With just weeks to go in the 2025-2026 NBA regular season, we’re looking at crucial matchups in the march to the NBA Playoffs. Every game counts, and for some teams a shot at the postseason could be just one or two games in or out of reach. 

How to Watch

Watch NBA on NBC on NBC and streaming on Peacock. 

This week on the NBA on NBC’s Sunday Night Basketball, we get a hybrid broadcast/streaming doubleheader featuring four teams that are all playoff contenders at different stages of the NBA’s standings. Two of them are almost guaranteed playoff contenders, while the other two are right on the line between automatic berths and Play-In Tournament battles. That means both games are essential, so let’s take a closer look at who’s playing and how to watch them. 

RELATED: How Do the NBA Playoffs and Play-In Tournament Work in 2026?

Who’s playing March 8 on NBA on NBC’s Sunday Night Basketball?

This week in primetime, it’s a Texas rivalry game as the San Antonio Spurs host the Houston Rockets in a battle between two of the best teams in the Western Conference. That game tips off at 8 p.m. ET live on NBC and Peacock. 

Just two hours later, the doubleheader’s second game begins with another key matchup with playoff implications, as the Charlotte Hornets head across the country to take on the Phoenix Suns in an East vs. West battle, as both teams try to secure their spots in the postseason. That game starts at 10 p.m. ET and streams live on Peacock. 

And be sure to tune in early for Basketball Night in America, NBC’s weekend pregame show recapping all the action from around the NBA and looking at the league’s top stories. It all starts at 7 p.m. ET live on NBC and Peacock. 

RELATED: The Full 2025-2026 NBA on NBC Schedule

What’s at stake in this week’s Sunday Night Basketball doubleheader on NBC & Peacock?

While it’s important to remember that the playoffs are still weeks away, and brackets won’t be set until April 13, every team in contention for the postseason is doing their best to lock in right now, and that’s especially true for teams on the bubble between Playoffs and Play-In, or between Play-In and complete elimination from the postseason. 

What to know about the San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets Sunday Night Basketball game

The Spurs and the Rockets are, at this point, in very good position for automatic playoff berths. They’re both up near the top in the Western Conference standings, trailing behind only the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, and they’ve both got exceptional players. Kevin Durant brings veteran energy to the Rockets, while young superstar Victor Wembanyama has risen to become one of the league’s top defenders and an MVP candidate. The Spurs have the advantage of home court, but the Rockets will be battling for Texas bragging rights in this one, as well as better playoff seeding. 

What to know about the Charlotte Hornets vs. Phoenix Suns Sunday Night Basketball game

The Hornets and Suns are a different matter, as both teams are right on the edge. Phoenix, led by star guard Devin Booker, is right on the border between an automatic trip to the playoffs and a spot in the Play-In Tournament, which would mean one more obstacle on their way to title contention. They’re fighting for every single win, because if they catch a few breaks and keep winning, they could rise up in the Western Conference standings and avoid the Play-In. Meanwhile the Hornets, a scrappy team looking for their first playoff appearance in a decade, are riding a razor thin margin to the postseason, where one game could mean the difference between Play-In, Playoffs, and elimination. Together with teams like Orlando, Miami, and Atlanta, they’re locked in a race for the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, and a win over the rising Suns would go a long way towards getting them where they need to be. 

All of that means that both games are crucial, so don’t miss all the NBA action on Sunday Night Basketball this week.Â