{"id":684166,"date":"2026-03-28T14:12:48","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T14:12:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/684166\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T14:12:48","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T14:12:48","slug":"joker-rallies-denver-kawhi-calls-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/684166\/","title":{"rendered":"Joker rallies Denver, Kawhi calls game"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

The triple-bounce buzzer beater from Mr. Triple-Double.<\/p>\n

Joker\u2019s doing unprecedented things \u2014 even for him \u2014 to help Denver keep pace out West.<\/p>\n

\"Nikola<\/p>\n

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

March 28, 2026<\/p>\n

Friday\u2019s Best Finishes: Joker & Jamal rally Nuggets, Luka\u2019s Lakers pull away late, Kawhi calls game<\/p>\n

Wins Out West: Shai & OKC get back in win column, KD & Houston handle Grizz, Warriors gain on Blazers<\/p>\n

Top 5 In The East: Peak Pritchard for C\u2019s, Cavs combine for 149, Raptors return to 5th<\/p>\n

Today On Prime: Wemby\u2019s Spurs play Milwaukee matin\u00e9e, eyeing 8th straight W<\/p>\n

ABC Saturday: Without All-Star guards, Pistons and Wolves continue to test depth, head-to-head<\/p>\n

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

Six Saturday games staggered over 8 hours\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Scores<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s slate starts with a bang, as the Spurs visit the Bucks on Prime (3 ET | Tap To Watch<\/a>) before the Pistons and Wolves meet on ABC (5:30 ET | Tap To Watch<\/a>).<\/p>\n

1. FRIDAY FINISHERS: NUGGETS RALLY, LAKERS LIFT OFF, CLIPS CLAW BACK
\n\"Nikola<\/p>\n

Bart Young\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Four straight triple-doubles. Five straight wins.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s just what it takes to hold on to 4th place in a wild West race.<\/p>\n

Nuggets 135, Jazz 129: Nikola Joki\u0107 (33 pts, 15 reb, 12 ast) collected his fourth straight triple-double, and Jamal Murray (31 pts, 14 ast, 5 3s) caught fire again<\/a>, as Denver rallied late past seven Jazz double-digit scorers for a fifth consecutive win. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Climb The Mountain: Utah\u2019s 43-point 3rd quarter kept the Jazz in front throughout the 2nd half, by as many as 14, until Denver\u2019s 19-6 burst tied the game with 2:20 left, on Cam Johnson\u2019s (12 pts, 4 3s) corner triple
\n\u201cBig, big shots, game-changing shots\u2026 especially Cam in the corner,\u201d Joki\u0107 said of the rally. \u201cWe found the energy\u2026 It was amazing.\u201d
\nJoker had one of those shots himself: A suspenseful 3rd-quarter buzzer-beater<\/a> from the logo
\nColorado Closer: Denver extended that run to a 28-9 closeout, capped by Murray\u2019s dagger triple with 17.9 remaining. Murray is averaging 31.6 ppg, 7.4 apg and 4.6 3pg in the win streak
\nTD Efficiency: Joker\u2019s monster triple-double came on 81.3 FG% (13-16) shooting, placing him with Wilt and Dave Cowens as the only players in NBA history with 30+\/15+\/10+ statlines and 80+ FG%
\nNever Been Done: Jokic is averaging 25.3 ppg, 16.8 rpg and 15.5 apg during his 4-game triple-double streak, the highest averages in a 4-game span in NBA history<\/p>\n

Denver keeps pace as the No. 4 seed, adding to its edge over Minnesota for a full-game gap back to 5th.<\/p>\n

1.5 games ahead in 3rd, L.A. got the spark it needed to pull away from Brooklyn late.<\/p>\n

\"Austin<\/p>\n

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

Lakers 116, Nets 99: Luka Don\u010di\u0107 (8 reb, 5 3s, 3 stl) dropped 41 points<\/a>and Austin Reaves (8 reb, 5 ast) scored 15 of his 26 in the 4th quarter, which L.A. won 31-15 to separate from Josh Minott (18 pts) and Brooklyn for its 13th win in March (13-2). | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Stacking Like Kobe: This was Luka\u2019s 2nd consecutive 40-ball and fourth in his last six games. His 12 straight 30+ point games mark the longest such Lakers streak since Kobe (16 straight) in 2005-06
\n\u201cJust trying to get downhill, trying to touch the paint and make plays, and see what the defense (gives) me,\u201d Don\u010di\u0107 said of his recent approach
\nFamily Connection: LeBron James\u2019 (14 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast) 2nd-quarter dish to Bronny<\/a> for 3 was the NBA\u2019s first-ever father-son assist<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cJust being in the moment of us being on the floor once again\u2026 Definitely a cool moment, for us and also for our family,\u201d LeBron said of the assist.<\/p>\n

\"Kawhi<\/p>\n

Clawing back since the opening frame, the Clippers turned to Kawhi in the clutch to continue their climb.<\/p>\n

Clippers 114, Pacers 113: Kawhi Leonard (28 pts, 8 reb, 3 stl) drained the game-winning jumper<\/a> with 0.4 remaining, giving LA its first lead since the opening 2:55 and completing a season-best 24-point comeback after Indy\u2019s 42-point 1st quarter. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI just decided \u2018I gotta put the ball up,\u2019\u201d said Leonard, who shot 52.6 FG% and logged 11 of his 28 points in the 4th. \u201cJust having a mindset that the ball [is] gonna go in every time that I shoot it.\u201d
\nKlaw Time: Kawhi earned his 12th career game-winner with less than 10 seconds remaining \u2014 most in the NBA since he entered the league in 2011-12
\nFifty 20s: Kawhi eclipsed the 20-point mark for the 50th consecutive game, the longest streak for a player age 30 or older in NBA history
\nScoring Stars: Darius Garland\u2019s (5 ast, 6 3s) 30-ball led LA, while Bennedict Mathurin (17 pts, 7 reb) was big off the bench. Aaron Nesmith (26 pts) paced Indy
\nThe win ensures 8th-place LA stays ahead of 9th-place Portland, with a 1.5-game advantage<\/p>\n

2. WEST WINNERS: OKC RECOVERS, ROCKETS ROLL, DUBS GAIN ON BLAZERS<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A 2nd-half storm brought the Thunder out in full force Friday.<\/p>\n

Thunder 131, Bulls 113: Down 5 at the break after Chicago\u2019s 67-point 1st half, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander keyed a 22-0 run over the 3rd and 4th quarters, with 14 of his 25 points in the 3rd, as OKC took control for its 13th win in 14 games. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Tipping Point: Cason Wallace scored 11 of his 21 points in the 2nd half, where the Thunder turned the tables on Collin Sexton (22 pts) and the Bulls, 69-46
\nOKC bounces back from its Wednesday loss at Boston, its first since Feb. 25, to add to the 2.5-game gap separating 2nd-place San Antonio<\/p>\n

\"Amen<\/p>\n

Houston\u2019s offense aligned around another noteworthy KD performance.<\/p>\n

Rockets 119, Grizzlies 109: Kevin Durant (25 pts, 6 reb, 10 ast) fueled Houston\u2019s offense, with big support from Jabari Smith Jr. (21 pts, 16 reb) and four other double-digit scorers to overcome a career-high 31 pts from Olivier-Maxence Prosper. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

KD\u2019s Company: Durant becomes the first Rockets player age 37 or over to record 25+\/5+\/10+ in a game, and just the sixth in NBA history, joining LeBron, Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash
\n6th-place Houston moves within a game of Minnesota for the 5th seed<\/p>\n

\"Cooper<\/p>\n

Soobum Im+Eakin Howard\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

The gap between the West\u2019s final two Play-In spots is shrinking.<\/p>\n

Mavericks 100, Blazers 93: Dallas got 50 points from the duo of Cooper Flagg (24 pts, 4 stl) and Marvin Bagley III (26 pts, 9 reb) to snap its 5-game skid, overpowering Jrue Holiday (23 pts), Deni Avdija (20 pts, 9 reb, 6 ast) and 9th-place Portland. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Warriors 131, Wizards 126: Kristaps Porzi\u0146\u0123is (28 pts, 8 reb, 5 3s), Gui Santos (27 pts) and Brandin Podziemski (22 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast) combined for 77 to help wrestle the lead back from Washington with a 39-point 4th quarter for the Dubs\u2019 3rd straight win.<\/p>\n

10th-place Golden State is now pressuring Portland from the final Play-In position, just a half-game back. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

3. EAST\u2019S TOP 5: CELTICS SHINE, CAVS COOK, RAPTORS RETAKE 5TH
\n\"Payton<\/p>\n

Brian Babineau\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Celtics 109, Hawks 102: Without Jaylen Brown (calf), Payton Pritchard (7 reb, 6 3s) took over for 36 points<\/a>, and Jayson Tatum threw in a season-high 26, as Boston overcame Atlanta\u2019s 25-7 start to hand the Hawks just their second loss since Feb. 22. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Offensive Key: The Celtics are now 11-0 in Pritchard\u2019s career when he scores at least 30 points, with six such wins coming this season alone
\nDefensive Key: Boston held Atlanta to 102 points, its 2nd-lowest output in the last 16 games. The Hawks entered with the league\u2019s highest-scoring offense (124.1 ppg) over the last 15 contests (14-1)
\nHawks\u2019 Heroes: Atlanta\u2019s 20+ point trio of Jalen Johnson (29 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast), CJ McCollum (21 pts) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (20 pts, 5 ast, 2 stl) combined for 70
\nBoston picks up a half-game to lead 3rd-place New York by 1.5 games<\/p>\n

\"Max<\/p>\n

Cavaliers 149, Heat 128: Seven Cavaliers scored in double figures for a season-high 149 points, picking up Donovan Mitchell on a tough shooting night (1-10 FG), as Max Strus (29 pts, 8 3s) piled up 22 with six 3s in an 80-point 1st half to split a two-game series with the Heat. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Swords Out: Cleveland burst out on a 15-2 run and never slowed down in the high-scoring win, welcoming Jarrett Allen (18 pts, 10 reb) back after missing 10 games
\nBam Adebayo (14 pts, 16 reb) and the Heat drop a half-game back into 10th place, while the 4th-place Cavs pull within 2 games of the 3-seed Knicks<\/p>\n

\"Zion<\/p>\n

Kevin Sousa\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Raptors 119, Pelicans 106: Scottie Barnes (23 pts, 6 reb, 12 ast, 2 stl, 3 blk) stuffed the stat sheet and four other Raptors added 18 points apiece, as Toronto never trailed after the first possession to handle Zion Williamson and New Orleans. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Toronto overtakes Atlanta for 5th place by a half-game, sending the Hawks back to the final Playoff spot with just a half-game separating Philly in Play-In position<\/p>\n

\"San<\/p>\n

4. ON PRIME: SPURS TRY TO EXTEND STREAK, KEEP CLIMBING AS TEAM
\n\"San<\/p>\n

Ronald Cortes\/NBAE via Getty Images <\/p>\n

On Friday, Victor Wembanyama made a jump in Shaun Powell\u2019s rankings for the Kia MVP Ladder<\/a>, overtaking Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the top spot on Powell\u2019s list.<\/p>\n

Now, 2.5 games back of OKC for first in the West, Wemby\u2019s Spurs are eyeing a leap of their own.<\/p>\n

But to do so, NBA.com\u2019s Jeff Zillgitt writes, it\u2019ll take a more than just Wemby \u2014 it\u2019ll take the culmination of\u00a0 team approach that\u2019s been rising all year:<\/p>\n

\u201cSan Antonio, a playoff team for the first time since 2019, ranks third defensively, fourth offensively and second in net rating. The Spurs are close to locking up the No. 2 seed in the West and are not letting Oklahoma City ease its way to the No. 1 seed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had a positive year to this point, but we have not played enough games together to really know what to expect any night,\u201d Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re putting our energy into some good places, but we have to continue to focus on ourselves. \u2026 There\u2019s so much improvement to be had.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2026 The implication is clear, and it\u2019s a worrisome prospect for other teams: The Spurs are back and plan on sticking at or near the top for a while with the roster they have built centered around the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama and his supernatural skillset.<\/p>\n

Whether the Spurs \u2013 who were 34-48 last season and without Wembanyama after the All-Star Game due to a blood clot in his right shoulder \u2013 are ahead of schedule or right on time makes no difference. You get there when you get there, and the Spurs have arrived.<\/p>\n

In his third season, Wembanyama is a Kia MVP candidate and headed for what could be the first of multiple Kia Defensive Player of the Year awards.\u201d | Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

The Spurs start today\u2019s action at 3 ET on Prime, looking to extend the league\u2019s longest-active win streak to eight games against the Bucks.<\/p>\n

5. ABC SATURDAY: PISTONS, WOLVES\u2019 CHALLENGING PATHS CROSS ON BIG STAGE
\n\"Jalen<\/p>\n

David Berding\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Resiliency.<\/p>\n

You want your team to have it come Playoff push time.<\/p>\n

As long as the adversity that builds it doesn\u2019t break your season.<\/p>\n

Both Detroit and Minnesota are navigating key stretches without their All-NBA guards, Cade Cunningham (lung) and Anthony Edwards (knee).<\/p>\n

Pistons at Wolves (5:30 ET, ABC): Two postseason locks looking to take next-steps enter this crucial interconference matchup on 4-1 streaks in the absence of their leading scorers. Whose depth will continue to pass the pressure test?<\/p>\n

Duren Endures: All-Star Jalen Duren has stepped up for the Pistons, averaging 24.6 ppg and 10.4 reb in the five games without Cade, while captaining a defense that\u2019s regularly ranked 2nd (109.0 DefRtg) all season
\nCareer Stretch: Duren poured in a career-high 36 points the night Cade got hurt, extending his hot streak to the franchise\u2019s first six-game span averaging 26.0+\/10.0+ since Blake Griffin in 2018
\n\u201cWhat are you without confidence?\u201d Duren said of Detroit\u2019s March mindset. \u201cJust seeing how we\u2019re unique as a team and how we beat teams and how we\u2019ve gotten to where we are now.\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s our responsibility to keep pushing forward,\u201d coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of the East-leading Pistons\u2019 4-game lead over Boston<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not going to be able to replace what [Cade] does individually. But collectively\u2026 we can get the job done. And we\u2019ve proven that all year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Julius<\/p>\n

Minnesota enters having pulled off the improbable: a 13-point OT comeback Wednesday, the largest of the play-by-play era (1997-98).<\/p>\n

\u201cThey fought through a ton of adversity.\u201d coach Chris Finch said of his squad who scored 15-straight OT points after Houston\u2019s late 26-2 run
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve got real competitors in here, guys who want the challenge\u2026 It brings the best out of us,\u201d said Julius Randle, who\u2019s shined during Ant\u2019s absence (21.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.8 apg)
\n\u201cWe want to win a championship, so we know there\u2019s going to be adversity,\u201d Rudy Gobert said of the 5th-place Wolves, who are a game up on Houston and a game behind Denver<\/p>\n

To round out Saturday hoops on League Pass, Joel Embiid and Paul George look for an encore as the Sixers visit the rolling Hornets (6 ET), the Hawks host the Kings (7:30 ET), and the Grizzlies welcome the Bulls (8 ET). NBA TV ends the day with Devin Booker and the Suns against the Jazz (10 ET).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The triple-bounce buzzer beater from Mr. Triple-Double. Joker\u2019s doing unprecedented things \u2014 even for him \u2014 to help…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":684167,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3770],"tags":[19484,7,368,86762,6,253,681,86761,680,476,3820,693],"class_list":{"0":"post-684166","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-toronto-raptors","8":"tag-19484","9":"tag-basketball","10":"tag-luka-doncic","11":"tag-march-28","12":"tag-nba","13":"tag-nikola-jokic","14":"tag-raptors","15":"tag-starting-5-newsletter","16":"tag-toronto","17":"tag-toronto-raptors","18":"tag-torontoraptors","19":"tag-victor-wembanyama"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116307221135035288","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/684166","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=684166"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/684166\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/684167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=684166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=684166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=684166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}