(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) Kyrie Irving has decided to exercise his $36.9 million option in his four contract next season and will remain with the Brooklyn Nets for the time being after being linked to join the Los Angeles Lakers in a sign in trade. The seven-time All-Star averaged 27.4 points and 5.8 assists this past season for the Nets, with whom he has already spent the last three seasons. He's about to enter the final season in a four-year of his major $137 million deal with Brooklyn.

Irving had until Wednesday to inform the Nets about his decision but he ultimately opted to stay and take the money. For the time being it closes one element of the ongoing saga regarding his future, which has been one of the biggest stories as the league prepares for Free Agency on Thursday. However, he may not be a free agent but Irving could still have his contract extended before free agency begins. The Nets could still trade him and in fact, many teams might be more interested in a deal now since Irving is on an expiring contract.

He only appeared in 29 regular-season games this past season, largely because of his decision to not be vaccinated. That made him ineligible to play in Brooklyn, until he was allotted an exemption to the New York City's vaccine protocols. Irving, after the Nets were swept by Boston in the first round, said that he planned on remaining in Brooklyn. He even talked about him and Kevin Durant managing the franchise along with general manager Sean Marks and owner Joe Tsai. Marks later made it clear about Irving's future as they would have to involve discussions about being more available to the team, and he also added that he could not come to an agreement on a long-term extension that could have seen Irving paid an additional $185 million over four years.

Last season the Nets looked on track to reach their first Conference Finals before Irving sprained his ankle in Game 4 of the East semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks, who rallied on and went on to win the series in seven games. The Nets returned this past season thinking that their title core of Irving, Durant and James Harden might go on to win the NBA Championship but it didn't work out anywhere near as planned. Irving wasn't with the team for the majority of the season and Harden ultimately got traded to Philadelphia. The Nets needed to play the play-in tournament just to make the playoffs, and Nets then got humiliated by the eventual Eastern Conference champions, Celtics.

Durant and Irving have always been close friends as they came to the Nets together in July 2019. Durant signed his extension last summer, but Irving did not. Durant is also thinking about his future at Brooklyn but with Irving back in the mix, and with Ben Simmons, who hasn’t played at all this season is now set to team up alongside Irving and Durant this coming season, Brooklyn could quickly return to contender status if these three superstars can figure out a way to play. Or else both Kevin Durnat and Kyrie Irving will hand in trade requests.

Also read: NBA: John Wall is set to join the Los Angeles Clippers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The other results were:

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

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The other results were:

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

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The other results were:

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

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The other results were:

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

Tomorrow’s matches are:

• 76ers vs Lakers
• Warriors vs Timberwolves

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The other results were:

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

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The other results were:

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

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The other results were:

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

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

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

 

(Basketball news) Lakers won back to back road games as they defeated 106-94 against the Orlando Magic. James scored 14 of his 30 points during Los Angeles' spectacular third quarter, and he added 11 rebounds and 10 assists while the Lakers rolled past Orlando for their fifth victory in seven games. For the Lakers, Talen Horton-Tucker scored 19 points, Russell Westbrook had 19 points and James secured his 101st career triple-double in the final minutes as the Lakers won their second straight with second-leading scorer Anthony Davis sidelined by left knee soreness. For the Magic, Cole Anthony scored 21 points, Franz Wagner added 20 points and seven rebounds as they suffered their 12th loss in 13 games. With this result the Lakers improved their record to 15-13 and moved up to 6th in Western Conference.

'When he's aggressive and making the right plays and reads, our team is different,'' Westbrook said. ''This was another game where he imposed his will. ... (The blocked shots) are just big for us, and I know it's big for him to show he's still doing what he's been doing year after year. It's great to see.''

''Sleep,'' James said. ''Sleep, and inspiration from my son and his team. ... I slept last night from 12 to 8. I got up, ate breakfast, and then I went back to sleep from 8:30 to 12:30. That's pretty good, right?''

''He's exemplifying finding joy through hustle,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''The effort he's playing with is inspiring our whole group.''

The Brooklyn Nets continued their fine start to the season with a 116-104 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Kevin Durant scored an NBA season-high 51 points as he scored at least 10 points in all four quarters. Patty Mills added 18 points for the Nets, who outscored Detroit 30-13 in the fourth quarter. For the Pistons Cade Cunningham had 26 and Frank Jackson added 25 for Detroit, which lost its 12th straight and still haven't won back-to-back games this season. Durant also set the record on Sunday for points scored at the Little Caesars Arena, which opened in 2017. He bested Blake Griffin's 50 in 2018, Kyrie Irving's 45 in 2020 and James Harden's 44 last season. With this result the Nets improved their record to 19-8 and sit comfortably at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

''I knew I probably needed to pick up a little more of the scoring tonight,'' said Durant, who had his seventh 50-point game of his career. ''We were turning the ball over more than we should, and I was doing as much of that as anyone, so I figured I better just keep shooting.'

''It was fun just to watch K.D. when he's playing like that,'' Mills said. ''Being a part of it is even better. You don't see many games like he had tonight.''

''I saw the look in his eyes and knew he didn't want to come out,'' Nets coach Steve Nash said. ''He was just incredible tonight. Not only did he score 51, but he had (nine) assists and (seven) rebounds. He even had a couple blocks and played incredible defense in the fourth quarter.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose to the Grizzlies as they ruined LeBron James’ historic 100th triple double

The other results were:

• Thunder 84 - 103 Mavericks
• Spurs 112 - 97 Pelicans  
• Trail Blazers 111 - 116 Timberwolves

The other matches for tomorrow are:

• Cavaliers vs Heat
• Raptors vs Kings
• Pacers vs Warriors
• Hawks vs Rockets
• Celtics vs Bucks
• Grizzlies vs 76ers 
• Mavericks vs Hornets
• Nuggets vs Wizards
• Clippers vs Suns

(Basketball news) 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) James delivered tiebreaking and back-breaking 3-pointers in overtime and finished with 39 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers rally past Indiana 124-116. After drawing his first suspension in his career, LeBron James looked like a man on a mission as the Lakers missed Anthony Davis through fever. Russell Westbrook had 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Monk had 17 points. Carmelo Anthony and Ellington each added 14 but James was 13 of 29 from the field and had six assists and five rebounds. For the Pacers,  Brogdon added seven rebounds, Domantas Sabonis had 14 points, 12 rebounds and six assists while Myles Turner had 12 points, six rebounds and two blocks. LeBron James forced overtime by scoring seven straight points to give the Lakers their 10th victory of the season. With this result the Lakers improved their record to 10-10 as they lie 9th place in Western Conference. 

“I know he wanted to get this W,''' coach Frank Vogel said. ''He really wanted to play in that Knicks game, he looks forward to that every year. So to bounce back tonight, to quarterback the defense and carry the offense the way he did, that's just a performance for the ages.”

“I was excited about being in the lineup. Me not playing last night on the second night of a back to back, I knew I could kind of give our guys a boost of energy with me not playing last night'' said James.

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Boston Celtics 123-103 as Kevin Durant scored 21 points to overtake Allen Iverson in the all time scoring charts to enter the top 25 of the NBA's all-time scoring list. Patty Mills scored 23  and James Harden had 20 points and 11 assists for Brooklyn. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 17 points with nine rebounds for the Nets, who have won four in a row, seven out of eight and 12 of their last 14 games. For the Celtics, Marcus Smart had 20 points and eight assists for Boston, which had won three in a row. Jayson Tatum had 15 points and eight rebounds as they tried their best to cut the massive lead the Nets made up in the first three quarters. Next up on the scoring list for Durant is Ray Allen, who has 24,505 points to become the 24th highest scorer in the league. 

''To pass him on the list, to end up there with some of the greats on that list is incredible,'' said Durant, who entered the night with 24,367 points, one behind Iverson, and passed him on a jumper in the first two minutes. ''I've just gotta keep going,'' he concluded.

“It's a quality road win against a team that's been playing great basketball,'' Nets coach Steve Nash said.

The Golden State Warriors continued their magnificent start to the season with a 116-96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Stephen Curry and his entire supporting cast in the second-half were defensively very sound to shut down younger brother Seth. Stephen Curry scored 25 points to Seth's 24, and the Golden State Warriors surged back after halftime to beat Philadelphia to make it five straight victories. Juan Toscano-Anderson came off the bench in the second half to score 13 points to go with six rebounds and six assists. Steph Curry shot 9 for 16 with six 3-pointers and added 10 assists as they improved their record to 16-2 which is the best in the league. Steph’s younger brother Seth Curry top scored for the 76ers with 24 points and Tyrese Maxey added 19 points for them.

“We were on our heels most of the entire first 18 minutes. Our identity is our defense. We can score with the best of them but we flipped the switch and got stops and made them take tough shots, especially in the second half and turned that into offense,'' Curry said. ''It was pretty impressive just the energy flip that happened after that first quarter”.

''We got great performances off the bench from Gary and Juan, two of our better defenders, and the defense led to the offense and the ball started to move because we were in transition,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''It was a beautiful second half.''

Also read: NBA: The New York Knicks defeated the Lakers and Mavericks needed overtime to defeat the Clippers

The other results were:

• Magic 99 - 106 Hornets
• Cavaliers 115 - 120 Suns
• Pelicans 127 - 102 Wizards
• Rockets 118 - 113 Bulls
• Timberwolves 113 - 101 Heat
• Thunder 104 - 110 Jazz
• Bucks 114 - 93 Pistons
• Grizzlies 113 - 126 Raptors
• Kings 125 - 121 Trail Blazers

The Saturday fixtures are:

• Clippers vs Pistons
• Magic vs Bulls
• Knicks vs Suns
• Hornets vs Timberwolves
• Grizzlies vs Hawks
• Thunder vs Wizards
• Pacers vs Raptors
• Spurs vs Celtics
• Nuggets vs Bucks
• Jazz vs Pelicans
• Warriors vs Trail Blazers
• Lakers vs Kings
   

(Basketball news) Suns recorded their 13th straight with a 115-111 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. The Suns matched the third-longest winning streak in franchise history. It's their longest since a franchise-record 17 straight victories from Dec. 28, 2006, to Jan. 29, 2007. Devin Booker scored 23 points, Deandre Ayton had 21 points and 14 rebounds as they had a clutch fourth quarter performance to guide their team to deserved victory. Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray had 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his seventh career triple-double as they  (4-12) have lost eight of 10 for its second-worst start in franchise history. Payne added 20 points off the bench for Phoenix, which had six players finish in double figures. Phoenix finished with 25 assists and went 45 for 87 from the field. With this result Suns improve their record to 14-3, they currently are 2nd in the Western Conference. 

''People have to find ways to get (3-pointers),'' Popovich said. ''We have to try to help them. But I would be very disappointed if we weren't getting assists or we were getting murdered on the board or turning it over constantly.''

'I always say the best available shot down every time,'' Booker said. ''I think the dynamic of our team with (Ayton) being a rim threat and he can play out the pocket is also surrounded by a lot of shooters and playmakers. We have the ability to get good shots every time downcourt.We just have to be more sound in just with what works,'' Booker said. ''A team has nothing to lose when they're down 15. They were desperate. They were getting steals and they were getting turnovers. When you're shooting the ball down 15, it's a lot easier.''

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-112 as they improved their record to 13-5 which is the best in the Eastern Conference. Kevin Durant returned to the lineup and scored 27 points, James Harden added 14 points and a season-high 14 assists, and Thomas gave Brooklyn a needed second-half lift, scoring eight of his 11 in the third quarter. For the Cavs Darius Garland scored 24 and Jaret Allen had 20 points and 15 rebounds, Lauri Markkanen added 22 points in his first game since Nov. 1 for the still short-handed Cavs. Durant (24,367) moved within one point of tying Allen Iverson (24,368) for 25th on the career scoring list.

'Sometimes, it takes a little while for them to get going. I wish it didn't,'' coach Steve Nash said ''They found themselves in a hole, but they're proud and they responded.''

'What's right is right and I thought there were definitely some calls that were missed and that is wrong,'' a hoarse Bickerstaff said. ''Our guys deserve better than that. People need to change the perceived notion of who the Cavaliers are.

Also read: NBA: Lakers win against Detroit Pistons as Warriors extend their winning run record to 15-2

The other results were:

• Wizards 103 - 109 Hornets
• Hawks 113 - 101 Thunder
• Celtics 108 - 90 Rockets
• Pelicans 96 - 110 Timberwolves
• Bulls 77 - 109 Pacers
• Bucks 123 - 92 Magic
• Jazz 118 - 119 Grizzlies
• 76ers 102 - 94 Kings

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Pistons vs Heat
• Knicks vs Lakers
• Trail Blazers vs Nuggets
• Clippers vs Mavericks

 

(Basketball news) Steph Curry lit up the night with his first triple double since January 2016 as he scored 21 points 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Golden State Warriors who came back from 10 points to stun Lebron James and the new Los Angeles Lakers by 121-114 in the season opener.

The Lakers were dominant all throughout the first three quarters as LeBron James and Anthony Davis showed the world why they are the best duo in the league, James scored 34 points and 11 rebounds while Davis had 30 points and 11 rebounds. Ultimately it was the fourth quarter that proved to be decisive as they got out scored 38-29, no other Laker players even scored in double figures as Frank Vogel and his coaching team will try to get the best out of this roster. Newly added star player Russell Westbrook couldn’t make a big impression as he shot 4 of 13 for 8 points in his Lakers debut.

Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t let their first title in their history distract them from their title defence as they breezed past the Nets in the opening night. Although Kevin Durant and Patty Mills scored 32 and 21 points respectively, the bucks were too strong in the end as they won 127-104. Although Bucks won the game, it came at a cost as their star player Jrue Holiday got injured with a bruised right heel and subsequently sat out the second half of the game.

Nets were missing star guard Kyrie Irving after his refusal to take the Covid-19 vaccine, James Harden had to step up but couldn’t deliver up to his expectations as he scored 20 points making 6 of 16 shots. On the other hand after Holiday’s injury, Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton stepped up their game and each scored 20 points to secure a comprehensive victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

“We can’t give a team 20 more shots than us. Imagine coming to a game and saying, here, take the ball 20 times on offense before we get an offensive position. This is one game out of 82 of them. We’ll look at it that way. Every team will look at it that way. The Bucks won today, but they are still trying to fine-tune what they do, too. I think every team in the league is going to look at their first few games, first few weeks and see where their team is going and then make adjustments” said Kevin Durant after the loss to the bucks.

Antetokounmpo said. ''I'm excited. But now it's over with. We've got to focus on building good habits, keep moving forward and keep playing good basketball and hopefully we can repeat this again this year, next year and all the years that we're going to be here down the road.''

Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said. ''We weren't very good, If you're not playing at a high level against the champs, you're not going to win.''

In tomorrow’s matches we will see last year’s finalist Phoenix Sun take on Denver Nuggets as just one of the marquee fixtures tomorrow. The Nuggets will most likely be without last year's MVP Nikola Jokic as he is recovering from an ankle injury as they will have to heavily rely on Aaron Gordon to score the majority of the points to get a win over the rampant Suns who will head into the match with a fully fit squad. The New York Knicks take on the Boston Celtics in their opening fixtures, the Knicks last season were a surprise package making the playoffs after 10 years but this season after the acquisition of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier they will be hoping to make the conference final at least. As for the Celtics they are going through a transition period as they will heavily rely on their young players Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown to produce the goods.

Also read: Everything to know about the 75th NBA season as Lakers and Nets start as favourites for the Championship

The other fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Hornets vs Pacers
• Pistons vs Bulls
• Raptors vs Wizards
• Timberwolves vs Rockets
• Pelicans vs 76ers
• Grizzlies vs Cavaliers
• Jazz vs Thunder
• Trail Blazers vs Kings
•  Spurs vs Magic   

 

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

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

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

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

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

The Los Angeles Roster:

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

The Brooklyn Nets Roster:

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

The Brooklyn Nets in the absence of their key players Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant managed to upset the NBA Table toppers Philadelphia 76ers with 122-109 on Thursday. The Nets played in their good ol' retro blue tie dye jerseys from the 90-91 season and dominated most of the second half with a double digit lead, ensuring their second consecutive win without Durant. LeVert added 22 points out of which 10 were assisted and 7 were rebounds while Jarret Allen added 15 points and 11 boards for the Nets. Irving was ruled out on Thursday citing personal reasons. The Nets then announced that Irving won't be traveling with the team to Memphis later that night. Durant missed out on the second consecutive game due to the NBA's strict health and safety protocols. However, Coach Steve Nash said that if Durant continues to test negative for the coronavirus, he would be able to return by Sunday. The 76ers were in high spirits with their clinical 141-136 victory over Washington on Wednesday but couldn't carry on their form as they ran into trouble with 20-8. However, they managed to come back with a lead early in the second quarter. Nevertheless, the Nets quickly bounced back and went up by 16 before taking a 65-51 lead in the half-time and were in a commanding position thereafter.