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NBA Cup final: Anthony Davis and LeBron James inspire LA Lakers to historic win against Indiana Pacers

Anthony Davis scored 41 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers to victory against the Indiana Pacers in the NBA's first in-season tournament final.

Davis also registered 20 rebounds, five assists and four blocks, while team-mate LeBron James added 24 points and 11 rebounds in a 123-109 win.

James was also named the most valuable player of the inaugural NBA Cup.

"Records will be broken but one thing that will never be broken is being the first to do something," said James, 38.

"We're the first champions of the in-season tournament and nobody can ever top that.

"It's great to be able to do it with such a historical franchise and even better to do it with a great, great cast of funny, engaged, competitive men over here."

The Pacers closed to within three points with just over six minutes remaining, only for the Lakers to produce a run of 13 unanswered points on the way to victory.

Austin Reaves scored 28 points off the bench for the Lakers, while Tyrese Haliburton and team-mate Bennedict Mathurin top scored for the Pacers with 20 points each.

The final of the NBA Cup took place in Las Vegas and is the only game of the tournament which does not count towards the regular season standings.

"We're sick, frustrated," Haliburton said. "We just got outplayed tonight from the start of the game to the end of the game.

"Just didn't do the job on loose balls, didn't rebound, didn't get enough stops when needed. They just outplayed us, and it's frustrating."

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NBA Cup final: Anthony Davis and LeBron James inspire LA Lakers to historic win against Indiana Pacers

Anthony Davis and LeBron James help the LA Lakers to victory against the Indiana Pacers in the NBA's first in-season tournament final.
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NBA Sparks Controversy with Warriors vs. Thunder Mistake

The NBA's Last Two Minute Report from the Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game includes only one missed call, and it was Steph Curry's travel in overtime; however, there is another play on the injury report that has been sparking controversy.

Prior to Draymond Green's foul on Chet Holmgren that led to three game-tying free throws, the NBA says the ball was not inbounded within five seconds.

"Williams (OKC) does not release the in-bounds pass within 5 seconds," the NBA wrote.

While this was the league's description for that play, seemingly admitting a missed call, they also put "CNC" for their review decision, which means correct non-call. With these contradictory descriptions, the NBA either meant to put "INC" for incorrect non call, or they meant to say that Williams did release the ball in time.

One way or another, the NBA should clarify this on their Last Two Minute Report, as it currently contains contradictory information on that crucial play.

Source : The Fan Nation
 
NBA: Draymond Green ejected as Golden State Warriors lose to Phoenix Suns

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was ejected for the third time this season during the 119-116 defeat by the Phoenix Suns.

Green, 33, swung an arm in the face of Suns centre Jusuf Nurkic and sent him to the floor during the third quarter.

The referees reviewed the incident and ruled it a flagrant foul 2, which leads to an automatic ejection.

Last month Green was given a five-game ban for putting Minnesota Timberwolves centre Rudy Gobert in a headlock.

He was also ejected for two technical fouls against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Green apologised to Nurkic after the game, saying he "didn't intend" to hit him.

"He was grabbing my hip, so I spun away and unfortunately I hit him," he said.

Green had scored two points and made two rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes before his ejection, with the Warriors leading 65-60.

"We need Draymond. He knows that and we have talked to him. He's got to find a way to keep his poise and help his team-mates," said Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

"Draymond is still a really good player. We need him if we are going to be a really good team."

Stephen Curry scored 24 points for Golden State at Footprint Center in Phoenix, but defeat was their 11th in 15 games.

Devin Booker recorded 32 points and seven assists for Phoenix, who won for the first time in three matches.

The Los Angeles Lakers, who won the NBA Cup on Sunday, were beaten by the Dallas Mavericks in a thrilling contest where the lead changed hands eight times.

Luka Doncic starred for the Mavericks with his eighth successive 30-point game - he scored 33 points and made 17 assists and six rebounds.

The four-time NBA All-Star stayed on the court despite rolling his ankle and suffering a bloodied lip in a physical contest.

"I'm not going out in a game like this, no way," said Doncic. "When you're playing against the best you want to stay on the court.

"This was an amazing team win. We've got so many guys out. Everybody stepped up. Everybody played hard."

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NBA: Draymond Green ejected as Golden State Warriors lose to Phoenix Suns

Draymond Green is ejected for the third time this season as the Golden State Warriors go down 119-116 at the Phoenix Suns.
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Draymond Green: NBA star suspended indefinitely after Jusuf Nurkic clash

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been suspended indefinitely after striking Phoenix Suns player Jusuf Nurkic in the face.

Green was ejected for a third time this season in the Warriors' 119-116 defeat.

The NBA said it had given him a rare open-ended ban because of his "repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts".

The league said the 33-year-old would be "required to meet certain league and team conditions" before he is allowed to return to play.

An indefinite suspension is an almost unheard of sanction by the NBA, which more commonly issues bans for a fixed number of games.

Referees ruled Green's swinging arm into the face of Nurkic in the third quarter as a flagrant foul 2 - defined as "unnecessary and excessive contact" - which leads to an automatic ejection.

The four-time NBA champion later apologised to Nurkic, saying he had accidentally struck the Bosnian after swinging his arm to try to win a foul call, believing he had been illegally held back.

However, the Suns player remained unhappy, saying: "What's going on with him? I don't know. Personally, I feel like that brother needs help."

The incident is the latest in a long line of disciplinary incidents involving Green.

He was given a five-game ban for putting Minnesota Timberwolves centre Rudy Gobert in a headlock on 14 November.

The forward was also ejected for two technical fouls against the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier in November and was suspended during the playoffs in April after stamping on the Sacramento Kings player Domantas Sabonis.

He was also famously suspended for game five of the 2016 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers for a low blow against LeBron James.

The Warriors (10-13) are 11th in the Western Conference and play the Clippers in Los Angeles on Thursday.



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Draymond Green: NBA star suspended indefinitely after Jusuf Nurkic clash

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is handed rare open-ended ban by the NBA following his third ejection of the season.
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Draymond Green: Warriors coach Steve Kerr offers support to suspended forward

Golden State head coach Steve Kerr and former Warriors star Kevin Durant have offered support to Draymond Green after he was suspended indefinitely.

Green was served with a ban by the NBA after striking Phoenix Suns player Jusuf Nurkic in the face.

He was ejected from a game for the third time this season as the Warriors lost 119-116 on Tuesday.

"To me, this is about more than basketball. It's about helping Draymond," Kerr said.

"It's an opportunity for Draymond to step away and to make a change in his approach, in his life. And that's not an easy thing to do."

Last month Green was given a five-game ban for putting Minnesota Timberwolves centre Rudy Gobert in a headlock, while he was also ejected for two technical fouls against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The referees reviewed the incident with Nurkic and ruled it a flagrant foul 2, which leads to an automatic ejection.

Kerr said: "The answer is to help Draymond and give him the help he needs, give him the opportunity to make a change that will not only help him and help our team, but help him for the rest of his life.

"It's not just about an outburst on the court. This is about his life. Look at the past year and what's happened - it's clear he needs the opportunity to change. And that's what an indefinite suspension gives him the opportunity for."

Phoenix Suns forward Durant played with Green for the Warriors between 2016 and 2019 and the pair, while team-mates, were involved in an altercation after suffering an overtime defeat against the Los Angeles Clippers in 2018. Green was subsequently handed a one-game suspension for his actions.

Durant said: "I hope Draymond gets the help he needs. It's been incident after incident.

"Hopefully, he gets the help he needs to get back on the court and put all this stuff behind him."


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Draymond Green: Warriors coach Steve Kerr offers support to suspended forward

Golden State head coach Steve Kerr and former Warriors star Kevin Durant offer their support to Draymond Green after he was suspended indefinitely.
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Morant ready for NBA return after 'horrible days' of 25-game ban

Morant spoke after a Grizzlies workout on Friday after being suspended for the first 25 games of the NBA season following two social media videos showing him displaying a gun went public.

"Definitely tough. Horrible days," Morant said of his ban. "But the support I had throughout this process, it definitely helped me a lot. It was pretty much all I could lean on."

The 24-year-old American, named the NBA's Most Improved Player in 2022, will be eligible to return on Tuesday when the Grizzlies play at New Orleans.

"I'm just trying to come back and do whatever I can to help the team win," Morant said. "I'm not forcing a historic game my first game back. I'm just super excited to be back out there."

At 6-17, the Grizzlies are level with Portland for the fourth-worst record in the NBA and will struggle to try and reach the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.

"There's definitely some guilt in that. Obviously I'm not on the floor and nobody likes losing," Morant said. "I take full responsibility of that... The decisions I made didn't allow me to be out there, to go to battle with my team."

Morant was able to practice with his teammates but could not be in arenas when they were playing.

Morant was issued an eight-game ban last March after a video showed him displaying a gun at a Denver nightclub, then handed the longer ban to open the 2023-24 campaign after another video of him with a gun inside a car from last May went public.

"I've made a lot of my mistakes," Morant said. "Even with my family. Not some that has even been public. I've done a lot."

Morant, however, says he has a new outlook upon life after therapy sessions and in some ways does not regret what happened because, "In the end, it made me better."

"I feel like I learned some stuff about myself during that process," Morant said.

"Very eye-opening. Gave me a new look on life with how I go about my days, how I carry myself. Just being grateful and thankful I'm still here in the position I'm in.

"The change will be my decision-making and how I go about my daily life of being an NBA player, a father, a role model, a brother, a son. Just focusing in on that -- being the best Ja I can be."

Morant credited his support from friends, family and teammates through the ban, which he said kept him from the theraputic benefit of playing basketball.

"Taking that away makes it tougher but I had the right people around me... that helped me in the learning process," Morant said.

"Thankful for the support I had during this time. It's not easy, not being out there on the floor and having to watch, but being around the team, being able to practice, being able to travel, guys talking to me and vice versa -- it has been good."



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Morant ready for NBA return after 'horrible days' of 25-game ban

Two-time NBA All-Star guard Ja Morant says he endured "horrible days" during a 25-game ban and prepares to return to the Memphis Grizzlies with a new outlook on life.
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Lakers-Spurs takeaways: LeBron James, Victor Wembanyama meet in generational matchup

LeBron James puts up a huge line in matchup of generational talents, but the rookie puts his team back in the win column.

Generational talents Victor Wembanyama and LeBron James clashed Friday with the Spurs besting the shorthanded Lakers 129-115 to snap an 18-game losing streak.

The 19-year-old had already engaged in an epic battle of bigs against Anthony Davis on Wednesday when James sat out with an injured calf.

This time, Davis (hip) sat and James took the floor. End result: the Spurs starters walked to the bench with 1:48 remaining to a standing ovation at Frost Bank Center.

The franchise-record skid finally ends. The team lists the rookie as a forward, and Wembanyama has mentioned “The best way for me to help” the Spurs “is to not put me in a box.”

Yet he’s manned the center spot in four consecutive games now after playing power forward in his first 19 appearances.

Don’t make too much of it. Experimentation rules the day. The Spurs continue to utilize lineups featuring Wembanyama surrounded by four perimeter players, and Friday’s contest was no different in the search for optimal combinations on the floor.

Here are the main takeaways from the matchup.

"Just trying to get his hands down a little bit because I know his wingspan,” James said. “I was trying to create a little more room and shoot a little higher.” Wembanyama admitted to feeling the collective eyes of Frost Bank Center fixed on him in that moment.

“It was a very high-arching shot,” he said. The rookie expected to feel starstruck facing James, a four-time NBA champion and four-time league MVP. Once the competitive juices started flowing, the 19-year-old focused solely on the action on the floor.

Source : NBA
 
NBA: Stephen Curry passes 3,500 three-pointers mark in Golden State Warriors win

Stephen Curry became the first NBA player to make 3,500 three-pointers as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Brooklyn Nets.

Curry passed the mark midway through the first quarter and finished with 37 points, including six three-pointers, as the Warriors came through 124-120.

The 35-year-old also scored 12 straight points in less than two minutes in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

It ended a three-game losing streak for the Warriors.

Team-mate Klay Thompson, who moved into ninth place on the career three-pointer leaderboard, finished with 24 points while four others scored in double figures for the Warriors.

Cam Thomas had a game-high 41 points for the Nets, who had two shots at either a tie or a lead in the final one minute and 28 seconds before losing for the third time in four outings on a five-game trip.

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NBA: Stephen Curry passes 3,500 three-pointers mark in Golden State Warriors win

Stephen Curry becomes the first NBA player to make 3,500 three-pointers as he leads the Golden State Warriors to victory.
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NBA: Stephen Curry top-scores for Golden State Warriors in overtime win

Stephen Curry scored a game-high 33 points to guide Golden State Warriors to a dramatic overtime win against the Boston Celtics.

With the shot clock running out, Curry hit a three-pointer as the Warriors won 132-126 at San Francisco's Chase Center.

The Warriors trailed from halftime until the second minute of overtime as they registered a third successive win.

Eastern Conference leaders Boston saw a five-game wining run end.

Steve Kerr's Warriors, who sit 11th in the Western Conference, are building momentum at just the right time as they close in on the play-off places.

Elsewhere, the struggling Memphis Grizzlies benefited from Ja Morant's return from a 25-game suspension following social media posts in which he displayed a gun.

Morant scored 34 points with eight assists and six rebounds as he drove for a game-winning layup with time expiring to lead the Grizzlies to a 115-113 win against the New Orleans Pelicans.

"I ain't played a game in eight months," he told broadcaster TNT. "Had a lot of time... a lot of hard days where I went through it.

"But you know, basketball is my life, what I love, therapeutic for me and I'm just excited to be back."

Damian Lillard scored a season-high 40 points as Milwaukee Bucks beat San Antonio Spurs 132-119.

Lillard became the 51st NBA player to reach 20,000 career points to help the Bucks extend their winning streak to five.

"The 20,000 points, when I hear that it takes me back to the beginning," Lillard said. "It's a blessing and an honour to have that type of accomplishment."

The Phoenix Suns' hopes of sealing a playoff berth took a hit as they slumped to a third defeat from their last four fixtures when going down 109-104 against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Anfernee Simons registered 23 points and seven assists as Portland snapped a seven-game losing streak.
​
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NBA: Stephen Curry top-scores for Golden State Warriors in overtime win

Stephen Curry scores a game-high 33 points to guide the Golden State Warriors to a dramatic overtime win against the Boston Celtics.
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Kia Rookie Ladder: Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren still setting tone

It might seem foolhardy, with two-thirds of the regular season remaining, to declare the 2024 Kia Rookie of the Year race to be a two-man battle. So let’s go with this: Someone completely unexpected will have to do something extraordinary to eclipse the performances Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are giving San Antonio and Oklahoma City, respectively.

As fervently as fans follow each of the other top newcomers on the Ladder, what plays out over the next four months boils down to this: If you had to make a barstool wager, would you take Wemby-Chet as a ROY entry or the field? Uh huh, thought so.

Chet Holmgren was a one-man swat team, blocking 18 shots this week with 15 in about 48 hours in victories over Denver and Memphis. The last rookie to block at least seven in consecutive games? Tim Duncan 25 years ago. “It feels like Chet blocks everything,” said Thunder teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. And he gets them every which way.

Holmgren’s take: “Being in the right place at the right time.” He added: “When I’m playing my hardest, I guess it kind of naturally happens.”

• Wembanyama sat out the Spurs’ only visit to Milwaukee on Tuesday, resting a sore right ankle. But he retains the top rung after averaging 20 points, 13.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 4.0 blocks in his three appearances this week. He even has the edge over Holmgren in blocks (3.0 to 2.8) and in “stocks” (4.3 to 3.6).

Source : NBA
 
Ja Morant’s suspension is over, allowing the All-Star to rejoin the Grizzlies on the court

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension stemming from his social media antics with handguns ended Tuesday, and coach Taylor Jenkins inserted the two-time All-Star back into the starting lineup against the New Orleans Pelicans.

“We get one of our leaders back, one of our core players. The team’s fired up. I’m fired up,” Jenkins said. “He’s put in a lot of work since the start of the season, been around the team as much as he could.

“Super excited to see him go out there and just have fun. That’s what he and I have talked about,” Jenkins added. “Build chemistry with your teammates and just enjoy this opportunity to be back out on the floor.”

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James showed his support ahead of Morant’s expected return by posting on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, “Welcome back!! Go be GREAT again!!” He addressed it to No. 12, Morant’s jersey.

Under the terms of his suspension, Morant was able to practice and travel with the Grizzlies and take part in morning shootarounds. But he was not permitted to be in an arena with his team during games.



apnews.com

Ja Morant gratified by a 'perfect ending' to a 'perfect day' as he returns from NBA suspension

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant says his game-winning shot at the end of a 34-point performance against the New Orleans Pelicans as “the perfect ending” to a “perfect day.”
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NBA: Sixers' Joel Embiid with longest scoring run in 51 years

Joel Embiid scored a season-high 51 points and 12 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-113.

The 29-year-old is the first NBA player to score more than 30 points and 10 rebounds in 12 consecutive games since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 51 years ago.

Abdul-Jabbar's record stands at 16 games for the Milwaukee Bucks in 1972.

Embiid, the NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player, helped the Sixers to their seventh win in eight games.

The Cameroonian scored 20 points in the first half then completed the seventh 50-pointer of his career and second of the season late in the fourth quarter.

It inflicted a first loss in five games on Western Conference leaders the Timberwolves.

"That's one of the best teams in the league and the best in the West," Embiid said. "I'm glad everybody just showed up."

Embiid, the NBA's top scorer, averaging 34.4 points per game, also became the first Sixers player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1967 to score more than 40 points and 10 rebounds in three consecutive games.

Tyrese Maxey added 35 points for the Sixers, forming a prolific partnership with Embiid.

"He [Embiid] does it every night so consistently," Maxey said. "We expect it of him and he goes out there and performs every single night."

Elsewhere, the Boston Celtics moved to 21-6 at the top of the Eastern Conference with a 144-119 victory against the Sacramento Kings.

Jaylen Brown and Derrick White each scored 28 points in the absence of top scorer and rebounder Jayson Tatum who has a sprained ankle.

The LA Clippers extended their win streak to nine games with a 120-111 victory against the Dallas Mavericks. Kawhi Leonard scored 30 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers.

Meanwhile, two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic scored 31 points and added 15 rebounds as reigning NBA champions the Denver Nuggets beat the Toronto Raptors 113-104.



BBC
 
NBA: Detroit Pistons close in on 26-match losing-streak record

The Detroit Pistons lost 119-111 to the Utah Jazz to move within one defeat of equalling the NBA's longest single-season losing streak.

It was their 25th straight loss, prompting chants of "sell the team!" from home supporters in Detroit.

The Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010-11 and the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013-14 share the record of 26 consecutive losses.

"This is history no-one wants to be a part of," said Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham.

"We're not 2-26 bad - no way are we that bad," added Cunningham, who led Detroit with 28 points and 10 assists.

"I think we can turn this around. We can play a much better brand of basketball."

The Pistons have won two games this season, the last of which was against the Chicago Bulls on 29 October, and this result roots them to the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

They gave away 27 points from 20 turnovers against the Jazz, who were missing key players.

"I want to be careful with my words - this one hurts more than most of them," head coach Monty Williams said.

"A team that played last night got [50] points off turnovers and rebounds. It is unbelievably hard to understand how we can get outworked in those categories," he added.

Kelly Olynyk logged 27 points, six assists and four steals for the Utah Jazz, who are fourth bottom of the Western Conference.

The all-time longest losing streak in NBA history is a 28-game run by the Sixers spread between the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.

Elsewhere, Anthony Edwards scored 27 points, seven rebounds and made five assists to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 118-111 win over the LA Lakers, who were missing LeBron James through an ankle injury.

Chet Holmgren added 23 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 134-115 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, ending the Clippers' nine-game winning streak.

The Milwaukee Bucks registered their sixth straight victory as Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to help his side beat the Orlando Magic 118-114.

Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs suffered their 21st defeat in 22 games, falling 114-95 to the Chicago Bulls as Coby White scored 22 points and DeMar DeRozan added 21.



BBC
 

NBA: Joel Embiid hepls 76ers win and moves closer to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record​

Joel Embiid managed at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a game for the 13th time in a row as his Philadelphia 76ers beat the Toronto Raptors 121-111.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record is 16 games for the Milwaukee Bucks in 1972.

Embiid registered 31 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as the 76ers recorded an eighth win in nine games.

"I didn't force anything. I think I took two shots in the first six or seven minutes, but I just let the game come to me," said the Cameroonian.

"It came to me and then in the third quarter, I just found opportunities and made a few shots."

Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris scored 33 points apiece for the 76ers, while Pascal Siakam top scored for the Raptors with 31 points.

Elsewhere, Stephen Curry made a season-high eight three-pointers as he scored 30 points to inspire the Golden State Warriors to a 129-118 victory over the Washington Wizards.

The Denver Nuggets, who are the reigning champions, secured a 122-117 victory against the Brooklyn Nets, with Jamal Murray scoring 32 points and Nikola Jokic adding 31.

Domantas Sabonis recorded 28 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds for his fourth triple-double of the season as he helped Sacramento Kings to a 120-105 win against the Phoenix Suns.

Source: BBC
 
Joel Embiid is looking unstoppable at the moment and he is a big reason why they've been able to win 8 of their last 9 games.
 

NBA: Detroit Pistons equal 26-match NBA losing record with Brooklyn Nets defeat​

The Detroit Pistons lost 126-115 to the Brooklyn Nets as they equalled the NBA record of 26 defeats in a row during a season.

They join the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2010-11 and the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013-14 in sharing the record for the longest single-season losing streak.

"Losing is awful in this league and we've had a lot of it," said Pistons coach Monty Williams.

"I'm proud of the way that they just keep battling every night."

He added: "Our guys don't want to be a part of any kind of losing streak, whatever. But every day they come back with focus and drive and grit trying to win a game."

The Pistons got to within two points of their opponents when they trailed 77-75 in the third quarter before the Nets pulled away and finished the quarter 98-82 in front on the way to victory.

Mikal Bridges scored 29 points with six rebounds and seven assists for the Nets, while Jaden Ivey top scored for the Pistons with 23 points as he also contributed six rebounds and seven assists.

The all-time longest losing streak in NBA history is a 28-game run by the Sixers spread between the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.

Elsewhere, LeBron James scored 40 points and registered seven rebounds and seven assists as helped the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 129-120.

Luka Doncic produced his sixth triple-double of the season as his Dallas Mavericks team beat the San Antonio Spurs 144-119.

Doncic managed 39 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the win against a Spurs side missing French star Victor Wembanyama.

Source: BBC
 

NBA: Luka Doncic reaches 10,000 career points as Dallas Mavericks beat Phoenix Suns​

Luka Doncic reached a milestone of 10,000 career points as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Phoenix Suns 128-114 on Christmas Day.

The Slovenian also recorded 50 points, 15 assists and six rebounds, plus eight three-point shots in Phoenix, Arizona.

It was the sixth game in the regular season that Doncic, 24, had scored 50 points.

He told ESPN he was "feeling good" after scoring 10,000 points in 358 games.

Doncic is the joint seventh-fastest player in NBA history to reach the 10,000 target along with Bob McAdoo, while Wilt Chamberlain holds the record of 236 games.

The win for Dallas was the team's second in a row after losing their previous three games. Phoenix have now lost nine of their past 12 games.

Mavericks' Derrick Jones Jr added 23 points, Dereck Lively II had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Tim Hardaway Jr scored 18 points.

Also on Monday, rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr recorded career highs with 31 points and 10 rebounds as the Miami Heat secured a 119-113 win against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Bam Adebayo added 26 points and 15 rebounds and Tyler Herro scored 22 points in Miami's third consecutive victory.

Source: BBC
 
Luka Doncic is one of my favorite players in NBA. He has been one of best players for the Mavericks since his joining in 2018.
 
NBA round-up: Detroit Pistons set single-season losing record with 27th straight defeat

The Detroit Pistons set a new record for the longest losing streak in an NBA season after the Brooklyn Nets inflicted their 27th straight defeat.

Detroit, who won two of their first three games of this campaign, were beaten 118-112 at home on Tuesday.

In the fourth quarter, the Pistons - led by Cade Cunningham who scored 41 points - held a 97-92 lead.

But the Nets took control with 13 unanswered points and Cameron Johnson top-scored with 24 in their win.

The Pistons face the Boston Celtics, who have the NBA's best record, in Detroit on Thursday.

Another defeat would see them draw level with the Philadelphia 76ers, who lost 28 consecutive matches across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.

Elsewhere, Andre Drummond scored 24 points and added 25 rebounds to help the Chicago Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks 118-113.

Drummond became just the sixth player to record 20-plus points and rebounds in the same NBA game this season as the Bulls claimed their fourth win in five matches.

The Memphis Grizzlies secured a fourth successive win in eight days with a 116-115 overtime victory against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Ja Morant, who returned to the Memphis squad last week following a 25-game ban for a social media post, finished with a game-high 31 points.

The score was tied at 109-109 before Jaren Jackson Jr made back-to-back two-point shots to hand Memphis a four-point lead inside the final minute.

The Orlando Magic held off a late charge by the Washington Wizards to win 127-119, with rookie Anthony Black hitting a career-high 23 points.

Franz Wagner contributed 28 points and Paolo Banchero added 24 as Orlando sealed a second victory in three days.

Eight Indiana Pacers players hit double figures as they overcame the Houston Rockets 123-117.

Tyrese Haliburton scored 33 points and dished out 10 assists for the Pacers and Myles Turner added 18 points as Houston fell to a fourth loss in six games.

Elsewhere, the San Antonio Spurs slumped to a 23rd defeat in 24 matches, losing 130-118 to the Utah Jazz, while the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 129-106.

De'Aaron Fox netted 43 points, including a career-best seven three-pointers, in a losing cause for the Sacramento Kings who were beaten 130-113 by the Portland Trail Blazers, while the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Charlotte Hornets 113-104.


BBC
 
NBA round-up: Kevin Durant triple-double as Phoenix Suns beat Houston Rockets

Kevin Durant posted 27 points and 10 rebounds in the Phoenix Suns' 129-113 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Durant matched his career-high of 16 assists to make it a triple-double, while Devin Booker added 20 points.

The defeat is the Rockets' third in four games, despite impressive performances from Alperen Sengun, with 24 points, and Jalen Green with 23.

Also on Wednesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers came back from 20 points down to beat the Dallas Mavericks 113-110.

Jarrett Allen scored 24 points and grabbed 23 rebounds for Cleveland, and Caris LeVert tallied 29 points, while Mavericks' Luka Doncic continued his fine run of form with 39 points - the third consecutive game he has reached at least that mark.

Doncic drained a three-pointer with 17.1 seconds remaining to bring the Mavs within three points, but his efforts were in vain as time expired.

Elsewhere, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 points as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Brooklyn Nets 144-122.

Seven players posted double figures to earn Milwaukee their eighth win from nine games.

The Toronto Raptors beat the Washington Wizards 132-102 to end their three-game losing run, with OG Anunoby scoring 26 points and Pascal Siakam adding a further 22 for the Raptors.

The Philadelphia 76ers toppled the Orlando Magic 112-92 with six Philadelphia players reaching double figures, including Tyrese Maxey with 23 and Tobias Harris and De'Anthony Melton adding 22 each.

Jalen Williams scored a career-high 36 points and team-mate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander matched his haul as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New York Knicks 129-120.



BBC
 
NBA round-up: Detroit Pistons equal longest losing run in history with 28th straight defeat

The Detroit Pistons equalled the longest losing run in NBA history as they were beaten by the Boston Celtics for a 28th consecutive defeat.

Detroit, who lost 128-122, matched the record set by the Philadelphia 76ers across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.

The Pistons led by 21 points at one stage against the Celtics but went on to lose in overtime.

They face the Toronto Raptors on Saturday aiming to avoid taking sole ownership of the losing record.

Detroit became the first team to lose 27 straight games in a single season when they fell to a 118-112 defeat by the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.

Aiming to avoid making more unwanted history on Thursday night, the Pistons led 66-47 at half-time but Boston wiped out that advantage in the third quarter.

And, after a score from Detroit's Bojan Bogdanovic sent the game into overtime, Derrick White scored 10 points to ensure the Celtics, who have the NBA's best record, achieved a 24th win of the season - and extended their perfect home streak to 15-0.

Elsewhere, LeBron James scored 17 points and contributed 11 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers claimed a 133-112 win against the Charlotte Hornets.

Anthony Davis top scored for the Lakers with 26 points to help his side earn only their third victory in nine games since triumphing in the NBA in-season tournament.

Nikola Jokic starred for the Denver Nuggets in a 142-105 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Jokic scored 26 points, claimed 14 rebounds and dished out 10 assists to complete his 11th triple-double of the season as the Nuggets earned a season-best sixth straight win.

Brandon Ingram scored 26 points as the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Utah Jazz 112-105, while the Indiana Pacers recovered from losing a 25-point advantage to defeat the Chicago Bulls 120-104.

The Dallas Mavericks' poor form continued in the absence of injured pair Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as they fell to a sixth defeat in nine games with a 118-110 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.



BBC
 

With 28th straight loss, Pistons tie NBA's longest losing streak of all-time. When might this slide end?​


The NBA record for most consecutive losses in a single season has officially been broken and then some. The Detroit Pistons ran their historic losing streak to 28 games with a 128-122 overtime loss to the Celtics in Boston Thursday night. With 28 straight defeats, the Pistons are now tied with the 76ers for the NBA's all-time record of consecutive losses. Unfortunately for Detroit, it compiled such an ignominious record in one season as the Sixers compiled their losses on either side of the 2014-15 and 2015-16 campaigns.

Tuesday's loss against the Nets passed the 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers and 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers for most consecutive losses in one season.

This season, the Pistons have the league's worst record at 2-29. While they've amassed a talented group of lottery picks in recent years, they've struggled to smooth out their offensive struggles. After their most recent home defeat to the Utah Jazz, fans chanted for owner Tom Gores to sell the team. He responded in an interview a few days later by saying the fans' chants were "ridiculous," while also making vague promises of change.

Let's face it. When you're 2-29, every opponent might seem like the 2015-16 Warriors. The Pistons have had multiple chances to snap their streak, having faced several teams coming off back-to-backs as well as leading by as much as 21 on Thursday against the Celtics. Moving forward, Detroit has an end of the year matchup against the Raptors for sole possession of a record that no club wants to own on the line. It represents one final chance for the Pistons to end the 2023 year on a high note and begin 2024 with a clean slate.

Source : CBS
 

NBA: Denver Nuggets' six-match winning streak ended by Oklahoma City Thunder​

Reigning NBA champions Denver Nuggets suffered their heaviest defeat of the season as they were beaten 119-93 by Oklahoma City Thunder.

It is the Nuggets' second defeat by Thunder in the space of two weeks and ends their six-match winning streak.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points for Thunder and Chet Holmgren added 24 points.

"I think we just came out a little flat," said Nuggets' Jamal Murray.

"And I think, just internally, we've got to be a little better knowing that the other team is playing hard as hell.

"We're a great team, and we normally figure it out."

Nikola Jokic had 19 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and seven turnovers for the Nuggets, but they were without forward Aaron Gordon for the second consecutive game because of hand and facial injuries sustained from dog bites.

Also on Friday, Boston Celtics' winning run at home continued as they beat Toronto Raptors 120-118.

Jaylen Brown had 31 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in the Celtics' fifth consecutive victory.

With the Raptors trailing by just three points Pascal Siakam was fouled with 1.4 seconds remaining, but his side were unable to control the rebound from his missed free throw to capitalise.

Elsewhere, Washington Wizards beat Brooklyn Nets 110-104 to earn their first win in four games.

Kyle Kuzma scored 26 points and Deni Avdija added 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Wizards.

Devin Booker, with 35, was one of four Phoenix Suns players to score at least 21 points in their 133-119 victory over Charlotte Hornets.

Kevin Durant, Jusuf Nurkic and Eric Gordon were the other contributors as the Suns secured back-to-back wins for the first time in more than a month.

Terry Rozier was the Hornets' standout performer with 42 points, one shy of his career-best, and added eight assists.

Portland Trail Blazers avenged Thursday's defeat by San Antonio Spurs to beat the same opponents 134-128 with Jerami Grant and Malcolm Brogdon scoring 27 points each.

LA Clippers played their fourth consecutive match without injured star Kawhi Leonard but still earned a 117-106 win over Memphis Grizzlies.

Clippers' Paul George scored 23 points and Ivica Zubac added 15 points with 20 rebounds.

Franz Wagner's season-high 32 points and nine rebounds helped Orlando Magic beat the New York Knicks 117-108.

Paolo Banchero also added 29 points and 10 rebounds as the Magic earned their third win in four games to recover from their previous four-game losing run.

Sacramento Kings recovered from a 23-point deficit to beat Atlanta Hawks 117-110, with De'Aaron Fox scoring 31 points, including seven three-pointers.

The return of Donovan Mitchell from illness could not save Cleveland Cavaliers from a 119-111 defeat by Milwaukee Bucks.

Mitchell contributed 34 points and nine assists but Giannis Antetokounmpo's 34 points and Damian Lillard's 31 secured Bucks' victory.

Philadelphia 76ers coped without Joel Embiid as they beat Houston Rockets 131-127, with Tyrese Maxey scoring 42 points.

Source: BBC
 

NBA: Detroit Pistons end 28-match losing streak with win over Toronto Raptors​

The Detroit Pistons narrowly avoided unwanted history as they ended their 28-match losing streak with victory over the Toronto Raptors.

Cade Cunningham scored 30 points and made 12 assists as the Pistons edged a 129-127 win - their first in the NBA since 28 October.

Their 28th defeat had equalled the longest losing run in NBA history.

A loss to the Raptors would have matched the longest losing streak in major US professional sports history.

That record is held by NFL team the Chicago Cardinals - now the Arizona Cardinals - who fell to 29 successive losses between 1942 and 1945.

In Saturday's match, Bojan Bogdanovic added 19 points for hosts the Pistons, while Jalen Duran contributed 18 points and 17 rebounds and Kevin Knox II made 17 points.

"We just kept battling," said 2021 NBA draft number one pick Cunningham. "It's been a long, long stretch - all these losses - but I'm just happy to be a part of a group of guys that don't quit and bring it every day and still stay positive and uplift each other."

He added: "It's been weighing on us heavy everywhere we go for two months, which is unreal, for it to have been that long.

"It was a long time coming, something that we've been pushing for for so long and to finally get over that hump, we're not trying to go back. Now it really begins where we see who we're going to be and if we're going to continue to play with that same fire that we've been playing with."

No win for birthday boy James
Elsewhere, it was not a happy birthday for LeBron James, whose Los Angeles Lakers lost 108-106 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

James, who turned 39, scored 26 points, with the Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards scoring 31 points in 38 minutes for the hosts.

In Indianapolis, Tyrese Haliburton became the first player in 33 years to score at least 20 points and 20 assists in consecutive games as he led the Indiana Pacers to a 140-126 win over the New York Knicks.

With his 22 points and 23 assists, he joined Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and John Stockton as only the third player in NBA history to achieve the feat.

Luka Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to a 132-122 victory over Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors, while there were wins too for the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz.

Source: BBC
 
NBA: OG Anunoby inspires New York Knicks to winning return on debut

OG Anunoby inspired the New York Knicks to a first win in four matches on his debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

London-born Anunoby, 26, who was drafted from the Toronto Raptors on 30 December, scored 17 points and made six rebounds in a 112-106 victory.

Victory moves the Knicks to 18-15 for the season, keeping them seventh in the Eastern Conference.

The Timberwolves still lead the Western Conference on 24-8.

Julius Randle also starred for the Knicks, scoring 39 points and making nine rebounds.

Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded a triple-double for the Milwaukee Bucks, but it was not enough as they lost 122-113 to the Indiana Pacers.

Antetokounmpo scored 30 points, made 18 rebounds and 11 assists, but Tyrese Haliburton (26 points) and Benedict Mathurin (25 points) inspired the Pacers to a fourth straight victory.

Elsewhere, Jordan Clarkson became the first Utah Jazz player to score a regular-season triple-double since 2008 as they cruised to a 127-90 victory against the Dallas Mavericks.

The LA Clippers also continued their hot streak as a 121-104 victory over the Miami Heat saw them record their 12th victory in 14 matches.



www.bbc.com

NBA: OG Anunoby inspires New York Knicks to winning return on debut

London-born OG Anunoby stars for the New York Knicks on his debut to record a return to winning ways against Toronto Raptors.
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NBA round-up: Stephen Curry helps Golden State Warriors end three-game losing run

Stephen Curry scored 36 points and dished out six assists as the Golden State Warriors ended a three-game losing streak by beating the Orlando Magic 121-115 in San Francisco.

Jonathan Kuminga added 19 points and Klay Thompson 15 for the Warriors who are 11th in the Western Conference.

Meanwhile, Eastern Conference leaders the Boston Celtics were beaten 127-123 at the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 36 points for the Thunder.

They are now unbeaten in five games and sit second behind the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference.

The Charlotte Hornets ended an 11-game losing run by beating the Sacramento Kings 111-104 with Terry Rozier scoring 34 points.

Joel Embiid, the NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player, returned from an 11-day injury absence to produce a triple-double of 31 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls 110-97.

Elsewhere, the New Orleans Pelicans thrashed the Brooklyn Nets 112-85 while the Memphis Grizzlies beat the San Antonio Spurs 106-98.



BBC
 
NBA fines Nets $100,000 for violating participation policy by resting 4 players

The NBA fined the Brooklyn Nets $100,000 on Thursday, marking the first time a team was sanctioned for violating the league’s player participation policy that went into effect this season.

The Nets held out four rotation players — starters Spencer Dinwiddie, Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson, along with key reserve Dorian Finney-Smith — in what became a 144-122 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 27. Three of the players Brooklyn started that night logged 12 minutes or less.

Brooklyn asserted that giving players rest on the second night of a back-to-back — at the start of a stretch where the Nets would play six times in nine days — was best for its club. But the league made clear to teams entering this season that resting multiple players, who are healthy enough to play, at once will no longer be overlooked.

“We’ve talked to all 30 teams about, ‘Hey, there is a way to rest your players,’” NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars said. “What we’ve said is sitting four or five guys at one time is not that way. So, if you want to get your players rest, there are ways to do this. But if you do it in a way where it becomes egregious in terms of sitting four or five guys at a time, that’s just not what we’re about in an 82-game league.”

The league’s investigation included a review by an independent physician. The NBA said those resting players “could have played under the medical standard in the Player Participation Policy, which was adopted prior to this season. The organization’s conduct violated the Policy, which is intended to promote player participation in the NBA’s 82-game season.”

After the game against the Bucks, Nets coach Jacque Vaughn insisted the team didn’t treat the game as if it was a meaningless preseason contest. It was the second night of a back-to-back for Brooklyn and Vaughn said he didn’t want to put any player “in harm’s way.”

“I have too much respect for the dudes that suit up and put their body on the line and the competition level to even mention the word exhibition,” Vaughn said that night.

The Nets went 0-4 on the four-game road trip that followed the game against the Bucks, losing each of those last three games by double figures. They are 2-10 in their last 12 contests to fall to 15-20 overall and ninth in the Eastern Conference. They resume play Friday at home against Oklahoma City.




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NBA fines Nets $100,000 for violating participation policy by resting 4 players

The NBA fined the Brooklyn Nets $100,000 on Thursday, marking the first time a team was sanctioned for violating the league’s player participation policy that went into effect this season.
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NBA: Nikola Jokic helps Denver Nuggets to dramatic win at Golden State Warriors

Nikola Jokic snatched a 130-127 comeback victory on the buzzer for the Denver Nuggets against the Golden State Warriors.

The Nuggets trailed by 18 points with just under seven minutes remaining but ended the game with a 25-4 scoring run.

Jokic capped a 34-point night by shooting from just beyond midcourt with 1.3 seconds on the clock to secure the win.

Denver sit third in the Western Conference with the Warriors in 11th.

Elsewhere, the Milwaukee Bucks recovered from back-to-back defeats courtesy of a 125-121 win against the San Antonio Spurs.

Giannis Antetokounmpo impressed with a game-high 44 points for the Bucks, also chipping in with 14 rebounds.

Milwaukee are second in the Eastern Conference. San Antonio, who lost a fourth successive game and have won just five of their 35 fixtures this campaign, are bottom of the West.



BBC
 

NBA round-up: Golden State Warriors' Chris Paul breaks hand in victory over Detroit Pistons​

Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul broke his hand during his team's 113-109 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Paul sustained the injury in the third quarter on Friday and was unable to return to the court, with his team later saying he needed surgery.

The 38-year-old joined the Warriors in June and is averaging 8.9 points and 7.2 assists across 32 matches this season.

"I feel so bad for Chris," said Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

"I know he's had a couple of hand surgeries before, I believe, maybe on the other hand.

"I saw him holding it and instantly was worried. So I feel terrible for Chris, but obviously guys will step up and be ready to play.

"We've got to hold down the fort without him."

The Pistons' miserable season, which included them equalling the longest losing run in NBA history, continued with this narrow defeat.

Warriors star Stephen Curry scored 14 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to help overturn the Pistons' 103-102 lead late on.

Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Lakers slumped to a fourth straight defeat with a 127-113 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Marcus Smart scored 29 points, including eight three-pointers, and Jaren Jackson Jr added 31 points as the struggling Grizzlies sealed a second win in six games.

LeBron James scored 32 points and Anthony Davis 31 but it was not enough to revive the Lakers' poor run of form which has seen them lose 10 of their past 13 games.

Paolo Banchero starred in the Orlando Magic's last-gasp 122-120 victory over defending NBA champions the Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets held an 18-point lead at the end of the third quarter but the Magic fought back, with Banchero making four free throws in the final 34.6 seconds to secure the win as he finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.

Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics thrashed the Utah Jazz 126-97, with Jayson Tatum scoring 30 points, Kristaps Porzingis adding 19 and Jrue Holiday 14.

Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns starred as the Minnesota Timberwolves sealed a thumping 122-95 win over the Houston Rockets. Edwards scored 24 points while Towns added 22 as well as eight rebounds and six assists.

The Indiana Pacers' 150-116 victory over the Atlanta Hawks included a franchise-record 50 assists, with 18 of them dished out by Tyrese Haliburton who also scored 10 points and claimed eight rebounds.

Source: BBC
 
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has had his suspension lifted by the NBA after missing 12 games.

Green was banned indefinitely for striking Phoenix Suns player Jusuf Nurkic in the face during the Warriors' 119-116 defeat in December.

The incident was the third time the 33-year-old had been ejected this season.

The NBA said Green had "completed steps that demonstrated his commitment to conforming his conduct to standards expected of NBA players".

It added: "He has engaged in meetings with a counsellor and has met jointly on multiple occasions with representatives of the NBA, the Warriors, and the National Basketball Players Association, both of which will continue throughout the season."

When Green was given his indefinite suspension, the NBA said it had given him a rare open-ended ban because of his "repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts".

He was given a five-game ban for putting Minnesota Timberwolves centre Rudy Gobert in a headlock on 14 November.

The forward was also ejected for two technical fouls against the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier in November and was suspended during the play-offs in April after stamping on Sacramento Kings player Domantas Sabonis.

In 2016 he was suspended for game five of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers for a low blow on LeBron James.

Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 48 points and registered 17 rebounds but could not stop his Milwaukee Bucks side losing 112-108 to the Houston Rockets.

Alperen Sengun, with 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Jabari Smith Jr, with 14 points and 12 rebounds, posted double-doubles for the Rockets in the victory.

Jayson Tatum registered 38 points, 13 rebounds and six assists as well as making eight of his 13 three-point attempts as he helped the Boston Celtics to a 118-101 victory against the Indiana Pacers.

NBA
 

NBA round-up: LeBron James leads Los Angeles Lakers to win over Los Angeles Clippers​

LeBron James top scored with 25 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat city rivals the Los Angeles Clippers 106-103.

Anthony Davis added 22 points as the Lakers ended a four-game losing streak.

Paul George and Ivica Zubac scored 22 points for the Clippers, who suffered their first defeat in six matches.

"If we could continue to get better with our details we could be a really good team," said James. "Tonight was a good step in the right direction."

Elsewhere, Kyrie Irving scored 35 points and Luka Doncic added 34 as the Dallas Mavericks beat Western Conference leaders the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-108.

The Timberwolves looked on course for the win when an Anthony Edwards basket put them 106-100 ahead with less than four minutes remaining.

But the Mavericks hit back with 13 unanswered points, including two three-pointers from Irving, to edge into a lead which they never relinquished.

"I was just letting him cook," Doncic said of Irving. "When he stays aggressive he's an amazing player."

RJ Barrett scored a season-high 37 points as the Toronto Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors 133-118.

Stephen Curry scored just nine points for the Warriors, making only two of his 14 shots from the field and missing all nine of his three-point attempts.

Draymond Green took part in the Warriors' pre-game walkthrough as he prepares to return to action following the lifting of his 12-game suspension for striking an opponent.

CJ McCollum top-scored with 30 points as the New Orleans Pelicans eased to a 133-100 win over the Sacramento Kings, with seven Pelicans players scoring double figures.

Victor Wembanyama scored 24 points in less than 25 minutes on court but could not prevent the San Antonio Spurs from losing 117-115 to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Jarrett Allen scored 29 points and Caris LeVert added 23 off the bench for the Cavaliers as the Spurs suffered a fifth straight defeat.

The Detroit Pistons have now lost 32 of their last 33 games, including their last 18 on the road, after they were beaten 131-114 by the Denver Nuggets.

Mikal Bridges scored 42 points for the Brooklyn Nets but could not prevent a 134-127 overtime defeat by the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Orlando Magic also needed overtime to beat the Atlanta Hawks 117-110 in Florida, while the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Phoenix Suns 121-115.

Source: BBC
 
NBA: Tyrese Haliburton injured as Indiana Pacers beat Boston Celtics

The Indiana Pacers beat NBA Eastern Conference leaders the Boston Celtics 133-131 despite losing point guard Tyrese Haliburton to injury.

Haliburton was carried off by team-mates after suffering a hamstring strain late in the second period.

Bennedict Mathurin scored 26 points off the bench for the Pacers, who trailed 68-59 at half-time.

"We lost the best player on the team, so my role was to step up and help the team win the game," Mathurin said.

"Ty was down but it felt like the team pretty much knew what to do. Everyone had to step up. If your name gets called, be ready to play."

Haliburton, who joined the Pacers from the Sacramento Kings in 2022, averaged a team-high 24.2 points and a league-high 12.7 assists in 32 games before the meeting with the Celtics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana.

Boston remain top of the Eastern Conference at 28-8, while fifth-placed Indiana improved to 21-15.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant will miss the rest of the season after injuring a shoulder in practice on Saturday.

The Grizzlies said on Monday that Morant, who missed the first 25 games of the season while serving an NBA suspension for displaying a gun on social media, will have surgery on the tear.

Paul George scored 25 points and James Harden 19 as the Los Angeles Clippers bounced back from their loss to the Los Angeles Lakers with a 138-111 home win over the Phoenix Suns.

Giannis Antetokounmpo's triple-double of 25 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds could not prevent the Milwaukee Bucks falling to a 132-116 home defeat by the Utah Jazz, their fourth loss in five games.

The Washington Wizards slipped to a fifth straight defeat, losing 136-128 at home to the Oklahoma City Thunder as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points and rookie Chet Holmgren 31.



BBC
 
NBA round-up: Desmond Bane leads injury-hit Memphis Grizzlies to win over Dallas Mavericks

Desmond Bane scored 32 points to help the injury-hit Memphis Grizzlies beat the Dallas Mavericks 120-103.

The Grizzlies went into the game without seven players including star guard Ja Morant, who will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.

That became eight when Marcus Smart was forced off with a dislocated finger, but Memphis held on for the win.

Elsewhere, Anthony Davis scored 41 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers edge the Toronto Raptors 132-131.

The lead changed hands 23 times in a thrilling encounter, but Davis scored 20 points in a decisive final quarter to help the Lakers overturn a six-point deficit and win consecutive games for the first time in over a month.

LeBron James added 22 points while five other Lakers players finished in double digits.

"All our guys came in and did a heck of a job," Davis said. "Obviously there's going to be a lot of attention on me and 'Bron and that's going to give the others a lot of open shots and open plays.

"We've just got to keep feeding them the ball, keep trusting them to keep making plays."

Western Conference leaders Minnesota Timberwolves cruised to a comfortable 113-92 win over the Orlando Magic.

The Timberwolves led by 17 points at the end of the first quarter and were 34 points ahead at one stage in a dominant performance.

Karl-Anthony Towns top-scored with 28 points, with French international Rudy Gobert adding 21 points.

The New York Knicks made it five successive wins since the signing of OG Anunoby as they beat the Portland Trail Blazers 112-84.

London-born Anunoby top-scored with 23 points, his highest tally since being drafted from the Toronto Raptors on 30 December.

The Detroit Pistons' struggles continued as they were beaten 131-110 by the Sacramento Kings for a 34th defeat of the season.



BBC
 
NBA round-up: Jayson Tatum seals overtime win for Boston Celtics against Minnesota Timberwolves

The Boston Celtics beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-120 in overtime to set a franchise record for consecutive home victories at the start of a season.

Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 45 points, including 12 in overtime, with Jaylen Brown chipping in with 35 points and 11 rebounds.

The Celtics have won 18 games in a row at TD Garden.

Boston (29-8) lead the way in the Eastern Conference with Minnesota (26-11) top of the Western Conference.

Elsewhere, the San Antonio Spurs ran out comfortable 130-108 winners against the Detroit Pistons.

Spurs' Victor Wembanyama registered the second-fastest triple-double in NBA history as he scored 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in just 21 minutes.

It is the 34th defeat in the past 35 games for Detroit and their sixth straight loss.

Jalen Johnson caught the eye for the Atlanta Hawks, scoring 25 points - seven of them in overtime - with a career-high 16 rebounds to lead his side to a 139-132 win against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Sixers have lost three in a row but remain third in the Eastern Conference, while the Hawks are 11th.

The Indiana Pacers ran out 112-104 winners against the Washington Wizards with Myles Turner scoring 18 points and 13 rebounds, while the Sacramento Kings made it back-to-back wins with a 123-98 victory against the Charlotte Hornets.

It was also a successful night for the Oklahoma City Thunder when they travelled to the Miami Heat, winning 128-120 as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points.

The Chicago Bulls recorded their second successive win in overtime when edging past the Houston Rockets 124-119.

The Golden State Warriors' form continues to be a major issue as they slumped to a sixth loss in eight games when suffering a heavy 141-105 defeat at home against the New Orleans Pelicans.



BBC
 

NBA round-up: Golden State Warriors beat Chicago Bulls 140-131​

Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry led the Golden State Warriors to a much-needed 140-131 victory against the Chicago Bulls on Friday.

The Warriors had lost their two previous games and made another sluggish start to trail the Bulls 75-62 at half-time.

But 48 points in the third quarter put Golden State in control heading into the closing stages in Chicago.

Thompson finished with 30 points and six assists and Curry added 27 points.

"I think we got off-track emotionally, spiritually, the last couple games," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

"Our fans could feel it. We got booed for the first time since I've been here, and as I said both nights, we deserved it because our energy and our competitive spirit was not there.

"We found that again tonight."

Elsewhere, San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama scored 26 points and claimed 11 rebounds as they thrashed the Charlotte Hornets 135-99.

Frenchman Wembanyama, 20, connected on nine of 14 shots inside the opening 20 minutes - including two alley-oop dunks and a one-handed jam in the second half.

Hornets' LaMelo Ball had 28 points, five assists and five steals in his first game since November after a 20-match injury absence.

In Detroit, the Houston Rockets edged past the Detroit Pistons 112-110, with Fred VanVleet scoring 17 of his 20 points in the second half.

The defeat was the Pistons' seventh in a row since they ended their record-equalling 28-game losing streak against the Toronto Raptors last month.

Also, reigning champions Denver Nuggets beat the New Orleans Pelicans 125-113 thanks to Nikola Jokic's 12th triple-double of the season and the 10th of his career.

The Serb, who is a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, scored 27 points with 10 rebounds and 14 assists.

BBC Sport

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NBA round-up: Golden State Warriors beat Chicago Bulls 140-131

Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry help the Golden State Warriors to a much-needed 140-131 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
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NBA round-up: Draymond Green booed on return for Golden State Warriors against Memphis Grizzlies​

Draymond Green was booed on his return from suspension in the Golden State Warriors' defeat by the Memphis Grizzlies.

Green, 33, was banned last month after striking an opponent in the face and has missed the Warriors' past 16 games.

He came off the bench during Tuesday's visit to Memphis and was jeered by the crowd as he stepped on to court.

Green finished with seven points, seven rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes as the Warriors were beaten 116-107.

The forward was banned indefinitely for striking Phoenix Suns player Jusuf Nurkic in December - the third time Green had been ejected this season.

But his suspension was lifted earlier this month with the NBA saying Green had "completed steps that demonstrated his commitment to conforming his conduct to standards expected" although he still missed four more matches.

"Draymond played well, played hard. It's good to have him back," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

"Obviously as a team we didn't play well, but Draymond competed and it's good to get him back in the fold."

Meanwhile, Joel Embiid returned from three games out injured by scoring 41 points and grabbing 10 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Houston Rockets 124-115.

It was the 17th game in a row Embiid has scored 30-plus points while he has now scored 40 or more seven times this season.

The 76ers are third in the Eastern Conference but Eastern leaders the Boston Celtics also won again, beating the Toronto Raptors 105-96.

Kyrie Irving scored 42 points while Tim Hardaway Jr made nine three-pointers in a 41-point haul as the Dallas Mavericks beat the New Orleans Pelicans 125-120.

Elsewhere, Trae Young scored the 10,000th point of his career as the Atlanta Hawks beat the San Antonio Spurs 109-99, the Orlando Magic edged past the New York Knicks 98-94 and the Miami Heat overcame the Brooklyn Nets 96-95 in overtime.

The Detroit Pistons beat the Washington Wizards 129-117 for their fourth win of the campaign, the Cleveland Cavaliers eased past the Chicago Bulls 109-91, and the Utah Jazz thrashed the Indiana Pacers 132-105.

Source: BBC
 
Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic has died at the age of 46 after suffering a heart attack, the NBA team has confirmed.

Serbian Milojevic fell ill at a private team dinner on Tuesday and was taken to hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Warriors said, external that "despite life-saving efforts", Milojevic passed away late on Wednesday morning.


BBC
 
OKC Thunder’s Josh Giddey won’t face charges as police close investigation

The Newport Beach, California, police department said Wednesday that it was “unable to corroborate any criminal activity” in its investigation into an accusation that Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey had an improper relationship with an underage girl.

The department said in a news release that it has completed “a thorough and exhaustive examination”.

In a since-deleted post, an anonymous social media user said in November a girl who is seen with Australian in videos and photographs was a high school junior at the time. Giddey turned 21 in October.

The NBA also started an investigation, but commissioner Adam Silver said last month that the league’s probe would take a backseat to the criminal investigation. The league did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

Giddey also has not commented on the issue, and the Thunder did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.

Giddey has played throughout the investigations. He largely has been cheered at home and jeered throughout road games. He is averaging 11.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for an Oklahoma City team that is off to a 27-13 start, second-best in the Western Conference.

Giddey was the No 6 overall pick in the 2021 draft and was named to the All-Rookie second team during the 2021-22 season. Last season, he averaged 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists. At the World Cup this past summer, he averaged a team-high 19.4 points for an Australia team that went 3-2.
​
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
 

NBA round-up: Denver Nuggets end Boston Celtics' unbeaten home start​

Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray combined for 69 points as the Denver Nuggets halted Boston's unbeaten home start to the season with a 102-100 win.

The NBA champions ended their rivals' 27-game streak, which stretched back to last season with a 20-0 record this season.

Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.

Murray led the Nuggets' scoring with 35 points from 15 of 21 shooting.

"During the season you've got to find ways of motivating yourself and your team, and them not having a loss at home really motivated us," he said.

"We just wanted to come here and bring the right energy regardless.

"[It's] just a lot of fun when it gets competitive and physical like that. Just a really good win on the road."

Derrick White led Boston's scoring with 24 points while Jayson Tatum added 22 and Kristaps Porzingis 21.

The Celtics had a 12-point lead during the second quarter but Denver edged ahead 99-98 with three minutes and 36 seconds remaining.

Tatum missed an opportunity to tie the game late on and the Nuggets held on for victory.

Elsewhere, Devin Booker hit 52 points as the Phoenix Suns beat the New Orleans Pelicans 123-109.

The Suns point guard had three-pointers as he hit 18 of 30 from the field, while Kevin Durant added 26 points for the Suns with Bradley Beal scoring 13.

The Los Angeles Lakers' revival came to an end with the 17-time NBA champions thumped 130-112 by the Brooklyn Nets.

The struggling Lakers had back-to-back wins over Oklahoma City and Dallas this week suggesting they might have turned a corner, but Cam Thomas led the Nets scoring with 33 off the bench, including four three-pointers.

Anthony Davis and LeBron James led the Lakers scoring with 26 and 24 points respectively.

And reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid made it 19 straight games with 30 points or more, hitting 36 points as the Philadelphia 76ers cruised past the Orlando Magic 124-109.

Source: BBC
 
Damian Lillard scored a season-high 45 points and the visiting Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Detroit Pistons 141-135 Saturday afternoon.

Lillard also supplied 11 assists and six rebounds, while Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Brook Lopez contributed 19 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Khris Middleton chipped in 17 points.

The Bucks have won 20 of the past 21 regular-season meetings, including the past eight matchups. They'll hold a rematch Monday in Detroit.

Alec Burks led Detroit with 33 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Ausar Thompson had 22 points and nine rebounds for the Pistons, Bojan Bogdanovic tossed in 19 points and Jaden Ivey added 18 points and six assists.

Detroit led most of the first half but a Lillard 3-pointer in the closing seconds provided the Bucks a 70-67 halftime advantage.

Lillard finished the half with 17 points, while Lopez had 16. Antetokounmpo was limited to eight points, as he missed six of his eight free-throw attempts.

Antetokounmpo opened the second half with a dunk. Lillard drained a wide-open 3-pointer to give Milwaukee a nine-point lead, 80-71, and prompt Detroit coach Monty Williams to call timeout.

Milwaukee soon nudged the advantage to 11 points but the Pistons answered with a 7-0 run, including five points from Ivey.

Lillard had 12 points in the last 2:32 of the third but the Bucks still led by only five, 103-98, entering the fourth. Burks kept it close with five points in the final minute of the quarter.

After a Middleton basket opened the fourth, the Pistons took the lead with an 8-0 run, including two Mike Muscala 3-pointers.

Burks made four consecutive free throws to give Detroit a 119-115 lead. A three-point play by Antetokounmpo gave the Bucks a 122-121 lead midway through the quarter. He added a layup with 4:40 remaining to stretch the advantage to five points.

Lillard made a steal and converted a three-point play with 2:11 left to make it 134-126. He added two free throws with a minute to go for a 138-130 lead.

Source: Reuters

 
Joel Embiid became only the ninth player in NBA history to score 70 or more points in a game as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the San Antonio Spurs 133-123.

His tally of 70 points beat the franchise record of 68, held by the legendary Wilt Chamberlain since 1967.

Embiid also made a career-high 18 rebounds and contributed five assists.


BBC
 
The New Orleans Pelicans scored a franchise-record points total in their 153-124 victory over the Utah Jazz.

CJ McCollum registered 33 points as Herbert Jones Jr scored 22 points and Brandon Ingram added 18.

The Pelicans' previous points record was set in a 149-129 victory over the Sacramento Kings in 2018.

Elsewhere, Jalen Williams scored with two seconds remaining to give Oklahoma City Thunder a 111-109 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Thunder with 33 points and 10 assists, and his side sit top of the Western Conference with a 30-13 record this season.

However, ESPN reported, external that the Trail Blazers are filing an appeal against the result for not being granted a timeout before a decisive turnover with 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

It was Portland's sixth loss in eight games and they managed just 43 points in the second half.

Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists - his second career triple double - in the Los Angeles Clippers' 127-116 victory over city rivals the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers were without LeBron James through an ankle injury and are 8-14 since winning the NBA in-season tournament in early December, while the Clippers move to 28-14 with a three-match win streak.

Nikola Jokic scored 31 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists to register his 13th triple-double of the season as the Denver Nuggets beat the Indiana Pacers 114-109.

BBC Sport

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NBA: New Orleans Pelicans score franchise-record points total

The New Orleans Pelicans score a franchise-record points total in their 153-124 victory over the Utah Jazz.
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NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo leads Milwaukee Bucks to win in first game after coach Adrian Griffin sacked

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 35 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to victory in their first game since dismissing head coach Adrian Griffin.

Antetokounmpo had his seventh triple-double of the season, racking up 18 rebounds and 10 assists as the Bucks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 126-116.

Griffin was sacked on Tuesday despite a 30-13 record - the second best in the NBA.

The Bucks are set to appoint Doc Rivers, external as Griffin's successor.

Griffin succeeded Mike Budenholzer in June after the Bucks, the 2021 NBA champions, were dumped out of the first round of last season's play-offs.

The Bucks made a blockbuster trade for Damian Lillard in September, adding the star point guard to a roster that includes Antetokounmpo, a two-time Most Valuable Player.

Rivers was sacked by the Philadelphia 76ers in May with the team having lost in the Conference semi-finals in each of his three seasons in charge.


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NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo leads Milwaukee Bucks to win in first game after coach Adrian Griffin sacked

Giannis Antetokounmpo scores 35 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to victory in their first game since dismissing head coach Adrian Griffin.
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Luka Doncic equalled the fourth-highest scoring performance in NBA history with 73 points as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Atlanta Hawks.

The 24-year-old Slovenian broke the Mavericks' record score of 60 he set against the New York Knicks in 2022.

Only the legendary Wilt Chamberlain (100 and 78) and Kobe Bryant (78) have scored more in 77 years of the NBA.

"It was just exciting. Sometimes I couldn't believe it," Doncic said after the Mavericks' 148-143 victory.

Doncic notched 10 rebounds and seven assists. He connected on 25 of 33 shots from the floor - including eight three-pointers - and made 15 of his 16 free throws.
 
LeBron James edges out Steph Curry as LA Lakers win thriller against Golden State Warriors

LeBron James helped the Los Angeles Lakers to a thrilling 145-144 overtime win against the Golden State Warriors as he secured bragging rights over Steph Curry.

James, the oldest player in the NBA at 39, scored 36 points plus a career-high 20 rebounds and 12 assists.

James secured victory by sinking his two free throws with just a second remaining on the clock.

Curry managed a game-high 46 points and seven assists on the losing side.

Four-time MVP James acknowledged his duel with Curry was one he would look back fondly on when his career is over.

"Steph came to me after the game and said 'how does it keep getting better?'" James said.

"It's something that you will truly take all in when you are done playing.

"When you are able to watch with your grandkids and say that I played against one of the best ever to play this game."

The Warriors grabbed a one-point lead thanks to a superb 28-foot, three-point jumper from Curry with 5.2 seconds left.

Klay Thompson took the game into the second period of overtime after his 25-foot three pointer with seven seconds remaining before James had the final word.

MVP Embiid sits out as Nuggets beat 76ers

NBA defending champions Denver Nuggets clinched a 111-105 win over Philadelphia 76ers, who were without star centre Joel Embiid.

Embiid became one of only 10 players in NBA history to score 70 or more points in a game when the 76ers beat the San Antonio Spurs 133-123 last week.

Reigning MVP Embiid went through his pre-match warm-up but was withdrawn by the team's medical staff with soreness in his knee.

It was the 11th game Embiid has missed this season, and he can only afford to sit out six more to remain eligible for the league's awards, including MVP.

Two-time MVP winner Nikola Jokic top scored with 26 points and 16 rebounds for the Nuggets, while Jamal Murray added 23 points.

BBC
 
BBL Trophy final: Cheshire Phoenix 98-82 London Lions - Cheshire claim sixth crown


Cheshire Phoenix produced a blistering second-half display to brush aside London Lions in the BBL Trophy final for the second time in three seasons.

After suffering last-gasp heartbreak in the 2023 final, Phoenix produced a stellar final 20 minutes to claim their sixth crown.

Phoenix point guard Laquincy Rideau had 25 points as the Trophy final returned to Birmingham for the first time since 2002.

Lions have lost four of five finals.



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BBL Trophy final: Cheshire Phoenix 98-82 London Lions - Cheshire claim sixth crown

Cheshire Phoenix bounce back from 2023 heartbreak by winning the BBL Trophy final against London Lions
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NBA: Nikola Jokic dominates as Denver ruin Doc Rivers' debut as Milwaukee coach​

Nikola Jokic claimed his 14th triple-double of the season as the Denver Nuggets spoiled Doc Rivers' debut as head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Serbian centre finished with 25 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists in the 113-107 victory.

His 119th triple-double in regular season matches is the fourth-highest in NBA history.

Rivers has taken over at the Bucks after the club fired first-year coach Adrian Griffin on 23 January.

The Bucks, went 2-1 under interim coach Joe Prunty before Rivers' opening game in charge were led by 29 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo, while Damian Lillard finished with 18 points. Jamal Murray had 35 for the winners.

Despite the loss, Rivers was encouraged by Milwaukee's performance.

"Overall I was very happy," he said. "That fight is there. That's something really encouraging moving forward."

In the top-of-the-table clash in the Western Conference, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 37-point display was in vain as the Oklahoma City Thunder fell 107-101 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The two sides went into Monday's game with identical 32-14 records having spent most of the season battling it out for first place in the West.

The game had 24 lead changes before Minnesota pulled away in the closing stages, outscoring the Thunder 34-24 in the fourth quarter.

Anthony Edwards topped the Wolves scoring with 27 points while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21. All five Minnesota starters finished in double digits.

Elsewhere, the Boston Celtics bounced back from their heavy defeat by the Los Angeles Clippers with a 118-112 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Celtics, who are top of the Eastern Conference, improved to 36-11 for the season courtesy of 28 points from Jayson Tatum, with Jaylen Brown adding 22 and Jrue Holiday 20.

Source: BBC
 
NBA: Golden State Warriors beat Philadelphia 76ers as Stephen Curry scores 37 points

Stephen Curry scored 37 points to help the Golden State Warriors to a 119-107 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

It was the sixth straight game in which Curry, 35, scored at least 25 points, and third in a row in which he made six or more three-pointers.

Defeat was the fourth in a row for the 76ers, who lost Joel Embiid, last season's Most Valuable Player in the NBA, to a knee injury.

He will have a scan after limping off in the fourth quarter in California.

Seven-time NBA champions Golden State, whose assistant coach Dejan Milojevic died at the age of 46 this month, are 12th in the Western Conference with a 20-24 record.

"It's been an emotional ride for the whole team this whole year," Curry said.

"We have talked about the self-inflicted wounds - we lost games we should have won - [and] have had some things off the court in our family, dealing with that.

"There's always a sense of desperation for us. The vibes are as positive as they can be."

Embiid, who missed the 76ers' past two games with knee and Achilles soreness, left the court at Chase Center after Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga fell on his left knee as they contested a loose ball.

The 76ers are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 29-17 record.

The Boston Celtics let slip a 20-point lead before recovering to beat the Indiana Pacers129-124 in Boston.

The Los Angeles Lakers, without the injured Anthony Davis, suffered a second defeat in two days as they lost 138-122 at the Atlanta Hawks to leave them ninth in the Western Conference.

"We can, on any given night, beat any team in the NBA, and then on any given night we can get our ass kicked by any team in the NBA," said Lakers forward LeBron James.

The New York Knicks extended their winning streak to eight games with a 118-103 victory over the Utah Jazz at Madison Square Garden, while the Toronto Raptors came back from a 16-point first-half deficit to triumph 118-107 at the Chicago Bulls.


BBC
 
NBA: Kevin Durant shines as Phoenix Suns beat Brooklyn Nets 136-120

Kevin Durant's 33 points inspired the Phoenix Suns to a 136-120 victory on his return to the Brooklyn Nets.

Two-time NBA champion Durant, who requested a trade to the Suns last season, was cheered when a tribute video was shown before the game but booed once the match started.

He also made eight assists, five rebounds and two blocks at Barclays Center in New York.

"Even though I love these people here, I love to shut them up," he said.

Durant spent more than than three years at the Nets before joining the Suns in January 2023 as part of a trade in which Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and four first-round picks left Phoenix.

Durant shared a brief embrace with Nets coach Jacque Vaughn and several former team-mates after the game.

Jusuf Nurkic scored 28 points and Devin Booker 22 for the Suns, who denied the Nets a third straight win.

The Suns are sixth in the Western Conference and the Nets 11th in the Eastern.

Anfernee Simons scored 24 points as the Portland Trail Blazers spoiled Damian Lillard's return with a 119-116 home win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Kawhi Leonard contributed 31 points and nine rebounds before sitting out the fourth quarter as the Los Angeles Clippers won 125-109 at the Washington Wizards.

Donovan Mitchell scored 20 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter to help the Cleveland Cavaliers see off the Detroit Pistons 128-121.

Coby White scored 35 points as the Chicago Bulls beat the Charlotte Hornets 117-110, while Jimmy Butler's 31 points led the Miami Heat to a 115-106 win over the Sacramento Kings that ended a seven-game losing streak.

The Oklahoma City Thunder triumphed 105-100 over the Denver Nuggets thanks to 34 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Orlando Magic beat the San Antonio Spurs 108-98, the Minnesota Timberwolves claimed a 121-87 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, and the New Orleans Pelicans ended a three-game losing run by overcoming the Houston Rockets 110-99.


BBC
 

NBA: Domantas Sabonis breaks Sacramento Kings record with 30th double-double​

Domantas Sabonis posted a 30th double-double in a row to help the Sacramento Kings beat the Indiana Pacers 133-122.

The Lithuanian claimed 26 points and 11 rebounds in Indianapolis to break Oscar Robertson's Kings record, external of 29 double-doubles in an NBA season.

Robertson still holds the longest overall double-double streak for the franchise with 31.

Trae Young scored 32 points and had 15 assists as the Atlanta Hawks beat the Phoenix Suns 129-120 in Atlanta.

Young, who has scored at least 30 points in 20 games this season, also recorded his 30th double-double of the campaign.

Nikola Jokic recorded 27 points, 22 rebounds and 12 assists to help the Denver Nuggets to a 120-108 home win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook became only the 25th NBA player to reach 25,000 career points, scoring 23 off the bench in a 136-125 victory at the Detroit Pistons.

Zion Williamson scored with four seconds remaining to give the New Orleans Pelicans a dramatic 114-113 win at the San Antonio Spurs.

Williamson finished with 33 points and eight rebounds, while Victor Wembanyama scored 16 points and made 14 rebounds for the Spurs.

Source: BBC
 
Stephen Curry scored 60 points for only the second time in his NBA career - but the Golden State Warriors lost 141-134 in overtime to the Atlanta Hawks.

The Hawks' Dejounte Murray scored from 14 feet with 4.6 seconds left to tie the game at 123-123 in regulation time.

Curry, who registered 62 against the Portland Trail Blazers in 2021, scored eight points in overtime, but in vain.

Meanwhile, LeBron James scored 24 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New York Knicks 113-105.

James posted an hourglass on social media, external on 31 January to raise speculation he could be traded before this Thursday's deadline.

The 39-year-old then missed a win against the Boston Celtics because of an ankle injury before his agent told ESPN, external that his client would not be traded and "we aren't asking to be".

James returned to action against the Knicks, whose nine-game winning run was ended by defeat against a Lakers side who outscored them 33-19 in the fourth quarter.

"We just turned up our defensive intensity," said James. "We were really on point and on time with our doubles, with our hits, with our rotations."

Source: BBC Sport

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NBA: Stephen Curry scores 60 points but Golden State Warriors lose to Atlanta Hawks

Stephen Curry scores 60 points for only the second time in his NBA career - but his Golden State Warriors side lose 141-134 in overtime to the Atlanta Hawks.
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Joel Embiid injury: 76ers centre to miss NBA All-Star game after knee surgery, ending MVP hopes

Philadelphia 76ers centre Joel Embiid has undergone knee surgery, ending his hopes of retaining the NBA's Most Valuable Player award.

Embiid, 29, will miss at least four weeks of action following surgery.

He is the reigning MVP but needs to play a minimum of 65 matches this season to retain that title, which is now impossible with this absence.

The Cameroonian will miss what would have been his seventh straight All-Star game on Sunday, 18 February.

After injuring his left knee in last Wednesday's 119-107 defeat to Golden State Warriors, Embiid had an MRI scan that revealed the knee issue.

He has already missed 15 of the 76ers' 49 matches so far.

Four weeks out would see Embiid miss a further 11 matches, taking the maximum number of regular-season matches he can play in to 56.

The centre was named MVP for the 2022-23 season after averaging 33.1 points per game.

He is the leading NBA points-scorer this season, averaging 35.3 points per game and more than one point per minute.

That record had him on course to become only the second player in NBA history, after Wilt Chamberlain in 1961-62, to average at least 35 points, 10 rebounds and five assists per game across a full season.

The 76ers have a record of 26 wins and eight defeats in 23-24 when Embiid has played, but only four wins and 11 defeats when he has been absent.


BBC
 
The Golden State Warriors won successive NBA road games for the first time since November against a Philadelphia 76ers side struggling without Joel Embiid.

The Warriors' 127-104 victory was the 76ers' seventh defeat in eight matches.

Cameroon's Embiid, the NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player, missed his fourth straight game and is out for at least another four weeks after knee surgery.

Andrew Wiggins top scored for Golden State with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Klay Thompson and Jonathan Kuminga each added 18 points for the Warriors who secured their fourth win in five games - including a 109-98 victory at the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.

Two-time MVP Stephen Curry managed just nine points in 25 minutes of action as Wiggins praised the collective effort of his team-mates.

"It's coming together. Tonight was a mindset of being aggressive," Wiggins said.

"It's a team effort. We're all a factor offensively and defensively, getting into it [and] stuck to the gameplan."

Elsewhere, the Boston Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks 125-117, the Toronto Raptors clinched a 123-117 win over the Charlotte Hornets while the Cleveland Cavaliers triumphed 114-106 against the Washington Wizards.

The Miami Heat ran out 116-104 winners over the San Antonio Spurs, the New Orleans Pelicans beat the LA Clippers 117-106 and the Detroit Pistons cruised to a 133-120 success over the Sacramento Kings.

Source: BBC

www.bbc.co.uk

NBA: Philadelphia 76ers struggle without Joel Embiid in defeat by Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors win successive NBA road games for the first time since November against a Philadelphia 76ers side struggling without Joel Embiid.
www.bbc.co.uk
 
Ireland women's basketball team refused to shake hands with Israel before their EuroBasket 2025 qualifier in Riga.

Israel player Dor Saar said on Wednesday that the Ireland team is "quite anti-Semitic".

Basketball Ireland said the comments were "inflammatory and wholly inaccurate".

Ireland players also lined up for their anthem beside the team's bench rather than the centre of the court before the game, which Israel won 87-57.

Basketball Ireland said in a statement before the start of the match that the team would not take part in "traditional pre-match arrangements".

In the lead-up to the game Israel coach Sharon Drucker said Ireland "did not respect" what the game symbolises after Irish players expressed concern about playing.

Basketball Ireland has reported Saar's comments to basketball's governing body Fiba Europe.

The match, which was moved to Riga because of the ongoing war in Gaza, went ahead despite Basketball Ireland facing pressure to boycott the fixture.


BBC
 
The Bulls might be one of the worst run sports teams in the world LMAO. Not making any moves before the deadline with this dump of a roster is unbelievably stupid.
 
Warriors’ Stephen Curry hits stunning three with 0.7 seconds left to beat Suns

Stephen Curry made a three-pointer with 0.7 seconds left and the Golden State Warriors beat the Phoenix Suns 113-112 on Saturday night for their sixth victory in seven games.

With the Warriors down 112-110 and 3.3 seconds to play, Curry caught the inbounds pass from Brandin Podziemski, turned and hit a 33-footer for his ninth three-pointer of the night. He had 30 points.

Devin Booker led Phoenix with 32 points, and Kevin Durant had 24. The Suns had two chances after Curry’s three-pointer, but Booker was fouled under the basket and the first and Durant couldn’t get a shot off on the second.

Golden State avoided being swept by the Suns in the season series to get back to .500 for the first time since 25 December. The Warriors also are back in the playoff picture, sliding ahead of idle Utah for the 10th seed in the West ahead of a game at the Jazz on Monday night.

The two teams went back-and-forth in the clutch, neither gaining much separation. The Warriors led 84-82 entering the fourth quarter. Booker gave the Suns a 112-110 lead with 35 seconds remaining on a turnaround jumper.

Jonathan Kuminga added 21 points for Golden State. Draymond Green had 15 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

Golden State led 47-40 in the second quarter before the Suns went on a 12-0 run, taking the lead on a three-point play by Durant. The Warriors answered with a spurt by Kuminga – who led Golden State with 13 points at halftime – to take a 59-58 advantage into the break.

Royce O’Neale, acquired at the trade deadline, made his debut for the Suns, scoring three points. David Roddy, Phoenix’s other deadline acquisition, did not play.

Gary Payton, who missed the last 16 games with a left hamstring strain, returned to for the Warriors. He had 11 points.

Green, who had stayed clear of technical fouls since returning from an indefinite suspension in January, picked up a technical while arguing for a foul call after making a layup in the third quarter.

Green also exchanged words and taunts throughout the game with Suns center Jusuf Nurkic, who was hit in the face by Green on 12 December leading to Green’s suspension.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
 
The Memphis Grizzlies lost to one of the worst teams in the NBA on Saturday night, while the New Orleans Pelicans escaped another bottom feeder in the Portland Trail Blazers.

The two Southwest Division rivals will meet Monday night in Memphis as the Grizzlies try to rebound from a 115-106 loss at Charlotte.

The Hornets, who have the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference, took advantage of a short-handed Memphis team to end a 10-game losing streak, leaving the Grizzlies' eight-game losing streak as the longest in the league.
 
Basketball Ireland placed in 'difficult situation' over Israel fixture

The International Basketball Federation has been asked to make decisions over future EuroBasket matches after Ireland were placed "in a difficult situation" for Thursday's qualifier with Israel.

Basketball Ireland were facing pressure to boycott over the Israel-Gaza war.

The game went ahead but Ireland refused to shake hands with Israel and lined up for the pre-match anthem beside the team's bench, rather than on the court.

"Nobody wants to be in that position," said Basketball Ireland's John Feehan.

When asked to reflect on the controversy, chief executive Feehan, who said the Irish team would face heavy fines and expulsion from the competition if the team boycotted their fixtures with Israel, said he felt "we have done what is right for the sport".


www.bbc.com

Basketball Ireland placed in 'difficult situation' over Israel fixture

Fiba is asked to make decisions over EuroBasket matches after Ireland were placed "in a difficult situation" for Thursday's qualifier against Israel, says Basketball Ireland's chief.
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NBA: Jayson Tatum leads Boston Celtics to narrow win over Miami Heat​

Jayson Tatum starred for the Boston Celtics as they held off a fightback by the Miami Heat to win a feisty encounter 110-106.

Boston had a 15-point lead cut to two with less than two minutes remaining but dug in to extend their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference.

Tatum was one assist shy of a triple-double as he finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

Kristaps Porzingis added 25 points while Tyler Herro scored 24 for Miami.

Boston star Jaylen Brown and Miami's Duncan Robinson clashed in the fourth period and exchanged heated words before Brown was assessed a flagrant foul.

A three-pointer from Herro then got Miami - who shocked the Celtics in last year's Eastern Conference Finals - back to within two at 106-104 with 1:49 remaining but Tatum and Porzingis sealed the win from the free-throw line.

Elsewhere, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander exploded for 38 points and Jalen Williams added 32 as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Sacramento Kings 127-113.

The win ended a two-game losing streak for the Thunder and moves them up to third in the Western Conference, half a game back from leaders the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Kings, for whom center Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double of 21 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists, stay in the play-in places as they sit seventh in the West.

Source: BBC
 
It was a very good match to watch and I believe Celtics deserved their hard fought win.
 
Simply Amazing!

========
Victor Wembanyama posted a remarkable triple-double of 27 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocks as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Toronto Raptors 122-99.

The 20-year-old rookie had the most blocks by any NBA player since Clint Capela in January 2021.

Wembanyama is just the fifth player in NBA history with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks in a game.

He joins legends Hakeem Olajuwon, Ralph Sampson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and former Spurs star David Robinson on that list.

"It's getting harder to block shots - I had to make an extra effort because less and less people go at me," Wembanyama said.

"Intimidation, I can see it happening."

The 7ft 4in Frenchman, who was the number one pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, also made five assists in a dominant performance while team-mate Devin Vassell scored 25 points as San Antonio ended a seven-game losing streak.

Gradey Dick, another first-year player, top-scored for Toronto with 18 points.

Elsewhere, the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Clippers 121-100 in crunch game at the top of the Western Conference.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points and Anthony Edwards 23 as the conference leaders claimed a convincing win in California.

Injury-hit defending champions the Denver Nuggets lost 112-95 at the Milwaukee Bucks with two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring 36 points and securing 18 rebounds.

The Philadelphia 76ers ended the Cleveland Cavaliers' winning streak at nine games with a dramatic 123-121 win that saw Kelly Oubre score 24 points and with one second remaining block Donovan Mitchell's lay-up, which would have sent the game into overtime.

The New York Knicks suffered a painful defeat by the Houston Rockets after a foul by Jalen Brunson with 0.3 seconds left gave Aaron Holiday three free-throws to win the game. He hit the first two to put the hosts 105-103 up and intentionally missed the third to use up the remaining time.

Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry led the Golden State Warriors to a 129-107 win at the Utah Jazz. Luka Doncic's 26-point triple-double helped the Dallas Mavericks beat the Washington Wizards 112-104, while the Charlotte Hornets triumphed 111-102 over the Indiana Pacers.

The Chicago Bulls' DeMar DeRozan and Ayo Dosunmu each scored 29 points in their 136-126 victory at the Atlanta Hawks and the New Orleans Pelicans won 96-87 at the Memphis Grizzlies.

Source: BBC
 
NBA: Jayson Tatum dazzles in 41-point performance as Boston Celtics beat Brooklyn Nets

Jayson Tatum scored 41 points in a dazzling display as the Boston Celtics beat the Brooklyn Nets 118-110 to extend their lead at the top of the NBA's Eastern Conference.

The Boston star also claimed 14 rebounds and five assists to help the Celtics to a fifth straight win to take them to 42-12 on the season.

Jaylen Brown added 19 points, with 16 each for Al Horford and Derrick White.

Boston are now six games clear at the top of the East.

Tatum scored 31 of his points in the first half and the Celtics led by as many as 23 in the third quarter before Brooklyn fought back in the fourth to make a game of it.

Meanwhile, an under-strength Miami Heat thrashed the Milwaukee Bucks 123-97 in Wisconsin.

Miami were without Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier and Josh Richardson but shot brilliantly from three-point range, making 19 out of 40 from beyond the arc, to cruise to victory.

Nicola Jovic top-scored with 24 and Duncan Robinson made six threes in a 23-point performance.

The Bucks stay third in the East with the Heat seventh, half a game out of the play-off places.

Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were in fine form once again as Oklahoma City Thunder claimed a comfortable 127-113 win over Orlando Magic.

Orlando led by 11 in the first quarter but the Thunder responded and 33 points for Williams and 32 for NBA Most Valuable Player candidate Gilgeous-Alexander led them to a convincing victory.

Minnesota Timberwolves stay a game ahead of Oklahoma City at the top of Western Conference, though, after Anthony Edwards' 41 points took them to a 121-109 triumph at the Portland Trail Blazers.

Kevin Durant scored 28 points as the Phoenix Suns won an exciting back-and-forth contest against the Sacramento Kings 130-125.

The lead changed hands 17 times - but despite De'Aaron Fox scoring 40 and a 35-point triple-double for Domantas Sabonis for the Kings, Phoenix came out on top.

Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Lakers secured a straightforward 125-111 win over the struggling Detroit Pistons, with LeBron James scoring 25 points for the hosts.


BBC
 
Detroit Pistons player Isaiah Stewart was arrested for assault after punching Phoenix Suns' Drew Eubanks before their teams played on Wednesday.

Police said Stewart, 22, was "issued a citation and released" while detectives continue to investigate the incident.

The two players clashed in the parking lot at the Footprint Arena in Phoenix.


BBC
 

NBA: Klay Thompson comes off the bench for first time in 12 years to score season-high 35 points​

Klay Thompson scored a season-high 35 points in his first appearance from the bench in 12 years as the Golden State Warriors beat the Utah Jazz 140-137.

Thompson, 34, had not been left out of the starting line-up since he was a rookie with Golden State in 2012 - a run of 727 regular-season starts.

He also became the 153rd player in NBA history to reach 15,000 career points.

"Klay coming off the bench gives us a lot of firepower," coach Steve Kerr said.

"We'll give it a little look and see where it goes from there.

"He handled everything beautifully. The way he came out, determined and competitive, that's not easy, to come off the bench for the first time in [more than] 11 years. It's difficult.

"But Klay is a champion. He's one of the most competitive people I've ever met. He responded accordingly and played a great game."

Introduced seven minutes into the first quarter, Thompson scored 17 points in 12 minutes to give Golden State an 84-71 lead at half-time.

He is the sixth player in Warriors franchise history to reach the milestone of 15,000 points, joining Stephen Curry, Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry, Paul Arizin and Chris Mullin.

"Throughout the game, when I'm running with the second unit, I realised I might be more of a focal point to the offense," Thompson said.

"That's a fun role to play. I just wanted to take it upon myself to prove to coach [Steve Kerr] that I was going to respond like the champ I am."

The Warriors sit 10th in the Western Conference after bouncing back from defeat at home against the Los Angeles Clippers, while the Jazz are 11th and have lost four games in succession.

Elsewhere, the Memphis Grizzlies claimed a shock 113-110 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Ziaire Williams scored a career-high 27 points and rookie GG Jackson, 19, chipped in with 27 from the bench to help the Grizzlies, placed 13th in the Western Conference, to prevail against a Bucks side sitting third in the Eastern.

"It's the best I've ever shot in my life," Jackson said. "Once you have your jump shot, it opens everything else."

There was further misery for the Portland Trail Blazers on home territory as the Minnesota Timberwolves recorded a 128-91 win.

Minnesota's Anthony Edwards scored 34 points to extend the Trail Blazers' losing streak to six.

Source: BBC
 
NBA: Damian Lillard named All-Star Game MVP in record East win over West

Damian Lillard was named the NBA All-Star Game's Most Valuable Player after helping the Eastern Conference beat the Western Conference 211-186.

The Milwaukee Bucks guard scored 39 points, including 11 three-pointers, in Indianapolis.

The East's points tally was a record in an All-Star Game, surpassing the 196 scored by the West in 2016.

"It's an honour," said 33-year-old Lillard on winning the Kobe Bryant MVP Trophy.

"I've been here quite a few times, so to have this kind of accomplishment is special."

Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown contributed 36 points and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton 32 for the East, who were the home side.

Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves scored 50 for the West.

The total of 397 points in the 73rd All-Star Game broke the record of 374 set in 2017.

La Lakers' LeBron James, 39, took part in a record 20th All-Star Game but, because of an ankle injury, played only 14 minutes for the West and scored eight points.

It was reported that the Golden State Warriors tried to acquire James, external before the trade deadline on 14 February.

"I am a Laker and I'm happy and been very happy being a Laker the last six years and hopefully it stays that way," he before the game.

"But I don't have the answer to how long it is or which uniform I'll be in. Hopefully [it] is with the Lakers. It's a great organisation - so many greats. But we'll see."



BBC
 
All star weekend was pretty boring this year tbh. The Sabrina vs. Steph matchup was the highlight though
 

NBA: LeBron James stars as Los Angeles Lakers beat Victor Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs​

LeBron James scored 30 points on his return for the Los Angeles Lakers at they won 123-118 at home to the San Antonio Spurs.

The Denver Nuggets, the NBA's defending champions, won again at the Portland Trail Blazers while Tyrese Maxey scored 24 points as the Philadelphia 76ers won 104-97 at the Cleveland Cavaliers in a game shown live on the BBC.

And Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler was one of four players to be ejected following a melee during their 106-95 win at the New Orleans Pelicans.

Butler scored 23 points before being sent to the locker room in the fourth quarter, along with Miami reserve Thomas Bryant and Pelicans players Jose Alvarado and Naji Marshall.

Bam Adebayo had 24 points as Miami improved to a 31-25 record to join the Orlando Magic atop the Eastern Conference Southeast division.

James added nine assists and seven rebounds for the Lakers after missing their past two games to rest a sore ankle, although the played in the All-Star Game in between.

Anthony Davis added 28 points and 13 rebounds as the Lakers improved to 31-27, while Victor Wembanyama had 27 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists and added five blocked shots and five steals.

That made last year's number one draft pick the youngest player in NBA history to achieve the rare '5x5' statistical performance - including at least five points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals in the same game.

"He doesn't have a ceiling," James said of the French rookie. "He can do whatever he wants to do in his career. I said a long time ago how special he was, and it's really that simple."

The Cavaliers are now 36-19 atop the Eastern Conference Central division after suffering their second straight loss and third in four games on the road against the 76ers.

Nikola Jokic had 29 points, 15 rebounds and 14 assists for his 17th triple-double of the season as the Nuggets beat the Trail Blazers to go 38-19.

Divisional rivals the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder are the only teams with more wins in the Western Conference.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 33 points and 13 rebounds to help the Milwaukee Bucks come out of the All-Star break with a 112-107 win at Minnesota, who are 39-17 with Oklahoma City after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points in their 147-106 rout of the lowly Washington Wizards.

Stephen Curry scored 15 points as the Golden State Warriors claimed a 97-84 win at home to the Charlotte Hornets, who featured his younger brother Seth, while Kevin Durant's 28 points were not enough for the Phoenix Suns as they lost 114-110 at the Houston Rockets.

Source: BBC
 

NBA: Nikola Jokic leads Denver Nuggets to win at Golden State Warriors​

Nikola Jokic recorded his 18th triple-double of the season as the Denver Nuggets won 119-103 at the Golden State Warriors in the NBA.

Jokic scored 32 points and made 16 rebounds and 16 assists at Chase Center in California.

Only the Sacramento Kings' Domantas Sabonis, with 20, has more triple-doubles this season.

Defending NBA champions the Nuggets are third in the Western Conference and the Warriors 10th.

Klay Thompson scored 23 points off the bench and Stephen Curry 20 for seven-time champions Golden State, who had won their previous three games.

It is the third time in Jokic's career that he has registered at least 30 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists. Only Oscar Robertson, with 11, has achieved the feat more often in NBA history.

"They are literally the Warriors. They are champions. They are a tough team to beat," Jokic said. "But 103 points in this arena is really good for our defence."

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and made 12 rebounds and nine assists as the Milwaukee Bucks won 119-98 at the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Bucks are third in the Eastern Conference, while the 76ers, who have lost three of their past four matches, are fifth.

Myles Turner scored a season-high 33 points and claimed eight rebounds to help the Indiana Pacers to a 133-111 home victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Defeat ended a seven-game winning run for the Mavericks, for whom Luka Doncic scored 33 points.

The Oklahoma City Thunder triumphed 123-110 at the Houston Rockets - their sixth successive victory - thanks to 36 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 29 from Chet Holmgren.

Grayson Allen's 24 points helped the Phoenix Suns to a 123-113 home win against the Los Angeles Lakers, for whom LeBron James recorded 28 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds.

Source: BBC
 
Reigning WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart re-signed with the New York Liberty, the team announced Monday.

The Liberty now have their entire starting lineup back from last season’s team that lost in the WNBA Finals to the Las Vegas Aces.


AP News
 
NBA: Cleveland Cavaliers 121-119 Dallas Mavericks - Max Strus scores 59ft buzzer-beater

Max Strus scored a 59ft buzzer-beater as the Cleveland Cavaliers came from behind to pull off a thrilling win over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA.

Strus hit five three-pointers in the final five minutes to help the hosts overturn a 10-point deficit in 121-119 victory.

PJ Washington put the Mavericks ahead with three seconds left, before Strus scored from well inside his own half.

Strus finished with 21 points and Donovan Mitchell scored 31 for the Cavaliers, who are second in the Eastern Conference, while Luka Doncic scored 45 for the Mavericks at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 24 points and Damian Lillard 23 as the third-placed Milwaukee Bucks stormed to a 123-85 home win over the Charlotte Hornets.

Western Conference leaders the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the visiting San Antonio Spurs 114-105.

Second-placed Oklahoma City Thunder, who share the same win percentage as the Timberwolves, made it six wins on the bounce with a 112-95 home victory against the Houston Rockets.

Eastern Conference leaders the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 117-99 at home, while the Detroit Pistons ended a six-game losing streak with a 105-95 triumph at the Chicago Bulls.



BBC
 
The Boston Celtics thrashed the Golden State Warriors 140-88 as they extended their winning streak to 11 games.

Jayson Tatum, on his 26th birthday, scored 27 points for the Celtics, who are top of the Eastern Conference, and team-mate Jaylen Brown added 29 points.

The victory meant the Celtics became the first franchise in NBA history to win three games by 50 or more points in the same season.


BBC
 
The Cleveland Cavaliers fought back from 22 points down in the fourth quarter to earn a thrilling 105-104 win over the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics looked on course for a 12th successive win when they opened up a 93-71 lead going into the fourth quarter.

But Dean Wade scored the winner with 19 seconds remaining to complete the comeback.


BBC
 
NBA - Results:

Pistons 118-112 Nets
Pacers 111-113 Timberwolves
Mavericks 114-108 Heat
Suns 120-113 Raptors
Nuggets 115-109 Celtics
Warriors 122-125 Bulls
Kings 131-129 Spurs
 
Nikola Jokic starred as reigning NBA champions the Denver Nuggets beat Eastern Conference leaders the Boston Celtics 115-109.

Jokic scored 32 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his 20th triple-double of the season.

The in-form Nuggets have won seven out of eight matches since the break for the NBA All-Star game last month.

Jaylen Brown scored 41 points for Boston, who suffer back-to-back losses for just the second time this season.

The Celtics remain on top of the Eastern Conference despite the defeat. Denver are third in the West, one game behind leaders the Minnesota Timberwolves.


BBC
 
NBA - Results:

76ers 95-103 Pelicans
Wizards 112-100 Hornets
Cavaliers 113-104 Timberwolves (OT)
Knicks 98-74 Magic
Grizzlies 92-99 Hawks
Thunder 107-100 Heat
Lakers 123-122 Bucks
Trail Blazers 107-123 Rockets
 
Luka Doncic became the first NBA player to record six consecutive 30-point triple-doubles as the Dallas Mavericks won 142-124 at the Detroit Pistons.

Russell Westbrook's mark of five in a row from 2017 was beaten by Doncic as the Slovenian, 25, delivered 39 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds on Saturday.

He also extended his own record with a fifth straight 35-point triple-double.

"That just shows what level he's playing on right now," said Mavericks coach Jason Kidd.

Kyrie Irving added 21 points for Dallas, who pulled away in the second half to claim their second straight win after a three-game losing streak.

Dallas now have a 36-28 record behind just the New Orleans Pelicans (38-25) in the Western Conference Southwest division.

The Denver Nuggets had their highest ever half-time lead of 78-44 before closing out a 142-121 win at home to the Utah Jazz.

The Nuggets, who beat Eastern Conference leaders the Boston Celtics last time out, led by as many as 39 points in the first half before Utah rallied to get within 14, scoring as many points in the third quarter as they did in the first half.

Jamal Murray tied his season-high with 37 points for Denver and two-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic added 26 as the defending champions improved to 44-20, moving into a tie with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the second seed in the Western Conference behind the Oklahoma City Thunder (44-19).


BBC
 

NBA: Anthony Davis makes NBA history as Los Angeles Lakers beat Minnesota Timberwolves​

Anthony Davis scored 27 points with a season-high 25 rebounds on a historic night as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-109.

Davis added five assists, seven steals and three blocks to become the first player in NBA history with at least 25 points, 25 rebounds, five assists, five steals and three blocks in a game.

Team-mate LeBron James chipped in with 29 points.

"I think we're hitting our stride," Davis said.

"We're just trying to keep going, keep pushing, knowing that just like last year, all we got to do is get in. We feel like it's tough for anybody to beat us in a seven-game series. We like our chances against anybody at that point."

The win at Crypto.com Arena leaves the Lakers ninth in the Western Conference after back-to-back victories, while third-placed Minnesota have lost two in a row.

Elsewhere, the Milwaukee Bucks, who are second in the Eastern Conference, responded to successive losses to earn a 124-117 win on the road at the Los Angeles Clippers.

Damian Lillard led the way for the Bucks with 35 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 34 to ensure the Clippers, placed fourth in the Western Conference, were unable to extend their winning run to three.

At Kaseya Center in Florida, the Washington Wizards upset hosts the Miami Heat to claim a 110-108 victory with Kyle Kuzma scoring a game-high 32 points along with nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks.

It was a second successive win following a franchise-equalling 16-game losing streak for the Wizards and means the Heat have now lost three in a row, their worst run since seven successive defeats in January.

The Philadelphia 76ers halted a three-game losing sequence as Kelly Oubre Jr collected 18 points, 10 rebounds and three steals in a 79-73 win against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Cam Thomas, featuring in just his second game following a six-match absence due to an ankle injury, scored 29 points in 31 minutes to help the Brooklyn Nets to a 120-101 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Nets move within three and a half games of 10th-placed the Atlanta Hawks, who lost 116-103 against the New Orleans Pelicans, in the race for the final play-off berth in the Eastern Conference.

Source: BBC
 

NBA: Nikola Jokic leads Denver Nuggets to comeback win against Toronto Raptors​

Nikola Jokic says the Denver Nuggets are not "quitters" after leading the defending NBA champions to a remarkable comeback against the Toronto Raptors.

The Nuggets trailed by 22 points at one stage but rallied to win 125-119.

Serb Jokic produced a towering display, scoring 35 points to drag his side back into contention in the second half.

Elsewhere, the Boston Celtics became the first NBA side to reach 50 wins for the season, recording a 121-99 victory at the Portland Trail Blazers.

Two-time Most Valuable Player Jokic, 29, totted up his season's 21st triple-double - when a players scores 10 or more points, assists and rebounds - to help lead the Nuggets to an unlikely win.

Along with his points haul, he added 17 rebounds and 12 assists.

Denver trailed by 22 points in the second quarter, but Jokic racked up 19 points in the third to trim the visitors' lead to five points. Denver then outscored short-handed Toronto 32-21 in the fourth quarter to close out the win.

"We were just fighting," said Denver centre Jokic. "The whole crew showed their character today. We're not quitters."

Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray added 26 points, with 12 assists and five rebounds, while RJ Barrett led Toronto's scorers with 26 points.

Jaylen Brown weighed in with 27 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Celtics as they continued to lead the way in the NBA with victory against the Trail Blazers, who lost for the 10th time in their past 11 home games.

Jayson Tatum added 26 points and eight assists and Sam Hauser scored a season-best 22 points off the bench for the Celtics, who logged their 13th victory in 15 games.

Meanwhile, Klay Thompson scored 21 points on his return to the starting line-up for the Golden State Warriors as they ran out 112-102 winners at the San Antonio Spurs. Jonathan Kuminga top-scored for the Warriors with 22 points, while Victor Wembanyama led scoring for the Spurs with 27 points after missing two games with an ankle injury.

Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal combined to score 88 points as the Phoenix Suns won 117-111 at Cleveland Cavaliers. Durant led the way with 37 points, while Booker added 27 and Beal 24.

The Detroit Pistons completed a season sweep against the Charlotte Hornets, winning their latest game 114-97, while Luka Doncic posted 27 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds for his seventh straight triple-double as the Dallas Mavericks won 127-92 at the Chicago Bulls.

Source: BBC
 
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