{"id":670901,"date":"2026-03-21T15:40:38","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T15:40:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/670901\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T15:40:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T15:40:38","slug":"pistons-clinch-kd-lebron-eye-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/670901\/","title":{"rendered":"Pistons clinch, KD & LeBron eye history"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Playoff ticket punched.<\/p>\n

Jalen Duren and the Pistons are the East\u2019s first team to clinch.<\/p>\n

As far as tonight goes \u2026 two of the game\u2019s greats are staring down history, with LeBron James & Kevin Durant both closing in on major milestones.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

5 STORIES IN TODAY\u2019S EDITION \ud83c\udfc0<\/p>\n

March 21, 2026<\/p>\n

East Elites: Celtics, Knicks overcome tough road battles to keep up with Pistons\u2019 winning ways<\/p>\n

West Winners: Rockets end Hawks\u2019 run, Nuggets rally, Blazers beat Wolves to jam up Playoff race<\/p>\n

On NBA TV: What will Luka do next? LeBron eyes games-played record as Lakers go for 9th straight W<\/p>\n

League Pass Spotlight: 25 points away from MJ, KD\u2019s all-time scoring climb continues vs. Heat<\/p>\n

J-Crossover\u2019s Mailbag: Jamal Crawford answers NBA fan questions, including how to score on Wemby<\/p>\n

BUT FIRST \u2026 \u23f0<\/p>\n

A busy Saturday night of hoops\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Scores<\/p>\n

Saturday\u2019s 10-game slate features an NBA TV doubleheader, with Luka Don\u010di\u0107 leading the Lakers into Orlando (7 ET | Tap To Watch<\/a>), and the Suns hosting the Bucks (10 ET | Tap To Watch<\/a>).<\/p>\n

1. EAST ELITES: PISTONS KEEP PEDAL DOWN, CELTICS & KNICKS SURVIVE<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Two seasons ago, they finished last in the East.<\/p>\n

This year, the Pistons are the first team in the Conference to make the Playoffs.<\/p>\n

Pistons 115, Warriors 101: Jalen Duren (23 pts, 6 reb) led all scorers and Daniss Jenkins filled in with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists as Detroit pulled away from Brandin Podziemski (15 pts) and Golden State in the 2nd half to win its sixth of the last seven games. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Strong 70: Detroit\u2019s 51-19 mark is the franchise\u2019s 4th-best 70-game start, behind two championship seasons (1988-89, 1989-90) and 2005-06\u2019s East finalists
\nBeyond Scoring: The Pistons lead the league in steals (10.5) and blocks (6.3) per game, racking up the most swipes (737) and swats (442) through 70 games by any team since 1982-83
\nAnswering Adversity: Detroit is now 2-0 in All-Star Cade Cunningham\u2019s absence (lung), maintaining a 4-game lead over 2nd-place Boston<\/p>\n

\"Detroit<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not done. But from where we started til now, I\u2019m proud of everyone that\u2019s been a part of it,\u201d Duren said postgame.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe guys who were here my first two years (31-133), that went through what we went through, and to be here now\u2026 I\u2019m just proud of how we keep fighting through adversity,\u201d Duren said
\n\u201cThe spirit that they play with every night is just different here,\u201d coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. \u201cI\u2019ve got a ton of respect and admiration for the guys\u2026 They\u2019ve been a joy to coach.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Jaylen<\/p>\n

Joe Murphy+Pamela Smith\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

To keep up with East-leading Detroit, the Celtics and Knicks had to survive late scares on the road.<\/p>\n

Celtics 117, Grizzlies 112: Jaylen Brown\u2019s 30-ball led the way, and Luka Garza netted 11 of his season-high 22 points in the 4th quarter, where Boston used a 21-5 run to rally from down-7 and win a fourth straight, despite Memphis\u2019 seven double-digit scorers. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Thirty 30s: This was Jaylen Brown\u2019s 32nd 30+ point game of the season. He sits with Luka, Shai, Ant and Donovan Mitchell as this season\u2019s only five players with 30 or more 30+ point games<\/p>\n

Knicks 93, Nets 92: New York recovered from a season-low 14-point 1st quarter, and survived the rallying Nets at the buzzer for a fifth consecutive win and 14th straight over Brooklyn. Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 26 points and 15 rebounds. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Couple Of Closers: Towns and Jalen Brunson (17 pts, 5 reb, 8 ast) recorded New York\u2019s last 9 points in the final 3:13 to eek out the win<\/p>\n

3rd-place New York keeps pace 1.5 games behind 2-seed Boston, with a 2.5-game cushion ahead of the Cavs in 4th.<\/p>\n

2. WEST WINNERS: ROCKETS HALT HAWKS, NUGGETS RALLY, BLAZERS EDGE WOLVES<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

After back-to-back home losses, and facing a Hawks team rolling with 11 straight wins, KD rallied the Rockets.<\/p>\n

Rockets 117, Hawks 95: Durant (25 pts, 6 ast) and Jabari Smith Jr. (23 pts, 9 reb) led Houston\u2019s offense, with Alperen Sengun (15 pts, 10 ast, 9 reb) adding a near triple-double to end Nickeil Alexander-Walker (21 pts) and Atlanta\u2019s longest win streak since 2014-15. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Closing In: With 25 on Friday, KD (25.7 ppg) is now 26 points away<\/a> from passing Michael Jordan for 5th place on the all-time scoring list
\nQuick Fix: Jalen Johnson (14 pts) scored 7 quick points<\/a> in the first 6 minutes, but Houston locked in and never trailed after the 4:52 mark of the 1st quarter<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Blazers 108, Wolves 104: Portland freed up Jerami Grant (26 pts) for the game-winning corner triple<\/a> with 21.3 remaining to earn a third straight win despite seven Wolves scoring in double figures. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

20+ Point Trio: Deni Avdija (25 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast) and Donovan Clingan (21 pts, 12 reb) joined Grant, with Clingan logging a 17\/11 1st-half double-double
\nPortland jumps the LA Clippers by a half-game for 8th place in the West<\/p>\n

Houston, Denver and Minnesota are all now 2.5 games behind the 3rd-place Lakers, with the Rockets taking 4th by .003 percentage points, and the Nuggets holding the tie-breaker over the Wolves.<\/p>\n

\"Standings\"<\/p>\n

3. ON NBA TV: LUKA, LAKERS LOOK TO STAY HOT AS LEBRON EYES RECORD
\n\"Luka<\/p>\n

Kenneth Richmond\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Tonight in Orlando, it\u2019s Luka Magic vs. the Magic.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s King James facing down history \u2014 again.<\/p>\n

LeBron James is set to become the all-time leader in regular season games played, while Luka Don\u010di\u0107 takes his historic scoring sorcery to Orlando, with the Lakers looking to keep their hold on the 3-seed (7 ET, NBA TV).<\/p>\n

Thursday in South Florida, when Bron tied Robert Parish in GP (1,611), Don\u010di\u0107 also matched the 2nd-highest scoring output of his career: 60 points.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the latest in an 8-win string of brilliance, for players and team, that\u2019s rallying L.A. around their MVP candidate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see everybody celebrating on the bench, it shows that we care a lot about each other,\u201d Don\u010di\u0107 said. \u201cJust makes my heart happy\u2026 That is the best feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI got little goosebumps, so it was pretty special,\u201d Luka said. \u201cEspecially [an] away game in Miami, you hear the whole crowd chanting \u2018M-V-P.\u2019 It was what, I think, every player wants to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u010di\u0107 has numbers to back up the chants beyond his 60-piece. Having totaled 327 points, 71 rebounds and 59 assists over these 8 wins, he\u2019s averaging 40.9 ppg, 8.9 rpg and 7.4 apg, and approaching stats of some of the game\u2019s great performances.<\/p>\n

Elite Group: Luka is just the fifth player in NBA history to average 40+ over an 8-game win streak, joining James Harden (2019-20), Michael Jordan (2x), Elgin Baylor (1961-62) and Wilt Chamberlain (3x)
\nHis totals (327\/71\/59) place him with Elgin Baylor (367\/181\/62 \u2013 1961) as the only two players in NBA history to reach such numbers in an 8-game span
\nOnly Steph Curry and James Harden \u2013 the top-2 3-point shooters in league history \u2013 have collected as many 3s during an 8-game win streak as Luka\u2019s 49
\nScoring aside, his 71 rebounds and 59 assists make him the third Laker this century with such totals in an 8-win streak, joining LeBron James (2019) and Lamar Odom (2006)<\/p>\n

\"Luka<\/p>\n

Adam Pantozzi\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

From Luka\u2019s 50 and 60-pieces, to LeBron\u2019s strong play, and bench celebrations, the Lakers are clicking at the right time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there\u2019s just a high level of belief right now and they all want to play,\u201d L.A. coach JJ Redick said, addressing the challenge of the team\u2019s Houston-to-Miami back-to-back this week.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s just leadership right there,\u201c Redick said of L.A.\u2019s minutes leaders, including 41-year-old James, playing Thursday after getting to their Miami hotel after 5 a.m.<\/p>\n

Unstoppable: LeBron tied Robert Parish\u2019s all-time record for regular-season games played that night (1,611) with his 2nd triple-double of the season (19\/15\/10)
\n\u201cHe\u2019s a psycho,\u201d Redick said of James. \u201cIn the same way Luka willed it for us [Thursday], LeBron willed it for us.\u201d
\nBy comparison, Parish, at age 43, logged 2 points and 3 rebounds in 6 minutes in his 1,611th game when he set the record in 1997
\n\u201cHe\u2019s also competing against Father Time \u2014 and he\u2019s giving Father Time hell,\u201d James\u2019 former coach Erik Spoelstra said Thursday of The King\u2019s season<\/p>\n

L.A. enters with a 2.5-game cushion on Houston in the West, while 6th-place Orlando clings to the East\u2019s final Playoff spot by a half-game amid a 3-loss slide.<\/p>\n

4. ON LEAGUE PASS: KD 26 AWAY FROM PASSING MJ AS ROCKETS HOST HEAT
\n\"Kevin<\/p>\n

Logan Riely\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

With one current OG primed to break the all-time games played record today, another could make his own mark in the history books.<\/p>\n

Kevin Durant needs 26 points Saturday to pass Michael Jordan for 5th place on the all-time scoring list, as the Rockets host the Heat (8 ET, League Pass).<\/p>\n

NBA.com\u2019s Shaun Powell has tracked KD\u2019s career scoring ascent this season:<\/p>\n

\u201cHow many players get the chance to top Michael Jordan in anything basketball-related, from championships to MVPs to even shoe sales?<\/p>\n

\u2026 \u2018It\u2019s pretty cool to be in the same category as some of the greats that ever played the game,\u201d Durant said. \u201cThey\u2019ve added so much to the game that have inspired me to stick around this long.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2026 It\u2019s a perfect basketball storm that created Durant into a force; he\u2019s among the handful of elites who can score a variety of ways \u2014 at the rim, mid-range, 3-pointers, off the dribble, catch and shoot\u2026<\/p>\n

This diversity gives him something in common with virtually everyone else among the top 10 scorers<\/a>, some of whom are recognized as all-time greats. When the defense took something away from those players, they chose another method, which was either just as successful or close enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That explains the Kevin Durant experience.\u201d | Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

Roundup: The Thunder tip off Saturday\u2019s action, now working on the league\u2019s longest-active win streak, visiting the Wizards in search of an 11th straight W (5 ET). The day ends in the desert, with Devin Booker and the Suns hosting the Bucks on NBA TV (10 ET).<\/p>\n

Grizzlies at Hornets (7 ET)
\nCavaliers at Pelicans (7 ET)
\nWarriors at Hawks (8 ET)
\nPacers at Spurs (8 ET)
\nClippers at Mavericks (8:30 ET)
\nSixers at Jazz (9:30 ET)<\/p>\n

5. NBA MAILBAG: JAMAL CRAWFORD ANSWERS MORE FAN QUESTIONS
\n\"Jamal<\/p>\n

Nathaniel S. Butler\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

20-year NBA veteran and NBC analyst Jamal Crawford answered another batch of over 20 fan-submitted questions on LeBron, the Celtics, and how he\u2019d score on Wemby\u2026<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a big fan of LeBron James. Can you tell me what it was like playing against one of the GOATs in his prime? \u2013 from Hminga in Mizoram, India<\/p>\n

\u201cMan, it was unbelievable. I remember one time, I think it was his third year, he stole the ball from me at The Garden and I thought it was a guard with how fast he was. I looked up and it was him. I don\u2019t think he dribbled more than once or twice, and he seemed to dunk it from the free throw line.<\/p>\n

So it was incredible to witness his game, his smarts, and the greatness he was chasing from day one. Day 0, really. He was just different. But what was most impressive was his mind from the start. He thought like a Hall of Fame-level player, even as a rookie.\u201d<\/p>\n

What makes Derrick White so unique? Trying to understand after Kenny Atkinson called him a Top 5 player in the league. \u2013 from Dominic in Cleveland, OH<\/p>\n

\u201cMost players play their style and have a specialty. You know what they bring to the team, whether it be shooting or defending or whatever. Derrick White is almost like a transformer. He can adjust to any situation you put him in. That\u2019s rare in basketball, and it\u2019s what makes him special.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you had to score on Wemby, what\u2019s your go-to move? \u2013 from Lachlan in Hamilton, Ontario<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he switched onto me, I would back up first because I want to get as much space as possible. Then I\u2019m going to do a couple of dribble moves to see which one he goes for.<\/p>\n

But the unique thing about him is, even if he kind of goes for it and you lose him, he can recover really fast. And even if he doesn\u2019t block your shot, he\u2019ll make you adjust it.<\/p>\n

So I would do some dribble moves, make him dance a little bit, and then pull from deep. Like really, really, really deep.\u201d | Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

Catch Crawford this weekend on NBC\/Peacock\u2019s Sunday Night Basketball, as Celtics host the Wolves (8 ET).<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Playoff ticket punched. Jalen Duren and the Pistons are the East\u2019s first team to clinch. As far as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":670902,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3768],"tags":[19484,7,85736,938,304,85735,935,6,50537,1136,191,3810,3806],"class_list":["post-670901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york-knicks","tag-19484","tag-basketball","tag-celtics-winning-streak","tag-kevin-durant","tag-knicks","tag-march-21","tag-michael-jordan","tag-nba","tag-nba-starting-5-newsletter","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-knicks","tag-newyork","tag-newyorkknicks"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116267925105347568","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/670901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=670901"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/670901\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/670902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=670901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=670901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=670901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}