Magic have been the hottest teams since All-Star break. Read more
• Hard roads home: The Suns, Kings, Knicks, Clippers and Rockets have the toughest strengths of schedule over the last two weeks, among teams in contention
• Clinching scenarios: As the Playoff Picture takes shape, head to NBA.com to sort it all out

5. PREVIEW: THE LAST WEEK BEFORE THE LAST WEEK

Can Bron & the Lakers make their way up to the 7 or 8 seed this week?

Tuesday:

• Thunder vs. 76ers, (7:30 ET, TNT): OKC’s in the mix for the top spot in the West, or at least home court. Can eighth-place Philly trim into Indy’s 2-game lead in sixth?
• Knicks at Heat, (7:30 ET, NBA App): An elite rivalry, with the Knicks eyeing the third seed and the Heat right on the Pacers’ heels for 6th
• Rockets at Wolves, (8 ET, NBA App): One of the NBA’s hottest teams vs. one of the West’s top squads. Both with something to prove, both with a lot to gain
• Mavs at Warriors, (10 ET, TNT): Luka. Steph. And the race for a guaranteed Playoff spot – or a spot in the postseason at all
• Clippers at Kings, (10 ET, NBA App): Led by do-everything stars Sabonis and Kawhi, two West powers meet. Sacramento’s still in the hunt for a 6th seed, while LA’s looking to outpace hard-charging Dallas & New Orleans

Wednesday:

• Thunder at Celtics, (7:30 ET, ESPN): Two elite teams. Two elite scorers, in SGA & Tatum. Boston has some cushion. OKC decidedly does not
• Magic at Pelicans, (8 ET, NBA App): Grind it out cultures. Grind it out results. Orlando & New Orleans rank 1st and 3rd in team defense since March opened
• Cavs at Suns, (10 ET, ESPN): Both teams had mixed Marches. Now, two of the league’s most balanced offenses – with both ranked top 6 in assists per 100 possessions since March 1 – look to lock in

Thursday:

• 76ers at Heat, (7:30 ET, NBA App): Philly (including this matchup) is finishing a stretch of 13 games against teams with winning records in their last 15. The Sixers did beat Miami on Mar. 18, though. Between two teams looking for footing, what’s in store this time?
• Kings at Knicks, (7:30 ET, TNT): No easy buckets. Two of the teams with the toughest strengths of schedule meet, with little to no space in the standings for either
• Warriors at Rockets, (8 ET, NBA App): The Rockets have been breathing down the Warriors’ necks for weeks. Meanwhile, Golden State has picked up speed to maintain its lead. Both roads collide here
• Nuggets at Clippers, (10 ET, TNT): Two electric offenses, two teams with their sights set on deep runs – and two teams looking to find their rhythm in the final stretch

Friday:

• Thunder at Pacers, (7 ET, NBA App): SGA. Haliburton. Two of the game’s top rising stars lead their team into a weekend that will shape both postseason races
• Kings at Celtics, (7:30 ET, NBA TV): Last time out, the Cs won 144-119. Can Sacramento find an answer this time out and keep pace in the West?
• Heat at Rockets, (8 ET, NBA App): The league’s fourth-best offense in March against the league’s fourth-best defense in that same month, with the pressure going up each game
• Warriors at Mavs, (8:30 ET, NBA App): Coming off their showdown with the Rockets, the Warriors face Luka, Kyrie and the league’s fifth best offense in March
• Timberwolves at Suns, (10 ET, NBA TV): In the first of two meetings over the season’s final nine days, can Phoenix make it two straight wins over Minny after a W in November? 

Weekend Look-Ahead: We’ll dive in more later this week, but Cavs-Lakers highlights a 4-game Saturday, with Rockets-Mavs, Cavs-Clippers, Heat-Pacers, Pelicans-Suns, Knicks-Bucks, Kings-Nets and Wolves-Lakers standing out from a 13-game Sunday (before a 15-gamer the Sunday after).