(Basketball news) Kevin Durant has reportedly requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, according to Shams Charania. It was reported the Phoenix Suns are among Durant's "preferred' landing spots, while the Miami Heat were also mentioned earlier in the week as a potential trade destination. Adrian Wojnarowski also added that despite those teams being mentioned on Durant's list, the Nets "plan to move Durant where they can get the best possible deal."

The decision comes after teammate Kyrie Irving announced he would opt into the final year of his contract with the Nets, which was worth $37 million. Shams Charania also noted Irving wanted to "fulfill his four-year commitment" before being a free agent next year. According to the reports, Durant and Irving had no contact with Sean Marks who is the General manager of the Nets, after the opt-in, and there was a "sense of inevitability" that Durant would eventually ask for a trade. The superstar reportedly requested the trade directly from team governor Joe Tsai. .

Durant's contract runs till 2025-26 season after agreeing to a four-year, $194 million extension last season. Although he signed a contract extension with the Nets, there was still uncertainty about his future this offseason because of the horrendous season they had where they got thumped by the Celtics in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Irving was also potentially looking for a new home after hardly featuring for the Nets last season. Wojnarowski has reported that Irving created a list of teams for a possible sign-and-trade, with the Los Angeles Lakers named as his top destination. Durant on the other hand was monitoring the situation and "considering options with his future,"

The 33-year-old is apparently now ready to move on, which could lead to one of the biggest blockbuster trades in NBA history. Durant has 12 All-Star appearances, four scoring titles, one MVP, two NBA titles and two Finals MVP awards. He is an elite offensive weapon 15 years into his career, averaging 29.9 points per game last season, which was tied for second in the NBA scoring charts. The forward also added 7.4 rebounds and a career-high 6.4 assists per game in 2021-22 NBA season

For any team it would require a significant return to land Kevin Durant, but a trade would legitimately shake up the dynamics of the NBA next season. The former Texas star initially joined the Nets in 2019 alongside Irving, but the duo hasn’t found any success with the Nets as  many anticipated the duo to win numerous Championships. In three years, the team had just one playoff series win, while this playoffs series they were swept out of the first round by the Boston Celtics. Durant and Irving played only 17 games together in 2021-22 and 27 games in 2020-21. Durant had missed all of 2019-20 while recovering from an Achilles injury.

Also read: Kyrie decides to exercise $37 million option to stay with the Nets
 

(Basketball news) The Boston Celtics made history by reaching their first final since 2010 as they beat the Miami Heat 100-96 in game number 7. For the Celtics, Eastern Conference finals MVP Jayson Tatum led the way with 26 points, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart each added 24. For the Heat, Jimmy Butler led the scoring with 35 points in what became their season finale. Bam Adebayo added 25 points as Kyle Lowry scored 15 points. With this result they will now face the Golden State Warriors in an historic  NBA Final 2022.

The Boston Celtics will have a tough task against Steph and co as they will be the clear favourites in the final. With Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown on song it will be an interesting watch to see. The Warriors are back for more and thirsty for more success and are thoroughly qualified to raise the trophy for a fourth time since 2015. Their veteran trio is championship-tested and along with that Steve Kerr has managed to infuse youth and quickness to make for a winning combination. Meanwhile, this Celtics team is also trying to add to the franchise trophy case, one that’s bigger than the Warriors and that of everyone else other than the Lakers. Jayson Tatum is on the verge of superstar status and Jaylen Brown has proven to be a very capable sidekick. Both are superb two-way players and, along with Marcus Smart, make Boston an elite defensive combination which has won them so many matches this season

''This is amazing,'' Smart said. ''We finally got over the hump.''

''To get over the hump with this group, it means everything,'' Tatum said.

''It's just one of those really tough moments,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''You can't prepare for it. ... It's one of the worst feelings in the world to address your locker room after a game like this.''

''Our focus is getting four more,'' Udoka said.

''The road that we took to get here, not a lot of people believed in us,'' Tatum said. ''We took the toughest route. It looked out.''

'The Boston Celtics did what they came out here to do in this series,'' Butler said.

''Today was the biggest test,'' Brown said. ''Not just of the year, but of our careers.''

Also read: NBA: Miami Heat force game 7 in the Eastern Conference finals
 

(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) Golden State Warriors cruised past Luka Doncic’s Mavericks as they won game 5 by 120-110, after this win they won the Western Conference for the 6th time in 8 years. For the Warriors, Thompson shimmied his way to 32 points as Andrew Wiggins added 18 points and 10 rebounds, Green scored 17 points and Curry had 15 points and nine assists as he was named the MVP of the series. For the Mavericks, Luka Doncic overcame a slow start to score 28 points for them as Spencer Dinwiddie added 26 points. Ultimately it wasn’t enough as Steph and co were too strong for them. With this result they head to NBA finals as they look to avenge their disappointing loss in the final against the Toronto Raptors in 2019.

''It's hard to put into words really,'' Thompson said. ''This time last year, I was just starting to jog again and get up and down the court. Now to be feeling like myself, feeling explosive, feeling sure in my movements, I'm just grateful.''

''You could see how much was missing the last couple of years,'' Draymond Green said. ''We're lucky to have the Klay Thompson we know back because we know how good he is.''

''For our team, our guys, especially the core group, to be part of that six times in eight years, I don't even know what to say,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''It just takes an enormous amount of skill and determination and work.''

''I'm satisfied with `Game 6 Klay.' I don't need another nickname,'' Thompson said with a smile. ''It's nice not having to bring him out yet.''

''I don't like losing, especially not like this,'' Doncic said. ''I played terribly. But if we're talking about our season, I'm really proud of this team. ... Nobody had us here. But I promise we fought until the end.''

''We need Luka to go big a lot of nights just to give us a chance, and unfortunately the ball just didn't go for him tonight,'' coach Jason Kidd said. ''I think he carries the load as well as anyone, and I think for us as an organization, we'll help lighten that load as we go forward.''

The Boston Celtics overcame the Miami Heat in game number 5 as they won 93-80 against them and subsequently took a 3-2 lead in the series. For the Celtics, Jaylen Brown scored 25 points, Jayson Tatum added 22 as Al Horford had 16 points and Derrick White added 14 for the Celtics. Tatum ultimately finished with 12 rebounds and nine assists. For the Heats, Bam Adebayo scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Heat, who shot 32% in the game - after shooting 33% in Boston's 20-point win in Game 4. Gabe Vincent went on to add 15 points, Jimmy Butler had 13 and Duncan Robinson scored 11 points in what was a disappointing loss for the 2020 finalist. With this result they head to Boston as they will have a chance to close out the series in front of their home crowd.

''I think the mental stress and strain we put on some teams with our defense has worked and carried us through the playoffs at times,'' Celtics coach Ime Udoka said.

''We are not going to make any kind of deflection or any kind of excuse,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''Boston beat us tonight. And let's be clear about that. There's guys that are far from 100% on both sides.''

''We've got an opportunity to do something with this group that's special,'' Brown said. ''Let's not take that for granted.''

''In the first half it was tough because we weren't hitting shots and we were turning the ball over,'' Horford said. ''But the key for us was continuing to do what we do defending, and then on offense playing how we play. And eventually we were able to get it going.''

''We're still lining up,'' Adebayo said. ''We've still got to play these games. We still want to win.''

Also read: NBA: Mavericks force game 5 as Celtic drew the series level

(Basketball news) The Dallas Mavericks were on the brink of elimination in the Western Conference standings but somehow managed to force a game 5 against the Golden State Warriors as they beat them 119-109. For the Mavericks, Doncic had 30 points and 14 rebounds, it was the 10th double-double in his 14 games this postseason for Doncic, who also had nine assists. Dorian Finney-Smith had 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting and Bullock added 18 points on 6-of-10 - all 3-pointers. Jalen Brunson had 15 points and Maxi Kleber was 5-of-6 shooting overall for 13 points. For the Warriors, Curry had 20 points as Jonathan Kuminga had 17 points from the bench.

''Just got to finish the game. A win is a win,'' said Doncic, who was 10-of-26 shooting with only three made 3s but got plenty of help from his supporting cast.

'Everybody in that locker room felt like we had more basketball to play,'' Finney-Smith said. ''We just wanted to get the win anyway. ... Feel like we came out desperate in that first half.''

''It was almost like an ego win (for Dallas). You come out and really have nothing to lose. So that confidence started early,'' Stephen Curry said. ''And we really didn't do anything to slow it down, and then that's when the avalanche starts. You tip your hat to them.''

''Just made the decision to see if we could pull off a miracle, but it wasn't meant to be,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''Dallas was great tonight. They deserved to win. This is the conference finals. This is how it's supposed to be.''

''I still believe we can win. Swept or not swept, if you lose, you lose,'' Doncic said. ''Got to go game by game.''

The Boston Celtics tied the series 2-2 in the Eastern Conference finals as they beat the Miami Heat 102-82. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum scored 31 points as Payton Pritchard had 14 points for them, Derrick White added 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and Robert William finished with 12 points and nine rebounds. For the Heat, Victor Oladipo led the scoring with 23 points, their starting five of All-Star Jimmy Butler (six points), Kyle Lowry (three points), P.J. Tucker (no points), Max Strus (no points) and Bam Adebayo (nine points) were a combined 7 of 36 shooting. They go to Miami for game 5 tomorrow.

''Obviously, we knew how important this game was,'' Tatum said. ''Everybody just had to come up with a different sense of urgency.''

'Just got to muster that same energy when we came off a win as well as a loss,'' Udoka said. ''This is a three-game series now. Can't always just flip the mindset when we come off a loss and get a little desperate.''

''They came out and jumped us,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''We're not making any excuses. They outplayed us tonight for sure. We never could get any kind of grip on the game.''

''It's a part of the playoffs. You learn to adapt,'' Adebayo said. ''Guys being out, guys playing half, guys playing 20 minutes in the game, just depends. You've just got to find a way to win.'

Also read: Celtics bounce back as Warriors take a 2-0 series lead in the finals 
 

(Basketball news) The Boston Celtics bounced back in game 2 when they beat the Miami Heat 127-102 as the series is now levelled at 1-1. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum scored 27 points, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown each had 24 as Grant Williams scored 19 points, Payton Pritchard and Al Horford each had 10 for them. For the Heat, Jimmy Butler had 29 points in 32 minutes as Gabe Vincent and Victor Oladipo each scored 14 points, and Tyler Herro added 11 points. The 25-point halftime lead was the biggest by the Celtics in any road playoff game, topping a 22-point edge at the break at Chicago in 2009. With this result the series is on a knife's edge as both teams head to Boston tomorrow to play game three, which could be a crucial match for both the teams. 

''Guys have pride and looked at a golden opportunity that we kind of lost (in Game 1) and thought we could do much better,'' Udoka said. ''And we did that tonight.''

''We were pretty confident,'' Pritchard said.

''This only counts as one,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''That's what the experienced players in the locker room and staff understand. We don't like it. They played extremely well. You have two really good teams and we just have to figure some things out.''

''It's a loss, whether you lose by one or by 20,'' Vincent said. ''It's regroup, go back to the drawing board and get ready for Game 3.''

''They came out,'' Heat centre Bam Adebayo said, ''and hit us in the mouth.''

''I got to get my rest, got to get my health back, got to watch and see some things and come out and execute in this game,'' Smart said.

''It has to hurt,'' Butler said. ''They tried to embarrass us. They did embarrass us. ... Overall, we just have to be better.''

The Golden State Warriors have taken a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference final as they beat the Dallas Mavericks 126-117. For the Warriors, Curry scored 32 points with six 3-pointers and eight more rebounds, Looney had a career-high 21 points and 12 rebounds, Jordan Poole scored 23 points off the bench, Andrew Wiggins had 16 and Klay Thompson added 15 points for a second straight game. Golden State scored 62 points in the paint. For the Mavericks, Doncic scored 42 points and shot 12 for 23 and shined in a game of brilliant shotmaking. The Warriors finished 56.1% from the floor. In the first half alone, Dallas edged Golden State 52.3% to 51.2%, including a remarkable 55.6% to 53.3% from 3-point range. 

''I feel honoured just to be a part of the ride,'' Looney said.

''We have that attitude and spirit that we're never out of it,'' Curry said.

''We know how good they are as a third-quarter team,'' Dallas forward Reggie Bullock said. ''It's just something that slipped away from us as the game continued to go on.''

''Against someone that good you're just trying to limit the easy stuff,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

''It's the Warriors. They have a great team. They're a championship team. We've got to adjust our defence,'' Doncic said. ''... We were up 19, so it's a tough situation. But we can't look back. What happened, happened. So we've got to move on.''

''We're on the road against one of the best teams in the league. It happens. They held serve,'' Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. ''We've seen this in Phoenix so now we have to go back and just focus on Game 3.''

Kerr asked his team to settle down. ''I told them that if we developed some poise in the second half, that the game would come to us,'' he said. ''But I thought we were so scattered in the first half. Maybe emotionally more so than anything. Dallas came out and just punched us.''

Also read: Warriors win against Mavericks in the Western conference finals
 

(Basketball news) The Golden State Warriors produced an empathic performance to beat the Dallas Mavericks 112-87 in game 1 of the Western Conference finals. For the Warriors, Curry had 21 points and a game-high 12 rebounds as Wiggins added 19 points, making six of his first eight shots on the way to shooting 8 for 17. Jordan Poole also scored 19 off the bench and Thompson scored all of his 15 points after halftime.. For the Mavericks, Doncic scored 20 points but shot just 6 for 18 and 3 of 10 from deep as Jalen Brunson scored 14 points but missed all five of his 3s. With this result the Warriors take the lead in a best of seven series as they now face them on 20th May in the Chase Arena in San Francisco. 

The Warriors reached five straight NBA Finals from 2015-19 but missed the playoffs the past two years before this run as they look ever determined to get to the NBA finals this year. Luka Doncic appeared to be nursing some kind of injury which he might have sustained during the intense 7 game series against the Phoenix Suns. Doncic, who was averaging 31.5 points in the playoffs, was a tall task for the Warriors defence to manage him but they were up for the task as they had already handled two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic of Denver in the first round, then Ja Morant early last series before his knee injury. The Mavericks need Luka Doncic fit and firing as their first final since 2011 rests on his shoulders.

''Just make him work, that was the main thing,'' Wiggins said.

''A great job. That's it,'' Doncic said. ''They did a great job.''

''They did a really good job. Wiggins picked him up full court,'' Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. ''They went box-and-one, they went zone. We understood coming into the series that we were going to see that. We'll go back and look at the video and see what we can do better.''

''I thought Wiggs was fantastic,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''Doncic is as difficult a cover as there is in this league. ... It's important to make him work. He's so good. Any great player in the league you're trying to limit the damage that they do.''

''It is how we play,'' Curry said. ''When you have that ability to create separation like we did in the third quarter, it's a fun way to play.''

''I didn't have a field goal in the first half but that will never discourage me,'' Thompson said. ''I will always hunt my shot.''

''It was great to be back. I missed being out there with the guys,'' Kerr said. ''Amazing atmosphere here at Chase and we're excited to keep going.''

''We would like to play our pace but the Warriors have a unique pace, they're going to get out and put a lot of pressure on your defence in transition,'' Kidd said. ''We have to be cautious of that. We don't want a track meet.''

Also read: NBA: Miami Heat draws first blood in the Eastern Conference final
 

(Basketball news) Miami Heat drew first blood against Boston Celtics in the first game as they beat 118-107. For the Heat, Butler scored 27 of his 41 points in the second half as Tyler Herro scored 18 and Gabe Vincent added 17 points while Max Strus scored 11 and Bam Adebayo added 10. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum led the scoring with 29, they were without starters Marcus Smart (foot) and Al Horford (health and safety protocols). Jaylen Brown added 24 for Boston, which got 18 apiece from Robert Williams III and Payton Pritchard. They will play the next game on 19th May in the FTX Arena in Miami.

''Jimmy Butler is an elite competitor,'' Spoelstra said. ''There's a lot of guys in this league that are playing basketball. He's competing to win. That's a totally different thing and he does that as well as anybody in this league.''

''We won three quarters other than that, but obviously that one is going to stand out,'' Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. ''We semi-bounced back in the fourth and started to play well again and matched their physicality, but 39-14 on 2-for-15 is tough to overcome.''

''I continued to play basketball the right way: Shoot the ball when I'm open, attack, hit the open guy,'' Butler said. ''Honestly, it was a team effort.''

''It wasn't anything different that they did,'' Udoka said. ''They just came out and imposed their will.''

''Our energy shifted,'' Adebayo said. ''That was the biggest key.''

''Other than the third quarter, I think we won every other quarter,'' Pritchard said. ''Obviously, we try not to let that happen next time.''

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Basketball news) The Denver Nuggets avoided a sweep against the Golden State Warriors as they won game 4, 126-121. For the Nuggets, Jokic scored 37 points as Morris finished with 24 points. He hit five 3-pointers in the third quarter, the most in a quarter by any player in these NBA playoffs, Aaron Gordon chipped in 21 points. For the Warriors, Steph Curry led the Warriors with 33 points despite missing 13 of 23 shots, going 3 for 11 from long range and missing four free throws for the first time in his career, as Klay Thompson scored 22 of his 32 points. With this result the series is now at 3-1 but both the teams head to the Chase Arena in San Francisco in game 5

''Can I say we want them right where we want them? No, but we're alive,'' Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. ''We live to fight another day.''

''The odds are against us,'' said MVP favorite Nikola Jokic. ''But we've beaten the odds a couple of times, so why not?''

''We felt like it could have been 2-2 if we didn't drop that last game,'' said Rivers, who noted the Nuggets finally matched the Warriors' physicality, especially down the stretch.

''It's the worst feeling in the world, missing free throws,'' Curry said. ''It's what I do really well.''

''We needed that,'' Kerr said. ''I felt like we got completely away from the game plan tonight in the first half, because I think we were almost too anxious to win the series.

''We got to go with the attitude like 'All right, it's a must-win,'' Thompson said. ''We'd like to have some rest before the next series.'' 

The New Orleans Pelicans made a magnificent comeback against the best team in the NBA as they beat the Phoenix Suns 118-103 to tie the series 2-2. For the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram scored 16 of his 30 points in the third quarter as Jonas Valanciunas reasserted himself in the middle with 26 points and 15 rebounds but it was the defence of  guard Herb Jones and Jose Alvardo that ultimately won them the game. For the Suns, Deandre Ayton led the scoring with 23 points and eight rebounds, and fellow centre JaVale McGee had 14 points. With this result the series is finely poised at 2-2 as both the teams head to Phoenix for the 5th game of the series on Tuesday.

''Brandon is playing some of his best basketball of the season, and he's doing it on the biggest stage, and it's great to see,'' said New Orleans coach Willie Green, a rookie head coach who kept his young team together in the midst of its early season struggles and now has forced a best-of-three playoff match with the top-seeded Suns. ''I'm just trying to move out of the way and let him do his thing.''

''We've worked so hard throughout the year to become a better team,'' Ingram said. ''My teammates put me in the right spots and are making me look good.''

''It was like the old NBA,'' said Paul, who was picked up in the back court by Jones nearly the entire game. ''I told the refs, `Are we playing the old NBA or the new NBA?' I was fortunate enough to play in both. Regardless, whatever it is, you've to adjust early in the game and figure it out.''

''We can't worry about that,'' Williams said. ''The guys who are on the floor just did it (win) the other day when we played hard and didn't shoot the 3-ball well but still won the game. (The Pelicans) played much harder.''

The Miami Heats are now a win away from going into the next round of playoffs as they beat the Atlanta Hawks 110-86. For the Heats, Butler scored 13 of his 36 points in a dominant second quarter as Gabe Vincent had 11 points while sinking three 3-pointers, P.J. Tucker had 14 points and eight rebounds while  Bam Adebayo also had 14 points and eight rebounds. For the Hawks, DeAndre Hunter top scored with 24 points as Trae Young had an off night scoring 9 points only. With this result the Heat's head to Miami knowing a win will take through to the next round.

''Everybody is in my ear about staying aggressive, taking more shots,'' Butler said. ''Tonight was a good one. We've got another one we've got to get.''

''They're doing a great job of showing help and not letting me get to the paint,'' Young said. ''You've got to give them credit. We've got to do a better job of figuring out how to get open looks so I can create for my teammates and myself, too.''

Also read: Steph magic again sinks the Nuggets, Mavericks take the series lead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The other results are:

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

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The other results were:

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

Tomorrow's matches are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The other results were:

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

Tomorrow’s results are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The other results were:

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

Tomorrow’s matches are:

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

(Basketball news) The 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 Miami Heats comprehensively beat the Chicago Bulls 112-99. For the Heat, Gabe Vincent and Tyler Herro each scored 20 points as Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo each had 15 points for Miami. Max Strus had all 13 of his points in the fourth quarter for them. For the Bulls, Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 22 points, while Ayo Dosunmu had 18 and Nikola Vucevic added 14 as DeMar DeRozan's streak of 10 consecutive games with at least 30 points ended; he finished with 18. With this result Miami reclaimed the top position in the Western Conference table with their ninth successive win as their record currently stands at 41-21. 

''Whatever people want to say about us is cool,'' Herro said.

''I was just playing,'' DeRozan said of the streak. ''Just going out there playing, competing, doing whatever I could. I was just going out there playing. ... I'm glad it's over with so I can stop hearing everything about it.''

''I think the biggest thing for me is we have to get battle-tested in some of these games and we just don't have a lot of guys who have gone into these kinds of experiences,'' Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. ''I think it's really good for us.''

“When the opportunity comes you want to take advantage of it,'' Vincent said. ''We miss Kyle and can't wait to get him back.''

The Milwaukee Bucks steam rolled past the Charlotte Hornets as they beat them 130-106. For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points and 16 rebounds, Jrue Holiday had 21 points and eight assists, and Bobby Portis added 20 points and 10 rebounds for them. Milwaukee made its first 26 free throws and finished 32 of 37 from the line. Antetokounmpo made all 14 of his free throws. For the Hornets, LaMelo Ball scored 24 points, Terry Rozier finished with 17 points and eight assists. With this result the Bucks improved their record to 37-25 and currently are in 4th place in the Eastern Conference table.

''If we got everybody locked in, giving that effort defensively, who can really score on us at a high level?'' said Jevon Carter, who scored 10 points off the bench. ''And then on the other end, being able to guard us in transition. So, we keep that pace up, sky's the limit.''

''We were in a little bit of an aggressive mindset'' in the second quarter, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. ''I thought Giannis quarterbacked in some of those situations, whether it was against the press or against the zone and found shooters. Sometimes we were able to play fast against the zone before it could get set, get some corner 3s.''

Also read: NBA: Pelicans thrash the Lakers and Warriors also lose

The other results were:

 

• Cavs 122 - 127 Timberwolves
• Magic 119 - 103 Pacers
• Nets 97 - 133 Raptors
• Thunder 110 - 131 Kings
• Grizzlies 118 - 105 Spurs

Tomorrow’s fixture are:

• Wizards vs Pistons
• Raptors vs Nets
• Celtics vs Hawks
• Rockets vs Clippers
• Timberwolves vs Warriors
• Lakers vs Mavericks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The other results were:

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

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

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

(Basketball news) 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) The Golden State Warriors won their 21st match of the season with a 104-94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Curry scored 22 points and moved within nine 3s of tying Ray Allen's record, Steph Curry is closing in on Allen's mark of 2,973 regular-season 3s made from 1996-2014. Draymond Green had 10 rebounds, eight assists and five points, and Jordan Poole scored eight of his 20 points in the third quarter as Golden State started to pull away. Otto Porter Jr. contributed 15 points and six rebounds off the bench as the Warriors improved to 21-4. For the Trail Blazers Jusuf Nurkic had 12 points, 13 rebounds and six assists before fouling out late. Nassir Little scored 18 points for the Blazers, Norman Powell scored 26 points but went 1 for 7 from deep, and the Blazers made just 8 of 30 on 3-pointers as the Trail Blazers missed injured allstars Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. With this result Warriors move to the top of the Western Conference.

''To make that many 3s in one game obviously has never been done before, so it was just a routine night,'' coach Steve Kerr said of the 16 Curry needed coming into the game to top Allen. ''He made six, which is nothing for him. I don't think I ever did that in my entire career one time.''

''I feel like it will be special no matter what because I'll make it special and it will be an amazing experience for me and my teammates,'' Curry said this week

The Brooklyn Nets suffered a shock 114-104 loss to the Houston Rockets, who subsequently are showing an uprise in form. Eric Gordon scored 21 points before being ejected in the fourth quarter and Garrison Mathews added 19 as the Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to seven and one of the in form teams in the NBA. Although James Harden had 25 points for the Nets, NBA leading scorer Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge both sat out for this match, Cam Thomas had 18 points for Brooklyn and Mills added 12 points. The loss snapped a six-game road winning streak for the Nets, whose nine road wins are tied with the Suns for most in the NBA. With this result Nets still remained on top of the Eastern Conference with a record of 17-8.

“The adversity that we went through prior to this point has made it even sweeter,'' coach Stephen Silas said. ''We're feeling pretty good about ourselves.'

''When you beat a team like that it means something,'' Mathews said. ''This streak's been a huge boost to our confidence. It's been a huge boost to our morale.''

The Miami Heat finally snapped their losing streak with a 113-104 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Caleb Martin scored a career-high 28 points, he shot 9 of 12 from the field, including 6 for 8 on 3-pointers, as the Heat tied a franchise record with 22 3s against the defending NBA champions. Kyle Lowry had 22 points and 13 assists, and Max Strus scored all 16 of his points in the fourth quarter for Miami, which snapped a three-game home losing streak. For the Bucks Jrue Holiday scored 27 points and Khris Middleton finished with 20 for the Bucks. Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had 15 points. With this result the Heat’s improved their record to 15-11 and are currently in 4th position and as for the Bucks their record stands at 16-10.

Also read: NBA: Lakers beat Celtics and Nets extend their winning run against the Dallas Maverick

The other results were:

• Pistons 116 - 119 Wizards
• Hornets 106 - 110 76ers
• Cavaliers 115 - 92 Bulls
• Pacers 122- 102 Knicks
• Raptors 109 - 110 Thunder
• Grizzlies 96 - 104 Mavericks
• Timberwolves 104 - 136 Jazz
• Pelicans 114 - 120 Nuggets
• Kings 142 - 130 Magic
• Clippers 114 - 111 Celtics

The fixtures for tomorrow are;

• 76ers vs Jazz
• Grizzlies vs Lakers
• Spurs vs Nuggets

(Basketball news) Phoenix Suns have tied a franchise record with 17 wins in a row as they won 104-96 against the Golden State Warriors. Ayton scored 24 points, Chris Paul added 15 points and 11 assists despite losing star guard Devin Booker to a left hamstring injury in the second quarter. He had 10 points and two rebounds in 15 minutes. For the Warriors, Jordan Poole led Golden State with 28 points. Stephen Curry - who came into the game averaging 28.6 points per game - had 12 points on 4 of 21 shooting, including 3 of 14 from 3-point range.The Suns limited the Warriors to just 42 points in the second half. The Warriors also had 22 turnovers.The Suns haven't lost since Oct. 27 when Harrison Barnes hit a game-winning 3 at the buzzer for the Sacramento Kings. With this result the Suns improved their record to 18-3 and took the number 1 spot in the Western Conference.

''It's just a lot of work, a lot of mental toughness, staying with it,'' Bridges said. ''We knew when we first got here that we wanted to turn it around.''

''With all of the mistakes we did have and how terrible I shot the ball, it was a close game down the stretch,'' Curry said. ''I know Booker got hurt, but yes, it was a good learning lesson for us. Understanding the intensity and the focus we need to beat a team like that.''

'To me, this was just will and toughness,'' Williams said.

The Lakers after a long time won two games in a row as they won 117-92 against the Sacramento Kings. The Lakers sent James home early after he was placed in the NBA's health and safety protocol. Davis claimed that James felt good and was asymptomatic but the Lakers will have to play at least a few games without him again this season. For the Lakers, Anthony Davis scored 25 points, Russell Westbrook added 23 as Malik Monk scored 22 points from the bench. The Lakers took over with a dominant third quarter to win back-to-back games for the first time since Nov. 8-10. For the Kings, Richaun Holmes scored 27 points on 12-for-13 shooting in his first game back as De'Aaron Fox added 17 but also had seven turnovers. With this result the Lakers improved their record to 12-11 as they are currently eight in the Western Conference.

“We still have to find ways to win,'' Davis said. ''We can't let that affect us. Obviously, he's a huge part of our team. But we've played a huge amount of games without him. So we kind of know how that is already. We've got to continue to play like we did on the defensive end until he's able to come back.''

''Every now and then, a coach has to light a fire under his team,'' coach Frank Vogel said. ''Today was one of those games. We weren't giving the necessary effort to transition defense and with our pick-and-roll coverages. ... Sometimes you have to let them hear about it.''

The Brooklyn Nets just about edged their city neighbours New York Knicks to 112-110 victory. Harden had 34 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Durant heated up after a slow start to finish with 27 points and nine assists. For the Knicks, Alec Burks scored a season-high 25 points in his new role as the Knicks' starting point guard, Julius Randle added 24 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Harden made history as he surpassed 2,500 3-pointers, joining Ray Allen, Stephen Curry and Reggie Miller. Kevin Durant scored 11 points with 5 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter as James Johnson hit two clutch free throws in the end to improve their record to 15-6 and reclaim their top spot in the Eastern Conference.

''Being here two years now, it doesn't matter who's on that team or who's on this team, I think the energy's always going to be there,'' Harden said. ''Whether it's here or at MSG, the fans are going to be cheering for their respective teams and it's going to be a good game every time, and tonight we're just happy to come out with the win.''

''It's not ideal to have him have such a burden, but I don't know what options we have other than to play him less and lose more,'' coach Steve Nash said.

Also read: NBA: Utah Jazz moved up to third in the Western Conference as Denver Nuggets breeze past the Miami Heat

The other results were:

• Raptors 91 - 98 Grizzlies
• Trail Blazers 110 - 92 Pistons

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Pacers vs Hawks
• Magic vs Nuggets
• Wizards vs Timberwolves
• Celtics vs 76ers
• Heat vs Cavaliers
• Bucks vs Hornets
• Pelicans vs Mavericks
• Thunder vs Rockets
• Clippers vs Kings
   

(Basketball news) Utah Jazz beat the Portland Trail Blazers 129-107 as Mitchell scored 30 points, Rudy Gobert had 21 points and 16 rebounds, Jordan Clarkson added 22 points for Utah, which used quick passes and spacing to make 19 3-pointers and shot 53% from the field a game after making a season-high 20 3s. The Jazz matched their season high with 46 made field goals. Anfernee Simons scored a season-high 24 points and Jusuf Nurkic also had 24 as the Trail Blazers fell to 1-10 on the road this season. After making two of his first three shots, Lillard only made two more buckets on nine attempts. Lillard has gone 16 for 45 over his last three games. Utah's defensive plan centered on getting the ball out of Lillard's hands to make someone other than him or CJ McCollum make shots. With this result Utah improved their record to 14-7 as they moved up to 3rd in the Western Conference.

“Aggressive decision making,'' Mitchell said. ''When you start to think too much, that's when the turnovers and the mistakes come in.''

“Our guys were unselfish and got off the ball when they needed to. As you spread it out and make some shots, all of the sudden lanes to the basket open up, too,'' Utah coach Quin Snyder said.

'We're such a different ball club on the road,'' Portland coach Chauncy Billups said. ''We play with this casualness a lot of times, with no urgency. That's dangerous. And at home, you can do that and a team can make a run and you get your crowd behind you and you can overcome a lot of times at home. On the road, you can't do that.''

Denver Nuggets breezed past Miami Heat 120-111 as they were short handed with injuries. Nikola Jokic returned and scored 24 points, Aaron Gordon added 20 and the Nuggets snapped their longest losing streak in nearly six years, Bones Hyland returned from injury to score 19 and Will Barton added 14 for the Nuggets, who had dropped six straight. Jokic hadn't played in the last four of those because of a wrist injury but finished with 15 rebounds and seven assists. Bam Adebayo finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds, Max Strus scored 19 points and Caleb Martin added 18 for the Heat, they got 17 points and 14 assists from Kyle Lowry, which was without its two leading scorers Jimmy Butler who was out with a bruised tailbone and Tyler Herro missed the game with what the Heat called general body soreness. With this result when under .500 as they improved their record to 10-10, the Nuggets moved up to 9th in the Western Conference.

''That's behind us,'' Jokic said. ''We need to move on to the future. We won the game and that's the most important thing.

“Our defense is better than that,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''I think they played extremely well. And in those pivotal moments in the course of the game, it seemed like they made every shot, every play”.

The Chicago Bulls went back to winning ways as they won 133-119 against the Charlotte Hornets. Chicago shot a season-high 59.6% from the field and had five players score in double figures. Vucevic had a season-best 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points, and Zach LaVine, a game-time decision because of an illness, finished with 25.  Lonzo Ball helped the Bulls get back on track after dropping three of four. He had 16 points and eight assists and LaMelo Ball had 18 points and 13 assists as both the brothers went head to head for the third time. For the Hornets, Terry Rozier scored 31 points and Gordon Hayward had 22 for the Hornets, who dropped to 0-2 on their four-game trip. With this result Bulls improved their record to 14-8 as they reclaimed their second place in the Eastern Conference.

“I mean we've been talking about the NBA since we were little boys,'' LaMelo said. ''Just going out there and playing against him, always a dream come true, for real.''

''Obviously we are brothers and it's all love off the court,'' Lonzo Ball said. ''But on the court, like I said, he got a job he got to do, I got a job I got to do.

“I felt like I was getting my rhythm, and then I got COVID and then I had to sit out,'' Vucevic said. ''But obviously tonight was a good game for me. Felt great to make some shots.''

Also read: NBA: Warriors win their 8th straight game as Lakers bounce back with a victory over the Detroit Pistons

The other results were:

• 76ers 101 - 96 Magic
• Rockets 102 - 89 Thunder
• Timberwolves 100 - 98 Pacers
• Spurs 116 - 99 Wizards
• Mavericks 96 - 114 Cavaliers
• Clippers 104 - 123 Pelicans

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Raptors vs Grizzlies
• Nets vs Knicks
• Kings vs Lakers
• Trail Blazers vs Pistons 
• Suns vs Warriors
   

(Basketball news) The 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 fell under .500 as they lost 130-108 against the Celtics, Jayson Tatum who grew up idolising Kobe Bryant scored 37 points. With LeBron James coming into the line up after missing eight games the Lakers still looked very sloppy. Anthony Davis led Los Angeles with 31 points and James finished with 23 in 32 minutes. They each had six rebounds and two assists.Marcus Smart had 22 points and Dennis Schroder 21 for Boston (8-8), which climbed back to .500. Tatum had 11 rebounds and Al Horford added 18 points. With this result the Lakers record slump to 8-9 as they dropped down to 9th.

It's a surreal moment, obviously, Bill Russell and the impact he had on the Celtics and the NBA,'' Tatum said. ''Having someone like Paul come to the game and someone I have a relationship with.''I remember watching him play,'' Tatum said, breaking into a smile. ''Now he's watching me play, that's crazy

''I felt OK,'' James said. ''Obviously being out 2 1/2 weeks, I felt kind of like a rookie again, just being away from the game. Excited. Felt good enough that I could trust my body.''

'We stress making quick decisions,'' Boston coach Ime Udoka said. ''When he holds it, the crowds get to him. He was extremely aggressive.''

The Golden State Warriors won 105-102 against the Detroit Pistons. Poole scored 22 of his season-high 32 points in the first half and Wiggins had 27, as both made the most of their opportunity to step up as scorers in Stephen Curry's absence.The NBA-leading Warriors sat out Curry with a bruised hip, a night after the two-time MVP and the league's leading scorer had 20 of his 40 points in a fourth-quarter comeback victory at Cleveland. They also also without Draymond Green because of a bruised thigh after he had 14 assists in 29 minutes against the CavaliersDetroit's Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick, had 19 points, six rebounds and six assists. Jackson scored a season-high 27 points, Grant had 19 and Hamidou Diallo added 10 points.

I'm really proud of Jordan,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''He struggled the last few games. He was locked in right at the beginning.''

'We competed and fought to get back,'' Casey said. ''Those guys are heartbroken because they put themselves in a position to win and just couldn't get that last shot to go in.'

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Denver Nuggets by 114-108. Zach LaVine took over the night as he scored 36 points,LaVine scored 12 of his 36 points in a pivotal stretch of the fourth quarter, DeRozan hit eight straight late free throws and the Bulls won in Denver for the first time since 2006.DeRozan finished with 26 points, including a 12-for-12 performance at the line. LaVine and DeRozan were sizzling in helping the Bulls win. Aaron Gordon had a season-high 28 points for the Nuggets, who've dropped three straight. He was 10 of 12 from the field and had nine boards as they were without the reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. LaVine has now scored 20-plus points 15 times this season, tied with Kevin Durant of Brooklyn for most in the league

''They've got to pick either me or him,'' LaVine said of the tandem with DeRozan. ''One of us is going to get a good look or create a play.''''I haven't heard that in my tenure here,'' he said. ''Hearing the fans and having them travel and be supportive on the road is incredible.''

'They were making big shots. We were making big shots,'' LaVine said. ''Obviously, if the ball is in me and DeMar's hands, we're going to make the right play, I think, pretty much every time.''

'It's remarkable to watch him,'' Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. ''He's one of the best tough-shot makers in this league.''

Also read: NBA: Curry magic sinks the Cleveland Cavaliers as Miami Heat beat the in-form Washington Wizards

The other results were:

• Hornets 121 - 118 Pacers
• Nets 115 - 113 Magic
• Pelicans 94 - 81 Clippers
• Bucks 96 -  89 Thunder
• Suns 112 - 104 Mavericks
• Kings 89 - 108 Raptors

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Knicks vs Rockets
• Wizards vs Heat
• Pacers vs Pelicans
• Celtics vs Thunder
• Hawks vs Hornets
• Bucks vs Magic
• Trail Blazers vs 76ers
• Kings vs Jazz
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The other results were:

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

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

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

 

(Basketball news) Lakers suffered an embarrassing loss against Timberwolves as Karl Anthony Towns scored 18 of his 29 points during Timberwolves dominant third quarter and they snapped their six match losing streak with a 107- 83 victory at the staples centre. D’Angelo Russell had 22 points against his former team as the Timberwolves outscored the Lakers 40-12 in the third quarter. Anthony Davis had 22 points and eight rebounds as the Lakers dropped to 2-3 with LeBron James sidelined by a strained abdominal muscle, Russell Westbrook scored 20 points on his 33rd birthday but it completely disintegrated after the second half as the Wolves went on 29-4. With this result the Lakers record stands at 7-6 as they move to 7th in the Western Conference

Davis said, “We're not going to win a championship the way we're playing, we have to be better. We've got to decide who we want to be. A championship team? That's not us right now.”

Minnesota coach Chris Finch said, “Desperately needed this one, In this situation, the more desperate team usually wins in the NBA on any given night. We've been playing well. We just haven't been playing well often enough. Felt good to watch some shots go in finally.''

Golden State Warriors beat the in-form Chicago Bulls 119-83 as Steph Curry again lit Chase Centre. The reigning NBA scoring champion piled up 40 points with nine three pointers, Draymond Green delivered an all around performance to guide them to their 7th consecutive win. It was also a historical night for Curry as he passed Ray Allen for the most 3 pointers made in NBA history. Zach LaVine scored 23 points and DeMar DeRozan had 18 to lead the Bulls, who missed star Nikola Vucevic during his absence with COVID-19 as the Bulls had no answer to Curry’s brilliance. With this result Warriors improve their record to 11-1 and sit on top of the Western Conference.

Coach Steve Kerr said, “In general, the high point is establishing our home floor, that this is going to be a tough place to come and win a game. And a lot of that is the way we're playing, a lot of that is our fans, the energy in the building, there's a really good vibe about the team, the fans feel it. Great way to start the year but now we've got to go out on the road and it's going to get a lot tougher. We obviously are very happy to be where we are.''

Curry said of performing for Davidson coach Bob McKillop, “It's special. The schedule gods worked out somewhat in terms of they got to come to the game. Obviously, we're going to Charlotte tomorrow so I'll miss the Davidson-USF game, but to have Coach in the building ... it always gets me going reminding me of the journey to get here and all that went into making me the player and person I am now.''

Brooklyn Nets got back to winning ways after getting 120-112 victory over New Orleans Pelicans. With James Harden and Kevin Durant both hitting clutch shots, the Brooklyn Nets were able to get away with blowing a 21-point second-half lead on the road. Harden highlighted a 39-point, 12-assist performance and also scored a game-sealing 27-foot 3-pointer with 29 seconds left. Durant scored 28 points as Joe Harris heavily contributed with 24 points to get back to winning ways. Valanciunas and Nickeil Alexander Walker added 36 points together but it wasn’t enough for them. With this result Nets move to 2nd in the Eastern Conference with 9-4 record.

Durant said, “We were able to take that nice little haymaker and keep pushing, I think they found something that was working more so than us just playing down to their record.”

Also read: NBA: Clippers beat Miami Heat to win their 6th match on a row as the 76ers lose against the Raptors

The other results were:

• Celtics 122- 113 Bucks
• Hornets 104 - 96 Knicks
• Cavaliers 98 - 78 Pistons
• Rockets 92 - 104 Trail Blazers
• Thunder 105 - 103 Kings
• Grizzlies 94 - 119 Suns
• Spurs 109 - 123 Mavericks
• Nuggets 105 - 96 Hawks

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Jazz vs Heat
• Pelicans vs Grizzlies
• Magic vs Wizards
• Pacers vs 76ers
• Raptors vs Pistons
• Cavaliers vs Celtics
• Clippers vs Timberwolves
   

(Basketball news) After losing four of their first five games, the Los Angeles Clippers are on a roll after they won 112-109 against an in-form Miami Heat. Paul George rallied with 27 points as Reggie Jackson scored 22 points in the second half from the bench to help his team win, Eric Bledsoe had 21 points and Ivica Zubac finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Bam Adebayo had a season high 30 points and 11 rebounds, Kyle Lowry tried his best to take the game to overtime as he scored 22 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter. With this result the Clippers moved to 6th in the Western Conference as their record stands at 7-4.

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said, “We knew exactly what was coming. The speed at which they did it we weren't ready for, We looked like we were the team that was on a back-to-back instead of those guys.''

“We're just playing with more flow and pace,, who is back for his second stint with the Clippers. We got tons of shooters”, said Bledsoe

''I was trying to just find a way to get a win, I had an opportunity, I attacked a lot more. And just trying to be a little bit more assertive on my team, but it doesn't matter because we still lost the game” Lowry said. 

Toronto Raptors got an unlikely 115-109 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Fred VanVleet hit six threes and scored 32 points as Gary Trent further added 20 points to rally the former champions to a much needed victory. The Sixers were still without Joel Embiib, Isaiah Joe and Matisse Thybulle who were still in the NBA’s health and safety protocol and subsequently out of the fixtures. The Sixers need more reinforcements and have lost three straight games, Tyrese Maxey did score 33 points for the Sixers but wasn’t enough to secure the much needed victory.With this result Raptors improve their record to 7-6 and are in 8th position in the Eastern Conference

Coach Nick Nurse said, “It's been in the culture with the Raptors for a while. We just believe in it, talk about it, drill it. We hold guys accountable. I think the biggest metric is your heart and your toughness and your desire to want to do it. Fortunately, our guys most nights will do that”

Indiana Pacers handed Utah Jazz their first home loss of the season as they beat them 111-100. Malcolm Brogdon scored a season high 30 points and 9 rebounds to lead the Pacers from the front to victory. Turner, Gobert, Donovan Mitchell and Joe Ingles were ejected with 4:01 left. Turner shoved Gobert, planting his shoulder in his back after a missed layup. Gobert responded by hugging him and trying to wrestle Turner to the floor. The two players had to be separated near the basket across from the Pacers bench. Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points and Gobert added 19 points and 11 rebounds but both their matches got cut short after getting ejected. With this result pacers improved their record to 5-8 as Jazz only suffered their fourth loss of the season.

Brogdon said, “We've got a resilient group, we've got a group that's maturing and a group that's getting better and getting tougher. We've got to continue to build on this”

That whole thing could have been avoided - just draw the line early, as opposed to letting it build up for the whole game,'' Mitchell said.

Turner said, “I had to stand up for myself in that situation, I don't think I did anything wrong. But that's not for me to decide. We'll talk to the league and see what happens from there”

Also read: NBA: Lakers prevail over Miami Heat as Warriors continued their winning start to the season

Tomorrow's fixtures are:  

• Hornets vs Knicks
• Celtics vs Bucks
• Cavaliers vs Pistons
• Pelicans vs Nets
• Rockets vs Trail Blazers
• Thunder vs Kings
• Spurs vs Mavericks
• Nuggets vs Hawks
• Warriors vs Bulls
• Lakers vs Timberwolves
   

(Basketball news) Lakers won a second straight game in overtime as they beat a strong Miami Heat 120-117 in what was a rematch of the 2020 NBA finals. Malik Monk scored five of his season-high 27 points in overtime, and the Lakers rallied late in regulation before surging in overtime. Russell Westbrook had his second triple double in consecutive matches 25 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, Anthony Davis also impressed with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Adebayo scored 28 points before fouling out and Kyle Lowry had 18 points and 11 assists for the Heat, who lost Butler for the night after he scored seven points while playing the entire first quarter. Tyler Herro scored 27 points, but missed two three pointers in the final nine seconds of the overtime. With this result the Lakers improved their record to 7-5 as they moved to 7th in the Western Conference.

Malik Monk after the match said, “I had this role a couple of times in Charlotte when a lot of guys got hurt, who has turned in three of the five highest-scoring performances of his career against Miami. I had to come in, play big minutes and facilitate and do all the things I normally don't do. I work on my game a lot, so I was really prepared for this moment.”

Davis said, “After that Portland loss, we took that personally .These last two games have definitely been fun. Guys are starting to realize how good of a team we are, and we just have to take that mindset to the floor.''

Golden State Warriors continued their fine start to the season with a 123-110 victory over the Timberwolves. With the help of a season high scoring performance from Andrew Wiggins as he dominated his former team with 35 points, Steph Curry also scored 25 points to go with six assists coming off a 50 point masterpiece Monday night against the Hawks. Last year's number one pick Anthony Edwards scored a career-high 48 points for Minnesota, hitting seven 3-pointers in the Timberwolves' sixth straight loss. With this result Warriors improve their record to 10-1 as they stay on top of the Western Conference

Steve Kerr after the match said, “Andrew was just fantastic, the aggression from the beginning of the game, loved his energy,  Obviously he was pretty excited to play against his old team. We needed everything he brought us tonight. I thought Kevon Looney was just amazing. That's one of the toughest matchups in the league in Towns,''

Milwaukee Bucks late 3 point barrage helped them get a 112-110 victory over the New York Knicks. Pat Connaughton scored a season high 23 points, making three late 3 pointers to completely change the tie around, Jrue Holiday scored 18 points and Antetokounmpo had 15 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks, who had just enough to win for the second straight night. Derrick Rose had 22 points and seven assists and Immanuel Quickley scored 18 points as they tried their level best to get an unlikely victory over them, but the Bucks blew a 24 point lead before beating them. With this result, Bucks improve their record to 6-6 as they move to 8th in the Eastern Conference and the Knicks have somewhat lost their way over the past few weeks after getting off to an amazing start, Knicks have a record of 7-5 and currently stand 7th.
 
'It was good to be in a hostile environment, good to face some of the same things we faced against them last week and good to be able to come out victorious,'' Connaughton said

We kept our composure and that's who we are and it feels good,'' Giannis Antetokounmpo said.

Also read: NBA: Steph Curry erupts with a 50 point point performance against the Hawks as Lakers win against Hornets

The other significant results were:

• Cavaliers 94 - 97 Wizards
• Magic 90 - 123 Nets
• Celtics 104 - 88 Raptors
• Grizzlies 108 - 118 Hornets
• Bulls 117 - 107 Mavericks
• Nuggets 101 - 98 Pacers

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• 76ers vs Raptors
• Jazz vs Pacers
• Clippers vs Heat
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other significant results were:

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

The fixtures to look for tomorrow are:

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

 

(Basketball news) The match between the Suns and Nuggets was a story of two halves, ultimately the Denver Nuggets came out on top as they used lockdown defence and clutch 3 point shots to start off their campaign with a 110-98 victory. Last year's MVP Nikola Jokic started off the campaign with 27 points and 13 rebounds on 13 of 22 shooting from the field as he was too much for the Suns defence to handle, on the other hand Mikal Bridges top scored with 16 points as Chris Paul and co couldn’t get themselves in a groove in the second half

Knicks edged out Celtics 138-134 after playing two overtimes, in what was an enthralling game between these two historical franchises. Evan Fournier in his first match for the New York Knicks scored a career high with 32 points and also hit the game winning three pointer with 56 seconds left in the second overtime. Earlier Jaylen Brown scored 46 points to inspire his team to make a comeback in the fourth quarter as they were down by 11 points, subsequently Brown broke the franchise record for the highest number of points scored on the opening night but ultimately his efforts went in vain as they lost by 4 points in the end. Last year’s most improved player Julius Randle top scored for the Knicks with 35 points, 9 assist and 8 rebounds to help inspire them to a historic victory.

The Chicago Bulls won 94-88 against the Detroit Pistons, this season the Bulls have made significant changes to their roster adding the likes of DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball. These players made their debut and did not disappoint as they scored 17 and 12 points respectively but all the headlines were grabbed by their franchise cornerstone for years Zach Lavine who top scored with 34 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assist. Jerami Grant did his best to inspire a comeback but his 24 points wasn’t enough for them as the Bulls defeated the Pistons for the eight consecutive time.

In tomorrow's matches, the two next generation superstars Trae Young and Luka Doncic go head to head as Hawks take on the Mavericks. Last year's surprise package Hawks will be looking to continue from where they left off from last season as they made it to the Eastern Conference finals under coach Nate McMillan in his first full season. For the Mavericks they will be heading into a new era as coach Rick Carlisle will not be in there for the first time since the 2007-08 season as they have appointed former Dallas player Jason Kidd as their new head coach. 

Also read: NBA: Lakers and Nets both lose their first match of the season as Giannis and Steph Curry both shine on the opening day.

The Miami Heat will play their first match against defending champions Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat will have a renewed vigour and passion to make this year's final after a disappointing season last year, this season Miami have added some extra firepower in the form of former NBA champion Kyle Lowry and also Victor Oldapio who was added to their roster last season will come back from a recurring injury. Miami mainstays Jimmy Butler and along with Bam Adebayo will be hoping that they inspire them to go all the way and win a NBA championship together. This season the Heats have been portrayed as the dark horse for the Championship by the former players and experts.

Last year's Western Conference Finalist LA Clippers will take on Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are coming off good form after beating the Lakers and will hope to repeat the same against their city rivals. For Clippers, the task in hand will be difficult as their talisman Kawhi Leonard will be out for quite some time as he suffered an ACL injury in the Western Conference Finals. All the onus will be on Paul George to lead the franchise before Kawhi Leonard comes back.

The other significant results were:

• Trail Blazers 121 - 124 Kings
• Jazz 107 - 86 Thunder
• Spurs 123 - 97 Magic
• Grizzlies 132 - 121 Cavaliers
• Pelicans 97 - 117 76ers
• Raptors 83 - 98 Wizards 
• Hornets 123 - 122 Pacers
• Timberwolves 124 - 106 Rockets
   

(Basketball news) 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.

It was the first matchup between last year’s East finalists that ended in a nail biting finish, with Payton Pritchard’s putback two tenths of a second left sealing the win for Boston Celtics. Jayson Tayton scored 27 points and Jaylen Brown had 21 points in a matchup that saw Celtics wastefully let go of an early 17 point lead and a 10 point lead until the final minute, to eventually get the edge over Miami Heat. For Miami, Jimmy Butler had 26 points, Duncan Robinson got 16, Bam Adebayo with 15 and 14 from Goran Dragic. Miami Heat made an inspiring comeback to score 10 points in 55 seconds to tie the game, thanks to a pair of 3-pointers by Robinson and another one from Dragic. The Heat fell short at the end with Pritchard swooping in from a rebound with only two tenths of a second left on the clock. The Celtics made it difficult for themselves considering they made five 3-pointers in the first 5:45 to lead 21 - 9 and also held Miami to one field goal in the second quarter for eight minutes to lead by 17. It’s a testament to the spirit shown by Miami Heat players to cut the lead by eight by halftime and overturn the deficit by five in the third quarter. Both teams were tied at 80 with 12 minutes left on the clock thanks to Grant Williams putback in the final second of the third quarter.