NBA Weekend Recap: Flagg Makes History, Curry Returns as Playoff Race Heats Up

The final stretch of the 2025-26 NBA regular season delivered fireworks this past weekend, highlighted by historic rookie performances and the return of a legend. Cooper Flagg Rewrites the Record Books Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg has firmly seized control of the Rookie of the Year race. On Friday night, the 19-year-old phenom dropped 51 points against the Orlando Magic, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to record a 50-point game. He shot a blistering 19-of-30 from the field, including 6 three-pointers, while adding 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a block. Flagg followed up that historic performance with 45 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds on Sunday against the Lakers. He joins Wilt Chamberlain as the only rookies in NBA history to score 95+ points in back-to-back games. Curry Returns, but Rockets Spoil the Party In San Francisco, Stephen Curry made his highly anticipated return to the Golden State Warriors lineup after missing 27 games with a right knee injury. Coming off the bench, Curry looked like he hadn't missed a beat, pouring in 29 points in 26 minutes and hitting 5 three-pointers. During the game, he became just the 26th player in NBA history to reach 9,000 career made field goals. However, the Houston Rockets played spoiler in a 117-116 thriller. Kevin Durant hit a clutch three-pointer late, and Alperen Sengun sank the go-ahead shot with 11.1 seconds remaining to secure the win for Houston. The Playoff Picture As we enter the final week of the regular season, the playoff standings are still crystallizing. In the East, the Cavaliers (62-15) and Celtics (57-20) have secured the top spots, while the Knicks and Pacers follow. Out West, the Thunder, Spurs, Lakers, Nuggets, and Rockets are battling for positioning, with just two games separating the 6th through 10th seeds. With the playoffs right around the corner, now is the perfect time to leverage My Bet Assist. Our transparent, AI-generated picks are fully graded, giving you the edge you need during the most crucial time of the NBA season. --- Related reading: Read our full breakdown of why the Cooper Flagg ROY race isn't even close, and see the latest NBA Playoff Picture standings.