The Los Angeles Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard in Game 3 against the Phoenix Suns due to a knee injury for the two-time NBA champion.

Leonard averaged 34.5 points across the first two games of the first-round playoff series, despite sustaining a right knee injury in Game 1 and playing through the pain in Game 2.

Yet the 31-year-old will miss Thursday's third showdown between the two teams, with the series tied at 1-1, according to reports.

Leonard's recovery from a knee strain will be monitored on a day-to-day basis, ESPN said, as the Clippers hope their five-time All Star will be healthy for Saturday's Game 4.

The two-time Finals MVP's aggravation of a knee problem is not related to the ACL injury that saw him miss the whole of last season, the ESPN report added.

The Clippers are already without fellow star Paul George, who is also recovering from a knee injury.

Kevin Durant said Devin Booker "can do everything at an elite level" after scoring 38 points on 64 per cent shooting in the Phoenix Suns' first round playoffs Game 2 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Booker was in scintillating form, making 14-of-22 from the field including four-of-seven from the beyond the arc, with nine assists as the Suns triumphed 123-109 to level the series after two games at Footprint Center in Arizona.

Durant contributed 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting with five assists, but was quick to praise his team-mate.

"He's an all-around player," Durant told reporters about Booker. "He can do everything at an elite level on a basketball court."

Booker's display came after a minor dip in offensive output late in the regular season where he averaged 24 points in their final six games, failing to have any 30-point games during that stretch.

Suns head coach Monty Williams insisted he was never worried about Booker's form and added to the praise.

"Book scores in a number of ways and when he's going like that, I think the team feeds off his high level play," Williams told reporters.

Booker scored or assisted 28 of the Suns' 33 third-quarter points as they pulled clear after scores were locked 59-59 at half-time.

"I was planning on taking him out the first two minutes of the fourth, then he got going, and then I said 'one more play', then 'one more play' and he kept hitting shots, so I just let him go," Williams said.

"When he's attacking like that, knocking down big shots from outside it just keeps everybody off balance."

Game 2 was Phoenix's ninth win from 10 games with Durant in the side, having been traded in from the Brooklyn Nets in February.

Williams added: "I thought the spacing was a lot better. Just having the balance of [Booker] and Kevin being able to get to their spots with a live ball helps. I thought Chris [Paul] did a really good job of putting the ball in Book's hands and saying 'you go'."

The Cleveland Cavaliers played some role reversal with their star backcourt on Tuesday as Darius Garland led the scoring charge to defeat the New York Knicks 107-90.

The Game 2 victory tied the series at 1-1 after the Knicks took the opener on the road, but following his 38-point performance in Game 1, Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell assumed point guard responsibilities.

Mitchell dished a career-high 13 assists to go with 17 points as he went six-of-11 from the field, setting up Garland to shoulder the scoring workload.

After 17 points in Game 1, Garland posted a game-high 32 on eight-of-17 shooting, draining six-of-10 from long range, and he also chipped in seven assists in a masterful offensive showing.

Evan Mobley, who was third in Defensive Player of the Year voting, blocked two shots and snatched two steals to go with his 13 points and 13 rebounds, while his interior partner Jarrett Allen racked up three steals and three blocks as they controlled the paint throughout.

For the Knicks, who found themselves down 59-39 at half-time and could not claw their way out, Jalen Brunson shot a disappointing five-of-17 from the field for his 20 points, although he added six assists and four steals.

Julius Randle was not much better, finishing with 22 points on eight-of-20 shooting with eight rebounds and six turnovers, and the Knicks shot seven-of-29 (24.1 per cent) from three-point range.

After splitting the first two games, the Knicks will head to Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4 with home court advantage now in their favour.

Boston's White knight delivers

Complimentary guard Derrick White gave the Boston Celtics a match-winning cameo in their 119-106 Game 2 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

White, who was one of only 10 players this season to play all 82 games in the regular season, put together a terrific game with 26 points (11-of-16 shooting), seven rebounds, three blocks and a steal after starting and playing 34 minutes.

His hot-shooting night saw him usurp Jaylen Brown for the evening in shot attempts as the Celtics' second All-Star chipped in 18 points (seven-of-14), three steals and two blocks, while First Team All-NBA candidate Jayson Tatum led the way with 29 points (12-of-22), 10 rebounds and six assists.

Dejounte Murray was strong for the Hawks with 29 points (11-of-24), six rebounds, six assists and four steals, finishing with a dead-even plus/minus in his 40 minutes, but Trae Young was minus 15 and Atlanta were torched when he was left on the floor without Murray.

While the Celtics will take a 2-0 lead to Atlanta for Games 3 and 4, the Hawks can put all the pressure back on Boston by holding serve at home.

Booker shines for the Suns

Devin Booker stepped up and helped his Phoenix Suns tie their series at 1-1 with a 123-109 triumph over the visiting Los Angeles Clippers.

Booker put up a game-high 38 points on 14-of-22 shooting, playing 45 out of a possible 48 minutes while also leading the Suns with nine assists.

Kevin Durant was excellent in support with 25 points (10-of-19), six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal, while Deandre Ayton added 14 points with 13 rebounds and Chris Paul chipped in eight assists to go with his 16 points.

It was another ubiquitous performance from two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard as he embarks on his quest to join LeBron James as the only Finals MVP-winner with three different teams.

He had a team-high 31 points (11-of-20), a team-high seven assists and a team-high three steals, while Russell Westbrook posted 28 points (nine-of-16), five rebounds and five assists, but they did not have enough help.

The series will head to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4.

Russell Westbrook delighted in his match-winning play after a mixed Los Angeles Clippers turn during victory against the Phoenix Suns in the NBA playoffs.

The point guard shot only 3-for-19 during Sunday's 115-110 Game 1 victory in the first round, and was involved in a fan confrontation at half-time.

But eight assists and 11 rebounds, coupled with the clinching defensive block on Devin Booker, saw him still register a vital contribution to start the postseason.

Speaking afterwards, Westbrook spoke of his glee at being able to showcase his all-around skills, particularly in his efforts to close down Booker.

"My whole career, I [have] prided myself every season on doing everything," he said. "Whatever is needed of me to win the game, I'll do it.

"You [have] just got to make sure [Booker] sees you, make sure he knows that you're there. He's a hell of a shot-maker, one of the elite scorers. [You have to] try to make it difficult for him."

With Westbrook posting single-figures with ball in hand, it fell to Kawhi Leonard to lead the way for the Clippers with an excellent 38-point performance.

His turn drew plaudits from his team-mates, with Westbrook adding: "His patience [and] his awareness throughout the game was amazing.

"He's been like that for us since I've been here. We had his back on the defensive end. We'll make sure we find ways to keep making the game easy for him."

The Clippers face the Suns on the road at Footprint Center again on Tuesday, and could take a 2-0 record home to California ahead of Game 3 if they claim victory.

Nikola Jokic recorded a double-double while Jamal Murray top scored as the Denver Nuggets re-discovered their form with a dominant 109-80 blowout of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

The Western Conference top seed Nuggets had gone 7-8 in their final 15 regular-season games, but snapped back into form in Game 1 of their first round playoffs series at Ball Arena.

Denver pulled away with a 32-14 third quarter, highlighted by five three-pointers.

Murray top scored with 24 points, making four-of-10 from three-point range, with eight rebounds and eight assists, while Michael Porter Jr also made four triples in his 18 points with 11 rebounds.

Porter Jr's game was capped by a hammer jam late in the first half as the Nuggets started to pull clear.

Jokic scored 13 points on six-of-12 shooting with 14 rebounds, including five offensive rebounds, and six assists.

Despite his modest stats, the Serbian center was influential in the first half with a no-look pass for Bruce Brown's three-pointer along with a classy spin to glide past Rudy Gobert in the lane.

The Timberwolves were no match for the top seed with Karl-Anthony Towns, who was the 2016 NBA Rookie of the Year in Jokic's rookie season, struggling for 11 points on five-of-15 shooting.

Former NBA Draft top overall pick Anthony Edwards only managed 18 points with five assists, while veteran point guard Mike Conley had eight points, four rebounds and three assists.

Clutch Kawhi leads Clippers past Suns

Kawhi Leonard came up clutch with two late three-pointers among his 38 points while Russell Westbrook made a critical block as the Los Angeles Clippers won 115-110 over the Phoenix Suns.

The Clippers put together three straight three-pointers in three plays in the final three minutes, including two from Leonard before kicking out a pass to Eric Gordon to make it 109-103 with 1:33 left.

With Suns cut it back to one point but Westbrook blocked Devin Booker with before making two free-throws to seal the win. Westbrook shot three-of-19 but never stopped, finishing with 10 rebounds including five in offense and eight assists.

Leonard went 13-of-24 from the field with three triples along with five rebounds and five assists, while Gordon added 19 with Paul George still out injured. Kevin Durant top scored for Phoenix with 27 points and 11 assists while Booker had 26 points and Chris Paul added 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

Lakers down Grizzlies, Heat shock Bucks

The Los Angeles Lakers claimed an early road win 128-112 over the Memphis Grizzlies with Ja Morant suffering a fourth-quarter hand injury to throw their first round series wide open.

Rui Hachimura scored a playoff career-best 29 points with 21 in the second half as the Lakers rallied back from a 65-59 half-time deficit, pulling clear late after Morant exited with 5:48 remaining at 105-101.

Morant was kept to 18 points with six rebounds, while Jaren Jackson Jr had 31 points with five rebounds and two blocks.

LeBron James had 21 points and 11 rebounds with two steals and three blocks, while Anthony Davis contributed 22 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks. Lakers guard Austin Reaves added 23 points.

Eastern Conference eight seed Miami Heat pulled off an upset 130-117 road win over the Milwaukee Bucks who lost Giannis Antetokounmpo to a lower back contusion before half-time. The Heat lost Tyler Herro to a broken hand but Jimmy Butler stepped up with 35 points and 11 assists.

Paul George is unlikely to be fit to feature for the Los Angeles Clippers in their NBA playoffs first-round series against the Phoenix Suns.

The eight-time All-Star forward has been out with a sprained right knee since March 21, but it had been hoped he would be back in time for the start of the postseason.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski though, the Clippers have been preparing for the series without George.

It means they will almost certainly need to rely heavily on Kawhi Leonard in his absence against a Suns team that has gone to another level since adding Kevin Durant in February.

George averaged 23.8 points per game during the regular season, as well as 6.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.8 three-point shots made.

Game 1 between the Clippers and the Suns takes place in Phoenix on Sunday.

The 2023 NBA playoffs are here and promise to be as thrilling as ever.

There are narratives all over the place ready to be written, with the Golden State Warriors trying to retain their championship, the Los Angeles Lakers coming from 2-10 to potentially win it all, and the Boston Celtics looking to make up for last season's Finals heartbreak.

Between now and the start of the Finals in June, who knows how many shock results, big performances and memorable moments basketball fans will be treated to.

The final two places will be decided on Friday with the last two play-in games determining who will face top seeds the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets, while the first round gets underway straight away on Saturday.

Stats Perform takes a look at the six confirmed series so far, starting with arguably the most intriguing of them all.

Western Conference:

Phoenix Suns (4) v Los Angeles Clippers (5)

After an outstanding 2021-22 campaign in which they finished as the top seed in the West with a record of 64-18, the Suns began this season with a 6-1 run.

However, by the end of their first game of 2023, Phoenix had already lost as many as they did in the entirety of the previous regular season and only managed a record of 45-37 in the end to finish as a fourth seed.

Adding Kevin Durant in February gave them a much-needed boost, though, and his link-up with Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, DeAndre Ayton and Chris Paul feels like it could lead to something special in the postseason. Durant is 8-0 as a Net.

They will be up against a Clippers team who have had stumbles during the season but went 11-5 heading into the playoffs.

Kawhi Leonard's return from injury in November was huge for Ty Lue's team, with he and Paul George both averaging 23.8 points per game for the season.

The teams split their four meetings during the regular season, albeit including a Clippers victory in their final game when the Suns rested their starters.

Sacramento Kings (3) v Golden State Warriors (6)

It feels like the Kings quietly went about their business this season, amassing 48 wins, more than half of which (25) came on the road.

That could not really be further removed from the Warriors' experience, which saw only 11 of their 44 victories come as the away team.

However, after starting 7-29 on the road this season, Golden State won four of their final five. That included a 56-point victory at the Portland Trail Blazers on April 9, tied for the second-largest road win by any team in NBA history (Pacers at Thunder in May 2021 – 57).

De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis will lead the way for Sacramento, but a certain Stephen Curry will be expected to shine again in the postseason as he has done so often in the past.

Since 2013-14, Curry has gone 27-2 against the Kings, the second-best record by any player against a single opponent (min. 20 games) during that span (Norman Powell, 19-1 vs Nets). Curry has averaged 26.7 points, 7.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds over those games.

Golden State were 3-1 against the Kings this season, with Curry (25 points) and Klay Thompson (29) doing much of the damage in their victory in the penultimate game of the campaign against shorthanded opponents.

Memphis Grizzlies (2) v Los Angeles Lakers (7)

As LeBron James recently said, the Lakers were given just a 0.3 per cent chance of making the playoffs by analysts when they started the year 2-10.

As it turned out, they nearly reached the postseason without even needing the play-in tournament, but a fairly routine win against the Minnesota Timberwolves got them to the dance.

James has been outstanding again this season, averaging 28.9 points, and will be eager to produce fireworks now that he and the Lakers are back in the postseason.

On the other side, Ja Morant seems to have put recent problems behind him and looks ready to lead the Grizzlies.

His 26.2 points have been ably supported by Desmond Bane (21.5) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (18.6), though they will miss the presence of the injured Steven Adams, who averaged 11.5 rebounds this season.

The Lakers went 2-1 against the Grizzlies this season, although the home team won on each occasion.

Eastern Conference:

Cleveland Cavaliers (4) v New York Knicks (5)

It was a strong year for Cleveland, winning 51 games in the regular season, although they had a losing record on the road (20-21).

Donovan Mitchell (28.3 points) has been sensational for the Cavaliers, who could hold a significant advantage throughout the playoffs as they boasted a perfect 7-0 record for games that went into overtime during the season.

The Knicks are looking for their first playoff series win in 10 years in what is only their second postseason appearance in that time.

Coach Tom Thibodeau has Julius Randle (25.1) and Jalen Brunson (24.0) to thank for guiding his team to a comfortable playoff place, with Randle also averaging 10.0 rebounds.

New York's starters are averaging 86.5 points this season, the most by any starting unit (Cleveland rank fifth at 83.5). That accounts for 74.6 per cent of the team's scoring, which is the highest rate by a Knicks squad since 2010-11 (74.7).

The Knicks were 3-1 against the Cavs this season, including their last one at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse just two weeks ago.

Philadelphia 76ers (3) v Brooklyn Nets (6)

Ever since he went to Philadelphia, it has felt like James Harden has been the story heading into any clashes between these two.

It feels like there is so much more to it now, though, especially since the Nets also lost Durant and Kyrie Irving.

No longer a team of stars, the Nets are reinventing themselves as just a team, and it will be interesting to see how they manage the postseason. The Nets finished the season 10-4 in games decided by three or fewer points, tied with the Knicks for the best record in the league (min. 10 one-possession games).

Harden and Tyrese Maxey have provided capable support to Joel Embiid, who has been his usual impressive self, with an average of 33.1 points, the most in the entire league.

The Sixers certainly have the momentum going into this series, winning all four of their meetings this season, including in the final game. It was the first time one of the teams swept the season series since Philadelphia won all four matchups against the New Jersey Nets in 2010-11.

Boston Celtics (2) v Atlanta Hawks (7)

Few expected the Celtics to make the Finals last year, and even fewer thought they would take a 2-1 lead against the Warriors.

It all went south from there, though, ultimately losing 4-2, but their response this season has been impressive again.

Boston started 21-5, and although that levelled out towards the middle of the regular season, they put together some more impressive runs to finish 57-25.

Jayson Tatum's average of 30.1 made him briefly a contender for MVP, while Jaylen Brown (26.6) and Marcus Smart are expected to be fit again during the first round.

Trae Young led the Hawks through their play-in clash with the Miami Heat, and he and they will now need to step up again.

Young has scored 30 or more points in four straight road games against the Celtics. Since the NBA-ABA merger, just four players have scored 30-plus points in five straight games in Boston (including playoffs): Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, Curry and James.

The Celtics won all three regular season meetings, including in their final games before the postseason, although both fielded weakened teams.

Russell Westbrook has rubbished the narrative that there is animosity between him and former team-mate Kevin Durant as they prepare to face off in the NBA playoffs first round.

Westbrook and Durant, who played together at Oklahoma City Thunder, will be reunited when the former's Los Angeles Clippers will take on the latter's Phoenix Suns in a clash between the Western Conference's four and five seeds.

The pair were OKC team-mates for eight seasons, forming a strong partnership and competing in the 2012 NBA Finals, before Durant left for the Golden State Warriors in July 2016.

"It will be normal for me," Westbrook told reporters about facing Durant, having faced of 11 times since their split, with Westbrook teams up 6-5.

"I think people still think like there's some beef or something. There's no beef of any [kind], so I think that's the good narrative for media, for people to talk about.

"But there's no beef. I got nothing but respect for him and things he's done with his career and having to see him back from injury.

"There's no beef at all. But he knows I'm going to compete and I know he's going to compete and that's all it is."

Westbrook, who left the Los Angeles Lakers for the Clippers in midseason, was full of praise for Durant, who also made a midseason move from the Brooklyn Nets to the Suns.

"Just his ability - he's always been very efficient," Westbrook said. "But I think his ability to be more efficient and still score the ball at a high rate.

"He's probably one of the best scorers I've seen, just can score at ease and look so effortlessly.

"I think over the years, he's figured out ways to score the basketball at a very, very high rate, and that's kind of what I've seen over the years."

The Los Angeles Clippers secured the five seed in the Western Conference after rallying from a 10-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Phoenix Suns 119-114 on Sunday.

Norman Powell, Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook scored 29, 25 and 25 points respectively for the Clippers, who held off the Golden State Warriors for the five seed, meaning LA will take on the Suns again in the playoffs first round.

Leonard scored the Clippers' final eight points of the game among 12 in the fourth quarter, shooting 11-of-21 from the field, with 15 rebounds and six assists.

Powell continued his fine form off the bench, shooting 12-of-22 for his 29 points with five rebounds, while Westbrook made two three-pointers in his 25 points with seven rebounds and nine assists.

Phoenix sat starters Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Deandre Ayton for the game.

Despite that, the Suns put up a good fight, with guard Saben Lee having 25 points with 10 assists, shooting three-of-eight from beyond the arc.

Warriors hit NBA record, LeBron lifts Lakers

Stephen Curry made five three-pointers and shot nine-of-15 for 26 points as the Golden State Warriors routed the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers 157-101.

The Warriors could have jumped the Clippers into the five seed if LA lost, but the reigning champions will settle for the six seed, meaning they will take on the Sacramento Kings in the first round.

Curry only played 22 minutes along with Klay Thompson, who scored 20 points, with Golden State piling on an NBA record 55 first-quarter points. Jordan Poole added 21 points including four-of-five triples in 17 minutes and Moses Moody contributed 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting in 29 minutes.

That meant the Los Angeles Lakers finished seventh in the West despite LeBron James scoring eight three-pointers among 36 points in a 128-117 win over the Utah Jazz.

The Lakers will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the play-in tournament, with the winner to face the Memphis Grizzlies in the playoffs first round.

Wolves win amid Gobert and McDaniels drama

The Timberwolves jumped the New Orleans Pelicans in the play-in seeding for eighth with a 113-108 victory, but it was a game full of drama with Rudy Gobert throwing a punch at teammate Kyle Anderson during a timeout.

Gobert was dismissed for the rest of the game after the second-quarter incident, while top perimeter defender Jaden McDaniels broke his right hand after hitting a wall in frustration.

Despite all that, Anthony Edwards led the Wolves to victory with 26 points, 13 rebounds, four steals and four blocks, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 30 points with eight rebounds.

Brandon Ingram scored 42 points for the Pelicans, who could have finished as high as fifth, but will instead face the Oklahoma City Thunder in a play-in tournament elimination game.

LeBron James feels "it is pretty cool" the Los Angeles Lakers will finish with a winning record this season after a dismal start.

The Lakers are not assured of making the playoffs, seventh in the Western Conference and set for the play-in tournament as things stand, but they are 42-39 and will finish above .500.

This comes after the Lakers started 0-5 and then 2-10, records James recalled after Friday's 121-107 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

"I was just telling AD [Anthony Davis] – I was like, 'man, can you believe that we're going to finish this season above .500? After everything that's gone on this season?'" James said.

"We've turned this thing around. And it's the regular season, obviously – there's a lot more basketball to be played – but to know that we're going to finish a few games above .500? It's pretty cool."

Darvin Ham is in his first year as a head coach and has had to cope without James for 27 games and Davis for 26.

But he is slightly more reluctant to yet reflect on a job well done, adding: "Our work is not done by a long shot.

"It'll be great at some point to think back, but hopefully I'll be thinking about this first year after we're holding the trophy or something.

"In the short form, it's a lot to be proud of. And in the long form, we've got more work to do."

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson produced a vintage performance to carry the Golden State Warriors to a 119-97 road victory against the Sacramento Kings on Friday.

One of the few teams still with plenty to play for in the final games, the Warriors needed a win to avoid falling into the play-in tournament placings, as they would get leapfrogged by the 42-39 New Orleans Pelicans if they finish with an equal record.

But with Kings stars Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox both out resting – with Sacramento (48-33) locked into the Western Conference's third seed – the Warriors took full advantage.

In a terrific defensive outing, Golden State did not allow a single Sacramento starter to score more than Harrison Barnes' 13 points, while Curry and Thompson combined for 54 points and shot eight-of-15 from three-point range.

Thompson top-scored with 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting (five-of-eight from deep), while Curry chipped in 25 (eight-of-14 shooting, three-of-seven from deep), seven rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block.

Donte DiVincenzo continued to excel when given an opportunity, with the 26-year-old backup guard putting together 18 points (seven-of-10 shooting), nine assists and six rebounds. 

He vastly outplayed fellow rotation guard and sixth man Jordan Poole, who shot a poor zero-of-10 from the floor, and the two will likely be competing for minutes in the playoffs.

The victory means the Warriors can secure their spot in the playoffs by finishing the season with a win against the tanking Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, avoiding the play-in tournament in the process.

Reaves, Beasley lead important Lakers win

The Los Angeles Lakers (42-39) are only a half-game behind local rivals the Los Angeles Clippers (42-38) after a crucial 121-107 triumph at home against the undermanned Phoenix Suns.

With Phoenix resting Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton, the full-strength Lakers made sure to capitalise, although it was neck-and-neck until the fourth quarter.

Both LeBron James (six-of-19 from the field) and Anthony Davis (four-of-12) had poor shooting nights, combining for just 30 points, but role players Austin Reaves and Malik Beasley came to the rescue.

Reaves was arguably the Lakers' best player, scoring 22 points on nine-of-13 shooting with five assists, while Beasley came off the bench to hit seven-of-14 shots, including four-of-10 from long range for 21 important points.

The Lakers will finish their regular season at home against the Utah Jazz on Sunday, and they can steal the sixth seed if the Clippers lose their final two games against Portland and Phoenix.

76ers ruin Trae's big night

Trae Young put up a ridiculous stat line of 27 points and 20 assists, but it was not enough as his Atlanta Hawks went down 136-131 to the Philadelphia 76ers in overtime.

Young's 20 assists broke his previous career-high by two, and he shot an efficient seven-of-14 from the field, but his nine turnovers were costly. It is the eighth time in Young's career he has committed at least nine turnovers in a game.

While the Hawks were at full strength, the 76ers rode a career-high 16 assists from bench guard Shake Milton in a rare start, with stars Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey out of action.

Jalen McDaniels enjoyed his best game in a Philly jersey with 24 points (eight-of-17 shooting), 11 rebounds and three steals, and Georges Niang also added 24 points (nine-of-13) in a starting role.

Kevin Durant is unmoved by his winning start to life with the Phoenix Suns, knowing there is "a whole new season about to start" in the playoffs.

The Suns won 119-115 on Thursday against a Denver Nuggets team missing Nikola Jokic and several other starters.

Phoenix, by contrast, were at full strength, with Durant starting his eighth game for the team, joining Chris Paul and Devin Booker in the lineup.

Durant is 8-0 since joining the Brooklyn Nets; the last player to move teams and win their next nine starts was Kawhi Leonard on the Toronto Raptors in 2018.

That Raptors team ended up winning the title, beating Durant's Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, and the Suns superstar's focus now is on postseason success.

"We've played a couple of teams that weren't full strength," Durant said. "I don't make too much of it.

"It's a whole new season about to start, so what we're doing right now is cool, record-wise, but we want to keep building good habits and stay healthy. That's the only thing that's important to me."

Even in victory, coach Monty Williams was frustrated by an "inconsistent" performance, while Paul called it a "weird" game.

The veteran point guard had a key role to play in the win, however, making a career-high seven threes.

"I should have made more," Paul said. "I was just trying to take those shots.

"That's why these games are important: it's a new way – I've never really played with guys who are getting doubled like this.

"It's not just [a case of] wait until the playoffs and find our rhythm; you need to use these games to do that."

At the same time, Paul, averaging 8.9 assists per game this year, finished with only two assists.

Only once this season had Paul previously played more than 15 minutes and finished with as few as two assists, losing by 19 points to the New York Knicks in February.

It was the seventh time in his career he has played at least 15 minutes in a win and not contributed three or more assists.

"I'm not used to it, but it's one of those things where guys are telling me to shoot, telling me to shoot, and I just said 'alright'," Paul said.

"It is weird, but it's whatever it takes. If that means scoring, if that means assisting, I've got to shoot to keep them honest."

Durant added: "We're used to him getting nearly double-digit assists every game, but it's good when you're unpredictable and can switch attacks. We're going to need that going forward."

The Phoenix Suns have clinched the fourth seed in the Western Conference after defeating the undermanned Denver Nuggets 119-115 on Thursday.

The victory was Phoenix's seventh in a row, having been ignited by the return of Kevin Durant for their past five fixtures after he missed over three weeks of action in March.

Durant has personally not played in a loss since January 5, winning his last two games for the Brooklyn Nets before being traded while injured, and he has won all eight Suns games he has suited up for.

He was again the key against the Nuggets, scoring a team-high 29 points on nine-of-18 shooting, including six-of-10 from three-point range, while adding seven rebounds and four assists in an eyebrow-raising 41 minutes as head coach Monty Williams gave his star extended run.

Chris Paul was terrific in support, tying his regular season career-high with seven made three-pointers on the way to 25 points (nine-of-15 shooting) and only one turnover.

Devin Booker was the primary playmaker for the Suns, racking up eight assists, but it was also due to a poor shooting night where he finished three-of-12 from the field for his 15 points.

Despite the loss – where starters Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope sat out – Bruce Brown showed why he will have a key role in the playoffs as he put up 31 points (11-of-18 shooting), six rebounds and four assists as the stand-in top option.

Thunder hang on to final play-in spot

The Oklahoma City Thunder kept their playoff hopes alive with a 114-98 road win against the Utah Jazz, denying the Dallas Mavericks for the time being.

If the Thunder had lost, they would have slipped to 38-43 and been overtaken by the 38-42 Mavs, but they instead rode a terrific team effort to victory as seven Oklahoma City players scored in double-figures.

The result leaves the Thunder a half-game clear of the Mavericks in the race for the Western Conference's 10th seed, with OKC's last game of the season to come at home against the Memphis Grizzlies, while Dallas will host the Chicago Bulls and the San Antonio Spurs to close out their regular season.

Miami bring the heat to Philadelphia

The Philadelphia 76ers had almost nothing to play for against the Miami Heat, and it showed, with the visitors collecting a 129-101 road triumph.

Miami (43-37) still have a small chance at avoiding the play-in tournament if they can overtake the Brooklyn Nets (44-36) in the final stages, and they got the job done in Philadelphia thanks to Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro.

Butler was rock-solid with an equal team-high 24 points on nine-of-12 shooting, adding six assists, while Herro shot seven-of-17 for his 24 points and five assists.

The Denver Nuggets could have clinched the one seed in the Western Conference by the time they face a Phoenix Suns team already sure of the four seed.

Denver will secure the one seed on Wednesday if the two seed Memphis Grizzlies lose to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Should the Grizzlies stay in the hunt with a victory, however, then the Nuggets will go into their penultimate road game of the season knowing a win will see them finish top of the pile in the West. The Nuggets have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Grizzlies.

The outcome of the Grizzlies' game in New Orleans may therefore impact whether the Nuggets elect to play their stars, including MVP contender Nikola Jokic.

Phoenix, meanwhile, have little reason to risk the likes of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.

The Suns are locked into the four seed in the West, but if they want to lay down a marker ahead of a postseason in which they may well face a first-round series with the defending champion Golden State Warriors, this could prove a compelling potential playoff preview.

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Phoenix Suns – Kevin Durant

The Nuggets recently received a reminder of the damage Durant can do. The former MVP and two-time Finals MVP tallied 30 points in the Suns' 100-93 win over Denver on March 31.

He followed that up with 35 points against Oklahoma City Thunder, having been booed by the home crowd, fans of the team where he first made his name. Though he cooled off and had only 18 in the win over the San Antonio Spurs last time out, Durant is in ominous form ahead of the playoffs, and a battle with the potential MVP could further whet his appetite for the postseason.

Denver Nuggets – Nikola Jokic

Even if the Nuggets already have the one seed wrapped up, perhaps Jokic might play in this high-profile encounter to improve his MVP odds.

Joel Embiid is the heavy favourite after his 52-point showing for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Boston Celtics.

But if Jokic can play a starring role against the Suns, could that be enough to tilt the race back in his favour?

KEY BATTLE – Can Suns foil the fast break?

The Nuggets rank fifth in the NBA in fast break points with 16.3 per game. Phoenix, meanwhile, have excelled at stopping teams scoring in that fashion, allowing an average of just 13 fast break points.

Regardless of the makeup of the two teams and the playoff scenarios at play, that area of the game will go a long way to deciding the victor.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Suns have won three of their last five against the Nuggets. They have won their last two as the home team, having lost their previous five as the hosts in this matchup.

Kevin Durant felt the nerves ahead of his home debut for the Phoenix Suns but was thrilled to be back from injury.

Durant has endured injury frustration in his first months as a Suns player since his trade from the Brooklyn Nets.

The 2014 MVP joined the Suns on February 9, but he had played only three times prior to Wednesday's meeting with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

All of those games, which were won by Phoenix, came on the road.

Having missed the last 10 games due to a sprained ankle, Durant returned for his home bow against the Timberwolves, and he had 16 points, four assists and eight rebounds in a 107-100 victory.

Durant acknowledged that even with his wealth of experience to call on, it was hard to keep the nerves in check.

"It was hard for me to get sleep today, it was hard for me to stop thinking about the game," Durant said. "Sometimes you can want it too bad, and you come out, start rushing and being uncharacteristic."

Now, he aims to build up his fitness as the Suns look towards securing a postseason berth.

"I'm glad I'm back, I'm glad I'm playing again and being one of the guys. Just building from here," Durant said.

"It felt good. I miss playing, I miss being with the guys. It was a big win for us, we needed this one, but yeah I felt good being out there again."

Phoenix coach Monty Williams was impressed with what he saw from the 13-time All-Star but knows there is more to come.

"I thought he battled on both ends," Williams told reporters.

"I think his cardio has got to get back to the level he wants it. Once he gets that, we'll see the Kevin that we all know."

The Suns' third straight win saw them consolidate their grip on the Western Conference's fourth seed.

Devin Booker was the driving force for Phoenix with 29 points, with Anthony Edwards' 31-point haul not enough to inspire the Timberwolves to a winning performance.

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