The Dallas Mavericks are waiving Kemba Walker, who has played only nine games for the team since signing in November 2022.

ESPN reported the Mavs would cut their ties with Walker on Friday ahead of his salary for the remainder of the season becoming guaranteed this weekend.

Walker moved to Dallas last year after he was waived by the Detroit Pistons, for whom he did not play a game.

The four-time All-Star was brought in to boost a then struggling Mavs team who are increasingly reliant on superstar Luka Doncic after Jalen Brunson left for the New York Knicks at the end of last season.

Dallas have since improved considerably, climbing to fourth in the Western Conference at 22-17, but their ascent has owed more to Doncic's form than Walker's contributions.

While Doncic is leading the NBA in scoring 34.0 points per game, including 41.7 in the team's seven-game winning run across Christmas and New Year, Walker has played only 144 minutes for the Mavs.

Over nine games, the point guard averaged 8.0 points and 2.1 assists in 16 minutes, starting just once.

That sole start was in an overtime defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers, in which Doncic and Spencer Dinwiddie were absent as Walker scored 32 points.

News of Walker's imminent departure from Dallas was greeted with a message from Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, hinting at his interest in a return for a former team-mate.

Walker spent two years in Boston between 2019 and 2021, although he played only 99 times for the Celtics.

Joe Mazzulla called for the Boston Celtics to put on a show "over and over again" after they swept the Dallas Mavericks aside on Thursday.

The Celtics dished out a 124-95 defeat to the Mavericks at American Airlines Center on a great night for Jayson Tatum.

Tatum came up with his first triple-double of the NBA season; scoring 29 points, providing 10 assists and taking 14 rebounds in a brilliant all-round display.

It was only the second triple-double of his career and took Boston to 27-12, upstaging Luka Doncic as the Mavericks' seven-game winning streak ground to a halt.

Interim coach Mazzulla wants to see consistency from the Eastern Conference leaders Celtics, who got back on track after suffering back-to-back losses.

He said: "They showed me they can do it one time. They have to do it over and over again."

Jaylen Brown put up 19 points and seven claimed rebounds, while Mavericks superstar Doncic finished with 23 points, nine rebounds, and three assists before being left on the bench for the final quarter.

Mazzulla added: "When we're at our best, we play really good basketball on both ends of the floor with high effort for a long period of time.

"And then we go through a couple of games where we lose that. What I love about tonight was we did bounce back."

Jayson Tatum registered his second career triple-double as the Boston Celtics ended the Dallas Mavericks' seven-game winning streak with a 124-95 victory on Thursday.

Tatum finished the game with 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists plus one steal and two blocks. The MVP candidate shot eight-of-22 from the field and two-of-eight from beyond the arc, scoring 11-of-12 from the stripe.

The Celtics improved to 27-12 with their merciless display, which comes amid a tough stretch for the Eastern Conference leaders, who had dropped seven of their past 12 games, including giving up 150 points last game to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Luka Doncic was kept to only 23 points for the Mavs, after a five-game run averaging 44.5 points. Doncic, who shot none-of-six from three-point range, was benched in the fourth quarter amid the blowout.

Tatum also struggled from beyond the arc, but Marcus Smart made up for it with four-of-nine triples in his 15 points, while Malcolm Brogdon hit three-of-five three-pointers in his 15 points off the bench.

Jaylen Brown scored 19 points with two three-pointers with seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

Nuggets rout Clippers despite Jokic being quiet

The Denver Nuggets re-claimed top spot in the Western Conference with a 122-91 domination of the Los Angeles Clippers, who slumped to their fourth straight defeat.

The Nuggets, who secured their 10th straight home win, prevailed without a great contribution from MVP Nikola Jokic, who managed 12 points with six rebounds and nine assists.

Jamal Murray top scored with 18 points, including four three-pointers for Denver, who led by as much as 43 points. The Clippers shuffled their deck ahead of a back-to-back with Kawhi Leonard scoring six points in 18 minutes.

The Nuggets lead the west with a 25-13 record ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies, also 25-13, who won 123-115 over the Orlando Magic with Ja Morant scoring 32 points.

Lauri's career-high ends Jazz's five-game skid

Lauri Markkanen scored a career-high 49 points as the Utah Jazz snapped their five-game skid with a 131-114 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Markkanen posted 18 points in the first quarter on his way to the equal 15th highest single-game scoring performance this season.

The Finnish forward sparked a 14-0 fourth-quarter run which put the game to bed. Jalen Green scored 30 points for Houston, while Kevin Porter Jr added 23.

Giannis Antetokounmpo continued his red-hot form on Tuesday as he scored a season-high 55 points in the Milwaukee Bucks' 123-113 win over the Washington Wizards.

His 55-point outburst on 20-of-33 shooting – including an impressive 15-of-16 at the free throw line – comes after games of 43 points and 20 rebounds against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, and 45 points, 22 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

In doing so, Antetokounmpo became the first player since Hall-of-Famer Wilt Chamberlain in 1964 to average at least 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists over a three-game span.

He added 10 rebounds and seven assists against the Wizards, while fellow defensive stalwart Brook Lopez was also terrific. Lopez scored 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting while grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking six shots. 

His 2.7 blocks per game is the best figure among those who have qualified for the league leaderboard by playing at least 70 per cent of their team's games, although Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr is averaging 3.1 blocks in his 20 appearances.

Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo boosted his scoring average to 32.8, placing him third in the league, and he is also third in rebounding at 11.8 per game.

With the win, the Bucks are now 24-13, which is tied with the Denver Nuggets for the third-best record overall.

Thunder shock the Celtics

The Oklahoma City Thunder produced one of the more unlikely performances of the season as they broke their franchise scoring record with a 150-117 home win against the league-leading Boston Celtics.

Making the feat even more impressive was the fact that the Thunder were without franchise player and the NBA's fifth-leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after he was a late withdrawal due to an illness.

OKC were led by Josh Giddey with 25 points (10-of-15 shooting), five rebounds, five assists and two steals as one of five Thunder players to score at least 20.

The 150 points is the second-most the Celtics have ever conceded in a game as Oklahoma City piled on quarters of 34, 40, 48 and 28 in a completely one-sided contest.

Fox delivers game-winner for the Kings

De'Aaron Fox nailed a game-winning lay-up with under one second remaining to give the Sacramento Kings a 117-115 road win against the Utah Jazz.

Fox led all scorers with 37 points on 15-of-22 shooting, adding six assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal. 

He was supported strongly by two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis, who had 21 points (eight-of-13), 14 rebounds and eight assists to help the Kings into the Western Conference's fifth seed as they seek to break the NBA's longest active playoff drought (2006).

The Oklahoma City Thunder will be without their franchise player for Tuesday's home game against the Boston Celtics after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was ruled out due to an illness.

Gilgeous-Alexander, 24, is in the midst of a breakout season that has him the favourite for the Most Improved Player award.

After averaging 24.5 points per game this past season on shooting splits of 45/30/81, the Canadian has jumped up to 30.8 points per game on 49/35/91 to sit fifth in scoring.

Almost a lock for his first All-Star appearance this season, Gilgeous-Alexander has helped his relatively mediocre Thunder team to a 10-9 home record, although they are 5-12 on the road, leaving them with the sixth-worst record in the league at 15-21.

On the flip-side, the Celtics own the league's best record at 26-11, and the league's best offense, scoring 117.2 points per 100 possessions. Meanwhile, the Thunder are way down with the 24th-ranked offense (110.5) despite Gilgeous-Alexander playing all but three games.

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone believes Nikola Jokic should not be penalized in the MVP race for winning the past two after recording yet another triple-double on Sunday.

Jokic scored 30 points with 12 rebounds and 12 assists in the Nuggets' 123-111 win over the Boston Celtics, going down as his ninth triple-double across 32 games this season.

The reigning back-to-back MVP is on a quest to claim the first MVP three-peat since Larry Bird (1984-86), posting career-highs in assists per game (9.5) and true shooting percentage (68.6).

Jokic also sits 18th in the NBA for points per game (25.7), seventh for rebounds per game (10.9) and third for assists (9.5) per game.

"If people's reasons for not giving him the MVP is because he's won two in a row, that's lazy," Malone told reporters.

On his post-game team talk, Malone added: "I said 'oh by the way, Nikola got his 90th career triple-double, big deal'. Guys were cracking up because we're all becoming so accustomed to it.

"I promised myself I will never take Nikola and his greatness for granted. He is a phenomenal player, plays the game the right way and makes everybody around him better. What a joy to coach."

Nuggets guard Bruce Brown, who scored 21 points including making four-of-six three-point attempts, backed up Jokic's MVP credentials.

"He's my MVP. He should be the league's MVP three times in a row," Brown said. "He's doing everything for us. Without Jok, I don't know where we'd be."

Malone hailed his side's defense against the 26-11 Celtics, who have the best offense in the league.

Boston's own MVP candidate Jayson Tatum was restricted to 25 points, shooting seven-of-16 from the field and failing to make any of his four three-point attempts.

"Jayson Tatum is an All-MVP player and he's going to be an all-MVP finalist," Malone said "I thought Aaron Gordon and the rest of our guys, aside from putting him on the foul line, I thought we did a really good job of guarding Jayson Tatum."

The game was halted for approximately 35 minutes in the fourth quarter after Robert Williams III's dunk caused the rim to be bent.

Six workers attempted to re-level the rim, which was eventually taken off the backboard, with Malone worried the delay would impact the Nuggets' momentum leading by 18 points, while Celtics guard Jaylen Brown was not impressed by the time it took.

"There was no communication," Brown said. "They spent all that time trying to fix it but when we came back it still looked like it wasn't even level, in my opinion, so we just wasted all that time.

"That has an effect on the game. That's how injuries and stuff happen. Luckily that didn't [happen], but that wasn't good. That whole process was handled poorly, in my opinion, and that had an effect as well. But luckily nobody got hurt."

Ja Morant was almost unstoppable in the Memphis Grizzlies' 118-108 victory against the visiting Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

Morant was the game's top-scorer with 35 points on 13-of-23 shooting, adding eight rebounds and five assists in an encouraging performance during what has been a relatively inefficient period for the Grizzlies star.

After posting a career-high field goal percentage of 49.3 this past season – earning a Most Improved Player trophy in the process – Morant's percentage has plummeted to 45.5 this campaign, while his true shooting percentage is also a mediocre 54.9 per cent.

Despite his dip in efficiency, Morant's 27.0 points per game has him 13th in the league, and he joins Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Nikola Jokic as the only players averaging at least 25 points and eight assists.

Morant was supported well by center Steven Adams, who tied his career-high with 23 rebounds. He has reached 23 rebounds once before – back in 2018 when he played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, also against the Kings.

Grizzlies big Jaren Jackson Jr blocked three shots, and his 3.2 blocks per game is the best figure in the league, although he does not currently qualify for the official league leaderboards due to only playing in 19 of his side's 36 games.

The win is the Grizzlies' third in a row, improving their record to 23-13 – only a half-game behind the Denver Nuggets in the race for the top seed in the Western Conference.

Nuggets retain top spot

The Nuggets had to defeat the Boston Celtics to hold onto the top spot in the West, and they did just that, defending home court with a 123-111 triumph.

It was another showcase for reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic, leading his team in scoring (30), rebounds (12) and assists (12) for his ninth triple-double in 32 games this season.

Jokic has somehow managed to reach new heights in his quest to become the first MVP three-peat since Larry Bird (1984-86), posting career-highs in assists per game (9.5) and true shooting percentage (68.6).

Kuzma collects triple-double in Wizards win

Kyle Kuzma and Rui Hachimura led the way in the Washington Wizards' 118-95 win against an undermanned Milwaukee Bucks team.

The Bucks were missing Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, and did not have the firepower to keep up with a Wizards side that shot 53.2 per cent from the field.

Former top-10 draft pick Hachimura scored a game-high 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting off the bench, while Kuzma had his first triple-double of the season with 10 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists.

After losing 10 games in a row earlier in the season, the Wizards are now on a five-game winning streak to improve their record to 17-21.

Luka Doncic maintained his dynamite form with another triple-double as the Dallas Mavericks improved to 20-16 with a 129-114 victory over the Houston Rockets on Thursday.

Doncic, who scored a franchise-best and season-high 60 points two nights earlier, recorded his eighth triple double of the season, finishing with 35 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists.

The Slovenian guard led the Mavs to their fifth straight win, notching up a second straight triple-double for the second time this season. Doncic's collective 95 points across the past two games is an NBA-record in consecutive triple-doubles.

Doncic shot 11-of-21 from the field, including four-of-nine from beyond the arc, making nine-of-12 free-throws.

Ex-Rockets forward Christian Wood offered good support with 21 points, including five-of-eight three-pointers, six rebounds and four blocks, along with Dwight Powell, who added a season-high 19 points with six rebounds and two blocks off the bench.

The Rockets, who are 10-25 and have lost seven of their past eight games, had few answers as they fell behind 65-51 at half-time with a Doncic 35-foot buzzer beater, with Jalen Green top scoring with 23 points.

Celtics avenge Clippers' blowout

The Boston Celtics avenged their heavy loss to the Los Angeles Clippers three weeks ago with a 116-110 victory led by 29 points each from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

The NBA-best Celtics (26-10) had suffered their worst loss of the season at the hands of the Clippers earlier this month, losing 113-93, starting off a run where they lost five of six games.

Tatum had 11 rebounds to go with his 29 points, shooting 10-of-26 from the field, while Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points with eight rebounds for the Clippers.

Hield makes history in Pacers' win

Buddy Hield made history with the fastest three-pointer recorded since play-by-play began in 1996-97 as the Indiana Pacers downed the Cleveland Cavaliers 135-126.

Hield, who leads the league in three-pointers made this season, swished a shot just three seconds into the game. The Pacers made 19-of-31 from beyond the arc for the game, rallying from a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit.

Tyrese Haliburton top scored with 29 points, including six-of-eight three-point shooting, while Hield made six triples in his 25 points. Donovan Mitchell had 28 points and six assists for the Cavs.

Jayson Tatum said it was "fun playing on Christmas" after excelling for the Boston Celtics in the victory against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Christmas Day clash at TD Garden saw the two teams with the best records in the NBA this season collide, with Boston running out 139-118 victors.

Tatum posted 41 points with seven rebounds and five assists, scoring 20 points in the third quarter alone.

"It's fun. It's fun playing on national TV; it's fun playing on Christmas," Tatum said. "And those matchups are fun. You get to play against the other best players, and it just raises your level of play.

"The competition is exciting, but that's the game that you live for. The moments, the matchups, if you can't get up for those games, then you're probably in the wrong profession."

The Celtics appear to be back on track, recording back-to-back wins after a run of five defeats in six, and moving on to a record of 24-10.

"It did feel good to get back to playing the way we know how to play," Tatum added. "We have the emotional understanding of it [being] a long season, and there's going to be great stretches and there's going to be some bad ones. But not letting the bad ones snowball effect and getting back on track sooner than later. It helps when we make shots too."

Tatum has scored at least 30 points in his last five games and is averaging 30.9 for the season, fifth in the league behind only Joel Embiid (33.1), Luka Doncic (32.8), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.6) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (31.2), who the Celtics restricted to 27 points on Sunday.

"It's definitely an honour. I've said many times how much I love being here and what it means to play on Christmas, [this is my] sixth year in a row and something I never want to take for granted," Tatum said.

"As a kid, that was part of the tradition: Eat, be with family, watch all the games and try to envision myself playing out there one day. Now I get to do that."

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.

Boston Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla insists he is not concerned about his side's form despite slumping to their fifth loss from six games in Wednesday's 117-112 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

The Celtics were blown away 71-43 in the first half against the Pacers, eventually falling to their third straight loss despite a second-half rally led by Jayson Tatum with 41 points.

"I'm really not concerned about that, in the sense that I think it's the first half that we really got outplayed from an effort standpoint," Mazzulla told reporters.

"It would be more concerning if we didn’t play a completely different style in the second half. We just have a choice to make, what team do we want to be? The team from the first half or the team from the second half?"

The result means Boston slip to a 22-10 record overall, sitting second in the Eastern Conference behind the Milwaukee Bucks (22-9), who also lost on Wednesday to the third-placed Cleveland Cavaliers (22-11).

"I don't really get concerned," Mazzulla said. "We are where we are. You have to rely on who our guys as people and the process of what we're trying to build.

"We're not playing well. Up until this point we have competed defensively and it was an offensive issue. In moments like this it's important to trust your guys. Because they've been through a lot, they've had moments like this, they've had bounce back.

"We're going through a hard stage but that's part of the NBA. It's also hard when you play the way you did at the beginning of the year and at such a high standard. We need to learn to set that standard as a habit."

The Celtics closed several times in the final quarter but Mazzulla rued their start, particularly the first quarter where the Pacers piled on 42 points.

"We just didn't play with a great sense of urgency, didn't play with awareness and didn't play with a sense of details," Mazzulla said.

Reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic became just the third player in NBA history with 40 points, 25 rebounds and 10 assists in a game in the Denver Nuggets' 119-115 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.

Jokic finished with 40 points, 27 rebounds and 10 assists for his 81st career triple-double, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor as the only players to achieve the aforementioned stat line.

The Serbian is the first player to reach that mark since Chamberlain in 1968. Chamberlain managed that milestone four times in his decorated career.

The Nuggets center pulled down 20 rebounds before half-time in a dominant display in the paint, leading Denver to an 18-11 overall record. Jokic's 27 rebounds were a career-high, and it was his fifth triple-double of the season.

Jokic received strong support from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with 20 points, four rebounds and five assists while Jamal Murray dished off 11 assists. Aaron Gordon chipped in with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

The Hornets fall to a 7-23 record, with LaMelo Ball scoring 31 points including four triples on 100 per cent three-point shooting in his third game back from injury.

Banchero stars as Magic topple Celtics

This season's top overall NBA Draft pick Paolo Banchero scored 31 points as the Orlando Magic claimed their sixth straight win and toppled the Boston Celtics 95-92.

Banchero produced his third 30-point game, shooting six-of-seven from beyond the arc, while Admiral Schofield contributed 11 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter.

The win means the Magic completed a sweep of consecutive games in Bolton and extended their win streak to their longest since March 2019.

KD leads Nets rally for sixth straight win

Kevin Durant scored 26 of his 43 points in the third quarter to carry a 17-point comeback for the Brooklyn Nets in a 124-121 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Kyrie Irving added 38 points as the Nets secured their sixth straight win.

The Minnesota Timberwolves broke their franchise single-game scoring record in a 150-126 rout over the Chicago Bulls led by Anthony Edwards' season-high 37 points and 11 assists.

The Golden State Warriors won for the first time this season without the injured Stephen Curry (shoulder), with Jordan Poole scoring a career-high 43 points in a 126-110 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

The Orlando Magic have quietly won five games in a row, punctuating their terrific form with a surprise 117-109 upset on the road against the league-leading Boston Celtics on Friday.

Orlando had lost nine in a row prior to their current streak, following it with four consecutive home wins against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Atlanta Hawks and back-to-back victories over the Toronto Raptors before heading to Boston.

They were led by this year's number one draft pick Paolo Banchero, with the 20-year-old posting 20 points, five rebounds and five assists, but it was the less-heralded Wagner brother doing the most damage.

Mo Wagner was the Magic's top-scorer with 25 points on nine-of-12 shooting in 23 minutes, while younger brother Franz Wagner chipped in 19 points on a far less efficient six-of-19.

There were also strong signs of life from starting point guard and former number one overall draft pick Markelle Fultz, with 12 points (five-of-10), four rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Speaking to the media after the game, Banchero said his side were not looking for excuses against a Boston side entering the game with the league's best record at 22-7 and 11-2 at home.

"One of the coaches came up to me before the game and said: 'We’re on the road against the best team in the NBA. Either we can prove that we’re a good team and really rolling, or blame that we’re on the road and just roll over.'

"We didn’t want to do that. To get a lead and keep a lead is the biggest thing I’m proud of about tonight."

Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley pointed towards his side's willingness to stick to the game plan and "stay the course".

"They went on their run in the third, but our guys understand that they have to stay the course and continue to communicate with one another, and stick back to the principles of what we do," he said.

That message about staying the course stuck, at least with Mo Wagner, who echoed his coach in his on-court interview.

"I think we've been very consistent with our work all year, and it's starting to translate," he said. "We've done a great job focusing on the game plan, and I think with a young team that's a challenge. 

"It's finally translating to wins, so now it's up to us to stay solid, keep going and keep staying the course."

Franz chose to highlight the Orlando defense against what he pointed out is a historically good Boston offense.

"They're the best offense in the league," he said. "Their numbers – even historically – match up really well.

"They shoot the ball really well, they play really free and creative basketball. It required multiple efforts, and I thought we did that tonight."

The Magic will get a chance to prove it was no fluke on Sunday when they remain in Boston for another crack at the Celtics.

The Boston Celtics will welcome back their defensive anchor on Friday when Robert Williams III makes his season debut against the Orlando Magic.

Williams, 25, is coming off a breakout campaign where he started all 61 of his appearances, averaging the fourth-most blocks in the league at 2.2 per game.

With Williams protecting the rim, the Celtics emerged as the best defense in the NBA, conceding just 106.2 points per 100 possessions, although that number rose to 109.8 in the 21 games he missed.

For his stellar play, Williams was awarded a spot on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, but he is yet to suit up this season as he recovers from offseason surgery on his left knee, having played through a torn meniscus in the playoffs.

His return will be a welcome addition for the Celtics, who have seen their defense fall to the eighth-ranked unit in the league in his absence, but have remained the best team in the NBA – based on both record (22-7) and net-rating (plus 7.0) – due to their top-ranked offense.

Without Williams, the Celtics have leaned into their three-point shooting. They are tied for the league-lead with 16.3 made three-pointers per game, so it remains to be seen how new head coach Joe Mazzulla will incorporate a non-shooter like Williams into his system and what effect he will have on the offense.

Jayson Tatum says he feels like "the best player" in the NBA when he steps out for games after firing the Boston Celtics to a dramatic 122-118 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. 

The small forward drained 44 points in a breathtaking performance as the visitors surrendered a 20-point lead before fighting back to force an overtime victory at Crypto.com Arena.

Tatum, a three-time All-Star, is hunting a first NBA championship this term, having won gold with the United States at Tokyo 2020 last year, and has seen his game push him into MVP consideration.

The 24-year-old acknowledged the noise around the accolade and suggested he feels a cut above when he hits his stride.

"I feel like I'm the best player when I step onto the court," he said. "But there are some great players in this league, and I know I've got my work cut out.

"I just try to go one game at a time.We were down 12 with three minutes left, but we found a way. We needed that [after] losing two in a row.

"We haven't been playing the best, individually or as a team, but we've found a way to get back on track. That feels good. It showed the true character of our team."

Victory for the Celtics moved them to 22-7 for the season, furthering their lead atop the Western Conference and strengthening their best-in-show record in the NBA.

They next return to Boston for a seven-game home-stand through the rest of the year, wrapping up 2022 against the Los Angeles Clippers before a new year trip to the Denver Nuggets.