The Nets trailed by four with 9.5 seconds left after Houston's Dillon Brooks split a pair at the line. Following a clean inbounds pass by Tosan Evbuomwan, Keon Johnson sank a 3-pointer over Jae'Sean Tate with 8.1 seconds left.

After Evbuomwan stole Amen Thompson's inbounds pass for Brooks, he got the ball near the foul line and tapped it to Russell. Russell spotted up and his open trey from the left side of the key cleanly went in. Brooklyn's Jalen Green missed a desperation 32-foot 3-point attempt at the buzzer.

Johnson scored 22 points for Brooklyn, and Evbuomwan and Nic Claxton added 14 apiece. Alperen Sengun returned from missing the previous three games with a calf injury and collected 24 and a season-high 20 rebounds, but the Rockets dropped their season-high fourth straight.

Lakers 122, Clippers 97

LeBron James scored 26 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out nine assists as Los Angeles beat the host Clippers in Inglewood, Calif.

Playing with Luka Doncic (calf) on the bench after acquiring him in a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks over the weekend, the Lakers got 20 points apiece from Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves.

Norman Powell scored 20 points and Derrick Jones Jr. added 17 for the Clippers, who gave up at least 122 points for the eighth time this season.

76ers 118, Mavericks 116

Joel Embiid recorded a triple-double in his return to the court and Tyrese Maxey had a double-double as Philadelphia nipped visiting Dallas.

Embiid finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 36 minutes. Maxey contributed 33 points and 13 assists, while Guerschon Yabusele pitched in with 19 points for Philadelphia, which avoided a third straight defeat.

Kyrie Irving scored 34 points for Dallas, which was annihilated by Cleveland 144-101 in its first game after trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers over the weekend. Anthony Davis, the centerpiece of the Doncic deal, continued to sit with an abdominal injury. Max Christie made his Dallas debut and went 4-of-4 from 3-point range en route to 15 points.

Trail Blazers 112, Pacers 89

Anfernee Simons recorded 22 points and seven assists and Jerami Grant added 20 points as Portland continued its home domination of Indiana.

Scoot Henderson amassed 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists and Shaedon Sharpe produced 17 points and three steals as the Trail Blazers won their fifth consecutive game and prevailed for the ninth time in the past 10. Toumani Camara added 13 points for Portland, which never trailed and won for the 15th time in its past 16 home contests against Indiana.

Andrew Nembhard scored 17 points and Pascal Siakam added 16 for the Pacers, who had a four-game winning streak halted and lost for just the third time in the past 15 games. T.J. McConnell put up 14 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 12 points and seven rebounds as Indiana had a six-game road winning streak stopped, one shy of the franchise record set at the outset of the 2003-04 season.

Bulls 133, Heat 124

Rookie Matas Buzelis scored a career-best 24 points on 10-for-10 shooting and Josh Giddey added 24 points to lift host Chicago to a win against Miami.

Ayo Dosunmu tallied 21 points and nine assists and Coby White had 22 points for Chicago, which outscored Miami 39-21 in the fourth quarter.

Tyler Herro had 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Heat, while Bam Adebayo contributed 23 points and eight boards. Kel'el Ware notched a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Celtics 112, Cavaliers 105

Derrick White scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter to help visiting Boston extend its winning streak to four games with a victory over Cleveland.

Jayson Tatum scored a team-high 22 points and had seven assists for Boston. Kristaps Porzingis had 19 points and seven rebounds. The Celtics also received a 16-point performance from Jaylen Brown.

Donovan Mitchell had 31 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in the loss, which dropped Cleveland's home record to 24-4. Darius Garland added 25 points for the Cavaliers, who received 17 points and 18 rebounds from Jarrett Allen.

Knicks 121, Raptors 115

Karl-Anthony Towns paired 27 points with 20 rebounds as visiting New York held off a second-half rally to defeat Toronto.

Jalen Brunson scored 28 points to lead New York, which led by 23 during the third quarter before letting Toronto close within one late in the fourth. However, the Knicks never gave up the lead and completed a sweep of the four-game season series.

Scottie Barnes scored 23 points for Toronto, which has lost two of three. Jamal Shead produced 16 points and nine assists.

Scoot Henderson amassed 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists and Shaedon Sharpe produced 17 points and three steals as the Trail Blazers won their fifth consecutive game and prevailed for the ninth time in the past 10. Six of the nine wins during the 10-game stretch have been by double digits.

Toumani Camara added 13 points for Portland, which never trailed and won for the 15th time in its past 16 home contests against Indiana.

Andrew Nembhard scored 17 points and Pascal Siakam added 16 for the Pacers, who had a four-game winning streak halted and lost for just the third time in the past 15 games.

T.J. McConnell put up 14 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 12 points and seven rebounds as Indiana had a six-game road winning streak stopped, one shy of the franchise record set at the outset of the 2003-04 season.

Portland made 44.6 percent of its shots and was 14 of 37 (37.8 percent) from 3-point range. Robert Williams III collected 11 rebounds as the Trail Blazers had a 51-39 rebounding advantage.

The Pacers connected on 42 percent of their field-goal attempts, including a lowly 5 of 24 (20.8 percent) from behind the arc.

Indiana, down by seven at halftime, moved within one 4 1/2 minutes into the second half before Portland ripped off 11 consecutive points.

Williams started the surge with a dunk and Deni Avdija followed with a 3-pointer to make it 58-52. Sharpe had two dunks around a basket by Deandre Ayton as Portland took a 64-52 lead with 5:01 left in the third quarter.

Consecutive dunks by Camara and Ayton pushed the Trail Blazers lead to 71-56 with 3:12 remaining in the quarter.

Portland led 78-66 entering the final period before Indiana moved within 82-76 on two free throws by Siakam with 8:43 remaining.

The Trail Blazers answered with Simons' basket and Henderson's driving hoop and ensuing 3-pointer to make it a 13-point lead with 6:13 left. Simons added a jumper to cap the 9-0 surge and make it 91-76.

Simons and Grant later hit consecutive 3-pointers to make it 101-81 with 4:06 left, and Portland's lead topped out at 25.

Simons scored 12 first-half points as Portland led 45-38 at the break. Mathurin and Siakam had 10 points apiece in the half for Indiana.

Playing with Luka Doncic (calf) on the bench after acquiring him in a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks over the weekend, the Lakers got 20 points apiece from Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves and sped up their offense to lead by as many as 24 in the first half. Reaves also supplied nine assists.

The Lakers shot 55.6 percent from the floor and 48.6 percent from 3-point range for the game as their efficient offense made up for defensive deficiencies created without the services of Anthony Davis and Max Christie, who were both traded to the Mavericks.

Norman Powell scored 20 points and Derrick Jones Jr. added 17 for the Clippers, who gave up at least 122 points for the eighth time this season.

Kawhi Leonard scored 11 points in 22 minutes while playing his 12th game this season after returning from a knee injury. Trade additions Drew Eubanks and Patty Mills made their Clippers debuts in the fourth quarter and combined for two points on four shots.

The Lakers jumped out to a 10-point lead about 9 1/2 minutes into the game and were up 45-29 after one quarter. The Lakers then held their first 20-point lead with 9:48 remaining in the first half, and they were up 73-50 at halftime.

The Clippers pulled within 13 points at 79-66 in the third quarter before the Lakers went on a 7-0 run to go back up by 20 at 86-66 about midway through the period.

The Lakers went up 105-78 with 8:56 remaining in the game after back-to-back 3-pointers from rookie Dalton Knecht and Hachimura, then cruised to the finish line to win for the ninth time in their past 11 games.

Lakers rookie Bronny James played the final six minutes and finished with three points, making the first 3-pointer of his NBA career with 4:37 remaining.

After losing 11 consecutive games to the Clippers through the end of the 2022-23 season, the Lakers have now won four of the past six meetings with their crosstown rival.

Sacramento has gone 12-6 since promoting Doug Christie as interim coach to replace the fired Mike Brown, and the Kings took another step in their playoff push by trading for two-time All-Star guard Zach LaVine on Monday.

LaVine is expected to make his team debut when Sacramento hosts the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

The Kings acquired LaVine from the Chicago Bulls in a three-team trade that saw Sacramento deal star point guard De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs.

The Kings also got second-year forward Sidy Cissoko from the Spurs in the seven-player, seven-draft pick blockbuster. Sacramento received six of the picks.

LaVine sat out his last three games as a Bull for personal reasons. He joins a Kings team that has lost four of six after winning 10 of 11 to move up in the Western Conference playoff race. Sacramento entered Monday in the three-way tie for the second play-in spot in the Western Conference.

As was the case when Brown was fired, Kings standout big man Domantas Sabonis said the key to another potential stretch of good play is to focus on the task at hand, not be bothered by the loss of a friend.

"It's been a crazy year, a lot of change," Sabonis told the Sacramento Bee. "It (stinks), but we've just got to somehow come together, be professional and keep this thing moving forward."

LaVine was playing well before his absence. He averaged 26.4 points in his last five games, shooting 48.9 percent overall and 38.6 percent on 3-pointers.

LaVine faced Orlando twice with Chicago this season, totaling just 19 points on 5-of-18 shooting.

While the Kings are coming off a six-game trip, the Magic are continuing their own six-game trip with their fifth straight on the road. They've lost the first four, failing to reach 100 points in their last three defeats at Portland, Utah and Golden State.

Monday's 104-99 loss against the Warriors was encouraging in that, after 29- and 14-point drubbings, Orlando had a chance late against Golden State, taking a 92-90 lead into the final four minutes. Cole Anthony had 26 points in the losing effort.

Still, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley did not blame a 14-7 game-ending run by the Warriors as the difference in the loss.

"We always talk about it coming down to those final possessions. It's never that," Mosley said. "It's a 39-point third quarter (by Golden State), where you let go a little bit, your communication breaks off, you don't knock some shots down, you look at a 15-0 free-throw count."

Orlando has been outscored 84-67 at the foul line during its four-game losing streak. The Magic have gotten to the line just 90 times, compared to the opponents' 110.

It's not for a lack of aggressiveness, Mosley assured.

"We had 52 points in the paint, attacked the basket 47 times, and (shot) 10 free throws," he said after the Golden State game.

Orlando and Sacramento will be meeting for the first time this season. The Magic will host the Kings on March 29.

Jalen Brunson scored 28 points to lead New York, which led by 23 during the third quarter before letting Toronto close within one late in the fourth. But the Knicks never gave up the lead and completed a sweep of the four-game season series.

Former Raptor Precious Achiuwa contributed 17 points before fouling out in the final minute. Mikal Bridges also had 17 points and Josh Hart scored 15 as New York won its second straight.

Scottie Barnes scored 23 points for Toronto, which has lost two of three. Jamal Shead scored 16 points, Gradey Dick added 14, Ja'Kobe Walter logged 13 and Kelly Olynyk hit for 11. Shead had nine assists.

The Raptors engineered a 12-0 run to cut the margin to four with 5:56 to play in the fourth quarter. Brunson answered with a 12-footer for the tiring Knicks before Dick hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to three with 4:41 left. Shead's layup trimmed the margin to one with 3:17 to go before Hart scored four straight points.

After Toronto moved to within three, Brunson silenced the crowd with a 3-pointer with 26 seconds left to seal the win for New York.

The Raptors applied pressure early against the Knicks, who were completing a back-to-back after Monday's home win over Houston.

The first-quarter highlight was Ochai Agbaji's spectacular block for Toronto on a driving dunk attempt by Miles McBride. Olynyk scooped the rebound and fired a pass to Dick for an uncontested running dunk to give the Raptors a five-point lead with 3:05 to play. Toronto led 34-30 after one quarter.

New York began to dominate in the paint and took a seven-point lead on Towns's tough layup with 6:29 to go in the second quarter.

The Knicks led by 10 with 2:50 left on Brunson's fadeaway and entered halftime up 68-51.

Hart worked through a crowd for a layup to put the visitors up by 21 with 9:26 left in the third quarter. Hart made another layup to give New York an 81-58 lead before the Raptors began to chip away.

Agbaji's thunderous dunk off Shead's nifty pass cut the lead to 16 with 4:10 left, and Toronto was within 98-86 entering the fourth.

RJ Barrett (concussion protocol) did not play for the Raptors. OG Anunoby (foot) sat out for the Knicks.

Ayo Dosunmu tallied 21 points and nine assists and Coby White had 22 points for Chicago, which outscored Miami 39-21 in the fourth quarter.

Tyler Herro had 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Heat, while Bam Adebayo contributed 23 points and eight boards. Kel'el Ware notched a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Nikola Jovic scored 20 points and Jaime Jaquez Jr. chipped in 14.

Giddey's personal 5-0 run tied the game at 114 with 6:17 remaining. Miami temporarily regained control before the Bulls closed the game on a 19-6 run. White's dunk with 2:21 left gave Chicago a five-point lead, and the Bulls led by nine down the stretch while closing the game from the free-throw line.

Chicago shot 52.7 percent and drilled 19 3-pointers in its first game since Sunday's three-team deal that sent leading scorer Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings. None of the three players Chicago acquired were in action.

Miami shot 47.8 percent and consistently created distance through the first three quarters with a solid long-range game. The Heat shot 17-for-44 from deep, including a Jovic trey that capped a 7-0 run to close the third quarter after the Bulls pulled within two points.

Nikola Vucevic scored each of his 12 points after halftime for the Bulls while completing a double-double with 10 rebounds. Patrick Williams scored 10 points.

Miami led 70-60 lead at halftime. The Heat raced to a 12-2 lead after just 2:42, punctuating the early run with a Ware alley-oop dunk off a feed from Adebayo.

Miami led by 13 before the break, capitalizing on early struggles from Bulls starters Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball. The duo was a combined 1-for-12 from the floor in the first half, with Vucevic held scoreless with three rebounds.

Chicago has won six of the past eight in the series. The Heat's Jimmy Butler remained suspended for conduct detrimental to the team.

The Nets trailed by four with 9.5 seconds left after Dillon Brooks split a pair at the line. Following a clean inbounds pass by Tosan Evbuomwan, Keon Johnson sank a 3-pointer over Jae'Sean Tate with 8.1 seconds left.

After Evbuomwan stole Amen Thompson's inbounds pass for Brooks, he got the ball near the foul line and tapped it to Russell. Russell spotted up and his open 3 from the left side of the key cleanly went in.

Following a timeout, the game ended when Jalen Green missed a desperation 32-foot 3-pointer with four-tenths of a second left.

Russell's 3-pointer gave the Nets their first home win since beating the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 4 and also capped a 3-of-15 showing for the guard.

Russell hit the game-winner after Alperen Sengun nearly willed the Rockets to the victory. Sengun scored 11 points in the final 3:23 and hit two free throws with 18.4 seconds left but Johnson dunked with 10.6 ticks left.

Johnson scored 22 points to lead the Nets, who tied a season high with their third straight victory. Evbuomwan and Nic Claxton added 14 apiece for the Nets, who shot 46.3 percent.

Sengun returned from missing the previous three games with a calf injury and collected 24 and a season-high 20 rebounds but the Rockets dropped their season-high fourth straight. Brooks and rookie Reed Sheppard added 16 apiece for the Rockets, who shot 41 percent.

After the opening half featured 18 lead changes and saw Houston take a 46-44 lead by halftime, Sengun hit a basket for a 57-49 lead with about 7 1/2 minutes left in the third. The Nets scored 14 straight and outscored the Rockets 22-10 the rest of the quarter for a 71-67 edge.

Brooklyn saw its lead cut to 88-87 when Sengun passed out a double team for an open 3 by Sheppard with 3:55 left. Sengun then hit a hook shot that gave the Rockets an 89-88 lead with 3:23 left and converted a free throw with 2:49 to go before helping them go up five.

White made 6 of 12 3-point attempts. Four of his 3-pointers came in the fourth.

The Cavaliers trailed 109-104 and had the ball, but Jayson Tatum stole an Evan Mobley pass with 22.4 seconds to play. Tatum scored a team-high 22 points and had seven assists for Boston.

Donovan Mitchell had 31 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in the loss, which dropped Cleveland's home record to 24-4. Darius Garland added 25 points for the Cavaliers, who received 17 points and 18 rebounds from Jarrett Allen.

Boston's Kristaps Porzingis had 19 points and seven rebounds. The Celtics also received a 16-point performance from Jaylen Brown.

The game featured the two teams at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. The loss ended Cleveland's four-game winning streak and left the Cavaliers 4 1/2 games ahead of the Celtics.

The Celtics led 28-15 after one quarter, 54-44 at halftime and 87-75 entering the final 12 minutes of action.

Boston led by 20 early in the second quarter, but Cleveland was within eight after an Allen dunk sliced Boston's advantage to 52-44 with 40.1 seconds left in the period. Brown hit a jumper that just beat the first-half buzzer and extended Boston's lead to 10 points at halftime.

The Cavaliers trailed 73-67 with 3:38 remaining in the third, but the Celtics used a 7-0 spurt to take a 13-point lead with 2:23 left in the quarter.

Cleveland trailed by at least four points for the entirety of the fourth.

Boston has won two of its three games against the Cavaliers this season. The teams will meet again on Feb. 28 in Boston.

Embiid finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 36 minutes. Maxey contributed 33 points and 13 assists, while Guerschon Yabusele pitched in with 19 points for Philadelphia, which avoided a third straight defeat.

Kyrie Irving scored 34 points for Dallas, which was annihilated by Cleveland 144-101 in its first game after trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers over the weekend but authored a much crisper effort in this one.

Anthony Davis, the centerpiece of the Doncic deal, continued to sit with an abdominal injury. Max Christie made his Dallas debut and went 4-of-4 from 3-point range en route to 15 points.

The Mavericks made another trade Tuesday, ironically with the Sixers. Dallas acquired veteran swingman Caleb Martin for sharpshooter Quentin Grimes and a second-round pick, although neither player suited up Tuesday.

One player who did take the court was Embiid, who had missed the previous 15 games with a knee injury. The triple-double was the ninth of his career and his first this season.

Embiid's bucket put the Sixers ahead 105-97 with 6 1/2 minutes left before the Mavericks rallied to go in front 109-107 on Klay Thompson's 3-pointer with 4 1/2 minutes to play.

The teams jockeyed back and forth with Naji Marshall's tip giving Dallas a 116-115 lead with 1:26 to go. The score remained unchanged until Embiid got good position down low and dropped in a layup with 22 seconds left.

On the Mavericks' final two possessions, Marshall missed a tough runner and then Dante Exum lost the ball as the buzzer sounded.

Philadelphia shot 65.2 percent in the first quarter and led 36-31 after the period. Dallas led for the bulk of the second quarter, eventually taking a 65-58 lead into the locker room as Marshall (19 points) scored six points late in the half to help the visitors create a bit of separation.

The Sixers dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Mavericks 36-22 behind 63.6 percent shooting. Maxey and Yabusele did much of the heavy lifting with each contributing 10 points in the quarter.

The Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets are among the teams reportedly making pitches for Durant ahead of Thursday's trading deadline.

Durant played a season-high 46 minutes and scored 27 points in Phoenix's 121-119 overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night. He apparently sprained his left ankle at some point in the contest.

But what really hurt is that it was the Suns' second straight loss in Portland and Phoenix sits just one game above .500.

Now other teams see the underachieving Suns as sellers and reports say the Warriors made an offer for Durant with names like Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga being rumored. Durant previously won two NBA titles with Golden State.

The Mavericks reportedly would like to have a Big Three of Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Durant in the wake of the Luka Doncic to Los Angeles trade that brought in Davis from the Lakers. Irving and Durant are former teammates with the Brooklyn Nets.

The Rockets might see Durant as the veteran piece they need for their talented young club to make a major run in the postseason. Houston has young players and is loaded with first-round draft picks to offer.

Durant, 36, is a 15-time All-Star and is 26 points away from becoming the eighth player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points.

Suns guard Bradley Beal hasn't waived his no-trade clause so it appears he's staying put.

Phoenix remains in the mix as a landing spot for disgruntled Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat.

On Wednesday, the Phoenix Suns' star has a chance to achieve another significant one in the arena where he spent eight seasons -- if he happens to play in the game.

Durant enters the Suns' matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder needing 26 points to become the eighth player in NBA history to score 30,000 points.

The only players ahead of Durant on the career scoring list are LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and Wilt Chamberlain.

Durant scored the first 17,566 regular-season points of his career with the Thunder franchise -- his rookie season was in Seattle before the team made the move to Oklahoma City for his next eight seasons.

One surprising development occurred Tuesday when the Suns listed Durant (left ankle sprain) as doubtful for the contest. Phoenix could be shopping the 15-time All-Star prior to Thursday's trade deadline.

The Suns come into the game having dropped back-to-back games -- both at Portland -- and three of their last four.

The most recent loss was 121-119 in overtime to the Trail Blazers on Monday.

In that game, Devin Booker passed Hall of Famer Walter Davis to become Phoenix's career scoring leader in his 10th season with the organization. Booker has 15,678 points for the Suns.

Booker said he doesn't take for granted playing his entire career to this point with one team.

"It is foreign in this league for people to do what the Tim Duncans and Dirk Nowitzkis and Kobe Bryants did all under one roof, all under one house," Booker said. "I came in at 18 not knowing what to expect."

There was a time when it looked like Durant had a chance to do that, leading the Thunder to the 2012 NBA Finals. But in the summer of 2016, Durant signed with Golden State and helped the Warriors win titles in each of his first two seasons there. After his departure from Oklahoma City, Durant was met with plenty of hostility when he returned, though that has lessened over time.

It has helped that the Thunder have surged in recent seasons as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has bloomed into a superstar in his own right

Gilgeous-Alexander is turning in a unique season, leading the NBA at 32.5 points per game. Among the top 10 scorers in the league -- a group that includes both Durant and Booker -- Gilgeous-Alexander's 34.1 minutes per game is the lowest.

Of course it has helped that the Thunder are outscoring opponents by an average of 12.7 points per game. In Oklahoma City's back-to-back wins coming into Wednesday', the Thunder have won by an average of 31.5 points per game.

Gilgeous-Alexander has combined for 63 points during those wins over Sacramento and Milwaukee, not playing in the fourth quarter of either game.

When he was pulled midway through the third quarter Monday vs. Milwaukee, Gilgeous-Alexander -- at least for a moment -- showed frustration.

"I would like to play as much as I can," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "I wake up, come to the game to compete. Now, Coach (Mark Daigneault) makes a decision on how much he wants me to play, but I would like to play as much as I get the opportunity to."

Wednesday's meeting is the second of three between the teams this season.

Oklahoma City won the first matchup, 99-83, on Nov. 15 behind 28 points in less than 33 minutes from Gilgeous-Alexander.

Durant missed that matchup due to a calf injury.

The Thunder have won 24 of their last 28 overall.

Upset about how his team was playing against the Orlando Magic, Kerr took out his frustrations on his clipboard during a first-half timeout. The outburst seemed to work, though, as the Warriors rallied to beat the Magic 104-99 for a home win on Monday night.

"Coach broke a clipboard in the timeout," Golden State guard Moses Moody said. "Just lighting a fire under us, getting us ready, getting us woken up a little bit. That's his first that I've seen this year. Since I've been here, we usually got more than that at this point in the year. He's broken a few."

Kerr admitted to occasionally using that tactic.

"I snap every handful of games," Kerr told The Ringer. "I (expletive) lose my mind, and I go crazy in the locker room. Nobody out here sees it, but I've smashed a clipboard and I've slammed my fist against the wall. Whatever it is, it pisses me off. But same thing for Steph (Curry) or Draymond (Green). We hate losing. We're not used to it."

Golden State outscored Orlando in the key third quarter 39-24 en route to the victory. Andrew Wiggins scored a team-high 25, while Curry added 24. Green returned from a seven-game absence to contribute seven rebounds, five assists and four points.

It helped the Warriors climb one game above .500 at 25-24. They've won three of four games, including a 114-103 win over the visiting Jazz on Jan. 28. Dennis Schroder led them with 23 points in that victory, while Collin Sexton scored 30 for Utah.

The state of Utah might be in a clipboard shortage if Jazz coach Will Hardy reacted like Kerr in frustrating times.

The Jazz, whose eyes are on acquiring a high draft pick, have the second-worst record in the NBA (11-37) ahead of only the Washington Wizards, have lost nine of 10 games and have only won four out of 22 times in a building that's historically given them a huge home-court advantage.

The Jazz led the Indiana Pacers by 12 points with six minutes remaining on Monday night before flailing down the stretch of a 112-111 loss.

Utah was hampered down the stretch by bad shots, bad execution and bad choices, including purposely missing a free throw.

"We've got to play through those things," Hardy said. "We've got to play in straight lines. We've got to set up. We've got to help our teammates create an advantage. And these are great lessons for our team to learn, because, again, I think there's a lot of good stuff happening in our locker room."

Indiana overcame the Jazz, who were hoping to win consecutive games at home for the first time all season, thanks in part to a late 14-1 run.

But the Jazz are hoping to continue to learn from these rough situations. They had a number of solid outings, including double-doubles from John Collins (21 points, 12 rebounds), Keyonte George (16 points, 11 assists) and Isaiah Collier (11 points, 10 assists).

"Being in those moments, the physicality that's happening in those moments, I mean it's all good to take it on the chin," George said. "We learn, we watch the film and we can only get better. That's the best thing about this."

Embiid has played just 13 games this season. The 30-year-old missed the entire preseason and the first nine regular-season games -- first while managing left knee soreness and then due to a three-game suspension for shoving a reporter. He also missed time because of a sinus fracture.

Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse is not placing a minutes limit on Embiid but said that 30 minutes is realistic, depending on the former MVP feels.

Embiid last played on Jan. 4, scoring 28 points and pulling down 12 rebounds with six assists in 29 minutes of a 123-94 road win over the Brooklyn Nets. He is averaging 24.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and one block in starting 13 games.

For his career, Embiid averages 27.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 blocks in starting all 446 of his regular-season games since the 2016-17 season.

Philadelphia selected him third overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, and he missed two seasons because of injury.

The seven-time All-Star will be without teammates Paul George (finger) and guard Quentin Grimes, who was acquired on Tuesday. The other player in that trade, forward Caleb Martin, will not play for Dallas as the transaction is pending.

The Mavericks also will be without P.J. Washington (personal reasons) as well as All-Star Anthony Davis, who is dealing with an abdominal strain. Guard Max Christie, who came over to Dallas from the Los Angeles Lakers in the huge trade Saturday night for Mavs' star Luka Doncic, is available to play for the Mavericks.

The Nuggets opened the two-game set with New Orleans with a 125-113 victory on Monday night. Denver didn't have Russell Westbrook (hamstring), Peyton Watson (knee) or Aaron Gordon (calf) in the lineup on Monday night, and only Gordon is likely to play Wednesday night.

Gordon is listed as questionable, while Westbrook will miss his third straight game. Watson is out for a minimum of four weeks.

The injuries have given other players a chance to get on the court.

Zeke Nnaji had 12 points in his first start in over two years in Monday's win and played a season-high 31 minutes, and Jalen Pickett played 13 minutes.

"You never want to be without Russell Westbrook, Aaron Gordon or Peyton Watson. But it's an opportunity for those (other) guys to play," Denver coach Michael Malone said.

Nnaji and Pickett were solid, but the stars led the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic recorded the 12th triple-double of his career against New Orleans and his NBA-leading 23rd of the season. Jokic is averaging a triple-double (29.5 points, 12.9 rebounds, 10.3 assists) and ranks among the top three in the league in each of those categories.

Jamal Murray is second on Denver in scoring at 20.4 points per game, and Michael Porter Jr., who had 36 points in Monday's win, is averaging 18.3 points on the season.

The Pelicans lost Dejounte Murray to a ruptured right Achilles on Friday night and Brandon Ingram has not played the past 26 games, but Zion Williamson was in action on Monday night. He scored 14 points but was overshadowed by Trey Murphy III, who matched his career high of 41 points, and CJ McCollum, who had 30.

Murphy has been scoring at a high rate over his past 10 games, averaging 26.4 points a night to bring his season average to 22.6, just behind Williamson's 22.9 points per game and just ahead of McCollum's average of 22.1.

Murphy's numbers have gone up from year to year since he broke into the league in 2021-22, when he averaged 5.4 points across 62 games. He then went for 14.5 points per game the following season before tallying 14.8 in 2023-24.

"We have seen this from Trey, pretty much since he started playing. First year, he steps on the floor and hits big shots," Pelicans coach Willie Green said. "Second year, he starts because we have guys out. Third and fourth year he just continues to grow and grow. That is what we want to see from our guys, we are just extremely proud of his effort."

Murphy's strong play has been necessary with the injuries the team has faced. Williamson has played in just 14 of New Orleans' 50 games this season because of injury, Herb Jones has been out nearly a month with a right shoulder injury and Ingram's ankle injury has kept him out since Dec. 7.

Guard De'Aaron Fox could make his San Antonio debut after the Sacramento Kings shipped him to the Spurs as part of a three-team trade that also involved the Chicago Bulls. The 27-year-old did not play in San Antonio's 128-109 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, a game that tipped off just hours after the deal was officially announced.

Fox is averaging 25.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.1 assists this season, and the Spurs are eager to pair him with second-year phenom Victor Wembanyama.

"Who do you stop between those two?" San Antonio guard/forward Devin Vassell asked. "I think we're going to play a lot faster and we're going to be out in transition a lot. I think it's just going to open up a lot with Fox being our point guard. Him and Wemby on the screen-and-roll?

"Then you have me and (Julian) Champagnie and certain shooters around. It's going to be an exciting offense, and I think defensively we're going to be able to get after people, too."

Wembanyama finished with team highs in points (27) and rebounds (10) against Memphis. Stephon Castle contributed 21 points, and Jeremy Sochan came off the bench to provide 14 points and eight boards.

Atlanta could also be looking to get active with the trade deadline set for Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. The Hawks have been linked to Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George, who could take some pressure off an Atlanta frontcourt that lost Jalen Johnson to a season-ending shoulder injury.

For now, the Hawks have been receiving a boost from within, as No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher has averaged 21.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists over his past three games. He is scoring 11.3 points per game this season.

Risacher netted 17 points on Monday, when Trae Young nailed a go-ahead jumper with 1.6 seconds remaining to give Atlanta a 132-130 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Young led the way with 34 points and nine assists, and De'Andre Hunter posted 20 points.

Dyson Daniels stuffed the stat sheet, collecting 19 points, six rebounds, seven assists, four steals and three blocks to help the Hawks end an eight-game losing streak. Atlanta coach Quin Snyder has been pleased with Daniels' growth throughout the season.

"One of the things we've talked to him about is just his aggressiveness attacking the basket, and that's another thing that I think, as the season's progressed, he's been more aggressive," Snyder said of Daniels. "Whatever it is he's doing in there -- if he's passing or finishing or shooting a floater or layup -- just the fact he's getting in the paint is big for us."

Daniels has scored in double figures in 13 of 16 games since the start of 2025. He has averaged 14.9 points, 5.8 boards and 4.3 assists during that stretch and leads the league in steals with 137 on the season.

Wednesday marks the second meeting between the Hawks and Spurs this season. San Antonio beat visiting Atlanta 133-126 in overtime on Dec. 19.

After losing 125-96 on Monday in a road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Bucks go from playing one of the NBA's best teams to one of the league's worst.

The Bucks used a makeshift lineup in the loss at Oklahoma City, with what coach Doc Rivers referred to as a fatigued team. Milwaukee's losing streak reached four games.

"My instincts told me to fly them directly to Charlotte (on Monday)," Rivers said of several starters who didn't play. "But that's a bad look and so I didn't do that. And didn't want to waste the owners' money on fines."

The Hornets are on a five-game losing streak and have just two games left on a nine-game homestand. They have won once during the stretch so far.

"I definitely have to figure out how to keep these guys to be a little bit more consistent," Charlotte coach Charles Lee said.

The Bucks had a five-game string of 30 or more points from Giannis Antetokounmpo end when he sat out Monday with what was listed as right patella tendinopathy. Damian Lillard and Brook Lopez also were out with injuries, while Bobby Portis Jr. did not play because of personal reasons.

Antetokounmpo and Lillard are listed as questionable for Wednesday, while Lopez and Portis are expected to play.

The biggest issue for Milwaukee came on defense when it surrendered 38 or more points in each of the first three quarters.

If there was a bright spot for Charlotte in Monday's 124-114 loss to the NBA-worst Washington Wizards, it came with the first career triple-double for forward Miles Bridges, who had 24 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds.

Charlotte fell behind by 26 points in the first half and trailed 77-54 at the break against the Wizards.

"We just can't wait until teams hit us in the mouth first," Bridges said. "We've got to go out there and play from the jump, play with a lot more pride. ... We've got nothing to lose. We've just got to go out there and play."

The Hornets are adamant about making better use of center Mark Williams, who had a rough first half with three points and three rebounds. But he ended up with 23 total points and 14 rebounds.

"He's definitely important. Mark is a great player for us," Hornets guard Nick Smith Jr. said. "Once we get everybody back, I feel like we could definitely use him more."

The long list of injuries continues to impact the Hornets. Josh Okogie (hamstring) has joined the list of players missing games. Guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) has missed more than a week of action, with an update on his timetable near.

In the meantime, the Hornets are counting to find ways for incremental improvements.

"Their usual approach to come in and try to get better," Lee said of the players.

Milwaukee's unusual lineup Monday yielded few highlights, although AJ Johnson racked up a career-best 13 points in 29 minutes.

"We used this as a rest day for us," Rivers said.

Milwaukee lost 115-114 on its first trip to Charlotte this season on Nov. 16. In a rematch a week later, the Bucks prevailed 125-119 at home despite 50 points from Ball. Antetokounmpo had 31 points for the Bucks in that second meeting.

Davis wasn't even with his then-Los Angeles teammates at the time of the trade. He actually just finished watching the Lakers upset the Knicks in New York on television.

Back in Los Angeles, Davis received a call from Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick and was informed that he was being traded in a deal that included Luka Doncic.

"I was shocked. I had no idea," Davis said after the Mavericks held their morning shootaround on Tuesday ahead of their game against the host Philadelphia 76ers.

"I had just sent the team a text about congratulations on the win against the Knicks, big win, and then looking forward to Tuesday's game against the Clippers, as far as standing purposes. And then, found out like an hour later I was no longer with the team. I was in shock, obviously. Had no idea that it was happening.

"But, I mean, now I'm kind of over it, and just kind of getting ready to play with Dallas."

Davis, who is nursing an abdominal strain, will not join his new teammates in their game against the 76ers.

The 31-year-old Davis has put up averages of 25.7 points, 11.9 boards, 3.4 assists and 2.1 blocks across 42 games (all starts) during the 2024-25 campaign. He is a 10-time All-Star (including this season), five-time All-NBA selection and five-time All-Defensive Team selection.

The report came less than an hour after an introductory news conference for former Mavericks guard Luka Doncic concluded in Los Angeles.

Martin's stay with the 76ers wasn't a long one after he signed a multi-year contract on July 6.

He averaged 9.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 31 games (24 starts) with the 76ers this season.

Martin, 29, averaged 8.5 points. 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 297 games (112 starts) over parts of six seasons with the Charlotte Hornets (2019-21), Miami Heat (2021-24) and 76ers.

Grimes, 24, averaged 10.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 47 games (12 starts) with the Mavericks this season.

He has contributed 8.9 points, 2.8 boards and 1.7 assists in 215 games (102 starts) with the New York Knicks (2021-24), Detroit Pistons (2024) and Mavericks.

Doncic is now set to form a partnership on the court with fellow Lakers star LeBron James, while joining a franchise where the late Kobe Bryant rose to prominence. Doncic has offered effusive praise in the past for both Lakers legends.

"Just for Kobe to know my name was amazing for me," Doncic said about his first encounter with Bryant.

Doncic, 25, will now be front and center in the Lakers' playoff push, although he remains out with a calf injury that occurred on Christmas Day. He will not play in the Lakers' road game Tuesday against the Los Angeles Clippers and there is no target date for the debut with his new team.

The Lakers are set to have a five-on-five practice Wednesday that will give Doncic a chance to test his calf while playing a game with his new teammates.

Asked about the shock and disappointment of Mavericks fans after being traded for fellow All-NBA staple Anthony Davis, Doncic elected to remain positive.

"I'm just excited to be here to start this new journey, and obviously at some point, I knew this was going to happen, but I would say I always take the high road," Doncic said. "I had my amazing moments in Dallas with all my teammates, coaches and most importantly the fans. They always supported me, and it was an amazing journey."

While James and Davis formed an inside-out duo for the Lakers, James and Doncic will try to merge somewhat similar styles as players who can score, shoot from long distance, pass and rebound.

"It's just a dream come true, you know," Doncic said about playing with James, a four-time MVP. "I always say I look up to him. There are so many things I can learn from him and I'm excited just to learn everything. I get to play with him and it's an amazing feeling."

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka confirmed that the trade possibility was brought to him when the Lakers visited Dallas in early January. The potential deal was kept under wraps until it was finalized late Saturday after the Lakers secured a road victory over the New York Knicks.

"I think Luka Doncic joining forces with the Los Angeles Lakers is a seismic event in NBA history." Pelinka said. "... We have a 25-year-old global superstar that is going to get on the stage of the most popular and influential basketball brand on the globe. And I think when those two powerful forces get together, it brings basketball joy to the world because that's how Luka plays. He plays with joy."

Like the rest of the sports world, Doncic said that in the moment, he had a hard time believing the trade was real.

"Everybody was surprised so you can imagine how surprised I was," Doncic said. "I was almost asleep so when I got a call, I had to check that it was April 1. I didn't believe it at first. It was a bit of a shock. I was hard moments for me. (Dallas) was home. ... But (now) I get to play for the greatest club in the world and I'm excited for this new journey."

Pelinka addressed criticisms of Doncic that his lack of dedication toward fitness played a role in the Mavericks' willingness to make a trade.

"I think greatness is an evolution and a process," Pelinka said. "And I think if you are striving for perfection, as we are as an organization, or as a player is, you're going to have challenges to make yourself better until you don't play anymore."

In addition to Doncic, the Lakers also received Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in the trade, while the Mavericks -- who lost in the NBA Finals last season -- received Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick.

The Jazz also helped to facilitate the trade and will get Jalen Hood-Schifino and a 2025 second-round draft pick via the Los Angeles Clippers from the Lakers. Dallas also is sending a 2025 second-round selection to Utah.

Doncic has averaged 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 22 games (all starts) this season. He has played only for Dallas in his seven-year NBA career after being selected third overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2018 draft. Atlanta sent his draft rights to the Mavericks in exchange for the draft rights to Trae Young.

Had Doncic stayed in Dallas, he likely would have received a nice payday this summer. He reportedly was set to get a five-year, $345 million supermax deal from the Mavericks, but now he's not eligible for such a contract.

The 31-year-old Davis has averaged 25.7 points, 11.9 boards, 3.4 assists and 2.1 blocks across 42 games (all starts) during the 2024-25 campaign. He is a 10-time All-Star (including this season), five-time All-NBA selection and five-time All-Defensive Team selection.

The Rockets will attempt to halt their three-game losing streak Tuesday night when they conclude a back-to-back set with a visit to the Brooklyn Nets, who have won two games in a row overall but are on an 11-game home losing streak and most recently won there two months ago.

Houston allows an average of 108.8 points per game -- sixth-best scoring defense in the league -- but in the past three games, it is allowing 118 points. On Monday, the Rockets allowed 80 points in the paint and gave up a 46-point fourth quarter in a 124-118 road loss to the New York Knicks.

The Rockets also allowed 60 points in the paint in Saturday's 110-98 home loss to the Nets and 72 to the Memphis Grizzlies in a 120-119 loss on Thursday. Overall, the Rockets are allowing an average of 48.9 points in the paint this season.

Houston's rough performances defending the paint coincide with center Alperen Sengun missing each game due to a left calf bruise. Sengun played every game until the injury in a 100-96 win on Jan. 28 against the Atlanta Hawks. The Rockets conceded 46 points inside.

"Very soft and uncompetitive defensively," Houston coach Ime Udoka said after the Monday night loss to New York. "Just going at us 1-on-1. We're complaining about offensive fouls, not boxing out, not doing our assignment, getting back cuts, off ball actions. It adds up to 46. We scored enough to win."

Sengun could be out again Tuesday, and if he sits, Jae'Sean Tate and Steven Adams will see the bulk of the time at center. Tate played 22 minutes on Monday while Adams played 26.

The Rockets also will be without Fred VanVleet, who is week-to-week after exiting their game on Saturday with an injured right ankle. Tari Eason started for VanVleet on Monday, scoring 12, as the lineup was led by Amen Thompson's 25 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds.

The Nets will attempt to win three straight games for the second time this season and get their first home win since a nine-point victory over the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 4. Brooklyn is 7-23 since winning three in a row on a western trip Nov. 24-27 and returns home for six games after scoring 110 for the first time since its 132-114 win at Portland on Jan. 14.

Brooklyn's home losing streak is the third-longest in franchise history, behind only a 14-game home skid in 2010 and a 16-game slide in 2017. The Nets have been held under 100 in nine straight home games.

The Nets will attempt to end the skid with continued minutes for some younger players since Cameron Johnson (right ankle) will miss his fifth straight game and sit for the 13th time in 16 games, though his name has popped up in trade rumors ahead of Thursday's deadline.

"Everybody handles it in a different way," Brooklyn coach Jordi Fernandez said. "I think after [Monday's] practice, the energy was great, so I didn't see anything different. I know that the majority of them may think about it, but let's get through it together and see what happens."

The Nets hope Tuesday looks like Saturday, when Ziaire Williams scored 21 to lead six players in double figures in a game when they shot 49.4 percent from the field after shooting 48.8 percent in a 104-83 win at Charlotte on Wednesday.