Los Angeles Lakers trade deadline acquisition Mo Bamba will miss at least four weeks after the team announced Thursday he had suffered a high ankle sprain.

Bamba, 24, was the sixth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, but after four-and-a-half disappointing seasons with the Orlando Magic he was traded to the Lakers in exchange for Patrick Beverley.

In seven games for his new club, including one start, Bamba averaged 4.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 11.6 minutes, highlighted by a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double in a win against the Golden State Warriors.

His absence will likely result in an expanded role for fellow new arrival Jarred Vanderbilt, who has impressed since coming over from the Utah Jazz in the Russell Westbrook trade.

Vanderbilt, 23, has put together a couple of game-winning efforts in a Lakers jersey already, but despite earning a spot in the starting line-up, he has only been playing an average of 24.2 minutes per game.

With Anthony Davis the only other elite defender on the roster – and already being pushed to the limit during LeBron James' absence – Vanderbilt is the prime candidate to pick up more minutes as a small-ball center, while Wenyen Gabriel will also figure back into the rotation.

Anthony Davis says he will be fine after shaking off a bloodied nose to record 30 points with a season-high 22 rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Lakers past the Memphis Grizzlies 112-103 on Tuesday.

In the absence of the injured LeBron James, Davis was crucial for the Lakers who moved up to ninth – among the Play-In Tournament spots - in the Western Conference with the win, improving their record to 32-34.

Davis was floored and left clutching his bloodied nose with 6:43 remaining in the second quarter after copping an errant hand from David Roddy when securing a rebound.

The All-Star power forward was patched up and returned with a dominant performance, shooting 11-of-17 from the field with seven-of-nine from the free-throw line, with 22 rebounds including four offensive boards.

"It's still bleeding but we've got to win basketball games," Davis told ESPN during his on-court post-game interview.

"I do all I can to come out and compete every night and help this team get victories. The nose will be alright. We've got two days to recuperate and make sure it's still in place. I'll be alright."

Davis hailed the Lakers' defense for the win, coming two days after knocking off another Western Conference rival, the Golden State Warriors, 113-105 on Sunday.

The race for playoffs spots in the Western Conference is tight, with the Lakers only a few games behind the fifth-placed Dallas Mavericks and Warriors (both 34-32).

"It's a must-win," Davis said. "Every game we play from now is a must-win for us. Nothing changed tonight.

"Our ball club did a great job competing on both ends of the floor, little carryover from the game before against Golden State.

"We feel we owe this team one, we let one slip away in Memphis. Ja [Morant] was a big part of that. We wanted to come out and compete. All our guys stepped up tonight."

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to honour two-time champion and six-time All-Star Pau Gasol by retiring his number 16 jersey during half-time of Tuesday's home game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Gasol, who retired from the NBA following the 2018-19 campaign, spent seven of his 18 seasons with the Lakers after being acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies in a trade at the 2008 deadline.

Having been named the 2002 Rookie of the Year, the seven-foot Spaniard made his first All-Star team in 2006 after averaging 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, but he would not make another until arriving in LA.

After Gasol's arrival, the Lakers went from a first-round exit in 2007 all the way to the NBA Finals, falling short against historic rivals the Boston Celtics in six games.

With a training camp under their belt and in his first full season alongside Kobe Bryant, Gasol helped the Lakers win their 15th championship, and Bryant's fourth. He averaged 40.5 minutes and shot 58 per cent from the field for his 18.3 points and 10.8 rebounds in 23 playoff games.

The Lakers then went back-to-back in the 2009-10 season, when Gasol was the most valuable player on the floor during their Game 7 victory against the Celtics, finishing with 19 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks in a game where Bryant had 23 points and 15 rebounds, but shot six-of-24 from the field.

He was named an All-Star in both championship seasons, and again in 2010-11, and then spent three more years with the Lakers until heading to the Chicago Bulls, where he would make two more All-Star Games.

Prior to the ceremony, Gasol spoke to the media about the honour of having his number go up in the rafters alongside Bryant.

"I think I’ve done as good as I could to really embrace it and savour it, but tonight really exceeds any dream or expectation that I’ve had," he said. "Obviously with Kobe up there, it just adds something meaningful, and powerful, and sad, and happy, and painful, and joyful. It’s a lot of things.

"The excitement, the anticipation, the honour received, it’s just so big that it's been hard to really take it in.

"I have to keep reminding myself that it’s a celebration. It's great. It's lovely. It's just great that you can experience this in your life."

Gasol was also an incredibly decorated international competitor, finishing as the highest scoring player at the 2004 Olympics, before guiding Spain to their first ever FIBA World Championship in 2006, where he was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

He is also the all-time leading scorer in EuroBasket competition, overtaking Dirk Nowitzki and Tony Parker with 1,183 points scored in 58 games at an average of 20.4.

Two-time MVP Stephen Curry felt he "got stronger as the game went on" as he returned after 11 games out from a leg injury in the Golden State Warriors' 113-105 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Curry, playing for the first time since February 4, scored 27 points on eight-of-20 shooting from the field, making five of 13 from three-point range. The reigning NBA Finals MVP also had two rebounds and six assists.

The Warriors guard was inconsistent throughout the game, failing to score in either the first or third quarters, but he did add 19 fourth-quarter points to lead Golden State's charge down the stretch against their Western Conference rivals.

"I felt like I got stronger as the game went on," Curry told reporters.

"I felt great. I missed the first two wide-open ones. I felt like I was in rhythm for the most part. Hopefully I continue to get better as we go forth from here."

The battle for playoff spots in the Western Conference remains wide open, with the Warriors fifth with a 34-31 record, while the Lakers are 11th with a 31-34 record.

Golden State put together a late-season charge to propel them on to win the title around this time last year, but Curry does not see too many parallels.

"The biggest difference is we didn’t start out 18-2 [last season]," Curry said.

"We're still fifth. We have an outside shot at trying to get home-court advantage. It feels weird to say it, but we're trying to win a championship but also trying to stay out of the play-in, too."

Curry's return coincided with the Warriors' five-game winning streak coming to a halt, when many expected him to help their momentum. He said the team would need to adjust to having him back in the line-up.

"The way the guys have been playing over the last five games and the stretch that we had at home, it's a tough transition for everybody," Curry said.

"It's just guys trying to keep their rhythm, keep their confidence. That's our challenge as a team.

"We have to maintain trust in each other because we are all aiming for the same goal – to win at the highest level. I understand everybody has to be a part of that. It's not just about me coming back."

The New York Knicks secured their ninth straight victory with an epic 131-129 double over-time win over the Boston Celtics as Immanuel Quickley scored a career-high 38 points.

Quickley stepped into the Knicks starting line-up in the absence of Jalen Brunson (left foot injury), playing a career-high 55 minutes, and scoring their first seven of 10 points overall in the second over-time period.

The Knicks shooting guard scored 27 of his 38 points in the second half including OT. He made 15-of-28 attempts from the field, including five-of-12 from beyond the arc, with eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

But the Celtics almost snatched victory, with Al Horford's three-point attempt on the buzzer rimming out after a pass from Jayson Tatum.

Tatum also spurned a chance to win it in the first over-time period, missing a two-point attempt after Jaylen Brown kept the ball for too long with the clock ticking down, putting his team-mate under pressure for a tough look.

Brown had sent the game to OT with a three-point play after a foul from Quentin Grimes at the end of regulation squared it up.

Tatum finished with 40 points on 12-of-30 shooting with six-of-17 from three-point range, 11 rebounds and six assists. Brown added 29 points, while Horford had 20 points, making six-of-10 three-point attempts, but not the crucial last one.

Randle offered excellent support to Quickley with 31 points, nine rebounds and four assists, draining five triples. The win improved the Knicks' record to 39-27, sitting fifth in the east.

AD leads Lakers past GSW in Curry's return

Stephen Curry scored 27 points on his return from injury, but it was not enough as Anthony Davis led the Los Angeles Lakers past the Golden State Warriors 113-105 in a big Western Conference clash.

Davis scored 39 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers home, improving their record to 31-34 as he continues to shine in LeBron James' absence with a foot injury.

The result snapped the Warriors' five-game winning streak even with Curry back in action after a left leg injury. The Golden State guard added 19 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, shooting five-of-13 from three-point range.

Booker and Doncic square off as Suns win

Kevin Durant landed a fadeaway jumper with 11 seconds left to earn the Phoenix Suns a 130-126 victory over Kyrie Irving's Dallas Mavericks in another huge clash in the West.

Devin Booker and Luka Doncic squared off face to face after the Mavs guard missed a two-point shot at 128-126 with 3.5 seconds remaining, earning them both technical fouls. That square-off was a flashback to the tense Mavs-Suns Conference Semi-Finals last season, when Dallas eliminated Phoenix in a Game 7 blowout.

Durant finished with 37 points and seven rebounds in his first match-up against his former Nets team-mate Irving, since both left Brooklyn. Booker added 36 points with 10 assists for Phoenix, while Doncic finished with 34 points and nine rebounds and Irving had 30 points.

The Golden State Warriors are hoping to get Stephen Curry back in their lineup as soon as Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Curry, who suffered an injury to his left lower leg on February 4, has participated in multiple team scrimmages, including one Thursday morning.

After Thursday's shootaround, reporters asked Warriors coach Steve Kerr if Curry could be available Sunday in Los Angeles.

"I suppose," Kerr replied.

Curry has already been ruled out for Golden State’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.

Entering play Thursday, the Warriors are 12-12 this season without the two-time league MVP, but his return will be welcome news for a team in the thick of the jumbled Western Conference playoff picture.

Before Thursday’s games against the Los Angeles Clippers, the defending champion Warriors sat in fifth place in the West at 32-30, just 2.5 games up on the 11th-place Lakers.

Despite dealing with shoulder and leg injuries in his 14th NBA season, Curry is having one of his best individual campaigns, scoring 29.4 points per game on 42.7-percent shooting from beyond the arc.

The Warriors' season has been a rocky one – especially given the team's 7-23 road record – but they remain contenders when healthy.

One development of note has been the reemergence of Curry's 'Splash Brothers' running-mate Klay Thompson, who has averaged 26.2 points in 21 games since January 2.

LeBron James' foot injury will be reassessed in three weeks, the Los Angeles Lakers have confirmed.

The 38-year-old sustained the injury in the third quarter of Sunday's victory over the Dallas Mavericks and subsequently missed the defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies and the victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Reports on Thursday stated that James would not require surgery and, although not confirmed by the team, the Lakers have said it is a right foot tendon injury.

A team statement said: "LeBron James has been evaluated by Lakers team physicians and medical staff, and it has been determined that he has sustained a right foot tendon injury.

"James will be reevaluated in approximately three weeks."

There is just over a month remaining of the regular season, with the Lakers facing a battle to secure a spot in the playoffs, sitting 11th in the Western Conference on a record of 30-33.

Anthony Davis will join LeBron James on the sidelines and miss the Los Angeles Lakers' game with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday due to a foot injury.

The Lakers said Davis had a right foot stress injury, which is an issue that has caused him to miss 20 games earlier this season.

Darvin Ham's 29-33 side are already without James (ankle) and D'Angelo Russell (foot) as they look to launch a charge to qualify for the playoffs. Entering Wednesday's slate of games, the Lakers are 12th in the Western Conference.

Wednesday's game was the second of a back-to-back for LA, having lost 121-109 to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.

Joel Embiid will also not play on Wednesday due to a sore foot, missing the Philadelphia 76ers' clash with the Miami Heat.

The 76ers said it was left foot soreness, forcing him to miss a game for the 13th time this season.

The NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks extended their winning streak to 15 games after defeating the Brooklyn Nets 118-104 away from home on Tuesday.

Milwaukee are now one win away from tying the third-longest streak in franchise history, while their best-ever run of 20 games, led by the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1970-71 season, is now also within reach.

They had to come from behind against the Nets, trailing 35-22 early in the second quarter, but they pulled things level halfway through the third and then hit the front for the entire fourth period.

The Bucks were led by MVP hopeful Giannis Antetokounmpo with a game-high 33 points on 15-of-27 shooting, adding 15 rebounds and four assists on his return, while Defensive Player of the Year candidate Brook Lopez chipped in 13 points (six-of-13 shooting), 10 rebounds and two blocks.

Three-time All-Star wing Khris Middleton continued his road to recovery with 18 points (seven-of-13), six assists and two steals in 23 minutes off the bench, but he is still yet to exceed 25 minutes in a game since the new year began.

For the Nets, Mikal Bridges was terrific with 31 points (11-of-19), five assists and two steals, and Spencer Dinwiddie put together a strong stat-line of 26 points (nine-of-17), eight assists and six rebounds.

With the win, the Bucks improved to 44-17, remaining ahead of the Boston Celtics (44-18) for the best record in the league.

Brooklyn have lost seven of their past nine, but still sit sixth in the Eastern Conference at 34-27.

Lakers drop first game of LeBron's absence

Desperate for a strong finish to sneak into the playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a 121-109 defeat against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first game since LeBron James' injury.

James is expected to miss at least two weeks, and Anthony Davis stepped up to try and fill the void, contributing a team-high 28 points (nine-of-19), a game-high 19 rebounds and a game-high five blocks.

But it was not enough to prevent Ja Morant from getting the result for Memphis, with the reigning Most Improved Player putting together a massive 39-point triple-double, shooting 15-of-29 from the field with 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Memphis (37-23) are almost a lock for a top-four seed in the west, but the Lakers (29-33) sit 12th, one game out of the play-in tournament places and 2.5 wins out of the six seed.

Warriors pull above .500

It threatened to be the latest Damian Lillard masterclass early before the Golden State Warriors strangled the life out of the Portland Trail Blazers in the second half of a 123-105 home victory.

Lillard – who is leading the NBA in scoring over the past 15 games with a gaudy 39.5 per contest – had 15 in the first quarter to help the Blazers build a 41-27 lead at the first break.

Golden State steadied the ship, and then produced a 75-40 second half, holding Lillard to just 10 points in the next three quarters and nine-of-21 shooting overall.

Jordan Poole led the way offensively for the Warriors, scoring 29 points (10-of-24 shooting) with six rebounds and five assists, while Donte DiVincenzo put together another strong performance in the starting line-up with 21 points (eight-of-11).

The win, combined with the Dallas Mavericks' loss, meant the Warriors (31-30) ended the day sitting sixth in the West.

The Los Angeles Lakers do not know how long they will be without LeBron James but expect it to be more than two weeks, according to reports.

James' right foot soreness appeared on the Lakers' injury report on Monday as he was ruled out of Tuesday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

That will not be the extent of the 38-year-old's absence, however, having appeared to sustain the injury in the third quarter of Sunday's win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Replays showed there was no contact made with James before he went down.

The Athletic's Shams Charania reported James would miss "an extended period of time", and ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski added he would be reassessed in a fortnight with the expectation he would not be fit to return.

There are just shy of six weeks remaining of the regular season, of which James is likely to be absent for a significant chunk.

The Lakers are running out of time to rescue their season, improving following the trade deadline but still half a game outside the play-in places.

LeBron James is missing the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Memphis Grizzlies after appearing to sustain an injury in his last outing.

James was clearly limping by the end of Sunday's win over the Dallas Mavericks.

The 38-year-old went down in some pain late in the third quarter of that game, although replays showed there was no contact with a Mavericks player.

Now, the Lakers have confirmed James will not play any part against the Grizzlies on Tuesday, listing his right foot soreness on their injury report.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski has reported James is feared to be out for several weeks, although he is still undergoing further testing.

James said after Sunday's game his foot had "been better".

The team have increasingly limited options, with D'Angelo Russell already doubtful due to the right ankle sprain that kept him out of the Mavericks game.

Anthony Davis was probable to play despite what the Lakers described as a right foot stress injury.

The 29-32 Lakers are a game back from the play-in places in the Western Conference.

LeBron James is missing the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Memphis Grizzlies after appearing to sustain an injury in his last outing.

James was clearly limping by the end of Sunday's win over the Dallas Mavericks.

The 38-year-old went down in some pain late in the third quarter of that game, although replays showed there was no contact with a Mavericks player.

Now, the Lakers have confirmed James will not play any part against the Grizzlies on Tuesday, listing his right foot soreness on their injury report.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski has reported James is feared to be out for several weeks although he is still undergoing further testing.

James said after Sunday's game his foot had "been better".

The team have increasingly limited options, with D'Angelo Russell already doubtful due to the right ankle sprain that kept him out of the Mavericks game.

Anthony Davis was probable to play despite what the Lakers described as a right foot stress injury.

The 29-32 Lakers are a game back from the play-in places in the Western Conference.

The Los Angeles Lakers came back from 27 points down on Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks to produce the largest comeback of the season.

Early in the second quarter the Lakers trailed 48-21, before going on to escape with a 111-108 victory for their third win in a row, and their biggest comeback since 2002.

Trade deadline acquisition Malik Beasley announced his arrival with a 25-point outburst in Thursday's win against the Golden State Warriors, and this time around it was Jarred Vanderbilt showing why he has forced his way into the Lakers' starting line-up.

The rangy six-foot-eight defensive menace was everywhere, working as the primary defender on Luka Doncic on his way to 15 points (six-of-eight shooting), 17 rebounds (eight offensive) and four steals in his 27 minutes.

Anthony Davis was the star of the show on the offensive end, scoring a game-high 30 points on 12-of-20 shooting with 15 rebounds and four assists, and the league's active leader for career blocked shots per game swatted away three Maverick attempts.

LeBron James had an injury scare, and while he is still not out of the woods, he stayed in the game and put up 26 points on 10-of-23 shooting with eight rebounds.

For the Mavericks, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving shot a combined 18-of-44 (40 per cent) from the field for 47 points, while the other three members of the starting line-up combined for 18 points.

With the win, the Lakers improved their record to 29-32 and now sit just one game out of the Play-In Tournament placings, while they are also just 2.5 games away from the Mavericks in the sixth seed.

Lillard puts on a show

Damian Lillard matched Donovan Mitchell's season-best 71 points as he scored 13 three-pointers in the Portland Trail Blazers' 131-114 win over the Houston Rockets.

The Blazers guard's 71-point mark was both a franchise and career high, topping his previous record of 61.

Lillard had 41 points with eight triples by half-time, the most points of any player in a half this season. He shot 13-of-22 from beyond the arc for the game, having a perfect 14-of-14 from the line.

Klay stays hot

After 42 points and 12 three-pointers on Friday's win, Klay Thompson led the Golden State Warriors to a 109-104 home win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The future Hall of Fame sharpshooter hit another six threes on his way to a team-high 32 points, shooting 12-of-23 from the field and six-of-14 from deep. Donte DiVincenzo was strong in a supporting role, chipping in 21 points (seven-of-13 shooting), eight rebounds, five assists and four steals.

After shooting a red-hot 43.1 per cent on a gaudy 11.6 three-point attempts per game in the month of January, Thompson has elevated even further this month, getting up 12.1 attempts per game and connecting at 45.9 per cent.

LeBron James conceded he was troubled by a foot issue in Sunday's 111-108 victory over the Dallas Mavericks where the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from 27 points down.

The Lakers pulled off the biggest comeback win of the NBA season, with James playing out the game despite sustaining a right foot problem late in the third quarter.

James appeared to tell teammates "I heard it pop" as he lay on the ground after his failed lay-up attempt where he suffered the injury.

Despite a noticeable limp post-game, James finished with 26 points on 10-of-23 shooting from the field with eight rebounds and three assists.

"It's been better," James told reporters. "That's for sure. But I definitely wasn't going to go to the locker room and not finish the game out tonight.

"Just understood the importance of the game and then with the momentum that we had, I felt like we could still win after being down.

"We'll monitor it the next couple days, see how it feels and go from there."

On the injury, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham added: "He's good. Our medical people are looking at him right now, he'll get reevaluated again in the morning."

Ham denied that James had said he heard a "pop" upon sustaining the injury.

The victory means the Lakers are 4-1 since their NBA deadline day trades that included the acquisitions of Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley, who both started on Sunday, along with D'Angelo Russell.

The Lakers are in a race to make the playoffs or the play-in tournament, sitting 11th in the Western Conference with a 29-32 record.

Their recent run of wins has boosted their playoffs hopes, particularly given the new-look line-up.

"I feel like we're in a good place," James said. "We're gonna try to continue that."

Ham added that the Lakers never got "discouraged" as they mounted the biggest comeback win of the season.

"The guys never got discouraged," Ham said. "They had that look of frustration, but it wasn't a look of defeatedness on their faces. Everybody just wanted to stay encouraged."

The Los Angeles Lakers might still be "figuring things out" but Anthony Davis is confident they are in position to make a push for the playoffs.

Malik Beasley scored 25 points and Austin Reaves stepped up with 17 from the bench as the Lakers defeated reigning NBA champions the Golden State Warriors 124-111 on Thursday.

The Lakers did not have it all their own way, having to shrug off the blow of losing D'Angelo Russell to a sprained ankle in the first quarter.

While Russell's initial scans came back clear of major damage, he is set for further assessments on Friday.

But without him, and with LeBron James – 13 points, eight rebounds and nine assists – not finishing with the kind of contributions he is accustomed to, the Lakers nevertheless got the job done in convincing fashion.

The Lakers are onto a 28-32 record for the season, just one win behind the Warriors, who occupy the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.

For Davis, who added 12 points and as many rebounds, the Lakers showed they are a "complete" unit.

“We're still figuring things out on the fly," he told reporters.

"The past two games we've really looked good as a whole. I think we've got a complete team where we're able to make a run."

Beasley top scored, three points ahead of the Warriors' Klay Thompson (22), as the Lakers made it three wins from four since the trade deadline passed.

The Lakers traded Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz, with Beasley one of the players sent their way.

While Westbrook never ultimately linked up with the Jazz, instead buying out his contract to join the Los Angeles Clippers, Beasley has settled in quickly at his new team.

"LeBron and AD didn't get going as much as they wanted tonight, but we're deep, I think that's the statement we want to make," Beasley said.

"It can be any player on any given night."

Coach Darvin Ham added: "Just overall great team win. Everybody contributed, everybody had different moments and guys stayed aggressive.

"I feel great about what we've been able to do. It's paying dividends right now and we've just got to continue to get more and more familiar with one another."