The NBA left one of those early mornings with the scent of a great season: a gale at Madison Square Garden, a historic record for Kevin Durant, a major scare with Giannis Antetokounmpo and nights of individual inspiration like Pascal Siakam’s. A complete, action-packed day that shook the league from coast to coast.
In Chicago, Indiana looked like Indiana again. The Pacers, unrecognizable until yesterday, finally breathed away from home after breaking a 10-game losing streak on the road. And they did it with a star-studded performance: Pascal Siakam had his best performance of the season with 36 points, and Bennedict Mathurin added 28 to stifle any rebellion from the Bulls, who threatened but never delivered the final blow (120-105). Siakam started cold, scoreless in the first quarter, but then unleashed five three-pointers, nine rebounds and leadership reminiscent of the group that reached the Finals last season. As a bonus, Jay Huff put up a no-go sign with five blocks.
The news of the night, however, traveled from Houston: Kevin Durant crossed the 31,000-point threshold and settled into a club reserved for giants. The forward, now with the Rockets, scored 28 points and became only the eighth player ever to surpass that figure. He did it with the coldness of a sniper: two free throws, a mid-range shot and milestone sealed. Afterwards, the Rockets crushed the Suns 117-98, also fueled by Amen Thompson, who flew to 31 points in the brightest display of his young career. Houston put up a 44-point second quarter to blow the game open and send a clear message: these Rockets are no longer a project, they are a reality.
If the Rockets lit the fuse, the Knicks ignited Madison Square Garden like a supernova. In New York, something was experienced that had never been seen before since play-by-play records began: they started the game with a 23-0 run that left the Jazz looking for the emergency exit. Jalen Brunson was the master of ceremonies with 33 points; Deuce McBride, his outside accomplice, finished with seven three-pointers and 22 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns scored 18 and nine rebounds in a night of military parade (146-112), the highest New York score of the season. OG Anunoby returned after nine games out, contributed 11 points, and the best thing for Thibodeau: none of his pillars had to squeeze the tank.
Not all emotions were offensive displays. In Orlando, the outcome was dramatic: Bam Adebayo missed at the buzzer and the Magic celebrated a narrow 106-105 win over the Heat. Franz Wagner scored 32 points, Jalen Suggs added 22 and Paolo Banchero returned from injury, showing flashes in 20 minutes. Miami survived thanks to Norman Powell’s 28 points and Adebayo’s omnipresence (24+15), but was left empty-handed. The two teams will meet again on Tuesday, this time with a ticket to the NBA Cup semifinals at stake.
Cleveland also showed signs of life. Donovan Mitchell led the comeback against the Spurs with 28 points and eight assists (130-117), but the standout was Jaylon Tyson, who scored 24 points with a crazy third quarter: 16 points and the spark that ignited a 23-4 run to turn the game around. San Antonio held on while Devin Vassell played in machine gun mode — 25 points and seven three-pointers in the first half — but without Wembanyama or Stephon Castle, the tank ran out of gas.
The negative counterpoint was put by Milwaukee. The Bucks did not play, but the news spread like wildfire: Giannis Antetokounmpo will be out for about a month with a right calf strain. Doc Rivers confirmed the worst fears and asked for patience: “It’s frustrating, even for him, but you have to do it right.” Giannis falls when he was seventh in scoring, ninth in rebounding and indispensable in a Bucks team that has already lost five of the six games without him. Milwaukee trembles: when the Greek is not there, the ground moves.
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