Jokic crushes Suns; Hornets don't give up on playoffs

A day of high intensity and big numbers in the NBA. The Charlotte Hornets earned a valuable victory with which they consolidate their place in the top ten of the Eastern Conference standings, keeping alive their hopes of making the NBA Playoffs without having to go through the Play-in.

Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets came away with a win in Phoenix, while the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks did not concede in their respective arenas and are now virtually qualified for the final round of the 2025-2026 season.

How important Jokic is in Denver

At Arizona's PHX Arena, the Nuggets won their third consecutive victory after disposing of the Phoenix Suns (123-125) in a more than evenly matched contest. Denver, which put on an outstanding performance in the second quarter, managed to resist the onslaught of the locals and ultimately came away with a narrow victory.

Each member of the Nuggets' starting quintet finished with double digits in scoring. However, it was Nikola Jokic who stood out the most. The Serbian center, one of the best basketball players in the world and star of the Colorado franchise, finished again with a triple-double (23 points, 17 assists and 17 rebounds) and is approaching the record held by Russell Westbrook in that statistical category.

Hornets dream of the Playoffs

The possibility of Charlotte's name appearing in the Playoffs is a reality. The home fans in attendance at Spectrum Center saw their team, the Hornets, crash the Sacramento Kings (134-90); a win that puts the North Carolina franchise continuing in Play-in spots and could be, after a decade away, in the season finals.

The Hornets' big score was largely due to the performance of Coby White. Despite starting the game from the bench, the point guard scored 27 points. Also notable was the showing from the franchise’s most high-profile player, LaMelo Ball, who finished with 20 points.

KAT' scratches Pelicans; Donovan Mitchell immobilizes the Magic

Seventh straight win for the Knicks, who this time overcame, albeit with some hardship, the New Orleans Pelicans (121-116) at Madison Square Garden. Although Jalen Brunson was the game's leading scorer with 32 points, it was Karl-Anthony Towns who stood out on the court. The Dominican center, colloquially known as KAT, recorded a double-double (21 points and 14 rebounds), dominating his opponents inside the paint.

460 miles from New York, at Cleveland's Rocket Arena, the Cavaliers were undefeated by the Orlando Magic and earned a win (136-131) to close the gap on the Knicks and the Boston Celtics in the battle for second place in the Eastern Conference standings. Donovan Mitchel, with 42 points, shined, while James Harden served as a notable dance partner with 26 points.