Nikola Jokic bagged his 20th triple-double of the season as the Denver Nuggets held off the Boston Celtics 115-109 in their heavyweight NBA showdown, while Dante Exum starred in a comeback win for the Mavericks.
The eagerly anticipated clash between the reigning NBA champions and Eastern Conference-leading Celtics lived up to the billing in a hard-fought duel in Denver.
Denver talisman Jokic finished with 32 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists while Jamal Murray finished with 19 points and Aaron Gordon 16.
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The win gave Denver a clean sweep over Boston in their meetings this season. The Celtics, beaten by Cleveland on Tuesday, suffered back-to-back losses for the first time since early November.
Jokic meanwhile played down the significance of the result, brushing off suggestions that Thursday’s showdown could be a preview of the NBA Finals.
“We’re a long way from the finals my friend,” the Serbian said in an on-court interview after the win.
“We had a really good energy tonight…our offense was really clicking today.”
Nikola Jokic bagged his 20th triple-double of the season as the Denver Nuggets held off the Boston Celtics.Source: AFP
Boston meanwhile were left to reflect on a loss that came despite a 41-point performance from Jaylen Brown, who shot 16-of-29 from the field.
Kristaps Porzingis added 24 points but Jayson Tatum was restricted to 15 points. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said his team’s 12 turnovers had been the difference.
“When you play against another great team, those 10-12 possessions are super, super critical,” Mazzulla said. “I think Denver did a better job of taking advantage of those than we did.”
Boston remain on top of the Eastern Conference with a 48-14 record. Denver meanwhile are third in the West at 43-20, one game back from leaders Minnesota.
In other games on Thursday, Luka Doncic completed a triple double to help the Dallas Mavericks edge past the Miami Heat 114-108.
Slovenian ace Doncic finished with 35 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as Dallas staged a late rally to end their three-game losing streak.
The Mavs trailed 101-100 with just over four minutes remaining but pulled clear to clinch victory after a flurry of late three-pointers.
Australia’s Dante Exum played a big role in key moments, and finished with 13 points, four rebounds and five assists from just 17 minutes on the floor.
Exum hit a three-pointer along with Doncic and Kyrie Irving as part of a 10-run that started when the Mavs were trailing 101-100.
It was Exum who started the run with a triple that beat the shot clock.
– Wolves claw Pacers –
Doncic received scoring support from Irving with 23 points while four other Dallas players made double figures.
Terry Rozier led Miami’s scoring with 27 points.
Dallas improved to 35-28 with the win to remain in playoff contention in the Western Conference.
DALLAS, TEXAS – DECEMBER 23: Dante Exum #0 of the Dallas Mavericks brings the ball up court during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center on December 23, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
In Indianapolis meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves snatched a 113-111 win over the Indiana Pacers thanks to a 44-point performance from Anthony Edwards in a see-saw battle that saw the lead change hands 17 times.
The Timberwolves looked to be cruising after opening up a 17-point lead in the second quarter.
But the Pacers chipped away at the deficit to set up a tense finish after outscoring Minnesota 34-23 in the third quarter.
Edwards was the undisputed star of the show for Minnesota, unfurling a 25-foot three-pointer to give the Timberwolves a 108-105 lead with 1:11 remaining.
Rudy Gobert finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Timberwolves, with Naz Reid adding 13 from the bench.
Phoenix meanwhile secured a second straight win with a wire-to-wire 120-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Arizona.
Kevin Durant was the pick of the Suns’ offensive performers with 35 points from 11-of-19 shooting.
Grayson Allen caught the eye with 26 points, including eight three-pointers, while Bradley Beal finished with 20 points.
The Golden State Warriors, who rediscovered their best form in an emphatic win over Milwaukee on Wednesday, were unable to back that victory up in their home game with the Chicago Bulls.
DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic both scored 33 points apiece as the Bulls held off a late Warriors rally to claim a 125-122 win.
Klay Thompson’s 28-foot three-pointer gave the Warriors a 119-118 lead with 40 seconds remaining, but DeRozan hit back with a pull-up from 17 feet to restore the Bulls’ advantage.
Kyrie Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr. combined for 83 points as Dallas got revenge on the New Orleans Pelicans in a 125-120 win on Tuesday (all times AEDT) after losing to them days earlier.
With the Mavericks down by seven points going into the fourth quarter, Hardaway got hot with back-to-back threes inside the last five minutes to give his side the lead before Irving finished the job in clutch time, while Josh Green’s late three-pointer iced the victory.
Playing without his co-superstar Luka Doncic (ankle), Irving amassed 42 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and Hardaway poured in 41 points including nine triples.
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According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, it marked the 20th time in NBA history one team has had two players score 40-plus.
Zion Williamson went off for 30 points, however only converted one of two throws down the stretch that could’ve evened the scores Orleans ahead after the Mavs appeared to intentionally foul him with 17.1 seconds remaining. In total, the former No. 1 pick shot 6-of-11 from the line.
It came in a game Green, who had 13 points, four threes, four rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes, faced off with fellow Aussie Dyson Daniels.
After starring in Sunday’s game between the two sides in a starting role with several Pelicans stars sidelined, Daniels played just 18 minutes off the bench in this one for two points, three rebounds and two assists.
Dante Exum meanwhile missed a seventh-straight game due to a heel injury.
The win saw Dallas reclaim the sixth seed in the West, with both Dallas and New Orleans tied on a 24-17 record.
EMBIID GOES OFF FOR 41 POINTS
Joel Embiid scored 41 points in a dazzling return from injury on Monday as the Philadelphia 76ers romped past the Houston Rockets 124-115.
Kicking off a packed slate of NBA fixtures as the US marked the Martin Luther King Jr. public holiday, the Sixers were always in control as they cruised to victory.
Embiid had missed the Sixers’ past three games after twisting his left knee in a January 6 defeat to the New York Knicks.
But the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player showed no sign of rustiness as he posted his seventh 40-point game of the season, adding 10 rebounds and three assists.
Embiid shot 12-of-21 from the field, and was near-perfect from the foul line, making 16 of 17 free throws in a comfortable win for the Sixers, who improved to 25-13 to remain in third place in the Eastern Conference.
76ers beat Kings to snap losing-streak | 00:58
Embiid’s performance also extended a remarkable scoring streak. The 29-year-old has now gone 16 consecutive games with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the second-longest streak of its kind in NBA history. Only Wilt Chamberlain is ahead of Embiid and Abdul-Jabbar.
Embiid received scoring support in Monday’s rout from Tyrese Maxey with 27 points while Patrick Beverley added 11 from the bench and Tobias Harris 10.
Jalen Green led Houston’s scoring with 20 points while Alperen Sengun finished with 19.
Houston (19-20) made a bright start to lead by one point early in the first quarter, but were unable to respond as the Sixers kicked it up a gear and surged clear by 14 points by the end of the period.
The Sixers controlled the remainder of the game, roaring into a 28-point lead at one stage.
The Oklahoma City Thunder jumped into a share of the Western Conference lead as number three NBA scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander netted 37 points to lead the host Thunder over Orlando 112-100.
The Thunder’s win streak stretched to five games and with a record of 27-11 the club matched the Minnesota Timberwolves atop the West.
Josh Giddey scored 12 points with eight rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes in Sunday’s contest (all times AEDT). It included Giddey making his 1000th field goal of his career.
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Two more Aussies took the floor on Sunday, with New Orleans’ Dyson Daniels and Dallas’ Josh Green squaring off.
Daniels’ Pelicans got the win 118-108 despite being without Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum or Trey Murphy on the second end of a back to back.
It meant Daniels drew a spot start, filling up the box score with 10 points, six rebounds and seven assists in 37 minutes to play a key role in the team’s win – New Orleans’ seventh victory from its last nine games to move into the West’s sixth seed.
Elsewhere for the Pels, rookie Jordan Hawkins scored a season-best 34 points, hitting 11-of-19 shots from the floor including 6-of-12 from three-point range.
Kyrie Irving’s 33 points led the Mavericks, who were without Luka Doncic due to an ankle injury. Green scored nine points with six rebounds and four assists.
ELSEWHERE …
Jaylen Brown scored 32 points and Jayson Tatum added 27 as the Boston Celtics remained unbeaten at home, defeating Houston 145-113 in former Celtics coach Ime Udoka’s return to Boston.
The Celtics improved to an NBA-best 30-9 overall and 19-0 at home, the league’s only undefeated club at home stretching its team-record home win streak to start a season.
Brown, who scored 21 points in the third quarter when the Celtics pulled away to stay, hit 11-of-15 shots from the floor, 4-of-6 from 3-point range, and added six rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots.
“Being aggressive. A lot of times defence gets you going,” Brown said of his third-period success.
“I get it on the run and when we play like that in transition we’re tough to beat.”
Udoka guided the Celtics to the 2022 NBA Finals, where they lost to Golden State, but he was suspended just before the start of the 2022-23 season training camp over an improper relationship with a team staffer.
Udoka ultimately was dropped and replaced by former assistant Joe Mazzulla on a permanent basis last February.
“I’m glad to see Ime back coaching on the sidelines,” Brown said. “I’m glad to see a lot of the staff we spent time with over there in Houston. I wish those guys the best of luck.”
Asked how he reflected on his departure, Udoka said, “Job not finished. The relationships you build and the people you impact, so that would be the biggest thing.”
When it came to his regrets, Udoka was equally matter-of-fact.
“The biggest thing I’d say overall is letting some people down, for sure,” Udoka said. “But we’ve talked it out and I’ve seen a lot of these people throughout the summer and talk regularly and so we move past it.”
Jokic hits 12th triple-double for Denver | 00:52
Mazzulla played down the impact of Udoka’s return with the Rockets, who hired him as head coach last April.
“The fact Ime is back is great,” he said. “But I don’t think that really has anything to do with winning or losing.” Both were important to the Celtics after being thumped 135-102 at Milwaukee on Friday.
“Last game we didn’t feel like we were at our best,” Brown said. “We wanted to come out and make sure we stayed undefeated on the home court.”
At Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points, Damian Lillard added 27 and Khris Middleton netted 24 with 10 assists to lead the Bucks over visiting Golden State 129-118.
Jonathan Kuminga scored 28 off the bench to lead the Warriors, who rested star guard Stephen Curry.
Chicago’s Nikola Vucevic had 24 points and 16 rebounds while DeMar DeRozan added 20 points to lead the Bulls over host San Antonio 122-116.
Tre Jones scored 30 points to lead the Spurs, who were without French rookie star Victor Wembanyama, who is playing restricted minutes due to an ankle injury.
In Atlanta, Kyle Kuzma scored 29 points and the Washington Wizards (7-31) snapped a six-game losing streak with a 127-99 victory over the host Hawks.
Playing without LeBron James due to a left ankle injury, the Los Angeles Lakers fell to the in-form Utah Jazz 132-125 to fall outside the play-in.
With it, LA since its In-Season Tournament triumph has fallen from the six seed to the 11th – a period in which it’s ranked 21st in defensive rating, 23rd in offensive rating and 25 in net rating, per StatMuse.
Lauri Markkanen and Colin Sexton combined for 56 points for the Jazz in the win, while D’Angelo Russell top-scored with 39 points to go with eight assists and Anthony Davis racked up a triple-double (15 points, 15 boards, 11 assists) with four blocks.
Utah claimed its fifth-straight win – including its eight victory from its from nine games and 11 from 13 – to improve to 21-20 on the season.
Josh Giddey played a career-low 15 minutes on Sunday as Oklahoma City pipped Nikola Jokic and the reigning champion Nuggets 118-117 after a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s turnaround jump shot with 1.4 seconds remaining.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 25 points, Jalen Williams added 24 and rookie Chet Holmgren had 17 points, 11 rebounds and nine blocked shots for the Thunder.
Jokic had 24 points and 12 assists for the Nuggets, who led by eight points with 3:33 to play but lost at home for just the second time this season.
For Giddey though, Sunday’s career-low in minutes was particularly disappointing given it came after arguably his best performance of the season in a tight loss to the Kings.
Giddey had 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block in that game but managed just four points, four assists and two rebounds against the Nuggets.
It is hard to tell if this is a sign of things to come for Giddey given Williams played well defending Jokic so the lack of minutes may have been more dictated by match-up.
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Brunson Burner drops 50 on Suns! | 01:30
STEPH COMES UP CLUTCH AS WARRIORS SCORE CRUCIAL WIN
Elsewhere, Stephen Curry scored 16 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter as the Golden State Warriors held on for a much-needed 124-120 NBA victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
Curry made seven of seven attempts in the final period and Klay Thompson made a pair of key three-pointers in the last four minutes as the Warriors — who had led by as many as 18 points — avoided a second-half collapse and ended their three-game losing streak.
Cam Thomas scored 41 points and Spencer Dinwiddie added 16 for the Nets, who took their first lead since the first quarter on Mikal Bridges’s three-pointer with 9:12 left in the fourth quarter.
After a tense exchange of leads, a Curry layup gave the Warriors a one-point lead with 6:46 remaining and they wouldn’t trail again.
Steph Curry came up big. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
It was a morale-boosting win for a Warriors team that has struggled to hang on to leads, and which is still digesting the indefinite suspension of star Draymond Green after he struck Phoenix’s Jusuf Nurkic while flailing his arms in the latest in a long line of on-court incidents.
“It’s been a lot of conversations, a lot of noise around us,” Curry said.
“The game of basketball presents a lot of challenges on the court, but the friendships that you have and the connections that you have — especially with a guy like Draymond who we’ve been to war with for over a decade — all that stuff does weigh on you.”
Wemby double double lifts Spurs | 01:06
KINGS STAR ERUPTS FOR 47 POINTS, AUSSIE SHINES FOR MAVS
Keegan Murray was the star in Sacramento, draining 12 three-pointers — two shy of Warriors star Thompson’s NBA single-game record — on the way to 47 points in the Kings’ 125-104 victory over the Utah Jazz.
King missed just one of his first 13 attempts from beyond the arc, setting a record with 11 straight, but missed his last two.
In Minneapolis, Karl-Anthony Towns scored a season-high 40 points and pulled down 12 rebounds and Anthony Edwards added 37 points for the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 127-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Jimmy Butler was the hero in Miami, drilling a step-back jump shot as time expired to lift the Heat to a 118-116 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
Butler finished with 28 points to lead the Heat, who were again without injured Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
Jimmy Butler had 28 points. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 27 points and Patrick Williams added 25 in a tense game that featured four lead changes in the fourth quarter.
In Portland, Luka Doncic delivered 40 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 131-120 victory over the Trail Blazers.
Doncic scored 30 points in the first half and had his fifth triple-double of the season secured in the third quarter.
Australian Dante Exum, meanwhile, continues to make the most of his opportunity with Kyrie Irving unavailable after putting up 18 points in the win.
Exum is now averaging 19.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game over his last five appearances while shooting 67.9 per cent from the floor.
Morant returns from suspension next week | 01:03
EASTERN CONFERENCE HEAVYWEIGHTS MAKE LIGHT WORK OF STRUGGLERS
Things were even easier for Eastern Conference contenders Milwaukee and Philadelphia, who both posted blowout wins.
Damian Lillard scored 33 points, Bobby Portis added 31 off the bench and Giannis Antetokounmpo chipped in 22 points with eight rebounds and six assists as the Bucks handed the hapless Detroit Pistons their 23rd straight defeat, 146-114.
Milwaukee out-scored the Pistons 43-20 in the first quarter, and Detroit didn’t get the deficit below 18 points the rest of the way.
The 76ers, fuelled by 42 points and 15 rebounds from reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid, crushed the Hornets 135-82 in Charlotte.
It was the largest margin of victory in the league this season, topping Boston’s 51-point win over Indiana last month.
Embiid notched his 10th straight game with 30 points and 10 rebounds despite sitting out the entire fourth quarter along with the rest of the Sixers starters.
What are the Power Rankings? This is our attempt to rank every NBA team from best to worst. We take wins and losses into account, but also the quality of opposition faced and whether teams are likely to get healthier or improve going forward. It’s a little bit ‘who’s hot and who’s not’; part predictive, part analysis of what’s happened. If Team A is above Team B, we’d probably tip A to beat B at a neutral venue.
Every NBA team analysed in our Power Rankings.Source: FOX SPORTS
1. BOSTON CELTICS (14-4)
Who else but? Continuing on from last campaign’s dominant regular season, the Celtics appear to have gotten even stronger with the additions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Integrating such key pieces to a rotation can take time for teams to adjust, but not Boston, having posted a top eight offensive rating and top three defensive rating. Still undefeated at home, the Celtics’ +9.6 point differential is the best in the league. Not only do they have top-line stars, most notably Jayson Tatum, who’s having another MVP-calibre season, but Joe Mazulla’s rotation is arguably the deepest and most talented in the NBA. It’ll help them mitigate injuries (provided they don’t come at the business end of the season). Can anyone stop them? The clear best team in the league right now.
2. DENVER NUGGETS (13-6)
The reigning champs have been in cruise control in the early parts of the season, while Jamal Murray has been limited to eight games due to a hamstring injury … yet they still sit second in the West standings at 13-6 and have a top 10 offensive and defensive rating. It included a particularly strong start to the season before the Nuggets hit a lean patch, dropping four of five games as their less experience and depth compared to last season showed. But a road win over the Clippers on the second half of a back-to-back without Murray, Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon displayed championship DNA at its finest and would build huge belief in the second unit and team as a whole. Jokic remains out-of-this-world good as the current frontrunner for the MVP in what’d be his third overall. Oh and they’re also the only other team still unbeaten at home.
‘Wait a minute!’ Smith blasts ‘idiots’ | 02:01
3. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (13-4)
One of the big surprise packages so far, Minnesota is emerging as a legitimate contender before our eyes. In fact, it’s the Wolves we thought we were getting last season after three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner Rudy Gobert joined the team, as his twin tower frontcourt pairing with Karl Anthony-Towns is starting to flourish. Sitting first in the West with the best defensive rating in the entire NBA – built around Gobert, and great size and flexibility that’s really troubled opposition – the Wolves have taken the leap into the top tier of teams. Then there’s the Anthony Edwards piece, with the star guard evolving into a MVP-level superstar that plays both ends of the floor and has a certain dog and killer instinct about him that reminds you of some of the game’s all-time greats.
4. MILWAUKEE BUCKS (13-5)
The new-look Bucks are starting to figure things out – and that’s a scary prospect for the rest of the NBA. After a slow start, Milwaukee has won eight of its last nine games and is beginning to live up to the hype after recruiting Damian Lillard to join forces with Giannis Antetokounmpo and create one of the most dominant one-two offensive punches in the NBA. Though the Bucks have the fourth-best offence in the league, there’s still issues at the other end of the floor, with a bottom 10 defensive rating. Brook Lopez is starting to rediscover his dominant defensive form from last season, but misses having Jrue Holiday out on the perimeter, while Khris Middleton is still ramping up to full health after off-season knee surgery. If they can make improvements on the defensive end to at least be middle of the road, the Nuggets showed last season you don’t necessarily need to have an elite defence to win it all. Could they simply score their way to a title?
5. PHILADLEPHIA 76ERS (12-6)
Couldn’t have navigated the James Harden trade saga much better. It was addition by subtraction for the Sixers, with Harden’s departure paving the way for Tyrese Maxey to evolve into a superstar – even if he’s cooled off from his epic early-season heights – while Joel Embiid continues to do Joel Embiid things. The star centre has also improved as a facilitator, averaging a career-best 6.6 assists per game. Philly also added a host of handy role players in the Harden trade plus assets it could use to recruit another star by the trade deadline. They sit top four in the East and have the second-best points differential (+8.7) in the NBA, having shown a ruthlessness to really crush teams. Nick Nurse’s team has the second-best offence – playing with more movement and freedom than last season – to go with a top 10 defence. A team with all the tools to make another deep playoff run.
6. ORLANDO MAGIC (13-5)
The other shock riser – and this one has been even more unexpected – including riding a current seven-game winning streak. Orlando was seen as a fun, budding team on the rise, but not many could’ve predicted Jamahl Mosley’s side would be this good, this fast. The Magic have the third-best record in the East and their improvement has largely come behind a more robust defence – currently the second-best in the league. They simply have guys who compete hard every game like Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony, while Paolo Banchero has taken his game to new heights alongside co-star Franz Wagner, an elite running partner who’s still somehow underrated. Joe Ingles has also provide invaluable leadership and stability off the bench. The Magic, who’ve taken down arguably the best two teams in the NBA in Boston and Denver, have done all of this with Markelle Fultz missing most of the season with a knee injury!
Booker torches the Garden with dagger 3 | 00:37
7. PHOENIX SUNS (11-6)
The Suns are coming. Despite Bradley Beal being restricted to three games due to a back issue and Devin Booker also battling injury, they’re still sitting in the upper echelon of the always competitive West. Kevin Durant has wound the clock back to look like… well, prime Kevin Durant, while Booker too has had some monster performances top really ascend his status to the top-line superstars. What’s also been encouraging is how recruits Eric Gordon and Grayson Allen have stepped up with more opportunities and Jusuf Nurkic might have found his perfect landing spot. It’s the defensive end of the floor where there’s still some issues, but sitting 11-6 despite their new big three having never played together yet and there’s huge reason for optimism in the Valley of the Sun.
Giddey starts for OKC amid investigation | 00:50
8. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (11-6)
Another big improver and team that looks genuinely ready to contend, perhaps slightly ahead of its time. OKC is ranked top seven both offensively and defensively and doesn’t seem to fear anyone. The impact of former Pick 2 Chet Holmgren has been significant, with the gun big man emerging as the unlikely frontrunner for Rookie of the Year over Victor Wembanyama, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to be crazy good to back up his breakout 2022/23 season. Mark Daigneault is generally getting better production across the board from the likes of Jalen Williams and Isaiah Joe, allowing him to be more flexible with his line-ups. The hovering allegations about Josh Giddey have been the only real downside amid an indifferent start to the season for the Aussie, but there’s so much to like about what the Thunder are doing. And all of this with a mountain of draft picks at their disposal to upgrade the roster when they see fit. Look out.
9. DALLAS MAVERICKS (11-6)
The forgotten contender in the arms race following last season’s big disappointment, even after they acquired Kyrie Irving. But Luka Doncic looks like a man on a mission – with a better roster around him including a barrage of three-point shooters. It’s the offensive end of the floor where Dallas has really excelled – boasting the No.3 offensive rating – while they do have a ways to improve defensively to be taken more seriously as a legit contender. But the Doncic-Irving duo has proven to be a real handful, plus in Dereck Lively II the Mavericks have a promising big man for the first time in several years. It’d be nice to see more consistency from Josh Green, though the Aussie remains an important member of the rotation and has had some bright moments.
Kings topple Warriors for Group C throne | 00:57
10. SACRAMENTO KINGS (10-7)
The beam is starting to come alight. After a 2-4 start to the campaign where the Kings looked like a big regression contender, they’ve rediscovered their spark, going 8-2 over their last 10 games including 4-2 over a recent road trip. The offence from last season is starting to come back too, led by De’Aaron Fox amid a spectacular start to the season from the star guard, who’s averaged a career-best 3.1 three-pointers per game. And Mike Brown’s team has improved at the other end of the floor to become middle-of-the-road defensively. Keegan Murray hasn’t quite taken the second-year leap in what could really propel the Kings to another level, which might be more likely to come in the forward’s third season.
11. LA LAKERS (11-8)
It’s been an up and down start to the season for the Lakers — and perhaps they’re ultimately not the contenders we thought they were amid a host of other Western Conference sides improving. While it’s still early days, LA has had issues at both ends of the floor — mainly the offensive end (ranked bottom three in three-point shooting) — as Darvin Ham works through finding his best line-ups after a few off-season changes to the roster. They’ve also been affected by injury and have struggled on the road (3-6). Beyond Anthony Davis and LeBron James, who’s still freakishly good at near age 39, there’s a lack of other consistent production, even if D’Angelo Russell has bounced back from a disappointing playoff series, while Austin Reaves hasn’t had the breakout season come expected in year three and has been moved to the bench.
LeBron suffers WORST loss in NBA career | 00:51
12. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (10-8)
The Cavs have overcome a slow start to the season to get on a roll in recent times, having won six of their last eight games. We frankly haven’t seen Cleveland at full strength enough yet this season to get a real grasp of where this team is at – a team that finished top four in the East last season. The core remains as talented as some of the top sides and the addition of Max Strus has been a big win to add much-needed three-point shooting on the wing. The Caves don’t really want for anything, though there’s question marks of whether the Even Mobley-Jarrett Allen frontcourt is viable long-term given the spacing issues. It comes in an important juncture and season at large for the franchise as it’ll be hoping to convince Donovan Mitchell to stick around long-term, in one of the potential trade narratives to keep an eye on.
13. NEW YORK KNICKS (10-7)
When it’s all clicking for the Knicks, they’re a strong unit. Jalen Brunson proved last season was no aberration, backing up his breakout campaign to again lead this team, while Julius Randle and RJ Barrett haven’t been quite as consistent even though the latter has shown an improved three-point stroke. New York does have a top-five ranked defence and the 11th-best offence, but Tom Thibodeau’s squad has struggled against the best teams in the league. From that perspective, how far can a Brunson-Randle-Barrett trio go — even with an improved roster around them? Might be one big move away from seriously contending.
Knicks stun Heat with comeback in NY | 01:16
14. INDIANA PACERS (9-7)
With Tyrese Haliburton in this kind of form, anything might be possible. Haliburton is putting together an All-NBA level season, averaging stupidly good numbers across the board (25.9 points on 51 per cent shooting, 3.8 triples and 11.9 assists per game). It’s been key to the team’s promising 9-7 start to the season, with claim to the league’s No.1 offensive rating while averaging 127 points per game. It’s completely opened the Pacers up defensively though …and where’s Haliburton’s help coming from? Myles Turner’s minutes are down, while Rick Carlisle seemingly can’t decide if he wants to develop Benedict Mathurin as a starter or just play veteran sharpshooter Buddy Hield heavy minutes, with the latter more of a win-now move. Bruce Brown has been a handy addition, but he’s more a role player than anything. Another team to watch ahead of the trade deadline.
15. MIAMI HEAT (10-8)
Another team that’s hard to figure out, albeit hampered by injuries, As if coming off an NBA Finals appearance as the eighth seed didn’t already make it tricky enough! The Heat have at least navigated the majority of the opening weeks without star guard Tyler Herro, who looked set for a huge breakout season as Miami’s leading scorer, and they’ve clearly missed his offence. The good has been good — including a seven-game winning streak and Bam Adebayo rolling in a career-best season to take on the mantle as Miami’s alpha. But the bad has been bad — opening the campaign 1-4 and currently in the midst of a three-game losing streak, while there’s question marks of the team’s depth.
16. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (10-9)
One of the biggest enigmas in the NBA … are still an enigma? There’s been some good and some bad — including a five-game losing streak — and they’ve all-round just been an average side. It’s a somewhat disappointing return for a franchise that spent parts of last season as the No.1 seed in the West and could be so much more with Zion Williamson. But the former No.1 pick hasn’t yet lived up to expectations and has appeared frustrated at times with how the team is going and his role. Frankly, we haven’t seen Williamson, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum on the court together enough to get a proper gauge of how good they can be. McCollum’s lung injury did open the door for Dyson Daniels to play more minutes though and show a glimpse of the Aussie young gun’s promising future.
17. LA CLIPPERS (8-9)
Still adjusting to life with James Harden, the Clippers might’ve worked things out. After starting the Harden era 0-5, Tyronn Lue’s side has since won five of its last seven games as it starts to move up the West standings. There were always to be growing pains with Harden and a need to fine-tune rotations, which has ultimately seen Russell Westbrook move to the bench. Well, over their last six games, the Clippers have the best defensive rating in the league, while Harden is coming off his best game yet as a Clipper with a season-high 26 points, five triples and five steals. Paul George’s hot start to the season hasn’t been talked about enough too amid the team’s struggles.
18. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (8-10)
It’s hard to know what to make of Golden State at times and how much we judge Steve Kerr’s team on reputation. Some predicted the addition of Chris Paul would take the Warriors to the next level, but right now they’re sitting just inside the Play-In qualification. It’s been the same story as last season — they rely too much on Steph Curry, Klay Thompson has been inconsistent and unreliable, Draymond Green has been engulfed in drama and the young players haven’t stepped up (but haven’t necessarily had opportunities to). Andrew Wiggins has meanwhile fallen off a cliff to leave a big scoring void, but Kerr doesn’t quite seem prepared yet to pass the baton to the next crop. They’ve gone 2-8 in their last 10 games and Paul has already suffered his first injury setback of the season.
Curry tops Wemby in battle of the stars | 01:11
19. HOUSTON ROCKETS (8-8)
Ime Uodka has done some sort of job in his first 16 games as Rockets coach. A team considered a potential improver looks like a genuine playoff team. It’s been a bit of a seesaw — with revolving winning and losing streaks — but this team is highly disciplined defensively, helped by the addition of Dillon Brooks, is deep and has beaten reigning champion Denver twice. Having an established point guard in Fred VanVleet has provided more overall structure and Alpereen Sengun looks like a mini Jokic in a brilliant breakout season from the 21-year old centre. And to think the Rockets tried — and failed — to land Brook Lopez in the off-season in what would’ve almost certainly prevented Sengun from doing what he’s doing now. A really impressive start in H-Town in a big tick overall. Now just to replicate their home form (8-1) on the road (0-7) — and more Jock Landale too please!
20. ATLANTA HAWKS (8-9)
One thing you can count on with Atlanta — it’s going to score in bunches. The Hawks have the No. 5 offensive rating this season while averaging 122.5 points per game — trailing only Indiana — driven by Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. Jalen Johnson’s emergence has offset John Collins’ departure, and so the forward’s injury leaves a big hole in Quin Snyder’s streamlined rotation — that has featured Patty Mills for all of five total minutes this season. After a promising start to the season, the Hawks have gone 2-5 over their last seven games, so they have a few things to figure out ahead of tough upcoming schedule including playing Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Denver in their next five games. Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu remain locked in a minutes split at centre, but you sense it’s only a matter of time before Okongwu is given full rein.
21. BROOKLYN NETS (9-8)
The Nets have managed to keep their head above water despite battling a host of injuries to the likes of Ben Simmons, Nic Claxton, Cameron Johnson and Cam Thomas. Considering the amount of changes to the line-up, Brooklyn would be happy to currently be sitting ninth in the East including currently riding a three-game winning streak. The team has also had the sixth-toughest schedule in the league, according to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, while Mikal Bridges hasn’t quite had the breakout season some anticipated yet. With all that in mind, there’s a fair bit of upside when — or if — the Nets get fully healthy.
22. TORONTO RAPTORS (9-10)
Offence has been the main concern for the Raptors — in particular their bottom-five ranked three-point shooting. As good as Scottie Barnes has been in a breakout season from the forward, it’s hard to get a grasp of this team’s identity. One game it’s Barnes leading the charge, the next it’s Pascal Siakam, while OG Anunoby has struggled amongst it all and Jakob Poeltl has been used sparingly despite costing the team a first-round pick and getting a juicy contract extension. Could they be sellers at the deadline? Dennis Schroder has at least enjoyed a strong season as the team’s new point guard to get back to some of his best form of years past.
23. UTAH JAZZ (6-12)
Lauri Markkanen is doing everything he can, but fair to say this season hasn’t started nearly well as last for the young Jazz. You could see it going either way in Utah — but it’s been tough goings for Will Hardy and company. After struggling in the opening games before getting injured, Walker Kessler now finds himself coming off the bench, though that should change soon, while Keyonte George has moved into the starting line-up in Hardy’s bid for more playmaking and movement in that opening five. The Jazz however still have major issues at both ends of the floor, and at some stage, they’ll need to commit to a path of either competing for the playoffs or rebuilding, as right now it feels like they’re trying do both but failing to achieve anything.
24. CHARLOTTE HORNETS (5-11)
Just when the Hornets were starting to turn their season around, the near worst possible thing happened – LaMelo Ball suffered another setback to his troublesome ankle that required surgery earlier this year. At full strength, Charlotte has a solid roster that could contend for the playoffs, but it hasn’t had all its key pieces on the floor together at once, with Ball central to everything. Controversial forward Miles Bridges has taken no time to get up to speed since returning from suspension, and now he and Terry Rozier in particular will need to take on a much bigger load with the Hornets’ franchise superstar sidelined for the next several weeks.
25. CHICAGO BULLS (5-14)
If it wasn’t already clear, it’s time to blow it up. Things are a mess for the Bulls right now — a team built to win now is a ways off and is sitting all the way down as the Eastern Conference 13th seed amid a five-game losing streak — including dropping eight of their last nine. If Chicago’s situation doesn’t improve, which, right now, it’s hard to see how it does, expect one — or both — of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan to be wearing a different jersey by the trade deadline. At least then Chicago can start building with a new nucleus, because the current one is stuck in NBA purgatory — where no team wants to be.
26. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (5-12)
Going according to script after the Damian Lillard trade as the Blazers prioritise developing their emerging crop of youngsters including Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson, who should eventually take over the starting point guard job. Portland recently snapped an eight-game losing streak, with its offence the key area letting it down. Anfernee Simons having only played one game due to a thumb injury clearly hasn’t helped. Elsewhere, Aussie duo Matisse Thybulle and Duop Reath are getting more opportunities in the rotation to show their worth, with the former’s defensive prowess again proving valuable.
27. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (4-13)
When is Ja Morant free to return again? It’s the question the Grizzlies would be repeatedly asking themselves amid a grim 4-13 start to the season as perhaps the most disappointing team. Because sure, having no Morant for over a quarter of the season is significant, but the Grizzlies have looked like a lottery team without him. It includes the Griz being ranked dead last in three-point shooting with the second-worst rated offence. Unlike Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. has struggled to step up with extra offensive opportunities. And as if it couldn’t get any worse, Marcus Smart is now sidelined for the next several weeks after suffering a nasty ankle injury. They did finally end their 0-8 winless drought at home — the last team to do so — after beating Utah on Thursday.
28. SAN ANTONIO SPURS (3-14)
The Spurs are probably lucky they’re not even lower (not that there’s much scope). But it’s been the very definition of growing pains and teething issues for the rebuilding team in welcoming Victor Wembanyama into its young core despite the No.1 pick’s sensational start to his career. San Antonio is in the midst of a 12-game losing streak to sit dead last in the West, while its -12.9 point difference is the worst in the NBA. Maybe expectations were simply set too high amid the hype around ‘Wemby’ — but just because they’re not playing well doesn’t mean their future isn’t bright. The Spurs are simply in experiment and trial and error mode — so even a Play-In appearance feels unlikely right now. Devin Vassell missing five games due to an adductor injury hasn’t helped their cause.
Spurs fall short despite Wemby heroics | 00:51
29. WASHINGTON WIZARDS (3-15)
Not that the Wizards were expected to be any good this season, but it’s probably been even worse than imagined, with Kyle Kuzma the sole shining light. It took for Washington to play the Pistons to end a nine-game losing streak and pick up its fifth overall win nearing the quarter-way mark of the season. Jordan Poole and Tyus Jones have underwhelmed, though neither have played big minutes amid some curious rotation decisions from Wes Unseld Jr. Ranked bottom 10 at both ends of the floor, the Wizards are officially in all-out tank mode and could be sellers ahead of the trade deadline.
30. DETROIT PISTONS (2-16)
Perhaps the most alarming thing is that the Pistons started the season 2-1 and looked like a sneaky improver! Well, they’ve since lost 15 on the trot to hold the worst record in the NBA, with the eighth-worst defence and fourth-west offence. This is a team some thought could start climbing the standings after spending years going to the draft. But Detroit is still behind newer rebuilding teams like Portland, San Antonio and Washington, while Monty Williams can barely figure out his rotation and which players will help take this franchise forward. Having Cade Cunningham back has been important and rookie Ausar Thompson and second-year centre Jalen Duren have both impressed, but it looks set to be another long season in the Motor City — even if Bojan Bogdanovic’s imminent return will help.
Warriors star Chris Paul was caught out calling referee Scott Foster a “bitch” after the veteran referee ejected the point guard in the first half of his return to Phoenix.
Paul, who spent three seasons with the Suns before signing with the Warriors, verbally expressed his displeasure to Foster after receiving a technical foul and in turn was quickly given a second one, which equates to an automatic ejection from the game.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr also received a subsequent technical for yelling at Foster.
The Paul-Foster relationship is one that has been well-publicised, with the point guard in the midst of a 13-game playoff losing streak in matches where Foster was the head official.
Paul has been on the record criticising the referee in the past, sarcastically saying that Foster is who the fans “pay to see”.
“Some of them, you can [communicate] with. You’ve just gotta figure out who you can and you can’t,” Paul said in a post-match press conference in 2018.
The Suns would prove too good for the Warriors, winning 123-115. With the loss, Golden State dropped to 7-9.
LUKA’S CRAZY PASS BAMBOOZLES LEBRON AS AUSSIE ENJOYS BLISTERING FIRST HALF
Dallas star Luka Doncic provided one of the wildest plays of the young NBA season, threading a bounce pass between the legs of LeBron James during the Mavericks 104-101 win over the LA Lakers.
The pass would be received by Aussie Josh Green, who, even after bobbling the ball, hit a corner three.
Green enjoyed arguably his best game of the season, scoring 15 points, including 12 in the first half.
But no bucket was as impressive as that three-pointer, with the degree of difficulty of Doncic’s assist unmeasurable.
Green’s Australian teammate Dante Exum saw nine minutes of court time in the Mavs win, scoring four points off the bench.
Doncic finished the game with a near triple double (30 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists), while LeBron continued his strong season with 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
AUSSIE JOE SHINES AS MAGIC UPSET DEFENDING CHAMPS
A day after fooling several defenders with a savvy move in Orlando’s big win over the Raptors, Joe Ingles and the in-form Magic were back at it again, this time with the much stiffer assignment of the defending champion Denver Nuggets.
Ingles has had quite the impact as a veteran presence for this young Magic team in more ways than one. Against the Nuggets, he was going to have to contribute heavily off the bench for Orlando to stick with them.
He certainly did that, scoring 12 points on a perfect 4/4 shooting to go with seven assists as the Magic mounted a fourth-quarter comeback to down the Nuggets 124-119.
Showing off a range of silky smooth skills, pinpoint passing and stout defence, Ingles did it all, recording a team high plus/minus of 9.
Ingles now has a plus/minus figure of 75 for the season, which puts him in the top 30 in the league in that category. That’s pretty good going considering his limited minutes off the bench.
Denver’s star big Nikola Jokic was keen to redeem himself after getting ejected in the Nuggets last game, and he did that with a huge 30-point triple double.
The Magic were down by nine points in the fourth quarter, but were able to rally and record their tenth win of the season.
YOUNG STEALS THE SHOW IN EPIC OVERTIME DISPLAY
Trae Young made up for missing what would have been a game-winning free throw at the end of the fourth quarter, by scoring 14 of his team’s 16 points in the ensuing overtime period in the Hawks 147-145 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Young finished the game with 43 points, but he came alive in overtime, taking the game on and seemingly hitting everything. It was a sensational scoring outburst by one of the league’s best attacking guards.
He was engaged in a dual with Nets guard Mikal Bridges, who had 45 points and ten rebounds.
It was essentially a game of one-on-one between Young and Bridges in overtime, with the two players exchanging buckets in an entertaining contest.
While Atlanta possess one of the most potent offences in the NBA, they sort of have to considering their poor defence.
Against the Pacers on Wednesday (AEDT), the Hawks conceded 157 points before letting the Nets put 145 on them just 24 hours later.
In any case, the victory over the Nets is a win the Hawks will take, as it stopped a three-game losing streak.
NBA Wrap: Lebron’s record points haul | 02:03
CELTICS SURVIVE BUCKS’ LATE COMEBACK IN BATTLE OF EASTERN CONFERENCE HEAVYWEIGHTS
Despite leading by as much as 20 points at home, the Celtics only narrowly scraped home to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 119-116 at TD Garden, extending their margin at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
The Celtics looked to be cruising throughout the second and third quarters, before Milwaukee rallied in the fourth to get within three points after a Damian Lillard triple with 44 seconds remaining.
However, the Celtics would hold their nerve in the final minute and move to 12-3 on the season, while the Bucks (10-5) dropped back to be two games behind Boston in the East.
Boston’s big three of Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis and Jayson Tatum, who was in doubt to play because of illness, all had strong outings.
Joel Embiid led a fourth-quarter rally as the Philadelphia 76ers put a huge dent in the Dallas Mavericks’ hopes of reaching the playoffs with a 116-108 victory.
Sixers star Embiid led the scoring with 25 points, nine rebounds and four assists as Philadelphia outscored the Mavericks 27-17 in the final quarter to snap their three-game losing streak.
James Harden added 15 points with 12 assists on his return from injury while Tyrese Maxey finished with 22 points for the Sixers.
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Thu, 30 Mar
Thursday March 30th
HOW did Luka make this pass?! | 00:32
Philadelphia remain third in the Eastern Conference having already guaranteed their playoff place with a 50-26 record.
But Thursday’s loss was another bodyblow to the Mavericks’ chances of forcing their way into the postseason, with Irving admitting post-game that the teams playoff outlook “looks like a little bit of a clusterf*** right now”.
Dallas are now 11th in the Western Conference at 37-40, with only five regular season games remaining.
Luka Doncic led the Dallas scoring with 24 points while Kyrie Irving finished with 23.
However Dallas were left ruing a feeble fourth quarter shooting performance, making just seven of 19 from the field as the Sixers pulled away down the stretch.
The damage for Dallas was exacerbated by the fact that two of their nearest rivals for a place in the play-in tournament — the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder — both won.
Gordon delivers DUNKFEST for Nuggets | 01:06
LA bounced back from a home loss to Chicago by taming the Bulls on the road in the Windy City, winning 121-110.
Anthony Davis produced a dazzling display for the Lakers at both ends of the court with 38 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
LeBron James added 25 points while Austin Reaves scored 19 points and D’Angelo Russell chipped in with 17.
Reaves got revenge for James after former teammate Patrick Beverley scored a floater over the Lakers superstar on Monday and mocked him with a ‘too small’ taunt.
Naturally, when Reaves hit a floater of his own over Beverley he gave the Bulls guard a taste of his own medicine — and James’ reaction was hilarious.
“AR always got my back. Even though he loved Kobe (Bryant) back in the day more than me … I forgive him,” James said.
The Lakers are eighth in the Western Conference with a 38-38 record. Oklahoma City meanwhile occupy 10th place in the West — the last of the play-in spots — after a last-gasp 107-106 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
Jalen Williams was the hero for Oklahoma City with a layup in the final second to clinch a crucial win for the Thunder.
Williams finished with 27 points to lead the Oklahoma City scoring, with Luguentz Dort adding 20.
UNHERALDED BUCKS STAR ERUPTS AND RUSS TURNS BACK THE CLOCK
Elsewhere, Jrue Holiday erupted for 51 points as the Milwaukee Bucks downed the Indiana Pacers 149-136 on the road.
Holiday’s masterpiece came from 20-of-30 shooting while Giannis Antetokounmpo added 38 points and Brook Lopez 21 as Milwaukee edged closer to locking down the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Bucks now lead the table at 55-21, three games clear of the second-placed Boston Celtics with six game left in the regular season.
In New York, the Knicks ground out a 101-92 victory over the Miami Heat to remain within touching distance of clinching a playoff berth.
But the win was overshadowed by an injury to Knicks star Julius Randle, who hobbled off the court in the second quarter after suffering a sprained left ankle.
In Memphis meanwhile, Russell Westbrook delivered a vintage performance with 36 points and 10 assists as the Los Angeles Clippers outgunned the Grizzlies 141-132.
Robert Covington also starred for the Clippers, shooting seven of seven from three-point range in a 27-point haul off the bench.
Boston star Jayson Tatum made history as he came up big with 41 points to power the Celtics home without injured teammate Jaylen Brown.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler put an exclamation mark on a 16-point effort for the Heat as Miami edged past the Houston Rockets in a thriller.
Plus — two Australians impressed on the court while another got plenty of praise after being snapped up before the trade deadline.
Read on for that and more in our NBA Wrap!
Sun, 12 Feb
Sunday February 12th
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KD not required for Nets win | 00:58
CELTICS STAR MAKES HISTORY IN VICTORY
Jayson Tatum’s 41 points and Boston’s 25 three-pointers propelled the league-leading Celtics to a 40th win of the NBA season, 127-116 over the Charlotte Hornets.
Tatum posted his eighth 40-point game of the season. But with Jaylen Brown sidelined by a facial fracture and Al Horford out with a sore knee he didn’t have to carry the offensive load alone.
Derrick White scored a career-high 33 points and handed out 10 assists. His output included eight of the Celtics’ 25 three-pointers, which came on 55 attempts.
“Shot was feeling good,” White said.
“I was getting some good looks and just letting it fly.” Less than a minute into the contest Sam Hauser and White drilled back-to-back three-pointers and the Celtics cruised from there.
They had a franchise-record 16 three-pointers in the first half, and even when the Hornets put together a 15-0 scoring run in the third quarter the Celtics’ lead remained in double digits.
Tatum drained five from beyond the arc, and became the first NBA player to make 1,000 three-pointers before his 25th birthday.
“He’s locked in,” White said of his 24-year-old teammate.
“He took his game to another level this season. It’s been fun to see, fun to play with. He just makes the right play every time down.”
Doncic’s take on Kyrie’s Mavs debut | 00:52
BUTLER’S EPIC GAME-WINNING PLAY FOR HEAT
Things were much closer in Miami, where Jimmy Butler jammed home the game-winner with three-tenths of a second remaining in the Heat’s 97-95 victory over the Houston Rockets.
Tyler Herro led the Heat with 31 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, Bam Adebayo added 20 points and Butler scored 16 — but the Heat looked in danger of losing to the league-worst Rockets when they trailed by five with 3:40 remaining.
Two free throws from Butler trimmed the deficit and the Heat led 93-91 after an Adebayo steal and Herro three-pointer. The Rockets, however, kept responding. Houston guard Jalen Green’s driving layup with seven-tenths of a second left knotted the score at 95-95, but on Miami’s ensuing inbounds Gabe Vincent found Butler for the alley-oop dunk.
AUSSIE DUO GREEN AND GIDDEY STEP UP WHEN IT MATTERS
Elsewhere, Australian duo Josh Green and Josh Giddey both had impressive games for the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Green, who will shoulder more responsibility at Dallas after the Kyrie Irving trade, stepped up to provide another offensive option in the Mavericks’ 122-114 win over the Sacramento Kings.
With Luka Doncic still sidelined, the Kings double-teamed Irving quite often, forcing Dallas’ other players to step up and take on a more active role in helping run the offence.
Green did just that, putting up 17 points, six assists and three rebounds in the first three quarters.
The Mavericks guard only added one assist and rebound to his tally in the fourth quarter but continues to grow in confidence and will play an important role for Dallas after Dorian Finney-Smith, the team’s best perimeter defender, was traded before the deadline.
“The game has become easy for Josh Green,” Derek Harper said on Bally Sports Southwest.
Meanwhile, Giddey continues to develop his partnership with Thunder teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the pair inspired Oklahoma City to a 138-129 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Giddey’s slick passing, as always, was a highlight early as the 20-year-old threatened a triple-double with seven points, five assists and four rebounds by halftime.
While Giddey would fall short in the end, the young guard still finished with 19 points and has now scored at least double figures in every game this year.
Another solid showing from Giddey was overshadowed by what was arguably teammate Gilgeous-Alexander’s best game of his career, putting up 44 points and seven assists in the win.
It comes after Gilgeous-Alexander once again missed out on an All-Star starting spot despite Steph Curry pulling out due to injury, with Ja Morant replacing the Warriors superstar instead.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who had his sixth-career 40-point game on Saturday, remained a reserve.
As for the Trail Blazers, they certainly could do with Matisse Thybulle’s elite defence after trading for the Australian before Friday’s deadline.
Thybulle is now a Trail Blazer. Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
General manager Joe Cronin told local reporters he was “excited” to welcome Thybulle to the team.
“[He’s] flat out an elite defender,” Cronin said.
“As you heard me talk earlier, that is something we are really emphasising. For us, Matisse has always been a target, and we were really excited to get him at what we thought was a pretty good price.”
ELSEWHERE…
It went to double-overtime in Detroit, where the Pistons edged the San Antonio Spurs 138-131.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 32 points and Jalen Duren added 30 and 17 rebounds for the Pistons.
Elsewhere, Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler scored 23 points apiece to help the Utah Jazz erase a 12-point deficit with 4:53 remaining in a 122-116 victory over the Raptors in Toronto.
Collin Sexton added 22 points for the Jazz, who ended a three-game losing streak.
Pascal Siakam scored 35 points for Toronto, but the Raptors couldn’t hold off Utah’s late surge. Markkanen’s three-point play put Utah up 115-114 with 2:07 remaining and they pulled away for the win.
Davis explains lackluster celebration | 00:46
The Philadelphia 76ers avenged a humbling defeat in New York City with a 119-108 home triumph over the Knicks.
Philadelphia’s star center Joel Embiid scored 35 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Tyrese Maxey added 27 points off the bench as the Sixers rallied from 13 down to win.
Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson scored 30 points apiece for the Knicks, Brunson pouring in 20 in the first quarter alone.
But the 76ers turned the tide in the third quarter and trailed by just one going into the final period, when they out-scored the Knicks 27-15.
In Memphis, Ja Morant scored 32 points with nine rebounds and nine assists and Desmond Bane added 20 in the Grizzlies’ comfortable 128-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Phoenix downed Indiana 117-104, fuelled by 22 points and 11 rebounds from Deandre Ayton and 21 points from Devin Booker.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for Milwaukee with 35 points as the Bucks breezed past the Clippers 119-106.
Elsewhere, 30 points from Donovan Mitchell and key contributions on both ends from Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley saw Cleveland claim a 118-107 win over New Orleans.
