NBC’s Sunday Night Basketball officially tips off with a blockbuster doubleheader featuring major star power, as four of the NBA’s 10 All-Star starters headline the night.
The opening matchup sees All-Star guards and former teammates Luka Dončić and Jalen Brunson go head-to-head when the New York Knicks host the Los Angeles Lakers at 7 ET. In the second game, the two most recent Kia NBA MVP winners — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of OKC and Nikola Jokić of Denver — clash in the Mile High City at 9 ET.
Here are three major storylines to follow heading into Sunday.
Lakers at Knicks | 7 ET, NBC/Peacock
King James returns to MSG
LeBron James and the Lakers make their yearly trip to Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks. James owns a 23-8 regular-season record at MSG, along with a 1-1 postseason record, across his first 22 NBA seasons. In 33 total appearances at The Garden, he has averaged 28.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 7.4 assists, while shooting 49.5% from the field and 38.1% from three. Sunday marks his 34th game at the iconic venue.
Brunson vs. Dončić: Reunion continues
On June 22, 2018, Luka Dončić and Jalen Brunson were introduced together as Dallas’ first- and second-round selections in the NBA Draft. They spent four seasons as teammates before Brunson joined New York in 2022.
This matchup will be only their third meeting since, with Dončić winning the first two — Dec. 3, 2022 with Dallas, and March 6, 2025 with L.A. Both enter Sunday as top-tier scorers: Dončić leads the league at 33.7 points per game, while Brunson ranks eighth at 27.6.
Knicks finding their rhythm again
The Knicks endured a rough stretch from Dec. 31 to Jan. 19, going 2-9 and suffering seven double-digit defeats. But they’ve since flipped the script with five straight wins, beginning with a franchise-record 54-point win on Jan. 21. New York is coming into Sunday off victories by 16, 27, and 30 points.
A stronger defensive approach and more balanced offense have fueled the turnaround. Before the streak, New York held opponents under 100 points only three times in 43 games. During the five-game run, they’ve kept four of five opponents below 100.
Brunson is averaging 23.6 points during the streak, while OG Anunoby has posted 18.6 points per game on 63.3% shooting and 52.4% from three. Five other Knicks are also scoring in double figures, helping New York climb back into the No. 2 spot in the East (via tiebreaker over Boston).
Thunder at Nuggets | 9:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock
Image: Zach Beeker/ NBAE by Getty Images
A primetime playoff rematch
OKC’s 2025 championship path ran through Denver, as the Thunder and Nuggets battled through a dramatic seven-game Western Conference Semifinals series. The showdown started with Aaron Gordon’s game-winning three to steal Game 1, and ended with OKC dominating Game 7 at the same arena behind a 35-point outing from MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, while the Thunder’s top-ranked defence held Denver to 93 points.
Sunday marks the first meeting since that decisive Game 7, and it’s the first of four matchups between the teams over the final 33 games.
How Denver survived without Jokić
The Nuggets remained third in the West during Nikola Jokić’s absence after he suffered a knee bone bruise on Dec. 29, and they were still in that position when he returned on Jan. 30. Denver went 10-6 without the three-time MVP thanks to major contributions across the roster.
Jamal Murray elevated his play, averaging 27.8 points per game while appearing in 12 of the 15 games Jokić missed. Peyton Watson jumped from seventh-leading scorer to second, averaging 22.1 points while shooting 44.3% from three. Jonas Valančiūnas also delivered after returning from injury, putting up 15.3 points and 10.8 rebounds in his first four games back.
Jokić returned in strong form, recording 31 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists in 25 minutes during Denver’s win over the Clippers. The question now is whether he can carry that momentum against the West-leading Thunder.
Thunder’s hot start vs. recent dip
The defending champions historically began the season, becoming only the second team ever to start 24-1 or better. But after going 24-1 in their first 25 games, OKC has gone 14-10 since.
The biggest difference has been performance in clutch moments. OKC posted a 41.4 net rating in clutch situations during their first 25 games (going 9-1), but has dropped to minus-3.8 in clutch time across the last 24 games (4-6).
