NBA Game Notes (April 6, 2026)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on April 6, 2026.
Three Stars
Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.
First ⭐️
Nikola Jokic recorded his 33rd triple-double of the season, racking up game highs of 35 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists as the Denver Nuggets outlasted the Portland Trail Blazers 137-132 in overtime. Jokic made 15 of his season-high 31 attempts from the field. He also recorded game highs of five steals (tied with Matisse Thybulle) and two blocks (tied with two others) in 43 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Paolo Banchero scored a game-high 31 points to lead the Orlando Magic to a 123-107 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Banchero was very efficient, going 10-16 from the floor and a perfect 10-10 from the charity stripe. He also contributed five rebounds, three assists, and a team-high three steals (tied with two others) in 38 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Jalen Brunson scored a team-high 30 points in the New York Knicks’ 108-105 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Brunson shot 11-26 from the field (3-8 on threes) and 5-7 from the free throw line. He also produced game highs of 13 assists and two steals (tied with five others) in 39 minutes played.
Milestones
Jokic recorded his second career 30-point triple-double with at least five steals. Since the NBA began tracking steals in 1973-74, the only other players to produce multiple such games are Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, and James Harden (each with two).
The Hawks’ Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7-11 on threes) set a franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a season with 244, eclipsing the previous mark of 240 set by Bogan Bogdanovic in 2023-24.
The Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns (12 rebounds) reached 8,000 career rebounds, becoming the 14th active player and 84th player in NBA history to attain that milestone.
Stephon Castle (19 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists) recorded his fifth triple-double of the season in the San Antonio Spurs’ 115-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He’s the fourth player in franchise history to reach that mark, joining Johnny Moore (1984-85), David Robinson (1993-94), and Dejounte Murray (2021-22).
The San Antonio Spurs became the second team to win 60 games this season, joining the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s the eighth time they’ve reached that mark since joining the NBA in 1976, trailing only the Boston Celtics (10) and the Los Angeles Lakers (nine) over that span.
The Memphis Grizzles (29-59 on threes) tied the NBA record for most 3-pointers made in game in their 142-126 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Milwaukee Bucks (Dec. 29, 2020) and the Boston Celtics (Oct. 22, 2024) have also hit 29 triples in a game.
The Grizzlies also set a franchise record for most 3-pointers attempted in a game with 59, surpassing the previous mark of 55 attempts set on April 8, 2025.
The Portland Trail Blazers (25-52 on threes) broke the franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a game with 25, eclipsing their 24 makes on March 1, 2021.
The Trail Blazers also broke the franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a season with 1,146, besting the previous mark of 1,132 triples set in the 2021-22 campaign.
The Atlanta Hawks (16-42 on threes) broke the franchise record for most 3-pointers attempted in a season with 3,115, surpassing their 3,092 attempts in the 2023-24 campaign.
Streaking
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Denver Nuggets (nine).
Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games: Memphis Grizzlies (five).
The Hawks have made 15 or more 3-pointers in each of their last eight games, the longest such streak in franchise history and tied for the 12th-longest such streak in NBA history.
Miscellany
Alexander-Walker led the nightly scoring brigade, bagging 36 points. He was followed by Jokic (35 points), the Sixers’ Joel Embiid (34), Banchero (31), Brunson (30), and the Trail Blazers’ Toumani Camara (30).
Jokic was the night’s top rebounder, collecting 14 boards. Five players shared second place with 12 rebounds apiece: the Trail Blazers’ Donovan Clingan, the Hawks’ Dyson Daniels, Embiid, the Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson, and Towns.
Brunson, Castle, and Jokic were the premier playmakers last night, each handing out 13 assists. Also delivering double-digit dimes were the Magic’s Jalen Suggs (career-high 12 assists), the Grizzlies’ Walter Clayton Jr. (11), the Trail Blazers’ Jrue Holiday (11), and the Cavaliers’ Dennis Schroder (11).