The top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks made the call to boycott Game 5 of their first-round Eastern Conference series against the Orlando Magic midweek following the shooting of Jacob Blake.
Milwaukee had the chance to seal their spot in the second round of the postseason, but opted to sit out at Walt Disney World Resort after Blake, a black man, was repeatedly shot in the back by police in Wisconsin.
The decision was then taken for all three midweek games to be postponed – the Los Angeles Lakers' Western Conference showdown against the Portland Trail Blazers and the Houston Rockets-Oklahoma City Thunder clash.
The 2019-20 season, being played behind closed doors in Orlando, Florida amid the coronavirus pandemic, is now reportedly in jeopardy as players voice their displeasure in the ongoing fight for justice.
But Lakers boss Buss tweeted: "I was excited to see us play - and hopefully close out our series - tonight. But I stand behind our players, today and always.
"After more than 400 years of cruelty, racism and injustice, we all need to work together to say enough is enough. #JusticeForJacobBlake #WeHearYou."
The Magic, meanwhile, also released a statement after sitting out alongside the Bucks in the east.
"Today we stand united with the NBA Office, the National Basketball Players Association, the Milwaukee Bucks and the rest of the league condemning bigotry, racial injustice and the unwarranted use of violence by police against people of colour," the Magic said.
Nets star Irving (18 points) and Lakers guard Dennis Schroder (19 points) were both ejected in the third quarter at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where the pair were jawing with each other before the officials stepped in.
Leading 66-62 at the time, the injury-hit Lakers surged clear – using a 15-2 burst to extend their advantage to 88-71 away to the Nets, who had their nine-game home winning streak snapped.
In the absence of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma, Lakers recruit Andre Drummond had 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Talen Horton-Tucker (14 points and 11 assists) also put up a double-double.
Nets star Kevin Durant posted 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists in his second game back following a 23-game absence.
The Utah Jazz extended their franchise-record home winning streak to 24 games after topping the Sacramento Kings 128-112.
Donovan Mitchell led the way with a season-high 42 points – the All-Star tallying his 18th 30-point game of the season.
Mitchell became the fourth Jazz player to score 35-plus points in three consecutive games, joining Karl Malone, Adrian Dantley and Pete Maravich.
Mike Conley (26 points) and Joe Ingles (20) made contributions for the Jazz, while Kings pair De'Aaron Fox (30 points) and Richaun Holmes (25 points and 10 rebounds) impressed.
Curry sizzles, Trent has game to remember
Stephen Curry scored 23 of his 38 points in the third quarter to lead the Golden State Warriors past the Houston Rockets 125-109. Curry had his sixth consecutive 30-point game, the longest streak of his career. The two-time MVP is the first Warrior to score at least 30 points in six straight games since Ricky Barry in 1974.
The Toronto Raptors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 135-115 behind Gary Trent Jr., who went off for a new career-high 44 points on 17-for-19 shooting. He joined Chris Bosh (40 points on 14-16 field goals made in 2008) as the only Raptors players to have 40-plus points on 80 per cent shooting or better in a game. Trent's 89.5 field goal percentage marked the second highest figure for any player with 44-plus points in a game during the shot-clock era (1954-55), trailing only Mike Woodson (48 points on 91.7 field goal percentage) in 1983.
The Phoenix Suns maintained their solid form by easing past the Washington Wizards 134-106. Phoenix have won 17 of their last 21 games after Devin Booker posted 27 points and Deandre Ayton had 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Suns only tallied three turnovers against the Wizards to tie the franchise record. Wizards star Russell Westbrook (17 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds) recorded his NBA-leading 22nd triple-double of the season.
Enes Kanter's 24 points and franchise-record 30 rebounds fuelled the Portland Trail Blazers' 118-103 win over the lowly Detroit Pistons. Team-mate Damian Lillard had 27 points and 10 assists.
Porter struggles
Kevin Porter Jr. was four-for-13 shooting from the field, while he made just one of six three-point attempts for nine points in 33 minutes as the Rockets went down to the Warriors.
Detroit's Cory Joseph finished with just four points after going two-of-seven from the field.
Korkmaz enjoys career night
Furkan Korkmaz put on a show at both ends of the floor as the Philadelphia 76ers returned to the top of the east alongside the Nets following a 117-93 win at the Oklahoma City Thunder. Korkmaz put up a season-high 20 points and a career-high five steals.
Saturday's results
Utah Jazz 128-112 Sacramento Kings
Toronto Raptors 135-115 Cleveland Cavaliers
Los Angeles Lakers 126-101 Brooklyn Nets
Philadelphia 76ers 117-93 Oklahoma City Thunder
Golden State Warriors 125-109 Houston Rockets
Phoenix Suns 134-106 Washington Wizards
Portland Trail Blazers 118-103 Detroit Pistons
Celtics at Nuggets
On Sunday, the Boston Celtics (27-26) will face the streaking Denver Nuggets (34-18), who have won eight straight games.
Davis starred in a 123-108 win over his former team the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, scoring 35 points while adding 17 rebounds and one assist.
The 30-year-old is enjoying a strong season, with his 26.1 points per game his best average since the 2019-20 campaign – his first in Los Angeles.
Davis has also stepped up in LeBron James' absence. In the eight games Lakers' talisman has missed since February 26, Davis has played seven, scoring 30 or more points on four occasions.
The Lakers are above the play-in line in the Western Conference, but they will have to face the Rockets without Davis, who Ham explained will not be risked in back-to-back games.
"He's not going to play," Ham said of Davis, who missed a large chunk of this campaign due to a stress fracture in his right foot.
"He hasn't been cleared. Even though he's been playing pain-free, we made an organisational decision, starting with our team doctors, to hold him out of back-to-backs.
"It's just one of those things where even though he's playing pain-free, it's still an active injury.
"So we have to monitor it and stick to the plan, as we always have done. And just go out there with our other guys and try to get a W and finish the trip the right way."
With a comfortable 75-40 half-time lead over the Pelicans, Ham would have ideally liked to hand Davis a rest, yet New Orleans fought back to reduce the deficit to 13 in the final quarter.
"It definitely was a thought, but obviously, that's a hell of a ballclub over there that has a lot of pride and they made their push, so having to reinsert him into the game kind of nixed any delusions of grandeur," Ham said.
While frustrated that he will be watching on from the sidelines in Houston, Davis knows it is likely for the best.
He said: "It's tough, especially because each game you want to go out and play.
"But before I even came back, it's something the doctors and the organisation discussed that they thought it would be best for me not to play back-to-backs.
"It's still a stress reaction, and we're doing all the right things to make sure that I'm ready to go and I still need that day break. Obviously it sucks."
Despite their win, the Lakers dropped from ninth to 10th in the West, due to the Oklahoma City Thunder's win over the Brooklyn Nets.
After Sunday's controlled 95-85 victory at Staples Center, the Lakers were made to work harder for Tuesday's 119-117 win that moved them to 5-3 for the season.
LeBron James' second double-double of the season helped Los Angeles over the line, the four-time NBA MVP tallying 30 points and 10 assists despite continuing to struggle with an ankle issue.
Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook each put up 27 points to inspire a recovery from an 11-point deficit in the third quarter.
There was controversy in the closing minutes when officials called Vogel and Rockets coach Stephen Silas for a long discussion before it was announced the Lakers were having two points removed.
The decision was made after officials said they had incorrectly given Kent Bazemore two free throws when the Rockets were called for their fifth foul of the quarter, when it was in fact their fourth.
The Lakers' frustrations stemmed from the fact they effectively gave up a possession when the decision was made given the time that was allowed to pass.
"That's definitely something the league has got to look at," said Vogel. "I understand the mindset to get it right, but... it was their fourth foul and they gave us free throws. You're only supposed to get free throws on the fifth foul, so we shoot the free throws and play resumes, and a couple possessions later they made a mistake, so they just take the points off the board.
"Once play resumes, you can't correct that. You can't correct it. The league's got to look at that, because they can't give us that possession back. Like, if it was corrected at the time of the call, we get the ball on the side and it's our ball. Once that goes away, you just take the points away and don't give us the possession back, you can't correct that at that point.
"So, I'm very frustrated by that, the league has to look at that."
Davis, who also tallied nine rebounds and three blocks, felt the call could have cost the Lakers the win.
"So, [the officials] took the two points away. But what me, Bron and coach were explaining to the refs was we lost a possession," he said.
"We didn't take the ball out or anything. We shot free throws – take the points away, and now we just lose the possession, which could have cost the game. In a sense, nothing you can do about it, stuff like that. But good thing it didn't hurt us. Again, that's a [tough] situation."
Coming off surprise Game 1 losses, the Lakers and Bucks responded against the Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic respectively.
The Lakers drew level at 1-1 in their Western Conference first-round meeting with the Trail Blazers courtesy of a 111-88 win.
Anthony Davis posted a double-double of 31 points and 11 rebounds as the Lakers won their first playoff game since 2012.
While Davis went 13-of-21 from the field, LeBron James was below his best, but still managed 10 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
Red-hot Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard had 18 points, but the guard was one-of-seven from three-point range.
In the Eastern Conference, the Bucks are back to 1-1 against Orlando after a 111-96 victory.
Giannis Antetokounmpo lifted Milwaukee with 28 points and 20 rebounds, while Brook Lopez had 20 points.
Harden guides Rockets as Robinson shines for Heat
James Harden had 21 points and nine assists as the Houston Rockets took a 2-0 series lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder courtesy of a 111-98 win.
Danuel House Jr. contributed 19 points, nine rebounds and three assists for the Rockets.
Duncan Robinson was in impressive form as the Miami Heat went 2-0 up against the Indiana Pacers thanks to a 109-100 win. Robinson was seven-of-eight from three-point range for 24 points in 25 minutes.
Heat star Goran Dragic posted 20 points.
Miserable Melo
Carmelo Anthony struggled badly for Portland. He was one-of-six for just two points in 26 minutes.
Davis delights
Davis showed his class during the Lakers' series-levelling win.
Thursday's results
Miami Heat 109-100 Indiana Pacers
Houston Rockets 111-98 Oklahoma City Thunder
Milwaukee Bucks 111-96 Orlando Magic
Los Angeles Lakers 111-88 Portland Trail Blazers
Clippers face Mavericks
With their Western Conference first-round series locked at 1-1, the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks do battle in Game 3 on Friday.
The Lakers made it three straight wins over the Portland Trail Blazers with a 135-115 victory, taking a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference first-round series.
LeBron James produced a huge performance with a double-double of 30 points and 10 assists for the Lakers.
Anthony Davis posted 18 points before exiting due to back spasms, while Kyle Kuzma contributed 18 off the bench.
While Jusuf Nurkic had a double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds, the Trail Blazers lost star Damian Lillard (11 points) to a knee injury.
The Bucks grabbed a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Orlando Magic thanks to a 121-106 win.
Giannis Antetokounmpo unsurprisingly led Milwaukee with a double-double of 31 points and 15 rebounds, plus eight assists.
Khris Middleton struggled from the field, going seven-of-19, but still finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Dynamic Dragic sees Miami through, Thunder draw level
Goran Dragic had a team-high 23 points as the Miami Heat completed a 4-0 series sweep of the Indiana Pacers courtesy of a 99-87 win.
Miami were also led by Bam Adebayo, who finished with 14 points, 19 rebounds and six assists.
The Western Conference first-round series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets is locked at 2-2. Dennis Schroder had 30 points off the bench as the Thunder won Game 4 117-114.
Thunder forward Shai Gilgeous-Alexander managed a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds.
The Rockets were beaten despite a fine performance by James Harden, who had 32 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds.
Bad Brogdon
Indiana are out of the playoffs and Malcolm Brogdon struggled for the Pacers, going five-of-16 from the field in Game 4. The guard finished with 13 points in 40 minutes.
LeBron from range
James hit a three-pointer from just over half-court in the Lakers' win.
Monday's results
Milwaukee Bucks 121-106 Orlando Magic
Oklahoma City Thunder 117-114 Houston Rockets
Miami Heat 99-87 Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Lakers 135-115 Portland Trail Blazers
Mavericks face Clippers
Luka Doncic inspired the Dallas Mavericks to draw level in their series with the Los Angeles Clippers. The crucial Game 5 of the Western Conference first-round series is on Tuesday.
Game 4 of the Western Conference semi-final series saw the Lakers seal a 110-100 victory over the Houston Rockets and move into a 3-1 lead.
They restricted the Rockets to 43.1 per cent shooting as a team, with All-Star guard James Harden 2-of-11 from the floor.
The Lakers missed out on free agent Kawhi Leonard to the Los Angeles Clippers last offseason, but Vogel feels their defense makes up for the absence of a third star alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Vogel said of his team's ability to get stops: "That's as powerful a weapon as there is in one of these playoff runs. It's as powerful as a superstar.
"If you have an elite defense, that can be your third star, so to speak.
"When you have the confidence that you can go four, five, six possessions where you're just squeezing the other team's offense, getting stops, and then with our ability to run the floor, with LeBron James being the quarterback of that action and being in attack mode, we have a strong belief in what we can accomplish as a group."
Harden still finished the game with 21 points by making 16 of his 20 free throw attempts, so Vogel acknowledged there is still room for improvement from the Lakers.
"We're happy with what we were doing on the defensive end," Vogel said. "It can always get better.
"Obviously, the fouls [can be cut down]. Plan A with guarding James Harden is don't put him on the free throw line and we gave him 20 free throw attempts. So, we've got to make sure we're doing a better job there, but overall, we're just trying to limit him and make him as uncomfortable as we can.
"He's seen every coverage there is in the world and he knows how to attack it. Like I said all along with this group and with him: We're not going to be comfortable because we know what he's capable of.
"So, we've just got to continue to watch film, get better, strengthen the plan each game that we play and hopefully get better in Game 5."
James contributed 16 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists and two steals for the Lakers and explained how difficult it is for the team to defend against Harden.
"James is probably one of the best offensive players that we've ever seen in this league," the Lakers star said.
"I mean, he had 20 free throw attempts and we're trying to not put him to the free throw line. One of our game plans is to not put him to the free throw line and we're trying to not put him to the free throw line, and the guy is just so clever that he was still able to get 20 free throw attempts.
"We're just trying to eliminate anything that we can from him, because he can score from [anywhere]. He gets into the paint with his runners, with his floaters. Obviously, he's got the step-back. He's got the threes in transition. He has his catch-and-shoot threes when he's off the ball. And, like I said, he's very tricky with his moves in the paint, where he gets to the free throw line.
"So we're just trying to take away some things. We can't take away everything, because that's how great he is offensively. We try to follow the game plan and see what happens from there."
The Lakers were handed their 13th defeat of the season in a 105-88 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
LeBron James had a double-double of 19 points and 10 assists and Anthony Davis contributed 15 points, but the Lakers fell.
Ja Morant (27 points and 14 assists) and Jonas Valanciunas (22 points and 20 rebounds) led the Grizzlies.
The Rockets edged the Boston Celtics 111-110 in an overtime thriller.
Russell Westbrook was the star with 41 points for the Rockets, who were forced to OT by Jaylen Brown's buzzer-beating three in regulation.
Young, Dragic shine
Trae Young's 25 points and 15 assists helped the Atlanta Hawks past the Portland Trail Blazers 129-117.
Goran Dragic's double-double of 19 points and 10 assists saw the Miami Heat edge the Brooklyn Nets 116-113.
Mitchell Robinson went 11-of-16 from the field for 23 points, plus had 10 rebounds, off the bench as the New York Knicks recorded a 125-115 win over the Chicago Bulls.
Bad Bradley
Avery Bradley went two-of-eight from the field for just six points in 21 minutes in the Lakers' loss.
Brown brilliance
The Celtics fell short in OT, but Brown's three to force it was superb.
Saturday's results
New York Knicks 125-115 Chicago Bulls
Atlanta Hawks 129-117 Portland Trail Blazers
Miami Heat 116-113 Brooklyn Nets
Indiana Pacers 113-104 Cleveland Cavaliers
Memphis Grizzlies 105-88 Los Angeles Lakers
Houston Rockets 111-110 Boston Celtics
San Antonio Spurs 114-113 Orlando Magic
Golden State Warriors 115-99 Phoenix Suns
Lakers at Pelicans
James and the Lakers (45-13) will get a chance to bounce back against Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans (26-33) on Sunday.
Ball hurt his left ankle for the third time this season in the third quarter when team-mate P.J. Washington landed on him as both jumped to block a Jabari Smith shot.
The Hornets point guard and 2020 NBA Draft third pick overall remained on the ground in pain and appeared unable to bear weight on his left leg as he was helped to the locker room. He was ruled out with a "left ankle sprain".
"I can walk and everything, so I'll just take it day by day and see what it is," Ball told reporters.
"I feel a little better. It don't feel like them other ones so I think I'll be straight."
The game was only Ball's 21st this season, enduring an interrupted campaign where he is averaging 24.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 8.4 assists.
Ball said he would not require an MRI scan while Hornets head coach Steve Clifford was a bit more circumspect.
"We'll see how he feels tomorrow and that's really it," Clifford said.
The NBA postseason resumed at Walt Disney World Resort on Saturday following a three-day strike amid protests against police brutality and racial injustice after the shooting of Jacob Blake – a black man – in Wisconsin.
James posted 36 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while Davis finished with 43 points in Saturday's 131-122 win in the Western Conference first round.
Davis and James became the first duo since the ABA-NBA merger to score 35-plus points on 70-plus percent shooting each in the same playoff game, per STATS.
The top-seeded Lakers will face either the Houston Rockets or Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks advanced in the Eastern Conference thanks to their 118-104 victory over the Orlando Magic.
The Bucks, who triggered protests throughout professional sports in the United States on Wednesday, were led by Giannis Antetokounmpo in their return to the court.
Bucks star and reigning MVP Antetokounmpo had 28 points and 17 rebounds as the Miami Heat await in the next round.
Rockets soar as Harden stars
James Harden posted 31 points to lead the Rockets to a 114-80 rout of the Thunder and a 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference. Fellow All-Star Russell Westbrook also returned from injury.
A Nikola Vucevic double-double of 22 points and 15 rebounds were not enough for the eliminated Magic.
In the absence of All-Star team-mate Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum put up 36 points, while Carmelo Anthony had 27 of his own.
Rough night for Gallinari and Thunder
Danilo Gallinari managed just one point in the Thunder's heavy loss. He was 0 of five from the field, while missing all three attempts from beyond the arc in 22 minutes. Thunder team-mate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, only posted four points on six-of-eight shooting from the field, and 0 of four from three-point range.
In Orlando's defeat, Gary Clark played 24 minutes and was 0 of four from the field and 0 of three from beyond the arc. He made one of two free throws.
LeBron and Davies combine
The two All-Stars continue to flourish in pursuit of the ultimate goal – an NBA championship.
Saturday's results
Milwaukee Bucks 118-104 Orlando Magic
Houston Rockets 114-80 Oklahoma City Thunder
Los Angeles Lakers 131-122 Portland Trail Blazers
Celtics face Raptors
The Eastern Conference second-round series between the Boston Celtics and defending champions the Toronto Raptors gets underway on Sunday.
After losing Game 1 in the Western Conference semi-finals, the top-seeded Lakers responded thanks to James' 28 points and 11 rebounds at Walt Disney World Resort, where he finished just one assist shy of a triple-double on Sunday.
Fellow All-Star Davis posted 34 points and 10 rebounds to take down the Rockets in Orlando, Florida.
The Rockets, led by James Harden's 27 points and double-doubles from Russell Westbrook (10 points and 13 rebounds) and P.J. Tucker (18 points and 11 rebounds), outscored the Lakers 41-23 in the third quarter but a 27-17 final period in favour of the Lakers saw Houston fall.
Eastern Conference top seeds the Milwaukee Bucks, meanwhile, stayed alive thanks to a 118-115 overtime win against the Miami Heat in Game 4.
Facing a series sweep and with reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo forced to exit the game due to an ankle injury, the Bucks prolonged their postseason campaign as Khris Middleton put up 36 points.
LeBron moves up
The three-time champion and four-time MVP improved to second on the all-time playoffs list for three-pointers made. James now has 386 threes, only behind Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry (470).
Rajon Rondo has struggled for fitness, but the veteran produced an efficient display for the Lakers. He had 10 points, nine assists and five steals against the Rockets off the bench.
Bam Adebayo recorded 26 points and 12 rebounds for the beaten Heat.
Giannis cause for concern
Antetokounmpo was already in doubt for Sunday's do-or-die showdown due to his ankle and his availability for Tuesday's Game 5 is up in the air. The Bucks star lasted less than 12 minutes after re-injuring his ankle.
While Westbrook had a double-double, the Rockets star was just four of 15 from the field, while he only made one of his seven three-point attempts.
Celtics face Raptors
Can the Toronto Raptors make it three straight wins for a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semi-finals? The defending champions are in action against the Boston Celtics on Monday. The Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets also meet in Game 3 of their Western Conference semi matchup.
James, who was a game-time decision again with his niggling ankle issue, scored 30 points – including two-of-four shooting from three-point – range along with 10 assists, four rebounds and two steals. The four-time NBA MVP added 14 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers had led by eight points in the final quarter but escaped with the win, improving their record to 5-3 on the back of three straight victories, as Kevin Porter Jr.'s three-point attempt to steal the game on the buzzer rimmed out.
Star trio James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook scored a collective 84 points in their most productive game together after the latter arrived from the Washington Wizards in the offseason.
Davis added 27 points, nine rebounds and three assists, while former MVP Westbrook had 27 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Paul third for all-time assists
Chris Paul had 18 assists along with 14 points and seven rebounds to help the Phoenix Suns overcome a 20-point deficit in their rallying 112-100 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Paul moved past Mark Jackson and Steve Nash into third for all-time NBA assists. The Suns guard has 10,336 assists, behind only John Stockton (15,806) and Jason Kidd (12,091).
Giannis Antetokounmpo posted 28 points, eight rebounds and nine assists as reigning champions the Milwaukee Bucks ended their three-game skid with a 117-89 win against the struggling Detroit Pistons.
Kyle Lowry drained six three-pointers among his 22 points and nine assists as the red-hot Miami Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks 125-110. Luka Doncic scored 33 points for the Mavs.
Clarkson's three-point woes
Utah Jazz point guard Jordan Clarkson shot poorly, going one of 11 from beyond the arc, scoring only two points in their 119-113 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
The Lakers downed the Houston Rockets 134-109 to improve their record to 40-38 with four games to go, sitting seventh in the Western Conference behind the Los Angeles Clippers (41-38) and Golden State Warriors (41-38) who both lost over the weekend.
LA are ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans (40-38) holding the head-to-head tiebreaker, with the top six automatically qualifying for the playoffs, while seventh to 10th enter the play-in tournament.
Following a series of trades in February including the additions of D'Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura and Malik Beasley with Russell Westbrook departing, the Lakers have stormed into playoff contention, winning 10 of their past 14 games.
"We just want to put ourselves in the position to compete for a championship," James told reporters.
"It’s a journey and obviously we don’t have as much chemistry as a lot of other teams that have aspirations to win a championship, but we’ve been building over the last month or so.
"These last four games are very important for our team, not only wins and losses but also the chemistry side as well.
"We need to continue to build what we’ve been building over the last month or so. We'll see what happens."
James had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists to match Jason Kidd for 107 career triple-doubles, which is fourth overall in NBA history.
Anthony Davis played a key role with 40 points, including 27 in the first half, with James saying his All-Star team-mate was "making magic right now".
Russell only played 15 minutes for six points, not returning after half-time due to left foot soreness but Lakers head coach Darvin Ham downplayed any major issue.
"It was definitely precautionary," Ham said. "He could have continued the game if we needed him to. The bodies we have available to us now, we just didn’t want to risk it."
James posted his second triple-double of the season – 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists – to guide the Lakers past the visiting Nuggets in Los Angeles.
With the 12,682nd bucket of his illustrious career, Lakers superstar James surpassed Wilt Chamberlain for the third-most field goals made in NBA history.
James' 23-game streak of recording 15-plus points, five-plus rebounds and five-plus assists to start the season is the longest run in NBA history, surpassing his own record of 22 in a row in 2011-12.
The Lakers recorded their third consecutive win after overturning a 12-point deficit against Western Conference rivals the Nuggets.
According to Stats Perform, it is the largest margin of victory in franchise history after trailing by double digits at half-time. The previous high was a 20-point win at the Phoenix Suns on Christmas Day in 1968.
Night to remember for Oubre
Kelly Oubre Jr. scored a career-high 40 points as the Golden State Warriors overpowered the Dallas Mavericks 147-116. Stephen Curry had 28 points for the Warriors in Dallas.
Joel Embiid hurt his knee but had a game-high 37 points in the Philadelphia 76ers' shock 121-105 loss at home to the Portland Trail Blazers, who were without stars Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
Scoreless Rondo
Rajon Rondo did not score a point in the Atlanta Hawks' 112-91 defeat to the Utah Jazz. Rondo was 0 of seven from the field, while he missed all three of his attempts from beyond the arc in 28 minutes.
Embiid did not have much support in Philadelphia as the 76ers struggled without Ben Simmons. Tobias Harris finished with 12 points on just five-of-14 shooting from the field. The All-Star hopeful missed both of his three-point efforts.
The Houston Rockets beat the Memphis Grizzlies 115-103, however P.J. Tucker was one-of-eight from the field, and one-of-seven from three-point range for three points in 34 minutes.
The LeBron show
James was at his brilliant best against the Nuggets, showcasing his elite shooting and passing skills.
Thursday's results
Utah Jazz 112-91 Atlanta Hawks
Golden State Warriors 147-116 Dallas Mavericks
Portland Trail Blazers 121-105 Philadelphia 76ers
Houston Rockets 115-103 Memphis Grizzlies
Los Angeles Lakers 114-93 Denver Nuggets
Raptors at Nets
The star-studded Brooklyn Nets (14-9) will host the Toronto Raptors (9-12) on Friday. The Los Angeles Clippers (17-6) and Milwaukee Bucks (13-8) will also be in action.
James' double-double of 28 points and 11 rebounds saw the Lakers snap their four-game losing run with a 102-93 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.
Dennis Schroder contributed 22 points, while Montrezl Harrell (17 points) and Alex Caruso (10) finished with double-digits off the bench.
Butler was in fine form as the Heat overcame the Utah Jazz, who have the best record in the NBA, 124-116.
He went 12-of-22 from the field for his 33 points, while also contributing 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Miami (16-17) had five players in double-figures for points, including Goran Dragic (26).
Donovan Mitchell finished with 30 points for Utah (26-7).
Green guides Warriors, Lowry shines
Draymond Green posted a triple-double of 11 points, 19 assists and 12 rebounds in the Golden State Warriors' 130-121 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Green was the first Warriors player to reach 19 assists since Baron Davis in 2008.
For the Hornets, Malik Monk had 25 points in 25 minutes, including five three-pointers. He has at least 20 points and four three-pointers off the bench in three consecutive games. The only other Charlotte reserve to do that in three-plus straight is Dell Curry (March 1995), as per Stats Perform.
Kyle Lowry did likewise for the Toronto Raptors, his 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists seeing them past the Houston Rockets 122-111.
Kemba Walker poured in 32 points as the Boston Celtics overcame the Indiana Pacers 118-112.
The Los Angeles Clippers thrashed the Memphis Grizzlies 119-99, with Kawhi Leonard (30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists) starring.
Rockets crash to another loss
The Rockets slumped to their 10th consecutive defeat with the loss to the Raptors. Victor Oladipo (27 points) and John Wall (21) combined for 48 points, but they went 18-of-42 from the field in total.
Brilliant Butler
Butler was in incredible form to get Miami past Utah.
Friday's results
Boston Celtics 118-112 Indiana Pacers
Toronto Raptors 122-111 Houston Rockets
Sacramento Kings 110-107 Detroit Pistons
Miami Heat 124-116 Utah Jazz
Phoenix Suns 106-97 Chicago Bulls
Los Angeles Clippers 119-99 Memphis Grizzlies
Oklahoma City Thunder 118-109 Atlanta Hawks
Golden State Warriors 130-121 Charlotte Hornets
Los Angeles Lakers 102-93 Portland Trail Blazers
Mavericks at Nets
The Brooklyn Nets (22-12) have won eight straight and will take on Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks (15-16) on Saturday.
James posted a triple-double after just three quarters, eventually leading the streaking Lakers past the visiting Thunder in Los Angeles on Monday.
The Lakers superstar finished with 28 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists in the absence of team-mate Anthony Davis (Achilles).
Montrezl Harrell contributed 21 points off the bench as the Lakers won their fifth game in a row.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander forced overtime with free throws, but his double-double of 29 points and 10 assists was not enough for the Thunder – who were outscored 9-2 in OT.
Thunder team-mate Hamidou Diallo also recorded a double-double (20 points and 11 rebounds).
LaMelo dazzles
LaMelo Ball posted a game-high 24 points, 10 assists and a career-high seven three-pointers as the Charlotte Hornets topped the Houston Rockets 119-94. He joined Stephen Curry (2010) and Jason Kidd (1995) as the only rookies with seven-plus threes and 10-plus assists in a game.
Draymond Green put on a show for the Golden State Warriors, who lost 105-100 to the San Antonio Spurs. He became the sixth player in franchise history to reach 3,000 career assists. Green also had his third double-double of the season (10 rebounds and 10 assists). Curry scored 32 points for the beaten Warriors.
The Milwaukee Bucks extended their winning streak to five games thanks to two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. Antetokounmpo put up 30 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, while Middleton dropped 29 points, a career-high 12 assists and eight rebounds. The Bucks were 125-112 winners over the Denver Nuggets, who were led by Nikola Jokic's 35 points and 12 rebounds.
Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam each scored 32 points as the Toronto Raptors rallied past the Memphis Grizzlies 128-113. Norman Powell contributed 29 points for the Raptors, while Jonas Valanciunas' double-double of 27 points and a season-high 20 rebounds were not enough for the Grizzlies.
A season-high 36 points from Devin Booker fuelled the Phoenix Suns' 119-113 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the NBA's leading scorer Bradley Beal finished with 35 points to lead the Washington Wizards to a 105-101 win against the Chicago Bulls.
Murray struggles in Denver
While Jokic starred, Nuggets team-mate Jamal Murray was inefficient in a loss to the Bucks. In 37 minutes, he was just four-of-17 shooting from the field, while he only made one of seven three-pointers for 11 points.
P.J. Tucker was scoreless for the Rockets after going 0-of-three from the field in 23 minutes.
Harrell says no!
With the Lakers looking to close out another win, Harrell produced an emphatic block to deny the Thunder late in OT.
Monday's results
Charlotte Hornets 119-94 Houston Rockets
Washington Wizards 105-101 Chicago Bulls
Toronto Raptors 128-113 Memphis Grizzlies
Dallas Mavericks 127-122 Minnesota Timberwolves
San Antonio Spurs 105-100 Golden State Warriors
Phoenix Suns 119-113 Cleveland Cavaliers
Milwaukee Bucks 125-112 Denver Nuggets
Los Angeles Lakers 119-112 Oklahoma City Thunder (OT)
76ers at Kings
The Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers (17-7) travel to the Sacramento Kings (12-11) on Tuesday. The Kings have won four straight games.
Three newcomers – Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Pascal Siakam – will also take the floor for the 69th edition of the annual exhibition game.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar James captained Team LeBron to victory over Team Giannis in 2019 and the pair will renew their rivalry at United Center on February 16.
James, an All-Star for the 16th year of his illustrious career, will have the chance to draft Dallas Mavericks sensation Doncic onto his team for the first time, the MVP contender a walk-up selection amid a brilliant sophomore season in the NBA.
All-Star regulars James Harden, Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard round out the Western Conference starter pool.
Atlanta Hawks guard Young topped the count among Eastern Conference backcourt options to secure a start alongside the Boston Celtics' Kemba Walker.
The pair gained selection ahead of four-time All Star Jimmy Butler and the Philadelphia 76ers' Ben Simmons, who scored poorly in the fan portion of the vote.
Siakam's selection comes after averaging a career-best 23.5 points per game for the Toronto Raptors this season, while injury troubles failed to prevent Joel Embiid from sealing a frontcourt berth.
Fan ballots were weighted at 50 per cent, while current players and the media contributed 25 per cent of the starter vote.
Captains James and Antetokounmpo will select their teams from the eight other starters, while NBA head coaches will be responsible for choosing the 14 reserves that will be announced on January 30.
Eastern Conference starters:
Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks), Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics), Pascal Siakam (Toronto Raptors), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
Western Conference starters:
James Harden (Houston Rockets), Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks), Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers), LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)
The Lakers fell to 3-5 for the season, and 0-3 on their current four-game road stretch, at Toyota Center as the Rockets claimed their fourth successive victory, triumphing 128-94.
James managed 18 points, six rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes on court, being rested for the entire fourth quarter with the game already out of reach for the visitors.
Los Angeles has been hamstrung by fitness concerns all season, with Anthony Davis, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jaxson Hayes, Gabe Vincent and Jalen Hood-Schifino all sitting out Wednesday's loss.
Those selection issues have made it difficult for the NBA's all-time leading points scorer to assess the Lakers' up-and-down start to 2023-24.
"I don't have an assessment," James said after the game. "I mean, we can't build cohesion if we don't have our unit.
"It's that simple. It's just, we're very depleted on the injury side."
Los Angeles are reportedly hopeful Davis will return for Friday's game against the Phoenix Suns, which will bring the curtain down on the Lakers' difficult road stretch as well as serving as their first group-play game of the new in-season tournament.
Head coach Darvin Ham acknowledged the Lakers are going through a tough period, though he also said the team can't afford to feel sorry for themselves.
"We're juggling different circumstances, guys being in and out of the lineup," Ham said. "But at the end of the day, no one is going to feel sorry for you, especially when you're a Los Angeles Laker."
Point guard D'Angelo Russell added: "I think we just need to relax and figure out the root of where we're going to start trending in the right direction.
"I think getting healthy is one. Two, just playing for one another. I think that's the start, having that mentality where we're going to play for each other and make things easier for each other."
James had 48 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in a spectacular performance for the Lakers, who beat the Houston Rockets 140-132 on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Before the game began, Houston's 19-year-old power forward Jabari Smith Jr approached LeBron and said: "Hey, you played against my dad, your first NBA game ever. Sacramento."
An amused James replied: "Why do you do that to me?"
Smith added: "You feel old, don't you?"
Smith's cheeky remarks need a little addendum, as records show his father was in fact an unused bench player in that fixture on October 29, 2003, that saw James drop a game-high 25 points for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Sacramento Kings to make an immediate impact on the NBA.
James and Smith senior did go head to head in the following season, though, when Smith moved on to the New Jersey Nets.
Asked after Monday's game about playing against both father and son, James laughed off Smith's reminder in an interview with NBA TV.
"Versus dad, man, versus dad! It made me feel old as c**p," James said.
"He said, 'That make you feel old?'. I said, 'Absolutely man'.
"I've had the pleasure and the opportunity to play against a couple of dad and son combinations: Gary Trent and Gary Trent Jr, Kenyon Martin and Kenyon Martin Jr, and now Jabari Smith Jr and Jabari Smith Sr.
"It's been a great ride, these 20 years that I've been able to see a lot of great players come in and come out, so it's always an honour for me."
The Lakers scored 113 points with James on the court and did not have one turnover during that time. It made James the only NBA player in the last 20 years to have his team score 100-plus points with no turnovers with him on the floor in a game.
James said the win felt "very important" as the Lakers (20-24) ended a three-game losing run, including tight defeats to the Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers.
"After the Dallas game and after the Philly game last night, we just had some heartbreaking losses, and we could have found out better ways to close the game," James said.
"Tonight, we kept our composure, and even when they made a run we kept our composure and executed offensively, made some tough shots and then got some key defensive stops."
Despite James returning from a knee injury to register his fifth triple-double of the season, recording 23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, the Rockets stunned Los Angeles in overtime to continue the Lakers' poor campaign.
The Lakers have now fallen to six losses in their past seven outings and sit ninth in the Western Conference, despite James averaging 29.4 points per game, the joint-second best record amongst NBA players.
Despite the team's dire form, James said his approach to the final 17 games of the season will be influenced only by his fitness and not the strength of their postseason chances.
"I probably would be in uniform no matter what," James said.
"No matter if we were nine games under .500 or nine games above .500. It's just all dependent on how [the knee] feels.
"My love for the game and the way I play the game, and me suiting up, has nothing to do with records and things of that nature.
"That's just not me."
James had an opportunity to prevent overtime with the scores tied at 120-120, opting to pass to Carmelo Anthony rather than attempt a layup to win the game, but the 37-year-old did not regret his decision-making and felt he was unlucky on the night.
"I ended up behind the backboard," said the four-time NBA MVP. "I was a little bit off-balance, and I could have forced a reverse layup, but I wasn't in the position to feel like I could have got a great look. I feel like Melo's look was a lot better than mine.
"I didn't feel like I took any bad ones or any bad shots tonight. It just wasn't falling for me."
Meanwhile, team-mate Russell Westbrook, whose 30-point haul was not enough to halt the Lakers' slump, said opposition teams are routinely raising their games.
"We kind of messed around with the game and they [the Rockets] had confidence throughout the night," said the 33-year-old.
"They're going to compete, they're playing the Lakers.
"As you guys can see, when they play the Lakers, people get up for those games... It's a thing for them."
The Lakers will now travel to the Washington Wizards on Friday as they look to prevent their season from unravelling further.
