(Basketball news) The Golden State Warriors reached the Western Conference finals after they clinched a 110-96 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. For the Warriors, Stephen Curry scored 30 points, Klay Thompson had 21 and nine rebounds as Poole scored 27 points off the bench and Andrew Wiggins added 17 points. For the Grizzlies, Dillion Brooks scored 30 points while Desmond Bane had 25 points as they were without their star Ja Morant for this all important game. With this result the Warriors reach their first conference since 2019 and will either face Mavericks or the Suns in the final.

''When we doubled him, I hit the ball, l was going for the ball. Obviously, you don't want to see anybody get hurt, I'm not even that type of player,'' Poole said. ''I respect everybody. Obviously hopefully he gets better and we can see him out there next game. ''

''He's getting evaluated now. Nothing further. We just watched the replay,'' Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. ''He was going after a dribble and Jordan Poole actually grabbed his knee and yanked it, which kind of triggered whatever happened, so I'm actually going to be very curious to see what happens after that.''

''I've been through a tough knee injury, and I don't think there's any malicious intent from Jordan,'' Thompson said. ''I don't even think he's strong enough to affect somebody's knee. But we're not out there trying to hurt people or trying to club people in the back of the head on a fast break. We play the game the right way and I'm going to have his back.''

''The shot selection was much improved,'' Kerr said

''We were just too frenetic to start off the game,'' Kerr said.

The Boston Celtics produced an emphatic performance under pressure as they forced game number 7 against the Bucks when they won 108-95 in game 6. For the Celtics, Tatum scored 46, he scored 16 of Boston's 26 fourth-quarter points  as Jaylen Brown added 22 points, Marcus Smart had 21 points, seven assists and no turnovers.. For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo 44 points, 20 rebounds and six assists as Jrue Holiday scored 17 points and Pat Connaughton had 14 points as they combined for 75 of the Bucks' 95 points. The Bucks had won all eight of their potential series clinchers in Budenholzer's four-year tenure but this marked the first time the Bucks had lost a possible clincher since a Game 7 defeat subsequently against Boston in a 2018 first-round series. 

''I wasn't going to leave anything out there and have any regrets,'' Tatum said. ''Just trying to do what it took.''

''I don't think anybody's won two games in a row in this series,'' Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. ''Now, it's the final. You've got to go and find a way to get that fourth win and win the series. I think everybody in sport looks for that game. That college feel. That NCAA feel, where if you lose your season's done, if you win, you keep going. It's exciting.''

“Tonight will be the first night since that game that I'll get some sleep,'' said Marcus Smart

''They were tougher than us in that fourth quarter of Game 5,'' Tatum said. ''That was in the back of my mind. That was in the back of everybody's mind, that we couldn't get beat on those kind of plays. Our season was on the line.''

''He went into another mode right there,'' Smart said. ''We'd seen it in his eyes.''

''We had the right resolve,'' Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. ''We talked about it after that game. We let an opportunity slip away (Wednesday) but we still had a chance to make it a better story, I guess.''

Also read: NBA: Bucks take the lead in the series, Grizzlies thump the Warriors

(Basketball news) The Milwaukee Bucks bounced back in emphatic fashion to take the series lead as they beat the Boston Celtics 110-107. For the Bucks, Antetokounmpo had 40 points and 11 rebounds, making 16 of 27 shots as  Holiday finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and Portis added 14 points and 15 rebounds. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum scored 34 points and Jaylen Brown had 26. The Bucks trailed Boston by 14 points in a game that could send the defending NBA champions to the brink of elimination but they played some brilliant basketball to take the lead in the series, that's when Jrue Holiday why he was in the top 3 of the Defensive Player of the year. The defending champions are a game away from reaching their second consecutive Eastern Conference final.

''Obviously, in Boston you're down 14 in the fourth quarter, people would say everything's against us. But we came together,'' said Holiday, who also hit the tying 3-pointer with 43 seconds left. ''We live and die like that.''

''Just a great instinctive play by Jrue,'' Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. ''He's a winner. Jrue Holiday's a winner. You ask any player in this league or any coach in this league. He's a winner.''

'If we box out we win that game,'' Smart said. ''They're the defending champs. They made some championship plays. And now we've got to bounce back.''

''Of course, we're gonna be down. Guys are going to be (upset) about the outcome. We outplayed them for 3 1/2 quarters,'' Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. ''We talked about showing our resolve, and we made it tougher on ourselves now. It'll make it sweeter when we bounce back. But we gave up a golden opportunity tonight.''

The Memphis Grizzlies produced an emphatic win to stay alive in the series as they beat the Golden State Warriors 134-94. For the Grizzlies, Dillon Brooks added 12 points for Memphis. Ziaire Williams and Brandon Clarke had 11 apiece and De'Anthony Melton 10. Steven Adams had 13 rebounds, six offensive as Memphis outscored Golden State 24-5 on second-chance points. For the Warriors, Klay Thompson led the scoring with 19 points, Jonathan Kuminga added 17, Curry had 14 and Damion Lee and Moses Moody each had 10. Memphis created history when they scored 77 points in the first half, the most in franchise postseason history. blowouts in NBA history. With this win the Warriors still lead the series 3-2 and again will have the chance to wrap the series on 13th May.

''We've exceeded expectations ever since I've been here,'' Bane said. ''It almost seems like whenever someone thinks we can't do something, we end up doing it. So I never want to put a limit on this team on what we can do because anything's possible.''

'We knew what was at stake,'' Jackson said. ''We didn't change anything, though. We just calmed down, looked at the film, understand what we had to take away from the last game and just went out there and executed.''
''Obviously, this was a very impressive win for our group, great bounce-back for sure,'' Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said.

''When you spew it out, you've got to be willing to take it and not hide from it and not duck from it and not hide from it. Embrace it,'' Green said. ''So, I appreciated the crowd tonight and the energy they brought to the game. If they want to whoop that trick, we're going to whoop it together.''

Also read: NBA: Celtics level the series and Warriors win against the Grizzlies
 

(Basketball news) The Boston Celtics leveled the series as they beat the Milwaukee Bucks 116-108. For the Celtics, Horford and Jayson Tatum scored 30 points. Horford had 16 points and Tatum 12 in the fourth quarter alone to help the Celtics outscore the defending NBA champions 43-28. Both Jaylen Brown and defensive player of the year Marcus Smart had 18 points each. For the Bucks, Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 18 rebounds and five assists as Jrue Holiday scored 16 points but shot 5 of 22. With this result, game 5 becomes very important as both the teams head to Milwaukee on 11th May.

''I usually just kind of go about my business,'' said Horford, who finished with a career playoff-high 30 points. ''I do get excited, but I guess you kind of pick your spots, your moments. This was an emotional game.''

“We love Al,'' said Boston's Marcus Smart. ''Best vet we've ever had. Best vet I've ever had. He comes in, never changes whether things are going bad or good. He's going to be him, and nine times out of 10, it's going to work out in our favor.''

''I played a terrible Game 3 and we almost had a chance to win,'' Tatum said. ''That was really the toughest part, was knowing that. I was really eager to get back and ready to play.''

''I don't really know what he said to me, but the way he was looking at me and the way he was going about it, really didn't sit well with me,'' Horford said. ''At that point, I think something switched with me in the game.''

''We all understood the importance of this game,'' Horford said. ''We felt at the end of Game 3 we were in position to win the game, and we didn't. I was just really locked in. I understood at that moment what we needed to do as a group. I really just did whatever it took tonight. It was one of those types of nights.''

''Down the stretch, they made shots,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''They executed well. They were disciplined.''

The Golden State Warriors are one game away from reaching the Western Conference finals as they beat the Memphis Grizzlies 101-98. For the Warriors, Curry converted eight free throws over the final 45.7 seconds on the way to 32 points as Poole scored 14 off the bench, Andrew Wiggins added 17 points in a well fought victory for them. For the Grizzlies, Tyus Jones had 19 points, six rebounds and five assists as they missed injured All-Star Ja Morant, Dillon Brooks returned from a one-game suspension and struggled mightily, missing a 3-point try with 53 seconds left and finishing 5 for 19 with 12 points, eight assists and five rebounds as Jaren Jackson top scored with 21 points. With this result, the Warriors take a 3-1 lead and have a chance to seal the series on 11th May.

''Obviously there's butterflies, because again you're going into the game with a certain mindset and it's a big game. Every game that we play at this point in the year, it's huge,'' said Brown, who agreed Sunday to become the Sacramento Kings' new coach after this postseason run.

''So to have that kind of thrown at you, you've got to switch gears because I know what my responsibilities are going in as Mike Brown the assistant coach, and it changes.'

''His head coaching record for a Warrior playoff game I think is undefeated,'' Klay Thompson said. ''We did miss Steve a lot, just his voice, his presence, but we've been here before, 2017 when Mike took over and we rolled off a lot of wins, so I reflected on that a lot.''

''Nothing we figured out, it was just don't let the first three quarters influence the fact that we still had a chance to win the game,'' Curry said. ''Shoot the shots you think you can make, play aggressively, and take care of the ball. We did all of those things.''

''It's a tough one. It's a tough pill to swallow. It felt like we were leading the whole game,'' Jones said. ''It felt like we were in a good position. It felt like we put ourselves in a good position to win a ballgame and things didn't go our way down the stretch.''

''He forced a couple. Trying to get his groove back,'' Jenkins said. ''Obviously he's been off for a couple of days. But when he was playing with force under control, I loved the playmaking that he had.''

Also read: NBA: Sixers and Mavericks draw their respective series level
 

(Basketball news) The Boston Celtics made a comeback in game 2 as they beat the Milwaukee Bucks 109-86. For the Celtics, Brown scored 25 of his 30 points in the first half as Jayson Tatum added 19 points and eight assists. Grant Williams finished with 21 points. Al Horford had 14 points and 11 rebounds. For the Bucks, Jrue Holiday added 19 points and seven assists. Bobby Portis chipped in 13 points and eight rebounds as Giannis Antetokounmpo top scored with 28 points. With this result the series is nicely poised at 1-1 as the next game will be on the 7th in Boston.

''It's the playoffs. That's it,'' Brown said. ''We can't let one game kind of dictate how this series goes. We wanted to be aggressive from the gate.''

''We wanted to come and play like our season was on the line and we did,'' Brown said

''We wanted to match their physicality and punch back tonight,'' Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. ''A big message was show them who we are.''

''The ship's got to keep going. Everybody got to do a little bit more,'' Tatum said.

''Strong bodies, being active, being physical -- that's pretty much it,'' he said. ''It's gotten tougher to find your teammates.''Antetokounmpo said

'It's not Wilt Chamberlain down there (in the paint),'' Udoka said. ''We can get downhill and attack.''

The Memphis Grizzlies also made a comeback in game 2 as they beat the Golden State Warriors 106-101. For the Grizzlies, Morant scored 47 points to match his postseason high as Ziaire William hit four 3s and finished with 14 points off the bench. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 12 points and Brandon Clarke added 10 points. For the Warriors, Stephen Curry finished with 27 points on 3-of-11 shooting outside the arc. Jordan Poole added 20 off the bench but was 1 of 6 from 3. Andrew Wiggins had 16, going 1 of 7 from 3. Klay Thompson finished with 12 points and was 2 of 12 from 3. The Warriors shot just 7 of 38 from 3-point range.

''That loss was on my mind a lot, obviously missing that layup late,'' Morant said of his miss at the end of Game 1. ''But coming into today, I told myself we needed a win, and we were going to get a win. I just took it upon myself to go out there and do that for us.''

''It's not just the plays,'' Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. ''It's just the force that he plays with, the spirit that he plays with. It's infectious. I've said it since day one. Like, you know he's going to be built for moments like this, and this is super impressive''

''Ja is a very great player,'' Clarke said.

Also read: NBA: Heats overcome the Sixers as Mavs lose to the Suns
 

(Basketball news) Miami Heat progressed to the next round of the playoffs after they beat the Atlanta Hawks 97-94. For the Heats, Victor Oladipo scored 23 points, Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 11 rebounds as Tyler Herro scored 16, Max Strus scored 15 and Caleb Martin added 10 points. For the Hawks, Young went 2 for 12 from the floor, scoring just 11 points. De'Andre Hunter scored 35 points, while  Kevin Huerter and Danilo Gallinari got 12 apiece. With this result the Heat’s win the series 4-1 to become the second team to reach the 2nd round of playoffs.

''The biggest thing about this game was our defense,'' Adebayo said.

''They're a good defensive team,'' Young said. ''Their team is more of a system than who they have on their team. No matter who they have out there, they can play. ... And when they've got a guy that they're targeting and trying to take away, they do a really good job of doing that.''

''They are a hell of a team,'' Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. ''Those guys compete every second that they're out on the floor and I have a great deal of respect for how they play.'

''We're all committed to the same goal,'' Strus said.

''I thought it was fitting that we had to get this game with a stop at the end,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The Phoenix Suns took the lead in the 7 game series against the New Orleans Pelicans as they beat them 112-97 in game number 5. For the Suns, Bridges scored 31 points and blocked four shots in arguably the best game of this pro career as Chris Paul added 22 points and 11 assists, bouncing back from a subpar performance in Game 4. Deandre Ayton added 19 points and nine rebounds. For the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram scored 22 points and CJ McCollum added 21 for New Orleans, which was hurt by a slow start and 15 turnovers. With this result the Suns are just a win away from securing this series and progressing into the next round of playoffs as they are 3-2 up currently in the series.

''I'm ready to play tomorrow,'' Bridges said with a big grin at the postgame news conference. ''I'm energized, my teammates keep me going. I'm itching my knee right now, talking about it. I'm ready, I love being out there with my teammates. They're my best friends, it makes it way easier.''

''I just thought that we made some timely mistakes, starting with the turnovers,'' Pelicans coach Willie Green said. ''Fifteen turnovers for 23 points, that fuels their team and that fuels their transition opportunities. That is an area where we know we have to be better.''

''He doesn't miss games, he guards the best players every night and then he has 31,'' Paul said

''We have to change the way we start a game and come out with energy,'' Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas said. ''If we didn't have that struggle in the first half, it would have been a different game.

The Memphis Grizzlies beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-110 to take the lead in the series 3-2. For the Grizzlies, Morant scored the last 13 points for Memphis, and his layup with a second left capped the Grizzlies' big rally from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to edge the Minnesota Timberwolves as Morant finished with 30 and had 13 rebounds and nine assists. Desmond Bane added 25 points, and Brandon Clarke had 21 off the bench for Memphis, and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 12 before fouling out. For the Timberwolves, Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 28 points and 12 rebounds. Anthony Edwards had 22, and D'Angelo Russell added 12 and Taurean Prince 10.

''Go get a bucket. Ja,'' Morant said of the game-winning play’

''Obviously, he had a brilliant fourth quarter,'' Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said.

''It's a tough pill to swallow,'' Towns said. ''You feel like you got it after all the mistakes made and everything like that. We hit a big 3 to tie the game up with 4 seconds (left). You feel good. You feel good about going into overtime and having a chance to win the game. Just a learning experience.''

''Thank God that you're as good as you are because we had just fought so hard,'' Clarke said. ''And hit a really tough 3. And I was just like, it's fine, though, because we got 12 and we got a player that can make a really, really big-time finish. And I was like, `Yeah, thank God that we got you, man.'''

Also read: NBA: Celtics eliminate the Nets as Raptors make a comeback
 

(Basketball news) The Golden State Warriors took a 3-0 lead in the playoff series after getting 118-113 victory over the Denver Nuggets. For the Warriors, Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole scored 27 points each, Klay Thompson made six 3-pointers on his way to 26 points as the trio have been too hot to handle for the Denver defence during the course of the entire playoff series. For the Nuggets, Aaron Gordon added 18 points for the Nuggets and Nikola had 37 points but this was their seventh straight loss in the postseason as the other six losses were by an average of 16 points. With this result the Warriors have the chance to wrap up the series on Sunday.

''We played great down the stretch on both'' ends of the court, Thompson said.

''For Draymond to battle him all night and to make that play in the end was just a huge part of the win,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

''I love how we fought tonight,'' said Malone, who challenged his team to replicate that effort Sunday: ''Are we going to roll over? Are we going to fight like hell and send this back to Golden State?''

''I've been a fighter my whole life. I know how I'm approaching it,'' Cousins said. ''And I expect everyone else in that locker room to do the same. ... I'm a fighter, I'll go out swinging.''

''It was a lovely environment,'' Curry said. ''I love the way we responded.''

The Dallas Mavericks took the series lead by winning 126-118 against the Utah Jazz. For the Mavericks, Brunson scored 31 points playing with a bruised back as they were without their talisman Luka Doncic as Spencer Dinwiddie scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter for them, Maxi Kleber had 17 points and Dorian Finney-Smith added 14 points. For the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell scored 28 of his 32 points in the second half as Bojan Bogdanovic added 24 and Mike Conley had 21. With this result the Mavericks have taken a 2-1 lead in the playoff series as they play the fourth game on Saturday.

''I saw how hard the team was playing when I was laying back there,'' Brunson said. ''It gave me a little mojo to come back out there and do my thing.''

''We're all on the same page,'' Brunson said. ''We're all clicking. We're all talking and communicating.''

''I just told the guys we haven't done anything,'' Kidd said. ''They won at our place and now we won here. We need to put this game behind us and figure out what we need to do better.''

''His shot-creating and shot-making has been amazing all season, but the determination he has coming down the stretch to hit those big shots and the confidence he has is just fun to watch,'' Kleber said.

''He's unique in his physical strength and his ability to kind of keep his dribble alive in the lane where he really uses his body. He's able to play with his feet on the floor, so if you do try to come over and help, he has the ability to find people and spray the ball out,'' Utah coach Quin Snyder said.

The Memphis Grizzlies made a 26 point comeback to win 105-96 against the Minnesota Timberwolves and also taking the lead in the playoff series. For the Grizzlies, Desmond Bane made seven 3-pointers and had 26 points as Brandon Clarke scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half for Memphis, which closed the game on a staggering 50-16 run over the final 15:10 and Ja Morant recorded his first triple double in the postseason with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. For the Timberwolves, D'Angelo Russell had 22 points and eight assists as last year’s number 1 pick Anthony Edwards finished with 19 points. With this result the Grizzlies take 2-1 series lead as the 4th game will be on Friday at Minnesota.

''We found a way to get some stops. Our offence started clicking a little bit more,'' Bane said, ''and the rest is history.''

''That's why we're really the deepest team in the league,'' said Ja Morant,

“No one said it was going to be easy. We don't want it to be easy. We want it to be extremely hard, and it was,'' said Patrick Beverley, 

''When we get too high, it comes back and it haunts us,'' said D'Angelo Russell,

“It's really tough. We've got to regroup,'' said Towns

Also read: NBA: Celtics win again while Bulls make a comeback against the Bucks
 

(Basketball news) The New Orlean Pelicans made a comeback against the Phoenix Suns by winning 125-114 to level the series 1-1. For the Pelicans, Ingram had a fantastic all-around game with 37 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists as McCollum finished with 23 points. For the Suns, Paul finished with 17 points and 14 assists but shot just 5 of 16 from the field as Devin Booker top-scored with 31 points but it wasn’t enough. With this result the Pelicans caused a major upset and leveled the series as they now go to New Orleans to play the third and fourth match of the series.

“Good win, let's go,'' Nance said. ''Let's go home.''

''We've got guys that are more than capable of stepping up,'' Paul said. ''Book was killing. He was having a big-time game, but it is what it is.''

''Everything was flowing,'' Ingram said. ''Everybody was effective on the floor, all five. All five made something happen, whether it was offensively or defensively. We were really connected today.''

''This is one of his best and it was on a big stage,'' Pelicans coach Willie Green said. ''I'm proud of that young man. He works his tail off, he's a great teammate, high character, high IQ and he put it on display tonight.''

''That was probably, for us, the worst we have ever looked in transition since I have been here,'' Suns coach Monty Williams said. ''For that to happen in a playoff game was a bit unsettling for everybody.

The Miami Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks 115-105 to take a 2-0 series lead. For the Heat, Butler scored a playoff career-high 45 points, he was 15 of 25 from the floor, 11 for 12 from the line and 4 of 7 from 3-point range as Tyler Herro scored 15 for Miami, while Max Strus scored 14 and Vincent added 11 for the top-seeded team. For the Hawks, Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 19 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter for Atlanta as Trae Young got his scoring touch back but he had 25 points as De'Andre Hunter had 16 and John Collins finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds. With this result the Hawks return to Atlanta on 22nd as they hope they can utilize the home advantage and get back into the series.

''We go as he goes,'' Heat guard Gabe Vincent said.

''If the refs are going to let them be as physical as they are and not call fouls, it's going to be hard to really do anything anyways,'' Young said.

“Big-time basketball from a big-time basketball player, one of the best two-way players in the game,'' Heat guard Kyle Lowry said.

''Just staying aggressive,'' Butler said. ''Taking what the defense gives me.''

''I think the difference in the game tonight was turnovers,'' Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. ''You can't have 19 turnovers in a playoff game and expect to win games. They scored 21 points off of our turnovers. A lot of those came in transition ... and I thought that was the difference.''

The Memphis Grizzlies made a comeback in the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves as they won 124-96. For the Grizzlies, All-Star point guard Ja Morant scored 23 points, handed out 10 assists and grabbed nine rebounds as Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. each added 16 with Jackson hitting 4 of 7 from 3-point range. Seven Grizzlies finished in double figures with Brandon Clarke, Xavier Tillman Sr. and Ziaire Williams each having 13. Tyus Jones added 10. For the Wolves,  Karl-Anthony Towns had 15 points and 11 rebounds, Naz Reid and Taurean Prince had 12 each off the bench, and D'Angelo Russell added 11. With this result the Timberwolves will take home advantage and face them on the 21st in game three.

''It was good to get that win,'' Morant said. ''Obviously, you know, if you get a triple-double, it's hard to do it in this league, so that's special as well. But the win is the important thing, and we got that.''

''It shows just how physical and locked in you've got to be every single night regardless of the opponent,'' Towns said. ''A small lapse, mental, and you see what the game comes out to be in the playoffs.''

“Then our offense just dried up. Our shot selection in the second quarter basically started the avalanche,'' said Minnesota coach Chris Finch, who added that the Grizzlies also started controlling the glass. ''That's really where the game was won.''

Also read: 76ers beat the Raptors again, Steph runs the show against the Nuggets
 

(Basketball news) Denver Nuggets sealed the last playoff place as they beat the Memphis Grizzlies 122-109. For the Nuggets, Jokic became the first player in NBA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a season as he finished the night with 35 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and five steals and Aaron Gordon added 22 points. For the Grizzlies, Desmond Bane had 14 points as both Dillon Brooks and Zaire Williams finished with 12 points each. With this result, the Denver Nuggets clinched a fourth consecutive playoff berth as their current record stands at 48-33 and clinched the last playoff berth in 6th in the Western Conference standings.

“Dude is really great at basketball,'' teammate Bones Hyland said

''The MVP isn't even a competition,'' Nuggets coach Michael Malone declared afterward. ''There's other great players. I'm not saying they're not great players. But what Nikola Jokic has done this year - with this team - everything we've had to go through, is just incredible.

''I think we've been playing good basketball, even the other night against Utah. Tonight, we just didn't have it,'' Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said.

''We threw a lot at him,'' Jenkins said. ''He's the MVP for a reason. He's nearly impossible to guard. He's going to beat you from inside, outside, playmaking. He played at a really high level tonight.''

''My first thought was Steve Nash in that playoff series and they couldn't stop the bleeding,'' Malone said. ''And I'm saying, `Of all games, Nikola gets a very non-malicious elbow, an inadvertent elbow to the head and he's bleeding.'

''Like, get a staple gun out here,'' Malone said. ''And it finally stopped and Nikola put on another MVP performance.''

The Milwaukee Bucks sealed second place in the Eastern Conference standings as they beat the in-form Boston Celtics 127-121. For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday each scored 29 points as Khris Middleton had 22 points, nine assists and eight rebounds and Bobby Portis scored 17 points and Brook Lopez had 15. For the Celtics, Jaylen Brown had a triple double with 22 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds as Marcus Smart shot 7 of 12 on 3-point attempts and scored 29 points, while Daniel Theis had 22 points and Derrick White added 19 points. With this result, The Bucks (50-30) moved a half-game ahead of the Celtics (50-31) and a full game ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers (49-31), who lost their recent match as Miami Heat sealed top spot in the Eastern Conference standings. 

''It would be a lot easier if we don't wait until the last quarter or last couple of minutes to get stops, but it happens,'' said Milwaukee's Khris Middleton ''No matter how the game's going, I just love the way we keep competing.''

''We've seen that growth from (Brown) this year,'' Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. ''With certain guys out, he had the ball more and had to make those plays.''

''I guess I just got lucky, really,'' Holiday said. ''I left it short and it came back to me

''Surgery can be season-ending, so you don't want to do that,'' Hill said after the Bucks' Thursday morning shootaround. ''You want to figure out how I can manage to get back out with the guys. It feels a lot better now. I'm just trying to give it everything I have.''

Also read: NBA: Mavericks secured a playoff berth as Clippers beat the Suns

The other results are:

• Hornets 128 - 101 Magic
• Raptors 119 - 114 76ers
• Pelicans 127 - 94 Trail Blazers
• Timberwolves 127 - 121 Spurs
• Warriors 128 - 112 Lakers

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Wizards vs Knicks
• Pistons vs Bucks
• Nets vs Cavs
• Raptors vs Rockets
• Bulls vs Hornets
• Heat vs Hawks
• Mavericks vs Trail Blazers
• Jazz vs Suns
• Lakers vs Thunder
• 76ers vs Pacers
   

(Basketball news) Brooklyn Nets went back to winning ways after they won 130-123 against the Detroit Pistons. For the Nets, Kevin Durant scored 41 points he connected on 14 of 23 shots, 4 of 6 from 3-point range and all nine of his foul shots while adding 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocks as Kyrie Irving added 24 points in his second home appearance since New York exempted the vaccine rule and Drummond added 14 points and 13 rebounds. For the Pistons, Cade Cunningham led the scoring with 34 points. Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey each had 15. With this result the Nets improved their record to 40-36 and are currently 8th in the Eastern Conference standings.

''I want to get better shots sometimes, but like a couple of them are like, `I'm hot, let me risk it,''' Durant said. ''I was just trying to get the best shots that I could. Sometimes it might be over a guy in the lane, but I feel like that's open and I have to keep knocking them down.''

''We can't hang our hat on the second half, we have to play a complete game,'' Drummond said. ''It's never going to be easy to make that turn against great teams. Not that the Pistons aren't a great team. They played a great game, but we just turned it up in the second half.''

''We're going to have to make our staple as a team on the defensive end, because if we're going back and forth in a shooting contest, obviously we'll still be in the game but can lead to mistakes on our end,'' Irving said.

''I know their record isn't good, but they still have pros over there,'' Durant added. ''They still made shots early and gained confidence as a team. This was a good test for us.''

The Dallas Mavericks are close to securing a playoff place after a 128-110 victory over the struggling Lakers. For the Mavericks, Luka Doncic scored 34 points in a triple-double as he finished with 12 rebounds and 12 assists and Reggie Bullock scored 17 points as he was 5 of 8 from 3. For the Lakers, Malik Monk scored 28 points and Russell Westbrook had 25 which dropped to their third straight defeat for their fifth losing streak this season as they steadily slid away from .500. With this result the Mavericks have virtually secured a place in the NBA playoffs as their current record stands at 47-29 and are just one victory away from overtaking the Warriors in third place in the Western Conference standings.  

''With those guys out, we're at a talent deficit, so the focus and execution has to make up for it,'' Vogel said. ''This is just the latest dose of adversity that this year's team has faced. When you lose 'Bron, OK, you have to adjust yet again throughout a season of setbacks.''

''We respect who they are,'' Dallas coach Jason Kidd. ''They're dangerous. (Monk) played well. Russ played well. We took care of business from the start. I think those guys set the tone. Three great quarters of basketball.''

Also read: NBA: Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies are emerging as dark horse

The other results were:

• Wizards 94 - 107 Bulls
• 76ers 116 - 118 Bucks
• Clippers 121 - 115 Jazz

Tomorrow’s matches are:

• Pacers vs Nuggets
• Cavs vs Mavericks
• Wizards vs Magic
• Raptors vs Timberwolves
• Celtics vs Heat
• Knicks vs Hornets
• Rockets vs Kings
• Thunder vs Hawks
• Spurs vs Grizzlies
• Warriors vs Suns
• Trail Blazers vs Pelicans
   

(Basketball news) When the season had started everyone believed that the either the Nets or Lakers were the favourites for the NBA title but 3/4 of the season is done with the Boston Celtics and the Memphis Grizzlies having put themselves as out right contenders to not only win their respective conference but also have a shot at the NBA title this season.

Heading into the playoffs, the Celtics are in terrific form as they have won nine of their last 10 games to shoot up themselves right at the top of the Eastern Conference standings (tied with the second place Miami Heat) and have suddenly emerged as a genuine title contender, particularly in a more open Eastern Conference, and a realistic pathway to the finals. Jayson Tatum has been playing at an MVP level over the span of three months and holds the key to Boston’s playoff fortunes. Ime Udoka’s team faces Utah, Miami, Chicago, Milwaukee and Memphis in one of the tougher runs and need to win all of their matches at home if they are to keep the top spot. Along with Jason Tatum Udoka has found the perfect role for Jaylen Brown who is also having a terrific season for the second most successful franchise in the NBA

Memphis is the real deal and has every reason to be confident about claiming second seed in the West and have hopes of actually clinching the Western Conference. Winning five of their last six games, the Grizzlies have secured a playoff spot and have most likely secured the second place also in the standings as they are about to face a tough run home including games against Brooklyn, Milwaukee, Golden State, Phoenix, Utah, Denver and Boston. It might see the Grizzlies drop to the third seed but a lot would have to go wrong. If they can knock off some of the big dogs, they will take that confidence and have every reason to be bullish about their playoff fortunes.

Jason Tatum has been quietly doing his business game in game out as he’s putting up magical numbers which has elevated him the MVP standings also, although he won’t be winning the MVP trophy this year but the last couple of months he has been playing like one. Since the All-Star break, Tatum has lifted his scoring average from 25.7 points to 32.1 on 50.7% from the field and 43.8% from long range to go with 7.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists on the way to becoming the league’s current total plus-minus leader.

“Hopefully next year, I can start off like that,” Tatum said, “Then, I can be in that conversation if we keep winning like this. But I don’t know. I guess I just had to get my legs under me. It’s just that time of the year. It’s time to get ready for the playoffs. We all just turn it up a notch.”

If it's Jason Tatum leading the Celtics from the front the same can be said about Ja Morant. The second year rookie has been playing a perennial all star, all year round and he also could have been in the MVP race but an unfortunate injury has dropped him out of the reckoning. His early season form set a bench mark of the others in the team as even without Ja the Grizzlies over the last 20 games have an unbelievable record of 18-2. Ja before his injury was averaging a staggering 27.6 points, 6.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game. He is set to be fit for the playoffs as Grizzlies will certainly be the dark horses in a packed Eastern Conference

Also read: Lakers and Warriors both lose as LeBron crossed the 37k points mark

(Basketball news) The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Chicago Bulls quite comprehensively as Giannis and Jrue Holiday inspired a 126-98 victory. For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 25 points and 17 rebounds in his return to action Jrue Holiday had a game-high 27 points to go along with seven assists and no turnovers as the Bucks won for the 15th time in their last 16 meetings with the Bulls, including all three matchups this season. For the Bulls, Nikola Vucevic had 22 points as DeMar DeRozan and LaVine added 21 points each as the Bulls lost for the ninth time in 12 games. With this result the Bucks improved their record to 45-27 and moved second in the Eastern Conference standings.

'He took a fall in the Minnesota game, and it was pretty sore and stiff, so we've had it looked at,'' Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said before the game. ''We feel like it's short term, but we'll see how he feels the next day or two.''

''Jrue was being Jrue,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''Jrue was being aggressive, making good decisions, getting downhill, getting everybody involved, guarding Zach (LaVine). Everybody was doing their job. Obviously we knew that Khris wasn't playing, and Khris is a big part of our team and what we do here, but at the end of the day, even with the team that we have, we're a great team.''

''Shots we would want them to take, they made,'' Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. ''It was a night where they really, really had it going. Credit to them. And it was a night we just didn't shoot the ball particularly well.''

''At some point, we've got to get tired of getting our butt kicked like this and flip that switch of understanding, all right, enough is enough,'' DeRozan said. ''Now it's time to turn it around and show that desperation.''

The Golden State Warriors suffered a shocking defeat to the Orlando Magic 94-90. For the Magic, Wendell Carter Jr. led them with 19 points and Wagner had 18 points and a big finish as did Cole Anthony, who had 14 points and five assists. For the Warriors, Jordan Poole scored 26 points, shot 40% for the game and had seven turnovers in the fourth quarter on the way to their third straight loss as Klay Thompson added 15 points and Otto Porter Jr. had 14 points and 15 rebounds. With this result they slipped down to third in the Western Conference standings behind the Memphis Grizzlies as the Magic improved their record to 20-53.

''Franz can play, man,'' said Magic guard Cole Anthony, who had 14 points and five assists. ''He can hoop. I saw it here first hand tonight.''

''I think we're playing soft, I think we're playing stupid,'' Warriors forward Draymond Green said. ''We're just not playing good basketball. We're getting punked, and we're losing a lot of fourth quarters. No disrespect to the Orlando Magic, but they're one of the worst teams in the league.''

“No, Steph's not going to bring a level of physicality to the game,'' he said. ''That's not his job.'

''We have to look at our lineup, we have to address everything,'' Kerr said. '' ... It's like a domino effect. You saw me searching for lineups tonight. But I was really disappointed in the fourth quarter. We did not execute at all in the fourth quarter.''

''But we stayed engaged in the game,'' Anthony said. ''We realized there's four quarters to a game, and we're not going to lose in one moment like that.''

''Fouling 3-point shooters has killed us in the last two games,'' Kerr said. ''I love these guys, but we have to learn how to win. Right now, we don't know how to win.''

Also read: LeBron James overtakes Karl Malone as the second highest scorer in NBA

The other results were:

• Knicks 111 - 117 Hawks
• Nuggets 127 - 115 Clippers

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Pistons vs Hawks
• Pacers vs Kings
• Hornets vs Knicks
• Grizzlies vs Nets
• Heat vs Warriors
• Celtics vs Jazz
• Timberwolves vs Suns
• Thunder vs Magic
• Lakers vs 76ers 
• Trail Blazers vs Spurs

(Basketball news) The Los Angeles Lakers dreadful season continued as they lost 114-103 against the Toronto Raptors. For the Raptors, Scottie Barnes scored 15 of his 21 points in the first quarter  as Gary Trent Jr. had 28 points and Pascal Siakam scored 27 for their fourth straight victory. For the Lakers, LeBron James had 30 points and nine rebounds,  Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony each scored 14 points as Wenyen Gabriel grabbed a career-high nine rebounds. The Lakers have allowed 100 points in 16 straight games as they are 4-12 in that span. With this result the Raptors moved to 7th in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 38-30.

''It was a great, great start,'' Toronto coach Nick Nurse said. ''And then it was kind of weird from there, but it was good to get off to a good start like that.''

''Especially kind of early on, you get an open shot that everyone pretty much expects you to make and you don't make it, it's kind of frustrating,'' Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker said.

''I really just try to run, get those easy baskets,'' Barnes said. ''I just came out there and was being aggressive, really just trying to get to my spots.''

The Golden State Warriors are back to winnings as they defeated the Washington Wizards 126-112. For the Warriors, Curry dazzled all night on the way to 47 points on his 34th birthday as reigning scoring champion Curry shot 16 for 25 with seven 3-pointers, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole scored 20 apiece. For the Wizards, Kristaps Porzingis scored 25 points and Kenatavious Caldwell-Pope 19 in the Wizards' fourth straight loss, fifth of six and sixth in a row on the road. With this result Warriors have now four in a row and have improved their record to 47-22 and sit level with the Memphis Grizzlies in second spot in the Western Conference standings.

''I think what it did for him is what it did for all of us. You could tell the energy picked up,'' Curry said. ''It's not anything more than what's built on 10 years of experience and chemistry and winning and an understanding of how we do things. No matter how much time we have off, we can get right back to it.

''It is crazy to think for the first time me, Klay and Draymond had been on the court in a very, very long time. We want to keep building on that. We know each other like the back of our hand, we complement each other very well.''

''You heard the crowd when he checked in. Draymond has been our heart and soul for a long time,'' Kerr said. ''He's beloved here in the Bay.''

Also read: NBA: Suns thrash hapless Lakers while 76ers win in overtime

The other results were:

• Cavaliers 120 - 111 Clippers
• Hawks 122 - 113 Trail Blazers
• 76ers 110 - 114 Nuggets
• Thunder 116 - 134 Hornets
• Spurs 139 - 149 Timberwolves
• Kings 112 - 103 Bulls
• Jazz 111 - 117 Bucks

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Pacers vs Grizzlies
• Magic vs Nets
• Heat vs Pistons
• Pelicans vs Suns
   

(Basketball news) The Golden State Warriors continued their fine form this season as they beat the Houston Rocket 122-108. For the Warriors, Steph Curry scored 21 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Golden State Warriors as Andrew Wiggins added 23 points for the Warriors and Klay Thompson had 14. For the Rockets, Christian Wood had 24 points and 13 rebounds as he had a great first half, piling up 17 points, but cooled down after the break as Kevin Porter Jr had 17 points. With this result the Warriors maintained their second place in the Western Conference table with an improved record of 38-13.

''It's the gift and the curse of the bar that you've set,'' he said. ''You get all the praise when things are going well and obviously it's something to talk about when I don't meet that level. It's not so much the commentary, because when I walk off the court I'm the first one to judge the way that I played,'' he continued. ''And I understand when I don't meet that level and try to deal with the frustration when that happens over a consistent period of time.'' said Curry.

''We've seen Steph do that a million times,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''It was bound to happen even though it's been a couple of weeks or whatever. Not surprising but fun to see ... him shake free and have a game like he did.''

''I told him after the game that I'm tired of seeing him,'' Rockets coach Stephen Silas said of his postgame chat with Curry. ''I don't want to see him anymore.''

''There's been very, very few times I haven't felt like we played hard and very, very few times where I felt like we haven't had a fight,'' he said. ''Our character and our grit show up pretty much every night.''

The Philadelphia 76ers continued their fine run of form with a 122-119 victory in overtime against the Memphis Grizzlies. For the Sixers, Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points Tobias Harris added 31 points and Andre Drummond had 16 points and 23 rebounds for Philadelphia, which won its fifth game in a row and 15th in the last 18. The 76ers improved to 4-8 without Embiid, who sat out for rest. For the Grizzlies, Ja Morant scored 37 points and Desmond Bane had a career-high 34. Embiid rested after a scintillating streak of 21 straight games played in which he raised his MVP profile. The 76ers big man averaged 33.1 points during the stretch to up his season scoring average to 29.1 points per game, which ranked second in the league behind Kevin Durant's 29.3 points entering Monday. Ja Morant reached 30 points for the seventh straight game. With this game the 76ers leapfrogged the Cavs in the 3rd place in the Eastern Conference table with an improved record of 31-19.

''Just great effort from everybody,'' Harris said. ''We wanted this one.''

''I love big games,'' Bane said. ''They played well. We played well and fought. As long as we're fighting and playing together, I'll live with the result every night.''

'They like to punk teams and they have punked a lot of teams in this league,'' Harris said. ''We weren't going to let that happen tonight.''

''If there's anybody you want to be mad at, it can be me,'' Morant said. ''If I made free throws, we probably wouldn't have even gone into overtime.''

'He's a great athlete, he's able to make spectacular plays, but at the end of the day it's still two points,'' Drummond said. ''You have to take your hat off to him, but we won the game.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose back to back games and Warriors win over the Nets

The other results were:

• Cavaliers 93 - 90 Pelicans
• Pacers 122 - 116 Clippers
• Knicks 116 - 96 Kings
• Celtics 122 - 92 Heat
• Hawks 100 - 106 Raptors
• Thunder 98 - 81 Trail Blazers

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Pistons vs Pelicans
• Bucks vs Wizards
• Raptors vs Heat
• Timberwolves vs Nuggets
• Bulls vs Magic
• Spurs vs Warriors
• Suns vs Nets

(Basketball news) The NBA All Star is just around the corner and the fans have voted LeBron James as the captain of the Western Conference and Kevin Durant as the Eastern Conference captain. James and Durant, as the leading vote-getters in each conference, will be the captains who draft players for the rosters for the Feb. 20 game in Cleveland. LeBron James began his NBA career with the Cavaliers in 2003 and led them to the 2016 championship during his second stint there and was subsequently chosen as an All-Star for the 18th straight time. He has also been a captain every year since the league went away from the East vs. West format. As for Durant’s availability for the game is in doubt because of a sprained knee ligament. He was voted a starter for the 10th time.

2022 NBA All-Star: Eastern Conference starters

Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets)
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks)
DeMar DeRozan (Chicago Bulls)

2022 NBA All-Star: Western Conference starters

LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
Andrew Wiggins (Golden State Warriors)
Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies)

As for the rest of the players, fan ballots will account for 50% of the vote, with a media panel and current players each accounting for 25%. As for first timers Ja Morant, the No. 2 pick behind Zion Williamson in the 2019 draft, was rewarded for elevating Memphis to a surprising third in the Western Conference. Averaging 25.8 points, 6.9 assists and 5.9 rebounds, he joins Marc Gasol as the only Grizzlies players voted All-Star starters. Wiggins was the most surprising selection. The No. 1 pick of the 2014 draft has blossomed since being traded to Golden State two years ago and is averaging 18.1 points this season for the Warriors who have the league’s second-best record.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry makes his 8th appearance for the Western Conference, while reigning Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo makes his 6th appearance representing the Milwaukee Bucks’ for the Eastern Conference.Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young returns to the All-Star game in 2022 after making his first appearance in 2020. Chicago Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan has been rewarded for his amazing  season he's having as an All-Star starter, his fifth career appearance and first appearance since 2018. Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid also makes his fifth appearance alongside reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic who will play his fourth All-Star game this year.

Also read: NBA: The MVP race is hotting up as the season heads towards its midpoint

The bench players for both conferences will be revealed next week on February 3 after a vote from all the coaches in the NBA. Five more players from each conference will be named to complete  the team’s out and there will be an additional wild card player for each conference. The game will take place on 20th February 2022 in the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. 

(Basketball news) With the NBA season in full flow there are a lot of players that have gone unnoticed this season. These players are not only contributing to their respective teams but also having amazing productivity when scoring or supporting their big name players. Basketball is a commonplace where  players are called ‘bust’ way too early in their career. Sometimes players have too much expectation as they are top picks that didn’t have instant success or take time to adjust to the big occasions. So let us take a look at these underrated players this season:

3) Lonzo Ball (Chicago Bulls) 
After his tumultuous seasons for the Lakers and the Pelicans, it looks like Lonzo Ball has finally got his mojo back. This season Lonzo is currently averaging around 13 points per game, five rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block this season. He is also shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc. If his stats hold to form he could be making history as one of two guards in NBA history to average at least a dozen points per game, five rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block, while shooting at least 40 percent from beyond the arc.

So far this season, Lonzo is playing the perfect role in Billy Donavan’s offense as well as defense. He’s not the flashiest scorer, especially compared to someone like DeRozan or star shooting guard Zach LaVine, but his impact on both ends of the floor is definitely being felt in a big way.

2) Jordan Poole (Golden State Warriors)
This season one of the breakout stars has been Jordan Poole as he’s been averaging 17 points a game with almost 40% shooting from behind the arc. He was drafted at number 30 last season but has gone from strength to strength in the absences of their talisman Klay Thompson. He is the perfect balance of the off ball movement and on ball creation that helps him get free shots and also be the perfect partner in crime for Steph Curry. 

Throughout the 2020-21 season, Poole showed he had talent on and off-ball to navigate through screens and make lazy opponents pay. With the ball, Poole began to flash his craftiness as a dribbler and the minute details in his footwork made him a deadly scorer even without elite speed or athleticism but this season with a little bit of freedom from Steve Kerr has actually unleashed a very good player. Poole is having such a good season that he might end up with the Most Improved Player award this season.

Also read: NBA: The MVP race is hotting up as the season heads towards its midpoint

1) Desmond Bane (Memphis Grizzlies)
The Grizzlies are having an extraordinary season this year as they have third in the Western Conference league and also the by far one of the best teams in the league currently. Desmond Bane has been an integral clog in the team as he is averaging 16.2 PPG, 4.4 REB, 2.3 AST . When Ja Morant was sidelined due to injury, the Grizzlies needed someone to step up. They got all that and more in second year guard Desmond Bane. Nearly doubling his scoring average from last year, Bane has been a key scoring threat for the Grizzlies. Unlike many other players on this list, Bane is an excellent scorer and shooter off-the-dribble. With a combination of hesitations and quick step-backs, his bag runs deep. The Grizzlies have an exciting young core and Bane will be a player to watch out for in the future. This Grizzlies team is pushing well above their expectation as their young core group of players have a genuine chance at the NBA title if they continue playing like this 
 

(Basketball news) The Milwaukee Bucks made a statement as they won 118-99 against the in form Golden State Warriors. For the Bucks, Antetokounmpo had 30 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists to help Milwaukee rout the Golden State Warriors as Khris Middleton added 23 points, Bobby Portis 20 and Grayson Allen 15 for the Bucks. For the Warriors, Andrew Wiggins led the team with 16 points. Jonathan Kuminga had 15, Curry 12 and Thompson 11 as no one could really get the grips of the game. Antetokounmpo had his third triple-double of the season and 28th of his career as head coach Budenholzer's return from the NBA's COVID-19 protocols. With this result the Bucks improved their record to 27-17 as they moved to 4th in the Eastern Conference standings.

''I think Coach Darvin did a great job stepping up, leading the team, coaching the team and keeping us accountable,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''But, obviously, it's great to have Coach Bud back healthy, happy and getting us ready to go.''

'I think there was a good focus from us tonight,'' Budenholzer said. ''I think when it starts on the defensive end, usually that's when we're at our best. A team like the Warriors, a player like (Stephen) Curry and (Klay) Thompson, they bring out the best in you. They bring out the highest focus.''

'We just got off to a terrible start where everything went wrong on both ends of the floor,'' Curry said.

''I know we just got our butts kicked, but we're just in a rough patch in our season,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ''It happens to every team, every year pretty much with very few exceptions. We're in a little bit of a rut and we were playing a team that was ready and played a great, great first half. We're a little out of sorts. We've just got to get back on track, and we will.'

The Memphis Grizzlies made it 11 straight victories as they won 116-108 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. For the Grizzlies, Ja Morant had 16 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and John Konchar added 15 points and a career-best 17 rebounds as Desmond Bane scored 21 points and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 20 to create history for their franchise.  For the Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 30 points. D'Angelo Russell had 29 points and six assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 25 points and nine rebounds. With this result the Grizzlies improved their record to 30-12 and moved up to 3rd in the Western Conference standings. 

''It's all about attention to details,'' Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. ''It's all about the small things. It's all about the winning plays. . You're going to be in close games, and that's going to win you games, and that, right now, is not what we're doing.''

''He just does a lot on the floor for us,'' Morant said, adding of Konchar's shooting ''You really can't leave him open. He's just a spark plug for us off the bench.''

''We don't have time to take the Ls that we should have won. Tonight, I definitely feel we should have won this game, and, especially New Orleans,'' Edwards said, adding: ''These games hurt when you don't have everything right and you come down to the very end and you can't get a rebound to finish a possession.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers slump to their second loss in a row as Nets thump the Chicago Bulls

The other results were:

• Pelicans 113 - 89 Clippers
• Nets 109 - 130 Thunder
• Nuggets 140 - 108 Trail Blazers

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Pacers vs Suns
• Hornets vs Magic
• Pistons vs Raptors
• 76ers vs Celtics
• Bulls vs Warriors
• Heat vs Hawks
• Spurs vs Cavaliers
• Kings vs Rockets 
• Grizzlies vs Mavericks

(Basketball news) The Memphis Grizzlies continued their amazing form by beating the number 1 seed Golden Warriors 116-108. For the Grizzlies, Morant scored 29 points, including five in the final minute to extend their winning streak to 10 games and made them the most in form team currently. Along with Morant, Ziaire Williams and Tyus Jones had 17 points each. For the Warriors, Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his second triple-double of the season. Klay Thompson finished with 14 points. Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II scored 13 each. With this result Memphis Grizzlies improved their record to 29-14 as they currently are 4th in the Western Conference.

''I just like having that pressure,'' Morant said of his scoring down the stretch. ''I feel like that's when I shine the most. I like to be the one taking that shot, hit or miss.''

''I thought Tyus Jones shooting 3s broke the game open. That was the key,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

'He did a really good job,'' Rajakovic said of Williams' defense. ''He followed the game plan. Obviously, Steph Curry is an amazing scorer and shooter. (Williams) did a really good job of chasing him to get him inside the 3-point line.''

The new Eastern Conference leaders Chicago Bulls thumped the Detroit Pistons 133-87. For the Bulls, Nikola Vučević scored 22 points, DeMar DeRozan had 20 points and 12 rebounds as they made it 9 victories out of the last 10 matches. For the Pistons, Josh Jackson scored 16 points and Saddiq Bey added 14 for the Pistons. Along with their top scores Lonzo Ball added 18 points and Zach LaVine had 10 points and nine rebounds as Chicago picked up its ninth straight home win. With this result they improved their record to 27-11 as they comfortably sit on the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

“In the second half, we came out how we should’ve started the game,” DeRozan said.

“He’s a guy that can course-correct. He just kind of figures things out,” coach Billy Donovan said. “In the third quarter you kind of saw his whole package.”

“You do your job right, you get a raise,” DeRozan said of the growing attention. “You have to put yourself in a position where you need to be seen. I feel like that’s where we’re at.”

“I think it was a false positive,” said Pistons coach Casey, who added he’s received all the recommended vaccinations and takes special precautions due to his asthma. “I tell everyone, get vaccinated and get boosted.”

Also read: NBA: Bucks and Nets both lose as Terry Rozier shines

The other results were:

• Wizards 122 - 118 Thunder
• Raptors 95 - 99 Suns
• Pelicans 128 - 125 Timberwolves
• Clippers 87 - 85 Nuggets

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• 76ers vs Hornets
• Pacers vs Celtics
• Wizards vs Magic
• Hawks vs Heat
• Knicks vs Mavericks
• Spurs vs Rockets
• Jazz vs Cavaliers
• Kings vs Lakers
• Bulls vs Nets
   

(Basketball news) The Golden State Warriors welcomed back their superstar Klay Thompson as they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 96-82. For the Warriors, Klay was returning after 2 and half years and it didn't take him long to get back to his usual self as he scored 17 points on his return. Thompson was 7 of 18 from the field and 3 of 8 from 3-point range. He added three rebounds, an assist and a steal in 20 minutes. Stephen Curry had 29 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Jordan Poole added 14 points for Golden State. The Warriors snapped a two-game losing streak to tie Phoenix for the NBA lead at 30-9. For the Cavs, Lamar Stevens had 17 points and four rebounds and Jaret Allen had 14 points. 

“I was so excited I saw a lane to the basket that I just took the opportunity,'' Thompson said. ''After that I thought it was going to be one of those nights where I might be unconscious. I did not shoot as well as I wanted to but I'm so happy I can even look at the stat sheet and see my name there. It's been a long run. I'm not going to say it equivalent to winning a championship but it was pretty close.''

''I tried to visualize this moment for years,'' Thompson said. ''I'm just excited to get it out of the way now and I can get back in the rhythm of things. This is unbelievable. This is worth every second.''

''He's been talking about how he feels and what's going to be the last thing to come back, and that was the answer,'' Curry said about Thompson's dunk. ''It was amazing to watch and obviously the building went crazy from start to finish”.

'He wasn't shy, was he?'' Kerr said. ''Not that we would ever expect Klay to be shy. I drew up the first play not for him but for him to catch it and move it on. I should have known better.''

The Los Angeles Lakers lost their first match after winning four in a row to the Memphis Grizzlies 127-119 as they set a franchise record with their ninth straight win. For the Grizzlies, Desmond Bane had 23 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 and six blocks and Ja Morant had 16 points as Memphis won for the 12th time in 13 road games. For the Lakers, LeBron James was the lone warrior as he scored 23 of his 35 points in the first half. He made 14 of 19 shots and added seven assists. He also passed Oscar Robertson (9,887 assists) for seventh most assists in NBA history. With this result the Lakers stayed 7th in the standings with a record of 21-20 as the Memphis Grizzlies improved their record to 28-14 as they sit comfortably in 4th position in the Western Conference.

“I just got back and made an incredible play,'' Morant said. ''I was just trying to gather the ball. Most of the time on a break like that, if you block it, they might have a player trailing to get the ball and lay it up. It worked out perfectly for me. Now I'm probably all over the internet for it.''

''That's probably the best block I've ever seen live. Probably the best block I've ever seen, period,'' Jackson said. ''That was crazy. I knew he was going to do it, too, because he always loads up right before.

“'Memphis played great. They're one of the hottest teams in the league,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''We had trouble getting back in transition. We let a lot of misses at the basket affect our defensive focus. When we weren't scoring, we lost focus of what we were supposed to be doing on the defensive side. That can't happen. That was a big reason they built a big league.''

Also read: NBA: Warriors lose their second game in a row as the Suns win comprehensively

The other results were:

• Clippers 106 - 93 Hawks
• Magic 100 - 102 Wizards
• Raptors 105 - 101 Pelicans
• Rockets 123 - 141 Timberwolves
• Thunder 95 - 99 Nuggets
• Mavericks 113 - 99 Bulls
• Trail Blazers 103 - 88 Kings

Tomorrow’s matches are:

• Pistons vs Jazz
• Hornets vs Bucks
• Knicks vs Spurs
• Celtics vs Pacers
• Rockets vs 76ers
• Kings vs Cavaliers
• Trail Blazers vs Nets
   

(Basketball news) Lakers slumped to their fourth successive defeat of the season as they lost 139-117 against the San Antonio Spurs. For the Spurs, Keita Bates-Diop scored a career-high 30 points while making all 11 of his shots as Derrick White had 23 points and Lonnie Walker added 21 in the third victory on a four-game road trip for the Spurs. For the Lakers, James had 36 points and nine rebounds and Russell Westbrook scored 30 points for Los Angeles, which has lost four straight for the first time this season amid COVID-19 roster chaos. Los Angeles (16-17) is back under .500 for the first time since Nov. 26 as they are missing some key players through the Covid outbreak. With this result the Lakers still managed to stay 6th with a record of 16-17.

''I was playing the game, reading the defense, moving around,'' Bates-Diop said. ''I don't think I dribbled that much. My teammates just found me (James) is a great player, but you've got to guard him and just not get star-struck by him.”

''We have no chemistry with any lineup from the simple fact that we haven't logged any minutes,'' James said. ''All of our defensive guys are in health and safety protocols. ... We don't need a full roster. We just need some of our guys back.''

''Keita was ridiculous,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. ''Did a fine job at both ends of the court. We could hardly guard LeBron, but he did his best. Really was a team effort, because I thought some of the (bench) guys outplayed the starters.''

''Nothing you can do but figure it out,'' Westbrook said. ''Find ways. Get guys back in shape. We have a bunch of guys in that locker room that don't quit and don't give in to what's happening. We've got to turn the page and find a way to win a ballgame.''

The Golden State Warriors continued their golden run as they won 113-104 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Stephen Curry scored 46 points and made eight 3-pointers, Gary Payton Jr. added a clutch 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter and the Golden State Warriors held off the Memphis Grizzlies. For the Warriors, Payton finished with 22 points and Draymond Green had nine assists to help the Warriors improve an NBA-best 16-2 record at home. For the Grizzlies, Ja Morant had 21 points but it wasn’t enough as Curry made 13 of 22 shots (8 of 14 beyond the arc) and was 12 for 12 on free throws to top the 30-point mark for the 12th time this season and the 225th of his career. With this result Warriors improved their record to 26-6 and currently stand second in the Western Conference standings.

''That's about as good as it gets against a very physical defense with great size,'' Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. ''Over the last 10-12 games, Memphis had the best defensive rating in the league. For Steph to go out and get 46, he showed every bit of his talent tonight. This was his most efficient game in a couple weeks, for sure.''
“Definitely wanted this one,'' said Curry, who twisted his ankle in the fourth quarter but noted he was OK. ''Definitely felt like it was one (we) can't let slip by because of the history but also because knowing what it's going to take to win a game like this. You carry that chip on your shoulder and understand this is our home court.''

'He had a great offensive night,'' Green said. ''He found space tonight. Guys did a good job of trying to get him the ball and not forcing it. You let a guy like that get clean looks, it starts an avalanche.''

''Greatest shooter of all time,'' Morant said. ''We know he's going to make shots. We just have to make it very tough for him to get it off. We had some mental lapses during the game and he made us pay for it.''

Also read: Lakers lose successive matches as Warriors continued their winning streak

The other results were:

• 76ers 96 - 98 Hawks
• Pacers 118 - 106 Rockets
• Magic 104 - 110 Pelicans
• Knicks 117 - 124 Wizards
• Heat 115 - 112 Pistons
• Mavericks 95 - 102 Bucks
• Jazz 128 - 116 Timberwolves
• Suns 113 - 101 Thunder
• Nuggets 107 - 115 Hornets
   

(Basketball news) Lakers suffered an embarrassing loss to the Memphis Grizzlies as they beat them 108-95. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 25 points, Desmond Bane added 23, Tyus Jones and De'Anthony Melton added 12 points apiece for Memphis and the Memphis Grizzlies pulled away in the fourth quarter for a much needed win. For the Lakers, LeBron James had a triple-double with 20 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds and Anthony Davis led the Lakers scoring with 22 points as Talen Horton-Tucker and Avery Bradley each added 10 points. LeBron James became only the 5th person in the NBA to have 100 triple doubles. Lebron James' steal in the first quarter was the 2,086th of his career, moving him past Karl Malone for 11th on the all-time list. With this result the Lakers stayed in 7th with a 13-13 record as the Grizzlies improved their record to 15-11 and moved upto 4th in the Western Conference. 

“I thought our activity was fantastic defensively,'' Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. ''I thought the Lakers came out and kind of imposed their will in the first quarter, but we just kept making those winning plays throughout.''

''I didn't know what we were going to look like,'' Bane said of learning about an hour before the game that Brooks was out. He said the Grizzlies have had games in which they didn't have the players individually, but not both missing.

“The second quarter was where the energy of the game shifted,'' Laker coach Frank Vogel said. ''Our turnovers went way up. We didn't rebound the basketball. We were slow to every loose ball.''

''Defensively, I thought we were really good. We just turned the ball over,'' James said. ''When you hold a team to 108 points and 27 of those came off turnovers, the defense was really good. Offensively, we were not good at all.''

Utah Jazz won their 6th game in a row as they won comprehensively against the Philadelphia 76ers 118-96. For the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points, Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 21 rebounds and the Utah Jazz extended their winning streak to six games. For the 76ers, Joel Embiid had 19 points and nine rebounds for the 76ers. Seth Curry scored 18 points and Tobias Harris 17 for Philadelphia. Both the teams were playing back to back games as the 76ers looked very tired after halftime. With this result the Jazz improved their record to 18-7 as they sit comfortably in the 3rd spot in the Western Conference table.

''I think you go through the ebb and flow of the season, sometimes you just decide not to be tired,'' Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. ''When you're playing the right way, it makes it easier.''

''They're playing free,'' Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said. ''They get a lot of 3's up, they stretch the floor. They're a tough basketball team, especially offensively.''

Also read: NBA: Warriors extended their winning run as the Rockets hand the Brooklyn Nets a shock defeat

Tomorrow's matches are:

• Hornets vs Kings
• Pacers vs Mavericks
• Raptors vs Knicks
• Hawks vs Nets
• Pelicans vs Pistons
• Timberwolves vs Cavaliers
• Thunder vs Lakers
• Rockets vs Celtics
• Suns vs Celtics
   

(Basketball news) Phoenix Suns became the first team to reach 20 wins as they won 108-104 against San Antonio Spurs. Paul had a few clutch plays late in the fourth and finished with 21 points and 10 assists, Jae Crowder added a season-high 19 points for the Spurs all five San Antonio starters scored in double figures, led by Murray's 17 points. Bryn Forbes added 15 points off the bench. Phoenix was playing its first game since having its franchise-record 18-game winning streak snapped against Golden State on Friday. The Suns didn't appear fazed by the setback and won for the 19th time in 20 games which meant that they improved their record to 20-4 and are joint first in the Western Conference with the Warriors.

''He's real crafty,'' Suns forward Cam Johnson said. ''There's a reason he's one of the all-time steals leader. ... He's smart, quick with his hands and when you watch him do it, it's pretty impressive.''

'We still fought and made it a game,'' McDermott said. ''We had a chance to win against one of the best teams in the league. Unfortunately, we lost, but I think we will learn a lot from this one.''

The Golden State Warriors continued their marvellous start to the season with a comprehensive 126-95 victory over the Orlando Magic. Steph Curry had seven more 3s on the way to his 31 points and eight assists, Andrew Wiggins hit a career-high eight 3s and finished with 28 points as they both combined for 59 points. Curry swished a half-court shot to beat the first-quarter buzzer and wound up shooting 8 of 16 as now he has 2,958 career regular-season 3s, 15 from tying the great Ray Allen's 2,973. For the Magic Gary Harris scored 17 points to lead the Magic, Wendell Carter Jr. added 14 points and 12 rebounds for Orlando. With this result the Warriors improved their record to 20-4.

''I know what the situation is, yeah,'' Curry said, smiling. ''I always just play the game but obviously know I'm closing in. But try not to let it creep in to how you play and just enjoy the journey to get there `cause it does mean a lot to me as I do get closer. ... I'll talk about it when it happens.''

''He's Steph Curry, so anything's possible,'' Kerr said. ''He made half-court shots in back-to-back games.''

The Milwaukee Bucks won their 10th match out of a possible 11 as they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-107. Giannis Antetokounmpo came back from a two-game absence and scored 27 points on his 27th birthday, the two-time MVP made all three of his 3-point attempts and also had 12 rebounds in his return from injury, he also scored 15 points in the fourth quarter to take his team to victory. The Bucks had more contributions as Holiday had 20 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Khris Middleton provided 21 points and eight assists. Pat Connaughton scored 12, and Bobby Portis had 10 points and 16 rebounds. Jarrett Allen led the Cavaliers with 25 points and nine rebounds while shooting 10 of 12. Lauri Markkanen scored 20, Kevin Love 15, Evan Mobley 12 and Darius Garland 10. With this result the Bucks improved their record to 16-9 and are currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

“Guys are playing with confidence, playing together,'' said Antetokounmpo, who went 6 of 7 on free throws. ''We're guarding together. We're in a very, very good spot right now.''

''I thought that pass and that shot might have been the biggest kind of swing because it was hanging there at two for a while,'' Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. ''We needed a play from somebody.''

''We're going to fight till the end,'' Allen said. ''That's the main thing I learned about this team, about the guys. No matter how we start the game, no matter who's in front of us, big or small, we're going to go out there and fight till the end. You look at these last two games, we came out flat in both of them. We could have just rolled over and gave the game up easily, but we came back and tried to stay in it till the end.''

Also read: NBA: Phoenix Suns extend their winning run to 18 wins as Memphis Grizzlies create NBA history

The other results were :

• Pistons 103 - 114 Thunders
• Pacers 116 - 110 Wizards
• Hornets 124 - 127 76ers
• Heat 90 - 105 Grizzlies
• Bulls 109 - 97 Nuggets
• Timberwolves 110 - 121 Hawks
• Trail Blazers 90 - 102 Clippers

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Mavericks vs Nets
• Spurs vs Knicks
• Lakers vs Celtics

(Football news) Phoenix Suns defeated the Detroit Pistons 114-103 as they went onto win their 18 consecutive victory. Cam Johnson and Cameron Payne both scored 19 points to lead the Phoenix Suns to victory as the Suns bench finished with 48 points, Deandre Ayton had 17 points and 12 rebounds and Chris Paul finished with 12 points and 12 assists as Phoenix improved to 19-3 for the season. For the Pistons, Jerami Grant had 34 points which fell to 2-10 on the road. Cunningham, No. 1 overall draft pick, scored 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting. The Suns still haven’t lost since Oct. 27, when Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes hit a 3-pointer as time ran out for a 110-107 victory.

“It is hard to win in this league and we are not satisfied but it is special,'' Williams said. ''To do it in front of our fan base, in a special city like this with the history of this franchise is pretty cool and I want our guys to enjoy it.''

''I haven't talked about streaks of any kind just because we have been so focused on improving,'' Suns coach Monty Williams said of the run that's lasted more than a month. ''But it is really cool to be a part of something like that.''

The Memphis Grizzlies created some NBA history as they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder by 73 points as the final score was 152-79. Their 152-79 win over the Thunder shattered the NBA record for the largest margin of victory. The 73-point margin easily topped the previous mark, which was Cleveland's 68-point win over Miami. The Cavaliers topped the Heat 148-80 on Dec. 17, 1991. Memphis used 12 players and nine of them reached double figures in scoring, with Jaren Jackson Jr. leading the scoring with 27 points for the Grizzlies. Memphis was also  without its injured guard and best player Ja Morant. The Grizzlies set a franchise record for shooting, making 62.5% of their shots. De'Anthony Melton scored 19 points, Santi Aldama scored 18 and John Konchar scored 17 for the Grizzlies and none of those three players even started. With this result the Grizzlies improved their record to 12-10 as they moved to 5th in the Western Conference.

“Franchise records are obviously great. Obviously proud of our guys that they don't think about that,'' Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. ''We're just motivated by what our standards are every single night. Tonight was on pretty full display both offensively and defensively.''

''Obviously, it was a combination of things,'' Daigneault said. ''They played with great force and pace. They made some shots. We didn't shoot it well early and just really couldn't get a grip on the game. Any part of the game

The Chicago Bulls won 119-115 against the New York Knicks as it was a close encounter. DeRozan scored 34 points, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic each added 27. For the Knicks, Julius Randle had 30 points, 12 rebounds and six assists but missed two free throws in the end as the Knicks (11-11) fell to .500 for the first time this season after starting 5-1, Alec Burks, Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose all had 16 points for the Knicks. With this result the Bulls improved their record to 15-8 as they moved up to 2nd in the Eastern Conference. 

''It's fun when we go out there and compete. We face adversity at times and it felt good when we come out of that on top,'' DeRozan said.

“It helps our team tremendously, especially if we're frantic,'' LaVine said. ''I think it just gives the whole team a sense of, like, a deep breath.''

“We started slowly. I thought there was frustration and so it's hard to play when you're playing frustrated and we can't get wrapped up with that,'' Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. ''Sometimes there's tough calls that go against you and that's just the way it is.''

Also read: NBA: The Milwaukee Bucks rally past the Hornets as Dallas Mavericks keeping their winning run intact

The other results were:

• Raptors 97 - 93 Bucks
• Spurs 114 - 83 Trail Blazers

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Heat vs Pacers
• Cavaliers vs Wizards
• 76ers vs Hawks
• Timberwolves vs Nets
• Magic vs Rockets
• Pelicans vs Mavericks]
• Celtics vs Jazz
• Suns vs Warriors
• Clippers vs Lakers

(Basketball news) Steph Curry scored 20 off his 40 points in the fourth quarter as the Warriors rallied back from a 13 point deficit to win 104-89 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Curry made 8 of the 12 shots, including 4 of seven 3 pointers, this outburst helped Warriors outscore the Cavaliers 36-8 in the final quarter. The two time MVP increased his scoring average to 29.5 points, six assists and four rebounds this season. Nemanja Bjelica added 14 points and Andrew Wiggins added 12 points which helped them improve their record to 13-2 in Western Conference. Darius Garland scored a season high 25 points as the injury plagued Cavaliers dropped to 9-8 in the Eastern Conference

“With Steph on the floor, you always have a chance,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. ''He's one of the greatest players in the history of the game and he is the greatest 3-point shooter of all-time. He's fearless and always capable of catching fire like that.''

It was amazing to watch our energy in the fourth, and I had the best vantage point in the house,'' Curry said. ''We're pretty good at wearing teams down with our defense.''

Stephen Curry is a hell of a basketball player,'' Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. ''The shots he was making weren't easy, but obviously, he's got the skill-set to make them and Draymond knows how to get him open. They're the best team in the league right now for a reason.''.

Miami Heat beat the in-form Washington Wizards 112-97 for their fourth consecutive victory. Jimmy Butler scored 32 points, as he shot 11 of 19 from the field and made all 10 free throws in his second consecutive outing over 30 points. Bam Adebayo returned from a two-game absence because of a bruised left knee and added 20 points, Gabe Vincent had 18 points and P.J. Tucker 15. The Heat improved to 11-5 in the Eastern Conference. For the Wizards Bradley Beal scored 30 points and Kyle Kuzma added 19 points as the Wizards fell to their second consecutive loss and their record dropped to 10-5. Guard Tyler Herro, Miami's second-leader scorer, sat out because of a bruised right wrist. The Wizards rested third-leading scorer Spencer Dinwiddie.
 
''Felt great to be out there, it felt great to be back around my teammates, it felt great to be back in the kennel,'' Adebayo said. ''My teammates welcomed me back pretty well. I can't complain. The two-game absence was great for me. I got some rest.'

''Everybody had their antennas up when we were No. 1 in the East,'' Beal said. ''The biggest thing I like about our team is our fight. We don't give up.''

“Look, Washington has really established a way of playing,'' Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''They're a very good defensive team. You have to really be intentional with your offense, you have to do things with pace, your spacing has to be right on and you have to share the ball.''

LA Clippers lose 120-108 to the Memphis Grizzlies as Ja Morant scored 17 of his 28-points in a third-quarter to rally the Memphis Grizzlies. Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 18 points each, and Desmond Bane had 16. Brandon Clarke finished with 14 points, 10 of them in the fourth quarter. Memphis held the lead for the majority of the match but Morant provided an offensive brust which stretched their advantage to 20 points. Paul George led the Clippers scoring with 23 points and six assists, Reggie Jackson added 18 as Luke Kennard chipped in with 15 points. With this result the Clippers record falls to 9-6 as the Grizzlies improve their record to 8-7 in the Western Conference. 

''We were just active on defense. When they had their runs, we slacked off,'' Brooks said. ''We just got steals. Ran down and made plays for each other. When we are making plays for each other, you see what the end result is. We're all happy and getting ready for the next game.''

''I feel like it is tougher for a defense to guard me,'' said Morant, who worked in the offseason on his 3-point shooting. ''I can knock down the 3, knock down the midrange pull up, get to my floater or get all the way to the rack.''

We had a tough time just guarding the ball at the point of attack,'' Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. ''We just didn't do a good job of controlling the basketball. They got deep in the paint.''We did a better job of taking care of the basketball,'' Lue said. ''We just didn't do a good job of making quick decisions offensively. Not able to make the quick decisions right now so we've got to continue to keep getting better with that as well.''

Also read: NBA: Giannis drops 47 points against Lakers as Warriors continued their astounding start with a victory over the Nets

The other results were:

• Jazz 119 - 103 Raptors
• 76ers 103 - 89 Nuggets
• Timberwolves 115 - 90 Spurs

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Pistons vs Warriors
• Hornets vs Pacers
• Nets vs Magic
• Celtics vs Lakers
• Pelicans vs Clippers
• Bucks vs Thunder
• Nuggets vs Bulls
• Suns vs Mavericks

(Basketball news) New York Knicks continued their fine start to the NBA season as they beat the unbeaten Chicago Bulls 104-103, Kemba Walker again top scored with 21 points, RJ Barrett also added 20 points to hand Bulls their first loss this season. The victory wasn’t easy for the Knicks, it boiled down to the last possession after the Bulls went on a 12-0 run in the final minutes to nearly tie the score in the end. The Knicks literally had a 104-91 advantage with 3 minutes to play as DeMar DeRozan and Zach Lavine almost inspired a comeback, Zach Lavine top scored for the Bulls with 25 points but the major worry for the fans is that he tore his ligament in his left thumb.

New York coach Tom Thibodeau said, “Right now, we're still getting a feel for each other, every game we're getting better and better. I love the fact that everyone is sacrificing for the team and putting the team first. That's how you win big in his league.''

LaVine said, “It was a good game. It was our first real test and it came down to that last shot. We fought back. I just wish we got into it a little sooner where we could take a lead.''

Golden State Warriors suffered their first loss of the season after they lost to the young and spirited Memphis Grizzlies in overtime 104-101, this was a repeat of the play in game from five months ago that Grizzlies won 117-112 in overtime. Steph Curry scored 36 points but went scoreless in the fourth quarter and in overtime as Ja Morant and co took advantage of this and outscored their opponents. Ja Morant top scored with 30 points with 11-22 shooting, Desmond Bane scored 19 valuable points to snap a two match winless streak for Memphis Grizzlies.

Curry said after the match “The last two shots in regulation, the last one, the game-winner, looked good, those are two shots I'd take every day of the week. Overtime, I think I pressed a little bit, maybe settled a little bit, especially when I didn't have it going from 3, and not getting into the paint and getting my runners off, getting the ball moving. Little critical of myself on those last three shots.''

Miami Heat beat the Brooklyn Nets 106 - 93, Bam Adebayo top scored with 24 points and nine rebounds to better their record to 3 wins and 1 loss. Preseason favourites Nets haven’t had a good start to the season as Kevin Durant did his best with 25 points and 11 rebounds but in the end it was too much for him to do alone, a worrying sign for the Nets fan would be the slow start James Harden is off to as Kyrie Irving still remains unavailable.

Durant said, “I like how we're playing defense the last couple games, I like where our defense is trending. ... I feel like we're generating good shots. We're just (not) knocking them down. If we continue to generate good shots we'll put ourselves in good position”

Los Angeles Lakers suffered their third loss of the season to OKC as Shai Gilgeous Alexander scored 27 points to take them to a 123-115 win. The Oklahoma City Thunder were down by 26 points at one stage as they rallied from behind, this equaled the Thunders biggest comeback in franchise history, to subsequently this was also their first victory of the season.. Early on Westbrook and Anthony Davis dominated the proceedings as they scored 20 and 30 points respectively, Westbrook also managed his first triple double in a Lakers uniform before getting ejected in the final seconds.

Gilgeous-Alexander said Oklahoma City never considered giving up, ''It's a 48-minute game, Crazier things have happened. ... So we knew it was possible. I myself have come back from a deficit almost that big, so I knew it was possible. Just stay the course. Every game, every moment for the whole season.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers win back to back games as Warriors maintain their perfect start to the season

Other significant results were:

• Mavericks 104 - 99 Spurs
• Rockets 91 - 122 Jazz
• 76ers 110 - 102 Pistons
• Wizards 122 - 111 Hawks
• Bucks 108 - 113 Timberwolves

The fixtures to look for tomorrow are:

• Heat vs Hornets
• Nets vs Pacers
• Lakers vs Cavaliers
• Nuggets vs Mavericks
• Raptors vs Magic

(Basketball news) Spanish basketball player Pau Gasol has retired from the sport after a long and successful career that has spanned 23 years. The 41 year old won two NBA Championships and three Olympic medals in his illustrious career. Speaking from an opera house in Barcelona, Gasol said “I'm going to retire from professional basketball. It's a difficult decision after so many years, but it's a decision that I really thought over." In attendance were his former teammates and family members, including his wife, his brother Marc and his young daughter.

Gasol made his professional debut in 1998 for Barca as a centre after which the 7 foot 1 inch player was signed by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001. The Spaniard was selected in the All-Star team on six occasions and won the NBA title with the L.A Lakers in 2009 and 2010. He has also played for Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks and spent four months at Portland Trail Blazers despite not playing due to injury.

Gasol had a successful playing career for his country, winning the World Championship in 2006 and European titles in 2009, 2011 and 2015. He helped Spain win a silver medal at the Olympic Games in 2008 and 2012 and guided his country to a bronze medal in 2016. Despite being injured for almost two years, Pau Gasol made a full recovery to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where Spain was eventually knocked out of the quarter-finals to eventual winners USA. 

While announcing his retirement, Gasol spoke about his battle to overcome the stress fracture he suffered on his left foot in 2019. "Not many doctors thought I'd be able to recover but I'm a person who likes challenges and I wanted to fight to do the improbable. I got to the point where I was relaxed about my career ending, I was at peace, but, when things went well, I took the decision to sign for Barcelona, which wasn't in my plans. I managed to win the league with the club where it all began and where I made my debut. It's been very special."

The 41 year old also paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant with whom he won two NBA titles. “I'd have liked him to have been here today but sometimes life is unfair. He taught me to be a better competitor, a real winner, I considered him like an older brother.” 

Also read: Los Angeles Lakers vs Brooklyn Nets: The battle between two superteams