NBA Game Notes (March 17, 2026)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on March 17, 2026.
Three Stars
Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.
First ⭐️
Josh Hart scored a season-high 33 points as the New York Knicks routed the stumbling Indiana Pacers 136-110. Hart shot a sizzling 12-13 from the field, hitting all five of his 3-point attempts. He added seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals in just 26 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Jalen Duren scored a career-high 36 points to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 130-117 victory over the hapless Washington Wizards. Duren was incredibly efficient, going 13-17 from the floor and 10-11 from the charity stripe. He also recorded a game-high 12 rebounds and one block, committing just one turnover in 31 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 40 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Orlando Magic 113-108 to pick up their ninth straight win. Gilgeous-Alexander shot 14-27 from the field (3-5 on threes) and 9-11 from the free throw line. He also grabbed five rebounds and swiped a game-high four steals in 36 minutes played.
Milestones
Russell Westbrook (10 assists) moved into fifth place on the NBA’s all-time list for assists in the Sacramento Kings’ 132-104 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. He now has 10,343 career dimes, passing Mark Jackson (10,334) and Steve Nash (10,335).
Westbrook appeared in his 1,300th career regular season game, becoming the just the second active player (with LeBron James) and the 25th player in NBA history to attain that milestone.
Jonas Valanciunas (nine rebounds) reached 9,000 career rebounds as the Denver Nuggets blew out the Philadelphia 76ers 124-96. He’s the ninth active player and the 60th player in NBA history to attain that milestone.
Hart recorded an effective field goal percentage of 111.5%, the highest such figure in New York Knicks history in a 30-point game. The previous mark of 104.2% was set by Karl-Anthony Towns on Dec. 19, 2024.
The San Antonio Spurs (25-49 on threes) set a franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a game, hitting one more triple than the previous mark of 24 set on Jan. 31, 2025.
Streaking
Gilgeous-Alexander extended his NBA-record streak of games with 20 or more points to 129. That includes a run of 61 straight 20-point games on the road, another league record. He’s averaged 32.5 PPG and 6.5 APG with 53.5/38.5/89.6 shooting splits over the former span.
Devin Booker (34 points) recorded his eighth straight 25-point game in the Phoenix Suns’ 116-104 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. That matches the second-longest such streak of his career, a stretch in which he’s averaged 33.0 PPG with 47.0/36.2/89.9 shooting splits.
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Oklahoma City Thunder (nine).
Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games: Indiana Pacers (14) and Washington Wizards (13).
The Pacers broke a franchise record by losing their 14th consecutive game. The previous mark of 13 straight losses had been set earlier this season (Dec. 12, 2025 to Jan. 6, 2026).
Miscellany
Gilgeous-Alexander was the night’s leading scorer, netting 40 points. He was followed by Duren (career-high 36 points), Booker (34), Hart (33), the Magic’s Paolo Banchero (32), the Timberwolves’ Julius Randle (32), and the Kings’ Maxime Raynaud (career-high 32).
The Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert was the top board man, hauling in 19 rebounds last night. Next in line were the Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley (15 rebounds), the Charlotte Hornets’ Moussa Diabate (13), Duren (12), and the Thunder’s Chet Holmgren (12).
The Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic took home nightly honors in assists, handing out 14 helpers. Also delivering double-digit dimes were the Hornets’ LaMelo Ball (13 assists), the Spurs’ Stephon Castle (12), the Knicks’ Jose Alvarado (10), the Pacers’ T.J. McConnell (10), the Milwaukee Bucks’ Kevin Porter Jr. (10), and Westbrook (10).