LeBron James was adamant his approach to the NBA season will not be dictated by the Los Angeles Lakers' results after they collapsed to a 139-130 loss to the Houston Rockets.
Despite James returning from a knee injury to register his fifth triple-double of the season, recording 23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, the Rockets stunned Los Angeles in overtime to continue the Lakers' poor campaign.
The Lakers have now fallen to six losses in their past seven outings and sit ninth in the Western Conference, despite James averaging 29.4 points per game, the joint-second best record amongst NBA players.
Despite the team's dire form, James said his approach to the final 17 games of the season will be influenced only by his fitness and not the strength of their postseason chances.
"I probably would be in uniform no matter what," James said.
"No matter if we were nine games under .500 or nine games above .500. It's just all dependent on how [the knee] feels.
"My love for the game and the way I play the game, and me suiting up, has nothing to do with records and things of that nature.
"That's just not me."
James had an opportunity to prevent overtime with the scores tied at 120-120, opting to pass to Carmelo Anthony rather than attempt a layup to win the game, but the 37-year-old did not regret his decision-making and felt he was unlucky on the night.
"I ended up behind the backboard," said the four-time NBA MVP. "I was a little bit off-balance, and I could have forced a reverse layup, but I wasn't in the position to feel like I could have got a great look. I feel like Melo's look was a lot better than mine.
"I didn't feel like I took any bad ones or any bad shots tonight. It just wasn't falling for me."
Meanwhile, team-mate Russell Westbrook, whose 30-point haul was not enough to halt the Lakers' slump, said opposition teams are routinely raising their games.
"We kind of messed around with the game and they [the Rockets] had confidence throughout the night," said the 33-year-old.
"They're going to compete, they're playing the Lakers.
"As you guys can see, when they play the Lakers, people get up for those games... It's a thing for them."
The Lakers will now travel to the Washington Wizards on Friday as they look to prevent their season from unravelling further.
Sacramento Kings interim head coach Alvin Gentry admitted it is "hard to believe" Nikola Jokic will not be named NBA MVP again this season.
The comments came after the Serbian scored 38 points in a 106-100 win for the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, helping Michael Malone's men to their fourth consecutive victory.
The reigning MVP posted 32 points against the Golden State Warriors and 46 against the New Orleans Pelicans in the Nuggets' previous two outings. He is the first NBA player to average 35 or more points, 15 or more rebounds and 10 or more assists over a three-game run since Wilt Chamberlain did so between March 16-19, 1968.
After seeing Sacramento dominated by the 27-year-old, Gentry said he deserved a second consecutive MVP prize.
"That guy is just a different beast," he said post-game.
"He doesn't get shaken, he just does what he needs to do to win the game.
"He's just playing at such a high level, 46 points, 32 points, 38 tonight, he's just a different guy.
"Watching him play, it's hard to believe he won't be the MVP.
"He's playing at such a high level and does so many things on the court, I think he's one of those guys you could take and put on any team, and that team's going to be pretty successful."
Denver have now won 12 of their past 14 games, while Jokic fell just three assists short of registering a third consecutive triple-double.
His average of 25.9 points per game, meanwhile, is the ninth-strongest record among NBA players this season.
Jokic himself was pleased after recording another dominating performance in Sacramento but was keen to look ahead, with the Nuggets facing a rematch with the Warriors next on Thursday.
"Lately, we're playing really good, we're winning games," said the 27-year-old.
"Hopefully, it's going to continue."
The Phoenix Suns became the first team to secure a playoff spot with an impressive 111-90 defeat of the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
Devin Booker returned from a four-game absence to put up 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as the leaders of the West toppled the top side in the East.
The Suns, who are 53-13 for the season, have now beaten all other 29 teams in the same season for the first time since 2006-07.
"I told the guys it was one of the best defensive performances I've ever seen," said Suns coach Monty Williams after watching his team concede just 35 points in the second half. "I've been around for a little bit."
Duncan Robinson was top scorer for Miami with 22, who led by 11 in the early stages before falling to just their third defeat in 15 games.
"They were first to the ball a lot," said Robinson. "They were the aggressor. Unacceptable."
The Milwaukee Bucks are now two games behind the Heat at the top of the Eastern Conference after beating the Atlanta Hawks 124-115, with Giannis Antetokounmpo's double-double of 43 points and 12 rebounds firing them to a sixth-straight win.
Antetokounmpo finished 15-of-22 from the field to take his tally to 82 points in the space of 24 hours after his 39 in Tuesday's victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"The things he does are not normal," said team-mate Bobby Portis. "It's fun to be his team-mate and fun to play alongside him."
Rockets stun Lakers in overtime
The Los Angeles Lakers lost for the ninth time in a row on the road, going down 139-130 in overtime against the Houston Rockets.
A triple-double from LeBron James and 30 points from Russell Westbrook were not enough as rookie Jalen Green hit a career-high 32 points for the Rockets.
"We have a really small margin of error this season and teams are making us pay," said James, whose run of consecutive 25-point games ended at 23. "I missed a lot of shots that I know I'm capable of making, have made throughout the course of the season and my career."
The Los Angeles Clippers snapped their two-game losing streak, beating the Washington Wizards 115-109, while the Utah Jazz improved to 41-24 with a comfortable 123-85 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Bulls back on track, Beasley sets record
The Chicago Bulls ended a run of five consecutive losses, DeMar DeRozan scoring 36 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, in a 114-108 win over the Detroit Pistons.
It was a day to remember for Malik Beasley, who set a franchise record for three-pointers in the Minnesota Timberwolves' win at home over the Thunder.
Beasley landed 11 of his 17 attempts from beyond the arc as Minnesota, seventh in the West, made it six wins in a row.
The Boston Celtics continued their recent good form with a 115-101 win at the Charlotte Hornets, while the New York Knicks pulled off a fifth-straight road win over the Dallas Mavericks, Julius Randle scoring 26 points in a 107-77 blowout.
Gregg Popovich will have to wait for his NBA record 1,336th regular-season win as coach, the San Antonio Spurs falling 119-104 at home to the Toronto Raptors.
There were also wins for the Orlando Magic, who topped the New Orleans Pelicans 108-102, and the Denver Nuggets, who beat the Sacramento Kings 106-100 thanks to a 38-point double-double from Nikola Jokic.
It is a return that calls for popcorn when the Brooklyn Nets head to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.
A month after leaving the Nets for the Sixers, James Harden will have the opportunity to face his former team and show them what might have been.
The 32-year-old's time in Brooklyn was underwhelming to say the least, but he has taken to life in Philadelphia like a duck to water, with the Sixers winning all five games in which he has featured so far.
His partnership with Joel Embiid in particular has thrived, with the Cameroonian putting up 43 points and Harden making 14 assists in Monday's win against the Chicago Bulls.
Harden insists he is calm ahead of meeting his former teammates, saying: "I'm not nervous. It's basketball.
"I put the work in to go out there and just play my game and live with the results. Honestly, every game is a big game for us. We're fairly new. We got championship aspirations so every game is a learning process for us no matter who we’re playing."
Meanwhile, another highly anticipated return won't quite be the same as Ben Simmons remains sidelined for the Nets but will reportedly be in attendance at Wells Fargo Center.
Another less discussed story will be Seth Curry, who has made an excellent start to life in Brooklyn since being a part of the trade that saw Harden and Simmons swap cities.
In 10 outings for the Nets, Curry has maintained his average of 15 points per game that he managed in 45 appearances with the Sixers this season, though he has gone three without reaching double figures so will want to put that right against his former team.
The Nets have lost four of their six clashes since the All-Star break and sit on an even record of 33-33, while the Sixers have won five of six in that time, and all three home games.
They have met three times already this season, of which Brooklyn have won two, though Philadelphia did come out on top in late December 110-102.
It promises to be a fun night in Philly, and whether it be cheering Harden or booing Simmons, Sixers fans will likely make themselves heard.
PIVOTAL PERFORMERS
Philadelphia 76ers – James Harden
I mean… who else?
It's not just because of the overwhelming amount of narrative involved. Harden has been a success story so far in Philly and will want to put on a show on this night of all nights.
Of course, as the league leader for points per game (29.7), Embiid will likely be the main man as usual, but with an average of 24.6 points per game since joining the Sixers and a big point to prove here, expect Harden to be at the centre of things either way.
Brooklyn Nets – Kyrie Irving
It's not very often that Irving isn't the centre of attention, but with the Harden/Simmons factor here you would think he might get a night away from the spotlight.
Then again, if his form is anything to go by, maybe not.
Irving hit 50 points in Tuesday's win against the Charlotte Hornets and is averaging 26.2 points per game for the season, albeit while still missing several games due to vaccination rules.
KEY BATTLES – Nets must rely on experience
The cliche is that sport is a young person's game, but Brooklyn will be hoping that isn't true.
The Nets have the fourth-oldest average age of active roster in the league, and the second-highest percentage of points scored by players over 33 years old (40.8 per cent).
The Sixers are not exactly kids themselves but do have the 10th most points scored in the league by players under the age of 23 (15.5 per cent), mostly thanks to impressive 21-year-old Tyrese Maxey, who is averaging 17.6 points per game this season.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
As mentioned, the Nets actually lead this season's head-to-head 2-1, although since the start of the 2016-17 season, the Sixers have won 14 and lost just eight of the 22 meetings between the two.
Klay Thompson realised a dream as he shared the court with Will Ferrell before the Golden State Warriors beat the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
Ferrell warmed up with the Warriors dressed in a Jackie Moon outfit from the film Semi-Pro that he starred in for the 2008 movie.
Five-time NBA All-Star Thompson never grew tired of watching the film during a long rehabilitation from major knee and Achilles surgeries.
Ferrell might be cast for another appearance at Chase Center after Golden State snapped a five-game losing streak with a commanding 112-97 victory.
Thompson, who scored 20 points and claimed five rebounds, dressed as Moon for Halloween three years ago and was pinching himself after Ferrell helped the Warriors stop the rot.
He said: "When I had some dark days, I would put that movie on, and it would make me smile. I'm very thankful for that film.''
He added: "That was so cool. Dreams do come true."
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr felt Ferrell's presence would lighten the mood after such a poor run.
"He actually emailed me a while back and I didn't believe it was him," Kerr said. "So, we exchanged a couple of emails and concocted a plan.
"You know he is a huge Klay Thompson fan, and he knows how much Klay loves dressing up as Jackie Moon, so it felt like a natural fit and it felt like the time to do it, too – make everyone laugh in a tough stretch in the season and he was great.
"He came into the locker room and made the guys laugh. Everybody loved seeing him and hearing from him. He's hilarious. It was just something different."
Warriors star Stephen Curry, who passed Chris Mullin for the most steals in the franchise's history, said of Ferrell's presence: "It was fun, and I'm glad we took advantage of it.
"I think we fed off the energy. I was actually surprised, his form, he actually had some good rotation on the ball, and endless energy. I don't know how."
Kevin Durant hailed Kyrie Irving's season-high 50-point performance in the Brooklyn Nets' 132-121 win over the Charlotte Hornets as a "masterclass".
Durant took a backseat as the Nets point guard hit nine three-pointers, shooting at 79 per cent from the floor, making 15-of-19.
Irving became one of 22 players in NBA history with five 50-point games, while he also became the second guard – behind Michal Jordan – in the league to have multiple 50-point games while shooting 75 per cent or better from the floor.
"Everything he does is pure. It looked so easy tonight," Durant told reporters after the game. "I seen [sic] it in his eyes to start the game.
"He wanted to play better last game, so he came out tonight and wanted to impact the game from the start. He led us all night. It was an incredible performance.
“Younger players should watch this game and learn what it takes to score at that level. That was just a masterclass."
Nets head coach Steve Nash added to the praise of Irving, labelling him an "incredible player".
"He's incredible. He's a career-highlight reel every night," Nash said. "We have a special player on our hands. Overall, he's an incredible player and shot creator."
The result lifts Brooklyn to a 33-33 record, sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference ahead of the final push for the playoffs, having won only four of their past 21 games.
Durant added: "It's always good to get a win. We definitely want to play better than we did in the second half.
"We know we're fighting for our lives every game to get into the playoffs or the play-in. It's good to get the W."
Kyrie Irving scored a season-high 50 points to help snap the Brooklyn Nets' four-game losing run with a 132-121 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.
Kevin Durant took a backseat to Irving's "master class", as the Nets point guard hit nine three-pointers, shooting at 79 percent from the floor, making 15-of-19.
Irving scored 30 points in the second half, with his Nets teammates contributing 33, helping them claim their fourth win from their past 21 games.
The 29-year-old became one of 22 players in NBA history with five 50-point games, along with becoming the second guard – behind Michal Jordan - in NBA history to have multiple 50-point games while shooting 75 percent or better from the floor.
Durant added 14 points with three rebounds and seven assists while Andre Drummond had 20 points with 14 rebounds.
Giannis stars as champions win fifth straight
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 39 points, shooting 13-of-19 including four-of-four from beyond the arc, as the Milwaukee Bucks crushed the Oklahoma City Thunder 142-115 for their fifth straight win. Khris Middleton added 25 points while Bobby Portis had 18 points with 14 rebounds.
Devin Booker was still out but the Phoenix Suns triumphed after a late Mikal Bridges block in a 102-99 win over the Orlando Magic. Deandre Ayton had 21 points with 19 rebounds for the Suns.
Ja Morant scored 24 points with eight rebounds and eight assists as the Memphis Grizzlies downed the New Orleans Pelicans 132-111, while Darius Garland became the fourth player in Cleveland Cavaliers history with 40 points and 10 assists in a game (41 and 13) as they won 127-124 over the Indiana Pacers.
Splash brothers shooting off
The Golden State Warriors' splash brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson only managed a combined three-of-15 from beyond the arc but they snapped their five-game skid with a 112-97 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Curry and Thompson finished with 15 and 20 points respectively, while Reggie Jackson struggled with two-of-14 shooting for the Clippers.
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