(Basketball news) The NBA welcomed its newest rookies to the league on Thursday night during the 2022 draft from Barclays Center in Brooklyn. There were some surprising selections with Orlando Magic acquiring Paolo Banchero as the top pick. While Jabari Smith of Auburn, who was widely expected to go as the first pick, but he was picked up at No. 3 spot by the Houston Rockets.

Draft night also experienced some trades as the Oklahoma City Thunder made a trade with the New York Knicks for the No. 11 pick and Ousmane Dieng for three future conditional first-round picks. In another draft-day trade, it saw the Detroit Pistons acquire No. 13 pick Jalen Duren and Knicks veteran point guard Kemba Walker in what was a three-team deal. The 76ers reportedly moved Danny Green and the No. 23 pick to the Grizzlies as part of a trade to acquire De’Anthony Melton, which indirectly strengthened their back court

1. Orlando Magic: Paolo Banchero, Duke

The Magic need some help on the offensive end, their team finished last season 28th in field goal percentage, 28th in free throws, 27th in offensive rebounding percentage and 23rd in turnovers. Paolo Banchero is a player who brings all these skills to the table and he can add versatility to the Magic’s offense with his physical attributes. He can pass, handle the ball, drive to the basket and finish with some solid footwork. In this draft he was easily the most NBA-ready player among the top five projected picks. Banchero stands at 6ft 10, he averaged 17.2 points on 47.8% shooting from the field, in addition to 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals in his only season at Duke and was coached by the legendary Mike Krzyzewski’ in his final season in charge..

2. Oklahoma City Thunder: Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga

Holmgren has immense potential to become an NBA All star with an impressive all-around skill set for a modern NBA big man nowadays. With his elite rim protection and shot-blocking, he fills an immediate deficiency in the Thunder squad; he acts as an interior defender. He has a versatile offensive game and has shown the NBA scouts that he can handle the ball pretty well, and also shoot from the three point line. Holmgren will need to add strength to reach his peak on offense, but the Thunder can give him time to develop behind their franchise players Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey.

3. Houston Rockets: Jabari Smith, Auburn

Jabari Smith was widely expected to be the No. 1 pick but instead was selected by the Houston Rockets at 3. He had only worked out for the Magic and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the recent tryouts. This season at the NCAA tournament, Smith averaged 42% on his 3-pointers (5.5 attempts), which could make him at the Rockets. At his size, he is difficult to defend and was subsequently the best defender at Auburn this season.

4. Sacramento Kings: Keegan Murray, Iowa

With the Sacramento Kings already having a point guard in place with De’Aaron Fox, the Kings bypassed Jaden Ivey and picked up Keegan Murray as he is an efficient wing scorer.  Murray, who improved significantly from his freshman to sophomore seasons, averaged 23.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 55% from the field and 39.8% on 3-pointers. Murray at the age of 21, is the oldest player to get drafted this year and could have an immediate impact for Sacramento be off the bench or in the playing 5. Like Banchero, Murray is also a NBA-ready player

5. Detroit Pistons: Jaden Ivey, Purdue

Jaden Ivey only worked out for the Pistons and Magic in the tryouts. He uses his speed to get past the defenders, any NBA defender will have a  hard time slowing Ivey down in transition. He can explode into the lane similar to Ja Morant and has a similar playing style like him. He is the son of Niele Ivey, the women’s basketball coach at Notre Dame and a former women’s college champion herself. 

The list of first rounds picks are:

1. Magic: Paolo Banchero
2. Thunder: Chet Holmgren
3. Rockets: Jabari Smith Jr.
4. Kings: Keegan Murray
5. Pistons: Jaden Ivey
6. Pacers: Benedict Mathurin
7. Trail Blazers: Shaedon Sharpe
8. Pelicans (from Lakers): Dyson Daniels
9. Spurs: Jeremy Sochan
10. Wizards: Johnny Davis
11. Thunder (from Knicks): Ousmane Dieng
12. Thunder (from Clippers): Jalen Williams
13. Pistons (from Hornets): Jalen Duren
14. Cavaliers: Ochai Agbaji
15. Hornets (from Pelicans): Mark Williams
16. Hawks: AJ Griffin
17. Rockets (from Nets): Tari Eason
18. Bulls: Dalen Terry
19. Grizzlies (from Timberwolves): Jake LaRavia
20. Spurs (from Raptors): Malaki Branham
21. Nuggets: Christian Braun
22. Timberwolves (from Grizzlies): Walker Kessler
23. Grizzlies (from 76ers): David Roddy
24. Bucks: MarJon Beauchamp
25. Spurs (from Celtics): Blake Wesley
26. Timberwolves (from Mavericks): Wendell Moore Jr.
27. Heat: Nikola Jović
28. Warriors: Patrick Baldwin Jr.
29. Rockets (from Grizzlies): TyTy Washington Jr.
30. Nuggets (from Suns): Peyton Watson

Also read: Golden State Warriors clinch their 4th NBA Championship in 8 years

(Basketball news) The Serbian center becomes the 13th player selected as Kia MVP in consecutive seasons. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić was named the 2021-22 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player. This is his second Kia NBA MVP Award for Jokić, who also won it last season. He becomes the 13th player to win the award in consecutive seasons, and joining some legendary players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Moses Malone, Steve Nash and Bill Russell.

Jokić received a total of 875 points (65 first-place votes) from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. 76ers center Joel Embiid finished in second place with 706 points (26 first-place votes) and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo came third with 595 points (nine first-place votes), followed by Suns guard Devin Booker in fourth place with 216 points Mavericks guard Luka Dončić in fifth place with 146 points. Players received 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for a second-place vote, five points for third-place, three points for each fourth-place vote and one point for each fifth-place vote.

This was the first time in NBA history that the top four out of the top five finishers in MVP race were international players, with Jokić from Serbia, Embiid from Cameroon and Antetokounmpo  from Greece as they comprised the top three and Dončić from Slovenia joined them in the top five. Jokić is only the second European player to win the award twice, joining Giannis Antetokounmpo, who won the MVP in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.

In his seventh NBA season, Jokić this season averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.47 steals and 0.85 blocks per game, setting career highs in each category except assists .  Jokić had played 74 games and averaged 33.5 minutes, he ranked sixth in the NBA in points, second in rebounds, eighth in assists, 12th for steals and 33rd in blocks per game. He led the league in total rebounds (1,019) and total defensive rebounds (813) in this remarkable season.  He set a career-high in field goal percentage with 58.3. Jokić also became the first player in NBA history to record at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a season and the first player to average at least 25.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in a season.  He led the NBA this year in triple-doubles with 19 and double-doubles with 66, both were single-season records for a Nuggets player.

Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams won the Red Auerbach Trophy as the 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year. Monty Williams wins his first NBA coach of the year as he joins Cotton Fitzsimmons (1988-89) and Mike D’Antoni (2004-05) as the head coaches of Suns to earn this award. Williams received 458 points (81 first-place votes) from a global panel as Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins finished in second place with 270 points (17 first-place votes) and Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra finished in third place with 72 points. Williams guided the Suns to the best NBA record this season with a 64-18 record, his team had the most victories and the highest winning percentage (.780) in a season in franchise history. The Suns had an identical at home as well on the road (32-9).  The Suns tied for the third-most wins on the road and fifth-best road winning percentage (.780) in a season in NBA history.

Also read: NBA: The Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks make the Conference finals

(Basketball series) The Miami Heat became the first team to qualify for the Eastern Conference final when they beat the Philadelphia 76ers 99-90 to clinch the series 4-2. For the Heat, Butler scored 32 points as Max Strus had 20 points and 11 rebounds, PJ Tucker and Bam Adebayo both had 10 points. For the Sixers, Embiid, the NBA scoring champion, had no significant help and scored 20 points with 12 rebounds on 7-of-24 shooting as Tersey Maxey also had 20 points after James Harden had an abysmal game again. With this result the Miami Heats reached their first conference finals since 2013 and the first LeBron-less conference since 2008.

''Now I'm where I belong,'' Butler said. ''Guess where I should have been a long time ago.''

''I think he's one of the ultimate competitors in this profession,'' coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''He was brilliant all series long. The challenges only get tougher here. He saw there was an opportunity to end this tonight and he wasn't going to let this get to seven.''

''I know I tried. I think for the most part, we tried,'' Embiid said. ''It just wasn't good enough.''

''I'm sure since we got him, everybody expected the Houston James Harden,'' Embiid said. ''But that's not who he is anymore.''

''I came to the conclusion at the end of this game that we were not good enough to beat Miami,'' Rivers said

''I don't worry about my job. I think I do a terrific job. If you don't, then you should write it,'' Rivers said. ''Because I worked my butt off to get this team here. When I first got here, no one picked us to be anywhere. Again this year, the same thing. If that's how anyone feels, write it. I'm going to feel secure about it.''

“Joel, my guy. My brother. Who I'd pick for MVP,'' Butler said. ''It feels good to beat him. I'm not going to lie to you. I've got a lot of love for this city. A lot of love for guys in that locker room. So any time you get to beat a former team, it's special.''

The Dallas Mavericks levelled up the series with a 113-86 victory over the Phoenix Suns as they will have to play game 7 to find a winner. For the Mavericks, Doncic scored 33 points as Reggie Bullock scored 19 points for Dallas, going 5 of 11 from 3-point range and Jalen Brunson added 18, Spencer Dinwiddie had a series-high 15, all on 3s (5 of 7). For the Suns, Booker scored 19 points but was shut out from 3-point range (0 of 4) while going 6 of 17. Deandre Ayton had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Paul added 13 points. With this result the series is tied at 3-3 as both teams will travel to Phoenix to play game 7 on the 15th.

''I don't know if he was playing as if he was trying to do something different,'' Kidd said. ''I think he enjoys the moment. You guys have seen a little bit longer than I have up close. He's not afraid of the stage. I think you guys call it the first time winning an elimination game. He'll be in this situation a long, long time.''

''I don't have enough time to talk about everything that's eating at me,'' coach Monty Williams said. ''I didn't think we understood the desperation they were going to play with. Couple that with the turnovers that we had tonight, it's a recipe for what we just got.''

''Greatest two words in sports,'' Booker said. ''I'm excited to feel the energy. I'm excited to be a part of it. It's a great opportunity.''

''I think we won this game on the defensive end,'' Doncic said. ''We've got another game. That's fun. It's the playoffs, and we're going to give our energy.''

Also read: NBA: Suns blowout the Mavericks in game 5 while the Heat win
 

(Basketball news) The Phoenix Suns produced a clinical performance to take the series lead as they beat the Mavericks 110-80. For the Suns, Booker scored 28 points, Deandre Ayton added 20 as Cam Johnson came off the bench to score 14 points. Booker now has 804 points in 30 career playoff games. The 25-year-old is one of just 18 players in NBA history with at least 800 points in his first 30 postseason games. For the Mavericks, Doncic finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds, but other than that didn’t really get much support as Jalen Brunson added 21 points. The Mavs shot just 38% from the field. With this result the Suns lead the series 3-2 and are a victory away from making their second consecutive Western Conference playoffs. 

''We study film,'' Booker said. ''Coach is coming in with adjustments, we make them and we follow them.''

'The defense tonight - that's the backbone of our program,'' said Williams, who was announced as the Coach of the Year on Monday.

''The one thing we didn't do great today was our pace,'' Doncic said. ''In the last two games, our pace was very good. I think they are one of the best defensive teams, if not the best, in the NBA. They held us to 80. That's pretty impressive. We've got to move the ball and have better pace - faster.''

The Miami Heat produced a dominant performance as they took the series after they beat the Philadelphia 76ers 120-85. For the Heats, Jimmy Butler scored 23 points, Max Strus added 19 points and 10 rebounds as Victor Oladipo scored 13 for Miami, which got 12 from Bam Adebayo and 10 apiece from Tyler Herro and P.J. Tucker. For the Sixers, Joel Embiid scored 17 points for fourth-seeded Philadelphia, which got 14 from James Harden and 12 from Tobias Harris. The 35-point margin of victory matched the biggest so far in this year's playoffs. With this result the Heat are also one victory away from making their first Eastern Conference for the first time since LeBron James left the Miami Heat for the Cavaliers.

''They were just more physical,'' 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. ''We didn't run anything. We didn't run our stuff very well. We played at a snail's pace ... everything they did tonight was harder and better. Their stuff was better, their energy was better.''

''Tonight, we weren't focused enough,'' Embiid said.

''It's just one game,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''They know it. We know it.''

''He's tough,'' Rivers said. ''I think he knew going into all this that there's going to be a couple times when he gets hit in the face. It's going to happen. ... He got up and said he was fine, after a while.''

''I was humbled to be a part of that moment,'' Spoelstra said. ''He's such a great fan there. Over the years, I've said hello a few times, but that was the best interaction. That was genuine. It was cool.''

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

(Basketball news) The Philadelphia 76ers have completed the comeback, they have levelled up the series to 2-2 as they defeated Miami Heat 116-108. For the Sixers, Harden scored 31 points, Embiid had 24 points and 11 rebounds as Tyrese Maxey added 18 points in a commanding win. For the Heats, Jimmy Butler scored 40 points on 13 of 20 shooting from the floor, 12 of 13 free throws and nearly one-man willed them to victory as Bam Adebayo scored 21 points and Victor Oladipo added 15 points from the bench. With this victory the Sixers level the series to 2-2 as they will travel to Miami to play the fifth game on 10th May.

''I don't think we've played our best basketball,'' Embiid said.

''Joel's going to be able to play,'' coach Doc Rivers said, laughing.

''It's just James being James,'' Rivers said. ''I felt like he was going to have a big game tonight. You can just sense it.''

''Nothing really changed. I just made shots,'' Harden said.

''I thought we had some really good looks. We just missed them,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

''He's a good player. He did what he was supposed to do,'' Butler said of Harden.

''That's why he's here,'' Embiid said. ''It's only 2-2. We've got a lot of work to do. But I'm excited about what we can accomplish.''

The Dallas Mavericks also made a comeback in the Western Conference semifinals playoffs as they beat the Phoenix Suns 111-101. For the Mavericks, Doncic scored 26 points as Dorian Finney-Smith scored a playoff career-high 24 points on the most 3-pointers he's had, regular season or playoffs. He was 8 of 12 from deep, including consecutive 3s for a 14-point lead midway through the fourth while Brunson scored 18 points and Davis Bertans started 4 of 4 from 3 and finished with 12 points. For the Suns, Devin Booker scored 35 points as Jae Crowder  finished with 15 and Deandre Ayton had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Both teams face each other on 10th May in Phoenix.

''I saw he was going for the rebound and I was surprised,'' Doncic said. ''He said to me, 'Did I push you that hard?' I said, `No, not that hard. But it was a smart play.' And he said, `Yeah, I know.'''

''Last year was a learning experience for us,'' Booker said. ''We went to six games last year with the Lakers, six games with the Clippers, six with the Bucks, six with New Orleans (this year). We understand that it's a series. It's the playoffs for a reason.''

''I've got to look back at it,'' Paul said. ''I mean, I can't put myself in the situation to give them that ability to do that. I've just got to look at myself and figure out how to do better.''

''Everybody's got to take ownership, and it starts with me,'' Williams said. ''I made some decisions tonight that put us in a tough spot. Should have kept Chris out of the game, especially right before halftime. And then as a team, we've got take ownership as far as guarding the ball so we don't have to help as much.''

Also read: Sixers and Mavericks make a comeback as they keep their series alive
 

(Basketball news) The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Miami Heat 99-79 as they kept the series alive at 2-1. For the Sixers, Embiid inspired the 76ers with his return from a facial injury as he scored 18 points while Danny Green and Tyrese Maxey each scored 21 points. For the Heat, Tyler Herro had 14 and joined Jimmy Butler as the only Heat in double digits. Butler led the Heat with 33 points. With this result the 76ers are back in the series as the Miami Heat still lead the series 2-1, the next match is on 8th in Philadelphia.

''We have a good chance to win it all,'' Embiid said. ''We've got to stay healthy.''

''Any plan where you can have Joel as part of the plan is a much better plan,'' coach Doc Rivers said.

''You add Job to any team, home or away, the game, the scouting report, it changes drastically,'' Butler said. ''It's been like that for his entire career.''

''Even when he's not his normal self, he helps us a ton,'' Green said.

''I knew his presence would have an impact,'' Rivers said. ''I was positive of that.''

''It's about doing whatever possible to protect it as much as possible,'' Embiid said.

''This is what you have to expect,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''He's an MVP-caliber player.''

The Dallas Mavericks also made a comeback against the number 1 seed in the West as they beat the Phoenix Suns 103-94. For the Mavericks, Luka Doncic had 26 points and 13 rebounds as Brunson led the scoring with 28 points, Bullock scored 15 and Finney-Smith scored 14, as both had four 3s apiece. For the Suns, Booker scored 18 but was just 2 of 7 inside the 3-point line, and Paul had 12 on just nine shots (five made) in the Suns' lowest-scoring game of the season. With this result the Mavericks have kept the series alive and will hope to tie the series on 8th May.

''It felt like all seven of 'em were back to back to back,'' said Paul, whose career high for a game in the playoffs is eight turnovers. ''If I don't turn the ball over like that I feel like it's a different game.''

''I found a way to bounce back tonight,'' Brunson said. ''I just can't be satisfied with this. Sunday's going to be another brutal game. I have to bring the same energy, the same intensity, the same everything.''

''When you see your best player doing that, it kind of sets a mood,'' Dorian Finney-Smith said.

''It wasn't like us,'' Booker said. ''You can credit them. They came out, played hard, played desperate. That's that. We've got a series.''

Also read: NBA: Heat's Tyler Herro wins 2021-22 NBA Sixth Man of the Year
 

(Basketball news) Tyler Herro won the 2021-22 Sixth Man of the Year award. Herro edged out fellow Suns player Cam Johnson and Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is the first member of the Miami Heat ever to win the award, and the first Heat player to win any of the major awards since LeBron James won MVP in the 2012-13 season.

Herro has averaged 20.7 points per game for the Heat, with 44.7 percent shooting from the field and 39.9 percent shooting from the 3 point line. Among teammates, only Jimmy Butler has averaged more points for the season, and no other player has even averaged 18 points per game. Herro is the first sixth man to average more than 20 points per game since Lou Williams did so during the 2018-19 season. Herro may have come off the bench for the Heat this season, but he consistently has been the most clutch player in the squad and was one of their main fourth-quarter scoring options. He led the team in both fourth-quarter points per game (5.6) and clutch points per game (2.3)

Marcus Smart was up against some tough centres for the Defensive Player of the Year award this year but he received just 37% of votes, which was more than the Suns forward Mikal Bridges and Jazz centre Rudy Gobert. Smart became just the second point guard to ever win the title since Gary Payton won it in 1996 when he played for the Seattle SuperSonics. Other names on the list included Bam Adebayo (Heat), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Robert Williams II (Celtics), Jrue Holiday (Bucks), Al Horford (Celtics), Draymond Green (Warriors), and Matisse Thybulle (76ers).

In the NBA it is very difficult for a guard to win the DPOY. Typically, it’s the centres and forwards who dominate this award because of their size. While Smart and Payton are the only two point guards to have won it, it tells us a story about how difficult it is for a point guard to win this award. It’s been even longer since a shooting guard won it as the last one was the great Michael Jordan in 1988. Smart finished the regular season tied for 10th in deflections (106) and charges drawn (16), seventh in steals per game (1.68), fifth among guards in the NBA (105.2 defensive rating), and first in the league in loose balls recovered per game (1.1).

Also read: NBA: Suns beat the Mavs as Heat take a 2-0 lead against the Sixers
 

(Basketball news) The Phoenix Suns are two games away from reaching the Western Conference finals as they beat the Dallas Mavericks 129-109. For the Suns, the 12-time All-Star Chris Paul scored 28 points, including 14 in another spectacular final period as Booker led the Suns with 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range. For the Mavs,  Luka Doncic scored 35 points on 13-of-22 shooting as Reggie Bullock added 16 points. With this win the Suns head to Dallas in game 3 tomorrow.

''You've just got to lean on the work,'' Paul said. ''It all goes back to work. You can't cheat the game. You've got to do the strength and conditioning, you've got to lift, you've got to get your rest, you got to get your shots up.

''You guys tell me, you're watching the same thing,'' Booker said. ''It impresses us every time we see it, but it doesn't surprise us. It's just the will to win.''

''We have good players,'' Suns coach Monty Williams said. ''I'd love to sit here and tell you I'm moving the chess pieces around, but we have good players who can knock down shots.''

''He had a great game, but no one else showed,'' Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. ''We've got to get other guys shooting the ball better. We can't win with just him out there scoring 30 a night. Not this time of the year and playing the best team in the league.''

''The mood is fine,'' Doncic said. ''I think a lot of players, it's the first time in this situation. They've got to win four, so it's not over yet. We are going to go back home, our crowd is amazing.''

The Miami Heat beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-103 as they took a 2-0 lead in the series. For the Heat, Adebayo scored 23 points, Butler had 22 points and 12 assists, as Victor Oladipo scored 19 points on his 30th birthday and Tyler Herro added 18. For the Sixers, Tyrese Maxey scored 34 points, as they got 21 from Tobias Harris and 20 from James Harden. The 76ers' franchise has never recovered to win the series after going 2-0 down in a playoff series. The question going into Friday will revolve around whether Embiid could be ready for Game 3. The league's scoring champion and MVP finalist is recovering from an orbital fracture and concussion and has, not surprisingly, been big-time missed by the 76ers

''It's always nice to win,'' Butler said. ''We just did what we're supposed to do at home.''

''We've just got to go back to the drawing board and try to figure it out,'' Maxey said.

''We don't have a big man right now,'' Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers lamented.

''He's got so many steps to go through,'' Rivers said. ''I don't think he's cleared any of them right now.''
''When it comes down to it, you've got to make shots, especially when you're on the road against a really good team,'' Harden said. ''It's pretty simple.''

'It's not easy to get playoff wins.'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''We had some great stretches, particularly defensively. We had some really good stretches offensively. ... Our defense really carried us to the win, but we had some really timely offensive plays.''

Also read: NBA: Celtics make a comeback in game 2, Grizzlies beat the Warriors
 

(Basketball news) The Miami Heat overcame the Philadelphia 76ers 106-92 in the first game of the Eastern Conference semifinal playoffs. For the Heat, Herro scored 25 points - the second-most he'd ever had in a playoff game, while Bam Adebayo finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds, Jimmy Butler added 15 points, as they got 10 points from Gabe Vincent and P.J. Tucker. For the Sixers, Tobias Harris scored 27 points, they got 19 from Tyrese Maxey and 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists from James Harden as they were without their star man Joel Embiid for this fixture. Now they both face each other on the 5th of May. 

He's a worker,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''He's relentless.''

''I feel like I was just making plays,'' Adebayo said

''I didn't like how we moved the ball,'' 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. ''I thought we passed late tonight. I thought the physicality affected us tonight and that had an impact. There were too many times, we'd take the extra dribble and by the time we passed it they got there.''

''I liked how we fought back,'' Rivers said. ''I liked how we came out at the beginning of the third quarter ... and then I didn't like the rest of the game from that point on.''

''It's doable. It is doable,'' Maxey said. ''It's not totally out of reach.''

The Phoenix Suns overcame some Luka magic to win 121-114 against the Dallas Mavericks in the first game of the Western Conference semifinal playoffs. For the Suns, Deandre Ayton scored 25 points, Devin Booker added 23 as  Paul added 19 points and Cam Johnson had 17 off the bench. For the Mavs, Luka Doncic led the scoring with 45 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. It's the first time Dallas has advanced to the postseason's second round in Doncic's four-year NBA career as Kleber finished with 19 points. Now both teams face each other on the 5th May at the Footprint Centre Arena in Phoenix.

''We'll take the win,'' Suns point guard Chris Paul said. ''It's not always going to be pretty. We played well most of the game. We'll look at the film tomorrow and see what we need to do differently for Game 2.''

''I thought Maxi and Luka in that first half kept us afloat,'' Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. ''We could have easily been down 39 at halftime but Maxi and LD were good. LD was good in the second half, too.

'I liked the fact that we weren't settling for 3s tonight,'' Suns coach Monty Williams said. ''A lot of guys were attacking the paint, we were getting floaters and rim shots.''

Also read: NBA: Mavericks, Pelicans and 76ers all seal their respective series

(Basketball news) The Phoenix Suns qualified to the semifinals of the Western Conference playoffs as they beat the New Orleans Pelicans 115-109 in game 6. For the Suns, Paul shot 14-for-14 as he scored 33 points, he was 14 for 14 - the most field goals without a miss in an NBA playoff game as Deandre Ayton had 22 points for Phoenix on 10-of-12 shooting. For the Pelicans, Ingram led the scoring with 21 points and 11 assists, CJ McCollum and Hebert Jones both scored 16 points. With this result the Suns will now face the Dallas Mavericks in the next round of playoff fixtures.

''I had no clue,'' said Paul, the former Pelican who finished with 33 points and eight assists. ''I think maybe at halftime I said I might have to shoot a little more. But throughout the game, I was literally managing the game. I wasn't taking heat checks. I don't shoot enough to have heat checks.''

''I can't even say because he's done it so many times,'' Williams said. ''This is probably No. 1 because it just happened, and I knew how special New Orleans is to him. He cares deeply about the city and the fans and the children. It's probably No. 1 because it just happened,''

'It was really nice to have him back,'' Paul said. ''All that pressure they've been doing against us the whole series, especially the last three games, was tough. (Booker) was on that left wing, and I don't know if they forgot or didn't realize who he was, but I saw how they were shifted.''

''It caught me off guard, too,'' Booker said. ''You don't normally get clean looks like that.''

The Dallas Mavericks qualified to the semi finals of the Western Conference playoffs as they beat the Utah Jazz 98-96 in game 6. For the Mavericks, Doncic and Jalen Brunson each scored 24 points but the main reason they won was because Mavericks shot 56% (14 of 25) from 3-point range after halftime. For the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell had 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as Bogdanovic finished with 19 points, but couldn't make the shot that would have won it. With this result the Mavericks will now take on the Suns in the 2nd round of playoffs.

''I like sharing the ball. If they're going to hit or blitz me, someone is going to be open,'' Doncic said.

''It was all about trust,'' Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. ''Luka did an incredible job knowing they were going to try and take the ball out of his hands.''

''Playing with Luka the past couple years, I should expect the ball when I'm not expecting it. The ball found me,'' Brunson said of his clutch 3-pointer.

''We have played a lot of games in the playoffs and still haven't got to the second round. But we feel like we can do something great this year, so we all expected to get this win,'' Finney-Smith said.

''I'm speechless,'' Mitchell said about failing to advance. ''It's on me. I put a lot of pressure on myself, but I just wasn't who I needed to be. I need to be better.''

The Philadelphia 76ers made it to the next round of playoffs as they beat the Toronto Raptors 132-97 to win the series 4-2. For the Sixers, Joel Embiid had 33 points and 10 rebounds, Harden added 22 points and 15 assists as Tyrese Maxey scored 25 points, going 5 for 12 from 3-point range, and Tobias Harris had 19 points and 11 rebounds. For the Raptors, Chris Boucher had 25 points and 10 rebounds , Pascal Siakam fouled out with 24 points, Gary Trent Jr. had 19 and Scottie Barnes 18. With this result the 76ers now take on the number 1 seed from the East,  the Miami Heat, in the Eastern Conference semifinal playoffs.

''We weren't going back to Philly for a Game 7,'' Harden said

''They're good, they're deep, they're veterans,'' 76ers coach Doc Rivers said about the Heat. ''We've got to go play grown men, and we're looking forward to the challenge.''

We fought hard but we didn't get the outcome we wanted,'' Siakam said. ''We just have to go back and learn from it.''

''I thought we went through a tremendous amount this year,'' Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. ''They just kept fighting, kept playing, kept getting better and kept figuring it out.''

''At halftime I looked and we had great shots, and we were going to keep getting those,'' Rivers said. ''I told them `If we can rebound the ball, we can stretch this lead quickly.' That was quicker than I thought, obviously. We made every shot.''

Also read: NBA: Warriors prevail to the next round as the Bucks overcome the Bulls

(Basketball news) The Boston Celtics produced a clinical performance to sweep the series 4-0 as they beat Brooklyn 116-112 in game number 4. For the Celtics, Tatum scored 29 points, Jaylen Brown had 22 and the Celtics completed a four-game sweep as Marcus Smart added 20 points and 11 assists. For the Nets, Durant had 39 points, nine assists and seven rebounds as Nic Claxton scored 13 points, Kyrie finished with 20 and Seth Curry 23 points. Now the Celtics will face the winners of the Bucks vs Bulls in the second round of the playoffs.

''Couldn't believe it at all, but I think that's what we're built for,'' Tatum said.

''It's funny to us, because we don't duck and dodge anybody,'' Smart said. ''We knew what we were going to come in here and do.''

''A lot of stuff that may factor into why we lost, but they were just a better team,'' Durant said.

The Toronto Raptors after going down 3-0 in the series have made a magnificent comeback to win game 5 against the Philadelphia 76ers 103-88. For the Raptors, Pascal Siakam had 23 points and 10 rebounds, Precious Achiuwa scored 17 as OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. each scored 16 points. For the Sixers, Embiid had 20 points and 11 rebounds playing with a thumb injury. Harden scored 15 points on 4-of-11 shooting. With this result both teams head to Toronto to play the crucial game 6.

''I was terrible defensively,'' Embiid said. ''There's really no explanation. I've just got to play with more energy, move my feet better. I've just got to be better.''

''We always kind of figure it out,'' Siakam said

''We never brought the fight to them at the beginning of the game, really,'' 76ers forward Tobias Harris said.

''They were the tougher team all night, they were more physical all night,'' Rivers said. ''I don't think it was the second quarter. I thought it was throughout the game.''

''Not exactly the way we would draw it up, but we're happy to still be playing,'' Nurse said.

The Dallas Mavericks took the lead in the series against the Utah Jazz as Luka Doncic powered them to a 102-77 victory over them. For the Mavericks, Luka Doncic had 33 points and 13 rebounds as Jalen Brunson, who carried most of the offensive load for them when Doncic was sidelined, scored 24 points. Finney-Smith added 13, and Dwight Powell got the crowd going early with all eight of his points on 4-of-4 shooting in the first quarter. For the Jazz, Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points and Rudy Gobert added 17 points and 11 rebounds in the lowest-scoring game for the Jazz since they lost by 50 at Dallas (118-68) on Nov. 14, 2018.. With this result they head to Utah to play the 6th game of the series.

For his second game, it looks like he's been playing this whole series,'' coach Jason Kidd said. ''His conditioning, his effort on the defensive end. As we talk about rebounding, he's one of the best for us and he did that tonight.''

''They've scrambled extremely hard,'' said Mitchell, who is shooting 20% from 3-point range after being well over 40% the past two playoff years. ''It's a lot to continuously run teams off the line, and they've done a good job of it. They've made us uncomfortable.''

''It was nothing,'' Doncic said. ''It's playoffs, man. There's always going to be attention, but it was nothing. I tried to dunk it. Wasn't successful. These things happen in the playoffs.''

“I don't even remember that,'' Finney-Smith said before smiling. ''I don't even remember last year. Nah, but we put ourselves in a great spot. We've just got to handle our business in Utah.''

Also read: NBA: Nuggets make a comeback as Pelicans level the series

(Sports news) Seven time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton and 23 time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams have joined a large consortium to purchase Chelsea FC from Roman Abramovich. The consortium is led by Sir Martin Broughton and it also includes World Athletics President Sebastian Coe as well as Josh Harris and David Blitzer, owners of the NBA team Philadelphia 76ers. Hamilton’s communications consultancy Freud Communications have already confirmed the British racing driver's involvement in the bid while Serena Williams’ representatives are yet to make a public statement.

Speaking to CNN Sport, Ben Peppi, sports commercial expert at JMW Solicitors said “It's a move away from what they're investing in traditionally, [by] investing in a club's franchise, especially a club the size of Chelsea. [Sportspeople are] typically seen as investing in consumer brands, early stage businesses that clearly have relevance to their sporting career, but also kind of that move into the wider business world. 

“This, to me, looks more like a traditional investment play. Clearly, it's a financial return. It's not going to be acting as brand ambassadors for Chelsea Football Club in a traditional way that they might with other consumer brands. With Lewis Hamilton there's a lot of talk around the fact that he's in there because he's going to promote values close to him with regards to kind of race, inclusion, and diversity” Peppi concluded. 

Hamilton said “We were contacted and Sir Martin took time to speak to me on the phone and explain his and his team’s goals, if they were to win the bid, which was incredibly exciting. And it was very much aligned with my values and again, as a kid, I remember collecting all the stickers and books to trade cards. I remember filling all of those up as a kid and collecting all those pennies and trading them for sweets with the other kids for the most valuable ones. 

“Ultimately I’m a sporting fan. It’s the biggest sport in the world and Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in the world and one of the most successful. When I heard about this opportunity I was like ‘wow’, this is one of the greatest opportunities to be part of something so great. Well, at the moment my primary focus is continuing in Formula 1, and this isn't my first business venture or investment. But yeah, it’s something I'm excited about, I would say early on I’m for sure not going to be able to be hands on as the other people that are a part of it. But again, we haven't won (the bid) yet. But if we do, there's lots of opportunity to get involved more and more over time, which is super exciting." 

Also read: Arsenal interested in Jesus amid Haaland to Manchester City rumours

(Basketball news) The Boston Celtics took a 2-0 lead in the playoff series as they beat the Brooklyn Nets 114-107. For the Celtics, Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter as Jayson Tatum added 19 points for Boston, which held Durant without a basket in the second half. Al Horford had 16 points, Daniel Theis scored 15 and Payton Pritchard had eight of his 10 in the final period. For the Nets, Durant finished with 27 points but struggled from the field for the second straight game, shooting 4 of 17 as Irving had just 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting a day after being fined $50,000 for directing obscene gestures and profane language. Bruce Brown finished with 23 points and Seth Curry added 16. With this result the Celtics will travel to Brooklyn to face the Nets twice in the Barclays Arena.

''This was old-fashioned. old-school playoff game,'' Tatum said. ''You just have to grind it out. That's what we did... we just just stuck with it. Proud of the guys and how we kept responding all game.''

“They're doing a good job trying to cut off my scoring, limit my shot making,'' Durant said. ''It's on me to figure it out.''

''They took the lead and they never looked back in that fourth quarter,'' Irving said. ''We don't really have time to be disappointed, to hold our heads. This is part of playoff basketball.''

“I think we did that,'' Udoka said. ''We want to make him work defensively and offensively, have bodies on him the whole time and try to wear him down.''

''I think our intensity dropped a little bit in the second half. We also didn't convert,'' Nets coach Steve Nash said. ''We had opportunities, we didn't convert.''

The Chicago Bulls made a staggering comeback against the third seed Milwaukee Bucks as they beat them 114-110. For the Bulls, DeRozan scored a career playoff-high 41 points as Nikola Vucevic added 24 points and 13 rebounds, while Zach LaVine had 20 points as the sixth-seeded Bulls beat the third-seeded Bucks for just the second time in their last 19 meetings. For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the scoring with 33 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists. Antetokounmpo increased his career postseason point total to 1,715 to overtake Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,692) for the most in Bucks history as Brook Lopez had 25 points for the Bucks. Middleton scored 18 and Holiday 15. With this result the Bucks travel to Chicago for two games as the series is finally poised at 1-1.

''No matter what you did in the regular season, this is a brand new start and new mindset,'' DeRozan said. ''You could see it in all the guys. It doesn't matter if we've lost 20 times to those guys. This is an opportunity for us to compete. We've got to take advantage of it.''

''He's always been positive and he knows the type of team that we are and how resilient we are,'' Bucks guard Jrue Holiday said. ''We just want him to get back as quickly as possible and be healthy so he can come out here and help us win games.''

''We expected those guys to make a run,'' Vucevic said. ''They're a championship team for a reason. They've been there before, so we expected them to make a run.''

''I do think that playing some of these higher-level teams at the end of the year has maybe kind of hardened us, helped us grow,'' Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. ''It's helped us get better. It's helped us be able to have that kind of mentality that we've got to move on to the next play. I think at times this year when we played against good teams, when it started to go a little bit the other direction, we didn't have enough in us to get it back going in our direction.''

The Philadelphia 76ers have one step in the second round of the playoffs after their overtime 104-101 victory over the Toronto Raptors. For the Sixers, Embiid made a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds left in overtime to give the 76ers their third straight victory as he scored 33 points and 13 rebounds. James Harden had 19 points and 10 assists before fouling out in the closing seconds of regulation as Tyrese Maxey scored 19 points and Tobias Harris had 11 points and 12 rebounds. For the Raptors, Anunoby scored 26 points, Gary Trent Jr. had a playoff-high 24, and Precious Achiuwa had 20 as Pascal Siakam and VanVleet each had 12 points. VanVleet shot 3 for 13, going 2 for 10 from 3-point range. Now the Sixers have a chance to wrap the series on Saturday in Toronto after taking a 3-0 lead in the series.

“Great play call,'' Embiid said. ''Tobias set an amazing screen, Danny threw a great pass. All I had to do was finish, and I'm glad I did.

''For him, that's a high-percentage shot, especially on that wing,'' Harris said of Embiid's decisive basket. ''We got the ball to our best player, somebody who makes plays, makes shots.''

''We've been watching his skill set all year long and how great he's been,'' Harden said. ''Tonight was no different. He did all the right things, and when it was time for him to finish the game off, he did that.''

''There's no room to look around and feel sorry for ourselves,'' VanVleet said. ''We did a lot of good things tonight, we played a lot of minutes of great basketball and we're going to have to do it again.''

Also read: NBA: Pelicans make a comeback as Heat's win against the Hawks
 

(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) The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Toronto Raptors 112-97 in the second game of the 1st round NBA playoffs to take a 2-0 series lead. For the Sixers, Embiid took his lumps and powered his way to 31 points and 11 rebounds as Maxey had 23 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, Tobias Harris had 20 points and 10 rebounds and James Harden scored 14. For the Raptors, OG Anunoby led the scoring with 26 points as Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet each had 20. With this result the 76ers won both the games at home as they get ready to travel to Toronto in the third game of the series tomorrow,

''They put me on the floor a few times and to me, this is where it gets interesting,'' Embiid said. ''I'm like, cool. I'm going to come back with more power and make you foul me.''

That's what we need from the Big Fella,'' Maxey said

''I didn't really want them to set that tone,'' Embiid said. ''I wanted myself and us to set that tone. That's why I picked up that early technical foul.''

''They wanted to muck the game up and play physical, Rivers said. ''I just told our guys to just play through it.''

The Golden State Warriors on the back of a magical Steph Curry performance won 126-106 against the Denver Nuggets to take a 2-0 series lead in the first round of the NBA playoffs in the Western Conference. For the Warriors, Curry came off the bench for a second straight game following a month-long absence with a foot injury, scoring 34 points as no player in the shot clock era had scored as many as 30 points in 23 or fewer minutes in a playoff game. Klay Thompson added 21 points, Curry shot 12 for 17 with five 3s while Jordan Poole scored 29 points to complete a rout. For the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic had 26 points and 11 rebounds before being ejected with 7 minutes left as Austin Rivers managed 17 points off the bench. Now the Warriors travel to Denver on Thursday to play the third game.

''The first half a little pep in my step and the body felt good, I was able to kind of get to some spots,'' Curry said. ''When you make certain shots it feels a little different, it feels a little bit more normal and more emotion kind of comes out, especially with that layoff, so it was a nice feeling.''

''It didn't surprise me because we've been watching this for a long time with Steph,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''You never really are surprised when he has an outburst like that. It's great to see.''

''If you feel like you're getting under their skin you press up a little more,'' Green said. ''If you don't feel like you're getting under their skin, you press up a little more.''

The Dallas Mavericks made a comeback against the Utah Jazz to win 110-104 as they now tied up the playoff series 1-1. The Mavericks were without their star Luka Doncic but the likes of Brunson scored a career-high 41 points, Maxi Kleber had 25 with eight of their playoff-record 22 made 3-pointers.Brunson was the starting point guard in place of  Doncic as he became the fifth Dallas player to score 40 points in a playoff game. He is the first Mavericks player to do that without committing a turnover. The other 40-point scorers were Doncic, Dirk Nowitzki, Rolando Blackman and Nick Van Exel. For the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell had 34 points for Utah, while Bojan Bogdanovic had 25 and Jordan Clarkson 21 as Rudy Gobert had eight points and 17 rebounds. The Mavericks go to Utah on Thursday with the series finely poised.

''I started this morning, I was talking to (Dorian Finney-Smith) and I told him, `Doe, I'm going to let 10 3s fly tonight.' And he said, `That's my dog.' And that kind of set the tone for the day,'' Kleber said. ''The mindset is we know they're going to leave certain guys open to shoot. We've just got to let it fly.''

''We did what we had to do, which was win tonight. But we were only focused on tonight,'' Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. ''We understand what's in front of us, what's coming. It's going to be a hostile environment.''

''We tried to go out there and take both (games). Didn't happen. You know we're not going to overreact. We're going to go home, and we've got to take care of business. Simple as that,'' Mitchell said. ''At the end of the day, we're happy we took a game and go back and take care of business.''

''The telltale is we can't have Brunson have the night he had and also be able to kick the ball out for those looks,'' Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. ''And when those passes are kicked out, I thought we weren't as sharp mentally in our ability to rotate. And that's something that we've done before.''

''I'm just playing how the defense is giving me, just seeing how they're defending certain things. Just stepping into certain shots,'' Brunson said. ''Yeah, the 5-of-5 start is great, but I had the same mentality when I was 0 for 5 last game, or whatever. ... You can't fluctuate whenever, not even when (Doncic) is in or out. Because you need guys to make plays.'

Also read: NBA: Celtics win the first match as Suns prevail over the Pelicans

 

(Basketball news) The Atlanta Hawks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-101 in the play-in tournament to earn the Eastern Conference's No. 8 playoff seed and face the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA playoffs. For the Hawks, Young scored 32 of his 38 points in the second half as Bogdan Bogdanovic added 19 points and Danilo Gallinari added 14 points. For the Cavs, Lauri Markkanen scored 26 and Darius Garland added 21 points as Cleveland hasn't been to the playoffs since 2018, and the Cavs haven't been to the postseason without LeBron James on their roster since 1998. Last year’s Eastern Conference finalist will hope to do one better and win the conference to reach the NBA finals for the first time in their franchise history.

''We took care of business,'' Young said. ''It's a testament to our team that we kept fighting and finished the job.''

''Trae has a great deal of confidence in his game, his ability and he continues to believe,'' Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. ''I didn't see any panic in his play. He came out in the second half, remained aggressive. Those shots started to fall, the same shots that he was taking the first half, they started to fall in the second half.''

''The ball wasn't popping and there was a lot of isolation and standing still,'' Bickerstaff said of his team's troubles after halftime.

''We're headed in the right direction, for sure,'' Bickerstaff said. ''We accomplished a lot this year.''

The New Orleans Pelicans made the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18 as they beat the Los Angeles Clippers 105-101. For the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram scored 30 points and the Pelicans rallied from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter as CJ McCollum added 19 points and Larry Nance Jr. had 14 points and 16 rebounds. For the Clippers, Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson each had 27 points as it wasn’t enough to make the playoffs this season. With this result the Pelicans secured the 8th seed in the Western Conference standings and now face the mighty Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

''That win was big-time,'' Pelicans coach Willie Green said.

''It was an emotional game, a ton of highs and lows,'' Green said. ''But for us, our mentality is we're going to continue to fight. We're not going to fade out.''

''Starting off 1-12 and 3-16, you're thinking when is it going to pick up?'' rookie Trey Murphy said. ''Being my first year, I don't know what winning is like. Look at us now.''

''This team is resilient,'' said Nance, ''They started 1-12. That's so hard to pick yourself up from. I've been in seasons like that, it's hard to keep going and keep striving for it

“I am disappointed in us not being able to make the playoffs, no matter who was playing,'' said Clippers coach Tyronn Lue

''Just having faith in each other and staying connected,'' Green said of the Pelicans' mindset. ''Knowing we took their best shot and we're only down 10 going into the fourth.''

Also read: The Pelicans and Hawks are one win away from securing a playoff berth

The playoff matches tomorrow are:

• Mavericks vs Jazz
• Grizzlies vs Timberwolves
• 76ers vs Raptors
• Warriors vs Nuggets

(Basketball news) The Chicago Bulls clinched the last playoff position as they beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-120. For the Bulls, Troy Brown Jr. added 17 points and 11 rebounds as Patrick Williams scored a career-high 35 points and Ayo Dosunmu had 26 points in a season-high 45 minutes. For the Wolves, Nathan Knight had 17 points and eight rebounds and Jaylen Nowell added 15 points. With this result the Bulls secured 6th place in the Eastern Conference standings as they will face the No. 3 seed Milwaukee in the first round. Chicago, which has returned to the playoffs after a four-year absence, shared the East's best record with Miami at the All-Star break they fell off the pace and too many inconsistencies in their performances dropped them to 6th in the standings.

''We have to maintain a high level of competitive fight. They're champions for a reason,'' coach Billy Donovan said. ''They're battle-tested.''

''It's a good first step. This needs to be the foundation of what we're trying to build, and regardless of what happens from here, we've got a lot of things that we've learned,'' coach Chris Finch said.

''I was running a lot of things at him tonight to try to get him to be like that,'' Donovan said. ''He took it upon himself to do the things that he did, even randomly.'

The Lakers finished off their season with a consolation victory over the Denver Nuggets 146-141 after overtime. For the Lakers, Malik Monk had a career-best 41 points and Austin Reaves set career highs with 31 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists as Wenyen Gabriel had 14 points and 10 rebounds. LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook did not play the last match as this was also Frank Vogel’s last game in charge, he leaves the golden and purple after 3 seasons and won an NBA championship in 2020. For the Nuggets, Markus Howard had a career-high 25 points and Bryn Forbes scored 24 . With this result the Nuggets face the Golden State warriors in the first round of playoff matches.

''My reaction is I haven't been told (anything) and I'm going to enjoy tonight's game,'' Vogel said when asked about the report. ''Celebrate what these young guys did in terms of scratching and clawing and getting back in this game. We'll deal with tomorrow tomorrow.''

''He gave me a chance,'' Monk said. ''This was the only team that called me in the offseason. I have nothing bad to say about him. All praise goes to him. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have a chance to play basketball. I probably wouldn't be here, so kudos to Frank.''

''This is real basketball,'' Denver's DeMarcus Cousins said. ''This is when talent has to come out. The regular season is one thing, you kind of go through the motions to get through it and be successful.''

Season's over, no one got hurt tonight,'' Malone said. ''We'll focus on moving forward and preparing for Golden State.''

The other results were:

• Cavs 133 - 115 Bucks
• Rockets 114 - 130 Hawks
• Nets 134 - 126 Pacers
• Hornets 124 - 108 Wizards
• 76ers 118 - 106 Pistons
• Magic 125 - 111 Heat
• Knicks 105 - Raptors
• Grizzlies 110 - 139 Celtics
• Timberwolves 120 - 124 Bulls
• Pelicans 107 - 128 Warriors
• Suns 109 - 116 Kings
• Trail Blazers 80 - 111 Jazz
• Clippers 138 - 88 Thunder
• Mavericks 130 - 120 Spurs

Also read: LA Lakers sack head coach Frank Vogel after missing out on play-offs
 

(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) Mavericks secured a playoff berth after they beat the Detroit Pistons 131-113. For the Mavericks, Luka Doncic had 26 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds, Jalen Brunson had 24 points as they reached 50 wins this season. For the Pistons, Rookie of the Year candidate Cade Cunningham had 25 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. With this result the Mavericks moved 20 games above .500 for the first time since 2011, when they went on to win the NBA title. The Dallas Mavericks are going to earn home-court advantage in the playoffs, for the first time since Kidd was playing during championship season. Their current record stands at 50-30 and are currently 4th in the Western Conference standings with two games to go.

''It's a great accomplishment,'' coach Jason Kidd said. ''The guys in that locker room can't take that lightly because it's not easy to do.''

“I think it's pretty impressive,'' Doncic said. ''We started the season kind of slow. I'm proud of how we played and hopefully we get to 52 (wins).''

''That's going to be a top team in the West,'' Casey said. ''I wanted them to feel it and experience it.''

''They do a great job of spreading out and making 3-point shots,'' Casey said. ''You make one mistake and they make you pay. They're a great offensive team, exactly what we want to be in terms of moving the basketball and knocking down 3s,''

The Los Angeles Clippers won against a rested Phoenix Suns 113-109. For the Clippers it was a welcome return for Paul George and Norman Powell after being out of the majority of the season. Norman Powell scored 24 points and Paul George added 19 points as Ivica Zubac had 13 points and 11 rebounds. For the Suns, they were without Devin Booker and Chris Paul and fellow starters Deandre Ayton and Jae Crowder as the second unit played, Ish Wainwright scored a career-high 20 points, Aaron Holiday added 16 points and Bismack Biyombo had 14 points and 12 rebounds. The only starter in double figures was Payne with 13 points. With this result, the Clippers have secured the 8th place in the standings with a record of 40-40.

''You can never relax in the NBA,'' Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. ''The players are too good, the coaches are too good, and as soon as you let your guard down things like this can happen.''

''It's a great lesson for our team and any kid watching, you just play it out,'' Suns coach Monty Williams said. ''We just stayed with it and had that Suns grit.''

''When you have games like this, you find out who that guy is that you may be able to throw into a big game,'' Williams said. ''You build that confidence in games like this.''

''Playing with PG still didn't seem real to me,'' Powell said. ''I looked up to him growing up. Early on in my career he gave me some words of encouragement that stuck with me.''

''We just tried to play off one another,'' George said. ''The biggest thing for me was playing off the ball and letting Norm get comfortable. He's a big-time playmaker and scorer off the ball.''

Also read: NBA: The Heats thrash the Hornets while Lakers get eliminated

The other results were:

• Nets 110 - 98 Knicks
• Bulls 94 - 117 Celtics
• Hawks 118 - 103 Wizards
• Jazz 137 - 101 Thunder

Tomorrow’s fixture are:

• Hornets vs Magic
• Bucks vs Celtics
• Raptors vs 76ers
• Pelicans vs Trail Blazers
• Timberwolves vs Spurs
• Nuggets vs Grizzlies
• Warriors vs Lakers
   

(Basketball news) The Miami Heat virtually sealed the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings after their resounding 144-115 victory over the Hornets. For the Heats, Tyler Herro scored 35 points off the bench, Jimmy Butler added 27 points, Bam Adebayo had 22 and Duncan Robinson broke out of a recent scoring slump with 21 points. Herro was 8 of 14 from behind the arc and tied Dwyane Wade's single-game record for points by a Heat reserve. For the Hornets, Miles Bridges scored 29 points and LaMelo Ball finished with 18 points and 14 assists. With this result the Miami Heat moved closer to clinching the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a record of 52-28.

“Role and involvement and everything has looked different night to night,'' said Robinson, now on Miami's second unit. ''That's what you get when you play on a good team with a lot of guys that can do a lot of different things. For me, it's just about wrapping my mind around that.”

''I have to give credit to my teammates. They trust me to have the ball in my hands and let me be myself,'' Herro said. ''I couldn't do it without them. Another good win for us and just getting ready for the playoffs.''

''I'm kind of surprised, a different sense of urgency, but we have to fix it next game,'' Bridges said. ''We have to get better. Around this time if you don't have a sense of urgency, you shouldn't be playing. We just have to fix that.''

“The ball was moving, guys were helping each other get shots,'' Miami assistant Quinn said. ''It really was a team effort offensively.''

The Los Angeles Lakers’ disappointing season finally came to an end when they lost 121-110 against the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers have potentially five future Hall of Famers on their roster - James, Davis, Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard and still couldn't find a way to make the playoffs, which will disappoint the fans all over the world as the Lakers franchise will need introspect and make a lot of changes next season. On the other hand, Booker scored 32 points to lead the Suns to their franchise-record 63rd victory as Ayton had 22 points for Phoenix, and avoided its first three-game losing streak of the season. For the Lakers, Russell Westbrook scored 28 points while Anthony Davis added 21 points and 13 rebounds as the Suns extended their record to 63-16, which is subsequently the best in the league.

''Tonight is unbelievably special for so many people,'' Suns coach Monty Williams said. ''Not just the organization, but the people in the city, who have basically birthed the Suns. Everywhere I go, people say the Suns are their baby.

''All I could do in the last five seconds of the game is tell everybody how much I appreciate them,'' Suns forward Deandre Ayton said. ''And there's a lot more to go. But on this team, we celebrate everything.''

''We fell short. We were eliminated tonight,'' Frank Vogel said. ''I can say it has not been due to lack of effort. We have all put in the work. Our guys stayed fighting right until the end. We brought integrity to the process. We just fell short though a disjointed season.''

''Some things we could control, some things we couldn't,'' Anthony said. ''It is nothing more than we just didn't get it done. We can't make excuses; we just didn't get it done

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose their 6th straight game, 76ers clinch playoff place

The other results were:

• Pacers 122 - 131 76ers
• Magic 120 - 115 Cavs
• Raptors 118 - 108 Hawks
• Nets 118 - 105 Rockets
• Thunder 98 - 94 TrailBlazers
• Bulls 106 - 127 Bucks
• Timberwolves 114 - 132 Wizards
• Nuggets 97 - 116 Spurs
• Jazz 121 - 115 Grizzlies
• Kings 109 - 123 Pelicans

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Pistons vs Mavericks
• Knicks vs Nets
• Bulls vs Celtics
• Hawks vs Wizards
• Jazz vs Thunder
• Clippers vs Suns
   

(Basketball news) The Los Angeles season went from bad to worse as they lost 129-118 against the Denver Nuggets, a loss which has ultimately seen them drop out of the play in position as well. For the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic had 38 points, 18 rebounds and six assists as Will Barton scored 25 points and Aaron Gordon added 24 points and eight rebounds. For the Lakers, Anthony Davis had 28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists as Russell Westbrook added 27 points and Carmelo Anthony had 17. LeBron James was out of this match with a sprained left ankle. With this result the Nuggets have almost sealed their playoff berth as their record stands at 47-32 and currently are 5th in the Western Conference standings.

''Very satisfying, knowing the situation, four games to go (when) you've got people right behind you, pushing you,'' Denver coach Michael Malone said. ''This was an important road win. We've been a great road team all regular season long. ... When it mattered most, we were able to get stops.''

''I think it's a really important win for us,'' Jokic said. ''I'm just glad that we're winning. If we're playing bad and we're winning, that's the most important thing. I think it was really collective play that we did together, but hopefully we can keep it up to separate further and be even better.''

''We don't worry about the math,'' coach Frank Vogel said. ''We worry about the next game. Learn the lessons from this game, take them to the next game and hopefully get a win against Phoenix (on Tuesday).''

''We didn't expect to only have 21 games together, but that's been all year,'' Davis said. ''The times we were together, we looked good. . That being said, we still have enough (players) to play a basketball game. We will continue to fight this way, give ourselves a chance and see what happens.''

The Philadelphia 76ers secured a playoff position as they won 112-108 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. For the Sixers, Embiid scored 44 points and made 20 trips to the free throw line and added 17 rebounds and James Harden had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in his second triple-double with Philadelphia. For the Cavs, Darius Garland scored 23 and Caris LeVert and Lamar Stevens had 18 apiece. With this result the Sixers improved their record to 48-30 and currently stand 4th in the Western Conference and as for the Cavs they stayed in 7th with a record of 43-36.

''That game was taken from us,'' Bickerstaff said. ''We deserved to win it.''

''If it happens, great,'' he said of winning his first MVP. ''If it doesn't, I don't know what I have to do. I'll feel like they hate me. I feel like the standard for guys in Philly or for me is different than everyone else.''

''The one thing you can't defend is the free throw line and that's absurd,'' Bickerstaff said, referring to the Sixers' 42 attempted foul shots. ''Our guys deserved way better than they got tonight.

''They're great players and they understand how to play through the rules,'' he said of Philly's All-Stars. ''They know how to manipulate the rules. This is no knock or disrespect to those guys. But the game has to be consistent on both ends of the floor. We were searching for that consistency and we never found it.''

''I get to witness his greatness every night,'' Harden said. ''Obviously, his offensive numbers tonight are self-explanatory. Defensively, he was very active blocking shots, changing shots and clogging the paint up was key.''

Also read: NBA: Bucks edge out the Nets as Lakers drop to 11th in the west

The other results were:

• Pacers 117 - 121 Pistons
• Magic 88 - 118 Knicks
• Raptors 109 - 114 Heat
• Thunder 117 - 96 Suns
• Spurs 113 - 92 Trail Blazers
• Rockets 132 - 139 Timberwolves
• Kings 90 - 109 Warriors
• Clippers 119 - 100 Pelicans

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

 

• Pacers vs 76ers
• Magic vs Cavs
• Raptors vs Hawks
• Heat vs Hornets
• Nets vs Rockets
• Thunder vs Trail Blazers
• Bulls vs Bucks
• Timberwolves vs Wizards
• Nuggets vs Spurs
• Jazz vs Grizzlies
• Kings vs Pelicans
• Suns vs Lakers
   

(Basketball news) The Milwaukee Bucks edged out the Brooklyn Nets as they beat them 120-119 in overtime. For the Bucks, Antetokounmpo had 44 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. Jrue Holiday added 19 points and Khris Middleton had 16 before being ejected as Giannis became the all time leading scorer for the Bucks. For the Nets, Kevin Durant had 26 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds but missed a 3-pointer that would have won it. Kyrie Irving scored 25 points and Bruce Brown had 23. With this result the Bucks moved up to 2nd in the Eastern Conference table as they are only one victory away from getting the top spot in the standings, their current record stands at 48-28.

''When I'm done we can talk about it, but now there's no time,'' Antetokoumpo said, looking ahead to Friday's game against the Clippers. ''There's things that have to be done.''

''We just fight, compete, compete and know that obviously it helps to have that big fellow on your team that can literally break a game open for you and make plays,'' Bucks swingman Wesley Matthews said.

''It was just one of those games that got funky at the end, but we've just got to finish it out in regulation,'' Irving said.

''I'm not averse to seeing how they're doing and where they're at, but it's not something that I'm, like I said the other day, refreshing my feed daily,'' Nash said.

''I think it's in a good place,'' Budenholzer said. ''I don't think it's anything that we're concerned about, but there's a daily attention and effort that it takes from the sports performance team and him and what he does to be his best. It's impressive.''

The Los Angeles Lakers lost their fifth straight match and dropped down to 11th in the standings meaning that they are out of the play in positions also as they lost 122-109 against the Utah Jazz. For the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points and Rudy Gobert had 25 points and 17 rebounds as Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points, Mike Conley added 18 and Bojan Bogdanovic 11 in his return from injury. For the Lakers, Russell Westbrook scored 24 points and Dwight Howard had 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, who were without LeBron James (ankle sprain) and Anthony Davis (foot sprain). With this result the Utah Jazz improved their record to 46-31 and stayed in 5th in the Western Conference standings.

''It was huge to get a win,'' Mitchell said. ''The negativity and the losses and all that pressure was more external, but it was not an ideal time to have a five-game losing streak. So it's nice to celebrate this one tonight.''

''We were finding guys, making the right reads, getting switches, being able to break down the defense, get in the paint and make the extra pass,'' Mitchell said of the Jazz offense returning to its efficient ways with 51 percent shooting and only eight turnovers.
''I know how important these games are down the stretch. I just wanted to get my body and my mind prepared for tonight. Felt really good out there. Just a little bit hurt about not winning the game,'' Howard said.

''For me, personally, it's a big adjustment. You don't know who's playing and who's out. Who's starting and who's not. Something I'm not accustomed to. But like I said, I make no excuses. I own whatever it is, play whoever is playing and try to make the best out of it,'' Westbrook said.

''I really like the way we were able to re-focus together and reconnect. We did a good job closing . and that's big for us,'' Gobert said.

Also read: NBA: Phoenix Suns beat the Warriors and the Heat also win

The other results were:

• Pistons 102 - 94 76ers
• Hawks 131 - 107 Cavs
• Bulls 135 - 130 Clippers

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Wizards vs Mavericks
• Magic vs Raptors
• Celtics vs Pacers
• Thunder vs Pistons
• Rockets vs Kings
• Grizzlies vs Suns
• Bucks vs Clippers
• Spurs vs Trail Blazers
• Nuggets vs Timberwolves
• Lakers vs Pelicans
• 76ers vs Hornets
• Knicks vs Cavs
   

(Basketball news) The Phoenix Suns produced a clinical performance as they beat the Golden State Warriors 107-103. For the Suns, Chris Paul finished with 15 points and eight assists, Mikal Bridges and Devin Booker both scored 22 points as Deandre Ayton added 16 points and 16 rebounds, The Suns matched the franchise record with 62 wins for their 9th straight victory this season. For the Warriors, Jordan Poole scored a season-best 38 points to match his career high and also contributed nine rebounds and seven assists, Klay Thompson finished with 13 points as he shot just 5 for 21 and missed nine of his 10 3-point attempts in Golden State's fourth straight loss, seventh in eight and third in a row at Chase Center. With this result the Suns extended their record to 62-14 and sit at the top of the Western Conference standings.

''That's who we are. We are a work team. Even though the studies show that lifting after a game helps with recovery, I think they really enjoy being around each other and they enjoy the work,'' coach Monty Williams said. ''... As I've said before, our guys are chasing something. When you're chasing something, you don't want to get to whatever you're chasing and not be ready.''

''We felt like we've been there before,'' Paul said of the atmosphere. ''Obviously this is an exciting environment playing in here, the crowd going crazy and all that but we've been playing a ton of games like that.''

''The tough part about Jordan is he's learning how to play like Steph,'' Williams said before the game.

''Draymond took a step tonight,'' Kerr said of the improvements on both ends.

The Miami Heat reclaimed their top spot in Eastern Conference standings when they defeated the Boston Celtics 106-98. For the Heat, Jimmy Butler scored 24 points, Kyle Lowry added 23  as Bam Adebayo finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds. For the Celtics, Jaylen Brown led the team with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Jayson Tatum added 23 points and six assists. With this result the Miami Heat clinched a playoff place and also reclaimed the top spot with a record of 49-28 as the Celtics moved down to 4th in the standings with a record of 47-30, the Eastern Conference is very open at the moment as the Bucks, 76ers, Heat and Celtics are fighting it out for that elusive top spot.

''I think we did a good job of just communicating and being there for each other,'' Lowry said.

''It's a good thing for us to learn from,'' Tatum said. ''The season is not decided today. We've still got games to play, playoffs. So, we'll be good.''

''We've gotten a lot better at knowing where the ball has to go,'' Butler said. ''Putting everybody in the position that they need to be in to be successful.''

''That's why I like going through all these kind of games during the regular season,'' Spoelstra said. ''We had our share of challenges going down the stretch. But what I love about this group is we come in the next day, work at it and really try to get better. Those experiences make you stronger.''

Also read: NBA: Nets win while Mavericks inch closer to securing a playoff place

The other results were:

• Pacers 118 - 125 Nuggets
• Cavs 112 - 120 Mavericks
• Wizards 127 - 110 Magic
• Raptors 125 - 102 Timberwolves
• Knicks 114 - 125 Hornets
• Rockets 118 - 121 Kings
• Thunder 118 - 136 Hawks 
• Spurs 111 - 112 Grizzlies
• Trail Blazers 107 - 117 Pelicans

Tomorrow's matches are:

• Pistons vs 76ers
• Nets vs Bucks
• Hawks vs Cavs
• Bulls vs Clippers
• Jazz vs Lakers
   

(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) The Lakers' struggles continued as they lost 116-108 against the New Orleans Pelicans, LeBron became only the second man to reach 37,000 points in NBA history. For the Pelicans, Ingram scored 26 in his return from a 10-game absence as Murphy, who was drafted 17th overall in last year's draft, scored all of his 21 points in the second half and Jones, a second-round draft choice, had 16 points and a career-high six steals. For the Lakers, LeBron James hit seven 3-pointers and finished with 39 points, Malik Monk scored 23 points as Russell Westbrook scored 18 points and Dwight Howard grabbed 10 rebounds. With this result Pelicans improved their record to 32-43 and subsequently moved above the Lakers in the 9th place in the Western Conference standings.

''I've been out for three weeks, and to be back and win in this fashion with all my brothers, it's special,'' Ingram said. ''It shows we believe in each other. ... When winning is the mentality good things come to you and great things came to us tonight.''

''I have no idea how I finished the game,'' James said. ''It's pretty sore right now.

''I didn't want to come out,'' James added. ''I understood how big of a game it was for us. ... I just lost all explosiveness, so a lot of my game tonight was played on the perimeter after that. ... I couldn't really get into the lane like I would have loved to.''

''It shows they're getting better,'' Ingram said, applauding the consistent work ethic both young players have exhibited since they arrived. ''It's showing up on the box score. It's showing up in wins. It's definitely helping their confidence out a lot.''

''We can score when we want if we continue to play the right way, which I didn't think we did in the second half,'' Westbrook said. He did not elaborate.

Blowing a lead like that in such a game ''feels like (expletive),'' James said. ''Excuse my language but that's what it feels like. I came in with the mindset and understanding it was going to be a playoff-type atmosphere, playoff implications and things of that nature. I knew that from the jump. ... It feels like another wasted opportunity obviously for myself and for our team.''

The Golden State Warriors suffered a shock defeat at the hands of the Washington Wizards 123-115. For the Wizards, Kristaps Porzingis scored 23 points as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 22. For the Warriors who have lost five of its last six, Jordan Poole scored 26, Klay Thompson contributed 25 and Andrew Wiggins had 23. With this result the Wizards improved their record to 32-42 as the Warriors slipped to 48-27 and there is a possibility that the Dallas Mavericks will soon overtake the Warriors, who are struggling without Steph Curry.

''It feels good - sadly, that it's been that long,'' coach Wes Unseld Jr. said.

'I knew I was getting close. It feels great,'' Kispert said. ''I feel really good about it, but I also played a lot more games than Brad did his rookie year.''

'It looked like they were getting wide open shots from 3 most of the game,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ''I didn't like our ball pressure or our general body language in the first half. I didn't think we brought it, I didn't think we competed.''

''I'm playing terribly,'' he said. ''I've never really been on a team that gets worse when I'm on the floor and that's kind of where we are right now. Some things I can correct, some things will come with time. Just kind of is what it is.''

Also read: NBA: Hawks beat the Warriors and the 76ers thrash the Clippers

The other results were:

• Pistons 102 - 104 Knicks
• Celtics 134 - 112 Timberwolves
• Suns 114 - 104 76ers
• Mavericks 114 - 100 Jazz
• Nets 110 - 119 Hornets

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Hornets vs Nuggets
• Pacers vs Hawks
• Cavs vs Magic
• Knicks vs Bulls
• Raptors vs Celtics
• Heat vs Kings
• Grizzlies vs Warriors
• Rockets vs Spurs
• Trail Blazers vs Thunder

(Basketball news) The Atlanta Hawks beat the Golden State Warriors 121-110. For the Hawks,  Trae Young had 33 points and 15 assists, Danilo Gallinari added 25 points as they railled them to consecutive victories, For the Warriors,Klay Thompson finished with 37 points, hitting a season-high nine 3-pointers, and Jordan Poole scored 24 as Poole and Thompson each had 22 points in the first half. With this result the Golden State stayed third in the Western Conference, coming off a rousing win at Miami on Wednesday before faltering against the Hawks, who are the No. 10 team in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 37-37.

''The last two minutes (of the second quarter) were kind of a disaster,'' Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. ''We turned the ball over, took some tough shots. They got out in transition, hit some 3s and I thought that carried to the second half.

''They felt more confident and they dominated that third quarter. That was the key stretch. From the two-minute mark of the second and into the third, they took over the game.''

''We knew what we needed to do is get stops,'' Young said. ''They went on a run, hit some tough 3s and contested 3s. Late in the game, it comes down to getting stops and executing down the stretch. We did a good job of doing that. Klay hit some tough shots, but it was good to get some stops.''

''There's still time for us to get that rhythm, get that mojo back and a game like this - coming out with that focus and playing with that attitude that's necessary - we can certainly can get that going,'' Hawks coach Nate McMillan said.

The Philadelphia 76ers moved within a victory away from going to the top of the Eastern Conference standings as they thrashed the Los Angeles Clippers 122-97. For the Sixers, Harden had 29 points and a season-high 15 rebounds while Embiid added 27 points and 10 as both of them registered double-doubles as Thybulle had 13 points, Tobias Harris added 12 and Tyrese Maxey 11. For the Clippers,Amir Coffey scored 21 points and Isaiah Hartenstein had 16 points and eight rebounds. Harden became the 116th player in league history to reach 4,500 career defensive rebounds. With this result the 76ers improved their record to 46-27 and are currently second in the Eastern Conference standings.

''We're getting better. The one-two has to be there first. It is. The rest will follow,'' Rivers said after Philadelphia (46-27) won its third straight to pull within a half game of the Miami Heat for first place in the Eastern Conference.

''Things are headed in the right direction, but every single day we are focusing on execution and details,'' said Harden, who is averaging 23 points and 7.6 rebounds since coming to Philadelphia. ''There are going to be different ways we are going to have to win in the playoffs, and we have to be prepared for that.''

''When shots are going in, it makes it better. Tonight was one of those nights where I felt good, we got out to a big lead and the wave continued the entire game,'' Harden said.

''We were overmatched. They played well and we didn't play our best game,'' Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. ''We had some chances to cut the lead a couple times. We got some rebounds but then turned it over, and then the game got away from us.''

Also read: NBA: Warriors beat the Heats and Joel Embiid powers over the Lakers

The other results were:

• Hornets 107 - 101 Jazz
• Pistons 97 - 100 Wizards
• Timberwolves 116 - 95 Mavericks
• Heat 103 - 111 Knicks
• Trail Blazers 106 - 125 Rockets

Tomorrow’s results are:

• Pelicans vs Spurs
• Magics vs Kings
• Raptors vs Pacers
• Heat vs Nets
• Grizzlies vs Bucks
• Cavs vs Bulls
• Nuggets vs Thunder
• Trail Blazers vs Rockets
   

(Basketball news) The Warriors were without their star players but still managed to get a 118-104 victory over the current Eastern Conference leaders Miami Heat. For the Warriors, Jordan Poole scored 30 points to continue his hot scoring run, plus had a career-best nine assists, as Damion Lee, Jonathan Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins each scored 22 points and got 11 points from Gary Payton II and 16 rebounds from Kevon Looney. For the Heat, Kyle Lowry scored 26 points, Bam Adebayo had 25, Butler finished with 20 and Duncan Robinson had 13. The Warriors were already without Stephen Curry because of a sprained left foot and Andre Iguodala with low back tightness, plus Steve Kerr gave Draymond Green, Otto Porter Jr. and Klay Thompson the night off for injury management. With this result, the Warriors improved their record to 48-25 and are currently 3rd in the Western Conference.

'It's so important to just keep pushing ahead and not succumb to the noise and to the roller-coaster nature of it all,'' Kerr said. ''You just gotta keep pushing forward. And that's what our guys did tonight.''

''Our overall competitive fire and execution at both ends ... was excellent,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

''You can use moments during the season to catapult you,'' Spoelstra said. ''You can galvanize together over frustration and disappointment. Teams can also go the other way. I don't see that with our group. I don't see that with our locker room. But we have needed a kick in the butt.''

The Philadelphia 76ers overcame the LeBron-less Lakers 126-121 as Joel Embid dominated from the get go. For the Sixers, Joel Embiid had 30 points and 10 rebounds, James Harden added 24 as Tyrese Maxey scored 21 points, now they have won five of seven matches that they have played recently. For the Lakers, Dwight Howard scored a season-high 24 points, Malik Monk had 23 and Carmelo Anthony scored 20 points as the Lakers lost for the 11th time in 15 games to fall 11 games below .500 again (31-42). With this result the 76ers have improved their record to 45-27 and are only two wins away from taking the first place in the Eastern Conference table.

''Guys played well,'' Harden said. ''Obviously, we wanted to play a lot better, especially defensively. But we'll take the win, and we've just got to continue to get better in these last games before the playoffs.

''Big picture, it's going great, because they want to do it,'' Rivers said. ''As far as doing it well, they're up and down. If you've got two guys that want to get it right, they'll get it right. It's difficult because it's being done with 22 games left.''

''Our goal is championships, and it's still there,'' said Stanley Johnson, who scored 13 points. ''We're trying to put the work toward things so when we get to the play-in game and the playoffs that we're ready, playing our best basketball. There's no win tonight for us at all, but the effort is something that we can continue, and we can use that later.''

“We're making progress,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''We're building habits that are going to win for us in the postseason, and we're continuing to grow. We're disappointed we lost, but without Bron, without AD, the group that played showed everyone we've still got a whole lot of fight left in us.''

Also read: NBA: The Bucks overcome the Bulls while Warriors lose

The other results were:

• Pistons 122 - 101 Hawks
• Pacers 109 - 110 Kings
• Hornets 106 - 121 Knicks
• Grizzlies 132 - 120 Nets
• Celtics 125 - 97 Jazz
• Timberwolves 116 - 125 Suns
• Thunder 118 - 102 Magic
• Mavericks 110 - 91 Rockets
• Trail Blazers 96 - 133 Spurs

Tomorrow’s matches are:

• Raptors vs Cavs
• Bucks vs Wizards
• Grizzlies vs Pacers
• Pelicans vs  Bulls
• Nuggets vs Suns
   

(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) Lakers snapped out of their losing streak as they beat the Toronto Raptors in overtime 128-123. For the Lakers, LeBron James scored 19 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, Russell Westbrook had 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists as the likes of Wenyen Gabriel scored 17 points, Bradley had 14 and Austin Reaves had 10 points. For the Raptors, Barnes set career-highs with 31 points and 17 rebounds, Gary Trent Jr. scored 23 points and Fred Van Vleet 20. With this victory the Lakers snapped out of their 11 game losing streak away from home as they improved their record to 30-40 and are currently in 9th in the Western Conference standings. 

“To be able to come into a very hostile environment and win a basketball game, and the way we won it, was big for our team,'' James said. ''We needed literally every minute, all 53 of them, to accomplish that.''

''I thought we did a great job of just sticking to our principles, grinding the game out,'' Westbrook said. ''This was a grind-out game.''

''That's part of what makes him the greatest is his ability to just make whatever play is necessary, whatever side of the floor,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said.

''We just didn't make one little play there to get the ball in bounds,'' Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. ''We got it in and got a tough pass complete, and then gave it up.''

''He really competed,'' Vogel said. ''I thought tonight he did a great job of really leading the team in terms of organizing our action, not just making plays himself but getting our group organized.''

The Phoenix Suns beat the Chicago Bulls quite comprehensively 129-102 for their 4th straight victory. For the Suns, Ayton scored 20 points he was 8 of 11 from the field as Devin Booker led the scoring with 28 points and Cameron Payne scored 15 points, Torrey Craig, Landry Shamet had 14 each, JaVale McGee 12 and Mikael Bridges 11. For the Bulls, DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points, Nikola Vucevic added 16 points. Coby White had 14, Zach LaVine 12 and Tristan Thompson 11 as they are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 41-29. The Suns improved their record to 57-14 and moved closer to clinching the NBA's best regular-season record this season.

''He is aggressive in the post. I didn't see a ton of finesse,'' Suns coach Monty Williams said

“We don't want to be `Chris and Book' dimensional,'' Williams said. ''We want to be comfortable to go to other guys so that in those key moments it is not something new to them.''

“To get the lead that we got and sustain it, then maintain it throughout the second half was pretty impressive,'' Craig said.

''I don't want to take anything away from Phoenix or teams we've played against, but we've got to be able to have a better response when shots aren't going in,'' Chicago coach Billy Donovan said. ''I thought some of the (Suns') offensive rebounds in the second quarter really hurt us, and then we started missing shots. We gotta develop a resilience when it's not going well.''

DeRozan said the team is dealing with some new adversity after a solid season. ''We're at that time of the year where nothing is a secret,'' he said. ''We've played great basketball and now teams are coming after us no matter who we play. Once we figure it out, we'll be fine.''

Also read: NBA: Luka magic sinks the Nets while Lakers' struggle continues

The other results were:

• 76ers 111 - 101 Mavericks
• Nets 128 - 123 Trail Blazers
• Knicks 100 - 97 Wizards
• Cavaliers 119 - 116 Nuggets
• Hawks 120 - 105 Grizzlies
• Heat 120 - 108 Thunder
• Rockets 118 - 121 Pacers
• Spurs 91 - 124 Pelicans
• Jazz 121 - 92 Clippers
• Kings 97 - 126 Celtics

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Timberwolves vs Bucks
• Hornets vs Mavericks
• Wizards vs Lakers
• Cavs vs Pistons

(Basketball news) The Dallas Mavericks produced a clinical performance to beat the Brooklyn Nets 113-111. For the Mavericks, Doncic finished with 37 points, nine rebounds and nine assists as Dinwiddie scored 22 points, 15 in the fourth quarter, made a 3-pointer at the buzzer against his former team, to lead their eighth win in nine games. For the Nets, Durant had 23 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, but Brooklyn had its four-game winning streak snapped. Goran Dragic scored a season-high 21 points and Bruce Brown had 17. Andre Drummond had 14 points and 17 rebounds.With this result the Mavericks improved their record to  43-26 as they are currently 5th in the Western Conference standings.

''It's like sticking it to your cousin versus, like, being vengeful for an enemy,'' Dinwiddie said

''When you watch that last play, just regret, wondering what the game would have been like if I didn't go jump Luka right there, you know what I'm saying?'' Durant said. ''So in hindsight I wish I would have made a different decision, but it is what it is.''

The Lakers continued their struggles as they lost to the in-form Minnesota Timberwolves 124-104. For the Wolves, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 16 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and Anthony Edwards had 20 of his 27 points in the second quarter to lead the early surge for them. For the Lakers, LeBron James, playing through knee soreness, had just 19 points on 8-for-21 shooting as Carmelo Anthony had 16 points. The Lakers fell a season-worst 11 games under the .500 mark at 29-40. James has not played on a team that far below even since his rookie year, when Cleveland finished the 2003-04 season at 35-47. With this result the Timberwolves improved their record to 41-30 as they are just a win away from overtaking the Nuggets in 6th in the Western Conference table. 

''We need that right now, a check underneath the hood, if you will,'' coach Chris Finch said

''We made the game competitive. We can't do that. We can't play with our food out there,'' said Towns, who had 13 of Minnesota's 51 rebounds.

''It's easy to be comfortable when you're winning. I've never been that guy. It's all about, `How comfortable can you be when things become uncomfortable?' I'm OK with that, too,'' James said. ''It's just testing my patience more than any season in the last few years, just because of the way we're playing.''

''When you're up, everything's going great. When you're down, they'll kick you,'' Lakers guard Wayne Ellington said. ''So right now, we're being kicked.'

'Nobody over there has done anything in this league that makes me put my eyes up like, `Oh, they're talking to me. Let me respond,''' Westbrook said. ''No, that's fine. They're good. They won a game. Happy for them. Move on to the next one.''

Also read: Kyrie drops 60 against the Magic while Suns continue their winning run

The other game results were:

• Cavs 114 - 118 76ers
• Wizards 109 - 127 Nuggets
• Hornets 116 - 106 Hawks
• Knicks 128 - 98 Trail Blazers
• Rockets 112 - 129 Suns
• Spurs 122 - 120 Thunder
• Jazz 125 - 110 Bulls
• Kings 126 - 135 Bucks
• Warriors 88 - 110 Celtics
• Clippers 100 - 103 Raptors
   

(Basketball news) The Brooklyn Nets are back to their winning ways thanks to Kyrie Iriving who dropped 60 points to lead them to a blowout 150-110 victory over the Orlando Magic. For the Nets, Irving scored a career-high 60 points, most in the Nets' NBA history as he shot 20 for 31, including 8 of 12 on 3-pointers, in 35 minutes. He made 12 of 13 free throws in matching the highest-scoring game in the NBA this season. Irving also scored 41 points in the first half which was the most in the first two quarters since Kobe Bryant had 42 against Washington on March 28, 2003 as Durant added 19 points in the Nets' fourth straight win. For the Magic, Cole Anthony had 19 points and seven assists and Wendall Carter finished with 18 points. With this result the Nets improved their record to 36-33 and sit in 8th in the Eastern Conference standings.

''It just shows you we're on our way to history,'' Irving said.

'The night after Karl Towns had an incredible performance, and then to have Kyrie do it the next night, the league is in an amazing place right now,'' teammate Kevin Durant said. ''We're seeing a lot of talent displayed every night, and this was one of the elite ones.''

''It was just about the team really, just getting in the flow,'' Kyrie said. ''That's the true purity of this game, doing it efficiently on both ends of the floor and coming out with a W.''

''A few shots I probably shouldn't have taken. Tough ones, with double-teams and triple-teams coming,'' he added. ''But as long as I can do it with a smile on my face and my teammates weren't too angry with me, it was worthwhile.''

''There's times he's shooting over two people,'' said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley. ''You try to double-team him, he's smart enough to know when to go and when not to go. He's fast in transition so you can't speed up and try to deny him. They're setting backscreens. He's crafty enough and he's seen every coverage and he knows how to play with a pace. That makes it hard.''

The Phoenix Suns continued their golden form as they beat the New Orleans Pelicans 130-115. For the Suns, Booker capped his 27-point performance with six points in a 33-second span at the end of the third quarter which was crucial in the end for the victory, Deandre Ayton added 18 points and Mikal Bridges went 4 of 5 from deep and scored 20 for them. For the Pelicans, Herb Jones scored 22 as CJ McCollum returned from a two-game absence and scored 21 points,  Jonas Valanciunas added 17 points and 12 rebounds. With this result the Suns extended their record to 55-14 and sit comfortably on top of the Western Conference table.

''It's demoralizing because you're right there, you're looking to get over the hump and then he comes down and hits a couple shots like that,'' Pelicans coach Willie Green said.

''More important than making the shot with 33 seconds left was making sure you're taking the shot with 33 seconds, playing the possession game,'' Booker said, alluding to the NBA's 24-second shot clock. ''We've just been stressing on finishing quarters the right way.''

'When they don't miss a shot, it's pretty hard,'' Pelicans forward Jaxson Hayes said. ''They're just hard to match up with.''

We just come together, man. It's fun to be a part of,'' Booker said. ''Just everybody vs. us, just taking that approach to it, just enjoying the road games, just enjoying being the bearer of bad news coming through here. It's something I think that we definitely own.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose two in row as the Warriors are back to winning ways

The other results were:

• Pacers 102 - 135 Grizzlies
• Heat 105 - 98 Pistons

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Cavs vs 76ers
• Wizards vs Nuggets
• Hornets vs Hawks
• Nets vs Mavericks
• Knicks vs Trail Blazers
• Timberwolves vs Lakers
• Spurs vs Thunder'
• Jazz vs Bulls
• Kings vs Bucks
• Warriors vs Celtics
• Clippers vs Raptors
   

(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 Phoenix Suns thrashed the Lakers 140-111 in a resounding victory as the Suns scored 48 in 1st quarter itself. For the Suns, Devin Booker scored 30 points, Deandre Ayton had 23 points and 16 rebounds in just 27 as Mikal Bridges added 18 points to help Phoenix move 40 games over .500. For the Lakers, LeBron James led the scoring with 31 points, seven rebounds and six assists as the Lakers have lost 10 straight road games. James reached a milestone with his 10,000th career assist in the second quarter on Carmelo Anthony's 3-pointer. James is the only player in NBA history with at least 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists. With this result the Suns improved their record to 54-14 and stayed on top of the Western Conference standings.

''I get a loss of words anytime things like this happen to me,'' James said. ''I automatically start thinking about my hometown of Akron and my upbringing where I come from. The dreams I had of being in this league at the highest level and to now sit alone in a statistical category in this league. I model my game after being able to score, rebound and assist. And to sit alone in a stat, I'll say cool, but it doesn't quite make sense to me.''

''It wasn't selfish, not like I want more points,'' Williams said. ''(It was)`I can dominate them. I think we need to look at ourselves more.' ... DA doesn't make those kinds of statements so he can score more and get those points. He's like, `I can work down there.' I've been around long enough to know his intentions and he backed it up.''

''We played poorly,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''How we started, really the whole night, was unacceptable ... This is a tough matchup to play small-ball against but we definitely have to be better than we were tonight.''

The Philadelphia 76ers continued their good form with a hard fought overtime victory over the Orlando Magic 116-114. For the Sixers, Embiid had 35 points and 16 rebounds, Harden finished with 26 points and Tobias Harris added 25 and nine rebounds as they slowly formed a formidable trio. For the Magic, Wendell Carter Jr. had 23 points and 12 rebounds and Cole Anthony had 19 points. With this result the 76ers improved their record to 41-25 as they are currently second in the Eastern Conference table.

''This was a big win for us. I know people are like: `Oh, it's the Orlando Magic.' But they just beat the Timberwolves the other night and the Timberwolves came back and beat the Miami Heat,'' said Georges Niang, who hit two big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help send the game into overtime. ''That should tell you something about the NBA.''

'(The final shot) could have gone in and we'd be in a different mood,'' Anthony said. ''This is a game that easily could have fallen in our favor.''

''We're giving ourselves a chance in the fourth quarter,'' Carter said. ''We're going to be in this position a lot, and we're going to win some and lose some. It's good experience.''

''I would like to get off to a good start, but it's almost like we've got to get punched in the mouth before we turn on our defensive intensity,'' Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said. ''That stretch of defense in the third quarter was phenomenal, but we have to start the game that way.''

Also read: Brooklyn Nets defeat 76ers while Warriors overcome the Nuggets

The other results were:

• Pistons 102 - 106 Clippers
• Celtics 92 - 95 Mavericks
• Pelicans 130 - 105 Rockets
• Hawks 131 - 128 Pelicans
• Thunder 118 - 125 Grizzlies

Tomorrow’s matches are:

• Cavs vs Clippers
• Hawks vs Trail Blazers
• 76ers vs Nuggets
• Thunder vs Hornets
• Spurs vs Timberwolves
• Kings vs Bulls
• Jazz vs Bucks
• Warriors vs Wizards
• Lakers vs Raptors
   

(Basketball news) The Brooklyn Nets defeated Philadelphia 76ers 129-100 in the first meeting between the two sides since James Harden moved to the 76ers for Seth Curry and Ben Simmons in February. However, Harden didn’t have a particularly enjoyable game as he only managed 11 points against his former team while Kevin Durant scored 25 points and Kyrie Irving added 24.

Despite being unable to guide the 76ers to victory, Harden overtook Reggie Miller into third on the all-time three-pointers list with 2,563. Stephen Curry leads with 3,107. As for the Brooklyn Nets, Seth Curry scored 22 points while three time All-Star Simmons is still recuperating from his injury and is yet to represent the 76ers.

Meanwhile, Stephen Curry reached a milestone of 20,000 career points as Golden State Warriors defeated Denver Nuggets 113-102. Curry scored a game high 34 points and became the 49th player to reach this milestone. "Any accomplishment you do, whether it's individual or a team, is special," said Curry. "You work every day to keep getting better. Hopefully a lot more to come. It's pretty special for sure."

Also read: Why are the Lakers and the Nets struggling this season?

(Football news) Roman Abramovich and Chelsea FC have received a joint bid by US businessman Todd Boehly and Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss. Boehly is part owner of MLB team Los Angeles Dodgers and previously attempted to buy Chelsea in 2019 in a £2.2billion deal. He has now teamed up with Hansjorg Wyss to purchase the London based club while US billionaire Josh Harris, who also has a minority stake in Crystal Palace is also considering making an offer.

Harris has several investments in the sports industry, most notably in the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA and the New Jersey Red Devils of the NHL. US businessman Woody Johnson, heir of the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company is also considering making an offer for Chelsea FC and is the current owner of the New York Jets. He bought the NFL franchise in 2000 but has only won one season since then and hasn't reached the play-offs since 2010. 

Turkish billionaire Muhsin Bayrak publicly said that he had made an offer to buy Chelsea, below the £3 billion asking price set by Roman Abramovich. The Russian oil tycoon had announced his intention to sell Chelsea "in the best interest of the club" in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the uncertainty surrounding the sanctions by the United Kingdom. Abramovich has pledged to donate all the net profits from the sale to the “victims of the war in Ukraine”.

There are many other interested parties in Chelsea such as RedBird Capital Partners who own 11% stake in Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group. However, they will be ineligible to purchase the club due to Premier League regulations while Thomas Ricketts, chairman of MLB side the Chicago Cubs is also said to be interested. One of the most famous potential buyers is none other than MMA fighter Conor McGregor whose management company Paradigm Sports have been working with McGregor Sports & Entertainment and Empowerment IP Capital on a bid. 

Despite a number of potential suitors, a takeover for Chelsea isn’t as straightforward as it may seem. With the number of sanctions placed on Russian banks, oligarchs and business, a high value takeover such as this with Roman Abramovich under the current circumstances would be challenging to say the least. Moreover, Abramovich’s asking price of £3 billion is a vastly inflated price for the club, especially considering that Stamford Bridge is in dire need of redevelopment and it will cost at least £1 billion to do so. Chelsea are not viewed as an ‘investment opportunity’ like Newcastle, simply because they are already the European and World Champions and there is limited room to grow. Meanwhile, a £300 million investment in Newcastle can eventually lead to a £3 billion valuation one day. Only time will tell how the Chelsea deal may pan out but stay tuned for more updates.

Also read: Liverpool barely hold out 10-man Inter amid red card controversy

(Basketball News) The Lakers and Nets are both having terrible seasons considering the wealth of talent they have in their team but they have no team chemistry. With LeBron James at the helm and a wealth of experience to rely on, the Lakers still look confident that they won’t fall out of the play-in game even as they slide down the standings.

LeBron’s confidence may be unwavering, but it’s hard to believe that the Lakers will actually qualify for the play off in the tournament, especially after their recent performance of late. It already seems like a long shot by head coach Frank Vogel to play in the play-in game, the Lakers are coming out of the gate by losing four straight games which has opened up the possibility that the team could fall out of the standings and plummet out of the play-in game entirely. 

The main reason for their downfall this season has been the failed trade of Russell Westbrook, who hasn’t gelled into the team at all. Westbrook is a top class player but one thing in his game which goes against him is that all the team's offence must go through him but with LeBron in the team that is not possible. Frank Vogel, who's a good coach, hasn't really figured out how these two legendary players can play together. On top of that Anthony Davis hasn’t really got going this season, the little glimpses he has shown, he's gone down injured. All in all, the Lakers need to figure out something before the end of the season because there are going to be some major changes next season.

For the Nets, the season began with controversy with Kyrie Iriving refusing to get vaccinated as that really impacted their pre-season. Even after the controversy, Kevin Durant was single handedly leading the Nets to the top spot of the Eastern Conference but everything went downhill when Durant suffered an injury and since then they have lost 12 games in a row. To make matters worse their third star James Harden officially requested for a trade as he went to the 76ers and Ben Simmons moved the opposite direction. I would say that the Nets still have a chance to make the playoffs once Kevin Durant comes back from injury and only time will tell us if Ben Simmons is a good fit for the Brooklyn Nets.

Today's results were:

• 76ers 125 - 114 Cavs
• Pistons 111 - 106 Pacers
• Wizards 114 - 117 Hawks
• Raptors 97 - 103 Magic
• Bulls 112 - 118 Bucks
• Thunder 101 - 138 Timberwolves
• Pelicans 124 - 90 Jazz
• Nuggets 116 - 101 Rockets
• Suns 115 - 114 Knicks

Also read: NBA: Lakers continue their losing streak, Mavericks beat the Warriors

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Mavericks vs Kings
• Hornets vs Spurs
• Timberwolves vs Trail Blazers
• Grizzlies vs Magic
• Heat vs 76ers
• Lakers vs Warriors
• Celtics vs Nets
   

(Basketball news) The Lakers continued their horrific form after the All Star break as they lost 132-111 against their city rivals the Los Angeles Clippers. For the Clippers, Reggie Jackson scored 12 of his season-high 36 points in the fourth quarter while adding nine assists and eight rebounds, Ivica Zubac had 19 points and nine rebounds for the Clippers. For the Lakers, LeBron James had 26 points and eight rebounds and Russell Westbrook scored 17 points. The Lakers have now lost four straight and seven of eight to fall a season-worst eight games below .500 (27-35). For the Clippers, they are slowly climbing up the table as they have record of 34-31 and currently are in 8th in the Western Conference standings

'We came out on a mission,'' Jackson said. ''We wanted to close out. We're still a hungry team. ... We feel like we're writing our own story. We know what the narrative is with our guys out. We're trying to do something special with this group. It's about this team, to write our own story.''

''He loves it,'' Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. ''He loves the moment. He's a big-time player. Sometimes we go back and forth, but he's held us together all year. ... It was a struggle when we first lost PG, because the offense is built around PG and Kawhi for the most part. But once we got a set rotation and understood how we had to play, these guys have bought into it, and it starts with our veterans. That's the kind of team and the kind of culture we've built around here.''

''We've had one quarter that's killed us,'' James said. ''It's been the second quarter. Today it was the third quarter.'

''We're just persistent and staying with the work,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''We'll leave no stone unturned to get this right, but it hasn't come together for us. We'll continue to try to find ways to win with Anthony (Davis) out. It's not something we can't do, but we haven't found it yet.''

The Warriors lost their 7th game in 9 matches as the Dallas Mavericks beat them 122-113. For the Mavericks, Doncic scored 41 points and the Mavericks beat Golden State for the second time in five days, as Dorian Finney-Smith scored 18 points and Reggie Bullock and Jalen Brunson added 14 apiece. For the Warriors, Klay Thompson finished with 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting, Curry didn't even get off a shot in a scoreless fourth quarter, finishing with 21 points as Jordan Poole scored 23 points.With this result the Dallas Mavericks improved their record to 38-25 and stayed 5th in the Western Conference standings.

“I'm not surprised,'' Doncic said about the surge from Dinwiddie, who finished with 17 points after getting his Dallas high with 24 in the previous Golden State meeting. ''I thought it was going to take a little bit longer. He's a great player, and he's a great fit for us

''I loved the effort,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''We're going through it right now. Every team in the league pretty much has gone through it at some point this year. It's just our turn. We're going to bounce back.''

''Tough night for Klay,'' Kerr said. ''He needs these minutes to get ready for what's ahead. He's going to have some bumps in the road. Where he's gotten in trouble is he's forcing the issue. He's been trying too hard. You can't blame him. He's been out for 2 1/2 years.''

''We have in the past maybe melted mentally when the ball hits the rim and there's no call,'' Kidd said. ''It just showed growth. I think our maturity level was high. We responded in a positive way.''

Also read: James Harden continues to shine as the Sun get back to winning ways

Other results were:

• Hawks 130 - 124 Bulls
• Celtics 120 - 107 Grizzlies
• Raptors 106 - 108 Pistons
• Nets 107 - 113 Heat
• Spurs 112 - 115 Kings

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• 76ers vs Cavaliers
• Pistons vs Pacers
• Wizards vs Hawks
• Raptors vs Magic
• Thunder vs Timberwolves
• Pelicans vs Jazz
• Nuggets vs Rockets
• Suns vs Knicks
   

(Basketball news) The Philadelphia 76ers continued their rise above the table as they won 123 - 108 against the New York Knicks. For the 76ers, James Harden scored 26 points, nine assists and nine, Joel Embiid had 27 points and 12 rebounds and Tyrese Maxey scored 25 points. The Sixers moved to 3-0 with Harden in the lineup and his dynamic duo linkup with Embiid has suddenly stamped the Sixers as legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference. For the Knicks, RJ Barett scored 30 points and Julius Randle had 24 points in a very unenterprising performance from them. With this result the 76ers moved within a win of the Bulls as they are currently 3rd in the Eastern Conference with a record of 38-23.

''I just wanted to come out there and show my love back,'' Harden said in his home debut.

''I feel like you can put me anywhere in the room and I can fit in,'' Harden said. ''Here is no different. Just see what you have and try your best to fit in. Be the best James Harden I can be in every aspect.''

''It felt like a playoff atmosphere,'' Embiid said. ''I've given a lot of credit to Philly fans over the years and they've always come through, win or lose.''

''I do the same job, the same work. It's just that more people notice,'' Rivers said. ''I think when you get a guy like James and Joel together with what we have, with all of our other guys, our guys sense it, too. Not the hoopla, though. It's that they have a real shot. You don't get many of these.''

''I just want us to lock into improvement. come in every day, put everything you have into it,'' Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. ''That's where our focus has to lie right now. We've got to get over the hump and close the games out. That's our challenge. Keep growing, keep getting better ,learn from mistakes.''

The Phoenix Suns got back to winning ways after the Pelicans had snapped their winning streak as they won 120-95 against the Portland Trail Blazers. For the Suns, Cam Johnson scored 20 points, Deandre Ayton added 18, Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder each added 15 points, with Bridges shooting 6 of 9 and the Suns became the first NBA team to 50 wins this season. For the Trail Blazers, Brandon Williams had a career-high 14 points as 4 of the 5 starters got into double digits but couldn’t really get going. With this result the Suns stayed on top of the Eastern Conference table with the best NBA record currently of 50-12.

''It feels good,'' Johnson said. ''Fifty is a big benchmark in this league, but now we want to get to 60.''

''My biggest concern is just trying to get some continuity with our new guys and the guys we had here,'' Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. ''That is the biggest thing for me. The problem is it's tough to rush that. You have to get it when it comes and keep chipping away at it.''

'We were moving the ball,'' guard Cameron Payne said. ''We played well. We've just got to keep it going.''

Also read: Lakers lose three in a row and Warriors also lose to the Timberwolves

The other results were:

• Magic 114 - 122 Pacers
• Cavs 98 - 119 Hornets
• Pelicans 125 - 95 Kings
• Bucks 120 - 119 Heat
• Rockets 127 - 132 Jazz
• Nuggets 107 - 119 Thunder

Tomorrow’s matches are:

• Hawks vs Bulls
• Celtics vs Grizzlies
• Raptors vs Pistons
• Nets vs Heat
• Mavericks vs Warriors
• Spurs vs Kings
• Clippers vs Lakers
   

(Basketball news) The Lakers suffered their third straight loss after the all star break as they lost to the Dallas Mavericks 109-104. For the Mavs, Luka Doncic scored seven of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, Jalen Brunson added 22 points as Dorian Finney-Smith had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Mavericks, who hung on for their eighth win in 10 games. For the Lakers, LeBron James scored 26 points and Carmelo Anthony had 20 for the Lakers, who took their sixth loss in seven games despite erasing a 21-point deficit in just over 12 minutes. With this result the Mavs improved their record 37-25 and sit just a win behind the Utah Jazz in 5th in the Western Conference standings.

''At halftime we told them, `They're coming. LeBron is coming,'' Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. ''In the third quarter, LeBron put on a show, but we didn't lose our composure. That's one of the things we've gotten better at, and in the fourth quarter we got back to what we've done at Golden State. We held them to 17 points, and that's pretty good.''

''We stayed together and just executed the game plan, played the game,'' Doncic said. ''My mentality is to close the game with the best shot possible. We executed down the stretch.''

''I don't know if you can do a better job on Luka than we did tonight,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''Our guys really competed. Our helpers really competed, but he had that stretch in crunch time where he scored a few buckets in a row. Not good enough. ... It hurts. All these guys are hurting there. We're putting in the work.''

“We still have games to play,'' James said. ''Until you stomp me out, cut my head off, bury me 12 feet under, I've got a chance. So that's my confidence. We've got to come here and win ball games and play better, but as long as we've got ball games to play, we've got a chance.''

''I hit my head (on the rim),'' Doncic said with a laugh. ''We're not going to talk about that. Let me enjoy the moment.''

The Golden State Warriors lost to the Timberwolves 129-114. For the Timberwolves Karl Anthony Towns had 39 points and nine rebounds he went 14 for 22 from the floor and D'Angelo Russell pitched in 22 points, and Malik Beasley added 20 points on 6-for-9 shooting from 3-point range for Minnesota. For the Warriors, Stephen Curry led them with 34 points and Gary Payton II added 14 points. With this result the Timberwolves improved their record to 34-29 and sit comfortably in 7th place in the Western Conference table.

''Nights like tonight where you just don't play a good brand of basketball defensively to give yourself a chance to win on the road against a team that you allow to have life all night, you're not going to win a lot of games that way,'' Curry said.

''We're going to be fine long-term. I'm excited about our team and excited about where we can go, but we've just got to weather this storm,'' coach Steve Kerr said.

''He played hard, played to exhaustion,'' coach Chris Finch said. ''At one point he had to ask to come out. Super inspirational for his guys tonight.''

Also read: The Heats beat the Bulls and the Bucks steam roll past the Hornets

The other results were:

• Wizards 116 - 113 Pistons
• Raptors 109 - 108 Nets
• Celtics 107 - 98 Hawks
• Rockets 100 - 113 Clippers

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Magic vs Pacers
• Cavs vs Hornets
• 76ers vs Knicks
• Pelicans vs Kings
• Bucks vs Heat
• Rockets vs Jazz
• Nuggets vs Thunder
• Suns vs Trail Blazers

 

(Basketball news) The new-look New Orleans Pelicans beat the Los Angeles Lakers 123-95. For the Pelicans, McCollum scored 22 points while Jonas Valanciunas and Brandon Ingram added 19 apiece as the 28-point margin of victory is the largest in franchise history by the Pelicans over the Lakers. For the Lakers, LeBron James led them with 32 points but also had seven turnovers, tying a season high. It was James' 500th game in which he has scored at least 30 points, becoming the third player in NBA history to accomplish that as Carmelo Anthony had 13 points off the bench and Dwight Howard finished with 11 rebounds. With this result the Pelicans improved their record to 25-36 and just a position behind the Lakers who are well below the .500 mark this season.

''A great way to start (coming out of the All-Star break) is to get these two wins,'' Pelicans coach Willie Green said.

''I don't have an answer for tonight. They went into Phoenix, beat them, and obviously beat the doors off us today,'' James said.

''Teams are coming in and playing harder. I believe that's their scouting report - just play harder than them and see what happens. And it's working,'' said Russell Westbrook, who had 16 points and seven turnovers. ''We have to have the determination that's not going to happen on our home floor or it is going to continue to happen to us.''

''It's always fun when everybody's involved on the offensive and defensive end,'' Ingram said. ''We were just out there having fun, laughing, and playing the game the right way. Everybody contributed in a big way tonight.''

The Golden State Warriors suffered a shock defeat to the Dallas Mavericks 107-101. For the Mavericks, Donic had 34 points, 11 rebounds and nine turnovers as new addition Spencer Dinwiddie scored 10 of his 24 points in the final period for them. For the Warriors, Steph Curry had 27 points and 10 assists, Andrew Wiggins added 18 points, Kevon Looney grabbed 10 rebounds to go with eight points and five assists as Klay Thompson sat out with an illness after missing practice Saturday. With this result the Mavericks improved on their record to 36-25 and sit comfortably in 5th place in the Western Conference standings, for the Warriors they remained second with a record of 43-18.

''I think we let our offense dictate our energy and our spirit in the game,'' Looney said. ''... We kind of folded when adversity hit.''

''I think it's actually good to go through and feel it because this is what it feels like in the playoffs,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''This is what it feels like when you're playing a really good team, the game's never over.''

'Energy, effort, execution under pressure, that's the name of the game,'' Kerr said

''It was good to be back on campus,'' Kidd said, joking how he has former Stanford star Dwight Powell on his roster

Also read: James Harden makes his debut for the 76ers and the Lakers lose again

The other results were:

• Jazz 118 - 114 Suns
• Pacers 128 - 107 Celtics
• Hornets 126 - 127 Pistons
• Rockets 98 - 99 Clippers
• Warriors 101 - 107 Mavericks
• Trail Blazers 92 - 124 Nuggets

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Cavs vs Timberwolves
• Magic vs Pacers
• Heat vs Bulls
• Nets vs Raptors
• Bucks vs Hornets
• Thunder vs Kings
• Grizzlies vs Spurs
   

(Basketball news) James Harden made his much anticipated debut for the Philadelphia 76ers as they beat the Timberwolves 133-102. For 76ers, Harden had 27 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds in his 76ers debut, Joel Embiid added 34 points and 10 rebounds as Harden was 8 of 9 as the 76ers went 30 of 36 overall from the free throw line. For the Timberwolves, Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 25 points, and D'Angelo Russell had 21. Tobias Harris had just six points, but his defence on Towns forced an off-night shooting for the Timberwolves All-Star as Tyrese Maxey put in an impressive performance to score 28 points. With this result the Sixers improved their record to 36-23 and moved to 3rd in the Eastern Conference standings. 

''We're unselfish, we just want to win,'' Harden said. ''We've got guys, from top to bottom, that it feels that way on the court. Great things are going to happen more times than not. My job is to come in and add to each individual on this team.''

''That's what I expected,'' said Embiid, smiling wide as the two shared a post game press conference table. ''I've never been wide open like this in my life. Seriously, the passing, like I wasn't even expecting it and it was just coming.''

''The most costly thing tonight, and it might not be on the stat sheet, was that we were looking for shortcuts all night long,'' Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. ''We come down, one pass, try to make a home run play on offense. And more than anything it was our offense that let us down, really.''

''I feel the way we lost tonight, I feel like we took steps backwards,'' Russell said. ''Tonight, we didn't lose right.''

''I don't know why,'' Harden said. ''That's for the media. The media say that. I feel like I'm one of the best teammates that the NBA's seen, on the court and off the court.''

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered another disappointing loss to their city neighbours Clippers 105-102. For the Clippers, Terance Mann had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Amir Coffey added 12 of his 14 in the fourth quarter as Luke Kennard scored 18 points, the Clippers subsequently earned their sixth consecutive with a victory over the Lakers. For the Lakers, James had 21 points and 11 rebounds while Anthony and Russell Westbrook scored 18 points, they fell five games under .500 with their fourth loss in five games. With this result the Clippers improved their record to 31-31 and levelled up with .500 in the standings as they are currently 8th in the Western Conference.

''When we got down five or six, we just kept our composure, kept our poise and kept playing,'' Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. ''In that third quarter, I thought we let the game get away from us, but to keep our composure and come back and get a win, I thought it was big for us.''

''I couldn't disagree more strongly with the ruling,'' Vogel said. ''It's wrong. It should have been our ball in that situation.''

“We're going to do everything we can to keep it going and put it on their shoulders when they get back,'' Jackson said. ''The thing about this team is, we understand the light is at the end of the tunnel and they're going to be back at some point.''

''I don't understand how some of my comments over the weekend was taken to a whole different area,'' James said, later adding: ''I see myself being in the purple and gold as long as I can play.''

Also read: The NBA is back as Warriors kicked off the proceedings with an emphatic victory

The other results were:

• Thunder 129 - 125 Pacers
• Magic 119 - 111 Rockets
• Hornets 125 - 93 Raptors
• Wizards 153 - 157 Spurs
• Knicks 100 - 115 Heat
• Suns 102 - 117 Pelicans
• Jazz 114 - 109 Mavericks

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Hawks vs Raptors
• Bulls vs Grizzlies
• Heat vs Spurs
• Cavs vs Wizards
• Nuggets vs Kings
• Bucks vs Nets
• Knicks vs 76ers
   

(Basketball news) The Golden State continued from where they left off before the All Star break as they destroyed the Portland Trail Blazers 132-95. For the Warriors, Stephen Curry had 18 points and 14 assists as Klay Thompson also had 18 points for the Warriors, the Warriors at the end of the match had 8 players in double digits scoring. For the Trailblazers, Anfernee Simons had 24 points for Portland as they had won four straight going into the break. With this result the Warriors improved their record to 43-17 and sit comfortably in second place in the Western Conference table.

'It was a good way to kind of come back from the break and establish ourselves on both ends of the floor,'' Curry said.

''Steph was brilliant tonight,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ''I loved his patience and the way he ran the team tonight. He played a beautiful game.''

''(Curry) has always been able to pass like this. His scoring is so good it can get overlooked sometimes,'' Thompson said.

''I thought they played hard and they played well, they just came up against a juggernaut,'' Billups said. ''They kind of took off on us there, they had 39 points in the second quarter, that really hurt us and we could never really recover.''

The Phoenix Suns won their 8th consecutive match against the Oklahoma City Thunder 124-104. For the Suns, Devin Booker had 25 points, 12 assists and a career-high six steals as Cameron Johnson and Mikal Bridges each scored 21 points for the Suns, who have won 19 of 20. For the OKC, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led them with 32 points on his return as Rookie guard Josh Giddey, who had 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists. At this moment the Suns are the best team in the league by a mile and they are consistently winning matches for fun. With this result the Suns improved their record to 49-10 and sit on top of the Western Conference table.

''I thought Devin managed the game well,'' Suns coach Monty Williams said.

''I feel like we can only get better from this,'' Suns forward Jae Crowder said. ''Obviously, we've put ourselves in a position to have a cushion. But at the same time, we're playing for something. We're playing purposeful basketball each and every night.''

'Love playing with him,'' Giddey said. ''I think that chemistry is getting better and better over time. I think in a few years, we're going to be one of the best backcourts in the league. So growing with him is something I love doing.''

''The good thing is, we got that game out of the way,'' Williams said. ''I thought we had some rust in the pipes tonight, and we were able to get some of that out and get used to Book (Booker) playing some point.''

Also read: Team LeBron wins over Team Durant as Steph Curry won the Kobe Bryant MVP award

The other results were:

• Pistons 106 - 103 Cavs
• Nets 106 - 129 Celtics
• Timberwolves 119 - 114 Grizzlies
• Bulls 112 - 103 Hawks
• Kings 110 - 128 Nuggets

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Pacers vs Thunder
• Magic vs Rockets
• Hornets vs Raptors
• Wizards vs Spurs
• Knicks vs Heat
• Timberwolves vs 76ers
• Suns vs Pelicans
• Jazz vs Mavericks
• Lakers vs Clippers
• Pistons vs Celtics
   

We will not spend too much time defining NFTS or Metaverse as per their lawful definitions. You can of course search on Google, look at Wikipedia or industry experts' definitions explaining the words in entirety.

Let's jump to NFTS in our sports sector straight, some of the leading sports experts feel that they can solve real-world problems. Just ask Daryl Morey, president of basketball operations for the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, who says, “I just moved from Houston to Philly, I had to move 10,000 comics. I had to move all of my wall art. I had to move all of this and with digital stuff you just move it. It’s definitely superior. And it’s the start of a major, major trend which is about to shape the industry differently.

Yes there are a plenty of integrations of these digital tokens ranging from smart ticketing in the sports sector to extended reality fan engagement but If we closely analyse major chunks of the sports industry considering something like a sports collectible, It’s quite comprehensible that they are a natural application of NFTs, NBA Top Shot being a pioneer has already started dominating the market, a platform where people can collect NFTs of officially licensed video highlights. Selling for $387k, the most expensive Top Shot was a clip of a LeBron James highlight where he emulates a famous Kobe Bryant dunk. Likewise, Autograph, a Tom Brady-backed start-up, is an up-and-coming NFT platform that has partnered with big names, such as Tiger Woods, Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles and this is just the start of the trend amongst American athletes and shall be seen very soon 

Industry experts and some reports predict that NFTs for sports media will generate more than US$2 billion in transactions in 2022, about double the figure for 2021, which basically means that 4–5 million sports fans globally will have purchased or been gifted an NFT sports collectible. One of the most interesting and often the most debatable topics still remains the pricing of these NFT’s. The way I understand the business scale cycles of the sports sector ideally the value of each NFT should depend on the prominence of the athlete, the significance of the event, any additional content included within the NFT, the exclusivity which offered by directly by the athlete/federation/representer and of course the fan surge demand.

There are other developments within the sports sector which NFTS plan to oust in the coming years, The state of affairs which I’m updated with I can surely commit will see many upcoming launches within this year only.

Gaming and nfts 

Let’s talk about the most successfully conceptualised project in recent times. This new model for gaming touted by crypto enthusiasts is “play to earn.” Players play games to earn NFT items that can be sold on marketplaces for higher prices. These items can often be used to achieve a higher performance in the game. One of the most prominent instances of the model is Axie Infinity, people are quitting their job to play the game full-time, and merchants now accept SLP as currency. 

Why I feel this is going to stay and not expire like any other social media trend is because NFTs can be integrated into the gaming world by allowing NFT cross-platform playability. NFTs give game developers another way to expand their brand and create another revenue stream, while gamers are given more incentive to keep playing a game if they already own characters or items within it, hence it’s a win-win on both sides of the graph.

This opens up all kinds of possibilities in the gaming sector like never before purchasing weapons or other equipment. The way I see this inside-game purchasing consumerism moving the numbers, we should not be surprised to see the trade digits shooting 5x within the next two years.

Having a look at how it can help the sports community in large ? Sports NFTs for charity

One more great way to employ NFTs in sport is fundraising for charity. Teams and team members can create various NFTs and give the money to charity. I feel if the federations try to promote this culture and introduce some inventive movement it can surely be a success story. This brings benefits to all parties. The athletes do good things and become more popular - the fans can buy their desired NFTs - vulnerable members of society get help. 

Also read: I want to see India become the next global sports manufacturing hub - Pranav Yadav, Assistant Director at FICCI - Sports and Youth Affairs

(Basketball news) The Los Angeles Lakers came from behind to beat the Utah Jazz 106-101. For the Lakers, James scored 15 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter, as Davis had 17 points in 17 minutes when he was injured. He was down on the court for several minutes before being helped off, Russell Westbrook had 17 points and seven rebounds while Malik Monk added 13 points. For the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell led them with 37 points, including five 3-pointers, Bojan Bogdanovic scored 15 points and Jordan Clarkson had 13 off the bench. With this result the Lakers still remained 9th in the Western Conference standings but improved their record to 27-31.

''I just tried to take the inspiration of what he was able to accomplish over the past couple days,'' said James of Donald. ''He's the greatest defensive player I have ever seen play the sport. For him to take time out of his day and watch us play after the parade was amazing.''

''What we saw LeBron do, it's just remarkable,'' coach Frank Vogel said. ''What he continues to do at this point of his career, to take over a game in the fourth quarter the way that he did with his energy, will and determination, it was really something special.''

''Obviously, it took the sails out of us for quite a while when AD went out, especially with the game he was having up until that point,'' James said. ''It took us a minute to kind of recalibrate and get us some bounce back after that, but we closed the third quarter out in good fashion and was able to turn around in the fourth.''

“The game tightens up and go to LeBron, and he makes plays,'' Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. ''But we had plenty of chances to make plays too. We just didn't, but we put ourselves in that position. It can't be that easy to give up a 13-point lead. We got to make teams work to come back, and grind. It was too easy.''

The Warriors suffered their second loss in succession as they lost to the Denver Nuggets 117-116. For the Nuggets, Jokic had 35 points and 17 rebounds - 11 and 8 after the first quarter as Bryn Forbes scored 22 points and Morris finished with 13 points and six assists. For the Warriors, Klay Thompson scored 16 points and Jordan Poole added 15 off the bench as Steph Curry top scored with 25 points. With this result the Nuggets improved their record to 33-25 as they currently 6th in the Western Conference table.

''Monte made a clutch bucket,'' Curry said. ''The last thing you can do in that situation is give up a 3.''

''I told the guys if we continue to play with that kind of fight and connection then we're going to be in good shape after the break,'' Kerr said.

''I just wanted to go in the middle of the paint and shoot a hook shot,'' he said. ''I just saw Steph and he was helping a little bit and Monte was wide open so I just passed the ball.''

“He's the reigning MVP. He was down there scoring at will in the fourth quarter at the rim,'' Kerr said. ''... Our defense was much, much better, Jokic just took over the game.''

Also read: NBA: Suns continued their winning streak as Giannis helps Bucks win

The other results were:

• Magic 109 - 130 Hawks
• Knicks 106 - 111 Nets
• Pacers 113 - 108 Wizards
• Celtics 111 - 112 Pistons
• Grizzlies 119 - 123 Trail Blazers
• Thunder 106 - 114 Spurs
• Timberwolves 91 - 103 Raptors
• Bulls 125 - 118 Kings
• Suns 124 - 121 Rockets

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Hornets vs Heat
• Nets vs Wizards
• Pelicans vs Mavericks
• Bucks vs 76ers
• Clippers vs Rockets

(Basketball news) The Phoenix Suns continued their winning streak to 6 games as they beat the Los Angeles Clippers 103-96. For the Suns, Booker scored a game-high 26 points, Paul added 17 points and 14 assists, Mikel Bridges further added 19 points and Deandre Ayton had 12 points and 12 rebounds as the Suns have won six straight games and 17 of their past 18 dating back to Jan. 11. They also pushed their NBA-best record to 47-10. For the Clippers, Marcus Morris Sr. led the scoring with 23 points while Nicolas Batum had 18 as Reggie Jackson had a tough shooting night, making just 7 of 26 shots from the field. With this result the Suns remained on top of the Western Conference standings as the Clippers stayed in 8th place with a record of 29-31.

''We turn it on,'' Booker said. ''I don't want to make it sound like it's an on/off switch like we're not trying the rest of the game, but we've been in those situations, and we understand how much those little plays and 50/50 balls matter.''

''I do think the experiences we've had over the past couple years with this group, with Chris being the point guard, has certainly helped us,'' Suns coach Monty Williams said. ''Chris and Book aren't afraid to take those shots. They're not afraid to have the ball in their hands.''

''They have a team full of guys who can defend and want to defend,'' Clippers coach Ty Lue said. ''That makes them great right there.''

''Knowing it is just 10,000 - some guys get 30,000,'' Batum said. ''I don't know how they do that. It is pretty crazy. It's an achievement. It is a good thing to put that on the resume.''

The Milwaukee Bucks rode on a Giannis 50 point masterful performance as they beat the Indiana Pacers 128-119. For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a season-high 50 points, two off his career best, and pulled down 14 rebounds as this the first time he scored 50 points since the memorable title-clinching game in the NBA Finals last season, along with that Khris Middelton added 19 points and Jrue Holiday further scored 14 points. For the Pacers, Buddy Hield scored a season-high 36 points and Tyrese Haliburton had 17 points and eight assists. With this result the Bucks move within one victory of going on top of Eastern Conference standings as they are currently third with an improved record of 36-23.

'Obviously, it's a nice feeling to have 50, you'll always remember it, but I care about the win. I want to win games,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''We have another one on Thursday. We'll try to finish and go to the All-Star break on a good note. As long as we're winning, I'm good. You do whatever it takes. If you are thinking about let me get to 50, let me get mine, it doesn't work that way. You have to focus on winning games.''

''He's in a good place and good rhythm at the free-throw line,'' Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. ''You get 14 of those and a couple of 3-balls and it can add up for him. Fifty is never easy. It's great to have him back.''

Also read: NBA: The Nets finally break their losing streak and Clippers beat the Warriors

The other results were:

• Heat 99 - 107 Mavericks
• 76ers 87 - 135 Celtics
• Hawks 124 - 116 Cavs
• Pelicans 109 - 121 Grizzlies

Tomorrow’s matches are:

• Magic vs Hawks
• Knicks vs Nets
• Pacers vs Wizards
• Celtics vs Pistons
• Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers
• Thunder vs Spurs
• Timberwolves vs Raptors
• Bulls vs Kings
• Suns vs Rockets
• Warriors vs Nuggets 
• Lakers vs Jazz
   

(Basketball news) The Brooklyn Nets finally overcame their 11 match losing streak after they comfortably beat the Sacramento Kings 109-85. In his first game as a member of the Nets, Seth Curry scored 23 points as Bruce Brown set season-highs with 19 points, six assists, and five steals. LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 19 points, Cam Thomas added 14 off the bench and Andre Drummond contributed 11. For the Kings, DeAaron Fox scored 26 points as Davion Mitchell finished with 13 and Donte DiVincenzo chipped in with 12. The new-look Nets debuted two of the three players acquired from the 76ers. Curry and Drummond started at off-guard and center, respectively as Ben Simmons, the centerpiece of the trade for the Nets, sat on the bench. With this result the Nets improved their record to 30-27 and helped them move over the Hornets in 8th position in the Eastern Conference standings. 

''I was just getting the ball off the rim and pushing it,'' Brown said. ''I had shooters around me: Patty (Mills and) Seth (Curry) now and when other guys come back, just space on the floor. I can just find angles, get to the rim or find them for catch-and-shoot 3s.''

''(Coach Steve Nash's) message was very simple - just play your game and the rest will take care of itself,'' Drummond said. ''All the little details of plays and defensive schemes, you know, we'll worry about that later when we've got time to practice, but today's agenda was just to play as hard as we can and win a game.''

''We definitely shared the ball a lot more,'' Brown said. ''We were just getting out in transition a lot more than we used to. Get out and run everybody pushing it, finding anybody just playing together.''

''I think our guys have really enjoyed playing with him on the floor,'' Gentry said. ''I think our cuts have been much better because I think they anticipate getting the ball on the scoring cuts that they make. He's just been a real stabilizer for us, really.''

The Los Angeles Clippers pulled off an upset as they beat the Golden State Warriors 119-104. For the Clippers, Mann tied a regular-season career high with 25 points, including 14 in the third quarter, as all five Clippers starters scored in double figures, Ivica Zubac had 18 points and eight rebounds as Reggie Jackson  had 19 points. For the Warriors, Curry ended up with a game-high 33 points, including eight 3-pointers. Steph Curry had hit his first six shots, including four three pointers, as he had 26 points in the first half on 9-of-11 shooting before going cold in the second half as Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole each had 13 points, but Klay Thompson had only 7 points after he scored just 3 for 14 shooting. With this result the Clippers (29-30) are back within a game of .500 after two straight wins and stayed in 8th in the Western Conference standings.

''It felt like Steph vs. the Clippers (in the first half). I was proud of the way we continued to play,'' said Reggie Jackson, who had 19 points for Los Angeles. ''It was fun competing against a great team.''

''I had two good floaters to start the game and kind of got in a good rhythm. We just couldn't get any momentum at all during the game,'' Curry said.

''It wasn't easy in the first half. There was one play where Steph was bobbling the ball on the way up and made it,'' Mann said. ''You have no choice but to adjust. The next possession is coming.''

''I thought this was one of our most complete of the season even with Steph getting off to the start he had,'' Lue said. ''We kept them out of transition. When you're scoring, you can stay out of transition most of the time.'

“Our defense has just been bad for six, seven games now. It's hard to win in this league when you're looking like we are defensive, with so many holes,'' Steve Kerr said after the match.

Also read: The Warriors defeated the Lakers and Suns maintain winning streak

The other results were:

• Wizards 103 - 94 Pistons
• Knicks 123 - 127 Thunder
• Pelicans 120 - 90 Raptors
• Bucks 107 - 122 Trail Blazers
• Bulls 120 - 109 Spurs
• Nuggets 121 - 111 Magic
• Jazz 135 - 101 Rockets

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Heat vs Mavericks
• 76ers vs Celtics
• Hawks vs Cavaliers
• Pelicans vs Grizzlies
• Timberwolves vs Hornets
• Bucks vs Pacers
• Suns vs Clippers
   

(Basketball news) The Golden State Warriors edged out the struggling Lakers as they won 117-115 in a close encounter. For the Warriors, Klay Thompson scored 16 of his season-high 33 points in the fourth quarter, Stephen Curry made a clutch layup with 46 seconds remaining to win the encounter as Curry finished with 24 points and eight assists while Andrew Wiggins scored 19 points to help the Warriors end a two-game losing streak. For the Lakers, James had 26 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists as James extended his streak of 25 points or more to 22 games and passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most points scored in the NBA in the regular season and postseason with 44,157. James tied Abdul-Jabbar's mark of 44,149 in the first half, as he then surpassed it with a 3-pointer early in the third quarter to break such a historical record. With this result the Warriors improved their record to 42-15.

''It meant something special to do it for my dad,'' Thompson said. ''I don't think he's seen me play for a few years. I know he was proud of me, and that's always fun.''

''This one hurts,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''We were up six with a few minutes to play. Just one of those nights where a lot of bad bounces didn't go our way.''

''We had an opportunity to win a big game tonight,'' James said. ''But in all my career, any time I've been linked with some of the greats, I've always just been in awe.''

''Just took over the game at a time when we desperately needed him,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ''With our offense kind of struggling to find a groove he got hot and took over the game. Klay is special. It goes beyond making shots. He brings electricity to the building that's hard to quantify.''

The Phoenix Suns continued their winning streak as they won 132-105 against the Orlando Magic. For the Suns, Devin Booker scored 26 points and Deandre Ayton had 17 points and 10 rebounds as Chris Paul recorded his 30th double-double of the season with 10 points and 15 assists and the Suns had nine players score in double figures. Phoenix has won 16 of 17 games and owns the NBA's best record at 46-10. For the Magic, Jalen Suggs, who scored 20 points, two shy of his career-high, and had a season-high 10 assists. Cole Anthony scored 17 points, and Chuma Okeke had 15 points off the bench. With this result the Suns improved their record to 46-10 as they sit comfortably on top of the Western Conference table.

''That's an unreal ratio,'' coach Monty Williams said. ''But the ability, the will to turn down a decent shot or a good shot for a great shot, that's who we are. That's our DNA. That's who we have to be if we want to do something really, really special, which we believe we can.''

Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said the Suns set an example for his team on how to play the game. ''You talk about what they've done and how they do it and the chemistry which they have and we talk about our guys being able to play in that same fashion,'' 

Also read: James Harden moves to the 76ers as lot players move on the NBA trade deadline

The other results were:

• Trail Blazers 112 - 103 Knicks
• Pelicans 114 - 124 Spurs
• Hornets 118 - 125 Grizzlies
• Wizards 110 - 123 Kings
• 76ers 103 - 93 Cavs
• Raptors 109 - 110 Nuggets
• Heat 115 - 111 Nets
• Bulls 106 - 101 Thunder
• Mavericks 97 - 99 Clippers

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Wizards vs Pistons
• Knicks vs Thunder
• Nets vs Kings
• Pelicans vs Raptors
• Bucks vs Trail Blazers
• Bulls vs Spurs
• Jazz vs Rockets
• Clippers vs Warriors

(Basketball news) The NBA trade deadline was a full-on fire drill from start to finish with landscape-altering blockbusters, under-the-radar fringe moves, conflicting reports by NBA insiders, and the deafening silence from a couple of marquee franchises in disarray. A lot of marquee players made unexpected moves for big, so let us take a look at these season defining deals:

Sixers receive: James Harden, Paul Millsap
Nets receive: Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, two first-round picks

The move comes after an unexpected turn of events as James Harden wanted to move out of the struggling Nets and join Doc Rivers Philadelphia 76ers. On the other hand the Nets received a world class young point guard in the form of Ben Simmons who hasn’t played a single match this season. The Nets run a switch-heavy defence as Simmons should fit in like a glove in the offence. He is one of the very few players who can guard every position and might be the most versatile defender in the league. The Nets have badly missed a strong point of attack defender, and Simmons excels there too. 

The Sixers have added some more juice in their offence especially in the playoff games, so Harden will obviously help them offensively. Doc Rivers will have to find some balance between Embiid and Harden, but an overabundance of quality isolation players is certainly a better problem and some one who can create his own offence is better than a player who didn't want to play for their franchise. Defensively, Harden's reputation speaks for itself but teams have to manage his off field antics as Dayerl Morey is familiar on how to handle him.

Dallas gets: Spencer Dinwiddie, Davis Bertans
Washington gets: Kristaps Porzingis, 2022 second-round pick

The Porzingis trade represents a major power shift for the Mavericks. They had acquired Porzingis from the New York Knicks in a trade deal in 2019 with the hopes that he would be a co-star alongside Luka Doncic. Porzingis has always been dealt with a series of injuries, including surgeries on both knees, but he still managed to average 20.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 134 games for the Mavericks over three seasons. Porzingis, who subsequently missed the past five games, has two seasons remaining on his five-year, $158 million contract.

Dinwiddie, 28, provides the Mavericks a scoring and playmaking boost. He signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the Wizards last offseason and has career averages of 12.9 points and 5.1 assists. Having Dinwiddie also gives the Mavericks insurance in case guard Jalen Brunson leaves Dallas as an unrestricted free agent this summer, although sources say the team remains optimistic that it will re-sign the 25-year-old.

"Kristaps is an All-Star player whose unique talents will fit well within our system and allow him to impact the game for us in multiple ways," Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard said. "He will get a fresh start with our team and provide us with the opportunity to play multiple lineups that feature size, versatility and shooting ability."

Boston receives: Derrick White
San Antonio receives: Josh Richardson,Romeo Langford, 2022 first-round pick (protected)

For Boston, White, 27, should fit in nicely alongside Boston's star wing tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The 6-foot-4 guard, averaged 14.4 points and 5.6 assists per game this season and is a strong two-way player who has familiarity with Celtics coach Ime Udoka, whom he played under when Udoka served as an assistant coach in San Antonio. White also played alongside Tatum, Brown and Marcus Smart with Team USA in the World Cup in 2019.

Richardson, 28, has had a nice comeback season with the Celtics after his horrible seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks. Richardson is shooting 39.7% from 3-point range after being traded to Boston in the offseason and agreeing to a one-year contract extension shortly thereafter. Langford was the 14th pick in the 2019 NBA draft but injuries have limited him to only 94 games over three seasons and he is averaging 4.7 points in 44 games this season as the Spurs receive a good young player.

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose to the Trail Blazers and Warriors winning streak snaps

The other trades that took place were:

Detroit receives: Marvin Bagley III (via Sacramento)

LA Clippers receive: Semi Ojeleye (via Milwaukee),Rodney Hood (via Milwaukee),Draft rights to Vanja Marinkovic (via Sacramento)

Milwaukee receives: Serge Ibaka (via LA Clippers),Second-round pick (via Sacramento),Second-round pick (via Detroit),Cash considerations (via LA Clippers)

Sacramento receives: Donte DiVincenzo (via Milwaukee),Josh Jackson (via Detroit), Trey Lyles (via Detroit), Draft rights to David Michineau (via LA Clippers), Draft considerations (via Detroit)

Toronto receives:Thaddeus Young, Drew Eubanks,2022 second-round pick (via Detroit)
San Antonio receives:Goran Dragic, 2022 first-round pick (protected 1-14)
 

(Basketball news) The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Miluwakee Bucks 131-116 as Ginnias produced a world class performance. For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 44 points on 17-for-20 shooting and Bobby Portis had 23 points with five 3-pointers as Khris Middleton scored all of his 21 points in the first half. For the Lakers, LeBron James scored 27 points and Anthony Davis had 22 points and nine rebounds, Malik Monk scored 20 points and Stanley Johnson added a season-high 16 for the Lakers in a reserve role. LA lost five of seven to fall back to three games below .500. With this result the Bucks moved up to second in the Eastern Conference table as they improved their record to 35-21.

''He made it look easy, honestly,'' Middleton said. ''That just shows the level of how he's playing. He was knocking down his jump shot. He's got guys going for his pump fake. Just the way he let the game come to him and stay patient, it was pretty fun to watch.''

''Obviously when you make shots, the game is a lot easier, looks a lot better,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''I know I'm going to try to get my teammates involved and look for the best way to help the team, but sometimes when you start making shots, you feel better about yourself, you defend better. Today was one of those games.''

''We played a terrible defensive half,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''Disposition, competition, the level of competitive spirit we showed for a big game was very disappointing. Two straight games we started with a terrible defensive half. We've gotta get that right.''

The Nets suffered their ninth successive loss as they lost 126-91 against the Boston Celtics. For the Celtics, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart each scored 22 points, Jayson Tatum scored 19 and Robert Williams had 12 points and 11 rebounds as the Celtics continued their strong stretch and moved past the Nets into seventh place in the Eastern Conference. For the Nets, Jevon Carter scored 21 points on seven 3-pointers and Cam Thomas scored 17 points. The Nets are considered the favorites to win the East, but since Kevin Durant’s injury they have lost 10 of 12 in the middle of January. 

''I don't know how often or if we've ever been so good to start like that before but it felt good,'' Brown said. ''We knew some of those guys were out. We wanted to just take care of business early. We didn't want to play around and give them confidence and let them linger into the game.''

''Frankly, that's a really good starting five that's playing really good basketball playing against a reserve lineup, so we're asking them to match a high, high-quality NBA starting five,'' Nets coach Steve Nash said.

''Honestly, I think we'll be exactly the same. I think the chances of trades or deals happening before the deadline are so slim, especially for our group,'' Nash said. ''So my mind and attention is on this group and putting this thing together as guys become healthy again and trying to build it for the stretch run.''

Also read: Phoenix Suns in unbeatable form while Warriors win 9th straight game

The other results were:

• 76ers 109 - 114 Suns
• Hawks 133 - 112 Pacers
• Grizzlies 135 - 109 Clippers
• Pelicans 110 - 97 Rockets
• Mavericks 116 - 86 Pistons
• Nuggets 132 - 115 Knicks
• Kings 114 - 134 Timberwolves
• Trail Blazers 95 - 113 Magic

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Cavs vs Spurs
• Hornets vs Bulls
• Thunder vs Raptors
• Jazz vs Warriors
• Kings vs Timberwolves
• Trail Blazers vs Lakers
   

(Basketball news) The Phoenix Suns in the current form look unbeatable as they beat the Chicago Bulls 127-124. For the Suns, Booker hit the 30-point mark for the third time in four games as the All-Star made 14 of 23 shots, including five 3-pointers, Chris Paul added 19 points and 11 assists. JaVale McGee finished with 16 points and eight rebounds and Mikal Bridges scored 15. For the Bulls, Zach LaVine added 32 points after missing the previous two games because of back spasms and DeMar DeRozan scored 38. With this win it meant that they stretched their winning run to 13 wins in 14 games as they improved to 43-10 overall and a league-leading 21-5 on the road. They also have the best record in the NBA by far as they sit comfortably on top of the Western Conference.

''Just playing within the offense,'' Booker said. ''I understand that's how our team is built, there are gonna be opportunities to score at all times. I've been in this system for a minute now. There's no reason to force anything. We have too many talented players out there.''

''I thought as the game wore on, we played at a higher and higher and higher standard,'' Donovan said. ''To start the game, it was almost like they forced us to play at a higher level. And we've got to be able to do that ourselves.''

“With our team, it's just we're always so balanced,'' Paul said. ''We take the best available shot and not just any shot.''

The Golden State Warriors won against the Oklahoma City Thunders 110-98 as they won their 9th straight match. For the Warriors, Klay Thompson scored 21 points and Stephen Curry added 18 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. For the Warriors, who shot 50% from the field, Andrew Wiggins scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half. For OKC, Dort scored 26 points and Bazley matched a season high with 20 for Oklahoma City. Josh Giddey added 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. With this result the Warriors improved their record to 41-13 and sit comfortably in second spot in the Western Conference table. 

''It was great to see Klay hit those back-to-back 3s to kind of seal the win,'' Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. ''Just fun to have him back, and he looks great out there. He's moving great. It's fun to be able to play him.''

'He's so good at shooting the ball, I feel like my hand doesn't really do anything,'' Bazley said. ''You've kind of like just got to bank on him missing. There's some players that are just so good that they don't even see you.''

''We need him,'' Kerr said of Andre Iguodala playing after a month. ''You could see how good he was in that first half. He just does so many things for us. So it's definitely a concern.''

Also read: Chicago Bulls win against the Pacers and the Nets lost against the Jazz

The other results were:

• Hornets 101 - 116 Raptors
• Wizards 100 - 121 Heat
• Jazz 113 - 104 Knicks

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• 76ers vs Suns
• Hawks vs Pacers
• Nets vs Celtics
• Grizzlies vs Clippers
• Pelicans vs Rockets
• Mavericks vs Pistons
• Nuggets vs Knicks
• Lakers vs Bucks
• Kings vs Timberwolves
• Trail Blazers vs Magic

(Basketball news) The Chicago Bulls won the Indiana Pacers 122-115 as Nikola Vucevic inspired them to a very good victory. For the Bulls, Vucevic came up big with a season-high 36 points and 17 rebounds, to which DeMar DeRozan added 31 points, Vucevic went 16 of 21 from the field, and had four assists and three blocks. For the Pacers, Caris LeVert had 42 points as he also had eight assists and five rebounds, the recently signed Terry Taylor finished with 21 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. With this result they moved up to top of the Eastern Conference table as they improved to 33-19.

''It's like people think he has this huge size advantage but I'm not really used to playing against smaller guys like that,'' said Vucevic, the 6-foot-11 veteran who only faced one defender taller than 6-7. ''There were a lot of seals in the post so a lot of my points were easy. It's just a different look and different for me.''

“I was really, really impressed with what he did at the rim tonight,'' Donovan said. ''He had a couple of really good blocks and he made some guys miss some shots as well.''

'It's a disappointing result but there's plenty of good things going on,'' coach Rick Carlisle said. ''We've just got to stay in the fight while we're undermanned.''

''He cut me from my last NBA team and offered me my first coaching job - in the same phone call,'' Carlisle said. ''Anytime someone sees you and believes you and gives you that first opportunity, that's very special.''

The Nets lost their seventh consecutive match, after being defeated by the Utah Jazz 125-102 as Donovan Mitchell made his return - and the Utah Jazz suddenly looked like the NBA's best offense again. For the Jazz, Mitchell scored 27 points after missing eight games because of a concussion, Bojan Bogdanovic added 19 points and 11 rebounds as Eric Paschall scored 16 points, Hassan Whiteside had 15 points and Mike Conley 14 for the Jazz, who have won twice after losing seven of eight injury-riddled games. For the Nets, Kyrie Irving, the only Nets star to play, scored 15 points on 20 shots as Brooklyn rookie Cam Thomas posted a career-high 30 points just four games after setting his previous best of 25 last week. With this result the Jazz improved their record to 32-21 as they stayed 4th in the Western Conference.

''There's so much focus other teams have on him that it frees up other guys offensively -- he's Donovan Mitchell and makes life a lot easier for everybody,'' said Alex Jensen, who was Utah's acting coach with Quin Snyder in the COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

''He was unbelievable,'' Udoka Azubuike said. ''It looked like a video game. There was one time I had to catch myself in the moment because I was just watching him. Every shot was going in. Don is a star.''
''I was just happy to be playing basketball,'' Mitchell said. ''I was joking before the game that I didn't care if the ball went in. I was just happy to be out there running around, guarding, thinking the game and playing with my teammates.''

''We're going through a tough stretch,'' Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said. ''We're undermanned and we're asking guys to do more. We played against an excellent offensive team. ... I just keep telling the guys that it's about staying together through this.''

Also read: Lakers snapped out of their losing streak and the Nets lose 6 in a row

The other results were:

• Hornets 101 - 102 Cavaliers
• Pistons 93 - 102 Celtics
• Raptors 125 - 114 Hawks
• Spurs 131 - 106 Rockets
• Nuggets 105 - 113 Pelicans
• Mavericks 107 - 98 76ers
• Trail Blazers 93 - 96 Thunder

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Magic vs Grizzlies
• Wizards vs Suns
• Hornets vs Heat
• Lakers vs Knicks
• Trail Blazers vs Bucks
• Kings vs Thunder

(Basketball news) Lakers snapped out of their losing streak after they won 99-94 against the Portland Trailblazers. For the Lakers, Anthony Davis scored 19 of his 30 points in the final 12 minutes as he also had 15 rebounds, including seven in the fourth, It is the third time this season that he has had at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a game Carmelo Anthony added 24 as they were missing LeBron James for the fourth consecutive game due to left knee soreness. For the Trailblazers, Powell led them with 30 points and tied a season high with five 3-pointers. Anfernee Simons added 19 points while Jusuf Nurkic had a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. With this result the Lakers stayed in 9th in the Western Conference table with a record of 25-27.

''I just tried to come out with the mindset of ending the streak,'' said Davis, who is averaging 29.3 points over his last three games. ''We have to play with some urgency. We just fought hard tonight. It was a great game for us.''

''He had some great sequences of grabbing rebounds in traffic,'' coach Frank Vogel said. ''Tonight was about mental toughness and making enough plays and shots. It was a hell of a game by Anthony.''

''We had a couple breakdowns. We had some good stops but gave them second and third-chance opportunities,'' said Powell, who has scored at least 30 points twice this season.

''We did a good job of fighting back and staying with it, but there were some big moments where we couldn't get over the hump,'' coach Chauncey Billups said.

The Brooklyn Nets lost their sixth consecutive match in a row as they lost 112-101 against the Sacramento Kings. For the Kings, Tyrese Haliburton scored seven of his 12 points in the fourth quarter on his way to a double-double,as Harrison Barnes scored 19 points and Haliburton had 11 assists to help the Kings stop a seven-game skid. Buddy Hield and Davion Mitchell scored 18 apiece. For the Nets, Nic Claxton had a career-high 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Brooklyn. James Johnson added 18 points. James Harden, who has been nursing a sore right hand and a hamstring injury, was held to four points, his fewest since scoring five against the Chicago Bulls on May 15, 2021. The Nets' skid is their longest since a seven-game slide Dec. 26, 2019, to Jan. 7, 2020. Brooklyn as they haven't won since beating the Spurs in San Antonio on Jan. 21.With this result the Nets slumped down to 6th in the Eastern Conference table with a record of 29-22. 

''There's no concern,'' Harden said. ''We don't have our entire team and this is happening to us. We're just trying to figure out what works best, what guys fit, what guys don't. Hopefully after the break we can get our whole roster and start making strides in the right direction.''

''This trip our objective is to get better. The first two games and the first half tonight we were getting better,'' Nash said. ''We didn't contain the ball enough in the second half and we didn't make plays.''

''It felt like we were on a string as a unit,'' Haliburton said. ''We were communicating together and that helped us a lot. That's why good things happened for us.''

''I just thought it was a really good defensive effort,'' Kings interim coach Alvin Gentry said. ''When you can hold that team to (101) points . I really liked the activity in the fourth quarter on the defensive end.''

Also read: Suns extend their winning run in the NBA while Warriors defeat Spurs

The other results were:

• Pacers 118 - 119 Magic
• 76ers 103 - 106 Wizards
• Celtics 113 - 107 Hornets’
• Knicks 108 - 120 Grizzlies
• Rockets 115 - 104 Cavaliers
• Mavericks 114 - 120 Thunder
• Jazz 108 - 104 Nuggets

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Pistons vs Timberwolves
• Hawks vs Suns
• Raptors vs Bulls
• Spurs vs Heat
• Warriors vs Kings
• Clippers vs Lakers
   

(Basketball news) The Phoenix Suns overcame the Brooklyn Nets 121-111 as the Suns won their 11th straight game. For the Suns, Booker scored 35 points, Bridges added a season-high 27 as Paul finished with 20 points and 14 assists and Cam Johnson had 16 points off the bench. For the Nets, Irving led the Nets with 26 points while James Harden had 22. Blake Griffin scored 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting off the bench.Irving was playing just his ninth game of the season and all of them have been on the road. The star guard remains one of the few unvaccinated players in the NBA and due to COVID-19 mandates in New York City concerning public arenas, he's not permitted to play in home games. With this result the Suns further extended their lead at the top of the Western Conference as their record currently stands at 41-9.

''What helps us is we just have a complete team,'' Paul said. ''You can't key in on one or two guys. If people try to do that with me or Booker, Mikal can get hot...''

''This league is not simple,'' Booker said. ''Guarding Kyrie (Irving) 1-on-1 is not simple. So it's something you have to lock into. It takes a lot of hard work and effort. But having those experiences that we've had together, it helps a lot.''

''We had opportunities,'' Harden said. ''We need to get off to a better start. That first quarter really hurt us. I felt like the last three quarters we were really pretty good.''

''That is a high-level team playing the best basketball in the league, with a lot of momentum, great crowd. Other than giving up 39 in the first quarter and getting them in the bonus early in the fourth and some loose balls, we matched them for large stretches.''

The Warriors won back to back games as they defeated the San Antonio Spurs 124-120. For the Warriors, Jordan Poole had 31 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 17.9 seconds remaining, and the short-handed Golden State Warriors beat the San Antonio Spurs as Damion Lee had 21 points, Moses Moody added 20 and Kuminga finished with 19 points. For the Spurs, Dejounte Murray led San Antonio with 27 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. With this result the Warriors consolidated their second place in the Western Conference standings with an improved record of 39-13.

''I knew he was going to make it,'' Warriors rookie Jonathan Kuminga said. ''He missed the first one. Great players don't miss the second one.''

''Our vets who didn't play are so excited in there,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, adding it was ''a fantastic win for us.''

''That was the play that won the game,'' Poole said. ''That was the one that did it. That hustle play, that effort play, especially in such a crucial time.''
''Rebounding has been our problem all year,'' Spurs guard Derrick White said. ''And the turnovers, I probably started it off with two turnovers in the fourth.''

Also read: NBA: Warriors continued their winning run and the Sixers beat the Grizzlies

The other results were:

• Pistons 101 - 111 Pelicans
• Bucks 112 - 98 Wizards
• Raptors 110 - 106 Heat
• Timberwolves 130 - 115 Nuggets
• Bulls 126 - 115 Magic

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Pacers vs Magic
• 76ers vs Wizards
• Celtics vs Hornets
• Knicks vs Grizzlies
• Rockets vs Cavaliers
• Mavericks vs Thunder
• Kings vs Nets 
• Jazz vs Nuggets
• Lakers vs Trail Blazers

(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) Los Angeles suffered their third successive loss and two in two days against the Atlanta Hawks 129-121. For the Hawks, Trae Young had 36 points and 12 assists, and the Hawks earned their seventh straight win, as Onyeka Okongwu scored 12 of his 16 points in the final period and John Collins further added 20 points in the match. For the Lakers, Malik Monk led Los Angeles with 33 points in the Lakers' third consecutive loss without LeBron James in all those fixtures, Davis helped power the Lakers' strong start with 18 first-half points for 27 points. The Lakers scored a season-high 71 points in the first half while making 71.4% of their shots from the field, but they couldn't continue the hot shooting in the second half. With this result the Lakers (24-27), who were ninth in the Western Conference, fell a season-low three games below .500.

''If our mindset is right we get stops on the defensive end ... I think we have a good chance of winning any night,'' Young said.

''We're not in the position we want to be right now but that's OK,'' said Russell Westbrook, who had 20 points and 12 assists. ''We know what we need to do as a team. Just find a way to get over the hump and close games out.''

''He was doing a good job of keeping his body between (Davis) and the basket,'' Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. ''I decided to just stay with him and finish the game.''

''We were close but just have fallen short in the last couple,'' Vogel said. ''We played well in the last two games. We fell short in the end. We've just got to get home and put this trip behind us ... and get ready for the next game, whether LeBron is in or out.''

The Warriors won an exciting encounter 110-106 against the Brooklyn Nets who weren’t quite at full strength as they were missing the likes of Kevin Durant and James Harden. For the Warriors, Thompson finished with 16 points, Steph Curry scored 19 points, Andrew Wiggins contributed 24 points and eight rebounds and Jordan Poole added 17 points and six assists off the bench. For the Nets, Patty Mills finished with 24 points and Kyrie Irving scored 32 points. Thompson hit the biggest shot yet of his 2 1/2-year injury comeback, smoothly sinking a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left to send the Golden State Warriors to a much needed victory at the Chase center. With this result, the Warriors remained second in the Western Conference table with an improved record of 37-13.

''It felt amazing, it really did. I missed that feeling,'' Thompson said. ''It felt absolutely amazing.''

'It's important for Klay to feel those big moments. It's been 2 1/2 years,'' coach Steve Kerr said.

''I think I'm figuring out how to play well with these guys and vice versa,'' Thompson said. ''It's hard to simulate that when you're on the sideline watching.''

''It's great having him back. We've had so many injuries and interruptions this year, availability issues, to add a player of his caliber, even if it's just on the road, has been much needed and has been great for our group,'' Nash said. ''Fortunately, the reality of the last 18 months for us is that we've never had an extended run of health. So to have a player that plays on the road and at home is not that different than what we face week to week anyway.''

Also read: Fans vote for the 2022 NBA All-Star game starters

The other results were:

• Bulls 130 - 116 Trail Blazers
• Pistons 115 - 105 Cavaliers
• Bucks 100 - 136 Nuggets
• Magic 110 - 108 Mavericks
• Timberwolves 126 - 106 Jazz
• Suns 115 - 110 Spurs 

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Cavaliers vs Pelicans
• Pacers vs Clippers
• 76ers vs Grizzlies
• Knicks vs Kings
• Celtics vs Heat
• Hawks vs Raptors 
• Rockets vs Warriors
• Thunder vs Trail Blazers

(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) The Lakers suffered their 25th loss of the season after they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 105-87. For the 76ers, Embiid had 26 points and nine rebounds as his teammates Tobias Harris scored 23 points and Ty Maxey had 14 points and 10 assists. For the Lakers, Anthony Davis scored 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as Davis went off 10 of 13 in the first half - the Lakers made 20 buckets - for 23 points. The 37-year-old James is day to day with a sore left knee. James is second in the league in scoring at 29.1 points per game, on pace for his highest average since the 2009-10 season, and has scored at least 25 points in 18 straight games. With this result the Lakers fell below .500 as they have a record of 24-25 and currently lie 9th in the Western Conference standings.

''I was not very good tonight, so I was happy my teammates were able to pick me up,'' Embiid said.

''I like to score the ball,'' Embiid said. ''I have a score-first mentality. If they're double- or triple-teaming, I'm going to make the right play.''

''He's a big part of what we're trying to do,'' Davis said. ''It sucks not having him but it gives us a chance to see what we have without him. We definitely want to take advantage of these moments.

''It's always fun playing against another great big,'' Davis said. ''He's been on a tear. Putting the team on his back. We knew it was going to be a tough matchup going in.''

“His conditioning, last year, when I came in, we challenged him and he took it,'' Rivers said. ''This year, we challenged him even more and he's taking it up.''

The Golden State Warriors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 124 -115. For the Warriors, Stephen Curry found his sweet shooting stroke again after a rough stretch as Curry scored 29 points, Thompson added 23 points as Wiggins added 19 points, five rebounds, four assists. Curry shot 6 for 10 from long range - 10 of 20 overall - after going 3 for 23 on 3s his previous two games. He also contributed eight rebounds and six assists. For the Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards had 27 points as Karl Anthony Towns had 31 points in the match. With this result the Warriors improved their record to 36-13 as they occupy the 2nd place in the Western Conference table.  

''With Klay, it's easy to play with him because he's obviously an amazing scorer, amazing shooter, commands a lot of attention out there,'' Curry said. ''The hardest part is just trying to keep things simple because you can always try to do something special on every possession and there's where you get in trouble and we have a tendency to do that from time to time.''

''It's special. The NBA's never seen shooters like them,'' Wiggins said of the Splash Brothers. ''Playing alongside them, it's fun. You never know what's going to happen, you don't know what crazy shots they're going to make. We know the energy they bring to the team and the energy they bring to the building, the arena, everyone just feeds off them and from there we get going.''

''Klay, he was great against Dallas the other night and tonight he was even better, so he's adapting quickly and I loved his drive and kicks, he made some excellent passes,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ''It's fun to see Klay and Steph back together and it's really fun to see Wiggs with them, I think he complements them really well.'

Also read: NBA: The Nets lose their third match in a row and Suns make it 8 straight victories

Tomorrow’s matches are:

• Magic vs Pistons
• Hornets vs Lakers
• Hawks vs Celtics
• Heat vs Clippers
• Thunder vs Pacers
• Rockets vs Trail Blazers
• Grizzlies vs Jazz
• Spurs vs Bulls
• Suns vs Timberwolves
• Bucks vs Knicks
   

(Basketball news) The Brooklyn Nets suffered their second consecutive loss in as many days as they lost 124-118 against the Denver Nuggets. For the Nuggets, Austin Rivers, who scored 22 of his 25 points in the second half, and Nikola Jokic's 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as Denver also got 21 points and 10 rebounds from Will Barton and 13 points off the bench from DeMarcus Cousins to win its last three games and eight of 13. For the Nets, they were missing three of their best players, including All-Star guard James Harden as Rookie Cam Thomas scored 25 points and Patty Mills added 21 for Brooklyn, who have lost three consecutive games. With this result the Nets slipped down to third in the Eastern Conference standings,with a record of 29-19. For the Denver Nuggets, they moved up to 6th in the Western Conference table with an improved record of 26-21.

“We haven't played maybe perfect basketball, but we're winning games,'' Malone said. ''Ultimately that's all that matters. A lot of the NBA is like winning the games you're supposed to and that's no disrespect to a team like Detroit or these Brooklyn Nets - obviously all the guys they have out.''

''Just not enough against a very good team,'' Nets coach Steve Nash said. ''We played well for long stretches, but probably didn't take care of enough details to close it out.''

''I'm a scorer. I can score the ball,'' said Rivers, who shot 8 for 11 from the field, including 7 for 10 from long range. ''I really feel like I can do this consistently. But obviously I have my role here. So, I try to come out each and every night and be aggressive and you just look for those opportunities.''

The Phoenix Suns made it eight straight victories after winning 105- 97 against the Utah Jazz. For the Suns,  Booker had 43 points and tied a career high with 12 rebounds, Paul scored 15 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, Booker became the Suns' career leader in games scoring 40 or more points with 16. For the Jazz, Jordan Clarkson, who scored 16 of his team-high 26 points in the fourth quarter. Whiteside had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Mike Conley also scored 16 points and added 10 assists for the Jazz, who dropped their ninth game in the last 11. With this result the Suns maintained their best record in the NBA as they sit on top of the Western Conference table with an improved record of 38-9.

'It's a good feeling now, but it came with a learning curve,'' Booker said. ''There was a lot of trial and error, but now we've been in enough situations where we know what to expect.''

''You only build that trust by playing together in games, close games like that,'' Paul said

''We're playing without Rudy and Donovan right now. But it doesn't mean we can't run back. ... This is about committing to the things consistently that allow you to (grow),'' Utah coach Quin Snyder said of his team's inconsistent effort.

''Chris can read the game and when Book has it going like that, he typically goes to sets where he can get him in catch-shoot environments,'' Phoenix coach Monty Williams said. ''But when he's in a groove like that, I think our team feeds off it.''

Also read: NBA: Suns continued their winning streak as Bulls are back to winning ways

The other results were:

• Magic 102 - 11    1 Clippers
• Pacers 126 - 158 Hornets
• Cavaliers 115 - 89 Bucks
• Heat 110 - 96 Knicks
• Hawks 121 - 104 Kings
• Bulls 111 - 105 Raptors
• Spurs 110 - 118 Grizzlies
• Trail Blazers 112 - 132 Mavericks

Tomorrow’s matches are:

• 76ers vs Lakers
• Warriors vs Timberwolves

(Basketball news) The Suns matched their franchise best start as they won 115-109 against the Utah Jazz. For the Suns, Devin Booker scored 33 points, Paul had 15 of his season-high 27 points in the fourth quarter, and the Suns rallied for their seventh straight win as Cam Johnson started in place of Crowder, he went on to pour in 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range. Paul just missed a triple-double with 14 assists and nine rebounds as the Suns improved their NBA-best record to 37-9, matching the 2006-07 team for the best start in franchise history. For the Jazz,, Jordan Clarkson led them with 22 points, including three straight 3-pointers in the fourth quarter that made things interesting in the final minute as they were missing all-Stars Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley. This was subsequently the Jazz losing for the eight time in 11 games.

“We had a good start to the game and then we got a little comfortable,'' Booker said. ''Those guys were ready to play. They took advantage of their opportunity, came out aggressive and confident. Once they got confidence, they were a little tougher to stop.''

“Collectively, we played hard,'' Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. ''That's a credit to our guys because the team we played played hard. That's why it was such a competitive game. I think what Chris (Paul) did in the fourth quarter, he's unique, obviously.''

The Chicago Bulls went back to winning ways in a close encounter as they won 111-110 against the Oklahoma City Thunders. For the Bulls, rookie Nicola Vucevic had 26 points and 15 rebounds, Ayo Dosunmu scored a season-high 24 points and Zach LaVine added 23 as DeMar DeRozan, who averages 26.3 points per game was rested. For the OKC, Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points and 10 assists and Lu Dort added 16 points for the Thunder, who have lost 11 of 12. With this result the Bulls moved up to second in the Eastern Conference as they improved their record to 29-17.

''Two of our primary ball handlers in Lonzo and Alex are not here, and when you get into these situations in the fourth quarter where teams turn up the defensive pressure and pick up full court, you've got to be able to handle it,'' Bulls coach Billy Donovan said.

''It felt good,'' LaVine said. ''I got tired of just sitting at home watching. I'm about as healthy as I can get, but it just sucks sitting at home and not being able to help.''

''I give our guys a lot of credit,'' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. ''The ball pressure really amped up and they brought a lot of energy. To go out there and pressure the ball like that was huge for us because it took them out of their offense and didn't allow them to use their size at the (center position).''

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose against the Heat as Warriors rallied past the Utah Jazz

The other results were:

• Cavaliers 95 - 93 Knicks
• Pelicans 117 - 113 Pacers

Tomorrow’s matches are:

• 76ers vs Pelicans
• Raptors vs Hornets
• Pistons vs Nuggets
• Wizards vs Clippers
• Nets vs Lakers
• Celtics vs Kings 
• Rockets vs Spurs 
• Trail Blazers vs Timberwolves
• Warriors vs Mavericks

(Basketball news) Los Angeles lost against the Miami Heat 113-107 as they moved up to the summit of the Eastern Conference table. For the Heat, Duncan Robinson scored 25 points as Butler finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists for Miami, his 10th regular-season triple-double for the Heat which is one more than James had in his four Miami seasons. Along with Butler’s performance, Caleb Martin scored 15, Bam Adebayo scored 14 and Gabe Vincent had 11 for Miami. For the Lakers, James carried the Lakers yet again, finishing with 33 points - his 17th consecutive game with at least 26 - and 11 rebounds. Russell Westbrook scored 24 for the Lakers, former Heat guard Avery Bradley added 15 and Carmelo Anthony scored 11. With this result the Miami Heat improved their record to 30-17 as the Lakers moved below .500 with a record of 23-24 which has moved them down to 8th in the Western Conference.

''I think those are important experiences to go through together,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

''To have those kinds of pivotal moments down the stretch, you can never have enough of those,'' Robinson said. ''They're invaluable.

''I'm in one of the best zones offensively I've been in in my career,'' James said.

''In the fourth quarter we played the type of basketball we want to play, but we dug ourselves too much of a hole early in the game,'' James said.

The Warriors grinded out a tough 95-92 victory over the Utah Jazz.  For the Warriors, Curry scored 13 points, struggling again with his 3-point stroke as he went 1 for 13 from deep and 5 of 20 overall, Jordan Poole scored 20 points as Curry's brother-in-law Damion Lee did his part, coming off the bench to hit four clutch 3-pointers and score 12 points. For the Jazz,  Bogdanovic, who recently came back from an injured left ring finger, scored 21 points while Rudy Gobert grabbed 18 rebounds to go with 12 points for the Jazz, who lost their fourth straight to the Warriors. It was a total team effort from the Warriors as six players were in double digit scoring. With this result the Warriors improved their record to 34 -13 as they stayed 2nd in the Western Conference standings.

''They're still attached to my body and I'm still getting plenty of attempts,'' the two-time MVP said following another off-night, 

''I'm trying to have fun with this. It's a big-picture perspective on how you approach the game, the work that you put in. It's obviously frustrating. I want to shoot the ball, it's frustrating. I kicked the chair the other day for that reason,'' he said. ''It's not like I don't care and not trying to figure it out but I don't get preoccupied with it.''

''Steph looks great physically. The last few games he's playing some of his basketball in terms of handling the point guard duties,'' Kerr said. ''He's taking care of the basketball, he's playing great defense, shots just aren't going. ... He's seemed inhuman for so long. I think everybody just expects him to be in a groove all season long and it's just not the way it works.''

''That's how you've got to win when you're scuffling a little bit,'' Kerr said. ''Really proud of the team.''

The Brooklyn Nets suffered a shock defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves 136-125. For the Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards scored 25 points, D'Angelo Russell had 23 points and 10 assists as Karl-Anthony Towns overcame a poor shooting night, scoring 15 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter to rally his team to victory, along with that Jaylen Nowell scored 16 points, Taurean Prince had 15, and Jaden McDaniels added 14. The three went 18 for 26 from the floor, including a perfect 6-for-6 night from Prince. For the Nets, Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 30 points while Patty Mills hit five 3-pointers on the way to 21 points. Kessler Edwards added 15 points, and James Harden had 13 points and 13 assists for Brooklyn, which is 2-2 since losing leading scorer Kevin Durant to a sprained ligament in his left knee. With this result the Nets dropped down to second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 29-17.

''It doesn't have to be me every night,'' said Towns, Minnesota's leading scorer and rebounder. ''That's why we have great talents like D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards. You've got to be able to lean on them. They can carry the load just as well as myself.''

''Those guys are coming in, bringing their own energy and spice to the game,'' Russell said. ''That takes the pressure off everybody.'

''I don't know that we gave enough resistance, weren't into the body enough,'' Nets coach Steve Nash said. ''Didn't feel like our will, our force, was felt defensively. Whatever it was, we didn't have the juice down there tonight. ... We tried to find a way to hang in and see if we could get on a run defensively. We just never did.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers snap out of their losing streak and Bucks overcome top seed Bulls

The other results were:

• Wizards 86 - 116 Celtics
• Magic 114 - 95 Bulls
• Raptors 105 - 114 Trail Blazers
• Hornets 91 - 113 Hawks
• Spurs 109 - 115 76ers
• Nuggets 117 - 111 Pistons

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Cavaliers vs Knicks
• Pelicans vs Pacers
• Thunder vs Bulls
• Suns vs Jazz
   

(Basketball news) The Lakers got back to winning ways as they beat the Orlando Magic 116-105. For the Lakers, LeBron James scored 29 points and played exclusively at center in the second half as the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit as Carmelo Anthony scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half, Russell Westbrook had 18 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists and Stanley Johnson added 11 points off the bench, this was also Carmelo’s 8th 20 point game. For the Magic, Rookie guard Jalen Suggs scored a career-best 22 points for the Magic while Wendell Carter Jr. added 19 points as Mo Bamba had 11 points and eight rebounds. With this result Lakers improved their record to 23-23 as they moved upto 7th in the Western Conference standings.

''He's the most unique player in the history of the game,'' Vogel said of James. ''We won a championship with him playing point guard two years ago, he's been a ball-handling wing throughout his career and he's been playing center for us. It's pretty remarkable, and for him to be doing it at this stage of his career, it's even more remarkable.''

''I was upset about (not finishing Wednesday's game) and I was more upset that we didn't win the game,'' Westbrook said. ''I've been here doing my job since Day 1 and doing everything asked of me. I want to continue to do that for the betterment of the team.''

''We feel like the first game on an East Coast road trip is always the toughest game, and that first half is usually when you're trying to get your legs back coming off a long flight from LA,'' James said. ''We knew we could play a lot better in the second half.''

''They came out with a level of intensity to try and push it back up,'' Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. ''The same thing happened when we were in Los Angeles.'

The Milwaukee Bucks displayed why they are the defending champions as they beat the Chicago Bulls 94-90. For the Bucks, Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 12 rebounds as Middleton had 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Bobby Portis added 12 points and 13 rebounds. Jrue Holiday scored 13 points. For the Bulls, DeMar DeRozan scored 35 points but missed a 3-pointer that would have put the Bulls ahead with 23 seconds left as Nikola Vucevic had 19 points and 11 rebounds and  Matt Thomas added 11 points and went 3 of 5 on 3-point attempts. With this result it meant that the Bulls dropped out of the top spot after the Nets had won their match, which means that the Chicago Bulls have a record of 28-16 sitting second in the Eastern Conference standings. As for the Bucks, they improved their record to 29-19 and sit in 4th place in the standings.

''At the end of the day, a win is a win,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''We did the right things. We created good habits tonight.'

''For Alex to be in the air like that and for (Allen) to take him down like that, he could have ended his career,'' Donovan said. ''(Allen) has a history of this. That, to me, was really dangerous. I really hope the league takes a hard look at something like that because he could have really, really seriously hurt (Caruso).''

''I think Grayson (did) nothing malicious, went to block the shot,'' Budenholzer said. ''I think it's a close call, and they went with flagrant 2. I'm not going to disagree. It's right on the border and that's the direction they went.''

''We talk about versatility in a lot of different ways,'' Budenholzer said. ''And I think you've got to be versatile in the kind of games you can win. I'm very proud of the guys, for them to find a way to win tonight. We had to earn that.''

The Golden State Warriors won a close encounter with the Houston Rockets as they beat them 105-103. Curry nailed a game-winning 20-foot jumper from the top of the key as the clock hit 0.0 and the buzzer blared, scoring 22 points and sending the Warriors past Houston. For the Warriors, Jordan Poole had 20 points as Andrew Wiggins also chipped in with 17 points, Klay Thompson sat out the second game of the back-to-back games. For the Rockets, Christian Wood had 12 of his 19 points in the first quarter and grabbed 15 rebounds and Kevin Porter Jr. scored 17 points for Houston. With this the Warriors stayed 2nd in the Western Conference with a record of 33-13.

''It felt great,'' Curry said. ''The way the whole last 48 hours have been with the way we played grinding out last night, going overtime, losing, the disappointment with that and then coming into this game, the back and forth, just grind-it-out mentality we had, the resilience we showed to give ourselves a chance the second half was impressive

'I was shocked. I just talked to him. It was his first ever walk off game-winner,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''Obviously he's had plenty in the final seconds. I didn't know that. A fitting end to a grind-out game that we really needed. I think in some ways we had forgotten how hard you have to play to win in this league.

Also read: NBA: Warriors lose against the Pacers as the Suns extend their lead at the top of the table

The other results were:

• Spurs 102 - 117 Nets
• Hornets 121 - 98 Thunder
• 76ers 101 - 102 Clippers
• Celtics 105 - 109 Trail Blazers
• Hawks 110 - 108 Heat
• Wizards 105 - 109 Raptors
• Jazz 111 - 101 Pistons 
• Nuggets 118 - 122 Grizzlies

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Bucks vs Kings
• Cavaliers vs Thunder
• Suns vs Pacers
• Knicks vs Clippers
   

(Basketball news) The Golden State Warriors lost to the spirited Indiana Pacers 121-117 in overtime. For the Pacers, Chris Duarte top scored with 27 points, Justin Holiday scored 16 points as seven Pacers players scored in double digits. For the Warriors, Curry scored 39 but none in overtime, missing a 3 from the top of the arc with 16.5 seconds left as Klay Thompson struggled with only 13 points as he missed all seven of his 3-point tries and Golden State's players aside from Curry were 0 for 14 from deep until Damion Lee connected with 40 seconds left in the third. With this result the Pacers improved their record to 17-29 as the Warriors stayed in second in the Western Conference standings with a record of 32-13.

“We were definitely sped up a little bit, 9 for 42 from 3, but it wasn't a great game in terms of our execution to get those 42 3-point shots,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''I don't think we earned the right to make a lot more than that. It just felt like we were scattered out there and in a rush for sure.''

:As far as the 3-point shot that tied it, I'm normally a fouler and I take the hit on that one, too. This was my night to stink it up,'' Kerr said.

''Golden State is a great, great team. They got two of the best players - two of the best shooters that you've ever seen in this game - so I think us coming out with the win, it's a huge, huge win for us,'' Duarte said.

''Everyone's tired from all the travel over the last month or so, just felt like a good day to unwind and do something fun, '' Kerr said. ''... Klay was good. I know you're going to be shocked that Steph and Klay were both excellent.''

The Phoenix Suns have continued their magnificent run with their 9th straight victory over the Dallas Mavericks 109-101. For the Suns, Devin Booker scored 28 points, Chris Paul had 20 points and 11 assists with no turnovers as they won despite shooting a season-worst 22.2% on 3-pointers (8 for 36), including missing 17 straight in the first half as five Suns players were in double digits. For the Mavericks, Doncic had 24 points through three quarters - giving him 20 or more points in nine straight games, Jalen Bruson had 19 points and Kristaps Porzingis had 18 points. With this result the Suns improved their record to 35-9 and sit comfortably on top of the Western Conference standings.

''Chris knows when to go,'' Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. ''He showed that again in the fourth quarter.''

''That's a team that's been running through the league here of late,'' Suns coach Monty Williams. ''To beat them on their home floor like that is huge.'

''My neck's not an excuse,'' said Doncic, who had eight turnovers and said he might have lost some steam in the fourth quarter. ''But man, they're the best record in the league. We were right there.''

''It's hard to trust the players because no player in the history of the league has ever committed a foul,'' Williams said

Also read: NBA: The underrated players in the NBA this season that are going unnoticed

The other results were:

• Knicks 91 - 102 Pelicans
• Nuggets 130 - 128 Clippers
• Bucks 128 - 114 Grizzlies
• Bulls 117 - 104 Cavaliers
• Wizards 118 - 119 Nets

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Magic vs Lakers
• Hornets vs Thunder
• 76ers vs Clippers
• Celtics vs Trail Blazers
• Hawks vs Heat
• Bucks vs Heat
• Spurs vs Nets
• Jazz vs Pistons
• Nuggets vs Grizzlies
• Warriors vs Rockets

(Basketball news) The Los Angeles Lakers snapped out of their three match losing streak as they defeated the Utah Jazz 101-95. For the Lakers, LeBron James scored 25 points and Stanley Johnson had 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a much needed victory. The Lakers got 44 points from their bench which was an integral part in the fourth quarter revival. For the Jazz, Mike Conley had 20 points and Rudy Gobert had a double double with 19 points and 16 rebounds as Jazz star Donavan Mitchell had a quiet night with 13 points only. With this result the Lakers moved to 7th in the Western Conference standings as they improved their record to 22-22.

''I'm just trying to put everyone in position to be successful and read the game while the game was going on and I knew the way we could be successful offensively,'' James said. ''The guys responded well to what I saw and Stanley had a big-time game.''

''Our effort and energy wasn't where it needed to be in the Denver game, second half of the Memphis game and the other game,'' James said. ''We weren't playing to our capabilities. As the leader of this team I was taking onus of that and letting Laker Nation know.''

''It feels good doing what I came here to do,'' Johnson said. ''I came here to bring energy and affect the game in different ways. Today was the day I was able to do it within the scheme and get deflections and be active. It resulted in positive plays. It feels good. We all put a lot into this. It's not just a wake up and do it.''

''I thought we had too many really tough shots,'' Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. ''I think some of the shots are makeable but we made it harder on ourselves than it needed to be as far as making better reads and moving the ball quicker and generating some better shots. I think that showed.''

The Brooklyn Nets suffered their second successive defeat on the roll as they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-107. This was also their 5th win a row as the Cavs are certainly pushing above their weight this season. For the Cavaliers, Darius Garland strengthened his All-Star case with 22 points and 12 assists as Isaac Okoro added 15 points and Jarrett Allen had 14 and 10 rebounds. For the Nets, Kevin Durant was missing his second game in a row but James Harden added 22 points as Kyrie Irving top scored with 27 points. With this result the Cavs stayed in 4th but have the same number of wins as the third placed Nets in the Eastern Conference.

It's a signature win for us against a high-level team,'' Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. ''Obviously with reasons why and excuses coming back off that long road trip and all those things, playing against two of the most elite players in our league, and our guys figuring out a way.

''I'm not bringing science into it,'' said Irving, who was defensive about his position. ''I'm staying rooted in what I believe in.''

''It's an opportunity for our team to grow,'' Nash said. ''We have to find solutions.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose their third successive match in a row as Warriors also lose

The other results were:

• Wizards 117 - 98 76ers
• Grizzlies 119 - 106 Bulls
• Clippers 139 - 133 Pacers
• Hawks 121 - 114 Bucks
• Magic 88 - 98 Trail Blazers
• Heat 104 - 99 Raptors
• Spurs 107 - 121 Suns
• Mavericks 104 - 102 Thunder

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Knicks vs Timberwolves
• Warriors vs Pistons
   

(Basketball news) The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their successive loss as they lost 133-96 to the Denver Nuggets. For the Nuggets Hyland followed up a 17-point game against Portland with career highs of 27 points and 10 rebounds as Nikola Jokic had 17 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds for his eighth triple-double of the season, while Jeff Green scored a season-high 26 points in Denver's second straight blowout victory. All five Nuggets starters scored in double figures. For the Lakers LeBron James had 24 points and nine rebounds, but made just 9 of 23 field goals. Russell Westbrook, who was just 15 for 59 in the previous four games, had 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting.With this result the Lakers fell below 500 with their record currently at 21-22, on the other hand the Nuggets leapfrogged into 6th in the standings as their stands at 22-20.

''It meant a lot to me. It took some stress off my shoulders and made me relax more and it also made me more comfortable knowing me and Coach have that connection,'' Hyland said

''We've just got to make a decision we're going to play hard,'' Westbrook said. ''Sometimes, the schemes and how you play, it doesn't really matter. You've just got to play hard sometimes. Teams are playing harder than us, so it's as simple as that.''

'Nikola gets a triple-double in 28 minutes, Bones gets his first career double-double, the bench was great, the starters were great,'' Malone said

''We've got to get back to the drawing board and get our defense right,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''We haven't performed well enough in the last two games on that side of the ball.''

The Golden State Warriors lost their second game in a row as they lost 119-99 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. For the Timberwolves Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 11 rebounds, Jaylen Nowell scored 17 points and Malik Beasley added in 16 with five second-half 3-pointers on an especially productive night for the reserves for the Timberwolves. Jordan Poole scored 20 points and Jonathan Kuminga had 19 points for the Warriors, who lost for the fifth time in seven games. They missed 16 straight shots over one stretch in the second half as they played without Steph Curry and Draymond Green on Sunday night. With this result the Timberwolves improved their record to 21-22 and jumped into 7th in the Western Conference standings

''We're really close. We like to see each other succeed. That right there is one of the hardest things to find in teams, I feel like,'' Nowell said. ''None of us on the team are selfish.''

''We don't just want be in the play-in game. We want to be set in the playoffs. We're trying to figure out how to get a nice little win streak to get us above the hump,'' Beasley said.

'Got some and-ones, got some layups, utilized my finishing ability. For this team to grow, I have to grow as well,'' Towns said
''You can't trust what I say, because I say I can play 40 minutes, but I'm not a sports scientist,'' Thompson said. ''That's what our training staff is for. I trust them, and I don't want to get over eager in just my fourth game in. I want to peak come playoff time”

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

The other results were:

• Bucks 96 - 103 Raptors
• Wizards 110 - 115 Trail Blazers
• Nets 120 - 105 Pelicans
• Hawks 108 - 117 Knicks
• Thunder 102 - 107 Cavaliers
• Heat 98 - 109 76ers
• Celtics 114 - 112 Bulls
• Spurs 101 - 94 Clippers
• Mavericks 108 - 92 Magic
• Pistons 108 - 135 Suns
• Kings 112 - 118 Rockets

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Wizards vs 76ers
• Cavaliers vs Nets
• Grizzlies vs Bulls
• Clippers vs Pacers
• Hawks vs Bucks
• Magic vs Trail Blazers
• Heat vs Raptors
• Spurs vs Suns
• Mavericks vs Thunder
• Lakers vs Jazz

 

(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) Los Angeles lost their second match in a row as they lost to the Sacramento Kings 125-116. For the Kings, De'Aaron Fox scored 29 points, Chimezie Metu made a clutch 3-pointer with 46.7 seconds remaining as Harrison Barnes added 23 points and seven rebounds for the Kings and rookie Tyrese Haliburton had 14 points and 10 assists. For the Lakers, LeBron James had 34 points, seven rebounds and six assists and Malik Monk scored 22 as James has scored 31 or more in 11 of his last 12 games. With this result the Lakers dropped down to 7th in the Western Conference with a record of 21-21 as the Kings improved their record to 17-26.

“It was a much-needed win,'' Kings interim coach Alvin Gentry said. ''We did a good job of attacking the paint - we ended up with 70 points in the paint. That was the difference in the game, we were able to get the ball to the basket.''

''We knew if we didn't put up a stand, put up a fight in the third, we would let this slip away like the previous five,'' Barnes said. ''Tonight from start to finish we did a good job of sticking to the game plan, everyone providing energy, competing. Things that we haven't done consistently.''

''For the second game in a row, our defense let us down,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''We have to figure out what we're doing there and be better in that situation.''

The Brooklyn Nets thrashed the Chicago Bulls 138-112 as for the first time this season the big three of Durant, Harden and Irving started a game. For the Nets, Durant scored 27 points, James Harden added 25 points and a season-high 16 assists as Irving had an off night with 9 points but Patty Mills scored 21 and nailed 6 of 8 from beyond the arc, helping Brooklyn come out on top after losing five of seven previous matches. For the Bulls, Zach LaVine scored 22. DeMar DeRozan added 19 points as they lost for the second time in three games after winning nine straight to match their best run since the end of the 2010-11 regular season and Bulls also had their nine-game home win streak snapped. With this result the Nets improved their record to 26-14 but still stayed 2nd in the Eastern Conference standings.

''We're trying to make no statements to the league,'' Durant said. ''I mean, who cares what they think. We know what we bring to the table, and it's all about us. But I'm sure people were watching the game tonight.''

''We're that good,'' Harden said. ''We have a chance to be that good. We just haven't had enough of it.''

''I think you own it,'' coach Billy Donovan said. ''I think our guys have worked hard up to this point to be where we are in the standings, and with that there's a greater responsibility.'

''When that run happened, I think it was just a continuous sort of flow we had from the first half,'' Irving said. ''We just felt like once we break this open, hit a few more 3s, make it tough for them on the defensive end - we felt like we'd have control of the game.''

Also read: NBA: Grizzlies beat the Warriors as the Bulls thump the Pistons

The other results were:

• 76ers 98 - 109 Hornets
• Pacers 100 - 119 Celtics
• Wizards 112 - 106 Magic
• Hawks 91 - 115 Heat
• Knicks 108 - 85 Mavericks
• Spurs 124 - 128 Rockets
• Jazz 91 - 111 Cavaliers

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Bucks vs Warriors
• Grizzlies vs Timberwolves
• Pelicans vs Clippers
• Nets vs Thunder 
• Nuggets vs Trail Blazers
   

(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 Milwaukee Bucks lost to the spirited Charlotte Hornets 103-99. For the Hornets, Terry Rozier shined as he scored 27 points, Ball scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half, and Miles Bridges added 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Hornets, who have won six of eight games and improved to 12-5 at home. For the Bucks, Khris Middleton had 27 points and 11 assists, and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 26 points, 13 rebounds. With this result the Bucks stayed in 4th in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 26-17, as the Hornets improved their record to 22-19 as they moved 8th in the standings.

“That is a highly difficult shot, but he makes it look effortless,'' Hornets coach James Borrego said. ''Melo has that uncanny ability to be going 100 mph, get off-balance and still be poised when he raises up. ... That's tough to do for a player who has been in the league 15 years, let alone a guy who has been in the league two years.''

''You are definitely concerned anytime you lose four out of five,'' Middleton said. ''And you never want to lose two in a row. You understand what the circumstances are (with players being out) and you never want to use that as an excuse. We understand what we're going through and everybody is going through. But we still have to go out there and compete.'

The Brooklyn Nets lost to the Portland Trail Blazers 114-108. For the Nets, Kyrie started his second game as he could only manage 22 points as Kevin Durant led all scorers with 28 points and 10 rebounds for them as it was his 19th straight game with 20 or more points, the second-longest streak of 20-point games in Nets history.. For the Trail Blazers, Anfernee Simons had 23 points and 11 assists, as Robert Covington had 21 points, including five 3-pointers and McLemore had 20 points and five 3s. for the Blazers, who saw all five starters score in double figures. The Blazers were again without their star backcourt of Damian Lillard out with lower abdominal tendinopathy and CJ McCollum was out for 14 games after a collapsed lung. With this result the Blazers improved their record to 16-24 as they stayed 10th in the standings on the other hand the Nets stayed 2nd in the Eastern Conference with a record of 25-14.

''I think RoCo did a good job of playing him in the second half,'' Simons said. ''So that was big for us to slow him down and just kind of play team defense. We've been playing very hard, we've been making a lot less mistakes on defense. That's been helping us.''

''Certainly nobody in the world thought that we would win this game with the guys that we have missing, even though they're missing some important players too,'' Portland first-year coach Chauncey Billups said. ''I'm more happy than anything for our team, to be honest. We've suffered a lot of losses in this building, a lot of bad losses.''

''It felt like I made a few good moves, but now it's just getting back in that NBA action of that athleticism and catching up to that speed, that's really what it is at this point, I feel,'' Irving said.

''Second half, they hit 3s in that third quarter, they hit 3s in that fourth quarter. You gotta give them credit for knocking down shots but I thought we were there, intentions were good,'' Durant said. ''We've just got to finish it a little better, finish plays a little better.'

Also read: NBA: Klay Thompson shines on his return as Grizzlies snap Lakers winning streak

The other results were:

• Pistons 126 - 116 Jazz
• Knicks 111- 96 Spurs
• Celtics 101 - 98 Pacers
• Rockets 91 - 111 76ers
• Kings 108 - 109 Cavaliers

Tomorrow’s matches are:

• Wizards vs Thunder
• Raptors vs Suns
• Grizzlies vs Warriors
• Bulls vs Pistons
• Pelicans vs Timberwolves
• Clippers vs Nuggets

(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) The Golden State Warriors slumped to their first back to back defeats as they lost 101-96 to the New Orleans Pelicans. For the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram scored 32 points as Warriors' leading scorer Stephen Curry was ruled out after hurting his left quad along with Draymond Green was also out because of a sore hip. The Pelicans players produced an allround performance as Hart scored 14 points and Clark had 10, hitting three of four 3-pointers. Jonas Valanciunas grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked two shots. For the Warriors, Andrew Wiggins scored 21 points. Kuminga scored 13 and Damion Lee added 12. With this result Pelicans improved their record to 14-25 as the Warriors dropped down to  2nd in the Western Conference standings with a record of 29-9.

''You could tell from the start of the game that he was playing at a different pace,'' Pelicans coach Willie Green said of Ingram, “He was aggressive, and he had intention. He knew where he wanted to get, and he got to his spots and jumped up and shot the ball. He got to the free throw line. It just took him a couple games to get back in rhythm.''

''Being short-handed gives the young guys a good chance to play and experience a pressure-filled game on the road,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ''I am proud of the team fighting all the way through, giving themselves a chance at the end. Just didn't have enough, and the ball didn't go in enough.''

''It takes a toll on me throughout the day and the next day until we can get back on the floor,'' Ingram said. ''Today was definitely a good night for me. My body felt good. I felt good going to the rim. I had a rhythm. I had a good touch to my shot.

The Phoenix Suns became the first team with 30 wins as they won comprehensively against the LA Clippers 106-89. For the Suns, Chris Paul had a triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Suns improved to 25-0 when leading after three quarters. Cam Johnson added a career-high 24 points, and Jalen Smith scored 19 points and had 14 rebounds. The Clippers dropped below .500 at 19-20 as  Marcus Morris Sr had 26 points and Reggie Jackson added 16. With this victory the Suns moved to the top of the Western Conference standings as they improved their record to 30- 8.

''Some teams' biggest issue is that they don't know what they want to run or who they want to go down the stretch,'' Paul said. ''I think we have a good sense of that. We know what our go-to plays are.''

''I just think the players have done a really good job of driving our culture,'' Suns coach Monty Williams said. ''We have unreal guard play, which really helps.

''We scraped and competed,'' Clippers coach Ty Lue said. ''That is a good ball club over there and they played well. Their stars took over down the stretch and took over the game.''

Also read: NBA: Nets win as Kyrie Irving makes a comeback, Mavericks stun the Warriors

The other results were:

• Knicks 108 - 105 Celtics
• Grizzlies 118 - 88 Pistons

Tomorrow’s matches are:

• 76ers vs Spurs
• Raptors vs Jazz
• Nets vs Bucks
• Bulls vs Wizards
• Rockets vs Mavericks
• Nuggets vs Kings
• Lakers vs Hawk
• Trail Blazers vs Cavaliers

(Basketball news) The Brooklyn Nets welcomed back Kyrie Irving as they won 129-121 against the Indiana Pacers. Kyrie Irving was ineligible to play home games because he is not vaccinated which is compulsory in New York City and the Nets had decided against allowing him to just play road games for most of the season but they changed their mind last month as he scored scored 22 points to rally the Nets to a much needed victory. For the Nets, Kevin Durant had 39 as they recovered from a 19 point deficit as LaMarcus Aldridge scored 13 points in 16 minutes. For the Pacers, Domantas Sabonis had 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists and  Lance Stephenson, who had previously played for the Pacers scored 30 points in his first home game with the Pacers after signing a 10-day contract. With this result the Nets improved their record to 24-12 as they stayed second in the Eastern Conference standings.

''He looks like himself, not that that's a surprise,'' Nets coach Steve Nash said.''It came down to defense and effort, and the second half was night and day to the first,'' Nash added . ''It took us getting in a deep hole before we showed them the respect the game and them the respect they deserved.''

''He didn't act nervous, he has a nice poker face,'' Durant said. ''He's a quiet guy. He plays with energy and passion.''

Irving said he was nervous, “it was different from any previous debut in his basketball career. This meant a little more, taking eight months off and so much uncertainty,'' he said ''I settled down closer to the second half. Whatever the team (needs), I'll do.''

''Just working out for two years, waiting for this moment,'' Stephenson said. ''I'm so happy to be here, it's home. It's like playing in front of family.''

The Dallas Mavericks stunned the number 1 seed in the west as they won 99-82 on a night when Dallas Mavericks retired Dirk Nowitzki's number. For the Mavericks, Luka Doncic dominated the proceedings as he scored 26 points, the 22-year-old sensation played aggressively and was 10 of 12 on free throws with 8 assists and 7 rebounds.to his name, Dorian Finney-Smith scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half and had nine rebounds and two blocks. For the Warriors, Andrew Wiggins scored 17 points as Steph Curry again had a rough night with 14 points to his name. At 29-8, the Warriors dropped into a tie with the Phoenix Suns for the best record in the NBA. With this result the Mavericks improved their record to 15-16 as they moved to 8th in the Western Conference standings.

''The body of work over the course of this year's been pretty solid,'' said Curry, who scored 14 points and made just five of 24 shots coming off his worst shooting night of the season. ''This stretch has not been great, not up to my standards. So you've just to stick to the program. It'll come around.''
''There are so many things going through your head,'' said Jason Kidd ''You know the Warriors are going to score. Steph is going to make 3s. We just tried to make it as tough as possible and on offense take care of the ball. And our defense did a great job in giving us a chance to win.

“Everyone's throwing everything at him,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''Their best defender. Their double teams. They're trying to make it as difficult as possible. I thought tonight he pressed a little bit. He's trying hard to get out of it.''

''An icon,'' Curry said when asked about Dirk Nowitzki. ''He did it his way, playing with the same franchise for 21 years. Just what he meant to the city, to this organization. He opened up the gates for international players to believe they could have amazing careers in the NBA and give them confidence.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers win three on the bounce as Warriors extend their lead

The other results were:

• Hornets 140 - 111 Pistons 
• Wizards 111 - 114 Rockets
• Magic 106 - 116 76ers
• Celtics 97 - 99 Spurs
• Timberwolves 98 - 90 Thunder
• Bucks 111 - 117 Raptors
• Nuggets 109 - 115 Jazz
• Trail Blazers 109 - 115 Heat
• Kings 102 - 108 Hawks

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Knicks vs Celtics 
• Pelicans vs Warriors
• Grizzlies vs Pistons 
• Suns vs Clippers
   

(Basketball news) Lakers made it three wins on the bounce after winning against the Sacramento Kings 122-114. LeBron James scored 14 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, Malik Monk added 11 of his 24 in the final seven minutes and the Los Angeles Lakers held off the Sacramento Kings. This was also their best run of form this season with their 4th victory out of 5 games. For the Lakers, Talen Horton-Tucker scored 19 points and Russell Westbrook added 19 points and drew a key late charge as the Lakers climbed back above .500. Westbrook also had his first turnover-free game since March 14, 2016 which broke the longest streak in NBA history. For the Kings, De'Aaron Fox scored 30 points and Buddy Hield added 26 with seven 3-pointers as Harrison Barnes had 14 points for them. With this result the Lakers stayed in 7th in the Western Conference standings with a record of 20-19.

''That's the reason we won the game,'' James said. ''We did not turn the ball over tonight. When we get shots at the goal, we can be very dangerous. We weren't shooting the ball well at all, (but) because we didn't turn the ball over, we caught on fire.''

''You've got to give (James) credit,'' Barnes said. ''He made some shots, but as a collective we could have done a better job making him work for some of those shots. In this league, it's hard to guard one-on-one, especially great players.''

''I always think that I can do that for any team I'm on, and I'm ready for whatever happens,'' Monk said. ''We're short a couple of people, but even when they come back, I'm still going to be ready and still going to produce.''

The Golden State Warriors started the new year the same way they ended last year as they beat the Miami Heat 115-108. For the Warriors, Poole scored 32 points in his new role, Andrew Wiggins added 22 points on a day when Curry had only 9 points which was subsequently his season low as well. For the Heat, Kyle Lowry had 16 points and 11 assists and Tyler Herro scored 18 points for a Miami team down 10 players in all, five because of the COVID protocols. Another positive for the Warriors fans is that their second talisman Klay Thompson is close to returning to action after spending almost 2 years out injured. The Golden State Warriors improved their record to 29-7 and sit on top of the Western Conference standings.

''It was huge, we needed all of his 32 points, and the early foul trouble with Steph changed our rotations,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''What a luxury to be able to come off the bench with a guy who's just started the first 35 games or whatever it was. Jordan has turned into just a critical player for us and he will remain to be critical with all the guys coming back coming off the bench.''

''That's the one thing about him, he loves the competition, he loves the game of basketball, and he's always ready,'' said Wiggins, who will now challenge the third-year guard to use his athleticism and get a couple of blocked shots

“Second-year center James Wiseman, recovering from right knee surgery, was cleared from the health and safety protocols and Kerr hopes he will begin practicing with contact next week. The big man participated in the morning shootaround and won't travel ''and we'll continue to ramp up his activity,'' Kerr said

Also read: NBA: Lakers start the year with a win as Suns continued their golden run

The other results were:

• Raptors 129 - 104 Spurs
• Cavaliers 106 - 110 Grizzlies
• Knicks 104 - 94 Pacers
• Pelicans 110 - 123 Suns
• Bucks 106 - 115 Pistons
• Bulls 102 - 98 Magic
• Mavericks 103 - 89 Nuggets
• Trail Blazers 136 - 131 Hawks

Tomorrow’s matches are:

• Hornets vs Pistons
• Wizards vs Rockets
• Magic vs 76ers 
• Pacers vs Nets
• Mavericks vs Warriors
• Celtics vs Spurs
• Timberwolves vs Thunder
• Bucks vs Raptors
• Nuggets vs Jazz
• Trail Blazers vs Heat
• Kings vs Hawks
   

(Basketball news) Los Angeles Lakers won two back to back matches after a long time as they won 108-103 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. LeBron James scored 26 points, Malik Monk added 22 and the Lakers hung on to beat them for the first time this season. Westbrook finished with 20 points, three rebounds, five assists and nine of the Lakers' 28 turnovers, the Lakers (19-19) climbed back to .500, with their veterans carrying them in the fourth quarter. Carmelo Anthony scored five in a row to help erase a four-point deficit. Anthony hit a 3-pointer, got fouled and made the free throw. He finished with 14 points. For the Timberwolves, Naz Reid led the Wolves with season highs of 23 points, Jaylen Nowell added 17 points off the bench. With this result the Lakers moved to 7th in the Western Conference standings.

“We did a good job of holding our own, gutting it out,'' said Westbrook, who had just one turnover in the second half.

''He's done a great job for us all year,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''He's brought a great deal of basketball integrity to our team, making sure guys are playing the right way offensively.

''We're playing good basketball of late,'' James said. ''Even with some of the losses we've had, we're still trending in the right direction.''

''We're not here solely just to develop talent,'' Wolves coach Chris Finch said. ''We're trying to win these games.''

The Phoenix Suns continued their golden run as they routed past the Charlotte Hornets 133-99.  Devin Booker scored 24 points, Jalen Smith tied a career high with 19 points and 12 rebounds and the Phoenix Suns hammered the Hornets. For the Suns, Shamet added 17 points, Mikal Bridges had 15, and Cam Johnson and Cam Payne 14 each. Seven Suns players scored in double figures to blow out the Hornets. For the Hornets LaMelo Ball had 17 points and Kelly Oubre Jr had 15 points. With this victory the Suns improved their record to 28-8 as they are currently second in the Western Conference standings.

''It's so great to see,'' Paul said. ''We have been waiting for that emotion from him for a year. You just never know when you are going to get your opportunity and to see him play with that emotion. ... You can get down in this league especially when you are on a team as good as ours and you find yourself out of the rotation. But he's been working and has stayed ready.''

''This was all you can ask for, especially after you just took it on the chin against Boston,'' Young said. ''Sometimes as a coach in your heart you feel like you are doing the right thing and you think it's going to resonate, and when it does come to fruition it's rewarding.''

''The whole time I have been picking his brain and he's been able to tell me how to get on the court and how to keep him improving,'' Smith said.

Also read: Lakers slump to their fourth successive defeat as Warriors continued winning

The other scores were:

• Raptors 120 - 105 Knicks
• Cavaliers 108 - 104 Pacers
• Celtics 116 - 111 Magic
• Kings 115 - 113 Heat
• Thunder 86 - 95 Mavericks

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Wizards vs Hornets
• 76ers vs Rockets
• Nets vs Grizzlies
• Pelicans vs Jazz
• Bucks vs Pistons
• Bulls vs Magic
• Mavericks vs Nuggets
• Warriors vs Heat
• Trail Blazers vs Hawks
• Clippers vs Timberwolves
   

(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) The Golden State Warriors won 113-98 against the Sacramento Kings. For the Warriors, Draymond Green notched his franchise-leading 31st career triple-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, Stephen Curry scored 30 points as the Warriors celebrated him for the 3-point record in his first home game since breaking Ray Allen's mark. For the Kings, Tyrese Haliburton had 24 points and 11 assists to lead Sacramento as Harrison Barnes scored 19 points against his former Warriors team and Hield wound up with 18. With this victory the Warriors improved their record to 25-6 as they moved to the top of the Western Conference. 

'This organization is amazing to allow him ... to sit there and help,'' Green said. ''You miss doing this job and those are the moments where it's all worth it. For him to have that experience, it's special. I don't take that for granted.''

“The bench was great. Every guy who came off the bench played well for us,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''Gary was everywhere defensively and on the boards, three steals, doing what Gary does.'

The Lakers slumped to their second successive loss as they lost 115-110 to the Chicago Bulls. For the Bulls, DeMar DeRozan scored 38 points after missing two weeks in the NBA's health and safety protocols, Nikola Vucevic had 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Lonzo Ball added 19 points as the Bulls snapped a two-game losing streak. For the Lakers, LeBron James had 31 points, Carmelo Anthony added 21 and Russell Westbrook 20 as Los Angeles lost their second straight game. The Lakers haven't had any games postponed, they currently have six players - Kent Bazemore, Avery Bradley, Talen Horton-Tucker. Dwight Howard, Malik Monk and Austin Reaves - and coach Frank Vogel in the health and safety protocols. With this result the Lakers record fell to 16-15 as they are currently 7th in the Western Conference standings.  

The Bulls turned to DeRozan in crunch time and he delivered. ''It's an honor to be trusted in those moments,'' he said. ''I never take it for granted. It's an adrenaline rush that you can't duplicate, so you try to make the most of it every time you're put in that position. There's nothing like it. You've got to take the good with the bad, and I'm willing to take both.''

''Obviously we're doing things on the fly, figuring out how to play with the lineups we have and the people we have available,'' Westbrook said. ''New guys are stepping in here, so we've got to do what we can. That's it. You've just gotta play hard and let the rest take care of itself.''

''Just pretty amazing what he did being out, missing games and having two days off,'' Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. ''His mental toughness and his competitive spirit are pretty amazing. Just his shot-making ability when we needed buckets.''

The Phoenix Suns increased their winning run to 8 wins from 10 as they beat the Charlotte Hornets 137-106. The Suns had eight players score in double figures as Booker scored 16 points in his return from a hamstring injury and the NBA-leading Suns set a season-scoring high. They dominated the paint behind Deandre Ayton, who had 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Javale McGee, who led Phoenix with 19 points in 16 minutes off the bench. McGee made 9 of 10 shots, Mikal Bridges had 16 points, Landry Shamet 15 and Jae Crowder and Chris Paul had 14 apiece, Cam Johnson scored 12 and Cameron Payne had 11 for the Suns. E Elias Sports Bureau is the Suns had nine players score in double figures for the first time since April 21, 1991. For the Hornets, Miles Bridges had 26 points for Charlotte, and former Sun Kelly Oubre Jr. had 16. LaMelo Ball had nine points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. With this result the Suns improved their record to 24-5 as they have the best record in the NBA currently.

“I learned some things from the sideline that I tried to implement today,'' said Booker, who was 4 of 8 from 3-point range. ''The machine keeps moving even in games we had people out. Somebody steps up and jumps right into that role.'

''The best backup center I have ever had,'' Ayton said. ''I feel so comfortable coming out of the game knowing that this man is a presence at both ends of the floor. The same thing I am doing. It is like I didn't leave.''

''We have a `we score' mentality,'' Suns coach Monty Williams said. ''We score, we defend and I think when you play that way, it creates a lot of opportunity to shoot the ball from range or attack the paint.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose to the Timberwolves as Warriors extend their lead

The other results were:

• Celtics 103 - 108 76ers
• Bulls 133 - 118 Rockets
• Grizzlies 99 - 102 Thunder
• Jazz 112 - 102 Hornets
• Clippers 92 - 116 Spurs

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Knicks vs Pistons
• Heat vs Pacers
• Pelicans vs Trail Blazers
• Mavericks vs Timberwolves
• Lakers vs Suns
   

(Basketball news) Phoenix Suns beat the in-form Washington Wizards 118-98. For the Suns, McGee scored 17 points and Ayton added 15 as the combo dominated the interior, pushing the Suns to 58 points in the paint. All five starters and eight total players scored in double figures. Landry Shamet had 16 points and made four 3-pointers and Paul had 12 points and six assists. They have won 22 of 24 games dating to Oct. 27. For the Wizards, Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting but the rest of the team couldn't muster much offense. With this result the Suns go level with Warriors at the top of the Western Conference with a record of 23-5 as Wizards move to 7th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 15-15.

'We were ready,'' Williams said. ''That was pretty cool. The outcome was the residual of the focus and determination we showed on defense, holding that team to 98 points and having eight guys in double figures.''

''We are in a rut right now,'' Wizards forward Montrezl Harrell said. ''Nobody is going to feel bad for us, brother. We've got to figure it out.”

The Brooklyn Nets continued their good start to the season with a 114-105 over the Philadelphia 76ers. Durant scored 34 points, making a four-point play with the game tied and 1:46 left as that turned to the turning point in the game. The Nets were missing seven players because of coronavirus health and safety protocols. Blake Griffin and Nic Claxton both added a season-high 17 points as Patty Mills scored 14 points for them. For the 76ers, Joel Embiid had 32 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the 76ers' third straight loss as Seth Curry scored 29 points to lead a valiant effort from Doc Rivers' side. With this result the Nets improved their record to 21-8 as they comfortably lead the Eastern Conference

'It's a challenge knowing how you're going to come into the games because a lot of these teams, they scheme for me a little differently,'' Durant said.

'We can all hoop,'' Claxton said of the young players forced into extended action. ''A lot of attention is going to KD so we're just making plays.''.

So is it better to be over the threshold than to not be playing until you have a healthy roster?'' Nash said. ''Or is it better to have enough to play but to be short-handed and the burden and the toll it takes on these guys and knowing that you're going to have guys coming back who haven't been able to practice or play basketball. So it is definitely tricky to navigate.''

The Lakers won dramatically against the Dallas Mavericks as they defeated them 107-104.  Rookie Austin Reaves swished a 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds left in overtime to give the Los Angeles Lakers a much needed victory. For the Lakers, James scored 24 points, Westbrook added 23 and Davis had 20 points and 12 rebounds after missing two games with a sore left knee. For the Mavericks, Jalen Brunson scored 25 points and Kristaps Porzingis had his eighth double-double this season with 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Mavericks, who played their third straight game without All-Star guard Luka Doncic. With this result the Lakers improved their record to 16-13 as they lie 6th in the Western Conference.

“There was about one second left, and I didn't have anything to do but shoot it,'' said Reaves, who played two seasons each at Wichita State and Oklahoma, signing a two-way contract with the Lakers in August that was converted to a regular contract in September. ''Great pass, and I made a shot.''

''We've got a lot of trust in whoever's on the floor, including the rook,'' James said. ''Obviously, it showed on that last possession.''

''We were going to foul within 10 seconds, make them reset and give us a chance to reset, too,'' said Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, who was a Lakers assistant during the past two seasons. ''And we just didn't get to the foul.''

Also read: NBA: Steph Curry breaks Ray Allen’s record as Nets win against Raptors

The other results were:

• Pacers 122 -113 Pistons
• Rockets 103 - 116 Knicks
• Jazz 124 - 103 Clippers

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Magic vs Heat
• Celtics vs Warriors
• Hawks vs Nuggets
• Pelicans vs Bucks
• Jazz vs Spurs
• Timberwolves vs Lakers
• Kings vs Grizzlies
• Trail Blazers vs Hornets
• Pistons vs Rockets

 

(Basketball news) Steph Curry created history as he overtook Ray Allen as the leading 3 pointer shooter in the history of the NBA. Curry hit his 2,974th 3-pointer Tuesday night in the first quarter of the Golden State Warriors’ game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Curry is often considered the league’s greatest shooter, and the numbers back him up. He already has the top three seasons for 3-pointers, including the one season with 400 3s and now has the career record Allen had held since passing Reggie Miller in 2011. Curry is also one of two players in NBA history to have made 1,000 unassisted and 1,000 assisted triples. The fact that makes Steph such a great shooter is his accuracy and the precision he knocks down three pointers, Steph is just 33 years old and he can certainly extend this record further.

The Golden State Warriors beat the New York Knicks 105-96, as Steph Curry top scored with 22 points on his historical night along with Jordan Poole’s 19 points and nine rebounds, going 13 for 13 on free throws, Green added eight points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. For the Knicks, Julius Randle scored 31 points as Derrick Rose scored 15 points and Alec Burks had 14 but shot 4 for 15 from the field. With this result the Warriors continued their magnificent start to the season as they improved their record to 23-5 and sit comfortably on top of the Western Conference standings.

''If you can't do it at home, this is definitely a great Plan B,'' Curry said Tuesday night.

''I thought the night was perfect,'' said Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who called timeout after the record shot to make room for a celebration. ''It just pretty much encapsulated who he is and his reaction to it was perfect.''

''Steph is the best to ever shoot a basketball and we get the opportunity to go to work with him every day and it's a very special thing,'' Green said.

The Brooklyn Nets also continued their good form as they won 131-129 against the Toronto Raptors. Patty Mills made a 3 to force overtime as Kevin Durant had 34 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Toronto Raptors to improve their record to 20-8. For the Nets, Patty Mills added 30 points as Nets also got 17 from Kessler Edwards, 16 from Nic Claxton and 13 from Blake Griffin before he fouled out in overtime. For the Raptors, Fred VanVleet led with 31, Scottie Barnes had 23, Gary Trent Jr. and Pascal Siakam each finished with 25 points. With this result Toronto fell to 11th in the Eastern Conference standings as Nets are sitting comfortably on top of the table.

''I felt like it was something I could play on, so I knew I was going to play this morning,'' Durant said. ''I hate that my teammates are out. I wish everybody was playing.''

''I like how we responded throughout the whole game,'' Durant said. ''Hitting them first and taking their punch - 44-25 in the third - then turning it up in the fourth quarter and overtime, man. ... I'm so proud to just be a part of this group and play with these young dudes.

''We know how good of a team we can be when we are clicking and doing what we are supposed to do,'' Siakam said. ''Every time we haven't done that in season we pay for it.'' 

Also read: NBA: Golden State Warriors extended their winning run to 22 wins while the Phoenix Suns lost to Los Angeles Clippers

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Magic vs Hawks
• Cavaliers vs Rockets
• 76ers vs Heat
• Mavericks vs Lakers
• Bucks vs Pacers
• Thunder vs Pelicans
• Spurs vs Hornets
• Nuggets vs Timberwolves
• Kings vs Wizards
• Trail Blazers vs Grizzlies
• Jazz vs Clippers
   

(Basketball) The Golden State Warriors beat the Indiana Pacers 102-100 in a close encounter. Stephen Curry came up just short of Ray Allen's 3-point record as made five 3s, scored 26 points and rallied the Golden State Warriors to a victory. He's two 3’s short of surpassing Allen, something he's likely to do Tuesday night on the NBA's grandest stage, Madison Square Garden. Allen made 2,973 during his 18-year career. For Warriors, Draymond Green had 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists, Andrew Wiggins scored 15 points and Looney had 14 points and eight rebounds as Golden State was 8 of 30 on 3s and had 17 turnovers. For the Pacers, Domantas Sabonis had 30 points and 11 rebounds and Malcolm Brogdon had 23 points and eight assists. With this result the Warriors improved their record to 22-5 and stayed on top of the Western Conference standings. 

'I'm enjoying the moment, knocking on the doorstep. It's pretty surreal,'' Curry said. ''You just keep playing basketball, taking shots you think you can make and enjoy the experience”.

''The play was set up perfectly, the 3 just didn't go in and Loon did what Loon does, which is go get the offensive board to give us the lead and eventually the win,'' said Draymond Green, who had 15 points and nine rebounds.

''I know he was trying to get the record tonight and in my mind, I wasn't going to let him do it on our court,'' said Malcolm Brogdon, who had 23 points and eight assists. ''When you slow him down, you expect to win the game. We slowed him down.''

The Phoenix Suns lost only their fifth match of the season against the Clippers 111-95. Marcus Morris had season highs of 24 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Los Angeles Clippers to a much deserved victory. It wasn't quite the rematch from the playoffs, with both teams missing their stars. The Suns were without Deandre Ayton and Devin Booker, while Paul George and Kawhi Leonard sat out for the Clippers .Reggie Jackson added 19 points and Terance Mann had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Clippers who won their fourth in a row. For the Suns, Cam Johnson led Phoenix with 17 points off the bench as Mikal Bridges added 16 points and Chris Paul was held to nine points and eight assists against his former team. With this win, the Clippers improved their record to 16-12 as they stayed 5th in Western Conference standings.

'It definitely didn't feel like that,'' Morris said of Monday's game compared to last spring's playoffs.

“We're just getting contributions from all of our guys,'' Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. ''Our whole team did a good job of just chipping in.''

''Against CP, we tried to slow him down and give him different looks,'' Lue said. ''To slow him down a little bit was huge for us”.

“We were out of rhythm all night. We just couldn't knock down shots,'' Suns coach Monty Williams said. ''If you're missing shots, you're playing in transition a lot.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers win back to back matches after a long time as Brooklyn Nets continued their winning streak

The other results were:

• Cavaliers 105 - 94 Heat
• Raptors 124 - 101 Kings
• Hawks 126 - 132 Rockets
• Celtics 117 - 103 Bucks
• Grizzlies 126 - 91 76ers
• Mavericks 120 - 96 Hornets
• Nuggets 113 - 107 Wizards

The tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Knicks vs Warriors
• Nets vs Raptors
• Trail Blazers vs Suns

(Basketball news) Lakers won back to back road games as they defeated 106-94 against the Orlando Magic. James scored 14 of his 30 points during Los Angeles' spectacular third quarter, and he added 11 rebounds and 10 assists while the Lakers rolled past Orlando for their fifth victory in seven games. For the Lakers, Talen Horton-Tucker scored 19 points, Russell Westbrook had 19 points and James secured his 101st career triple-double in the final minutes as the Lakers won their second straight with second-leading scorer Anthony Davis sidelined by left knee soreness. For the Magic, Cole Anthony scored 21 points, Franz Wagner added 20 points and seven rebounds as they suffered their 12th loss in 13 games. With this result the Lakers improved their record to 15-13 and moved up to 6th in Western Conference.

'When he's aggressive and making the right plays and reads, our team is different,'' Westbrook said. ''This was another game where he imposed his will. ... (The blocked shots) are just big for us, and I know it's big for him to show he's still doing what he's been doing year after year. It's great to see.''

''Sleep,'' James said. ''Sleep, and inspiration from my son and his team. ... I slept last night from 12 to 8. I got up, ate breakfast, and then I went back to sleep from 8:30 to 12:30. That's pretty good, right?''

''He's exemplifying finding joy through hustle,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''The effort he's playing with is inspiring our whole group.''

The Brooklyn Nets continued their fine start to the season with a 116-104 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Kevin Durant scored an NBA season-high 51 points as he scored at least 10 points in all four quarters. Patty Mills added 18 points for the Nets, who outscored Detroit 30-13 in the fourth quarter. For the Pistons Cade Cunningham had 26 and Frank Jackson added 25 for Detroit, which lost its 12th straight and still haven't won back-to-back games this season. Durant also set the record on Sunday for points scored at the Little Caesars Arena, which opened in 2017. He bested Blake Griffin's 50 in 2018, Kyrie Irving's 45 in 2020 and James Harden's 44 last season. With this result the Nets improved their record to 19-8 and sit comfortably at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

''I knew I probably needed to pick up a little more of the scoring tonight,'' said Durant, who had his seventh 50-point game of his career. ''We were turning the ball over more than we should, and I was doing as much of that as anyone, so I figured I better just keep shooting.'

''It was fun just to watch K.D. when he's playing like that,'' Mills said. ''Being a part of it is even better. You don't see many games like he had tonight.''

''I saw the look in his eyes and knew he didn't want to come out,'' Nets coach Steve Nash said. ''He was just incredible tonight. Not only did he score 51, but he had (nine) assists and (seven) rebounds. He even had a couple blocks and played incredible defense in the fourth quarter.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose to the Grizzlies as they ruined LeBron James’ historic 100th triple double

The other results were:

• Thunder 84 - 103 Mavericks
• Spurs 112 - 97 Pelicans  
• Trail Blazers 111 - 116 Timberwolves

The other matches for tomorrow are:

• Cavaliers vs Heat
• Raptors vs Kings
• Pacers vs Warriors
• Hawks vs Rockets
• Celtics vs Bucks
• Grizzlies vs 76ers 
• Mavericks vs Hornets
• Nuggets vs Wizards
• Clippers vs Suns

(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) The Golden State Warriors won their 21st match of the season with a 104-94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Curry scored 22 points and moved within nine 3s of tying Ray Allen's record, Steph Curry is closing in on Allen's mark of 2,973 regular-season 3s made from 1996-2014. Draymond Green had 10 rebounds, eight assists and five points, and Jordan Poole scored eight of his 20 points in the third quarter as Golden State started to pull away. Otto Porter Jr. contributed 15 points and six rebounds off the bench as the Warriors improved to 21-4. For the Trail Blazers Jusuf Nurkic had 12 points, 13 rebounds and six assists before fouling out late. Nassir Little scored 18 points for the Blazers, Norman Powell scored 26 points but went 1 for 7 from deep, and the Blazers made just 8 of 30 on 3-pointers as the Trail Blazers missed injured allstars Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. With this result Warriors move to the top of the Western Conference.

''To make that many 3s in one game obviously has never been done before, so it was just a routine night,'' coach Steve Kerr said of the 16 Curry needed coming into the game to top Allen. ''He made six, which is nothing for him. I don't think I ever did that in my entire career one time.''

''I feel like it will be special no matter what because I'll make it special and it will be an amazing experience for me and my teammates,'' Curry said this week

The Brooklyn Nets suffered a shock 114-104 loss to the Houston Rockets, who subsequently are showing an uprise in form. Eric Gordon scored 21 points before being ejected in the fourth quarter and Garrison Mathews added 19 as the Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to seven and one of the in form teams in the NBA. Although James Harden had 25 points for the Nets, NBA leading scorer Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge both sat out for this match, Cam Thomas had 18 points for Brooklyn and Mills added 12 points. The loss snapped a six-game road winning streak for the Nets, whose nine road wins are tied with the Suns for most in the NBA. With this result Nets still remained on top of the Eastern Conference with a record of 17-8.

“The adversity that we went through prior to this point has made it even sweeter,'' coach Stephen Silas said. ''We're feeling pretty good about ourselves.'

''When you beat a team like that it means something,'' Mathews said. ''This streak's been a huge boost to our confidence. It's been a huge boost to our morale.''

The Miami Heat finally snapped their losing streak with a 113-104 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Caleb Martin scored a career-high 28 points, he shot 9 of 12 from the field, including 6 for 8 on 3-pointers, as the Heat tied a franchise record with 22 3s against the defending NBA champions. Kyle Lowry had 22 points and 13 assists, and Max Strus scored all 16 of his points in the fourth quarter for Miami, which snapped a three-game home losing streak. For the Bucks Jrue Holiday scored 27 points and Khris Middleton finished with 20 for the Bucks. Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had 15 points. With this result the Heat’s improved their record to 15-11 and are currently in 4th position and as for the Bucks their record stands at 16-10.

Also read: NBA: Lakers beat Celtics and Nets extend their winning run against the Dallas Maverick

The other results were:

• Pistons 116 - 119 Wizards
• Hornets 106 - 110 76ers
• Cavaliers 115 - 92 Bulls
• Pacers 122- 102 Knicks
• Raptors 109 - 110 Thunder
• Grizzlies 96 - 104 Mavericks
• Timberwolves 104 - 136 Jazz
• Pelicans 114 - 120 Nuggets
• Kings 142 - 130 Magic
• Clippers 114 - 111 Celtics

The fixtures for tomorrow are;

• 76ers vs Jazz
• Grizzlies vs Lakers
• Spurs vs Nuggets

(Basketball news) Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 117-102 in the latest chapter of the NBA's most heated rivalry. LeBron James scored 30 points, Westbrook added 24 points and 11 assists, Anthony Davis had 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Lakers, who produced one of their best recent performances in their fourth victory in six games overall. Los Angeles made 56.5% of its shots in the first three quarters and shut down Jayson Tatum's with their defense. For the Celtics Jason Tatum scored 34 points as he scored 14 of his 34 points in an incredible early first-quarter blitz for the Celtics, who dropped to 1-2 on their four-game West Coast trip, Jaylen Brown sat out his third straight game with a strained right hamstring, as Robert Williams III's 13 points for Boston was the second most. With this victory the Lakers improved their record to 13-12 as they moved up to 6th in the Western Conference.

''As a player like myself, you want to make sure you approach all games the same while also understanding the significance of this particular game,'' Westbrook said. ''That makes it a good win for us.''

''I just like the way we competed tonight on both sides of the floor,'' James said. ''We had a lot of intensity, a lot of ball movement. Guys were attacking the rim. I think defensively, besides the first 14-point avalanche on Tatum's part, we locked in from that point forward.''

“I think at the beginning of the year, Russ was a little bit passive,'' Davis said. ''He was trying to get guys involved, pass the ball. ... We told him, 'The more you're aggressive, the more it will open up for everyone else.' The last seven to 10 games, he's been very, very aggressive, and when he does that, it opens up the floor for everyone else as far as shooting. He's just been in attack mode. That's why we brought him here, to be Russell Westbrook and not anybody else but that.''

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Dallas Mavericks 102-99 as they made a 17 point comeback in the second half. Kevin Durant scored 24 points, Harden had 23 points and 12 assists as they handed the Mavericks their fifth consecutive home loss. For the Mavericks, Luka Doncic scored 28 points but had another rough night from 3-point range, Kristaps Porzingis had 17 points and 12 rebounds. In three games since setting a franchise record by shooting 68.7% in a 32-point victory at New Orleans, Dallas is down to 38% shooting from the arc. With this result the Nets improved their record to 17-7 which is subsequently the best in the Eastern Conference. 

''We've been in this league long enough to know it's winning time. It's go time,'' said Harden, who also had nine rebounds. ''Throughout the course of the game, I feel like we got good shots. We just missed them. We just kept sticking with it and kept sticking with it. You've got to just keep shooting, especially if that's what you do.''

''We had a lot of open looks there in the fourth quarter that just didn't go down,'' Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. ''And then Timmy has a wide-open look. You couldn't ask for a better look to tie up the game.''

''It's a character win where you just want to make the right plays to get back in the game and you want to turn the momentum to your side,'' said Durant, who was 10 of 22 from the field and had seven rebounds. ''I think we did that tonight”.

Also read: NBA: Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors became the first teams to win 20 matches this season

The tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Pistons vs Wizards
• Hornets vs 76ers
• Cavaliers vs Bulls
• Pacers vs Knicks
• Heat vs Bucks
• Raptors vs Thunder
• Grizzlies vs Mavericks
• Timberwolves vs Jazz
• Pelicans vs Nuggets
• Rockets vs Nets
• Kings vs Magic
• Warriors vs Trail Blazers
• Clippers 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) The Milwaukee Bucks rallied past the Charlotte Hornets as they defeated them 127-125. Antetokounmpo had 40 points and 12 rebounds and Khris Middleton added 21 points for the Bucks as Giannis Antetokounmpo scored on a driving layup with two seconds left to give Milwaukee their eighth consecutive victory. For the Hornets, Ball had a career-high 36 points for the Hornets, followed by Kelly Oubre Jr. with 25 and Miles Bridges with 22 points. Ball hit 12 of 22 shots including 8 of 15 from beyond the arc along with nine assists. Milwaukee signed veteran free agent DeMarcus Cousins who played 4 minutes and scored seven points. With this result Bucks improved their record to 14-8 as they are currently 4th in the Eastern Conference with similar records to the Bulls, Wizards and the Heats.

“Giannis is just great. Reading the defense, attack mode,'' Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. ''Any time we can get him the ball in that type of situation, we feel like he's going to make a good play”.

''I haven't seen the play, but I knew in the position I was in, there were two different routes,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''Float it up or try to sneak it in, and when you try to sneak it in, you've got to spin on. If you just go normal, most likely you're going to get it blocked”.

“People talk about him just being dominant, but on that shot, you can see the skill that he has,'' Middleton said. ''He's not always dunking over people, not always using the jump hook. That's a tough layup even for guards, and he's a 7-footer coming down to end the game. Going over, then under an arm, then flipping it with a little bit of spin off the glass, that just shows you the type of skills he has as a player.''

Dallas Maverick beat the New Orleans Pelican 139-107 as Luka Doncic scored 18 of his team-high 28 points in the first quarter and dished out 14 assists in 27 minutes to power the Dallas Mavericks to convincing victory. Dallas set a franchise record by shooting 57 of 83 from the floor (68.7%), beating the previous high of 67.7% from March 24, 1983. Kristaps Porzingis added 20 points and 10 rebounds for Dallas as they snapped out of their five match losing streak. Doncic went 7 of 8 from the floor in the Mavericks' 41-point first quarter - their highest-scoring period of the season in which they shot 73% from the floor (16 of 22). For the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram scored 29 points as Devonte Graham added 13 points. With this result Dallas improved their record to 11-9 and are currently 4th in the Eastern Conference.

“That's pretty cool,'' Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. ''To break a record like that with so many great offensive teams that the Dallas Mavs have had just shows the carryover and the response that this team has had after the last two outings. I thought everybody touched it. We got wide-open looks, that we've been getting, but they started to go down for us.''

''Luka was phenomenal tonight,'' Porzingis said. ''He started off the game hot himself, and then he was sharing the ball. Our energy was there right from the beginning because we shared it. It was a chain reaction, starting from him, and we got great looks.''

''It was a great game,'' Doncic said. ''We came out with a lot of energy, and I think we moved the ball pretty well. Those shots were open, so we knocked them down.''

Also read: NBA: Phoenix Suns stretch their run to 17 straight victories as Lakers avenged their loss against the Sacramento Kings

The other results were:

• Pacers 111 - 114 Hawks
• Magic 108 - 103 Nuggets
• Wizards 115 - 107 Timberwolves
• Celtics 88 - 87 76ers
• Heat 85 - 111 Cavaliers
• Thunder 110 - 114 Rockets
• Clippers 115 - 124 Kings

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Raptors vs Bucks
• Knicks vs Bulls
• Grizzlies vs Thunder
• Suns vs Pistons
• Trail Blazers vs Spurs

(Basketball news) Phoenix Suns have tied a franchise record with 17 wins in a row as they won 104-96 against the Golden State Warriors. Ayton scored 24 points, Chris Paul added 15 points and 11 assists despite losing star guard Devin Booker to a left hamstring injury in the second quarter. He had 10 points and two rebounds in 15 minutes. For the Warriors, Jordan Poole led Golden State with 28 points. Stephen Curry - who came into the game averaging 28.6 points per game - had 12 points on 4 of 21 shooting, including 3 of 14 from 3-point range.The Suns limited the Warriors to just 42 points in the second half. The Warriors also had 22 turnovers.The Suns haven't lost since Oct. 27 when Harrison Barnes hit a game-winning 3 at the buzzer for the Sacramento Kings. With this result the Suns improved their record to 18-3 and took the number 1 spot in the Western Conference.

''It's just a lot of work, a lot of mental toughness, staying with it,'' Bridges said. ''We knew when we first got here that we wanted to turn it around.''

''With all of the mistakes we did have and how terrible I shot the ball, it was a close game down the stretch,'' Curry said. ''I know Booker got hurt, but yes, it was a good learning lesson for us. Understanding the intensity and the focus we need to beat a team like that.''

'To me, this was just will and toughness,'' Williams said.

The Lakers after a long time won two games in a row as they won 117-92 against the Sacramento Kings. The Lakers sent James home early after he was placed in the NBA's health and safety protocol. Davis claimed that James felt good and was asymptomatic but the Lakers will have to play at least a few games without him again this season. For the Lakers, Anthony Davis scored 25 points, Russell Westbrook added 23 as Malik Monk scored 22 points from the bench. The Lakers took over with a dominant third quarter to win back-to-back games for the first time since Nov. 8-10. For the Kings, Richaun Holmes scored 27 points on 12-for-13 shooting in his first game back as De'Aaron Fox added 17 but also had seven turnovers. With this result the Lakers improved their record to 12-11 as they are currently eight in the Western Conference.

“We still have to find ways to win,'' Davis said. ''We can't let that affect us. Obviously, he's a huge part of our team. But we've played a huge amount of games without him. So we kind of know how that is already. We've got to continue to play like we did on the defensive end until he's able to come back.''

''Every now and then, a coach has to light a fire under his team,'' coach Frank Vogel said. ''Today was one of those games. We weren't giving the necessary effort to transition defense and with our pick-and-roll coverages. ... Sometimes you have to let them hear about it.''

The Brooklyn Nets just about edged their city neighbours New York Knicks to 112-110 victory. Harden had 34 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Durant heated up after a slow start to finish with 27 points and nine assists. For the Knicks, Alec Burks scored a season-high 25 points in his new role as the Knicks' starting point guard, Julius Randle added 24 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Harden made history as he surpassed 2,500 3-pointers, joining Ray Allen, Stephen Curry and Reggie Miller. Kevin Durant scored 11 points with 5 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter as James Johnson hit two clutch free throws in the end to improve their record to 15-6 and reclaim their top spot in the Eastern Conference.

''Being here two years now, it doesn't matter who's on that team or who's on this team, I think the energy's always going to be there,'' Harden said. ''Whether it's here or at MSG, the fans are going to be cheering for their respective teams and it's going to be a good game every time, and tonight we're just happy to come out with the win.''

''It's not ideal to have him have such a burden, but I don't know what options we have other than to play him less and lose more,'' coach Steve Nash said.

Also read: NBA: Utah Jazz moved up to third in the Western Conference as Denver Nuggets breeze past the Miami Heat

The other results were:

• Raptors 91 - 98 Grizzlies
• Trail Blazers 110 - 92 Pistons

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Pacers vs Hawks
• Magic vs Nuggets
• Wizards vs Timberwolves
• Celtics vs 76ers
• Heat vs Cavaliers
• Bucks vs Hornets
• Pelicans vs Mavericks
• Thunder vs Rockets
• Clippers vs Kings
   

(Basketball news) Utah Jazz beat the Portland Trail Blazers 129-107 as Mitchell scored 30 points, Rudy Gobert had 21 points and 16 rebounds, Jordan Clarkson added 22 points for Utah, which used quick passes and spacing to make 19 3-pointers and shot 53% from the field a game after making a season-high 20 3s. The Jazz matched their season high with 46 made field goals. Anfernee Simons scored a season-high 24 points and Jusuf Nurkic also had 24 as the Trail Blazers fell to 1-10 on the road this season. After making two of his first three shots, Lillard only made two more buckets on nine attempts. Lillard has gone 16 for 45 over his last three games. Utah's defensive plan centered on getting the ball out of Lillard's hands to make someone other than him or CJ McCollum make shots. With this result Utah improved their record to 14-7 as they moved up to 3rd in the Western Conference.

“Aggressive decision making,'' Mitchell said. ''When you start to think too much, that's when the turnovers and the mistakes come in.''

“Our guys were unselfish and got off the ball when they needed to. As you spread it out and make some shots, all of the sudden lanes to the basket open up, too,'' Utah coach Quin Snyder said.

'We're such a different ball club on the road,'' Portland coach Chauncy Billups said. ''We play with this casualness a lot of times, with no urgency. That's dangerous. And at home, you can do that and a team can make a run and you get your crowd behind you and you can overcome a lot of times at home. On the road, you can't do that.''

Denver Nuggets breezed past Miami Heat 120-111 as they were short handed with injuries. Nikola Jokic returned and scored 24 points, Aaron Gordon added 20 and the Nuggets snapped their longest losing streak in nearly six years, Bones Hyland returned from injury to score 19 and Will Barton added 14 for the Nuggets, who had dropped six straight. Jokic hadn't played in the last four of those because of a wrist injury but finished with 15 rebounds and seven assists. Bam Adebayo finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds, Max Strus scored 19 points and Caleb Martin added 18 for the Heat, they got 17 points and 14 assists from Kyle Lowry, which was without its two leading scorers Jimmy Butler who was out with a bruised tailbone and Tyler Herro missed the game with what the Heat called general body soreness. With this result when under .500 as they improved their record to 10-10, the Nuggets moved up to 9th in the Western Conference.

''That's behind us,'' Jokic said. ''We need to move on to the future. We won the game and that's the most important thing.

“Our defense is better than that,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''I think they played extremely well. And in those pivotal moments in the course of the game, it seemed like they made every shot, every play”.

The Chicago Bulls went back to winning ways as they won 133-119 against the Charlotte Hornets. Chicago shot a season-high 59.6% from the field and had five players score in double figures. Vucevic had a season-best 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points, and Zach LaVine, a game-time decision because of an illness, finished with 25.  Lonzo Ball helped the Bulls get back on track after dropping three of four. He had 16 points and eight assists and LaMelo Ball had 18 points and 13 assists as both the brothers went head to head for the third time. For the Hornets, Terry Rozier scored 31 points and Gordon Hayward had 22 for the Hornets, who dropped to 0-2 on their four-game trip. With this result Bulls improved their record to 14-8 as they reclaimed their second place in the Eastern Conference.

“I mean we've been talking about the NBA since we were little boys,'' LaMelo said. ''Just going out there and playing against him, always a dream come true, for real.''

''Obviously we are brothers and it's all love off the court,'' Lonzo Ball said. ''But on the court, like I said, he got a job he got to do, I got a job I got to do.

“I felt like I was getting my rhythm, and then I got COVID and then I had to sit out,'' Vucevic said. ''But obviously tonight was a good game for me. Felt great to make some shots.''

Also read: NBA: Warriors win their 8th straight game as Lakers bounce back with a victory over the Detroit Pistons

The other results were:

• 76ers 101 - 96 Magic
• Rockets 102 - 89 Thunder
• Timberwolves 100 - 98 Pacers
• Spurs 116 - 99 Wizards
• Mavericks 96 - 114 Cavaliers
• Clippers 104 - 123 Pelicans

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Raptors vs Grizzlies
• Nets vs Knicks
• Kings vs Lakers
• Trail Blazers vs Pistons 
• Suns vs Warriors
   

(Basketball news) The Golden State Warriors continued their fine start to the season as they won 105-90 against the LA Clippers. He scored 11 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter as the Warriors extended their winning streak to eight. Otto Porter Jr. added 18 points and 10 rebounds and Jordan Poole scored 17 points for the Warriors. They improved their NBA record to 18-2 heading into a showdown Tuesday night in Phoenix against the Suns who are 17-3 after winning 16 straight. Paul George led Los Angeles with 30 points, Eric Bledsoe and Marcus Morris added 13 apiece. The Clippers came into the game with wins in eight of their last 10 home games, Bledsoe reached 10,000 career points with a 3-pointer during the first quarter. With this result, the Warriors lead the Western Conference and will be looking to match their 2015-16 start.

“It was just an accumulation of all types of weird stuff. All that led into where I thought I got a foul,'' said Curry, who also had a season-high six steals to go with five rebounds and six assists. ''It definitely fired me and the team up. After that it was time to direct my energy into putting the ball in the basket

“That was as upset as I've seen him and that I have been in a long time. He clearly got fouled,'' Kerr said. ''When he knows he got fouled on a play like that and he doesn't call, the competitor will come out on him and he will lose his mind a little bit. But it will spur him like it did in this instance.''

The Lakers bounced back after their disappointing loss to the Sacramento Kings as they defeated the Detroit Pistons 110-106. James had 33 points, nine assists, Russell Westbrook had 25 points and nine assists and Anthony Davis added 24 points and 10 rebounds. The Lakers returned to .500 with their second win over Detroit in eight days. Grant scored 32 points and No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham had 15 points and 11 rebounds in the Pistons' sixth straight loss. The Lakers trio combined for a combined 82 points as they improved their record to 11-11 and currently stand 8th in the Western Conference. 

“We were mad as heck the other night after that Sac loss,'' James said. ''We made it a point to come in today very focused on our game plan, learning from our mistakes, and we got better. Right there lets me know we're a team that cares and wants to get better.''

“That Sac game lingered with us for a couple of days, giving that game away,'' Davis said. ''I think we did a good job defensively tonight, getting this kick-start to a winning streak.''

The defending champs Milwaukee Bucks extended their winning streak to seven as they rout past the Indiana Pacers 118-110. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points and 13 rebounds, Bobby Portis scored 15 points, Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton each had 14 and Indianapolis native George Hill added 13 for the Bucks. Caris LeVert led the Pacers with a season-high 23 points. Malcolm Brogdon had 16. Much like the surging Bucks, Holiday has been averaging 19.7 points in the last four victories. He also had nine assists and seven rebounds against Indiana. With this victory they improved their record to 13-8 as they moved upto 4th in the Eastern Conference. 

''Being able to go through the things we went through last year was huge,'' Holiday said of winning the NBA title. ''We know we can make a run at any time.''

When you look at the depth chart and look at how we're subbing, depth at the big position is something that we could use,'' Budenholzer said.

Also read: NBA: LeBron inspires Lakers to an important victory over the Pacers and Warriors grow from strength to strength

The tomorrow's fixtures are:

• 76ers vs Magic
• Heat vs Nuggets
• Rockets vs Thunder
• Timberwolves vs Pacers
• Bulls vs Hornets
• Spurs vs Wizards
• Mavericks vs Cavaliers
• Jazz vs Trail Blazers
• Clippers vs Pelicans
   

(Basketball news) James delivered tiebreaking and back-breaking 3-pointers in overtime and finished with 39 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers rally past Indiana 124-116. After drawing his first suspension in his career, LeBron James looked like a man on a mission as the Lakers missed Anthony Davis through fever. Russell Westbrook had 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Monk had 17 points. Carmelo Anthony and Ellington each added 14 but James was 13 of 29 from the field and had six assists and five rebounds. For the Pacers,  Brogdon added seven rebounds, Domantas Sabonis had 14 points, 12 rebounds and six assists while Myles Turner had 12 points, six rebounds and two blocks. LeBron James forced overtime by scoring seven straight points to give the Lakers their 10th victory of the season. With this result the Lakers improved their record to 10-10 as they lie 9th place in Western Conference. 

“I know he wanted to get this W,''' coach Frank Vogel said. ''He really wanted to play in that Knicks game, he looks forward to that every year. So to bounce back tonight, to quarterback the defense and carry the offense the way he did, that's just a performance for the ages.”

“I was excited about being in the lineup. Me not playing last night on the second night of a back to back, I knew I could kind of give our guys a boost of energy with me not playing last night'' said James.

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Boston Celtics 123-103 as Kevin Durant scored 21 points to overtake Allen Iverson in the all time scoring charts to enter the top 25 of the NBA's all-time scoring list. Patty Mills scored 23  and James Harden had 20 points and 11 assists for Brooklyn. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 17 points with nine rebounds for the Nets, who have won four in a row, seven out of eight and 12 of their last 14 games. For the Celtics, Marcus Smart had 20 points and eight assists for Boston, which had won three in a row. Jayson Tatum had 15 points and eight rebounds as they tried their best to cut the massive lead the Nets made up in the first three quarters. Next up on the scoring list for Durant is Ray Allen, who has 24,505 points to become the 24th highest scorer in the league. 

''To pass him on the list, to end up there with some of the greats on that list is incredible,'' said Durant, who entered the night with 24,367 points, one behind Iverson, and passed him on a jumper in the first two minutes. ''I've just gotta keep going,'' he concluded.

“It's a quality road win against a team that's been playing great basketball,'' Nets coach Steve Nash said.

The Golden State Warriors continued their magnificent start to the season with a 116-96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Stephen Curry and his entire supporting cast in the second-half were defensively very sound to shut down younger brother Seth. Stephen Curry scored 25 points to Seth's 24, and the Golden State Warriors surged back after halftime to beat Philadelphia to make it five straight victories. Juan Toscano-Anderson came off the bench in the second half to score 13 points to go with six rebounds and six assists. Steph Curry shot 9 for 16 with six 3-pointers and added 10 assists as they improved their record to 16-2 which is the best in the league. Steph’s younger brother Seth Curry top scored for the 76ers with 24 points and Tyrese Maxey added 19 points for them.

“We were on our heels most of the entire first 18 minutes. Our identity is our defense. We can score with the best of them but we flipped the switch and got stops and made them take tough shots, especially in the second half and turned that into offense,'' Curry said. ''It was pretty impressive just the energy flip that happened after that first quarter”.

''We got great performances off the bench from Gary and Juan, two of our better defenders, and the defense led to the offense and the ball started to move because we were in transition,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''It was a beautiful second half.''

Also read: NBA: The New York Knicks defeated the Lakers and Mavericks needed overtime to defeat the Clippers

The other results were:

• Magic 99 - 106 Hornets
• Cavaliers 115 - 120 Suns
• Pelicans 127 - 102 Wizards
• Rockets 118 - 113 Bulls
• Timberwolves 113 - 101 Heat
• Thunder 104 - 110 Jazz
• Bucks 114 - 93 Pistons
• Grizzlies 113 - 126 Raptors
• Kings 125 - 121 Trail Blazers

The Saturday fixtures are:

• Clippers vs Pistons
• Magic vs Bulls
• Knicks vs Suns
• Hornets vs Timberwolves
• Grizzlies vs Hawks
• Thunder vs Wizards
• Pacers vs Raptors
• Spurs vs Celtics
• Nuggets vs Bucks
• Jazz vs Pelicans
• Warriors vs Trail Blazers
• Lakers vs Kings
   

(Basketball news) The Knicks defeated the Lakers 106-100 as LeBron James was suspended for this match and although Anthony Davis played, he wasn’t 100% fit. With one superstar suspended and another sick, the Los Angeles Lakers already had big problems after that they created a hole for themselves by falling into a 25-point hole. Julius Randle added 20 points, 16 rebounds and five assists for the Knicks and Evan Fonier scored 26 points, Immanuel Quickley adding 12 of his 14 in the fourth quarter. Westbrook had 31 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, with 18 points in a sensational third quarter, Davis, who woke up with a fever, had 20 points on 7-for-17 shooting. He said he arrived only about 45 minutes before the game and didn't have his usual warm up. With this result the Lakers record fell to 9-10 as they moved down one place to 9th in the Western Conference.

'We weren't playing hard enough. Simple No team wants to come out down 10-0, but it's a long game and we fought back and gave ourselves a chance,'' Russell Westbrook said. 

“So I definitely think that he was a little bit drained and we used him differently,'' coach Frank Vogel said. ''We tried to keep him in seven-minute runs and he did not play in his normal rotation, so it probably had an impact.

''We were just trying to buy some time there and that group ended up going on a little bit of a run, so it allowed us to go a little bit longer (without Randle),'' Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.

Miami Heat defeated the Pistons 100-92 as they improved their record to 12-6, Tyler Herro had 31 points and eight rebounds as they rallied home to beat them. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo each added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Heat, who won for the fifth time in six games. Kyle Lowry had 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Jerami Grant had 21 points and seven rebounds for Detroit as they were without center Isaiah Stewart, who served the first of a two-game suspension for Sunday's altercation with Lakers star LeBron James.

''It wasn't just Tyler. Our whole second unit turned the game around in the third quarter,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''We really didn't have any offensive rhythm in the first three quarters - and Detroit had a lot to do with that - but we put together some stops and that helped us get going offensively.''

“The game is different in the fourth quarter and we're still learning how to handle that,'' Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. ''You can be up 10 or up 15, but it doesn't matter because of the 3-pointer and the way teams turn it up late.''

The Dallas Maverick stopped a late surge as they won 112-104 in overtime against the LA Clippers. The Dallas Mavericks folded in overtime against the Los Angeles Clippers after blowing a 10-point lead but Porzingis scored 30 points, including six in overtime, and Doncic had 26 in his return to the lineup as the Mavericks as they improved their record to 10-7 in the Western Conference. The Mavericks were up 102-92 late in the fourth quarter before the Clippers scored 11 of the final 12 points to force overtime, including a 3-pointer by Paul George at the buzzer. For the Clippers Reggie Jackson led the Clippers with 31 points, his most in 2 1/2 seasons with the team. George scored 26. With this result the Clippers record stands at 10-8 as they fall down to 5th in the Western Conference.

“For a second you are disappointed because we should have finished them off (in regulation), but I think we are growing mentally as a team,'' said Porzingis, who has scored 20 or more points in a career-high seven straight games. “We realized it was five more minutes and we went out there and proved we are the superior team”.

''That second felt like it was forever. Guess I just got free and let it fly,'' George said after his buzzer beater.

“He's playing at a very high level. He didn't force anything. Sometimes when a star player comes back others might change their game but he didn't,'' Kidd said. ''Luca's prep work the past two days was at a high level. He has a great feel and there's a big trust that the other guys were going to make plays”.

Also read: NBA: Phoenix Suns make it 13 straight wins with a victory over San Antonio Spurs as Nets move to the top of the Eastern Conference

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Pacers vs Lakers
• Magic vs Hornets
• Cavaliers vs Suns
• Celtics vs Nets
• Pelicans vs Wizards
• Rockets vs Bulls
• Timberwolves vs Heat
• Thunder vs Jazz
• Bucks vs Pistons
• Grizzlies vs Raptors
• Spurs vs Hawks
• Warriors vs 76ers 
• Kings vs Trail Blazers

(Basketball news) Suns recorded their 13th straight with a 115-111 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. The Suns matched the third-longest winning streak in franchise history. It's their longest since a franchise-record 17 straight victories from Dec. 28, 2006, to Jan. 29, 2007. Devin Booker scored 23 points, Deandre Ayton had 21 points and 14 rebounds as they had a clutch fourth quarter performance to guide their team to deserved victory. Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray had 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his seventh career triple-double as they  (4-12) have lost eight of 10 for its second-worst start in franchise history. Payne added 20 points off the bench for Phoenix, which had six players finish in double figures. Phoenix finished with 25 assists and went 45 for 87 from the field. With this result Suns improve their record to 14-3, they currently are 2nd in the Western Conference. 

''People have to find ways to get (3-pointers),'' Popovich said. ''We have to try to help them. But I would be very disappointed if we weren't getting assists or we were getting murdered on the board or turning it over constantly.''

'I always say the best available shot down every time,'' Booker said. ''I think the dynamic of our team with (Ayton) being a rim threat and he can play out the pocket is also surrounded by a lot of shooters and playmakers. We have the ability to get good shots every time downcourt.We just have to be more sound in just with what works,'' Booker said. ''A team has nothing to lose when they're down 15. They were desperate. They were getting steals and they were getting turnovers. When you're shooting the ball down 15, it's a lot easier.''

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-112 as they improved their record to 13-5 which is the best in the Eastern Conference. Kevin Durant returned to the lineup and scored 27 points, James Harden added 14 points and a season-high 14 assists, and Thomas gave Brooklyn a needed second-half lift, scoring eight of his 11 in the third quarter. For the Cavs Darius Garland scored 24 and Jaret Allen had 20 points and 15 rebounds, Lauri Markkanen added 22 points in his first game since Nov. 1 for the still short-handed Cavs. Durant (24,367) moved within one point of tying Allen Iverson (24,368) for 25th on the career scoring list.

'Sometimes, it takes a little while for them to get going. I wish it didn't,'' coach Steve Nash said ''They found themselves in a hole, but they're proud and they responded.''

'What's right is right and I thought there were definitely some calls that were missed and that is wrong,'' a hoarse Bickerstaff said. ''Our guys deserve better than that. People need to change the perceived notion of who the Cavaliers are.

Also read: NBA: Lakers win against Detroit Pistons as Warriors extend their winning run record to 15-2

The other results were:

• Wizards 103 - 109 Hornets
• Hawks 113 - 101 Thunder
• Celtics 108 - 90 Rockets
• Pelicans 96 - 110 Timberwolves
• Bulls 77 - 109 Pacers
• Bucks 123 - 92 Magic
• Jazz 118 - 119 Grizzlies
• 76ers 102 - 94 Kings

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Pistons vs Heat
• Knicks vs Lakers
• Trail Blazers vs Nuggets
• Clippers vs Mavericks

 

(Basketball news) Lakers rally after LeBron James was ejected for drawing blood from Isaiah Stewart as they won 121-116 against the Detroit Pistons. Davis had 30 points, 10 rebounds and two big blocked shots late on rookie Cade Cunningham. Westbrook contributed 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to victory. The 20-year-old Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, had 13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to become the youngest player in franchise history with a triple-double. The headlines were surrounded by LeBron James and Isaiah Stewart as both got ejected for having a brawl, Detroit's center, who was called for a foul before James hit him, had to be held back more than once to keep him separated from the NBA superstar and was also ejected. With this result the Lakers improve their record to 9-9 as they stand 8th in the Western Conference.

''Everybody's level went up when LB came out. Everybody did a great job trying to deescalate the situation. You never want it to get to that point like 17 years ago. Everyone in the league knows LeBron isn't a dirty guy. As soon as he did it, he looked back and told him, ``my bad,” Davis said.

''I don't think he should be facing anything from the league,'' Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. ''He didn't get off the floor in time, and the league will have to decide about that, and I thought that was why he was ejected from the game

''Up and until that point, we're still trying to figure each other out,'' Los Angeles coach Frank Vogel said.

The Warriors continued their fine start to the season after winning 119-104 against the Toronto Raptors. Jordan Poole had his second straight 30-point performance with 33, Andrew Wiggins added 32 points and seven rebounds as they helped them improve their record to 15-2.Curry scored just 12 points but had eight assists after sitting out a 105-102 win at Detroit on Friday night to rest his sore hip on the second night of a back-to-back. Pascal Siakam scored 21 points and Fred VanVleet had 17 points and seven assists for the Raptors but had no response towards Poole and Wiggins magic. 

“The scoring balance means that teams can't throw everything at Steph. That's what was happening last year. Teams were throwing everything they had at Steph. It's great to have everybody on the roster contributing and understanding that every night's going to be different and they just have to stay ready,'' Kerr said.

''We all know what Wiggs is capable of,'' Poole said.

The Chicago Bulls rallied past the New York Knicks to win 109-103, DeMar DeRozan scored 31 points, Zach LaVine added 21 and the Chicago Bulls rallied in the fourth quarter to help them go on the top spot of Eastern Conference. Coby White scored 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter as Chicago won its second straight and fourth in five games. Julius Randle had 34 points on 13-for-18 shooting for New York as there were no significant contributions from the others. 

''I'm just enjoying the moment,'' White said. ''I knew all the work I put in would pay off. I knew it would take some time

'We made some 3s because of those guys passing the ball and getting to the middle of the floor and the guys making the next pass,'' Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. ''It wasn't one of those games where it was easy, but I think we figured some things out in the fourth.''

“I like the way we played for three quarters,'' New York coach Tom Thibodeau said. ''I felt we weren't at our best in the fourth. I felt the effort was there. We have to take a hard look at what happened in the fourth.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose to Celtics as they fall under .500, Bulls continue their fine start to the season with a victory over the Denver Nuggets

The other results were:

• Clippers 97 - 91 Mavericks
• Suns 126 - 97 Nuggets

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Wizards vs Hornets
• Cavaliers vs Nets
• Hawks vs Thunder
• Celtics vs Rockets
• Pelicans vs Timberwolves
• Bulls vs Pacers
• Bucks vs Magic
• Spurs vs Suns
• Jazz vs Grizzlies
• Kings vs 76ers
   

(Basketball news) Lakers fell under .500 as they lost 130-108 against the Celtics, Jayson Tatum who grew up idolising Kobe Bryant scored 37 points. With LeBron James coming into the line up after missing eight games the Lakers still looked very sloppy. Anthony Davis led Los Angeles with 31 points and James finished with 23 in 32 minutes. They each had six rebounds and two assists.Marcus Smart had 22 points and Dennis Schroder 21 for Boston (8-8), which climbed back to .500. Tatum had 11 rebounds and Al Horford added 18 points. With this result the Lakers record slump to 8-9 as they dropped down to 9th.

It's a surreal moment, obviously, Bill Russell and the impact he had on the Celtics and the NBA,'' Tatum said. ''Having someone like Paul come to the game and someone I have a relationship with.''I remember watching him play,'' Tatum said, breaking into a smile. ''Now he's watching me play, that's crazy

''I felt OK,'' James said. ''Obviously being out 2 1/2 weeks, I felt kind of like a rookie again, just being away from the game. Excited. Felt good enough that I could trust my body.''

'We stress making quick decisions,'' Boston coach Ime Udoka said. ''When he holds it, the crowds get to him. He was extremely aggressive.''

The Golden State Warriors won 105-102 against the Detroit Pistons. Poole scored 22 of his season-high 32 points in the first half and Wiggins had 27, as both made the most of their opportunity to step up as scorers in Stephen Curry's absence.The NBA-leading Warriors sat out Curry with a bruised hip, a night after the two-time MVP and the league's leading scorer had 20 of his 40 points in a fourth-quarter comeback victory at Cleveland. They also also without Draymond Green because of a bruised thigh after he had 14 assists in 29 minutes against the CavaliersDetroit's Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick, had 19 points, six rebounds and six assists. Jackson scored a season-high 27 points, Grant had 19 and Hamidou Diallo added 10 points.

I'm really proud of Jordan,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''He struggled the last few games. He was locked in right at the beginning.''

'We competed and fought to get back,'' Casey said. ''Those guys are heartbroken because they put themselves in a position to win and just couldn't get that last shot to go in.'

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Denver Nuggets by 114-108. Zach LaVine took over the night as he scored 36 points,LaVine scored 12 of his 36 points in a pivotal stretch of the fourth quarter, DeRozan hit eight straight late free throws and the Bulls won in Denver for the first time since 2006.DeRozan finished with 26 points, including a 12-for-12 performance at the line. LaVine and DeRozan were sizzling in helping the Bulls win. Aaron Gordon had a season-high 28 points for the Nuggets, who've dropped three straight. He was 10 of 12 from the field and had nine boards as they were without the reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. LaVine has now scored 20-plus points 15 times this season, tied with Kevin Durant of Brooklyn for most in the league

''They've got to pick either me or him,'' LaVine said of the tandem with DeRozan. ''One of us is going to get a good look or create a play.''''I haven't heard that in my tenure here,'' he said. ''Hearing the fans and having them travel and be supportive on the road is incredible.''

'They were making big shots. We were making big shots,'' LaVine said. ''Obviously, if the ball is in me and DeMar's hands, we're going to make the right play, I think, pretty much every time.''

'It's remarkable to watch him,'' Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. ''He's one of the best tough-shot makers in this league.''

Also read: NBA: Curry magic sinks the Cleveland Cavaliers as Miami Heat beat the in-form Washington Wizards

The other results were:

• Hornets 121 - 118 Pacers
• Nets 115 - 113 Magic
• Pelicans 94 - 81 Clippers
• Bucks 96 -  89 Thunder
• Suns 112 - 104 Mavericks
• Kings 89 - 108 Raptors

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Knicks vs Rockets
• Wizards vs Heat
• Pacers vs Pelicans
• Celtics vs Thunder
• Hawks vs Hornets
• Bucks vs Magic
• Trail Blazers vs 76ers
• Kings vs Jazz
   

(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) The Lakers suffered their eight loss of the season as Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 47 to win 109-102. Khris Middleton came back from COVID 19 and broke the franchise record for the most 3 pointers made, Middleton made three consecutive 3 pointers in the fourth quarter to put the Bucks ahead.The second of those 3s was his 1,051st with the Bucks to match Ray Allen for first place on the team's all-time list. For the Lakers, Talen Horton Tucker scored 25 points, Russell Westbrook had 19 points as Anthony Davis also couldn’t impact the match with his 18 points. LeBron James missed an eighth straight game for the Lakers due to an abdominal strain. The Lakers have gone 3-5 during that stretch. Los Angeles also is missing Trevor Ariza and Kendrick Nunn, who haven't yet appeared in a game this season. With this result, the Bucks improve their record to 7-8 and as for Lakers their record stands at 8-8.

'That's a very, very special place to be,'' Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. ''I think we all just admire what Khris does every night, his ability to shoot, the different ways he gets 3's and his kind of consistency and longevity here

It's a part of the game,'' said Anthony Davis, who scored 18 points for the Lakers. ''Same thing with the team we just played. They've been hit with injuries as well. It kind of goes with the league, the business of the game. You go out there and put your body on the line every night, God forbid, something is going to happen in the course of a season. Someone's going to get hurt. We've got to adjust and continue to fight until we get everybody back

'I wanted to be the aggressor out there,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''I wanted to initiate the contact, get in the paint, make the right play and just play with an edge out there.''

Warriors continued their fine start to the season with a comprehensive 117-99 victory over the Nets. Curry showed why he’s leading the MVP charts after scoring 37 points, easily winning the matchup between the NBA’s top scorers when Kevin Durant had his worst nights this season. Andrew Wiggins added 19 points as Draymond produced a defensive masterclass over Kevin Durant, he managed only 19, the first time all season he didn't hit 20. He shot 0 for 8 in the decisive third quarter and finished 6 for 19 after sitting the fourth. James Harden  scored 24 points as it was not enough for the Warriors to go 12-2 in the NBA, which is the best record in the whole of NBA.

''So it's not the playoffs, but there's an intensity that you have to show up to beat a team like that,'' Curry said. ''You thrive off that competitive atmosphere, knowing that there's a lot of talent on the floor.''

'They got long defenders, guys that can help, so seeing bodies all the time when I had the ball, that's what great defenses do. And then some shots I wish I could've had back,'' Durant said. ''I rushed a few once we got down 15, 20. I'm trying to get it back so fast you end up taking bad shots and rushed shots.''

It was the Phoenix Suns’ 10th straight victory after they beat the in-form Dallas Maverick 105-98, a 37 point outburst helped them secure the victory as it was a shooting slog from the Phoenix Suns. Booker scored 24 points, DeAndre Ayton had 19 points and 13 rebounds as last year’s finalist went on their longest winning streak since 2009-10. The Mavericks were playing their first game this season without star guard Luka Doncic, who suffered sprains to his left knee and ankle in the waning moments of a victory over Denver on Monday. Even without their star they almost won the fixture as Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 22 points, Kristaps Porzingis added 21 and Jalen Brunson had 18. With this victory the Suns improved their record to 11-3 as they stand 2nd in the Western Conference. 

We didn't shoot a great number tonight but when we needed it, guys just stepped up,'' coach Monty Williams said. ''We have the mentality of, `Let it fly.'

That wasn't the play,'' Booker said with a grin. ''But we made it work. That's the name of the game, figuring out a way

The guys played hard, gave us a chance to win on the road against the Western Conference champs, who also have won nine in a row,'' Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. ''Everyone in that locker room executed the game plan. We just missed some shots down the stretch and they didn't.''

Also read: Staples Center to be renamed Crypto.com Arena in an estimate $700 million deal for 20 years

The other results were:

• Jazz 120 - 85 76ers
• Clippers 106 - 92 Spurs
• Pistons 97 - 86 Pacers
• Hornets 97 - Wizards
• Hawks 110 - 99 Celtics
• Heat 79 - 70 Pelicans
• Trail Blazers 112 - 107 Bulls

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Heat vs Wizards
• Cavaliers vs Warriors
• Timberwolves vs Spurs
• Grizzlies vs Clippers
• Nuggets vs 76ers
• Jazz vs Raptors
   

(Basketball news) The iconic Staples Center in Los Angeles, home to the L.A Lakers, LA Clippers, NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and Women’s NBA’s Los Angeles Sparks will be renamed after being in operation for 22 years to Crypto.com Arena, as announced by arena owners Anschutz Entertainment Group last night. According to multiple reports, it is estimated that the deal would cost $700 million with Crypto.com paying the sum over a 20 year period, however, the financial terms of the deal are not yet made public.

Ever since it opened in 1999, the 20,000 seat venue was named the Staples Center after a 20 year naming rights agreement was reached with American office-supplies retail company Staples Inc. That will end when the Lakers take on the Brooklyn Nets at the NBA’s annual Christmas showcase this December. Headquartered in Singapore, Crypto.com is a cryptocurrency platform which was founded in 2016 and has already invested heavily in the sports landscape globally, signing sponsorship deals with the UFC, Formula 1, Paris Saint-Germain, NHL's Montreal Canadiens and also purchasing the Philadelphia 76ers' uniform sponsorship patch.

The future Crypto.com Arena has been the go-to venue for many major events, not just restricted to sports. The venue has hosted 19 Grammy Awards ceremonies, concerts, important public events such as the memorials of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jackson as well as three NBA All-Star Games and two NHL All-Star Games. In the first three years of operation, the venue saw the Lakers win three successive NBA Championships along with three more in the subsequent years. WNBA team Los Angeles Sparks have also won three WNBA titles at the Staples Center while the Kings have won two Stanley Cup Championships in 2012 and 2014 at the venue.

After being unveiled as the Crypto.com Arena on Christmas Day, owners AEG will spend the next six months swapping the arena’s external signage for the 2022-2023 NBA, WNBA, NHL season. The venue is also said to be used for basketball events at the Olympics 2028 hosted in Los Angeles with Dan Beckerman, CEO of AEG saying “It’s the biggest of stages, we’re in the epicenter of the sports and entertainment world”.

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose to the spirited Bulls as Washington Wizards continued their fine form with a victory over the Pelicans

(Basketball news) Lakers suffered an embarrassing loss against Timberwolves as Karl Anthony Towns scored 18 of his 29 points during Timberwolves dominant third quarter and they snapped their six match losing streak with a 107- 83 victory at the staples centre. D’Angelo Russell had 22 points against his former team as the Timberwolves outscored the Lakers 40-12 in the third quarter. Anthony Davis had 22 points and eight rebounds as the Lakers dropped to 2-3 with LeBron James sidelined by a strained abdominal muscle, Russell Westbrook scored 20 points on his 33rd birthday but it completely disintegrated after the second half as the Wolves went on 29-4. With this result the Lakers record stands at 7-6 as they move to 7th in the Western Conference

Davis said, “We're not going to win a championship the way we're playing, we have to be better. We've got to decide who we want to be. A championship team? That's not us right now.”

Minnesota coach Chris Finch said, “Desperately needed this one, In this situation, the more desperate team usually wins in the NBA on any given night. We've been playing well. We just haven't been playing well often enough. Felt good to watch some shots go in finally.''

Golden State Warriors beat the in-form Chicago Bulls 119-83 as Steph Curry again lit Chase Centre. The reigning NBA scoring champion piled up 40 points with nine three pointers, Draymond Green delivered an all around performance to guide them to their 7th consecutive win. It was also a historical night for Curry as he passed Ray Allen for the most 3 pointers made in NBA history. Zach LaVine scored 23 points and DeMar DeRozan had 18 to lead the Bulls, who missed star Nikola Vucevic during his absence with COVID-19 as the Bulls had no answer to Curry’s brilliance. With this result Warriors improve their record to 11-1 and sit on top of the Western Conference.

Coach Steve Kerr said, “In general, the high point is establishing our home floor, that this is going to be a tough place to come and win a game. And a lot of that is the way we're playing, a lot of that is our fans, the energy in the building, there's a really good vibe about the team, the fans feel it. Great way to start the year but now we've got to go out on the road and it's going to get a lot tougher. We obviously are very happy to be where we are.''

Curry said of performing for Davidson coach Bob McKillop, “It's special. The schedule gods worked out somewhat in terms of they got to come to the game. Obviously, we're going to Charlotte tomorrow so I'll miss the Davidson-USF game, but to have Coach in the building ... it always gets me going reminding me of the journey to get here and all that went into making me the player and person I am now.''

Brooklyn Nets got back to winning ways after getting 120-112 victory over New Orleans Pelicans. With James Harden and Kevin Durant both hitting clutch shots, the Brooklyn Nets were able to get away with blowing a 21-point second-half lead on the road. Harden highlighted a 39-point, 12-assist performance and also scored a game-sealing 27-foot 3-pointer with 29 seconds left. Durant scored 28 points as Joe Harris heavily contributed with 24 points to get back to winning ways. Valanciunas and Nickeil Alexander Walker added 36 points together but it wasn’t enough for them. With this result Nets move to 2nd in the Eastern Conference with 9-4 record.

Durant said, “We were able to take that nice little haymaker and keep pushing, I think they found something that was working more so than us just playing down to their record.”

Also read: NBA: Clippers beat Miami Heat to win their 6th match on a row as the 76ers lose against the Raptors

The other results were:

• Celtics 122- 113 Bucks
• Hornets 104 - 96 Knicks
• Cavaliers 98 - 78 Pistons
• Rockets 92 - 104 Trail Blazers
• Thunder 105 - 103 Kings
• Grizzlies 94 - 119 Suns
• Spurs 109 - 123 Mavericks
• Nuggets 105 - 96 Hawks

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Jazz vs Heat
• Pelicans vs Grizzlies
• Magic vs Wizards
• Pacers vs 76ers
• Raptors vs Pistons
• Cavaliers vs Celtics
• Clippers vs Timberwolves
   

(Basketball news) After losing four of their first five games, the Los Angeles Clippers are on a roll after they won 112-109 against an in-form Miami Heat. Paul George rallied with 27 points as Reggie Jackson scored 22 points in the second half from the bench to help his team win, Eric Bledsoe had 21 points and Ivica Zubac finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Bam Adebayo had a season high 30 points and 11 rebounds, Kyle Lowry tried his best to take the game to overtime as he scored 22 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter. With this result the Clippers moved to 6th in the Western Conference as their record stands at 7-4.

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said, “We knew exactly what was coming. The speed at which they did it we weren't ready for, We looked like we were the team that was on a back-to-back instead of those guys.''

“We're just playing with more flow and pace,, who is back for his second stint with the Clippers. We got tons of shooters”, said Bledsoe

''I was trying to just find a way to get a win, I had an opportunity, I attacked a lot more. And just trying to be a little bit more assertive on my team, but it doesn't matter because we still lost the game” Lowry said. 

Toronto Raptors got an unlikely 115-109 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Fred VanVleet hit six threes and scored 32 points as Gary Trent further added 20 points to rally the former champions to a much needed victory. The Sixers were still without Joel Embiib, Isaiah Joe and Matisse Thybulle who were still in the NBA’s health and safety protocol and subsequently out of the fixtures. The Sixers need more reinforcements and have lost three straight games, Tyrese Maxey did score 33 points for the Sixers but wasn’t enough to secure the much needed victory.With this result Raptors improve their record to 7-6 and are in 8th position in the Eastern Conference

Coach Nick Nurse said, “It's been in the culture with the Raptors for a while. We just believe in it, talk about it, drill it. We hold guys accountable. I think the biggest metric is your heart and your toughness and your desire to want to do it. Fortunately, our guys most nights will do that”

Indiana Pacers handed Utah Jazz their first home loss of the season as they beat them 111-100. Malcolm Brogdon scored a season high 30 points and 9 rebounds to lead the Pacers from the front to victory. Turner, Gobert, Donovan Mitchell and Joe Ingles were ejected with 4:01 left. Turner shoved Gobert, planting his shoulder in his back after a missed layup. Gobert responded by hugging him and trying to wrestle Turner to the floor. The two players had to be separated near the basket across from the Pacers bench. Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points and Gobert added 19 points and 11 rebounds but both their matches got cut short after getting ejected. With this result pacers improved their record to 5-8 as Jazz only suffered their fourth loss of the season.

Brogdon said, “We've got a resilient group, we've got a group that's maturing and a group that's getting better and getting tougher. We've got to continue to build on this”

That whole thing could have been avoided - just draw the line early, as opposed to letting it build up for the whole game,'' Mitchell said.

Turner said, “I had to stand up for myself in that situation, I don't think I did anything wrong. But that's not for me to decide. We'll talk to the league and see what happens from there”

Also read: NBA: Lakers prevail over Miami Heat as Warriors continued their winning start to the season

Tomorrow's fixtures are:  

• Hornets vs Knicks
• Celtics vs Bucks
• Cavaliers vs Pistons
• Pelicans vs Nets
• Rockets vs Trail Blazers
• Thunder vs Kings
• Spurs vs Mavericks
• Nuggets vs Hawks
• Warriors vs Bulls
• Lakers vs Timberwolves
   

(Basketball news) Lakers won a second straight game in overtime as they beat a strong Miami Heat 120-117 in what was a rematch of the 2020 NBA finals. Malik Monk scored five of his season-high 27 points in overtime, and the Lakers rallied late in regulation before surging in overtime. Russell Westbrook had his second triple double in consecutive matches 25 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, Anthony Davis also impressed with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Adebayo scored 28 points before fouling out and Kyle Lowry had 18 points and 11 assists for the Heat, who lost Butler for the night after he scored seven points while playing the entire first quarter. Tyler Herro scored 27 points, but missed two three pointers in the final nine seconds of the overtime. With this result the Lakers improved their record to 7-5 as they moved to 7th in the Western Conference.

Malik Monk after the match said, “I had this role a couple of times in Charlotte when a lot of guys got hurt, who has turned in three of the five highest-scoring performances of his career against Miami. I had to come in, play big minutes and facilitate and do all the things I normally don't do. I work on my game a lot, so I was really prepared for this moment.”

Davis said, “After that Portland loss, we took that personally .These last two games have definitely been fun. Guys are starting to realize how good of a team we are, and we just have to take that mindset to the floor.''

Golden State Warriors continued their fine start to the season with a 123-110 victory over the Timberwolves. With the help of a season high scoring performance from Andrew Wiggins as he dominated his former team with 35 points, Steph Curry also scored 25 points to go with six assists coming off a 50 point masterpiece Monday night against the Hawks. Last year's number one pick Anthony Edwards scored a career-high 48 points for Minnesota, hitting seven 3-pointers in the Timberwolves' sixth straight loss. With this result Warriors improve their record to 10-1 as they stay on top of the Western Conference

Steve Kerr after the match said, “Andrew was just fantastic, the aggression from the beginning of the game, loved his energy,  Obviously he was pretty excited to play against his old team. We needed everything he brought us tonight. I thought Kevon Looney was just amazing. That's one of the toughest matchups in the league in Towns,''

Milwaukee Bucks late 3 point barrage helped them get a 112-110 victory over the New York Knicks. Pat Connaughton scored a season high 23 points, making three late 3 pointers to completely change the tie around, Jrue Holiday scored 18 points and Antetokounmpo had 15 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks, who had just enough to win for the second straight night. Derrick Rose had 22 points and seven assists and Immanuel Quickley scored 18 points as they tried their level best to get an unlikely victory over them, but the Bucks blew a 24 point lead before beating them. With this result, Bucks improve their record to 6-6 as they move to 8th in the Eastern Conference and the Knicks have somewhat lost their way over the past few weeks after getting off to an amazing start, Knicks have a record of 7-5 and currently stand 7th.
 
'It was good to be in a hostile environment, good to face some of the same things we faced against them last week and good to be able to come out victorious,'' Connaughton said

We kept our composure and that's who we are and it feels good,'' Giannis Antetokounmpo said.

Also read: NBA: Steph Curry erupts with a 50 point point performance against the Hawks as Lakers win against Hornets

The other significant results were:

• Cavaliers 94 - 97 Wizards
• Magic 90 - 123 Nets
• Celtics 104 - 88 Raptors
• Grizzlies 108 - 118 Hornets
• Bulls 117 - 107 Mavericks
• Nuggets 101 - 98 Pacers

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• 76ers vs Raptors
• Jazz vs Pacers
• Clippers vs Heat
   

(Basketball news) Lakers snapped out of their two match losing streak as they won 126-123 against a spirited Charlotte Hornets. Anthony Davis scored 32 points, Russell Westbrook had his first triple double with the Lakers but the star of the show was Carmelo Anthony as he came off the bench to score 29 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 7 of 10 from 3. He is now shooting 52 percent from 3, including 64 percent at home and helping his team get an overtime victory. For the Hornets, Terry Rozier had a season high 29 points after Lamelo Ball had his second triple double of his career with 25 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists. It's the Lakers' first victory in the four games that LeBron James has missed this season; Monday was his third straight sitting due to an abdominal strain. With this result, the Lakers improve their record to 6-5 and stand 8th in the Western Conference.

Curry lit up the chase center in San Francisco as he dropped an NBA season high 50 points with nine 3 pointers, 10 assists and 7 rebounds. He single handedly led the Warriors to a 127-113 victory over the Hawks as the crowd started chanting “MVP! MVP!”. He left the court with 8.48 left on the clock as he was examined for his left shoulder. Trae Young with 28 points  and Bogdanovic 17 points tried their level best to get a result out of it but ultimately their efforts went in vain. With this result Warriors improve their record to 9-1 in the Western Conference.
 
Curry said, “We kind of talked about certain preparations for my shot, just certain mechanics that he called it, even having a little bit more conviction about when it's time to shoot, just a little seed he planted. I took that into warmups and the rest of the game. He was very timely with those words of wisdom.''It's always nice,  You never come out with a certain number in mind. It's just when you get it going, you just keep going

Coach Steve Kerr said, “That was just a stunning performance by Steph,  He was amazing. I want to say I've never seen anything like it but I've been watching it for seven years, so I have seen something like it and still it's just incredible to watch.''  

The Chicago Bulls continued their magnificent start to the season by winning 118-95 against Kevin Durant’s Brooklyn Nets. DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points and Zach LaVine added 24 points as the Bulls rallied in the fourth quarter with 42 points. Kevin Durant’s 38 points went in vain as the Nets five match winning streak came to an end. With this result Bulls improve their record to 7-3 and move up to third in the Eastern Conference,  the Nets slump to sixth in the standings with a 7-4 record.

DeRozan said “We stayed aggressive, We had a couple of stretches, especially in the first half, where we got messy on both ends. Turning the ball over, letting them get out in transition. We stayed resilient, especially going into that fourth quarter. We stayed aggressive and kept attacking, getting out on transition and making everything tough for them.''

Durant said, “They made shots, they were aggressive in everything that they did. They got stops, ran out. They got some high-level shotmakers on that team, so they made tough ones all night. You got to give them credit, they played with a lot of intensity. We're frustrated. We want to win every game.

Also read: NBA: Knicks continued their amazing start to the season as Lakers and Warriors both lose

The other significant results were:

• 76ers 96 - 103 Knicks
• Grizzlies 125 - 118 Timberwolves
• Mavericks 108 - 92 Pelicans
• Nuggets 113 - 96 Heat
• Kings 104 - 109 Suns
• Wizards 101 - 94 Bucks

The fixtures to look out for tomorrow are:

• 76ers vs Bucks
• Jazz vs Hawks
• Clippers vs Trail Blazers

 

(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) Lakers won their second match in a row over Spurs 124-121, Lebron James opted to sit out this game after he suffered a minor injury against the Grizzlies. Anthony Davis had 35 points and Russell Westbrook added 33 points and 10 rebounds to help the Lakers get an overtime win over San Antonio Spurs. Dejounte Murry recorded his fifth career triple double as it wasn’t enough for them to get over the line. Westbrook arguably had his best in a Laker uniform as he got the freedom to run the offence in the absence of Lebron James, Malik Monk also had a fine performance as he hit the game tying three with 58.6 seconds remaining, he finished the night with 17 points scoring 4 three pointers.

With this result the Lakers have two wins and two losses as the team finally looks to be playing to its full potential. Westbrook said post match, ”One thing the coach always emphasizes to us is togetherness. When [the Spurs] made a run, we stuck together. We locked in on our defensive principles, got some stops and made a run of our own and it made the ballgame.”

Frank Vogel commented after the match saying, “We just got more determined on the defensive end. I thought Dwight had some really great possessions, impacted plays at the rim, and getting some deflections and obviously, Russ was, I think huge during that stretch attacking the rim. He and AD both just had monster nights and we never lost belief, even when we were down, that we were going to win the game. We persevered and got a huge road win.”  

The New York Knicks continued their fine start to the season by 112-99 against the Philadelphia 76ers, new boys Kemba Walker and Evan Fouriner again lit up Madison square garden with 19 and 18 points respectively and in doing so they also helped snap out of a 15 game losing streak against the 76ers. The 76ers were again without Ben Simmons who is still looking to find a new franchise as Tobias Harris top scored in the game with 23 points. With this result Knicks improved their record with 3 wins and 1 loss and as for the 76ers they stayed on 2-2

Warriors continued their unbeaten start to the season by winning 106-98 against OKC as Curry top scored with 23 points but had to rally in the second half to get the victory. Steve Kerr’s side have been super clinical over the past week, winning comprehensively against good oppositions as Curry has been averaging close to 30 points a game. For OKC Shai Gilgeous Alexander top scored with 30 points on 11 of 19 shooting but it still wasn’t enough to get the much needed victory the franchise needs. With this result Warriors sit on top of the Western Conference with 4 wins out of 4, as for OKC they have lost all four matches.

Kerr after the match said. “We knew we were going to take him out midfirst, buy him a few minutes, hopefully do the same in the third, but I didn't feel comfortable doing that, we were still climbing uphill a little bit. We talked to the team in our meeting today at the hotel about exactly what to expect. This is a team that came in 0-3, they played Philly pretty tough in the fourth quarter (on Sunday) and the crowd was into it. They're NBA players. They're all great players or they wouldn't be in the league.''

Also read: NBA: Last years finalist Phoenix Suns lose to Denver Nuggets as both the Bulls and Knicks win

The other significant results were:

• Mavericks 116 - 106 Rockets
• Jazz 122 - 110 Nuggets
• Clippers 116 - 86 Trail Blazers
• Bulls 111- 108 Raptors

The fixtures to look forward to tomorrow are:

• Magic vs Hornets
• Nets vs Heat 
• Pelicans vs Hawks
• Raptors vs Pacers
• Celtics vs Wizards
• Bucks vs Timberwolves
• Thunder vs Lakers
• Clippers vs Cavaliers
   

(Basketball news) The match between the Suns and Nuggets was a story of two halves, ultimately the Denver Nuggets came out on top as they used lockdown defence and clutch 3 point shots to start off their campaign with a 110-98 victory. Last year's MVP Nikola Jokic started off the campaign with 27 points and 13 rebounds on 13 of 22 shooting from the field as he was too much for the Suns defence to handle, on the other hand Mikal Bridges top scored with 16 points as Chris Paul and co couldn’t get themselves in a groove in the second half

Knicks edged out Celtics 138-134 after playing two overtimes, in what was an enthralling game between these two historical franchises. Evan Fournier in his first match for the New York Knicks scored a career high with 32 points and also hit the game winning three pointer with 56 seconds left in the second overtime. Earlier Jaylen Brown scored 46 points to inspire his team to make a comeback in the fourth quarter as they were down by 11 points, subsequently Brown broke the franchise record for the highest number of points scored on the opening night but ultimately his efforts went in vain as they lost by 4 points in the end. Last year’s most improved player Julius Randle top scored for the Knicks with 35 points, 9 assist and 8 rebounds to help inspire them to a historic victory.

The Chicago Bulls won 94-88 against the Detroit Pistons, this season the Bulls have made significant changes to their roster adding the likes of DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball. These players made their debut and did not disappoint as they scored 17 and 12 points respectively but all the headlines were grabbed by their franchise cornerstone for years Zach Lavine who top scored with 34 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assist. Jerami Grant did his best to inspire a comeback but his 24 points wasn’t enough for them as the Bulls defeated the Pistons for the eight consecutive time.

In tomorrow's matches, the two next generation superstars Trae Young and Luka Doncic go head to head as Hawks take on the Mavericks. Last year's surprise package Hawks will be looking to continue from where they left off from last season as they made it to the Eastern Conference finals under coach Nate McMillan in his first full season. For the Mavericks they will be heading into a new era as coach Rick Carlisle will not be in there for the first time since the 2007-08 season as they have appointed former Dallas player Jason Kidd as their new head coach. 

Also read: NBA: Lakers and Nets both lose their first match of the season as Giannis and Steph Curry both shine on the opening day.

The Miami Heat will play their first match against defending champions Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat will have a renewed vigour and passion to make this year's final after a disappointing season last year, this season Miami have added some extra firepower in the form of former NBA champion Kyle Lowry and also Victor Oldapio who was added to their roster last season will come back from a recurring injury. Miami mainstays Jimmy Butler and along with Bam Adebayo will be hoping that they inspire them to go all the way and win a NBA championship together. This season the Heats have been portrayed as the dark horse for the Championship by the former players and experts.

Last year's Western Conference Finalist LA Clippers will take on Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are coming off good form after beating the Lakers and will hope to repeat the same against their city rivals. For Clippers, the task in hand will be difficult as their talisman Kawhi Leonard will be out for quite some time as he suffered an ACL injury in the Western Conference Finals. All the onus will be on Paul George to lead the franchise before Kawhi Leonard comes back.

The other significant results were:

• Trail Blazers 121 - 124 Kings
• Jazz 107 - 86 Thunder
• Spurs 123 - 97 Magic
• Grizzlies 132 - 121 Cavaliers
• Pelicans 97 - 117 76ers
• Raptors 83 - 98 Wizards 
• Hornets 123 - 122 Pacers
• Timberwolves 124 - 106 Rockets
   

(Basketball news) Steph Curry lit up the night with his first triple double since January 2016 as he scored 21 points 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Golden State Warriors who came back from 10 points to stun Lebron James and the new Los Angeles Lakers by 121-114 in the season opener.

The Lakers were dominant all throughout the first three quarters as LeBron James and Anthony Davis showed the world why they are the best duo in the league, James scored 34 points and 11 rebounds while Davis had 30 points and 11 rebounds. Ultimately it was the fourth quarter that proved to be decisive as they got out scored 38-29, no other Laker players even scored in double figures as Frank Vogel and his coaching team will try to get the best out of this roster. Newly added star player Russell Westbrook couldn’t make a big impression as he shot 4 of 13 for 8 points in his Lakers debut.

Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t let their first title in their history distract them from their title defence as they breezed past the Nets in the opening night. Although Kevin Durant and Patty Mills scored 32 and 21 points respectively, the bucks were too strong in the end as they won 127-104. Although Bucks won the game, it came at a cost as their star player Jrue Holiday got injured with a bruised right heel and subsequently sat out the second half of the game.

Nets were missing star guard Kyrie Irving after his refusal to take the Covid-19 vaccine, James Harden had to step up but couldn’t deliver up to his expectations as he scored 20 points making 6 of 16 shots. On the other hand after Holiday’s injury, Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton stepped up their game and each scored 20 points to secure a comprehensive victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

“We can’t give a team 20 more shots than us. Imagine coming to a game and saying, here, take the ball 20 times on offense before we get an offensive position. This is one game out of 82 of them. We’ll look at it that way. Every team will look at it that way. The Bucks won today, but they are still trying to fine-tune what they do, too. I think every team in the league is going to look at their first few games, first few weeks and see where their team is going and then make adjustments” said Kevin Durant after the loss to the bucks.

Antetokounmpo said. ''I'm excited. But now it's over with. We've got to focus on building good habits, keep moving forward and keep playing good basketball and hopefully we can repeat this again this year, next year and all the years that we're going to be here down the road.''

Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said. ''We weren't very good, If you're not playing at a high level against the champs, you're not going to win.''

In tomorrow’s matches we will see last year’s finalist Phoenix Sun take on Denver Nuggets as just one of the marquee fixtures tomorrow. The Nuggets will most likely be without last year's MVP Nikola Jokic as he is recovering from an ankle injury as they will have to heavily rely on Aaron Gordon to score the majority of the points to get a win over the rampant Suns who will head into the match with a fully fit squad. The New York Knicks take on the Boston Celtics in their opening fixtures, the Knicks last season were a surprise package making the playoffs after 10 years but this season after the acquisition of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier they will be hoping to make the conference final at least. As for the Celtics they are going through a transition period as they will heavily rely on their young players Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown to produce the goods.

Also read: Everything to know about the 75th NBA season as Lakers and Nets start as favourites for the Championship

The other fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Hornets vs Pacers
• Pistons vs Bulls
• Raptors vs Wizards
• Timberwolves vs Rockets
• Pelicans vs 76ers
• Grizzlies vs Cavaliers
• Jazz vs Thunder
• Trail Blazers vs Kings
•  Spurs vs Magic   

 

(Basketball news) The 75th NBA season is starting with the new trend of super teams in fashion as the likes of Lakers and Nets just added more superstars to become outright favourites to go all the way to the final. This year, teams will be back to playing a full 82 game season with full capacity stadiums as 30 teams will be participating, divided into the Western and Eastern Conferences.

A lot of historical records can be broken this season as Golden State Warriors star player Stephen Curry is set to become NBA’s all time leading three point shooter, he needs only 143 threes to overtake the legendary Ray Allen. Gregg Popvich, the manager of San Antonio Spurs begins his 26th year as a coach, needing only 26 wins to pass Don Nelson for the most victories in NBA history. LeBron James keeps on breaking records as he is going to start in his 19th season, with a total of 35,367 points as he's on the cusp of breaking Karl Malone (36,928) to become the second highest scorer in NBA history.

The Eastern Conference this season is packed with talent and will be an interesting watch to see how teams will adjust to their relatively new roster. Last season's champions Milwaukee Bucks will again win the Conference as well as the Championship this season but their task won't be easy especially teams like Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat all having improved significantly this season. Some of the dark horses from last year like the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks also added all star calibre players in their roster to make the Eastern Conference even more competitive than last season.

The Western Conference was full of surprises last season as the Phoenix Suns made the NBA playoffs after 11 years and shocked everyone when they reached the finals. This gives an indication on how tough the Eastern Conference is, at least 12 teams are eyeing the 8 spots in the NBA playoffs. This season again Lakers will be favourites to come out of the Western Conference as they probably have the best roster on paper but the likes of LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trailblazers, Dallas Mavericks can cause an upset and go to the NBA final. The unpredictability and the world class players present in the Western Conference tends to be more in the limelight and this season with each roster stacked the competition is going to be tougher.

The race for this year's MVP will be an intriguing watch as last year's winner Nikola Jokic will be looking to make it 4 consecutive MVPs for players from Europe. The likes of Giannis  Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry and LeBron James will all be looking to retain the trophy this season. Some new aged superstars like Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Ja Morant  can also be in the MVP reckoning as they have consistently been their franchise cornerstone in the recent years. 

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

The 75th NBA season tips off tomorrow with two mouthwatering fixtures between Brooklyn Nets vs Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers vs Golden State Warriors at 5 am and 7.30 am respectively. The two championship favourites will battle it out with two former champions is quite a first day matchup for basketball fans. Brooklyn Nets arguably have the best offensive players in Kevin Durant and James Harden in their ranks and will be looking to avenge their loss they had in the Eastern Conference final last season. For the Milwaukee Bucks, their roster remains the same and will be looking to repeat last year's feat by beating the mighty Brooklyn Nets as Ginnas and Khris Middleton will be the key players to look out for if they are to cause an upset.

The LA Lakers are coming off a pretty terrible preseason having lost all their six matches as they will be looking to start the season fresh with their new big three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook who will be playing for the first time together against the Golden State Warriors. As for GSW all eyes will be on Steph Curry as he will have to wait 2 or more months for his partner in crime Klay Thompson to return to the court after a 2 year long injury. Lakers have mostly got their 2020 winning squad back as LeBron looks to equal Michaell Jordan's six championship rings.

NBA Champions L.A Lakers are going through a rough patch. The absence of LeBron James and Anthony Davis have resulted in four consecutive losses despite a spirited comeback attempt in the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers. For the most part, the game was evenly fought with the return of Marc Gosol who was playmaking from the center while the efforts of Dennis Schröder, Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope resulted in a total of 64 points. The ejection of Dwight Howard in the first quarter after bumping into Montrezl Harrell levelled the playing field for the two sides. The Lakers have a lot of positives to take despite the result, having been as much as 18 points down, they reduced the deficit to just three with less than a minute on the clock. Danny Green laid the final blow to his former team with 28 points in just 14 attempts and played an instrumental role in giving Philadelphia 76ers an 18 point lead. The Lakers currently have a 1.5 game lead over the Denver Nuggets and will face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, 8 am IST with the hope of getting back to winning ways without LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The New Orleans Pelicans ended a seven game losing streak against the L.A Lakers who played their second consecutive game without LeBron James. The Lakers also missed former Pelicans forward Anthony Davis who has been absent in the last month due to a calf strain. Brandon Ingram scored 36 points while Zion Williamson scored 27 points and 9 rebounds. Williamson has now set a record of 20 + points in 21 straight games, the most for a player under the age of 21 in NBA history. Ingram on the other hand was responsible for 65.2% of his team’s points in the third quarter, a ruthless display against his former team. It’s looking like a rough stretch of games for the NBA Champions who will look to overturn their form despite the absence of Anthony Davis and LeBron James. The trade deadline will end on March 25th with the Lakers facing Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.

The Brooklyn Nets in the absence of their key players Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant managed to upset the NBA Table toppers Philadelphia 76ers with 122-109 on Thursday. The Nets played in their good ol' retro blue tie dye jerseys from the 90-91 season and dominated most of the second half with a double digit lead, ensuring their second consecutive win without Durant. LeVert added 22 points out of which 10 were assisted and 7 were rebounds while Jarret Allen added 15 points and 11 boards for the Nets. Irving was ruled out on Thursday citing personal reasons. The Nets then announced that Irving won't be traveling with the team to Memphis later that night. Durant missed out on the second consecutive game due to the NBA's strict health and safety protocols. However, Coach Steve Nash said that if Durant continues to test negative for the coronavirus, he would be able to return by Sunday. The 76ers were in high spirits with their clinical 141-136 victory over Washington on Wednesday but couldn't carry on their form as they ran into trouble with 20-8. However, they managed to come back with a lead early in the second quarter. Nevertheless, the Nets quickly bounced back and went up by 16 before taking a 65-51 lead in the half-time and were in a commanding position thereafter.