The READ
NBA Recap | March 24, 2026
A short Tuesday slate, and every game delivered. Charlotte continued its impossible three-point run — 26 made threes on 47.3% in a 44-point blowout of Sacramento. The Knicks survived New Orleans behind Karl-Anthony Towns' 21 points and 14 rebounds while Zion Williamson scored 22 points on 80% shooting in a losing effort. Cleveland needed Donovan Mitchell's 42 on 78.2% true shooting to edge Orlando 136-131. And out west, Nikola Jokic posted 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 17 assists — one of the rarest stat lines in NBA history — as Denver held off Phoenix 125-123 on a Devin Booker three-pointer that clanged off the front of the rim with seconds to go. Four games. Let's run it.
CHARLOTTE KEEPS HEATING UP
Charlotte Hornets 134, Sacramento Kings 90
Four consecutive games with 40% or better from three and 7-3 in their last 10 games. The Hornets are in a zone that defies reasonable expectation, and Tuesday was their best performance yet — 26 made threes on 47.3% shooting in a 44-point demolition of Sacramento. LaMelo Ball was the architect without dominating the box score: 20 points on 6-of-13 (7-of-14 from three), 8 assists, and a +32 in 29 minutes. He barely needed to score because everyone around him was converting. Moussa Diabate posted a double-double with 17 and 11 rebounds (84.3% TS), Kon Knueppel had 14 with 4-of-7 from three and 3 assists, and Miles Bridges contributed 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. More notably, the bench scored 61 points and they also led by as much as 46.
Sacramento had nothing to offer from the opening tip. Malik Monk had 7 points and 14 assists, but on 3-of-13 shooting. DeMar DeRozan shot 3-of-10 for 7 points. Daeqwon Plowden was the lone bright spot with 22 on 52.9% shooting, but Charlotte had long since turned this into a track meet. The Kings' defensive rating of 128.8 against Charlotte was a season low. What's happening in Charlotte right now deserves a closer look — this isn't variance, it's a system operating at peak efficiency. They’ve moved up to 9th in the Eastern Conference standings with 10 games remaining on their schedule and could realistically jump out of the play-in round; especially if Toronto, Philadelphia, Orlando, and Miami continue to struggle as each have gone 5-5 or worse over their last 10 games.
SAC 90 · CHA 134
KAT AND THE KNICKS SURVIVE ZION'S SHOWCASE
New York Knicks 121, New Orleans Pelicans 116
This one was tighter than the Knicks wanted. New York built a 14-point lead after a 42-point first quarter, then watched New Orleans chip away until it was a 5-point game late in the fourth. Karl-Anthony Towns was the foundation — 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting and 14 rebounds (a double-double), doing the dirty work when the offense stalled, but Jalen Brunson was the engine — 32 points along with 7 assists. Mitchell Robinson was again perfect from the field: 5-of-5 for 11 points with 8 rebounds and 2 blocks, Mikal Bridges had 14 points with 7 assists, and OG Anunoby delivered 21 points and 3 steals.
New Orleans had six players in double figures including Zion Williamson, who was highly efficient as he scored 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting (80%), 6-of-8 from the line, 81.4% true shooting. He was New Orleans' best player and it still wasn't enough. Jeremiah Fears added 21 on 9-of-12 shooting (87.5% TS) — an emerging second option who is starting to make noise every night off the bench. Saddiq Bey had 18 with 4-of-6 from three and Trey Murphy scored 16 points on 40% shooting. New Orleans moved the ball well (7 total turnovers, 4.71 assist-to-turnover ratio) and outscored New York 60-51 over the final three quarters, but that first-quarter hole proved too deep to fully escape.
NOP 116 · NYK 121
MITCHELL’S 42 LIFTS CLEVELAND PAST ORLANDO
Cleveland Cavaliers 136, Orlando Magic 131
Donovan Mitchell scored 42 and he did it on 14-of-22 shooting (63.6%), 3-of-7 from three, and 11-of-11 from the free throw line — a perfect night at the stripe. His 78.2% true shooting was the best mark of any player in any game tonight. Mitchell attacked relentlessly and drew contact all night, getting to the line 11 times without missing. This is the version of Spida that makes Cleveland a legitimate championship threat.
Evan Mobley was extraordinary in a quieter way: a perfect 8-of-8 from the field (all twos), 3-of-4 from the line, 19 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and a 97.3% true shooting mark. That efficiency on 12 attempts is the kind of number that quietly defines winning basketball. Also, James Harden added 26 on 8-of-16 shooting (4-of-6 from three) with 7 assists. Cleveland shot 60.5% from the field as a team, but the Magic made it interesting with a minute to go.
Tristan da Silva had 18, Desmond Bane added 17, and Wendell Carter Jr. had 15 with 5 clutch free throws. The Magic scored 35 free throw attempts — Orlando's interior physicality and second-chance game (13 offensive rebounds, 23 second-chance points) kept them in it all night, but Mitchell's layup with thirteen seconds to go put the game out of reach. Cleveland wins their third straight and continues to build momentum as the postseason approaches.
ORL 131 · CLE 136
JOKIC THRIVES, DENVER SURVIVES
Denver Nuggets 125, Phoenix Suns 123
The final stat line reads 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 17 assists. Read that again. A 17-17 in the rebounding and assists columns is a stat line that has appeared fewer than a handful of times in recorded NBA history. Nikola Jokic didn't just play a basketball game — he ran the entire Denver offense, controlled the glass, and constructed a win from every angle available to a single player. He went 9-of-16 from the field, 5-of-7 from the line, and posted an 8.5 assist-to-turnover ratio on a night where Denver needed every ounce of his production.
Phoenix had a chance to win. Down 2 with the ball and time running out, Devin Booker — who had 22 points and 8 assists on 11-of-13 from the free throw line — got the look he wanted: a relatively clean three in his range from the wing…but it clanged off the side of the rim. Denver survives by 2.
Phoenix was actually exceptional in ball security: 3 turnovers all game, an 8.0 assist-to-turnover ratio as a team, drawing 28 free throw attempts. Royce O'Neale hit 5-of-8 from three for 17 points on 95.7% true shooting, Jalen Green had 21 and 6 assists, and Grayson Allen came off the bench for 21 more. The Suns built an 11-point lead and couldn't close it out, and when Booker's buzzer attempt fell short, Denver walked out of Phoenix with a win that came down to one possession and one of the great individual performances of the season.
For Denver, it's a statement win on the road. Jamal Murray had 21 and 6 assists, Tim Hardaway Jr. added 18 on 4-of-8 from three, and Aaron Gordon chipped in 16. But this game belongs to Jokic. The MVP conversation between him, SGA, and Luka Doncic will be the defining narrative of the postseason.
PHX 123 · DEN 125
⭐ STAR OF THE NIGHT
Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets - 23 PTS | 17 REB | 17 AST | 9-16 FG | Triple-Double
Twenty-three, seventeen, seventeen. That's not a stat line — it's a historical artifact. A 17-17 in rebounds and assists is a rarity in NBA history, and Jokic delivered it in a 2-point road win when Denver needed every last drop of it. He ran the offense, owned the glass, and made the winning margin possible. Interestingly, he had a 35 point, 22 rebound, and 17 assist night back in 2025. There are few assurances in life - Jokic as a future first ballot hall of famer is one of them.
💀 DUD OF THE NIGHT
Malik Monk | Sacramento Kings - 7 PTS | 3-13 FG | 14 AST | 25.2% TS | -39
The 14 assists is the only reason this isn't a unanimous pick. But a 3-of-13 shooting performance with a -39 in 44-point blowout against Charlotte tells the full story. Monk had opportunities to attack and couldn't convert. The Kings were the worst team on the floor tonight by every measurable metric, and Monk's inability to provide any offensive anchor made their night shorter and worse than it needed to be.
QUICK TAKES
Nikola Jokic: 23 points, 17 rebounds, 17 assists. That is one of the rarest stat lines in NBA history. The MVP race between him and Luka Doncic just got louder.
Devin Booker got a clean look at the buzzer down 2. It rimmed out. Phoenix had only 3 turnovers all game and still lost. Sometimes the other guy just goes 23-17-17.
Donovan Mitchell scored 42 on 11-of-11 from the free throw line. On any other night, that's the top story. Honorable mention Star of the Night.
Evan Mobley went 8-of-8 from the field. Perfect shooting night, 97.3% TS, 9 rebounds, 6 assists. That's a franchise cornerstone performance.
Charlotte has now made 40% or better from three in four consecutive games. LaMelo Ball is orchestrating one of the most efficient offensive runs in the NBA right now.
Moussa Diabate's 17/11 with 84.3% TS continues to make the case for him as an underrated two-way big. Charlotte found something real with this frontcourt.
Zion Williamson had 22 on 80% shooting in a loss. He's played four strong games this week. The Pelicans need him to stay healthy — and so does the playoff race.
Jeremiah Fears scored 21 on 9-of-12 shooting in his second strong game in a row. He's arriving.
Mitchell Robinson: 5-of-5 from the field, 5-of-5 from the line for 11 points and 8 rebounds. He quietly does this every week.
