The NBA delivered another busy night and, yes, some surprising stat lines. The New York Knicks picked up their seventh straight victory at Madison Square Garden, Cleveland kept climbing, and a few teams reminded us defense still matters.

Knicks keep the streak alive

The New York Knicks beat the New Orleans Pelicans 121-116 at Madison Square Garden to notch a seventh straight win. Jalen Brunson led the way with 32 points. Karl-Anthony Towns grabbed 14 rebounds and, together with OG Anunoby, contributed 21 points each. The Knicks are now 48-25 and are closely shadowing the Boston Celtics (47-24) for second in the Eastern Conference, while also defending third place from a surging Cleveland squad.

Mitchell carries Cavs, Magic slide deeper

The Cleveland Cavaliers won their fourth straight game, beating the Orlando Magic 136-131. Donovan Mitchell poured in 42 points, marking his sixth game this season above 40. James Harden added 26 points, 22 of which came in the first half.

For Orlando, it was a rough night despite Paolo Banchero scoring 36 points. The Magic suffered their sixth consecutive loss and fell to a tie for eighth place with Miami and Charlotte.

Big wins out West and franchise marks

The Charlotte Hornets dominated the Sacramento Kings 134-90, setting a franchise record with 26 made three-pointers. Coby White scored 27 points and LaMelo Ball added 20, each hitting six triples. Rookie Kon Knueppel had 14 points and four threes, moving to 247 threes on the season for the franchise, which puts him second in team history and 14 behind Kemba Walker.

Out West, the Denver Nuggets edged the Phoenix Suns 125-123. Nikola Jokic recorded his 29th triple-double of the season, finishing with a monster line of 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 17 assists. Jokic also hit the go-ahead mid-range shot with 11.5 seconds left. Devin Booker’s potential game-winning three bounced off the rim as Phoenix fell, marking their sixth loss in seven games. The Nuggets have won six of their last eight and remain in the hunt for positioning behind the Los Angeles Lakers.

Scores from the night

  • Charlotte Hornets - Sacramento Kings 134-90
  • New York Knicks - New Orleans Pelicans 121-116
  • Cleveland Cavaliers - Orlando Magic 136-131
  • Pheonix Suns - Denver Nuggets 123-125

That’s the quick roundup: streaks continuing, some players exploding for big nights, and a few teams needing to find answers before the postseason math gets ugly.