NBA Game Notes (March 11, 2026)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on March 11, 2026.
Three Stars
Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.
First ⭐️
Kawhi Leonard poured in a game-high 45 points as the LA Clippers routed the Minnesota Timberwolves 153-128. Leonard was incredibly efficient, going 15-20 from the field (6-9 on threes) and 9-10 from the free throw line. He added five rebounds, five assists, and two steals, committing just one turnover and no personal fouls in 32 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Desmond Bane scored a game-high 35 points to lead the Orlando Magic to a 128-122 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Bane went 12-19 from the floor (2-3 on threes) and 9-10 from the charity stripe. He also contributed six rebounds, six assists, and one steal in 36 turnover-free minutes.
Third ⭐️
DeMar DeRozan scored a season-high 39 points, but it wasn’t enough in the Sacramento Kings’ 117-109 loss to the Charlotte Hormets. DeRozan shot a sizzling 17-22 from the field and 5-5 from the free throw line. He added six assists, four rebounds, a game-high two steals (tied with three others), and one block in 41 minutes of action.
Milestones
DeRozan increased his career total to 26,505 points, passing Tim Duncan to move into 18th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Dominique Wilkins holds 17th place with 26,668 points.
Nikola Jokic (16 points, 12 rebounds, 13 assists) recorded his 25th triple-double of the season as the Denver Nuggets blew out the Houston Rockets 129-93. It’s the fourth time he’s reached that mark, tying Russell Westbrook for the most such seasons in NBA history.
The Cavaliers’ James Harden (30 points, 11-16 field goals) produced his 343rd career 30-point game, tying Elgin Baylor for 12th place on the NBA’s all-time list. He also moved into 31st place on the league’s career leaderboard for field goals made with 8,573, passing Ray Allen.
Leonard recorded an effective field goal percentage of 90.0%, the highest such figure in LA Clippers history in a 40-point game. The previous mark of 86.4% was set by Leonard on Feb. 24, 2023.
The Hornets’ LaMelo Ball (6-13 on threes) made his 200th 3-pointer of the season, becoming the fastest player in franchise history to reach that mark. He attained the milestone in 57 games, one fewer than rookie teammate Kon Knueppel.
Brandon Ingram (22 points) reached 11,000 career points in the Toronto Raptors’ 122-111 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. He’s the 13th player from Duke University to attain that milestone, one shy of the record of 14 such players shared by the University of Kentucky and UCLA.
The LA Clippers tied a franchise record for most points scored in a regulation game, matching the 153 points they scored on April 1, 2022 versus the Milwaukee Bucks. They scored 175 points in a double-overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings on Feb. 24, 2023.
The Clippers became the first team in NBA history to own a winning record after falling at least 15 games below .500 during a season. The Clippers held a record of 6-21 after a loss on Dec. 18, but are now 33-32 with last night’s win.
The Sacramento Kings dropped to 16-51 with their loss to the Hornets. It’s the 26th time the franchise will finish a season at least 20 games below .500, tying the LA Clippers for the most such seasons in NBA history.
Streaking
Leonard has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 43 games, breaking a tie with Bob McAdoo (Jan. 13 to Nov. 12, 1974) for the second-longest such streak in LA Clippers history. He’s averaged 29.2 PPG with 50.5/37.7/89.7 shooting splits over that span.
Jokic became the first player in NBA history to record at least 25 triple-doubles in four straight seasons. He had shared the record of three such seasons in a row with Russell Westbrook.
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Orlando Magic (five).
Miscellany
Leonard led the nightly scoring brigade, bagging 45 points. He was followed by DeRozan (39 points), the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards (36), Bane (35), Ball (30), Harden (30), and the Nuggets’ Jamal Murray (30).
The Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley and the New York Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson were the chairmen of the boards, each snagging 13 rebounds last night. Also collecting double-digit boards were Jokic (12 rebounds), the Magic’s Wendell Carter Jr. (11), the Hornets’ Moussa Diabate (10), and the Pelicans’ Yves Missi (10).
Jokic was the night’s premier playmaker, handing out 13 assists. The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, the Kings’ Nique Clifford, and Harden were runners-up with eight assists apiece (a career-high for Clifford).