DeRozan, 35, called out the officiating following his team's 116-110 road loss to the Denver Nuggets Wednesday night.

After building a nine-point lead, the Kings got outscored 32-17 in the fourth quarter as the Nuggets gained nine more attempts from the free throw line (13-4).

"The refs were terrible," he told the Sacramento Bee. "Terrible as s--. Simple as that."

The Kings are in the middle of a playoff chase and currently sit in the play-in game as the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference at 32-29.

DeRozan, a six-time All-Star, is scoring 22.2 points per game and is shooting a career-best 36.1 percent from 3-point range in his first season in Sacramento.

He averages 21.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game over his 16-year NBA career.

"If the Mavs are going to trade Luka, that's one thing," Cuban said in an interview with WFAA, the ABC affiliate in Dallas. "Just get a better deal. No disrespect to Anthony Davis, but I still firmly believe if we had gotten four unprotected No. 1s and Anthony Davis and Max Christie, this would be a different conversation."

Cuban retained 27.7 percent of the team after selling the majority stake in 2024, but he said his involvement with the Mavericks is no longer a factor in any team decisions. He wouldn't say whether he would've traded Doncic.

"I'm not going there. It doesn't matter," he said.

Cuban was at the front of the decision-making line in 2018 when the Mavericks acquired Doncic on draft night in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks, who dealt Doncic for the Mavs' first-rounder, Trae Young.

Doncic was traded by general manager Nico Harrison to the Lakers last month in one of the more stunning transactions in league history, with shockwaves still reverberating in Texas. With Doncic gone and Davis hurt in his debut with the team, the Mavericks played point guard Kyrie Irving a league-high number of minutes for a 30-day stretch before he suffered a season-ending ACL tear.

Irving turns 33 later this month.

In return for Doncic, Dallas acquired Davis, Christie and a 2029 first-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 1. By comparison, the cost for the Phoenix Suns to acquire Kevin Durant two years prior to the Doncic deal: Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four unprotected future first-round picks and a pick swap in 2028. Phoenix also received T.J. Warren.

The Lakers also received forwards Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris.

Davis might not play another game this season. If so, he totaled 31 minutes in a Dallas uniform in 2025.

Dallas claimed it was trading Doncic because the organization doubted his interest in re-signing as a free agent. The conundrum was familiar for Cuban, who likened the scenario to deciding to move on from popular point guard Steve Nash.

"I went through this before with when Steve Nash left and then won two MVPs. The good news is that we went to the Finals and won a championship," Cuban said. "So I've been through something -- but there wasn't social media back then, so it wasn't quite the same. You're going to make mistakes. I think the biggest challenge the Mavs have right now is there's nobody who's really outgoing to communicate."

Dallas is currently 10th in the Western Conference.

The Knicks likely will be without leading scorer Jalen Brunson, who totaled 39 points and 10 assists on Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers but left the game late in overtime with a right ankle injury.

The Clippers had lost six of their previous seven games when Harden poured in a season-high 50 points in a 123-115 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. It was the eighth game of at least 50 points in franchise history, with five players accomplishing the feat. Bob McAdoo did it four times.

"I can do it, it's not my first time," said Harden, who has 24 games in his career of at least 50 points. "For someone who's done it probably their first time, (it) takes a lot of energy, but for me it's just understanding the game, seeing the game within the game."

Trade-deadline acquisition Bogdan Bogdanovic added 23 points and Ivica Zubac had 22 points and 11 rebounds for Los Angeles, which was playing with Kawhi Leonard (rest), leading scorer Norman Powell (hamstring) and Derrick Jones Jr. (groin).

Complicating matters for the Clippers of late was a run of eight consecutive road games. Before looking right at home against the Pistons, they had not played in their own building since Feb. 12.

Harden was 14 of 24 from the floor and 6 of 13 from 3-point range while paying 38 minutes for the second consecutive night. Bogdanovic logged his highest-scoring game in his 10 for the Clippers on 8-of-16 shooting and 3-of-6 success from deep.

"Just coming in here and seeing (Harden) ready, he gives the motivation for (the) rest of the locker room and especially younger guys," Bogdanovic said. "Everybody contributed, but it starts with him."

The Knicks failed to protect a 10-point fourth-quarter lead and lost to the Lakers 113-109 in overtime on Thursday. Brunson did all he could, even making two free throws after hurting his ankle before limping off to the locker room.

New York's OG Anunoby scored 20 points and Josh Hart had 18 against his former team. The Knicks scored just 15 points in the fourth quarter, then watched the Lakers score 14 in the five-minute extra period.

New York has lost consecutive games for the second time in the past seven contests after not losing multiple games in a row since a three-game skid Jan. 3-6.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 12 points and pulled down 14 rebounds on Thursday after missing a loss Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors for personal reasons. Somebody will have to step in and fill the void for Brunson, who is averaging 26.1 points and 7.4 assists per game.

"It was a hard-fought game, and it came down to the stretch with a lot of tough plays," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We couldn't get to a loose ball, things like that. A lot of times that's the difference. But overall, I thought the first 3 1/2 quarters were very, very good. Obviously we have to close out better."

White scored his team's last nine points and 14 of its last 17 to help the Bulls overcome a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to inflict the Magic's fifth successive home defeat.

Paolo Banchero missed a 3-pointer for the win with two seconds remaining. Carter pulled in the rebound, but his putback dunk came fractionally after the final buzzer sounded.

Banchero and Cole Anthony both posted 20 points for the Magic, who received solid contributions from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (19 points), Franz Wagner (18) and Carter (17).

Rockets 109, Pelicans 97

Alperen Sengun scored 22 points, Amen Thompson had 21 points and 11 rebounds and Houston ended a three-game losing streak by winning in New Orleans.

Tari Eason scored 20 points, Jabari Smith Jr. had 16 and Dillon Brooks added 14 for the Rockets, who took control by outscoring the Pelicans 33-15 in the third quarter. Houston ended an eight-game road losing streak by winning away from home for the first time since Jan. 28.

Trey Murphy III scored 26 points, but just 11 after the first quarter, to pace the Pelicans, who will visit Houston on Saturday night. Zion Williamson had 20 points and 10 rebounds, CJ McCollum scored 13 and Yves Missi added 10 for New Orleans.

Hawks 124, Pacers 118

Atlanta picked up its second win in three games thanks to 24 points from Georges Niang as Atlanta beat host Indiana for the first time in six tries.

Trae Young recorded 22 points and 16 assists, while Onyeka Okongwu tallied 20 points and 13 rebounds for Atlanta, which outscored the Pacers 38-24 in the fourth quarter.

Pascal Siakam finished with 35 points and nine boards to pace Indiana, Aaron Nesmith contributed 21 points, and Myles Turner posted 17 points and nine rebounds.

Celtics 123, 76ers 105

Jayson Tatum had 35 points and seven rebounds, Payton Pritchard added 19 points, and Boston claimed the home win over Philadelphia to extend its winning streak to three games.

Kelly Oubre Jr. had 27 points and six assists to lead the 76ers, who have lost 12 of their last 13. Lonnie Walker IV came off the bench for 17 points for Philly, which played without Tyrese Maxey (back) and Paul George (groin).

After the Sixers got to within 10 points toward the end of the third quarter, Boston ripped off a 10-2 run to close the period, then opened the final quarter with 10 straight points to push its lead to 107-79 en route to the win.

Warriors 121, Nets 119

Stephen Curry hit seven 3-pointers en route to 40 points, Jimmy Butler III scored 25 points and Golden State erased a 22-point deficit to win in Brooklyn.

In front of the largest crowd in Barclays Center history (18,413), the Nets raced out to a 27-5 lead and took a 20-point advantage into the second quarter. The Warriors, though, outscored Brooklyn 40-25 in the second to climb back into the game. An 11-2 run midway through the fourth quarter put the Warriors on top 101-93 before the visitors hung on for the win.

Cameron Johnson had 26 points to lead Brooklyn, Cam Thomas added 23, and Tyrese Martin scored 17 off the bench.

Doncic added 12 assists and seven rebounds, while James had 12 rebounds and eight assists. Gabe Vincent finished with 12 points and Dalton Knecht added 11 as the Lakers improved to 18-3 since Jan 21.

The Lakers trailed by 10 points with 6:57 remaining in regulation before two 3-pointers from James and two from Vincent in the final 4:28 forced overtime. Doncic opened the extra session with five consecutive points and James sealed the victory with four free throws in the final 39 seconds.

Jalen Brunson scored eight of his 39 points in OT and finished 10 assists for the Knicks, who lost their second consecutive game and dropped the opener of a five-game West Coast road trip.

Brunson departed with 1:24 remaining in overtime due to a right ankle injury but remained in the game long enough to make two free throws and tie the game 107-all. The Lakers subsequently wrapped up the contest from the foul line.

OG Anunoby scored 20 points and Josh Hart added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks. Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 12 points and 14 rebounds after missing a game Tuesday for personal reasons.

The Knicks opened the fourth quarter with an 84-76 lead, but the Lakers cut the deficit to 90-85 with 5:59 remaining on a Vincent 3-pointer. James' 3-pointer with 4:28 left got the Lakers within a point, and he made another with 1:51 remaining for a 96-96 tie.

After Brunson missed a 3-point attempt with 1:29 on the clock, a Vincent 3-pointer had the Lakers up 99-96 with 1:21 left. Brunson tied the game on a three-point play with 46.4 seconds remaining.

James missed a 3-point attempt with 11 seconds remaining in regulation before the Knicks failed to get off a shot in time, sending the game into OT.

The Lakers were up 31-27 at the end of the first quarter before the Knicks turned a 33-point second quarter into a 60-51 lead at halftime. Brunson had 16 points at the break, and Doncic had 18.

Los Angeles was 3 of 16 (18.8 percent) from 3-point range in the first half.

Tari Eason scored 20 points, Jabari Smith Jr. had 16 and Dillon Brooks added 14 for the Rockets, who took control by outscoring the Pelicans 33-15 in the third quarter. Houston ended an eight-game road losing streak by winning away from home for the first time since Jan. 28.

Trey Murphy III scored 26 points, but just 11 after the first quarter, to pace the Pelicans, who will visit Houston on Saturday night. Zion Williamson had 20 points and 10 rebounds, CJ McCollum scored 13 and Yves Missi added 10 for New Orleans.

The Pelicans finished with 15 turnovers after committing just two while scoring 34 first-quarter points.

The Rockets shot 56.8 percent from the floor to more than offset the Pelicans' 18-point advantage in free throws.

Four Rockets scored as they began the third quarter with a 9-1 run and took a 65-60 lead. Williamson made a layup for New Orleans' first field goal of the quarter, but Sengun and Smith scored six points each in the frame, Thompson added four and Houston expanded the lead to 89-74 by the end of the period.

Kelly Olynyk made a 3-pointer to start the fourth-quarter scoring as the Pelicans began chipping away at the lead. Williamson's layup trimmed the gap to 100-93 with 3:59 left before Steven Adams answered with a dunk and Thompson followed with a layup.

New Orleans raced out to a 24-13 lead in the opening quarter, courtesy of 11 points from Murphy, who finished the first with 15 points. The Pelicans led by 11 again before Jalen Green, Brooks and Eason each made a 3-pointer to help Houston close within 34-31 at the end of the first quarter.

Five Pelicans scored as they quickly rebuilt the lead to 45-35 early in the second quarter. New Orleans led by 10 points on two more occasions before Eason made a 3-pointer to start a 9-2 run that reduced the lead to 59-56 at halftime.

In front of 18,413 fans -- the largest crowd in Barclays Center history --, Curry led the Warriors to their 10th win in 12 games and their second-biggest comeback this season. Nearly a month after erasing a 24-point deficit to beat the Chicago Bulls, the Warriors overcame a deficit of at least 20 points for the third time this season.

Curry hit seven 3s much to the delight of the many fans cheering for him and his final triple was a corner 3 just before Brooklyn's Cameron Johnson could defend. Curry gave a hand gesture as if to signal "good night" after his shot staked the Warriors to a 119-109 lead with 61 seconds left.

Curry's 3 did not clinch the win as Cameron Johnson converted a 3-point play with 47.1 seconds left to make it 119-114 following an errant inbounds pass by Jimmy Butler III. After a timeout, Curry was called for a backcourt violation with 15.2 seconds remaining and Cam Thomas made a 34-foot 3 to make it 119-117 with 10.1 remaining.

Curry made two free throws with 8.1 seconds left and the game ended when Cameron Johnson converted a putback at the buzzer.

Curry made 12-of-20 shots and notched his second 40-point game this season. Butler added 25, reserve Gary Payton II contributed 16 and Draymond Green finished with 10 assists as the Warriors outscored Brooklyn 106-84 over the final three quarters and shot 48.8 percent.

Cameron Johnson scored 26 and Thomas added 23 but the Nets dropped their sixth straight. Tyrese Martin added 17 and Keon Johnson chipped in 12 as the Nets shot 50.6 percent.

The Nets scored 17 straight points and opened a 27-5 lead on a hook shot by Nic Claxton with 4:39 left. Brooklyn held a 35-15 lead after the opening quarter, which ended with Ziaire Williams and Gary Payton II receiving technical fouls for a brief shoving match near the Nets' basket.

Curry returned with 6:08 left in the second quarter and the guard sank three 3s in the final 2:40, including a 38-foot heave near midcourt over Ziaire Williams to cut the deficit to 60-55 by halftime.

Golden State took the lead for the first time when Butler hit a wide-open corner 3 to snap a 65-65 tie with 9:20 left. The Nets countered Curry's 3 while falling out of bounds by taking an 83-77 lead on a drive by Martin with 3:32 left and held an 89-86 lead into the fourth.

Curry's reverse layup around Claxton capped an 11-2 run and gave the Warriors a 101-93 lead with 6:16 left. Curry then hit another 3 and sank two free throws to give Golden State a 108-98 lead with 4:27 left.

Tatum, who didn't play Wednesday in Boston's victory over the Portland Trail Blazers because of a shoulder injury, made 5 of 11 3-point attempts. He did not play in the fourth quarter.

Boston received 19 points from Payton Pritchard (one night after he scored a career-high 43) and 15 from Baylor Scheierman.

Kelly Oubre Jr. amassed 27 points, five rebounds and six assists for Philadelphia, which has lost 12 of its past 13 games overall and six straight road games.

Boston's Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Jrue Holiday (finger) each missed his fourth straight game. The Celtics were also without Jaylen Brown (knee), Al Horford (toe) and Sam Hauser (ankle).

In addition, Boston's Derrick White went to the locker room with what the team called a dental injury after he was hit in the face and lost a tooth while playing defense against Oubre midway through the second quarter.

White, who scored a career-high 41 points against Portland, did return to the game and had 12 points and six assists in 24 minutes.

Philadelphia was without Tyrese Maxey (back) and Paul George (groin). Maxey is the team's leading scorer (26.3 ppg).

Lonnie Walker IV had 17 points off the Sixers' bench. Justin Edwards logged 14 points, Jeff Dowtin Jr. scored 10, and Andre Drummond finished the game with nine points and 10 rebounds.

Boston led 35-24 after one quarter and 64-46 at halftime. The 76ers shot 34.0 percent from the floor (16 of 47) in the first half.

The 76ers were within 10 points following an Oubre three-point play with 2:01 left in the third, but the Celtics closed the quarter on a 10-2 run and led 97-79 entering the fourth.

Boston erased any thoughts of a Philadelphia comeback by scoring the first 10 points in the fourth to stretch their lead to 28. The surge was capped by three consecutive baskets (including two dunks) from Neemias Queta.

The Celtics won three of their four meetings with the 76ers this season.

Trae Young added 22 points and 16 assists while Onyeka Okongwu collected 20 points and 13 rebounds as the Hawks won their second game in three tries. Dyson Daniels chipped in 17 points, Terance Mann had 12 and Zaccharie Risacher put up 11 as Atlanta won for the first time in six meetings with Indiana.

Pascal Siakam had 35 points and nine rebounds for the Pacers, while Aaron Nesmith scored 21 and Myles Turner had 17 points and nine boards. Andrew Nembhard finished with 15 points and 10 assists as Indiana had its two-game winning streak snapped.

After seeing a seven-point halftime deficit get pushed to 10, Atlanta went on a 9-0 run to cut the gap to 66-65 with 9:04 left in the third quarter. Siakam and Nembhard's consecutive triples pushed Indiana's lead back to seven before Young's three-point play later pulled the Hawks within one at the 4:59 mark.

The Pacers ended the third on a 12-4 run -- including Siakam's personal 7-0 spree -- to take a 94-86 advantage into the fourth quarter. From there, Clint Capela's dunk and Daniels' floater capped a 12-4 Hawks run that tied the game with just under eight minutes left.

Niang knocked down consecutive treys to give Atlanta a 107-102 lead with 5:03 left. After Daniels' only 3-pointer of the night gave the Hawks a 112-106 edge, Nesmith answered with a trey. Okongwu's putback layup and Niang's basket pushed Atlanta's lead to 116-109 with 1:07 left. The Hawks then made all six of their free throws in the final minute to seal the win.

The Pacers led 31-21 after the first quarter before Atlanta began the second quarter on a 19-7 run -- including a 12-0 spurt -- to take a 40-38 lead.

Back-to-back Turner layups put the Pacers up 44-42 before Daniels' floater stamped an 11-5 Atlanta run that gave the Hawks a four-point advantage. T.J. McConnell's buzzer-beating 3-pointer finished a 14-3 Pacers spree to finish the first half and give Indiana a 63-56 halftime-lead.

White scored his team's last nine points and 14 of its last 17 to help the Bulls overcome a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to inflict the Magic's fifth successive home defeat.

With Chicago up by two points and 14.2 seconds remaining, Orlando center Wendell Carter Jr. beat White in a jump ball, giving the Magic the last possession.

But Paolo Banchero missed a 3-pointer for the win with three seconds remaining.

The rebound was pulled in by Carter, but his putback dunk came fractionally after the final buzzer sounded.

Tre Jones added 20 points for the Bulls, while Josh Giddey narrowly missed a triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.

Banchero and Cole Anthony both posted 20 points for the Magic, who received solid contributions from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (19 points), Franz Wagner (18) and Carter (17).

Orlando held a slender 35-33 advantage at the end of the first quarter, which comprised 13 lead changes and six ties.

The Magic moved ahead by six points before Jones paced a 20-6 burst from the Bulls, who pulled in front 55-47 midway through the second period.

Piloted by Banchero, Orlando closed the gap to 69-66 at halftime then scored the first eight points of the third frame to move back in front.

The Magic's zone defense was causing issues for Chicago as the margin grew to 88-77 before White led the Bulls' revival.

Kevin Huerter's 3-pointer tied the game at 92 before Orlando eased back into a 101-96 lead with a quarter to play.

Jalen Smith fouled out for Chicago with 8:11 left in the fourth, then followed it with a technical before being ushered through the tunnel as he continued to argue with spectators.

A flurry of free throws resulted, and the Magic's lead increased to 112-103 before White responded to the challenge.

He soared for a dunk to trim the margin to one point before his seventh trey gave the Bulls the lead with 2:18 to play and Chicago would never trail again.

But heading into the Thunder's Friday home game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Daigneault hopes his side can sustain the defensive momentum it built in Wednesday's win at Memphis.

"Some of it was shooting variance," Daigneault said of OKC's defensive struggles before that 120-103 victory. "I mean, these other teams were banging shots in in an uncharacteristic way in terms of what we would expect. But I didn't think our energy level and juice was quite to the level that it's been for much of the season."

Daigneault felt like his team turned a corner against the Grizzlies.

Now, Oklahoma City is looking to keep the momentum going at that end of the floor.

"We've been talking about it," Luguentz Dort, one of the Thunder's top defenders, told The Oklahoman. "(The) All-Star break was a break. Everybody felt good about themselves. Went out, got some time off, and it just happened like that (where) it took us a couple games to get the car back on the road."

Oklahoma City has won five consecutive games and 14 of its last 16. Since the break, the Thunder are 7-1 and have averaged nearly 132 points per game during that stretch.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA's scoring leader this season, has scored a combined 92 points over the last two games, but he will sit out Friday's game for rest. It'll be just the second game Gilgeous-Alexander has missed this season.

Oklahoma City will also be without Dort (right knee soreness), Jalen Williams (right wrist sprain) and Isaiah Hartenstein (nasal fracture) as they come off what Daigneault said was the Thunder's toughest stretch on the schedule in several seasons.

Chet Holmgren is listed as questionable after missing Wednesday's win.

Friday's game is the last of a season-long seven-game road trip for Portland, which has gone 4-2 so far during the stretch.

But the Blazers have dropped two of their last three, including Wednesday's 128-118 loss in Boston.

With a series of injuries, Portland has had to switch things around a bit recently.

"We're playing a lot of lineups and combinations that we don't usually play," Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. "So it's the first time for some of these combinations."

One of those faces fitting into a different role is third-year forward Jabari Walker.

Walker played a season-high 30 minutes against the Celtics, scoring a season-high 22 points with a career-high six 3-pointers.

The Blazers' Deni Avdija left Wednesday's loss in the fourth quarter after reaggravating a quad injury that kept him out of a game last week.

Deandre Ayton (calf), Jerami Grant (knee) and Robert Williams (knee) have all been out recently for Portland.

The Thunder have won 15 consecutive games against the Blazers, with Portland's last victory in the series coming in April 2021.

Friday is the fourth and final meeting between the teams this season.

At 32-29, the new look Kings sit in ninth place -- just 1 1/2 game out of avoiding the West's play-in tournament. San Antonio (26-34) is in 13th place, 4 1/2 games below the play-in tournament line as they conclude the season without injured star center Victor Wembanyama.

The Kings head home after a four-game road trip that produced three wins before concluding with a 116-110 loss at Denver on Wednesday. Sacramento was ahead by nine points heading into the final quarter, but wilted despite 35 points from DeMar DeRozan, 20 from Zach Levine and Jonas Valanciunas's 19-point, 13-rebound effort.

"We can keep saying that ‘we have a lot of new guys' and that we are still trying to find our way, but that excuse is one that no one checks for you in this league," Kings interim coach Doug Christie said. "People just run through you, beat the hell out of you, no matter what the excuse is.

"(We need to) take care of the basketball, play together, move the rock -- if you do that, you have an opportunity to win."

Sacramento has won four of its past five despite the hamstring injury of star center Domantas Sabonis, who will not play on Friday. The Kings also played on Wednesday without Malik Monk, who is battling a right toe sprain. His status for this game is still to be determined.

Friday's clash is the first of a two-game road trip for San Antonio that wraps up Sunday at Minnesota. The Spurs have won two of their past three outings, most recently a 127-113 home victory over Brooklyn on Tuesday.

Devin Vassell hit a career-high eight 3-pointers as part of a career-best 37 points in Tuesday's win as the Spurs expanded a five-point halftime lead to 19 entering the final quarter.

"I'm in my fifth year in the league and the more aggressive I am, not even just to score but just to make plays, the better we are playing," Vassell said. "So just got to stay with it. I appreciate that my coaches and my teammates were just encouraging me."

Stephon Castle added 17 points while Keldon Johnson and De'Aaron Fox added 15 each. Bismack Biyombo amassed 13 points and 14 rebounds while Chris Paul scored 11 for San Antonio.

It's the first return to Sacramento for Fox, who was traded from the Kings to San Antonio in early February after spending seven-plus seasons in the California capital.

Fox said Thursday that his early concerns about playing for a different team and moving halfway across the nation were placated by his opportunity with the Spurs.

"I was just excited to be able to be in this position," Fox told The Athletic. "Obviously, a lot of these (Spurs) are young, but I think they're very talented, so it was definitely exciting."

Fox also said he would need offseason surgery to address a dislocated finger on his left (shooting) hand.

"At some point, I'm going to have to get (surgery), but we'll see where we are before that comes," Fox said.

The Suns sit outside the play-in tournament with 20 games left, and every one of those is an opportunity to gain ground, starting at the Nuggets on Friday night.

Phoenix won two of three games, the latest against the Los Angeles Clippers when they rallied from 23 down. The victory was overshadowed by star Kevin Durant exchanging heated words with coach Mike Budenholzer in front of the Suns bench during the game, which Durant downplayed after the fact.

"He allows me as a player on the team, a veteran on the team, to voice my opinion," Durant said postgame. "If we both didn't care, we would never have stuff like that. ... That shows that me and Bud really care about trying to right this ship and trying to win basketball games."

The 6-foot-11 power forward was instrumental in the comeback with 34 points, and Durant leads Phoenix in scoring at 26.9 points per game. Devin Booker is second (25.9 ppg) and Bradley Beal rounds out the top three (17.6).

Friday kicks off a critical four-game road trip against teams ahead of the Suns in the standings. It's also the last of four games between them and Denver, with the Nuggets winning two of the first three, including one at Phoenix on Feb. 8.

Durant missed that loss with an ankle injury, and the Suns missed his 25-point average over two appearances against Denver this season.

The Nuggets are banged up heading into the matchup. Reserve guard Julian Strawther will miss at least four weeks with a left knee sprain and Aaron Gordon has sat out the last three games with a left ankle sprain.

Denver did get Peyton Watson back from his right knee injury in the win over Sacramento on Wednesday night. He scored two points in 16 minutes in his first game since Jan. 31.

"It felt good to be back, felt good to go out there and help the team win the game," said Watson, who leads the team in blocks with 1.2 per game. "Definitely some rust to knock off. I am not one for excuses. I am here to help us get wins and help us win games. That is my role on this team. I want to be better on Friday."

The Nuggets got a boost from their bench in Wednesday's win and a big lift from Russell Westbrook, who started in place of Gordon. He had 25 points and is averaging 12.9 points a game, tied with Gordon for fifth, and is also tied with Jamal Murray for second in assists with 6.1 per game

Jokic leads the team in scoring (28.8 ppg), rebounds (12.8) and assists (10.4) -- placing him in the NBA's top three in each category. Murray is second in scoring at 21.4 points a game and Michael Porter Jr. is averaging 18.4 points.

Rookie Ja'Kobe Walter hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds left when the Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic 114-113 on Tuesday to complete a sweep of the two-game road series.

The winning shot came with Toronto's more experienced core players on the bench.

"This is what we talked about with us as an organization, it's very important for young guys to be in those situations so they can learn," Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic said. "There is no better school than this, for them to be on the court and be in close games and go through all of that."

"That was probably, really, the first game-winner of my life," said Walter, who scored 17 points. "So I'm definitely going to remember that one."

Players, who would normally be on the court at the end of such a tight game, cheered from the bench.

"Those are teammates of theirs on the court, and guys that are putting a lot in (work) every single day, so I think they handled it really well," Rajakovic said. "They were cheering for them. They were looking for those guys to have that experience to close the game like that.

"And I think everybody wins today with the attitude that we had," he added.

With guards Gradey Dick (knee) and Ochai Agbaji (ankle) out, Walter started on Tuesday and could continue in that role as the Raptors open a four-game homestand.

Jonathan Mogbo broke his nose during the game on Tuesday and will be out at least a week. The team said Thursday that the forward will wear a facemask for the rest of the season.

This will be the first meeting of the season between the Jazz and Raptors. Utah won both games last season.

The Jazz have dropped three in a row, including a 125-122 loss to the Washington Wizards in the opener of a five-game road trip. They have lost 10 straight on the road.

The Jazz also have been using younger players as they deal with injuries.

"We've got to continue to find ways to work together on the offensive side of the ball," Jazz coach Will Hardy said. "It's an opportunity for our young players to learn how to work together and pull out some wins."

Guard Johnny Juzang led the Jazz with 27 points. Juzang, 23, is in his third season with Utah.

"Johnny is continuing to feel his way into his new role," Hardy said. "He's continuing to make good reads on when to shoot his catch-and-shoot and when to play on a closeout. It's nice to see him have success in tonight's game because he's put a lot of work in."

Rookie center Kyle Filipowski added 23 points and 13 rebounds as six Jazz players scored in double figures.

"I think that's great for us," said Filipowski, 21. "Just seeing the young guys work together and try to fight for the win, I think that just shows the potential we have moving forward."

The Jazz had a 58-45 advantage in rebounds despite being without center Walker Kessler (rest).

"It comes down to it being a group effort," Hardy said. "At times we rely too much on Walker to take care of the rim and to rebound. Tonight, I thought our general activity collectively was very good."

The Jazz also were without Lauri Markkanen (back), John Collins (back), Jordan Clarkson (foot), Collin Sexton (ankle), Keyonte George (illness) and Jaden Springer (back).

The Grizzlies spent most of the past two months second in the Western Conference behind runaway leader Oklahoma City. But they will enter the game against the Mavericks in a freefall.

The Grizzlies have dropped four straight and lost seven of their past nine, including Wednesday's lopsided 120-103 home loss to the Thunder. Memphis scored only 48 points in the second half and struggled from beyond the arc throughout, finishing 9-for-34.

Memphis played without all-star forward Jaren Jackson Jr., who is sidelined with a left ankle sprain. Two-time All-Star guard Ja Morant started against the Thunder and had 24 points and six assists, but said afterward he should have rested because of a right shoulder injury.

"I should have been out, but I was out there," Morant said. "Regardless, out or in, there's going to be something said. I think I just said I probably (shouldn't) have played, but I did."

While frustration has set in for the Grizzlies -- considered NBA title contenders with a nucleus of Jackson, Morant and Desmond Bane -- despair has found a home in Dallas.

The Mavericks have lost five of their last six and remain slightly above .500 (32-31). Their struggles began shortly after superstar Luke Doncic was traded in early February to the Los Angeles Lakers in a deal that brought big man Anthony Davis to Dallas.

Davis suffered an adductor strain in his first game with the Mavericks on Feb. 8 and hasn't played since then. On Monday, nine-time All-Star guard Kyrie Irving tore the ACL in his left knee in a loss to the Sacramento Kings, ending his season.

"I mean, this is new territory for everyone," Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. "A lot of people haven't seen this. But again, it is next man up and we are running out of next (men)."

Irving had been the only player in the league averaging at least 20 points (24.7), while shooting 40 percent or better from 3-point range (40.1) and 90 percent or better from the free-throw line (91.6).

With Irving out, teammate Klay Thompson attempted to take up the slack against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. He took 27 shots and said he was being aggressive in a difficult environment. He made 11 and led the team with 28 points in a 137-107 defeat.

The Mavericks also are without Daniel Gafford (MCL), Dereck Lively II (right ankle) and Caleb Martin (hip). They had only eight players available on Wednesday.

"We are human," Thompson said. "It is very hard and you have to find joy playing the game and playing for one another. Your character is revealed during the toughest times. It's easy to be high and mighty when you are winning games and you're feeling great.

"But the true test of your character is when things don't go your way and you still show up and you still play hard, you still look for your teammates."

Thompson called Irving's injury a "gut punch" for not only Mavericks fans, but NBA fans worldwide.

"Kyrie has been our rock this year," Thompson said. "It's like an unfillable void. We have to rally around him and play hard for him. That one hurt, though. I know he is going to come back stronger but in the moment it (stinks)."

The 6-foot-4 Timberwolves star is averaging career highs in points (27.5), free-throw percentage (83.7) and 3-point percentage (40.6).

Edwards, who finished second in 2021 in the voting for NBA Rookie of the Year, averaged 19.3 points that season. The three-time All-Star has increased his scoring average in each following season.

He's also getting better in calendar year 2025.

Edwards is averaging 30.3 points in three games this month. If he keeps up that pace, it would be the third straight month that he has averaged more than 30 points per game.

However, Edwards also leads the NBA in technical fouls with 17. For perspective, nobody on the Heat has more than five (Tyler Herro).

In nine career games against Miami, Edwards is averaging 23.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists.

Miami beat host Minnesota 95-94 in their only meeting so far this season. In that Nov. 10 contest, Herro scored a game-high 26 points. Edwards was held to 22 points on 8-for-24 shooting.

Minnesota will enter Miami coming off a 125-110 win over the host Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. Jaden McDaniels and Edwards each scored 29 points for the Timberwolves.

Point guard Mike Conley (rest) and center Rudy Gobert (back) missed the Hornets game. It appears likely Conley will return to play the Heat.

Forward Julius Randle is Minnesota's second-leading scorer (18.9) behind Edwards.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said Randle and Donte DiVincenzo -- offseason acquisitions from New York in the trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks -- are playing well.

Finch said of DiVincenzo: "He makes back-breaking 3-pointers for us. I like how he's playing an all-around game: rebounding, playmaking and always ready to shoot."

DiVincenzo is averaging 11.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 26.4 minutes in 45 games. He's making 39.4 percent of his 3-point attempts and 40.8 percent from the field.

Herro leads Miami in scoring (23.9) and assists (5.7).

However, Herro did not play in Miami's 112-107 loss at the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday due to illness.

Herro was one of six Heat players who missed the Cavaliers game, including fellow starters Nikola Jovic (broken hand); Andrew Wiggins (ankle); and Kel'el Ware (knee).

In addition, Dru Smith (Achilles tendon) is out for the year, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. has a sprained ankle.

Yet, even with all those issues, the Heat was leading Cleveland -- which has the best record in the NBA -- with less than three minutes remaining. An apparent game-tying 3-pointer by Miami's Duncan Robinson with 17 seconds left was waved off because he stepped out of bounds.

One thing Miami has been able to count on is Bam Adebayo, who scored a season-high 34 points against Cleveland. The three-time All-Star center is averaging 17.5 points, a team-high 10.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists.

Point guard Davion Mitchell -- acquired from Toronto in the five-team trade that sent Miami's Jimmy Butler to Golden State -- has given the Heat a boost. Besides playing tough defense, he is making 48.5 percent on 3-pointers in his 10 games with Miami.

Role players Alec Burks (41.9 percent on 3-pointers) and defensive stalwart Haywood Highsmith (40.9 percent on 3-pointers) have also helped Miami.

"We've got a lot of guys making plays," Adebayo said. "We've got (only) nine or 10 (healthy) guys, but we still have to find ways to win."

Miami is 15-12 at home. Minnesota is 18-15 on the road. Both teams entered Thursday in seventh place in their respective conference, putting them in play-in territory.

The Cavaliers have a road assignment against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.

The goal for Cleveland, which became the first team in the NBA to clinch a playoff berth Wednesday night, will be to maintain its crisp level of play.

"It seems like everything has gone our way this year," Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. "Is there some luck? Sure there is because it's so hard to win in the NBA. ... We have had some fortune."

The Cavaliers are looking at the big picture, so there's more work ahead.

"It's an honor. It's a sign of our hard work as a group," guard Donovan Mitchell said of the earliest the franchise has qualified for the postseason. "... It's just another step on our journey, but we've got a lot more to accomplish."

The Cavaliers and Hornets, who are mired in an eight-game losing streak, sure have different outlooks at this time of the season.

"This is really special, a season like this," Atkinson said. "We got great talent, great continuity and great togetherness."

It's not nearly as rosy for the Hornets.

"We just got to continue to stick with it," Charlotte coach Charles Lee said. "The team continues to fight, but on every possession, we have to continue to fight and not have these long lulls during the game."

Charlotte's changing roster with various players unavailable because of injuries at different times throughout the season has a troubling cumulative impact on the Hornets, Lee said. The coach said there's not a lot of experience among several player combinations.

"When you're indecisive, it holds you back," Lee said.

Many of the breakdowns in communication appear to be happening on defense. Those are particularly evident early in games as opponents tend to rack up sizable leads.

But the shortcomings exist on the other end of the court as well. They might even begin with offensive flaws.

"I do think it's our lack of conversion on offense sometimes," Lee said. "Especially for young players and this team in general, we get focused a bit too much on the offensive side of the ball. We let a missed layup or a transition turnover affect us too much, and then it hurts our defensive side of the ball."

The defensive glitches have come in various forms. That's the frustrating part to Lee.

"Good defensive process on the other end, and then you give up an offensive rebound," he said. "Some of those plays can hurt your spirit at times."

Mitchell has been the top Cleveland scorer in nine of the last 13 games. But he hasn't topped the team's scoring list season vs. the Hornets.

The Cavaliers have won all three previous meetings with Charlotte. The closest margin in those games was the most-recent matchup -- 115-105 on Jan. 5 in Cleveland. Evan Mobley had a career-high 41 points in a 116-102 victory on Dec. 7 at Charlotte.

LaMelo Ball was Charlotte's leading scorer in two games against Cleveland this season. In the other game, Brandon Miller topped the team's scoring list, but he's out with a season-ending wrist injury.

Ball, who averages a team-high 26.2 points per game, and Miles Bridges combined for 51 of the Hornets' points in their 125-110 loss to visiting Minnesota on Wednesday.

The 76ers have lost 11 of their last 12 games overall. This will be Philadelphia's fourth game since the team announced Joel Embiid would miss the rest of the season for left knee injury management.

Philadelphia is dealing with injuries to some of its other key players as well. Leading scorer Tyrese Maxey, who averages 26.3 points per game, didn't play in Tuesday's 126-112 loss to Minnesota after falling and landing on his back during Monday's game against Portland.

Paul George returned to the court Tuesday after missing one game with groin soreness but missed 8 of 11 attempts from the field and finished with seven points, seven rebounds and six assists. He left the game in the fourth quarter when the groin tightened.

"It didn't feel 100 percent to start," George said. "But just tried to go out there and give something. By that time -- that third, fourth quarter -- it was just tight and I just couldn't move."

One bright spot for Philadelphia lately has been the play of 24-year-old Quentin Grimes, who is averaging 17.7 points and is shooting 52.4 percent from the field -- 38.2 percent from 3-point territory - in 11 games since he was acquired from Dallas. Grimes scored 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting Tuesday, had a career-high 44 points in a victory over Golden State on Saturday, and posted a career-high nine assists in Monday's loss to Portland.

"That's a couple games in a row now where he's getting a lot of attention, a lot of game plan and scheming and he still found a way to shoot a really high percentage again," Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said. "He was able to do that playing the point guard as well (in place of Maxey), which was nice to see. I thought he handled that really well and, again, was really impressive out there."

The Celtics, who have won eight of their last 10 games and already have clinched a postseason berth, will play their second game in as many nights. Boston beat Portland 128-118 Wednesday despite missing starters Jrue Holiday (finger), Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Jayson Tatum (shoulder). Tatum is averaging a team-high 26.8 points per game. Holiday and Porzingis each missed their third straight contest.

Payton Pritchard came off the bench to score a career-high 43 points for Boston, which also received a career-high 41 from Derrick White. Pritchard made 10 3-pointers and White had nine.

"They were tremendous," Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. "With guys out and playing against a really good Portland team, we knew we were going to need to have guys step up, and the way those two played shows a lot about who they are. They do a lot of the dirty stuff when we're fully healthy, and to have a night like this where those two can show what they're capable of was big for us. We're lucky to have them, and it was a lot of fun to watch them do that."

The Celtics are 2-1 against the 76ers this season. Boston prevailed 118-110 in Philadelphia on Feb. 2 and 124-104 there on Feb. 20. Philadelphia won the first meeting, in Boston, 118-114 on Christmas Day.

It was the first time in franchise history that two Boston players scored 40-plus points in the same game.

Pritchard was 14 of 20 from the field, including 10 of 16 from 3-point territory. He also had 10 rebounds and five rebounds. White was 14 of 26 from the field and made 9 of 17 3-point attempts for Boston, which was without Jrue Holiday (finger), Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Jayson Tatum (shoulder).

Anfernee Simons led Portland with 30 points. Shaedon Sharpe added 25 points and six rebounds and Jabari Walker contributed 22 points and six rebounds. Walker made each of his six 3-point attempts.

Clippers 123, Pistons 115

James Harden scored a season-high 50 points and Ivica Zubac added 22 points and 11 rebounds as Los Angeles beat Detroit in Inglewood, Calif.

Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 23 points in his third start and 10th game for the Clippers, who were playing their first home game since Feb. 12. Los Angeles was without Kawhi Leonard (rest), Derrick Jones Jr. (groin) and Norman Powell (hamstring).

Cade Cunningham scored 37 points and dished 10 assists and Dennis Schroder added 21 points as the Pistons lost for just the second time in their past 12 games.

Cavaliers 112, Heat 107

Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points, Evan Mobley added 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Cleveland closed on a 12-2 run to beat visiting Miami for its 12th straight victory.

De'Andre Hunter also had 16 points for the NBA-best Cavaliers, who became the first team to clinch a playoff berth. Darius Garland had 15 points and 10 assists, Ty Jerome scored 12 points, and Max Strus had 11.

Bam Adebayo put up a season-high 34 points, 12 rebounds and five assists for Miami. Robinson scored 14 points, Haywood Highsmith added 13, Terry Rozier had 12 and Kevin Love chipped in 10 against his former team.

Nuggets 116, Kings 110

Russell Westbrook scored 25 points, Nikola Jokic added 22 points and 15 rebounds and host Denver rallied to beat Sacramento.

Denver outscored Sacramento 32-17 in the fourth quarter to pull away. Jamal Murray produced 24 points and eight assists, Michael Porter Jr. contributed 13 points and 12 rebounds, Christian Braun finished with 15 points and seven assists and Zeke Nnaji scored 10 points for Denver.

DeMar DeRozan scored 35 points, Zach LaVine had 20 points, Jonas Valanciunas finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds, Jake LaRavia added 15 points and Keon Ellis contributed 11 for the Kings, who had their four-game winning streak snapped.

Bucks 137, Mavericks 107

Damian Lillard scored 34 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 32 to lead host Milwaukee to a win over short-handed Dallas.

The Bucks, who have won four straight games and eight of nine, also got 10 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists from reserve Kevin Porter Jr. Antetokounmpo grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds.

Dallas lost its third straight game and fifth in its last six. With nine players ruled out of this game and just eight available, Klay Thompson led the way with 28 points, while Naji Marshall added 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Thunder 120, Grizzlies 103

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 41 points to lead visiting Oklahoma City over Memphis, which lost its season-high fourth straight game.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 51 points in the Thunder's home victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday, posted his 10th 40-point game of the season. Jalen Williams added 20 points and nine assists for the Thunder, who won their fifth straight game.

Ja Morant, back in the lineup for Memphis after a two-game absence caused by a shoulder contusion, finished with 24 points and six assists. Desmond Bane contributed 15 points as the Grizzlies finished a 1-4 homestand.

Timberwolves 125, Hornets 110

Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels pumped in 29 points apiece, and Minnesota rolled to a victory at Charlotte.

Julius Randle contributed 25 points and joined McDaniels and teammate Naz Reid with 10 rebounds apiece. Donte DiVincenzo finished with 16 points, Reid notched 13 points and Randle added nine assists as the Timberwolves won their third game in a row.

LaMelo Ball poured in 28 points and Miles Bridges had 23, but the Hornets' losing streak reached eight games.

Wizards 125, Jazz 122

Kyshawn George had 23 points and seven rebounds, helping Washington beat visiting Utah.

Alexandre Sarr added 21 points, while Justin Champagnie scored 17 as the Wizards won their second game in three tries.

Johnny Juzang scored a season-high 27 points while Kyle Filipowski collected 23 points and 13 rebounds as the Jazz dropped their third straight. Utah had a chance to tie the game on the final possession, but Brice Sensabaugh's 3-point attempt missed with one second remaining.

Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 23 points in his second start and 10th game for the Clippers, who were playing their first home game since Feb. 12. Los Angeles arrived back home after losing six of their last seven road games.

Harden became the fifth Clippers player to score at least 50 points in a game in franchise history. Bob McAdoo accomplished the feat four times.

The Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard, who was held out on the second night of a back-to-back. They also were without Derrick Jones Jr. (groin) and Norman Powell (hamstring), who was out for the seventh time in eight games.

Cade Cunningham scored 37 points with 10 assists and Dennis Schroder added 21 points as the Pistons lost for just the second time in their last 12 games. Malik Beasley scored 14 points for Detroit.

In a back-and-forth second half, Los Angeles went on a 10-0 run to take a 107-99 lead with 5:19 remaining on a floater in the lane by Harden. The basket put Harden at the 40-point mark for the fourth time this season.

Harden matched his season high of 43 points with a step-back 3-pointer with 3:57 remaining for a 112-105 Los Angeles advantage. He set his season high on a bank shot with 3:13 left as the Clippers took a 114-108 lead.

Harden, who finished 14 of 24 from the floor and 6 of 13 from 3-point range in 38 minutes, was playing for the second consecutive night at age 35 after he also was on the floor for 38 minutes in a loss at Phoenix on Tuesday.

The Clippers took a 120-110 lead on a pair of free throws from Bogdanovic with 56.1 seconds remaining to seal the victory. Harden scored his 50th point on a free throw with 22.9 seconds left.

Both teams shot over 50 percent in the first half, with the Clippers taking a 32-26 lead after one quarter and the Pistons rallying to tie the game 57-57 at halftime. Harden had 28 points at halftime for Los Angeles, while Cunningham and Schroder each had 15 for Detroit.