The Athletic NBA Daily – March 5, 2026
Episode: Thunder take down Knicks in a thriller + Hornets on the rise
Hosts: Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, Fred Katz
Main Theme:
A recap and analysis of two of the NBA’s hottest storylines: the surging Charlotte Hornets’ unexpected dominance, headlined by their blowout win over the Celtics, and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s thrilling victory against the New York Knicks—with a deep dive into what both results mean for playoff races and team identities.
Charlotte Hornets: Emerging Contender or Early Bloomer?
[03:06–11:41]
The Hornets’ Hot Streak and Identity
- Six straight wins, each by at least 15 points—the latest a 118–89 rout of the Celtics.
- “They beat the Celtics 118 to 89. This was the sort of two way game that we've been seeing from them. High power offense, excellent defense...” —Dave DuFour [04:00]
- Physical and versatile defense, especially inside, led by bigs Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner.
- “Both Musa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner...posed problems for the bigs and for the guards...Jalen Brown struggled around the basket too.” —Dave DuFour [04:15]
- "I think he moves much better, much better and stronger...he's tougher and he pushes folks out." —Zena Ka on Kalkbrenner [05:40]
Hornets’ Toughness and Defensive Mindset
- Emphasis on physical, almost relentless, perimeter defense.
- “When Stephen Curry was being guarded by the Hornets defenders...there's scars...not to say that they're holding, but they are a physical team.” —Zena Ka [05:18]
- Commitment to staying attached to ballhandlers, making ball screens harder to exploit.
Sharpshooting, Ball Security, and Offense
- Only 4 turnovers vs. Boston while hitting 19 threes on 49 attempts—extra possessions and efficiency combine.
- “They only [had] four turnovers against the Boston Celtics...They outshot the Boston Celtics by 13 three point attempts.” —Dave DuFour [06:26]
- Multiple elite shooters: Brandon Miller, LaMelo Ball, and rookie Con Canepa.
- “Con hits four out of eight threes last night...just continuing to add in the numbers to this crazy rookie season.” —Dave DuFour [06:59]
Comparing the Hornets to Other Breakout Teams
- The rise mirrors last season’s Indiana Pacers’ late surge with Tyrese Haliburton.
- “Their rise during the last couple months, it's not dissimilar to what the Pacers did last year.” —Dave DuFour [07:33]
- “There's an interesting comparison to make there...the consistency in that team got better, the ball movement got better, things opened up.” —Zena Ka [07:49]
LaMelo Ball: Engine of Consistent Excellence
- LaMelo’s offensive orchestration and playmaking stand out, especially in rewarding teammates.
- “LaMelo, his consistency in one, being able to put up the shots that he makes and create, but really creating for his teammates, he's looking so much more...” —Zena Ka [08:11]
- “He's having fun and he's trying to involve his teammates.” —Zena Ka [08:30]
Playoff Prospects: Hope, Caution, and Experience
- “Why can't the Charlotte Hornets make the Eastern Conference finals if they make the six seed? They're as scary as anybody right now in the East.” —Dave DuFour [09:37]
- Zena’s “quizzes vs. tests” metaphor: Regular season is the quiz—“The things that you've learned over the course of the year test it...that is what the playoffs are.” [10:01]
- Both agree Hornets will be dangerous, but playoff experience and adjustments are an X-factor.
- “They got a lot of good quizzes right now, but they haven't had the test yet, so we'll see what happens.” —Zena Ka [11:28]
Knicks vs. Thunder: What the Thriller Revealed
[14:36–37:01]
Knicks’ Performance Against the Champs
- Despite the narrow loss (two missed game-tying threes at the end), the Knicks held their own versus OKC.
- “If you're going to lose a game to the Oklahoma City Thunder, this was not a bad way to lose it.” —Dave DuFour [14:36]
The Knicks’ Defensive Evolution
- Knicks have boasted the NBA’s top defensive efficiency over the last month and a half.
- “Over the last month and a half, they have the number one ranked defensive efficiency in the NBA. This is a team that is playing very good basketball.” —Fred Katz [15:04]
- New, creative defensive schemes: doubling Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, switching Chet Holmgren with wings.
- “[They] were guarding Chet Holmgren with Smalls…with Mikhail Bridges and with Josh Hart...They were doing interesting defensive stuff and pulling it off...” —Fred Katz [15:22]
Rookie Mohamed Diawara’s Rise
- Filling in for an injured Mitchell Robinson, Diawara has become a revelation:
- “He's guarding well. They have confidence using him as a switchable defender, …using him against guards...Mike Brown was like, go be the guy on Jaylen Brown.” —Fred Katz [18:28]
- Sudden leap in three-point shooting volume and confidence, even hilariously setting a record.
- “He hilariously broke the record for three pointers per minute in a game…13 threes in 15 minutes…if his shoe was a half a size smaller, he would have had 14 threes...” —Fred Katz [19:48]
- “After the game, when he shot 4 of 13 from 3, he tweeted out, it felt like 4 or 4, which was phenomenal.” —Fred Katz [21:09]
- “51st pick in the draft. Most 51st picks don't do anything ever…he's playing the Oklahoma City Thunder in March for a team that's going to have home court in the playoffs.” —Fred Katz [22:00]
The Knicks’ Defensive Ceiling and Playoff Readiness
- Defensive numbers are buoyed by some opponent shooting luck, but real improvements present.
- “If you look at the really advanced metrics…qsm…The Knicks over this time period are so far and away the luckiest defense in the NBA…But the Knicks should be like sixth, which is still a very good respectable defense.” —Fred Katz [24:55]
- Key additions: OG Anunoby’s “best defensive moments” and Jose Alvarado’s game-changing point-of-attack defense and full-court pressure.
- “Jose Alvarado is one of the best small point of attack defenders in the league. He is so good at that. He is such a disruptor, he makes everybody uncomfortable.” —Fred Katz [25:50]
- Carl Anthony Towns is “much better defensively” since the start of the year.
- “The recipe for this team is be an elite offense…just be good enough on defense…if you're top 10 on defense, that's amazing. And I think they're capable of getting there.” —Fred Katz [27:00]
Thunder’s Depth and Offensive Versatility
- OKC’s ability to turn to reserves (like Cason Wallace) and maintain elite play, even with stars out.
- “AJ Mitchell's out, right? AJ Mitchell's out and, and J Dub's out and Shay's out. And then it's like, oh, you know, I just hand the offense over to Cason Wallace, that's fine. He'll average 20 a game.” —Fred Katz [31:01]
- “Their decision-making and ability to attack different coverages is so quick, it is like clockwork.” —Fred Katz [32:18]
- Thunder labeled as “so loaded that I would not say that any team is really in a good position to go up against them.” [33:25]
Knicks’ Lessons: Playoff Margin for Error & Defensive Rotations
- Doubling elite creators like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander exposes even sound defenses to mistakes—rotations must be perfect.
- “One guy went one way, another guy went another way, and there was an open corner three. Those moments in the playoffs are the ones that lose you playoff series.” —Fred Katz [35:29]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the Hornets’ identity:
“They outshot the Boston Celtics by 13 three point attempts. That itself…this team is maybe…Charles Lee is taking Missoula another level down there right now.” —Dave DuFour [06:59] -
On Diawara’s shooting binge:
“He hilariously broke the record for three pointers per minute…13 threes in 15 minutes…if his shoe was a half a size smaller, he would have had 14 threes…” —Fred Katz [19:48]
“After the game…he tweeted out, it felt like 4 or 4, which was phenomenal.” —Fred Katz [21:09] -
On playoff pressure vs. regular season success:
"It's quizzes versus test. You can ace all your quizzes...but when you take the test, you are now having to apply the principles...over a seven game series. That's where I think that's going to limit them [the Hornets]." —Zena Ka [10:01] -
On OKC’s arsenal:
“…so loaded that I would not say that any team is really in a good position to go up against them.” —Fred Katz [33:25] -
On the Knicks’ need for defensive perfection:
“It’s that one time where you didn't hit your rotation that cost you the whole playoff series…” —Fred Katz [35:29]
Key Segment Timestamps
- 03:06 — Start of Hornets discussion
- 04:00 — Hornets’ two-way game versus Celtics
- 05:18 — Physical Hornets defense and guarding technique
- 06:26 — Importance of turnovers and three-point shooting
- 09:37 — Playoff upside and "quizzes vs. tests" metaphor
- 14:36 — Knicks-Thunder game recap begins
- 15:04 — Knicks’ defense and context of loss
- 18:05 — Rise of Mohamed Diawara (Knicks)
- 24:21 — Knicks defense: Luck vs. Skill, playoff sustainability
- 25:50 — Key defensive contributors: Alvarado, Towns
- 31:09 — Thunder’s depth and offensive versatility
- 35:29 — Knicks’ need for crisp rotations in the playoffs
Episode Tone
- Analytical, enthusiastic, slightly irreverent—a mix of stats-heavy insights, game-level breakdown, and banter.
- Hosts alternate between optimism about rising teams (Hornets, Knicks) and realism about the gap between regular season surges and playoff success.
- Candid about small sample sizes, luck, and the nuances that separate regular season upsets from deep playoff runs.
Summary Takeaway:
The Hornets have become one of the NBA’s best stories—blending youth, depth, and two-way play into a winning streak that’s challenging perceptions of what’s possible for a rebuilding team. But as the hosts caution, playoff basketball is another animal. Meanwhile, the Knicks’ narrow loss to the Thunder provides optimism—especially regarding their evolving defense and unexpected rookie contributions—but also a reminder of the razor-thin margins at the highest level, and just how daunting a matchup OKC presents for any contender.