NBA Game Notes (March 21, 2026)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on March 21, 2026.
Three Stars
Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games, with the “first star” considered the top performer.
First ⭐️
Darius Garland scored a season-high 41 points as the LA Clippers outlasted the Dallas Mavericks 138-131 in overtime. Garland shot 15-24 from the field, hitting eight of his 12 attempts from 3-point range. He also contributed a game-high 11 assists, one steal, and one block, and was not charged with a personal foul in a team-high 39 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Dyson Daniels matched his career high with 28 points to lead the Atlanta Hawks to 126-110 victory over the Golden State Warriors. Daniels was very efficient, sinking 12 of his 17 attempts from the floor. He added seven rebounds, a game-high six assists (tied with Gui Santos), and a game-high four steals, committing just one turnover and no personal fouls in 32 minutes of action.
Third ⭐️
Reed Sheppard scored 23 points and dished out a career-high 14 assists in the Houston Rockets’ 123-122 buzzer-beating win over the Miami Heat. Sheppard went 8-12 from the field, connecting on five of his eight attempts from 3-point range. He also swiped a game-high four steals in 37 turnover-free minutes.
Milestones
LeBron James broke the NBA record for most career games played as the Los Angeles Lakers edged out the Orlando Magic 105-104 to pick up their ninth straight win. He’s appeared in 1,612 regular season contests, one more than Robert Parish.
The Lakers’ Luka Doncic (33 points) has averaged 40.0 PPG over his last nine games, all wins. The only other player in NBA history to average at least 40 PPG over a nine-game winning streak is Wilt Chamberlain (1959-60).
The Rockets’ Kevin Durant (27 points) increased his career total to 32,294 points, passing Michael Jordan to take over fifth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Durant tied Jordan for fourth place on the NBA’s career leaderboard for 25-point games with 769. He scored in double figures for the 1,179th game, breaking a tie with John Havlicek and Robert Parish for ninth place on the league’s all-time list.
The Clippers’ Brook Lopez (10 points) reached 18,000 career points, becoming the 12th active player and the 82nd player in NBA history to attain that milestone.
The Charlotte Hornets (18-43 on threes) set a franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a season in their 124-101 blowout win over the Memphis Grizzlies. They’ve hit 1,151 triples this season, besting the previous mark of 1,143 set in the 2021-22 campaign.
Streaking
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (40 points) extended his NBA record by recording his 131st consecutive 20-point game as the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Washington Wizards 132-111. He’s averaged 32.4 PPG and 6.5 APG with 53.7/38.6/89.3 shooting splits over that stretch.
The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard (34 points) has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 47 games, tying Wilt Chamberlain (1965-66) and George Gervin (1979-80) for the 22nd-longest such streak in NBA history. He’s averaged 29.2 PPG with 50.7/38.6/89.0 shooting splits over that run.
Doncic became the first player in NBA history to score at least 30 points in each game of a nine-game winning streak. He had shared the record of eight such games in a row with multiple players.
Doncic has produced 17 straight 20-point games, 14 straight 25-point games, and nine straight 30-point games. He’s posted figures of 34.9 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 7.9 APG, and 2.0 SPG over the former span.
The Heat’s Bam Adebayo (32 points) has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 11 games, the longest such streak of his career. Over that stretch, he’s averaged 29.9 PPG, 10.6 RPG, and 1.9 SPG.
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Oklahoma City Thunder (11), Los Angeles Lakers (nine), and San Antonio Spurs (five).
Team(s) with a winning streak of five or more games: Indiana Pacers (16), Washington Wizards (15), and Phoenix Suns (five).
Miscellany
Garland was the night’s leading point producer, pouring in 41 points. He was followed by Gilgeous-Alexander (40 points), Leonard (34), Doncic (33), and Adebayo (32).
Adebayo was the top board man last night, matching his career high with 21 rebounds. The Thunder’s Isaiah Hartenstein was runner-up with 20 rebounds (also matching his career high), while the Rockets’ Amen Thompson placed third with a career-high 18 boards.
Sheppard took home nightly honors in assists, handing out a career-high 14 helpers. Also delivering double-digit dimes were Garland (11 assists), the Cleveland Cavaliers’ James Harden (10), and Hartenstein (10).
Garland is just the fourth player in LA Clippers history to produce a 40-point, 10-assist game, joining Chris Paul (three times), Lou Williams, and James Harden.
Hartenstein became only the fourth player in Oklahoma City Thunder history to record a 20-rebound, 10-assist game, joining Russell Westbrook (twice), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jack Sikma.
The Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (20 points, eight rebounds, six assists, five blocks) compiled at least 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five blocks in a game for the 14th time. No other active player has produced more than eight such games.