Basketball

That wasn't enough, however, for J.B. Bickerstaff to keep his job as the team's coach.

The Cavaliers decided to dismiss Bickerstaff from his position on Thursday, according to a statement made by the team.

Since taking over for John Beilein in 2020, Bickerstaff went 170-159 in five seasons with Cleveland and led the franchise to the play-offs each of the last two years.

In 2023-24, Bickerstaff helped direct Cleveland to a 48-34 record and the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference play-offs.

The Cavs then beat the Orlando Magic in the first round for the franchise's first play-off series win since the team lost to the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 NBA Finals. It also marked Cleveland's first trip to the conference semi-finals without LeBron James on the roster since 1992-93.

The Cavs' season ended in the conference semis, where they lost to the NBA-best Boston Celtics in five games.

Bickerstaff's team, however, was significantly undermanned with five-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell missing the final two games against the Celtics with a left calf strain and fellow All-Star Jarrett Allen missing the last eight play-off games due to a right rib contusion.

"J.B. is a well-respected NBA coach and an incredible human-being," Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman said in a statement. "Over the past four years, he helped establish a culture that progressively drove players to become the best versions of themselves. Decisions like these are never easy, particularly when you look back at where this franchise rebuild started under his leadership. The NBA is a unique business that sometimes requires aggressive risk-taking to move a franchise forward and ultimately compete for championships. We owe a ton of gratitude for everything J.B. has contributed to the Cavaliers and his engagement in the Cleveland community. We wish J.B., his wife Nikki and their three children the best in their future endeavours."

Cleveland became the fourth team in NBA history to win its first 15 games in a season despite holding out leading scorer Donovan Mitchell. Ty Jerome started in the five-time All-Star's place and tied a career high with 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting while adding eight assists.

The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who opened with 24 consecutive wins, are the only team to start a season 16-0. The Cavaliers will try to become the second when they visit Boston on Tuesday night for a showdown with the defending NBA champion Celtics, a game in which Mitchell is expected to play.

Cleveland also received 23 points and 11 rebounds from Evan Mobley and 21 points and 15 boards from Jarrett Allen while leading the Hornets from nearly start to finish.

LaMelo Bell led Charlotte with 31 points and 12 assists hours after being handed a $100,000 fine from the NBA for using an anti-gay slur during a post-game interview following the team's win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.

Mobley had 10 points and both Garland and Jerome dished out five assists as the Cavs built a 38-28 lead after one quarter. Cleveland went into half-time owning a 72-59 advantage, though the Hornets put up 40 points in the third quarter to close within 102-99 entering the fourth.

Garland helped Cleveland pull away in the final period, however, by scoring nine points for the quarter and sparking an 8-0 run that gave the Cavs a 124-109 lead with 1:41 left.

Mavericks overcome Doncic's absence to hold off Thunder

P.J. Washington posted 27 points and a career-high 17 rebounds as the Dallas Mavericks withstood the absence of Luka Dončić and held on for a 121-119 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Despite Doncic missing his first game of the season with a bruised right knee, Dallas handed the Thunder just their third loss in 14 contests behind Washington's big night and a 23-point effort from Kyrie Irving.

The Mavericks also had to overcome a 36-point, eight-assist performance from Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as well as Jalen Williams' 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting.

Reserves Jaden Hardy and Naji Marshall went a combined 10 of 15 from the field while contributing 13 points each to the Mavericks' second straight win following a four-game losing streak.

Behind Washington's 17 points and nine rebounds, Dallas emerged with a 66-58 lead at half-time and later stretched the margin to 14 points when Irving's 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter put the Mavericks up 112-98.

The Mavericks were held without a field goal over the final two minutes, however, as Oklahoma City closed on a 10-2 spurt to nearly prevail.

Gilgeous-Alexander's 3-pointer with 25.2 seconds left closed the gap to 121-118, and he made it a two-point game by hitting a free throw after being fouled with 4.3 seconds remaining. He then deliberately missed the second attempt, which the Thunder rebounded for a chance at the winning shot.

Luguentz Dort's 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark, however, as Oklahoma City's three-game winning streak came to an end. 

Randle's 35 points, winning shot lift Timberwolves over Thunder

Julius Randle finished a season-high 35-point effort by hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer that gave the Minnesota Timberwolves a dramatic 120-117 win over the now-slumping Phoenix Suns.

After getting the ball back on a shot-clock violation with 2.7 seconds left, the Timberwolves got the ball to Randle out of a timeout and the veteran forward knocked down a 25-foot shot that lifted Minnesota to a second straight victory following a three-game losing streak.

Phoenix, meanwhile, has lost three in a row and fell to 1-4 since losing former league MVP Kevin Durant to a calf injury. The Suns went 8-1 with Durant available for the season's first nine games.

Playing without sharpshooter Bradley Beal as well, Phoenix had its skid extended despite Devin Booker pouring in a season-high 44 points to go along with seven assists.

Grayson Allen added 18 points off the bench for the Suns and gave Phoenix a 117-115 lead by draining a 3-pointer with 56 seconds remaining.

Minnesota pulled right back even, however, as Anthony Edwards was fouled on the following possession and made both free throws. The Suns then missed three shots in the waning seconds before turning the ball over to set up Randle's winning basket.

Edwards finished with 24 points and six assists while going 9 of 15 from the field.

Phoenix started the game hot, opening up a 29-14 lead over the first 10-plus minutes largely behind Booker's 17 first-quarter points. The Suns held a 13-point advantage deep into the second quarter before Randle's 3-pointer at the buzzer brought Minnesota within 64-54 at the half.

The Timberwolves continued to close the gap in the third, outscoring Phoenix 32-26 for the period and getting 13 points from Edwards to trim the Suns' lead to 90-86 entering the fourth. 

Donovan Mitchell underwent a medical procedure on his nose on Tuesday and will be re-evaluated in about one week.

The injury timeline given by the Cavaliers means he'll likely miss two games against the Miami Heat, as well as contests against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets.

Depending on his recovery, the five-time All-Star has a chance to return for the second part of a home-and-home with the Hornets, next Wednesday at Charlotte.

Mitchell suffered a nasal fracture in Saturday's 117-103 loss to the Houston Rockets when he was accidentally hit by team-mate Tristan Thompson, and subsequently sat out Monday's 108-103 win over the Indiana Pacers.

With the victory, the Cavs improved to 10-9 without Mitchell, who has missed time lately with a bone bruise in his left knee.

They are 33-16 in games he plays.

Mitchell, 27, is one of the NBA's top scorers, ranking sixth at 27.4 points per game, while also averaging career highs with 6.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds.

His play is a big reason why Cleveland is in the mix for one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference.

The Cavs entered play Tuesday in third place in the East, one game behind the Milwaukee Bucks for first place in the Central Division.

They are also just two games ahead of the New York Knicks, and three up on the Orlando Magic.

This is the latest significant injury for Cleveland, which has also seen starters Evan Mobley (ankle) and Max Strus (knee) both miss time lately.

Rubio buckled as he planted in the lane during the fourth quarter of Tuesday's road game at the New Orleans Pelicans.

The 31-year-old, who has played a big role in the Cavaliers' strong start to the season in his first year with the team, clutched his left knee and was in clear distress. He had to be helped to his feet and to the locker room for further assessment.

Rubio was unable to put any weight on his left leg and further tests on Wednesday revealed the guard had torn his anterior cruciate ligament, ending his campaign early. 

With Darius Garland having entered the NBA's Health and Safety Protocols, Rubio started at point against the Pelicans and had 27 points while adding 13 rebounds and nine assists in what was a 104-108 defeat for Cleveland.

Rubio had enjoyed a fine start to life with the Cavs, having averaged a joint career-high 13.1 points per game through 34 appearances since his arrival from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Cavs sit fifth in the Eastern Conference, with a 20-14 record.

Allen suffered the injury in Sunday's 104-96 win over the Toronto Raptors that improved the Cavs' record to 37-27.

The 23-year-old only played 10 minutes, scoring six points with two rebounds, before sustaining a quad injury that forced him out of the game, with the finger issue later emerging.

"A CT scan administered today at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health revealed a fracture and he will undergo additional evaluation and treatment," the Cavs said in a statement on Monday.

"No timetable has been set for his return to basketball activities and his status will be updated as appropriate."

Allen has been a key part of the Cavs' surprise playoffs push, averaging 16.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks this season.

The Cavs are already missing Collin Sexton (knee), Caris LeVert (foot) and Rajon Rondo who was signed after Ricky Rubio's season-ending ACL injury.

Allen got his maiden All-Star call-up this season as a replacement for the injured James Harden.

It was the first time the Cavaliers had failed to score 110 points this season, but they rallied for a 105-100 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, becoming the 12th team in NBA history to start a season 11-0.

Garland scored eight of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, which Cleveland started by trailing, but they dug deep to ensure their perfect record stayed intact.

The Cavaliers are now just two victories away from matching the longest streak in franchise history, having won 13 in a row three times, most recently in 2017.

And Garland believes they have proven that they are among the contenders in the NBA this season.

"I don't think this is just any old fluke," he said after the game. "We played some really good teams out of these 11 games, and we had some great challenges.

"I think we have a really good chance at being one of those contenders for sure."

With the team trailing 82-68 late in the third quarter, coach Kenny Atkinson made the bold decision, choosing to bench Jarrett Allen for the final quarter and moving Evan Mobley to centre.

In the end, it worked. Mobley finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds, with Atkinson praising his performance.

"He [Mobley] was phenomenal," Atkinson said. "Those three or four stops we needed at the end of the game, he got caught on a switch and Cam [Thomas] tried to shoot it over him.

"He's just too long. He had the big block on the last play, and he rebounded the heck out of the ball."

The Golden State Warriors hold the league record for winning their first 24 games in 2015-16, and Atkinson admitted that the prospect of losing their winning streak did play on his mind.

"You're thinking about it," he added.

"Normally, this is 11 games in. You're not thinking about a streak, but then you're like, man, I don't want it to end this way.

"We're competing. We're trying to win every game, but it's kind of weirdly in the back of your mind when you're out there competing. Like man, we got to keep this thing going."

The Cavaliers face the Chicago Bulls in their next match on Monday. 

The change comes after previous GM Koby Altman was elevated to the president of basketball operations last month, allowing Gansey, who has occupied a number of roles at the organisation since 2011, to make the step up.

The Cavaliers have emerged as a surprise contender in the NBA's Eastern Conference this season, emerging from the All-Star break fourth in the East with a 35-23 record, just 2.5 games back of joint-leaders Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls.

Gansey has had a key role in the team's improvement, weighing in on the draft picks of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley and the trades for Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert.

In a statement announcing the move, Altman praised Gansey's previous work in Cleveland and looked forward to the pair continuing their front office partnership. 

"Mike has been an incredible resource to me and this organisation, and his work behind the scenes gives me great confidence that he is ready to take on more of a leadership role," he said. 

"His community roots provides a unique perspective when evaluating players and the type of commitment needed to make a positive impact in Cleveland.

"I could not think of a better person to work alongside as we continue building this team toward sustainable success."

Despite suffering back-to-back defeats to the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers, the Cavaliers remain in contention for their first playoff appearance since LeBron James' 2018 departure.

Recent speculation has focused on whether the four-time NBA MVP could return to the organisation after enjoying another fine individual season in a struggling Los Angeles Lakers team.

Allen signed a three-year, $91million extension with the Cavaliers on Wednesday, according to multiple sources.

The deal will guarantee him $131million over the next five years.

Allen joins Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley as Cleveland players to ink extensions this off-season, as the franchise has established itself as a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference.

The 26-year-old Allen averaged a career-best 16.5 points along with 10.5 rebounds in 77 games last season. His shooting percentage of 63.4 ranked fourth in the NBA.

The 22nd overall pick of the 2017 draft by the Nets, Allen spent his first three-plus NBA seasons in Brooklyn before Cleveland acquired him in January 2021.

He was named an All-Star in his first full season with the Cavs in 2021-22, when he averaged 16.1 points and a career-high 10.8 rebounds.

In 252 games in a Cavs uniform, Allen has averaged 15.1 points, 10.3 boards and 2 assists while shooting 64.2 per cent.

The Cavs reached last season's East semi-finals before being ousted by the eventual champion Boston Celtics with Allen sitting out the entire play-off series due to a rib injury and Mitchell missing the final two games because of a left calf strain.

In the four post-season games he played before his injury, Allen averaged 17 points on 67.6 per cent shooting and 13.8 rebounds.

The Cavs ruled Mitchell out about an hour before tip-off due to a left calf strain.

Cleveland also ruled out center Jarrett Allen, who will miss his seventh straight game with a rib injury.

The Cavaliers are facing a 2-1 series deficit to the NBA-best Celtics. In Cleveland’s Game 2 win, Mitchell contributed 29 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.

Mitchell, who sustained his calf injury late in Saturday’s Game 3 loss, is averaging 29.6 points this post-season, including a combined 89 points in Games 6 and 7 of the Cavs’ first-round series against the Orlando Magic.

Earlier in the day, backcourt mate Darius Garland told reporters that it would be important for others to attack if Mitchell were sidelined.

“Just be aggressive,” Garland said. “Play as a team, keep the ball moving and trust each other. We have a lot of guys that are super confident in themselves, so we'll need them to be super confident tonight and make the extra pass and play as a team and pull us together.”

Against the Hawks, the Cavaliers rode the offensive brilliance of their two All-Star guards. Darius Garland, who the team drafted fifth overall back in 2019, had an efficient 26 points on nine-of-14 shooting, while their offseason trade acquisition Donovan Mitchell top-scored with 29 points on 11-of-22 shooting.

While having two terrific scorers in the backcourt is one thing, having two elite playmakers unlocks a whole new level of play.

Both Garland and Mitchell finished with nine assists each, with Mitchell averaging a career-high 5.8 assists since arriving from the Utah Jazz, while Garland's 7.7 assists per contest ties him for the sixth-most in the league.

When factoring in that they both play close to 40 minutes a night, coach J.B. Bickerstaff can stagger his rotation in a way where one of them is always on the floor, giving them 48 minutes of structured, competent offense, regardless of who the four surrounding players are.

While their dynamic duo are the heartbeat of their offensive success – producing the fifth-best offensive rating in the league at 114.8 points per 100 possessions – they have an equally impactful pairing in the frontcourt with seven-footers Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

Allen, along with Garland, was honoured last season as a first-time All-Star, while Mobley came into the league as one of the greatest defensive prospects in the history of college basketball.

It is the brilliance of that combination that has allowed the Cavaliers to concede the third-fewest points per 100 possessions (108.2) despite starting two small guards, making them the only team in the top-five of both offensive and defensive efficiency.

After Monday's win against the Hawks, Garland spoke about how their defense was able to deliver a 12-point win despite committing 20 turnovers as a team.

"We're just trying to cut the turnovers down, really – even though we had a lot tonight, we made it up on defense," he said.

"That's how we got easy buckets and got out in transition – got us a couple lay-ups, a couple lobs, and that's really what got us going.

"Our team is just unselfish – everybody sees it. We all love each other, we just want to win, we're just competitors."

Coach Bickerstaff expanded on what makes their defense so good during his postgame press conference, pointing to it as a driving force of their offense, as well.

"We've shown what we're capable of defensively," he said. "We know when we're at our best we can create stops, we can force turnovers, we can create easy opportunities for ourselves.

"In that fourth quarter, holding them to 17 points until that last three – that's how you win basketball games against good teams. You lock down defensively, and that helped our offense.

"When you're getting stops, you're playing in the flow and not against a set defense as much. All of our stuff works together – our offense helps our defense, and our defense helps our offense

"We need to be able to slow the game down and control the game. If you have to go against our half-court defense, you're going to be in for a tough time."

He went on to discuss how special the Allen and Mobley connection is, and why it is such a stark difference when Allen is out injured. The Cavaliers have a woeful defensive rating of 126.6 in the two games Allen has missed this season, and what would be a league-leading figure of 104.0 in the 15 games he has played.

"Jarrett is a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber player," he said. "When you take that away, it's obviously going to have an impact. 

"But when he's on the floor, we're a different team, and when our two big guys are on the floor together, and they're working as a pair, they're hard to score on.

"Evan [Mobley] is an All-Defensive player himself, we're extremely fortunate to have two guys who can defend the way they can defend. When they're working together, you're hard-pressed to find easy looks out there."

With the win, the Cavaliers are now 7-1 at home and 11-6 overall, occupying the third seed in the Eastern Conference – a position they will be aiming to maintain all season.

Boston, who led 92-78 at three-quarter time, and 102-91 with 4:30 remaining, gave up a 16-4 from that point to allow the Cavaliers to hit the lead with 24 seconds on the clock.

A Derrick White three-pointer put the Celtics back in front by two, before Donovan Mitchell tied things up at 109-109, but the visitors looked poised to get away with their sloppy fourth quarter after Grant Williams was sent to the free throw line with 0.8 seconds left.

After appearing to tell Mitchell "I'll make them both", Williams proceeded to miss both attempts, blowing a golden opportunity and sending the game to overtime.

The Celtics only mustered five points in the extra five minutes, clearly feeling the absence of missing star Jayson Tatum down the stretch, while Mitchell put the finishing touches on his 40-point night.

Cleveland's top scoring option finished 14-of-34 from the field, adding 11 rebounds and four assists, while rising second-year defensive ace Evan Mobley impressed with 25 points (10-of-14 shooting), 17 rebounds and three blocks.

Jaylen Brown did his best to cover for Tatum, finishing with team-highs in points (32), rebounds (13) and assists (nine), and Malcolm Brogdon was strong off the bench with 24 points (eight-of-14 shooting) and five assists.

Boston (45-21) are now two games behind the Milwaukee Bucks in the hunt for the Eastern Conference's top seed, while the Cavaliers (41-26) are also trending towards having home court advantage in the first round, sitting fourth.

Dame carries the Blazers

Damian Lillard produced his second triple-double of the season, and the third of his career, to lift his Portland Trail Blazers to a 110-104 victory on the road against the Detroit Pistons.

The current third-highest scorer in the league at 32.5 points per game, Lillard showed off his all-round skill set as he snatched down 13 rebounds to go with 12 assists and 31 points, shooting 10-of-28 from the field and six-of-14 from deep.

It was also an eye-opening performance from Cam Reddish. The Portland trade deadline acquisition had never registered more than six assists in a game before, but he flashed some impressive playmaking with eight assists, 13 points, six rebounds and two steals in 40 minutes.

The result leaves the Trail Blazers tied with the 10th-seeded Utah Jazz at 31-34 as they try to force their way into the Play-In Tournament.

Harden and Haliburton combine for 36 assists in shootout

In a clash between the league's top two assist leaders, James Harden's Philadelphia 76ers overcame Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers in a 147-143 shootout.

Harden finished with 14 points (three-of-11), 20 assists, nine rebounds, and just one turnover, becoming the first player in 76ers history to record multiple 20-assist games in one season. 

Meanwhile, Haliburton exploded for one of the best games of his career with 40 points (12-of-19), 16 assists and two turnovers.

Joel Embiid carried the scoring load for Philadelphia, leading the way with 42 points (11-of-16 shooting, 19-of-19 free throws) while also forcing elite defender Myles Turner to foul out in just 17 minutes.

Cleveland (9-5) trailed by as many as 19 with 3:05 left in the third quarter before roaring back with a 24-4 run to set up a frenzied finish that featured seven ties and five lead changes in the last seven minutes of the game. 

Darius Garland led the Cavaliers with 22 points, including two critical free throws with 9.4 seconds left that provided the final margin. He had kept the home team in the game single-handedly earlier in the evening, making 10 of Cleveland's 12 first-half field goals. 

One night after dropping 38 points in a home win against the Milwaukee Bucks, Dennis Schroder had a game-high 28 for on Saturday, but he missed a potential game-tying shot at the buzzer. 

The Celtics (6-7) were foiled in their attempt to get over .500 for the first time this season but will have a chance to get back to even with a rematch Monday in Cleveland. 

The Cavaliers have won six of their last seven games. 

Clippers win seventh straight

After a 1-4 start to the season, the Los Angeles Clippers picked up their seventh straight win with a 129-102 defeat of the Minnesota Timberwolves (4-8). The Clippers (8-4) put the game away by half-time, building a 70-43 lead as Reggie Jackson scored 18 of his 21 points before the break. Paul George led all scorers with 23 and Anthony Edwards topped the Timberwolves with 21. 

The Washington Wizards (9-3) continued their hot start even without star Bradley Beal, rolling to a 104-92 victory over the Orlando Magic (3-10) behind 23 points, 11 rebounds and six assists from Spencer Dinwiddie and 20 points, six rebounds and seven assists off the bench by Montrezl Harrell. Beal missed the game to mourn the death of his grandmother. 

The New Orleans Pelicans opened up a lead of as many as 22 points in the first half and held on for a 112-101 defeat of the Memphis Grizzlies (6-7). The victory snapped a nine-game losing streak for the Pelicans (2-14) as they continue to play without Zion Williamson. 

Jazz continue to struggle

The Utah Jazz (8-5) lost for the fourth time in five games, falling 111-105 at home against the Miami Heat (8-5). The visitors built a 95-69 lead after three quarters and cruised the rest of the way as Tyler Herro led all scorers with 27 points. Utah made just 35 of 85 shots from the field (41.2 per cent), including 17 of 53 from three-point range (32.1 per cent).

Atkinson will take over for J.B. Bickerstaff, who was fired after Cleveland was eliminated by the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics in five games in the second round of the post-season.

Atkinson, 57, will be an NBA head coach for the second time after going 118-190 and making one play-off appearance with the Brooklyn Nets from 2016-20.

After stepping down as head coach of the Nets in March 2020, Atkinson was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers (2020-21) and Golden State Warriors (2021-24).

Bickerstaff went 170-159 with Cleveland after taking over for John Beilein in 2020 and led the franchise to the play-offs in each of the last two seasons following a four-year post-season drought.

In early May, the Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic in seven games to win their first play-off series since reaching the 2018 NBA Finals.

It also marked Cleveland's first trip to the Eastern Conference semi-finals without LeBron James on the roster since 1992-93.

The 33-year-old Spaniard went into detail Thursday with a post on X about his decision to end his NBA career.

“July 30th was one of the toughest nights of my life,” said Rubio, who didn’t report to Cleveland’s training camp this season.

"My mind went to a dark place. I kind of knew I was going on that direction, but I never thought I wasn’t under control of the situation. The next day, I decided to stop my professional career.

“One day, when the time is right, I would love to share my full experience with you all so I can help support others going through similar situations.

"Until then, I would like to keep it private out of respect for my family and myself, as I’m still working on my mental health. But I’m proud to say I’m doing much better and getting better everyday.

“I wanted to post this message for you today because my NBA career has come to an end.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Rubio with the fifth overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, and he began his career in the 2011-12 season en route to earning First-Team All-Rookie honors.

Rubio also played for the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns and Cleveland, averaging 10.8 points, 7.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 698 career games.

“It all started in June 2009, draft night in New York. What a dream,” he said. “After playing 12 years in the league, with all its up and downs, I have collected lots of good memories and great relationships.

“Minnesota, Utah, Phoenix and Cleveland. Wow. Thank you!”

The Athletic's Shams Chanaria reported the two sides had agreed to a deal to give the Cavs crucial backcourt help following an injury to Ricky Rubio.

Rubio suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Cleveland's game with the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday.

He had played a critical creative role for the Cavs, who are fifth in the Eastern Conference at 20-15. His 6.6 assists per game rank 15th in the NBA.

Rondo, 35, will look to help fill the void having received limited playing time for the Lakers this season.

His average of 16.1 minutes per game is the lowest of Rondo's career, which is in its 16th year.

Unsurprisingly given his minutes, Rondo is averaging career-lows in points per game (3.1) and assists (3.7) while he is shooting at a career-low 32.4 per cent from the field.

Cleveland fought back from a nine-point deficit late in the third quarter to become only the eighth team in NBA history to begin a season 12-0. The Cavaliers are the only team to win each of its first 12 games while scoring at least 110 points in all of those contests.

Darius Garland added 17 points and Evan Mobley had 15 with 11 rebounds for Cleveland, which once again received a big contribution from its second unit. Reserves Caris LeVert, Georges Niang and Ty Jerome each recorded 12 points, with Jerome dishing out six assists as well.

Zach LaVine had 26 points on 12-of-20 shooting in his second outing back from a three-game absence, but Chicago was hurt by 20 turnovers and lost for the fifth time in six games.

Nikola Vucevic and Coby White each finished with 20 points for the Bulls, while Josh Giddey scored 18 to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists.

Cleveland trailed 85-76 with four minutes left in the third quarter before getting back into it with a 9-0 run led by its bench. LeVert and Dean Wade started the flurry with back-to-back 3-pointers before Niang converted a three-point play to tie the game with 2:53 left in the period.

The teams were again tied at 106-106 with five minutes to go, but the Cavs put together a 9-2 spurt capped by LeVert's 3-pointer with 3:23 remaining to go ahead for good.

Cleveland owned a 52-42 lead midway through the second quarter before the Bulls answered with a 14-2 run to take a 56-54 edge with four minutes to play before half-time.

Gilgeous-Alexander scores career-high 45 as Thunder bounce back

One night after losing one of their star players for an extended period, the Oklahoma City Thunder returned to their winning ways behind a huge performance from another.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander racked up a career-high 45 points as Oklahoma City got back in the win column with a 134-128 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Thunder were coming off Sunday's 127-116 home defeat to the Golden State Warriors in which starting center Chet Holmgren suffered a pelvic fracture that will sideline him at least eight weeks. With the 7-footer unavailable, the Clippers recorded a 47-29 rebounding advantage while also going 20 of 37 (54.1 per cent) from 3-point range.

Oklahoma City still prevailed in large part due to Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished 13 of 21 from the field and 15 of 16 from the foul line while adding nine assists.

The Thunder also received a big 28-point, eight-rebound, six-assist effort from Jalen Williams and 19 points from Luguentz Dort to overcome a 31-point display from Los Angeles' Norman Powell, who went 5 of 8 from beyond the arc.

Los Angeles had its four-game winning streak snapped despite Ivica Zubac's 22 points and 14 rebounds and a near triple-double from James Harden, who tallied 17 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

The Clippers couldn't stop Gilgeous-Alexander, though, as the two-time All-Star put up 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting in the first half to propel the Thunder to a 66-53 lead at intermission.

Oklahoma City's margin swelled to 20 points in the third quarter, though Los Angeles closed out the period with an 11-2 run to pull within 99-94 on Powell's 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

The Clippers cut the lead to two late when Zubac converted a three-point play to make the score 130-128 with 42.3 seconds left. Gilgeous-Alexander made two free throws on the other end, however, before Willams sealed the outcome with a dunk off a Harden turnover.

Wembanyama dominates as Spurs cruise past Kings

Victor Wembanyama joined an elite group of NBA players with a 34-point, 14-rebound effort that carried the San Antonio Spurs to a 116-96 win over the Sacramento Kings.

The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year added six assists in his 82nd career game and became only the sixth player in league history to record 1,700 points, 800 rebounds and 300 assists over a first full season. That list includes such legends as Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Larry Bird.

Chris Paul contributed 12 points and 11 assists for San Antonio, which had lost three of its previous four games but got back on track by making a season-high 22 shots from 3-point range. Wembanyama led the way in that category as well by going 6 of 12 from beyond the arc.

The Kings, coming off an overtime win at Phoenix on Sunday, built a 31-22 lead early in the second quarter but relinquished it before the end of the first half. 

San Antonio answered with a 10-2 run to cut its deficit to one, then closed out the half with seven straight points to own a 60-55 edge on Paul's 3-pointer at the buzzer.

The Kings then shot just 25 per cent in the third quarter while being outscored by a 24-16 margin for the period as the Spurs took an 84-71 lead into the fourth. Their margin never dipped below double-digits over the final 12 minutes.

De'Aaron Fox paced Sacramento with 24 points, while Domantas Sabonis had 23 points and 12 rebounds and DeMar DeRozan finished with 21 points in the loss.

NBA-leading Cleveland got 35 points from Donovan Mitchell in a 127-117 victory over the Pacers for their 13th win in 14 games.

Love’s injury was initially diagnosed during the pre-season, and he sat out the 2020-21 opener against the Charlotte Hornets last Wednesday. 

Love made his season debut at the Detroit Pistons on Saturday and saw over 37 minutes of action in a double-overtime win for Cleveland. 

During that game, he became the ninth player in league history to reach 13,000 points, 7,000 rebounds and 1,000 made three-pointers, joining Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Paul Pierce, Carmelo Anthony, Rasheed Wallace and Antawn Jamison. 

Love, however, left Sunday’s visit from the Philadelphia 76ers in the second quarter and did not return. 

The Cavaliers released a statement on Tuesday which read: "Further examination and an MRI administered on Monday at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health confirmed the injury. 

"Love will undergo a series of treatments and rehabilitation and will be reassessed in approximately three to four weeks. His status will be updated as appropriate."

Entering Tuesday’s visit from the New York Knicks, Cleveland were one of four remaining undefeated teams in the NBA at 3-0. 

The Cavaliers haven’t won their first four games of a season since opening 6-0 in 2016-17, and they last won four in a row overall during a five-game run from March 28-April 5, 2018 – James’ last season during his second stint with Cleveland. 

The extension is the maximum a player can have added to his rookie contract and could be worth a reported $231m.  

The deal is the largest in franchise history.  

Garland scored 21.7 points per game last season and averaged 8.6 assists, helping to guide Cleveland to a resurgence.

With a 44-38 record, 2021-22 was the Cavs' first winning season without LeBron James since 1997-98.  

Garland, 22, is now locked into a promising young core that includes 21-year-old Evan Mobley and 24-year-old Jarrett Allen in the frontcourt.

The Cavs drafted Garland fifth overall in 2019, and the point guard was named to his first All-Star team last season.

The Cavs were on the brink of an early exit as they trailed the Orlando Magic by 18 points in Game 7, only for Mitchell to turn the contest on its head with a stunning third quarter.

Mitchell outscored the entire Orlando team by two points in the third, when he poured in 17 of his 39 points.

Darius Garland then scored 10 points to help Cleveland pull clear in the fourth as they claimed a 106-94 victory, winning a playoff series without LeBron James for the first time since 1993.

Mitchell, who has been playing through a lingering knee injury for much of the season, says postseason success has always been the aim since his 2022 trade from the Utah Jazz.   

"I'm tired of losing in the first round. You work too hard, we work too hard," Mitchell said. "That was my mindset, just to be in attack mode. 

"I'm battling through what I'm battling through, but I could battle through it and figure it out or rehab it for the next three or four months. That's where I'm at mentally.

"We didn't make the group we made just to come in and win the first round. We accomplished one goal, now we have to do it again. That's the mindset. 

"When they traded for me, it wasn't just to win a first-round series, it was to continue to push and move forward. I think that's where all of our heads are at."

Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of Mitchell: "He's the guy that can pull everybody along, not just with his skill but in spirit as well. 

"When you see your team-mate, a guy you care about playing that way, you don't want to let that guy down so you go out and do whatever you can to help that guy.

"We talk about how everybody has their style and their piece of leadership here and that's how Don leads, by being special in the moment. His team-mates want to be a part of it."