(Basketball news) It looks like the Los Angeles Lakers have found their next head coach in former Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham. It has been reported that the two parties have agreed to a four-year deal.The Lakers fired Frank Vogel last season after a miserable 33-49 run for the team in which they failed to make the playoffs. Vogel spent three seasons as the head coach and guided them to the NBA title in 2020 inside the Orlando bubble. Darvin Ham has now been assigned with the work to turn around their fortunes and make them title contenders again

The 48-year-old does not have any prior head coaching experience but has plenty of experience in the league having been an NBA assistant coach for the past 11 seasons, including two seasons with the Lakers in 2011 and 2013. He was with the defending champions Bucks from 2018 but ultimately left them to take the head coach job for the Lakers. Darvin Ham and the Lakers have plenty of problems in a number of different ways including figuring out how to get the best out of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Rusell Westbrook that is if Rob Pelinka decides to trade him. The trio have failed to live up to the hype as Lebron and Davis spent most of the time on the treatment table.

James this season only played in 56 of the Lakers’ 82 games, while Davis played just 40 in another season where he has been plagued with injuries. The Lakers also do not have a Draft pick in next month’s NBA Draft. They had traded their first-round pick to the New Orleans Pelicans in the deal which saw Davis become a Laker; their second-round pick also belongs to the San Antonio Spurs. Darvis Ham now has to sort all of these problems out as the Lakers have better aspirations than making the play-off games given they have previously won 17 NBA titles, 19 conference titles, and 33 division titles.

Ham was a player himself, having played eight seasons in the NBA. He made his debut with the Denver Nuggets in the 1996-97 season after he went undrafted in the NBA draft. He averaged 2.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 417 career games for the Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, and Detroit Pistons.

Ham, 48, in his press conference went on to explain that he once got shot in the face by a stray bullet when he was 14-years-old. He said "I grew up in Saginaw, Michigan," Ham said. "I was shot in the face by accident, April 5, 1988. You go through something like that, it's going to do one of two things: It's going to make you fearful or fearless. It made me fearless. I don't feel any pressure. It's basketball."

Also read: Nikola Jokic wins the MVP while Monty Williams won Coach of the year

(Basketball news) The Miami Heat played out their skin to force game 7 as they beat the Boston Celtics 111-103. For the Heat, Butler scored 47 points - a career playoff high and one of the best performances by a player facing elimination in NBA history as Lowry finished with 18 points and 10 assists. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum had 30 points and nine rebounds for them, and White came off the bench to score 11 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter as Jaylen Brown scored 20 points. With this result Miami get home advantage in the crucial game 7 to decide the winners of the Eastern Conference and the finalist who will play the Warriors.

Jimmy Butler’s performance was reminiscent of LeBron James in 2010 where he scored 45 points in a Game 6 in Boston to the first of the Heat's back-to-back NBA titles, Butler was even more clutch as he scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to top him and send the series back to Miami. With a victory at home, the Heat would advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in three years. On the other hand, the Celtics are trying to reach the finals for the first time since 2010, two years after the Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen won their record equaling 17th NBA title which was a record since then.

''It's incredible,'' Lowry said ''It's incredible to have a guy like him next to me. I've played with some great players, and he's one of the best.''

''This is the way it should be, with these two teams. It should have gone seven games,'' Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''I'm just really thrilled that our group gets an opportunity to compete in a Game 7 in front of our home crowd.''

''He came out from the jump and kind of put his imprint on the game,'' White said. ''That's just who he's been his whole career, constantly attacking and doing what he does to help his team win. We knew it was coming, and we've got to do a better job in Game 7.''

''It's no secret: It's Game 7, trip to the NBA Finals, a lot on the line,'' Tatum said. ''We know what's at stake. We know how much this means to everybody.''

''I get it, people can easily draw the comparisons between the two,'' Spoelstra said. ''That's a different era. That's a different team. I want our guys to embrace this moment.''

Also read: Warriors make it to 6 finals in 8 years, Celtics outclass Heat
 

(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 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) 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 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) After a disastrous campaign, the LA Lakers have sacked head coach Frank Vogel after missing out on the play-offs. The team won 33 matches but lost 49 and finished 11th in the Western Conference, with Vogel’s final game being  a 146-141 overtime win over Denver Nuggets. Lakers' general manager Rob Pelinka said “This is an incredibly difficult decision to make, but one we feel is necessary at this point. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Frank both on and off the court. Frank is a great coach and a good man. We will forever be grateful to him for his work in guiding us to the 2019-20 NBA championship." 

As things stand, the LA Lakers don’t have a frontrunner to succeed Vogel and are looking for a sixth full-time head coach since the legendary Phil Jackson retired in 2011. Besides Jackson, Vogel has been the only coach to have led the LA Lakers to a championship in 30 years. Speaking after the announcement, LA Lakers’ LeBron James said “I respect Frank as a coach, as a man. The partnership that we've had over the past few years has been nothing but just candid, great conversations. He's a guy who gives everything to the game." 

Vogel joined the Lakers on a three year deal in 2019 and helped the team win the 2020 title in Orlando, Florida. He was given a contract extension at the end of the 2020/21 season and his side quickly earned the reputation for being one of the best defensive teams in his first two seasons. After finishing third in the 2019/20 season and first in the 2020/21 season, the team ended up in the bottom 10 both offensively and defensively and ranked 21st in the defensive rating. 

In what was their seventh straight defeat, the Phoenix Suns defeated LA Lakers 121-110, missing out on the play-offs. The Lakers were considered one of the favourites in the Western Conference but their campaign has been a big disappointment due to various factors, especially injuries. The trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook only played 21 matches and held a record of 11-10 in those games. Following the All-Star break, the Lakers lost 18 of 24 games with only Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers doing worse. 

Franck Vogel is expected to find a new job soon, especially considering that he has a good record of winning a championship, representing teams such as Indiana, Orlando Magic and the Lakers and finishing his stint at the team with a 127-98 record. 

Also read: NBA: Nuggets sealed the last playoff place as Bucks beat the Celtics

(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 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 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) LeBron James overtook the legendary Karl Malone in the all time leading scorers list to move second in that prestigious list. LeBron now has his eyes set on another Lakers legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's current all-time leading scorer. Malone scored 36,928 points. Abdul-Jabbar's record of 38,387 is within reach if James stays healthy as currently LeBron has 36,985 points in 19 seasons.

Abdul-Jabbar has been on top of the career points list since April 5, 1984, that is eight months before James was born and that time, Kareem had just passed Wilt Chamberlain on the list, who had been the all-time leader since the 1965-66 season. For nearly 60 years, Abdul-Jabbar and Chamberlain are the only players to hold one of the NBA's most prestigious records. Now James is on track to add his name to that group at some point next season as he is 1,402 behind Kareem Addul Jabbar and needs to be averaging at least 27.1 if wants to break the record in 52 matches.

LeBron James is looking to beat Abdul-Jabbar on the official career points list, but he's already the NBA's all-time leader when combining regular-season points and postseason points, he is NBA's all-time leading scorer in points scored in the playoffs, as well as points scored in the All-Star Game. LeBron James may not be considered as the “GOAT” because of the amount of NBA Championships he has won, but looking at his stats and the fact that he will very soon lead the scoring charts in the NBA, it shows that he’s one of the greatest sports athletes to play the game of basketball. In his 20th year in the NBA, James is averaging 30 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game for the season and is the only glimmer of hope for the Lakers fans currently this season.

The Los Angeles Lakers got an unpredicted win over the in-form Cleveland Cavaliers 130-121 as LeBron James just stole the show in his hometown. For the Lakers, James scored 38 points, notched another triple-double as he got his 105th career triple-double and sixth for this season, Russell Westbrook had 20 and 11 assists, and D.J. Augustin added 20 points, making all six 3-pointers. For the Cavs, Darius Garland scored 29 and added 17 assists for them. With this result the Lakers improved their record to 31-41 as they are still 10 games below .500 and are currently 9th in the Western Conference table. 

''I'm all out of words,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''I don't have any more. He was in control, had an all-time dunk on his old teammate - his old friend, which I'm sure they enjoyed and will talk about. What a hell of a night.''

''They've seen pretty much my whole life in basketball,'' LeBron said. ''Either seen me or heard about it, who is this kid from 40 minutes south of here playing ball at age 9, 10, 11 , 12? Who is this LeBron kid? And they either drove down to see me or saw me when I came to Cleveland and played in AAU tournaments and saw me play in high school games in the Cleveland area, so they've seen me for almost 30 years, since I picked up a basketball.”

''That's the difference between this arena and every other arena in the world.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers snap their losing streak as Suns continue winning
 

(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 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 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 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
   

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 NBA All Star week is all set to kick off as Team LeBron take on Team Durant in Cleveland. Like every year the NBA All-Star Weekend will bring fun, frolic as well as new and exciting game events that will enthrall every spectator all over the world. There will be some for Indian fans to cheer for as Ranveer Singh will participate in the celebrity All Star game also. 

Team LeBron:

LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Darius Garland, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell, Fred VanVleet, James Harden

Team Durant:

Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, Jayson Tatum, Trae Young, Andrew Wiggins, Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns, Zach LaVine, DeJounte Murray, Khris Middleton, LaMelo Ball, Rudy Gobert

The 71st NBA All-Star Game is all set to be the star attraction of the NBA All-Star event will be this iconic encounter between Team Durant vs Team Lebron which will take place on the 20th February. The all star game is unlike a traditional game of basketball as the rules of this game will be a bit different. The winning team will have to hit the target score to achieve as there will be no time limit assigned. The target score is assigned on the basis of the team’s performance and also scoring based on the first three-quarters of the game. This system was brought into play in the 2020 season after a lot of criticism was received for the All Star games not being competitive.

Another star attraction every year in the All Star week is the dunk contest as this year Cole Anthony, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Obi Toppin and Jalen Green will compete in the competition. The Dunk contest consists of four competitors who take part in this Slam Dunk contest. Each individual gets the chance of two dunks for the first round as the top two players in terms of with the most points after two dunks move on. Then in the final two finalists will get two dunk each, and ultimately the player with the highest combined dunk score in the final will be adjudged as the winner but the competition continues even if the scores are levelled as a winner is mandatory.

The NBA three point contest also takes place as this year CJ McCollum, Trae Young, Zach LaVine, Desmond Bane, Karl-Anthony Towns, Fred VanVleet, Luke Kennard and Patty Mills will participate. This special event is an individual event. Each player will get the chance to score a maximum of 40 points. In the allotted 70 seconds, a player will have to shoot that 27 balls. The aggregate highest of the three scorers of the rounds will then move ahead into the championship round. Finally, the highest scorer of this round will be judged as the winner of this competition.

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

(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 Lakers lost their second successive match against the Portland Trail Blazers 107-105. For the Blazers, Anfernee Simons scored 29 points and Jusuf Nurkic added 19 points and 12 rebounds as Portland snapped a six-game losing streak. For the Lakers, LeBron James had 30 points as Anthony Davis finished with 17 points. Before the trade deadline, Portland traded away three starters, among them was guard CJ McCollum, who went to New Orleans as the move broke up Portland's longtime backcourt duo of McCollum and Damian Lillard. With this result the Lakers stayed in 9th with a record of 26-30 as the Trail Blazers improved their record to 22-34.

''Man, it was great,'' Simons said. ''Just to see everybody playing well, coming together and being a good team. I mean, you can say what you want, but you've always got a chance when you've got LeBron and AD (Anthony Davis) on the team. So for us to get a win is big.''

''Every time we turned the ball over it was almost like pick sixes. We didn't get a tackle and they basically ran it in for a touchdown every time,'' James said. ''That's not the ingredients for winning basketball.''

''It always feels good to win, and in the fashion in which we did it - we did it together,'' Blazers first-year coach Chauncey Billups said.

''Every loss is different. Everyone is different and this one is definitely disappointing,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''I feel like we should've won this game. I'm disappointed that we didn't and we will get back to work and figure out why we didn't.''

The Utah Jazz ended the Warrior's 9-match winning streak with a 111-85 victory. For the Jazz, Bojan Bogdanovic scored 23 points and Donovan Mitchell had 14 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as Whiteside had nine points, 17 rebounds and seven blocks. For the Warriors, Steph Curry scored 16, Jordan Poole top scored with 18 points and Andrew Wiggins finished with 13 points as they ended their 9 match winning streak and victory also meant that this was Utah’s 4th straight win. With this result the Jazz improved their record to 34-21 and stayed in 4th as the Warriors stayed in 2nd with a record of 41-14 in the Western Conference table.

''It's been tough for me, but my whole life I actually like adversity because it shows you what a lot of people really think about you,'' said Whiteside, who has been playing behind Udoka Azubuike in Gobert's absence.

''They know the things that people say. That's sometimes a challenge for us, and they take it personally,'' Utah coach Quin Snyder said.

''I thought Whiteside dominated the game. I didn't think we attacked in a very intelligent manner in the first half. We kept trying to score over the top of him and you're not going to do that. He had six blocks in the first half and then every one seemed to turn into a layup on the other end,'' Golden State coach Steve Kerr said.

Also read: The Bucks beat the Lakers and Nets are still searching for that elusive victory

The other results were:

• Cavs 105 - 92 Spurs
• Hornets 109 - 121 Bulls
• Thunder 98 - 117 Raptors
• Kings 132 - 119 

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Pistons vs Grizzlies
• Pelicans vs Heat
• Wizards vs Net
• Rockets vs Raptors
• Mavericks vs Clippers
• Suns vs Bucks
• Warriors vs Knicks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The other results were:

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

Tomorrow’s matches are:

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

(Basketball news) Lakers 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) Lakers suffered an embarrassing loss to Timberwolves as they lost 110-92. For the Wolves, Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 10 rebounds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Los Angeles Lakers for a second time this season as Malik Beasley and D'Angelo Russell each had 17 points and Jarred Vanderbilt grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds to help them win their third straight game. They played without star Anthony Edwards, who was under NBA's health and safety protocols. For the Lakers, their squad was depleted with Covid protocols as LeBron James had a quiet 18 points and 10 rebounds, Isaiah Thomas made his season debut with 19 points, Russell Westbrook had 14 points and Kent Bazemore had a season high with 11 points. With this result the Lakers stayed 6th in the Western Conference with a record of 16-14.

''I'm going to let people make their assumptions and make their judgment. I just know that every day when I come here I play the game with a tremendous amount of confidence .I wanted to set the standard. I wanted to try to impose myself into the game real quick, understanding Ant's not here,'' Towns said.

“They definitely played a more physical brand of basketball tonight, and we've got to be better,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said.

The Golden State Warriors extended their winning run as they won 111-107 against the Boston Celtics. Andrew Wiggins scored 27 and Kevon Looney had 10 rebounds for the Warriors as Steph Curry top scored with 30 points, who won their third straight game on an East Coast road trip. It was Kerr's 400th victory as a coach in 576 games over eight seasons. He is third on the franchise win list, behind Al Attles (557) and Don Nelson (422). For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum scored 27 points, and Jaylen Brown had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics. With this win the Warriors reclaimed their top spot in the Western conference with a record of 24-5. 

''We're coming off the emotional roller coaster ... a lot going on around the league,'' Curry said after scoring 30 points in a 111-107 victory over the Celtics on Friday night. ''You try not to get distracted by all the things that are outside the locker room.''

''On a five-game trip, guaranteeing us at least three wins makes this a good trip,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''Now tomorrow is more of a free swing.''

''It means I'm incredibly lucky to coach a bunch of talented guys,'' said Kerr, who won the NBA championship in his first season and two more in the next three years. ''From my first game coaching in the NBA until now, I've had nothing but talented teams.''

Also read: Suns go joint top as the Nets extended their lead in the Eastern Conference

The results of the other matches were:

• Magic 105 - 115 Heat
• Hawks 115 - 133 Nuggets
• Pelicans 116 - 112 Bucks
• Jazz 126 - 128 Spurs
• Kings 105 - 124 Grizzlies
• Trail Blazers 125 - 116 Hornets

The matches for tomorrow are:

• Celtics vs Knicks
• Nets vs Magic
• Raptors vs Warriors
• Thunder vs Clippers
• Bucks vs Cavaliers
• Jazz vs Wizards

 

(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) 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) 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 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) 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) 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) 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 Charlotte Hornets only inflicted the Warriors their second loss of the season as they lost 106-102. Terry Roizer finished with 20 points which he scored all in the second half, Miles Bridges added 22 and LaMelo Ball added 21 in what was a total team performance from the Hornets. For the Warriors, Andrew Wiggins scored 28 points on 12 of 19 shooting and Steph Curry added 24 points and 10 assists in his annual homecoming game, the contest was tense as the lead changed hands 25 times but in the end the effort came up short. With this result Warriors stay on top of the Western Conference with a record of 11-2 and as for the Hornets they improve their record to 8-7.

Rozier said “This says a lot for our team and where we are headed, We are trying to go places and get our organization like theirs. This is a great step to where we think we want to go. I think it is more like the timing of the ball, I definitely wanted it because I had just turned the ball over and it was like everybody in the whole gym was looking at No. 3. I just wanted to try to make a play for our team and it worked out.''

The Lakers rallied back from an embarrassing loss against the Timberwolves to bounce back and win 114-106 against the San Antonio Spurs. Anthony Davis top scored with 34 points and 15 rebounds, Talen Horton Tucker making his season debut scored 17 points as Carmelo Anthony and Wayne Ellington both had 15 points each. The Lakers have improved their record to 3-3 since LeBron James was sidelined on Nov 4 because of an abdominal strain. Dejounte Murray had a triple-double for the Spurs with 22 points with 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Keldon Johnson scored 24 points. Murray's other triple-double came in the previous meeting against the Lakers. San Antonio lost for the fifth time in its last seven games and fell in the opener of consecutive games at Los Angeles.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, “I was really happy with their effort. Too many turnovers tonight against those guys, but we never gave in. They kept playing, they're getting better. They've got to keep their energy up.''

Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said about Horton-Tucker “We have a strong belief in that young man and what he can do on both sides of the ball. Obviously, when we get whole, we have a log of good choices, but he's going to be a big part of it”

Brooklyn Nets beat the Thunders 120-96 as Kevin Durant made himself at home again in Oklahoma City. Kevin Durant top scored with 33 points as the league's scoring leader made 9 out of 17 shots and had 8 rebounds, James Harden also chipped into the act with 16 points and 13 assists but the actual star of the show was Patty Mills scoring 29 points and a career high nine 3 pointers for the Nets. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 23 points for the Thunder, and Lu Dort added 20. Oklahoma City had won four straight before losing today. With this result Nets improve their record to 10-4 in the Eastern Conference and are in second position behind the Wizards. 

Durant enjoyed his return and said, ''You think about the foundation and how you built yourself up as a pro, and this is definitely the spot for me. It taught me all about what it means to be a pro. The people here and the organization really guided me as a young player. That set the foundation for where I am today. There are a lot of great memories coming back, seeing a lot of people. It's good to see folks here and play in front of the crowd . I had a good time”

Durant added by saying, 'It's crazy how stuff happens. “You never thought when James got traded - I didn't know what the future would hold. For us to come back around on the same team as we got older is pretty sweet ... We helped build this thing. It's good to come in here and see what it is today”

The other results were:

• Hawks 120 - 100 Bucks
• Rockets 89 - 115 Suns
• Nuggets 124 - 95 Trail Blazers
• Clippers 90 - 100 Bulls

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Wizards vs Pelicans
• Cavaliers vs Celtics
• Knicks vs Pacers
• Hawks vs Magic
• Mavericks vs Nuggets
• Thunder vs Heat
• Lakers vs Bulls
• Trail Blazers vs Raptors
   

(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) 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) 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) 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.

(Football news) The words Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are firmly associated with decades of dominance in world football, a bucket load of goals and many Ballon d’Or awards. With the number of records each of these footballers have broken, their achievements both individually and collectively with the team, it’s no wonder that both of them have also been the highest paid athletes in their respective sports for a very long time.

With both these iconic legends moving away from their clubs this summer, as Cristiano Ronaldo rejoined Manchester United and Lionel Messi shocked the sporting world by moving to Paris Saint-Germain from his boyhood club Barcelona, their new deals have also changed the dynamics of who is paid more. According to a report by Forbes, Ronaldo is now the highest paid footballer in the world, earning $125 million before taxes in the 2021/2022 season. Ofcourse, being the world’s most popular athlete with a combined number of followers amounting to nearly half a billion across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter helps, with commercial deals with Nike, Herbalife, Clear and the CR7 brand amounting to nearly $50 million of his revenue.

Only three other active athletes, namely Roger Federer ($90 million), LeBron James ($65 million) and Tiger Woods ($60 million) earn more than the Portuguese superstar commercially. However, Cristiano’s longtime rival Lionel Messi earns about $110 million, nearly $15 million less than the current Manchester United player. This is because Messi’s endorsements with Adidas, Pepsi, watchmaker Jacobs & Co. and Budweiser earn him $35 million, significantly lower than Ronaldo. Paris Saint-Germain currently employs three of the top five earners in world football with Neymar in the third position with an estimated value of $95 million and Kylian Mbappe in the fourth position with $43 million.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the top 10 highest paid footballers will earn an estimated $585 million before tax, about $15 million more than last year with salaries and bonuses amounting to nearly $415 million of the total. These figures are despite the report by Europe’s governing body UEFA, which claimed top flight clubs endured an $8.5 million pandemic related revenue loss.

Also read: Manchester United crash out of the Carabao Cup while Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham progress to Round 4
 

(Basketball news) As the new NBA season draws closer and the majority of the free agents found respective homes, the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets emerged as the strongest teams without a shadow of a doubt. Even though last year's NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks and finalist Phoenix Suns remain relatively unchanged from last season, both teams don’t possess the historical talent that the Lakers and Nets have.

The Lakers last season got eliminated in the 1st round of the playoff series by the Phoenix Suns but this season Rob Pelinka (General Manager) made sure that the same thing isn't repeated. At the end of last season, Lakers managed to pull off a blockbuster trade where they managed to get 9 times NBA all star and 2016-17 MVP Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards. With Lebron James and Anthony Davis already in the team, adding Westbrook makes them the team to beat in the Western Conference. With the Lakers adding former NBA all stars Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo in free agency their roster looks more dangerous than before.

The Brooklyn Nets last season pulled off the trade of the decade by getting James Harden from Houston Rockets, adding to a roster which already contained Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Last season, according to all experts, the Nets should have the NBA Championship but were beaten by the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference final, although injuries hampered the squad which eventually led to their downfall last season. This season Steve Nash (Coach of Nets) will be hoping that his stars remain fit as they have already added former all stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Paul Milsap to an already staked roster.

With both teams' ambition of winning a NBA championship last year not being fulfilled, the teams will be even more hungry to reach the NBA final this season. The Los Angeles Lakers have got back the championship core which won the NBA 2 years ago but the key advantage that the Lakers have over the Nets is the championship experience they have in their roster. On the other hand, the Nets have arguably the best trio in American sports history as on any given day James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Iriving can beat any team just based on their talent. As the fans eagerly wait for the start of the new season the NBA finals looks destined to be between these two teams unless and until injuries hamper them both. This is a site that not only the basketball fans want to watch but the sports fans in general will also tune in.

Also read: Virtual development program launched by NBA Academy for top female prospects from outside the US

The Los Angeles Roster:

Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Marc Gasol, Trevor Ariza, Rajon Rondo,Dwight Howard, Wayne Ellington, DeAndre Jordan, Russell Westbrook, Kent Bazemore, Anthony Davis, Kendrick Nunn, Malik Monk, Talen Horton-Tucker.

The Brooklyn Nets Roster:

Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Joe Harris, Patty Mills, Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge, Paul Millsap, Nic Claxton , Bruce Brown, Cam Thomas, James Johnson, DeAndre Bembry, Jevon Carter, Day’Ron Sharpe.

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 Chesapeake Energy Arena witnessed a record that hadn’t been broken since the 1985-86 season when the Lakers won their 7th successive game on the road. The reigning champions looked dominant throughout in what can only be described as a complete performance. The 36 year old Lebron James stood out from the pack with 26 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds, despite the fact that he was almost a decade older than most Thunder players, showing his quality with five out of eight successful attempts behind the arc. Anthony Davis got 18 points and 7 rebounds and has been leading the charge for the Lakers from Houston to Oklahoma. Montrezl Harrell also dropped a defensive masterclass with 21 points and 6 rebounds in a space of 25 minutes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up a spirited display for the Oklahoma City Thunder with 17 points, but couldn't influence the result that seemed destined for a Lakers win. The Los Angeles side will be facing the New Orleans Pelicans at Staples Center hoping to carry on their form and momentum to extend their winning streak to five.

The Spurs beat the NBA champions 118 - 109 to end their 4 game winning streak. San Antonio Spurs overcame their early season slump in Los Angeles with a dominant display that saw five players reach double figures. LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with a season high 28 points while Demar DeRozan got 19 points and 8 assists. The NBA champions saw LeBron James score 27 points and Anthony Davis get 23 points and 10 rebounds but saw their contributions fall short as the Lakers eventually lost by 9 points. The Spurs meant business right from the start, with a nine point lead that set the tone of the entire game. Their dominance was evident with a 15 point lead late in the first quarter and an eventual 65 - 56 lead at half-time. The Lakers eventually fought back with a 15 - 5 run to tie the score and a Montrezl Harell’s putback from a Talen Horton-Tucker’s miss evened the score at 89 with 1:04 to go before the Spurs seized the win. The Lakers will no doubt consider this a wake up call to make amends, especially in defense while the Spurs would consider this win a motivation to push forward and set their sights on the 2021 NBA Playoffs.