Basketball

Edgecombe recorded 13 points on 6-9 shooting, 10 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block in 29 minutes of action as the Bears improved their record this season to 3-1 with a comprehensive 104-67 win over the Bearcats who are now 1-3 on the year.

Senior guard Jayden Nunn led the Bears in scoring with 19 points while Nicaraguan 5^th year senior forward Norchad Omier had 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Lamar Wilkerson had 19 points for Sam Houston.

The Bears will next host the Tarleton State Texans on Sunday.

Ball became the third-youngest player in NBA history to sink 50 points and record 10 assists in a single game on Saturday, yet Charlotte were still beaten 125-119 by the Milwaukee Bucks.

The 23-year-old endured more bad fortune on Monday, as his 44 points, nine rebounds and seven assists came in another defeat to the Magic.

Ball shot 17 of 30 and 4 of 11 from 3-point range but the Magic still snapped Charlotte's four-game winning streak on home turf, dropping them to 6-11 for this season.

He now has 94 points, 14 rebounds and 17 assists across his last two games but has lost both. 

The only other player in NBA history to manage at least as many points, rebounds and assists in a two-game span but lose both is the legendary Wilt Chamberlain, who did so on February 12 and 13, 1963 (97 points, 61 rebounds, 18 assists).

Despite Ball's herculean effort, Hornets coach Charles Lee criticised the inconsistency of his team's offensive play after the defeat. 

"I thought defensively, our guys did a really good job of executing the gameplan," he said. 

"To give up 95 points when we’re fouling towards the end of the game, I think it shows the effort, the competitiveness and the togetherness. 

"Offensively, we got ourselves in trouble with some of our turnovers. Most of it is self-inflicted again and things that we can control. 

"I'll give credit to Orlando for their length and activity on our drives, but I would love to see us fix some of our transition turnovers that we had."

The Hornets are back in action versus the Miami Heat on Wednesday, with the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks their next opponents as they play three games in as many days.

Struck down by a toe injury, it had been announced on November 15 that the Grizzlies would be without Bane for up to three weeks, but the wait goes on for his return.

An update from the team on Tuesday disclosed he faces up to a further four weeks out of action, and that is provided the toe reacts as the Grizzles hope it will to a gradual recovery process.

Bane has a big toe sprain and a sesamoid injury, which refers to a bone embedded within a tendon or muscle.

He sustained the toe sprain during a win against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 11.

In a statement, the Grizzlies said: "Upon re-evaluation, Desmond Bane is progressing in his rehabilitation from a right big toe sprain and sesamoid injury and has been cleared to begin a gradual re-loading protocol.

"If the toe responds positively to the re-loading protocol, a return to play is projected in 3-4 weeks."

Bane is averaging a career-high 24.7 points, 4.8 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game for Memphis in an impressive season to date. The team sit third in the Western Conference with a 16-9 record.

Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the 109-95 defeat to the Denver Nuggets as he is sidelined with a minor knee sprain, his status to be evaluated again ahead of this week's home game with the Boston Celtics.

Eric Bledsoe is also dealing with an injury, but Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer did not play Khris Middleton, Donte DiVincenzo, Marvin Williams or Brook Lopez at all against the Nuggets.

With a playoff spot already secured and a healthy lead over the Toronto Raptors at the top of the Eastern Conference, Korver – who top-scored with 23 points – understood why the decision was made to manage minutes for key players.

"Different guys are banged up," Korver told the media.

"We've got a good home stretch coming up here and we want to get right. Guys have nicks and knacks and you take care of it.

"We've got some important games coming up, so it was definitely the right call."

Budenholzer was pleased with the performance of those who did feature against Denver, revealing he opted to go with the "freshest bodies" at the end of a three-game road trip.

"This was the group that gave us our best chance," he said.

"Every night in the league you need something different. I thought we needed a lot of energy tonight going against a good Denver team.

"We were right there. This group put us right where we wanted to be. We just weren't quite able to get it done.

"At some point, you go with the kind of freshest bodies in certain situations. Those other guys are good, available and I told them to be ready. But we went with the group we did because we thought that was the best thing tonight."

The 59-year-old recently celebrated his 500th victory as a head coach in the British Basketball League when the Patriots inflicted a first defeat of the season on runaway championship leaders London Lions.

As well as his continued focus at the elite level, James also helps the club run sessions in the community, offering free coaching for young and vulnerable children.

The Patriots are part of a programme which is being delivered locally and supported by nationwide sport for development charity StreetGames, in partnership with the Plymouth Drake Foundation’s children in poverty initiative.

The community organisation projects are designed to help steer young people away from crime and into positive activities aimed at teaching teamwork, resilience and discipline.

James’ professional playing career started as a 17-year-old at his hometown club Leicester then with Bracknell before moving into coaching, which eventually led to a spell in charge of England men’s senior national team.

While some of the youngsters within the Patriots’ community programmes may also have aspirations to get to the top of the sport, James believes just giving someone the chance to develop themselves within a team environment could prove the biggest lasting impact.

“We have got a lot of people playing who ordinarily would not have had an opportunity to play basketball, let alone sport,” James told the PA news agency.

“I look at these kids who are walking around now who have good friendships and a lot of confidence, they are starting to understand teamwork. It is something that they have never really had before.

“A lot of kids have barriers that they face to accessing sport, because they can’t afford it, so StreetGames have a ‘doorstep fund’, which allows us to offer free places for children at our basketball camps.

“It is a chance for them to come out and gives them an opportunity to play basketball, something they normally wouldn’t have an opportunity to do, so we are very proud to partner with StreetGames to be able to offer this to vulnerable kids.”

James feels playing sports can only help provide a positive outlet for youngsters to grow, both physically and also for their own mental health.

“I think it was different back then (when I started out) – you could be outside playing whatever sport all day, every day,” James said.

“That is not the case now and I certainly see that in some of the children that we are working with. I think a lot of that is down to not having access to sports or access to do things.

“But I feel that it is not just about coaching, it is about life skills.

“Yes basketball is there, it is a facility to get people off the street and get them involved in sport – but it is about your mental health and actually being a good person, treating people how you want to be treated.

“There is an important part for us coaches to play in just general life skills and advising kids of the way to be, how to handle yourself.

“It is definitely more than just having an hour session coaching – it is spending time with them, asking ‘how are you feeling today? How is school doing?’

“It is asking all those questions, just really trying to help and guide them, give them confidence to be able to speak out and just talk about how they are feeling.”

On the court, James is hoping the Patriots, currently a couple of points behind eighth place, can build some momentum to make a late run for the end-of-season play-offs.

“We have got a really good group of guys and are working exceptionally hard. It is just trying to find that consistency,” he said.

“Our aim for the season is to make the play-offs if we can, so we have still got time to do that.”

The Wizards, bottom of the Eastern Conference, went on an astonishing 8-0 in the final 8.1 seconds at the Capital One Arena to snatch a dramatic 149-146 victory.

Second-placed Brooklyn (13-9) led by five points with only 10 seconds to play, but suffered a staggering collapse.

Bradley Beal landed a deep shot from beyond the arc after Nets star Kyrie Irving made a pair of free throws, before the Wizards stole the ball as the Nets tried to inbound – Russell Westbrook nailing a three-pointer to put Washington ahead.

Beal then sank two free throws to give the Wizards (4-12) their first win since January 11, bringing a four-game losing streak to a halt.

Wizards coach Brooks said: "It was the first game all year I had a White Claw. I wanted to enjoy it. This is a good feeling.

"I wanted our players to enjoy it. We fought. We fought hard.

"We've done it all year, and the basketball gods gave us a break tonight."

Westbrook (41) and Beal (37) became the first pair of Wizards team-mates to score 37-plus points in a single game since the team moved to Washington in 1974.

Twice in the past two days has a team won in regulation after trailing by five-plus points inside the final 10 seconds – the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday. It only happened twice in the previous 2,871 days – the Chicago Bulls in 2019 and Boston Celtics in 2016.

Beal's career-high 60 points on Wednesday could not prevent a 141-136 loss at Wells Fargo Center as the Wizards slipped to 2-6 for the season.

The 27-year-old was 20-of-35 on shooting, including seven-of-10 from three-point range, as he equalled Gilbert Arenas' franchise best against the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2006.

Still, the two-time All Star took little pride in recording a personal best in another loss.

"I'm p***** off," Beal said. "I'm mad. I don't count [them]. Any of my career highs, they've been in losses. So I don't give a damn. You can throw it right out the window with the other two or three I've had.

"I just want to win. Sometimes you might be able to score 40, 50, 60, whatever the case may be, but I just want to win, whatever that looks like. We came up a little bit short."

Beal's spectacular 57 points in the first 36 minutes proved futile as Philadelphia closed out a high-scoring contest, making 61.7 per cent from the field throughout.

Washington tied the scores at 119 each after having trailed by 10 at the start of the fourth quarter, but Joel Embiid led the 76ers to a strong finish, sinking a three-point jumper from 28 feet.

"I think they got stops and made more plays than we did down the stretch," Beal said when asked what made the difference late on. "I think Embiid hit a tough three... they were making a lot of shots. They hit a lot of tough shots.

"They shot 60 per cent from the field and 62 per cent from three. You can't win a game like that."

For Embiid, it was all part of the service.

"They pay me to take over the game," he said after making 38 points, eight rebounds and five assists. "They pay me to dominate. That's my job.

"I always give credit to my teammates. [But] I finished."

The 26-year-old followed up his 53-point showing in the Washington Wizards' 126-117 loss to the Chicago Bulls with a career-high 55 against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.

Despite Beal's impressive scoring, the Wizards were unable to pull off an upset as they fell to a 137-134 loss to the Eastern Conference leaders after overtime, with Khris Middleton pouring in 40 points.

Beal's big game came on the day Bryant was memorialised at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles following his tragic death in a helicopter crash last month.

The Los Angeles Lakers legend was the last player to reach half a century on successive nights in March 2007, something Beal was not aware of heading into the game.

"Oh man, that's crazy," he told NBC Sports Washington. "I didn't know that. That's who Kobe was. 

"That was his drive and that ceremony today just brought the feeling, the tears all back again today."

Beal joins a list of just three players to have scored 53-plus in back-to-back games, alongside James Harden and Wilt Chamberlain.

"It's pretty damn cool. That's pretty cool," he is quoted as saying by The Athletic. "I wanna win, but that's a cool attribute. 

"Those are two greats, two Hall of Famers for sure. And I'm happy to be in good company.

"I was just locked in and I was having fun. It was definitely the most fun game I've ever played in."

Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook combined as the Wizards eased past the Pacers 142-115 on Thursday to earn the eighth seed in the east.

Beal posted a game-high 25 points, while Westbrook added 18 points and 15 assists in a double-double display to end Indiana's season.

A triple-double from Domantas Sabonis (19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists) and Malcolm Brogdon's 24 points were not enough for the Pacers, who had won their opening play-in game against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.

After a tense first quarter, the Wizards moved clear as they carried a 14-point lead into half-time and never looked back, outscoring the Pacers 48-31 in the third period.

The Wizards will open their first-round series against the 76ers in Philadelphia on Sunday.

Washington are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18, when they were beaten in the opening round by the Toronto Raptors.

Beal exploded for 60 points on 20-of-35 shooting, including seven-of-10 from three-point range, in a 141-136 loss to the 76ers.

The guard equalled Gilbert Arenas' record of 60 points for the Wizards against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2006.

Russell Westbrook was the Wizards' next highest scorer with 20.

But Washington slipped to 2-6 after Joel Embiid (38 points) and Seth Curry (28) led the way for the 76ers (7-1).

The Wizards trailed 30-10 in the first quarter, and after trimming the margin to eight points at half-time, the Timberwolves again extended their lead to 87-69 with two minutes remaining in the third period.

Washington put together a 17-2 run over the next four-and-a-half minutes, bringing themselves right back into the contest, and they would end up winning the final period 38-19.

Beal had 15 of his game-high 35 points in the final 5:14, finishing with shooting figures of 14-of-28 from the field and four-of-eight from deep, while adding six rebounds, five assists and three steals.

No other Wizard scored more than 16 points, while Timberwolves young gun Anthony Edwards went toe-to-toe with Beal.

Edwards scored a team-high 34 points on 11-of-26 shooting with three steals, although his six turnovers hurt. Rudy Gobert was also solid for Minnesota, grabbing 19 rebounds to go with his 17 points and three blocks.

The win is the Wizards' fourth from their past five outings, improving to 28-30 to have them sitting ninth in the Eastern Conference, while the Timberwolves dropped to eighth in the West at 31-30.

Clippers leapfrog the Suns into top-four

The Los Angeles Clippers won an enticing Western Conference showdown against the Phoenix Suns 116-107 despite a rough shooting performance from star Kawhi Leonard.

Leonard, who has been boasting blistering shooting splits of 51/45/92 since the beginning of the new year, finished just five-of-18 from the field on the road against the Suns for 16 points, although he salvaged a decent outing with 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal.

Paul George picked up the slack with 26 points (nine-of-19 shooting), six rebounds and five assists, while Terance Mann matched him with 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting.

With the win, the Clippers (33-28) moved up to fourth in the West, taking the place of the Suns (32-28).

No Giannis, no worries for Lopez and the Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks lost their two-time MVP after suffering a game-ending wrist injury, but Brook Lopez did his best Giannis Antetokounmpo impression during a 112-100 road win against the Chicago Bulls.

Antetokounmpo played only nine minutes, scoring two points before crashing into the basket support while attempting a chasedown block, but Lopez responded with a season-high 33 points (13-of-18 shooting), seven rebounds and four blocks.

Jevon Carter also impressed with 22 points (nine-of-13 shooting), six rebounds and six assists, while undrafted rookie A.J. Green hit five three-pointers off the bench.

Beal had been bothered by the injured shoulder since mid-January but had not missed any games before the season was halted because of the coronavirus pandemic in March. 

Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard, however, said the team is worried that the guard will not be able to get back to full speed coming out of the lengthy stoppage and could suffer further damage.

"Bradley did everything possible to be ready to play, but after closely monitoring his individual workouts we came to the conclusion that it was best for him to sit out the upcoming games in Orlando and avoid the risk of further injury," Sheppard said.

"Although he was able to play through the majority of the season with the injury, the layoff from March until now did not leave any of us feeling comfortable that he would have enough time to be ready to perform at the extremely high level we are all accustomed to seeing and agreed that not participating in the games in Orlando was the right decision."

Beal was flourishing on the court before the season went on pause, averaging 35.5 points in his final 23 games – including back-to-back 50-point performances late in February.

His average of a career-best 30.5 points per game on the season trailed only the Houston Rockets' James Harden's scoring average of 34.4. 

"This was a difficult decision and one that I did not take lightly as the leader of this team," Beal said.

"I wanted to help my team-mates compete for a playoff spot in Orlando, but also understand that this will be best for all of us in the long term. I appreciate the support of my team-mates, the fans and the entire organization and look forward to returning next season to continue the progress we have made."

The Wizards had the Eastern Conference’s ninth-best record at 24-40 at the time the season went on pause, but were five and a half games back of the eighth-place Orlando Magic with only eight games to catch them in the NBA's restart at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex outside of Orlando. 

Former WNBA star Hammon filled in after San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was ejected in the opening half of the clash with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers came through as 121-107 winners, with Hammon keeping all her energy on the task in hand rather than the history-making aspect of the evening.

She said afterwards: "In the moment I was just trying to win the game.

"I try not to think about the huge picture and the huge aspect of it because it can get overwhelming. It's my job to go in there and be focused for those guys and make sure I'm helping them do the things that will help us win.

"I really have not had time to reflect. I haven't looked at my phone."

Spurs guard Dejounte Murray saluted the impact 43-year-old Hammon has had on the team, and backed her to take the next step forward by ultimately becoming a full-time head coach.

She joined the Spurs coaching staff in 2014, and Murray said: "You've got to tilt your head off to her.

"She's been here since I got here [in 2016]. I remember watching her talk to every single player, whether a veteran dude or a young dude, just using her voice and her knowledge of the game.

"I love Becky to death. She texts me on holiday, asks about my daughter, I ask about her kids. I appreciate her. The future's bright for her."

Murray would love to see Hammon lead an NBA team on a full-time basis and considers it a realistic target.

"I hope she sticks to it and doesn't give up," he said. "One day it might happen, it may not happen, who knows? But she's definitely on the right road and I think everyone here appreciates her.

"She's setting an example for every woman out there.

"It's really up to her. I think she has the knowledge. I think she knows the game really well.

"If she wants it, I believe she could do it. She's passionate about the game and passionate about winning. She knows everything about it.

"If she does or if she doesn't, I'm going to love her the same and appreciate her the same."

Beilein joined the Cavaliers from college team Michigan on a multi-year contract in May, but stepped down on Wednesday.

The 67-year-old – who oversaw an Eastern Conference-worst 14-40 record this season, only behind the Golden State Warriors (12-43) in the entire league – will be reassigned to a different role in Cleveland, where J.B. Bickerstaff will take over from Beilein.

"Over these last nine months, I have given my all to this organisation, but after much reflection, I have decided that it is best that I step back and resign from my position as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers and assist the organisation in a different capacity," said Beilein, who spent the previous 12 seasons as coach of Michigan.

"I am very grateful to Dan Gilbert, Koby Altman and the entire Cavaliers organisation for the opportunity they have provided me.

"This was a very difficult decision for me, but I want to be clear – this was my decision to step down and I truly appreciate the understanding and support of the front office during this time. I find losing very challenging and this year has taken a much bigger toll on me than I expected.

"I grew concerned for the consequences this toll could potentially take on my own health and my family's well-being down the road. I was not certain I could be at my best for the remainder of the season and in the future. That would not be fair to the players, coaches and support staff.

"I also would not be doing this now, during the season, if J.B. Bickerstaff was not ready and capable to assume the head coaching role immediately and continue the rebuilding process that we have started.

"For 45 years and more than 1,300 games, my journey as a basketball coach has been a dream come true. I have never been afraid of a challenge and have given each one my all – sometimes to the detriment of my own well-being. I want to thank my wife, Kathleen, for being by my side and I appreciate the outpouring of support from family, friends, and colleagues during this time. I look forward to being able to spend more time with my wife, kids and grandchildren over the coming months."

Cavs general manager Koby Altman added: "John Beilein is one of the more accomplished basketball coaches in the history of our game and while it's unexpected, we understand and respect his decision to step down as head coach of the Cavaliers.

"I was excited about the development of our young players, who have all shown growth and maturity under coach Beilein. We are thankful for the time he spent as head coach with the Cavaliers and are looking forward to his continued contribution.

"The NBA is a unique business that sometimes requires aggressive risk-taking on important long-term decisions to move a franchise forward and ultimately compete for championships. I would like to thank the incredible fans of the Cavaliers for their support in both good and challenging times. Building a strong culture will continue to be the top priority here at the Cavaliers."

Harden had only averaged 16.6 points across the first five games of the new season as he struggled in his recovery from a hamstring injury as well as adapting to the NBA's new officiating rules which have impacted his ability to draw fouls.

The 32-year-old guard had a season-high 20 points in those five games but he blew that out of the water with 21 by half-time in Friday's win over the Pacers.

Harden finished with 29 points, including three from six from beyond the arc and 16 points from the free-throw line.

"It wasn't 30, obviously," Harden said during a post-game news conference. "I keep saying it - every single game, I feel good, I feel better today, I continue to work on off days and non-game days, and on game days continue to be aggressive, get to the basket and shoot my shots.

"Nothing's gonna change. Eventually things are gonna happen where it's consistent and I'm up there playing like myself."

Harden's 19 free-throw attempts were the most he has had since moving to the Nets and usurped his season total in one game.

"It was just me being aggressive," Harden said. "The first couple of games I wasn't aggressive. I was aggressive in spurts, but just trying to be aggressive for four quarters.

"I had that burst, that speed of getting to my spots, whether I was getting to the basket or shooting my shots. I felt pretty good out there for an entire game."

Harden and Kevin Durant combined for 39 points in the first half, which is the most together since becoming team-mates after the former's trade from the Houston Rockets in January.

Durant finished with 22 points, along with 11 rebounds and seven assists, with LaMarcus Aldridge reached 20,000 career NBA points with his 21 off the bench.

Aldridge had joined the Nets in March but retired in April after citing health concerns from an irregular heartbeat before he received medical clearance to return this season.

"It feels good, man," Aldridge said. "A true blessing. Definitely didn't think it was going to happen after what happened last year.

"Stuck with it, fall back and definitely felt good to get it done and be back out there. Just feel blessed."

Anthony landed a pull-up jumper in the fourth quarter of the Portland Trail Blazers' victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, the bucket carrying him past Hakeem Olajuwon to sit just outside the top 10 for points.

The 36-year-old finished with a team-high 26 points in a 125-121 triumph that sees Portland improve to 22-15 in the Western Conference. He is averaging 14.1 points for the season, his second with the franchise.

The third overall pick in 2003 appeared at one stage to be out of the league, playing just 10 games in the 2018-19 season. After failing to find a role with the Houston Rockets, he was subsequently waived by the Chicago Bulls following a trade.

While some may have believed his NBA time was up when he did not feature for just over a year, Anthony always retained the belief he could still have an impact at the highest level.

"I did give the people what they wanted, I was away from the game for a year and change, they wanted me to get out of the game and retire," Anthony told the media.

"You hear all that stuff, man. I've never lost confidence in myself. I've given this game too much to lose any kind of confidence out there.

"I believe in myself, if nobody else believes in me. That's the key - believing in yourself.

"I believe in my abilities, my skill level, my talent, my knowledge for the game of basketball, but also my love for the game of basketball. When you have all of that in one, nobody can take that joy away from you."

Anthony now has 26,955 points in a career that started with the Denver Nuggets. He joined the New York Knicks via a trade in 2011 and is seventh all-time in points scored for the franchise.

As for the all-time list, Elvin Hayes (27,313) occupies 10th position ahead of Anthony, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) sits top.

Asked about passing Hall of Fame center Olajuwon, Anthony replied: "I can't put it into words, it's a great feeling to know that I'm still able to do this and continue to have opportunities to move up on that list.

"Any time you can start creeping up on a top-10 list, that's when things start getting special. I'm here, I'm happy and I'm excited."

Curry and Simmons were team-mates on the Philadelphia 76ers, although the former first overall pick had not played this season.

Simmons has now cited a difficult period with his mental health as his reason for staying away from the 76ers until a trade was agreed with the Nets.

The Australian was the subject of intense criticism following the team's playoff defeat to the Atlanta Hawks last season, in which he was deemed to have shirked responsibility and passed up shooting opportunities.

With James Harden leaving the Nets for the 76ers, Curry and Andre Drummond joined Simmons in the deal going the other way.

It means Simmons must now play with team-mates he abandoned earlier in the season, but Curry does not see that as a problem.

"Business is business," Curry told ESPN on Thursday ahead of the NBA's resumption after the All-Star break.

"I said from day [one], even when he was out early in the season, people were asking me if I feel like, if Ben comes back, should he apologise to us or whatever?

"I understand the business; he doesn't need to apologise to anybody. When he's on the court, I know he's going to do his job and he's going to do what he does. So I understand the business.

"He was doing what he felt was best for himself business-wise and personal-wise. And the team's going to do the same thing as far as making trades or whatever, so I understand it, I've been around it; I don't take anything personal.

"When we're on the court, we're team-mates. Everything's fine, and we depend on each other to do good things. There's been nothing negative he's done to me personally, so I'm fine."

Simmons played 19 minutes in the Nets' 127-108 loss to his former franchise, the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.

The Australian guard scored six points with five assists and four rebounds in his return, after mental health and injury issues meant he did not play at all last season, even after being traded from the 76ers to the Nets in February.

"I'm grateful just to be able to step on that floor," Simmons said. "Step on an NBA floor again. I had a lot of fun out there.

"That's the one thing, I thought I was going to be nervous, but I wasn't nervous. I was excited."

Simmons' return, which was rusty at times, marked 470 days between games for the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year.

It is also the first time the Nets have fielded Simmons alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, offering excitement for the franchise.

"Ben's playing with a totally different unit than he has in the past, different style," Nets head coach Steve Nash said.

"It's going to be ugly at times, but I thought as the half wore on you definitely started to see glimpses of the potential. The way the ball moved. The way they were hounding the basketball defensively.

"I thought Ben looked pretty good overall and grew into the game through the half."

Simmons admitted that working alongside Durant and Irving would take time but he was excited by the learning process as the Nets build cohesion.

"It was fun messing up because I know how good we can be," Simmons said. "And seeing just different looks and opportunities there with Kevin and Ky and Joe [Harris]. Seeing where they want the ball and just how things are going to work and flow.

"But the only way you learn is to make mistakes so I had a few out there tonight and I can go back and watch film and say I know what I did wrong and how to fix that, so it's all a learning process for me so it's good."

Australian Simmons, the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, appeared in his second straight All-Star Game in Chicago at the Weekend.

The 23-year-old is averaging 16.9 points, 8.3 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game for the 76ers, while he also leads the NBA in steals.

Earlier in this campaign he drained his first regular-season three-pointer - with Simmons' shooting from beyond the arc often used as a stick to beat him with - and 2007 NBA MVP Nowitzki believes that is the only facet of his game preventing him from moving into the elite echelon.

"I love Ben. I got to meet him a couple of times. His potential… the sky's the limit," said Nowitzki, who was speaking at the Laureus Awards in Berlin, where he won the Lifetime Achievement prize.

"He's super, super athletic, he's got a great touch. He sees the floor, gets his guys involved. Eventually, I think we all know, he needs to improve his shot.

"If he improves his shot he can be one of the best in the league, best in the game.

"Just right now people are playing off him a little bit and making him shoot.

"He's got the touch, the feel for the game that if he works hard, keeps improving the way he has – he's still young – he's going to be fun to watch for a long, long time."

Nowitzki brought the curtain down on his decorated 21-year NBA career after last season having been named to 14 All-Star Games and also winning the 2011 NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks, where he spent his entire career.

Despite Nowitzki's departure, the future looks bright for Dallas thanks to two other Europeans - 20-year-old Slovenian Luka Doncic and 24-year-old Latvian Kristaps Porzingis.

Doncic has already taken on Nowitzki's mantle as Dallas' star and he was named as a starter for the All-Star Game in just his second season.

"Amazing," Nowitzki added of Doncic.

"He was voted a starter at 20 years old. He's been so much fun to watch and hopefully he'll stay in Dallas for his whole career and we'll have a lot of fun watching him, hopefully for a long, long time.

"The way he plays, the way he reads the game, the way he scores – he's a great all-round player. He's super fun to watch.

"They're young still. Luka's only 20, Kristaps is 24. Hopefully those guys can build something and be together in Dallas for a long, long time and play on a high level.

"Of course, eventually they would like to bring a championship to Dallas, that would be amazing. We'll just see how they play off each other and grow together."

On receiving Laureus' Lifetime Achievement Award, Nowitzki added: "Of course it's a great honour to get the award for my lifetime achievement.

"I played more than 20 years in the NBA. I was trying to move the game forward.

"It's nice to feel that you're respected and accepted for what I achieved during my career. For me it's a huge honour. I'm glad to be here."

Simmons did not play a single game in the 2021-22 campaign, in which he was traded by the Philadelphia 76ers to the Nets, and has again had a limited role this year.

The one-time Rookie of the Year has played only 42 games, with 33 of those starts, and averaged career lows in points (6.9), assists (6.1), rebounds (6.3), blocks (0.6) and steals (1.3).

Simmons last played on February 15, since when he has been absent with an unspecified issue.

As recently as March 16, coach Vaughn said the Nets were "definitely operating under that belief" that Simmons would return before the end of the season.

Yet less than two weeks on, he told reporters the point guard would "not be joining us the rest of the year".

Simmons is expected to make a full recovery, Vaughn added, although details about the nature of his absence remain scarce.

The Nets are sixth in the Eastern Conference and set for the playoffs despite trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving midseason.