The Boston Celtics shot the lights out during their 139-118 Christmas Day win against the Milwaukee Bucks in a crunch clash between two of the Eastern Conference heavyweights.

Boston scored at least 36 points in three of the four quarters, including a 77-point second half as they proved unstoppable offensively.

They were led by MVP candidate Jayson Tatum with a game-high 41 points on 14-of-22 shooting, adding seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.

His running-mate Jaylen Brown was just as effective in his supporting role, scoring 29 on 11-of-19 shooting with five rebounds and four assists, while reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart set the table with eight assists and only four total field goal attempts.

As a team, the Celtics shot 58.8 per cent from the field (50-of-85) and 48.7 per cent from long range (19-of-39) in a blistering performance.

Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was not at his best for the Bucks, shooting nine-of-22 from the field for his 27 points, nine rebounds and three assists, while Jrue Holiday was more effective for his 23 points (eight-of-14), seven assists and six rebounds.

A win for the Bucks would have seen them overtake the Celtics for the top seed in the East, but they instead fell to 22-11 and are now one-and-a-half games behind Boston at 24-10.

Doncic, Mavs catch fire in the third

The Dallas Mavericks were a completely different team after half-time in their 124-115 home win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Trailing 54-43 at the long break, the Mavericks came out of the locker room and put up 51 points in the third period, setting a new record for the most points scored in a quarter on Christmas Day. They won that quarter by 30 points, racing to the lead before the duo of Luka Doncic and Christian Wood put the game to bed.

Doncic, who was being consistently double-teamed all night and being forced to give off early passes, still worked his way to 32 points (nine-of-16 shooting), nine rebounds and nine assists, while Wood added 30 points (12-of-17), eight rebounds, seven assists, four steals and two blocks.

LeBron James was the lone bright spot for the Lakers, scoring a game-high 38 points (13-of-23) as his side lost their fourth in a row to fall to 13-20.

Warriors remain the league's best home team

There is no place like home for the Golden State Warriors this season, improving their league-best record in their own stadium to 13-2 with a 123-109 victory over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies.

The Warriors are still below .500 overall at 16-18 thanks to their 3-15 road record, but once again shot the ball beautifully in front of the Chase Center crowd.

Behind 32 points from Jordan Poole and 24 from Klay Thompson, Golden State shot 18-of-44 from three-point range (40.9 per cent). It was a throwback game for Draymond Green as well, delivering a gritty double-double with 13 rebounds and 13 assists to go with his two points.

Ja Morant was the only Grizzlies player to shine under the bright lights, scoring a game-high 36 points on 15-of-29 shooting with eight assists and seven rebounds on his Christmas Day debut.

LeBron James concedes life without the injured Anthony Davis is "very difficult" for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers fell to a 124-115 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, after the Mavs piled on 51 third-quarter points.

The defeat left the Lakers with a 13-20 record, having lost their past four games all without Davis after he suffered a foot injury in the 126-108 win over the Denver Nuggets on December 16.

In Davis' absence, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has trialled a shorter lineup with Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schroder in the backcourt.

"Reality is, without AD, we lose a lot of length, which we don't have already," James told reporters after Sunday's loss.

"We have to make up in ways that, without AD, is very difficult, very challenging. I think at one point we had a lineup of, I think Austin Reaves [6-foot-5] was the tallest guy on the court.

"You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out."

Davis had been enjoying an outstanding season prior to the injury, averaging 27.4 points shooting at 59.4 per cent from the field with 12.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks.

James has lifted in Davis' absence, with his 38 points in the loss to the Mavs marking his seventh consecutive 30-point game.

The four-time NBA MVP is averaging 33.4 points with a 58 per cent field-goal percentage, adding 6.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists across the past seven games.

On the Lakers' lineup without Davis, Ham added: "You throw everything up against the wall and see what sticks. It's one of those types of situations.

"AD's not here, not in the lineup. We're not going to start using that as an excuse. Hell yeah, it's a big hole in our lineup. But now, we're pros. We've got to step up."

Philadelphia 76ers point guard James Harden did not deny the report that he is mulling a potential return to the Houston Rockets while addressing the comments after his side's 119-112 Christmas Day win against the New York Knicks.

The 76ers received terrific performances from both Harden, with 29 points (seven-of-16 shooting) and 13 assists, as well as back-to-back MVP runner-up Joel Embiid, who scored a team-high 35 points (12-of-22) with eight rebounds.

But despite improving their winning streak to eight games, the biggest news from the day was the report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski claiming Harden is seriously considering leaving Philadelphia at the end of this season to head back to his former team.

His contract includes a player-option for next season, meaning he can opt out and become an unrestricted free agent.

Harden reportedly has fond memories of his time with the Rockets – where he won three consecutive scoring titles and one league MVP – despite forcing his way out of the franchise just two seasons ago

When asked about the report during his post-game media appearance, Harden made no long-term commitment to the 76ers, simply saying he is "excited" to be in Philadelphia.

"I'm here," he said. "We're playing very well, and I don’t know where that report came from, but I’m excited to be here, and we're playing very well. We're continuing to get better."

Harden is currently leading the NBA in assists at 10.9 per game, and has looked back to his All-NBA level recently, including in Friday's win over the Los Angeles Clippers where his triple-double included a career-high 21 assists.

Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden is considering a return to the Houston Rockets, according to reports.

Harden joined the 76ers in February in a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, just a year after forcing his way out of Houston.

The 33-year-old, 10-time All-Star impressed as Philadelphia made the playoffs, where they were eliminated by the Miami Heat, and he re-signed on a two-year $68.6million deal in July.

However, according to ESPN, Harden is open to moving back to the Rockets should he fail to agree fresh terms with the Sixers after this season is up.

Harden, who spent eight seasons with the Rockets between 2012 and 2021, and was named the NBA's MVP in 2018, has rediscovered something close to his best form in Philadelphia after struggling to settle in Brooklyn.

His 10.9 assists per game leads the NBA, while he has scored 21.4 points per game.

Harden accumulated 20 points, 11 rebounds and 21 assists and became the second player in 76ers history with a 20-assist triple-double in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.

Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis will reportedly undergo further tests after an initial X-ray on his injured right hand was not enough to fully diagnose the problem.

Sabonis, 26, was a two-time All-Star with the Indiana Pacers before being traded this past season, and he has gone up a level with the surprisingly capable Kings.

The Lithuanian is averaging a career-high and league-leading 12.5 rebounds per game, while his 6.7 assists per game matches the career-high he set during his best All-Star season, and he is also shooting a career-best 61.2 per cent from the field.

Thanks in large part to his play, the Kings are sitting sixth in the Western Conference with a record of 17-14, and Sabonis has played in all 31 games up to this point.

That will likely change due to this hand injury, with a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski stating the team will be seeking further examination to determine if there is a more serious injury that needs to be addressed, or if it is purely a case of Sabonis' pain tolerance.

ESPN's report claims there is a chance Sabonis will be able to suit up for Tuesday's home game against the Denver Nuggets, while any absence would be a crushing blow for the Kings as they try to end the longest playoff drought in the NBA – having not played in the postseason since 2006.

Stephen Curry will not return to action in the next two weeks, although the Golden State Warriors say their star man is "making good progress".

Reigning NBA Finals MVP Curry suffered a shoulder subluxation earlier this month and was initially ruled out for "a few weeks".

The four-time champion refused to put a more accurate timeline on his recovery, but Warriors fans now know he will be missing for another fortnight.

An update from the Warriors, published on Christmas Eve, read: "Stephen Curry, who suffered a subluxation of his left shoulder on December 14 at Indiana and has missed the team’s last four games, was recently re-evaluated. 

"The re-evaluation indicated that Stephen is making good progress. He will be re-evaluated again in two weeks."

The Warriors won the title last season but have struggled in 2022-23, with a losing record (15-18) for only the second time in the past 10 years. The other occasion saw Curry play only five games in 2019-20 (15-50).

Golden State are 14-12 with Curry in the team this season but 1-6 without him. Since his rookie season, they are 559-293 with Curry and 68-136 without him.

Despite the Warriors' relatively ordinary record even with Curry on the court this year, he is enjoying a fine individual season statistically.

The 34-year-old is averaging 30.0 points for only the third time in his career, while his 6.8 assists are his most since 2014-15 and his 6.6 rebounds represent a clear career high.

Only in his second MVP season in 2015-16 (50.4 per cent) has Curry shot more efficiently from the floor (50.0 per cent).

It's that time of year, which will warm the hearts of most but possibly send a chill down the spines of Denver Nuggets fans.

Denver are 1-6 (.143) all-time on Christmas Day, the second-worst record among active franchises, and they come up against last season's Western Conference top seeds this year.

Coach Michael Malone will be confident of providing a rare moment of Christmas cheer to their fans against the Phoenix Suns, though, with his team in excellent form heading into Sunday.

The Nuggets lead the Western Conference, tied with the Memphis Grizzlies at 20-11, and have picked up victories in six of their last seven.

Friday's 120-107 win against the Portland Trail Blazers was a good example of what has been Denver's strength this season, with Nikola Jokic leading the way with 29 points but also being ably backed up by the other four starters each scoring 13 or more.

The Suns have the fifth-best record in Christmas Day games at 12-7 (.632) and have also won each of their last two meetings with Denver.

However, Monty Williams' men have not been able to follow up their impressive 64-18 regular season record from last year, now 19-14 to sit fourth in the West.

A 125-100 defeat to the Grizzlies on Friday was chastening enough without the six losses from the prior nine games; five of those seven defeats have been by double-figures.

They have missed the influence of Devin Booker in their last three games, absent with a groin strain since he put up 58 points against the New Orleans Pelicans, and it remains to be seen if the man averaging 28.0 points per game this season will be back on Sunday.

The future looks bright for the Suns, with Mat Ishbia recently agreeing to a record $4billion purchase of the franchise, but their immediate target is to get back on track, starting by trying to dampen Denver's Christmas spirit even further.

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Phoenix Suns – Chris Paul

Should he play, Booker will of course provide a significant boost for Phoenix, but if he is missing again, Williams will need someone to step up in his absence, which has not happened in their last two games.

The experienced Paul made a big contribution in the recent win over the Lakers, yet he has otherwise not been putting up his usual numbers this season. His plus/minus of 1.7 is well down on last year's 7.1, but if the 37-year-old can find his best form at Christmas, it could go a long way against a strong opponent.

Denver Nuggets – Nikola Jokic

The back-to-back league MVP keeps putting up numbers to compare with the greats of the game. In the recent win against the Charlotte Hornets, Jokic became the first man to finish a game with at least 40 points, 25 rebounds and 10 assists since Wilt Chamberlain in 1968.

The Serbian star is averaging 24.9 points per game this season, as well as 10.9 rebounds and a career-best 9.3 assists.

KEY BATTLE – Nuggets' efficiency could decide contest

Denver are very good at putting the basketball through the hoop, which is quite helpful.

No team have a better success rate from beyond the arc than the Nuggets (38.9 per cent) this season, although no team have had fewer than their 923 attempts. Only the Sacramento Kings (943) have allowed fewer three-point attempts than the Suns (996).

The Nuggets are also second in the league for field-goal percentage, with their 50.6 per cent only behind the Brooklyn Nets (50.8).

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Phoenix won their last encounter in March, 140-130 at Ball Arena, which was their 100th victory against Denver in the regular season.

The Nuggets have only 85 wins against the Suns, with the last coming in October 2021, but they have won 18 of the last 23 clashes between the teams.

DeMar DeRozan did not "think too much" as he sealed a last-second victory for the Chicago Bulls against the New York Knicks on Friday.

After RJ Barrett had put the Knicks three ahead with under 30 seconds remaining at Madison Square Garden, Zach LaVine pulled it back to one, before Jalen Brunson missed two free-throws at the other end.

That gave DeRozan the chance to win it, which he did with a jumper from just inside the arc in the final second of the contest as Chicago left New York with a 118-117 victory.

"You don't think too much about it," DeRozan said, having hit just eight of his 20 field-goal attempts prior to that moment. 

"You just read the way they're playing you. It's second nature. I don't care how many shots I missed before. That's a brand-new opportunity and you approach it that way."

On the Knicks' profligacy from the free-throw line on the night, where they missed 11 of 26 attempts, DeRozan added: "I'm glad they missed. The bad luck we've had all season of things not going our way, some went our way tonight and we capitalised on it."

Barrett was the star performer for the Knicks, albeit in defeat, as he ended the game with 44 points, and coach Tom Thibodeau said it was the other end of the court where his team struggled.

"It wasn't any one particular play. I just felt like we never really got our defense established and it was an offensive game," Thibodeau said.

"It's hard to slow those guys down once they get their confidence going like they did. We missed some free throws. Things can change real fast in this league."

Luka Doncic's performance against the Houston Rockets was "a great Christmas gift", according to Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd.

The impressive Slovenian was in the mood on Friday as the Mavericks beat their struggling opponents 112-106, with Doncic finishing on 50 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds at Toyota Center.

It was the second time the 23-year-old has scored 50 in a game, tying another European and Dallas great Dirk Nowitzki in achieving such a feat.

Speaking after the win that gave his team a 17-16 record, Kidd said Doncic's showing was "a great Christmas gift on a long road trip".

He added: "Luka is Luka. He's the best player in the world. He showed that tonight, carrying the load offensively... I don't know what else to say about him. He was incredible tonight."

It was also the fifth time Doncic has scored 45 or more points in a game, putting him ahead of former Maverick Mark Aguirre (four) for the most the team's history.

Doncic dominated the game, with no other Dallas player scoring more than 11, while Jabari Smith Jr top-scored for Houston with 24.

Rockets coach Stephen Silas praised his team's defense, but added they had to deal with "just too much Luka".

He added: "I'm not sure that he made an easy shot. We made every shot hard, and that's the greatness of a great player... That's what Luka does."

The Brooklyn Nets claimed a statement Eastern Conference victory over the Milwaukee Bucks to extend their win streak to eight games with a 118-100 triumph on Friday.

Kevin Durant top scored for the Nets with 24 points along with five rebounds and six assists, while Nic Claxton starred with 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

All five Nets' starters reached double-figure scoring, achieving that feat for the sixth time this season. The Nets' eight-game win streak matched the franchise's most since their relocation to Brooklyn a decade ago.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points with 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Bucks but did not have a shot in the fourth quarter, with Ben Simmons dulling his output

Simmons finished the game with 12 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals.

The Nets have surged into contention this month, improving to a 21-12 overall record after a 9-1 December. The Bucks are second in the east with a 22-10 record.

Antetokounmpo hurt his hand in a fall but X-rays revealed no major damage, according to head coach Mike Budenholzer.

Harden matches franchise assists record in 76ers win

James Harden matched the Philadelphia 76ers' franchise record for assists as part of a triple-double in their 119-114 win over the Los Angeles Clippers to sweep a seven-game homestand.

Harden finished the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 21 assists, matching Wilt Chamberlain and Mo Cheeks' franchise record for assists, as the 76ers rallied from a 20-point first-half deficit.

Joel Embiid top scored with 44 points with seven rebounds, while Kawhi Leonard continued his improved scoring form with 28 points and five assists for the Clippers.

Doncic scores season-high in Mavs win

Luka Doncic scored a season-high 50 points as the Dallas Mavericks overcame the Houston Rockets 112-106 with the Slovenian adding 17 in the fourth quarter.

Doncic shot 17-of-30 from the field including six three-pointers for his second career 50-point game, with his career best being 51 against the Clippers in February this year.

The Mavs point guard also had eight rebounds and 10 assists, while Jabari Smith Jr top scored for the Rockets with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

The Brooklyn Nets claimed a statement Eastern Conference victory over the Milwaukee Bucks to extend their win streak to eight games with a 118-100 triumph on Friday.

Kevin Durant top scored for the Nets with 24 points along with five rebounds and six assists, while Nic Claxton starred with 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

All five Nets' starters reached double-figure scoring, achieving that feat for the sixth time this season. The Nets' eight-game win streak matched the franchise's most since their relocation to Brooklyn a decade ago.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points with 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Bucks but did not have a shot in the fourth quarter, with Ben Simmons dulling his output

Simmons finished the game with 12 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals.

The Nets have surged into contention this month, improving to a 21-12 overall record after a 9-1 December. The Bucks are second in the east with a 22-10 record.

Antetokounmpo hurt his hand in a fall but X-rays revealed no major damage, according to head coach Mike Budenholzer.

Harden matches franchise assists record in 76ers win

James Harden matched the Philadelphia 76ers' franchise record for assists as part of a triple-double in their 119-114 win over the Los Angeles Clippers to sweep a seven-game homestand.

Harden finished the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 21 assists, matching Wilt Chamberlain and Mo Cheeks' franchise record for assists, as the 76ers rallied from a 20-point first-half deficit.

Joel Embiid top scored with 44 points with seven rebounds, while Kawhi Leonard continued his improved scoring form with 28 points and five assists for the Clippers.

Doncic scores season-high in Mavs win

Luka Doncic scored a season-high 50 points as the Dallas Mavericks overcame the Houston Rockets 112-106 with the Slovenian adding 17 in the fourth quarter.

Doncic shot 17-of-30 from the field including six three-pointers for his second career 50-point game, with his career best being 51 against the Clippers in February this year.

The Mavs point guard also had eight rebounds and 10 assists, while Jabari Smith Jr top scored for the Rockets with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

James Harden was left blown away after joining "rare company" by matching the Philadelphia 76ers franchise record of 21 assists in Friday's 119-114 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Harden joined Wilt Chamberlain and Mo Cheeks with the record, which was a career-high for the former MVP, in a game where the 76ers rallied from a 20-point first-half deficit.

The 33-year-old finished the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 21 assists and became the second player in 76ers history with a 20-assist triple-double, joining Chamberlain from 1968 against the Detroit Pistons.

"That's rare company," Harden told reporters. "Mo Cheeks was one of my coaches in OKC and then Wilt, I feel like he has every record.

"Just always and be in the conversation of some of the best basketball players to touch a basketball is a blessing. Hopefully, I can keep going and get more records."

Joel Embiid top scored for the 76ers with 44 points, shooting 18-of-30 from the field with seven rebounds and three assists. Harden regularly fed Embiid points throughout the game.

"I just do what I do," Harden said. "Honestly, I feel really good and just trying to get to that paint and they do a really good job of using their length.

"They're a really long team, they switch, they do a really good job of switching so I tried to press the paint and really try and find matchups that work in our advantage that really make the game easier for all of us and guys knock down shots, Joel did a really good job of getting to his spots. It was a total team effort."

Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers heaped praise on Harden for sacrificing his scoring game.

"This is a generational scorer that has taken and decided to be a point guard, who still scores, but to be a point guard for this team," Rivers said.

"That's hard to do. A lot of people, most people, can’t do that, or will not do it is a better way of saying it. The fact that he is willingly doing it, running the team, organizing us, is huge for us."

Kevin Durant says the Brooklyn Nets treated Friday's 118-100 win over the Milwaukee Bucks as "bigger than a regular season" after extending their win streak to eight games.

The Nets claimed a confidence-boosting victory over the 2021 NBA champions, moving Brooklyn to a  21-12 record, while the Bucks are only slightly ahead in the Eastern Conference with a 22-10 record.

Durant scored 24 points, extending his run of games with plus 50 per cent field-goal shooting to 12, while Nic Claxton added 19 points with eight rebounds, five assists and three steals.

There were contributions all round for Brooklyn, with Kyrie Irving scoring 18 points with nine rebounds and six assists, while Ben Simmons had 12 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals. T.J. Warren chipped in 12 points and six rebounds off the bench.

All five Nets' starters reached double figures, marking the sixth time they have achieved that this season.

After a tumultuous start to the season where they commenced with a 1-5 record and had off-court issues involving Irving to deal with, the Nets have rallied to become genuine contenders.

"It's good for us," Durant told reporters. It's good for us to keep stacking days. We respect Milwaukee, we understand how dominant they've been this season.

"We wanted to come out and we understand everyone is watching this game, everybody looked at this as bigger than a regular season game, so I think we tried to approach it that way.

"I know those guys play extremely hard every night, we tried to match that. They play playoff style basketball every game so it was on us to match it and play our brand as well.

"We've been trying to stay at their level as consistently as we can. It's tough to do in the regular season with injuries and the ebb and flow of the season but we tried to stay locked in as much as we can."

Durant called the victory a "great team win" for the Nets given the raft of contributions, creating 30 assists compared to the Bucks' 17, and forcing 18 turnovers.

"We were locked in all night on both sides of the ball," Durant said. "We were able to get a nice cushion early.

"They're a championship quality team so they're going to fight back and get into the game. We were able to make big shots and get big stops. Great team win for us."

The Nets kept Giannis Antetokounmpo scoreless in the final quarter, led by Simmons, as they weathered any late challenge, pulling away to win by 18 points after leading 85-75 at the final change.

"I thought overall the mental approach from guys, we knew they'd make some threes and we didn’t panic," Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said.

"Giannis is going to get through us sometimes and we're not going to over-react. But we be steady throughout the night to put multiple bodies in front of him? That's tough to do, because he's coming downhill at you with force and you're going to get hit. I thought overall our guys responded extremely well."

Draymond Green has labelled the Golden State Warriors as "very fragile" after their 1-5 road trip which left the reigning champions 11th in the Western Conference and below .500.

The Warriors had started the six-game road trip with an outstanding 16-point win over last season's NBA Finals opponents, the Boston Celtics, but lost their next five to be 3-16 on the road this season.

Golden State, who lost reigning NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry to a shoulder injury during the road trip, have lost seven of their past nine games.

"Right now, I think we are very fragile," Green told reporters on Friday after practice.

"You start going through these things and then you start believing them. Once you start believing them, it becomes who you are. The only way to break them is by being mentally tough."

The Warriors suffered back-to-back 30-point losses for the first time since 2001 to round out the road trip.

"I think this is a team that has struggled from the spirit perspective since [the road trip started]," Green said.

"It's a bit more frustrating. You can make what you want of it being on the road versus being at home, but it's mental. It's a team struggling mentally and that makes it hard to overcome anything else.

"It's not something that's going to be fixed with the snap of a finger. You've got to work through these issues to get that confidence.

"It's just not showing up. As much as you'd like to think, 'Oh, we'll be fine and this guy will come back.' No, no, no. You've got to work [for] positive outcomes, positive feelings, that ultimately give you that boost of confidence."

Despite their struggles, Green remained confident that the Warriors could make an impact in the playoffs, even without the benefit of a high seeding.

"I feel sorry for the one or two seeds if we're in that situation," Green said. "Is Steph Curry still on this team? Klay Thompson? Me? I think we would be fine."

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis will remain on the sidelines indefinitely after testing revealed a stress injury in his right foot.

The team announced the news on Friday on Twitter to update the status of their star big man, who has been out since landing awkwardly during a game against the Denver Nuggets on December 16. The Lakers had previously listed Davis on the injury report with right foot soreness.

A stress injury is part of a spectrum of ailments, the most severe of which is considered a stress fracture.

The club did not comment on the severity of Davis' condition or give a timetable for his return, saying only that further updates "will be provided when appropriate."

The news is devastating for a 13-18 Lakers team that faces an uphill battle just qualify for the play-in tournament in the Western Conference.

After a 2-10 start to the season, the Lakers followed with a 10-6 surge, thanks largely to MVP-quality production from Davis. The eight-time All-Star averaged 30.8 points and 13.3 rebounds over that stretch while shooting 63.9 per cent from the floor.

Amid that stretch, Davis scored 55 points in a win over the Washington Wizards, his most since joining the Lakers in 2019 and the second most of his career.

Already with a top-heavy roster, Los Angeles will now rely even more on 37-year-old LeBron James and 34-year-old Russell Westbrook.

The Lakers host the Charlotte Hornets on Fridat and will be part of the NBA's annual Christmas Day lineup when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.