Nikola Jokic became the sixth player in NBA history to reach 100 career triple-doubles as the Denver Nuggets won 133-112 against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday.
The Serbian center finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his 24th triple-double of the season.
It was also Jokic's 15th triple-double in his past 20 games, with the Nuggets winning every game he has achieved the feat this season.
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said: "We haven't lost a game in those triple-doubles which speaks to his greatness."
Jokic joined Russell Westbrook (198), Oscar Robertson (181), Magic Johnson (138), Jason Kidd (107) and LeBron James (106) in reaching triple figures for triple-doubles in the NBA.
At 28 years old, Jokic could foreseeably climb up that list if he continues on the trajectory of his past two back-to-back MVP seasons.
"For him to be mentioned with all these historical accomplishments, reminds you that we are so blessed to have a guy like Nikola," Malone added.
"I challenge all of us in Denver to never take him for granted. To never take his greatness for granted."
Malone subtly added that Jokic should win a third straight MVP, while discussing his strengths.
"We all know he's a two-time MVP, about to be a three-time MVP, you talk about the skill level, the IQ, the rebounding, playmaking, scoring all that but the intangibles are the areas Nikola has grown the most," Malone said.
On Jokic's defense, Malone added: "He's a high IQ player. He has tremendous anticipation and outstanding hand-eye coordination.
"People think if you're not a great athlete, you can't be a good defender but I think that's malarkey. I think Nikola is a living example of a guy who can be an effective defender and not necessarily be an elite athlete."
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.
New Orleans Pelicans franchise player Zion Williamson will have further imaging on his injured hamstring next week as he "continues to make progress".
Williamson, 22, was named an All-Star starter for averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists in his 29 games this season, before tearing his hamstring against the Philadelphia 76ers on January 2.
Five weeks after suffering the injury, the Pelicans announced he had aggravated the same hamstring, essentially restarting the recovery process.
The latest update from the team on Tuesday stated he is making progress, but that further updates would be provided after a check-up MRI next week.
New Orleans have been flailing in Williamson's absence, falling from near the top of the Western Conference down to 10th after going 7-18 in the 25 games since January 2.
Also included in the Pelicans' injury update was Jose Alvarado being set for an extended stint on the sidelines due to a stress reaction in his tibia, while Larry Nance Jr will have his ankle sprain re-evaluated in two weeks.
The Toronto Raptors addressed a gaping hole in their rotation on Tuesday by securing former Washington Wizards guard Will Barton in the buyout market.
Barton, 32, spent eight seasons with the Denver Nuggets – starting 181 of his 185 appearances in his three most recent campaigns – prior to being traded to the Wizards this past offseason for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
During his time in Denver, Barton averaged 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while playing 30.4 minutes, and in the process he became the franchise's all-time leader in made three-pointers with 804 at a 36.2 per cent clip.
He struggled to find a role on a Washington roster loaded with depth guards, and after agreeing to a buyout in the second year of his two-year, $30million contract, he will now join a Raptors side desperate for their own backcourt depth.
This season, only two Raptors players officially classified as guards – Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr – are averaging more than 15 minutes per game.
Behind them, 23-year-old point guard Malachi Flynn and 24-year-old point forward Dalano Banton have been given chances, but are not yet trusted by head coach Nick Nurse to be key rotation pieces on an aspiring playoff team.
Toronto signalled to the league with their trade deadline acquisition of Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs that they believe they are a live chance to come out of the East again, four years after Kawhi Leonard led them to their sole championship in 2019.
Scooping up Barton is further indication of that belief, as the veteran guard was expected to have his choice among a number of playoff teams, but opted for a Raptors team who have won seven of their past nine to climb up to ninth in the East at 30-32.
To create a roster spot, Toronto waived Juancho Hernangomez, who co-starred alongside Adam Sandler in the 2022 basketball movie Hustle.
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.
Kevin Durant is expected to make his long-awaited Phoenix Suns debut when they face the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center.
The two-time NBA Finals MVP has not played since suffering a knee injury on January 8, and while he was recovering, he was traded to Phoenix in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and four first-round draft picks.
Durant did not feature during Sunday's narrow 104-101 defeat by the Milwaukee Bucks, but the Suns revealed they expect the small forward to debut against the Hornets.
The franchise tweeted: "Kevin Durant is expected to make his Phoenix Suns debut tomorrow in Charlotte."
The Suns sit fourth in the Western Conference with a 33-29 record.
Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball will miss the rest of the NBA campaign through injury, with the news coming just a week after it was confirmed his brother will also remain sidelined until next season.
Ball fractured his right ankle during Monday's 117-106 win over the Detroit Pistons.
Chicago Bulls star Lonzo Ball has not played at all in 2022-23 due to a knee injury that has required multiple surgeries, and the Bulls said last week that due to continued "discomfort during high-level basketball-related activities", the player would not be risked before the end of the season.
LaMelo – a 2022 NBA All-Star – has had issues with his left ankle throughout the season, meaning he was only able to play 36 games, and The Athletic's Shams Charania tweeted on Tuesday that he will "miss the remainder of the season", according to sources.
The 21-year-old has averaged 23.3 points per game this season, with 8.4 assists and 6.4 rebounds.
The Hornets are well short of playoff contention, with a record of 20-43, though are on a five-game win streak after Monday's win against the only team with a worse record than them in the Eastern Conference, the Pistons.
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