Kevin Durant hopes to use the Brooklyn Nets' upcoming road games with the Portland Trail Blazers and the Chicago Bulls as a chance to "build chemistry" with Kyrie Irving.
Irving was left off the Nets' initial roster for the 2021-22 season due to electing against receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
Seven-time NBA All-Star Irving is not eligible to play in home games due to New York City's vaccine mandate, but he would have been available for most road games.
The Nets reversed course last month by including the 29-year-old as a part-time player and named him in their line-up for Wednesday's win over the Indiana Pacers.
Still unable to play in home games, Irving will have a chance to get minutes under his belt when the Nets head to Portland and Chicago on Monday and Wednesday respectively.
And Durant, who scored 28 points in Sunday's 121-119 win against the San Antonio Spurs, is glad to have the chance to reignite his partnership with Irving.
"We're definitely a better team, a way better team with Irving," Durant said. "He's definitely going to give us a lift.
"I'm looking forward to it – a couple games on the road, an opportunity for us to build our chemistry. I'm looking forward to it."
Nets coach Steve Nash has previously said he is reluctant to overuse Irving on his return to the side, but the point guard is set to feature against Portland.
"We'll see," Nash said when asked about Irving's availability. "Typically, with a game under his belt he could play a little more [Monday], so that's definitely possible."
Irving played 32 minutes against the Pacers and scored 22 points – he averaged 26.9 from across 54 games in 2020-21.
The Nets' overtime win against San Antonio, having blown the lead late in regulation, was their first at Barclays Center in six games since December 16 and moved them to 25-13 for the season.
The Eastern Conference's second-placed side are playing catch-up owing to a run of rescheduled games, meaning a long flight from Portland to Chicago and back to New York again before Thursday.
Asked about the uniqueness of the situation, Nash said: "I can't remember all the back-to-backs I ever played in but I don't remember any six-hour flights in between.
"So it's different, but we've got to take it as an opportunity, an opportunity to succeed under adversity and this moment where we're trying to find ourselves again.
"We have a tough back-to-back, so let's embrace it. Let's see if we can win both, and if we can win both, or at least play well in both, maybe that gives us a spark."
LeBron James could not help but admire Ja Morant's astonishing block for the Memphis Grizzlies in their 127-119 defeat of the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
James top-scored with 35 points and added seven assists for the Lakers, taking him above Oscar Robertson (9,887) for the seventh most in NBA history.
But his efforts was ultimately relegated to a mere footnote afterwards, with Morant attracting headlines and acclaim for his Michael Jordan-esque block on Avery Bradley in the first quarter.
Morant had been robbed by Bradley at the other end but the 22-year-old All-Star contender darted back and came out from behind his rival to smash the ball off the glass with both hands following a lay-up attempt.
He was not going to be modest about it, saying after the game: "I just got back and made an incredible play.
"I was just trying to gather the ball. Most of the time on a break like that, if you block it, they might have a player trailing to get the ball and lay it up.
"It worked out perfect for me. Now I'm probably all over the internet for it."
Indeed he was, and among those applauding his efforts was James, clearly impressed even if the incident was to the Lakers' detriment.
"It starts with timing and also just stalking your prey," James said. "And that's exactly what Ja was doing that whole play, and I saw it happen.
"I didn't know he was going to do it in that fashion, but they got rockets in his calf muscles. It was just a spectacular play."
Russell Westbrook was less willing to dish out praise, though, producing a typically curt response.
"It was a block," he said.
But Jaren Jackson Jr. was not having that, lauding it as arguably the greatest such intervention he had seen in basketball.
"That's probably the best block I've ever seen live, probably the best block I've ever seen, period," he said.
"That was crazy. I knew he was going to do it, too, because he always loads up right before."
Victory saw the Grizzlies improve to 28-14, giving them the fourth-best record in the Western Conference.
It also ensured they set a new franchise record of nine successive wins, having previously racked up eight in a row on four separate occasions.
Klay Thompson marked his return from a two and a half year absence with 17 points as the Golden State Warriors saw off the Cleveland Cavaliers 96-82 on Sunday.
The 31-year-old, who had missed 941 days rehabbing from a torn ACL and ruptured Achilles tendon, was 7 of 18 from the field and 3 of 8 from three-point range.
Thompson also added three rebounds, an assist and a steal in 20 minutes, earning a rousing reception as he left the court
"I was just happy to be out there doing what I love again and getting my rhythm back," Thompson said. "It feels really good... It was surreal.
"The ovation to start the game, I just was so grateful for these fans. It was special. I'm never going to forget this night."
With his impressive comeback display, Thompson reached 12,000 career points and 1,800 made three-pointers.
Red-hot Grizzlies set franchise record
The Memphis Grizzlies soared to new heights by beating the Los Angeles Lakers 127-119 as they won nine successive games for the first time in franchise history.
The Lakers had won four in a row ahead of the contest but could not live with their opponents, who had previously won eight in a row in 2004, 2012, 2013 and 2015.
Desmond Bane had 23 points and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21, though it was a breathtaking block from Ja Morant to deny Avery Bradley that stole the show.
While it was a disappointing occasion for the Lakers, LeBron James scored 35 points – 23 of those arriving in the first half – and added seven assists.
That saw James move to 9,888 career assists in NBA and pass Oscar Robertson (9,887) for the seventh-most in history.
Mavericks halt Bulls' winning run
The Chicago Bulls' own nine-game winning run came to an end with a 113-99 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks, with Luka Doncic starring for the home side.
Doncic had 22 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists for his third triple-double of the campaign, while Josh Green and Maxi Kleber had season highs of 18 points each.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Kevin Durant scored 28 points for Brooklyn Nets in their 121-119 win against the San Antonio Spurs.
Cam Thomas made a runner in the lane with a little over a second to go in overtime as the Nets, who led by 10 with four minutes to play, snapped a five game losing run at home.
Giannis Antetokounmpo extended his run of 30-point games to eight in a row but it was not enough as the Milwaukee Bucks lost 114-106 to the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.
The reigning NBA Finals MVP piled on 21 points in the final quarter to finish with 43 for the game as the Hornets held off the Bucks' charge, with Charlotte guard LaMelo Ball scoring 19 points, with nine rebounds and eight assists.
Antetokounmpo also recorded 12 rebounds and two blocks in a final all-round game for the Bucks, who were missing Jrue Holiday and head coach Mike Budenholzer due to the league's health and safety protocols.
Khris Middleton had a near triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, including shooting four triples.
The result means the reigning champions hold a 26-16 record having lost three of their past four games, while the Hornets are 21-19.
Sabonis silences Jazz, Brown triple-double
Domantas Sabonis piled on 42 points, making his first 10 shots of the game, as the Indiana Pacers won 125-113 over the Utah Jazz minus Rudy Gobert.
Jaylen Brown recorded his first career triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as the Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks 99-75.
Jaren Jackson Jr scored 26 points with eight rebounds and five blocks as the Memphis Grizzlies, without Ja Morant, improved to a 27-14 record with a 123-108 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Leaders cooled by Heat
Chris Paul was quiet with nine points, seven assists and four turnovers as the table-topping Phoenix Suns lost 123-100 to the Miami Heat. Devin Booker had 26 points but shot five of 15 from the field, while Tyler Herro scored 33 points off the bench for the Heat.
Klay Thompson will make his long-awaited comeback from injury when the Golden State Warriors play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday at Chase Center.
Thompson – a key part of Golden State's championship-winning teams in 2015, 2017 and 2018 – suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear during the Warriors' failed 'three-peat' attempt in 2019 and then injured his Achilles tendon during recovery.
He has been scrimmaging freely since the middle of November and was able to take part in a full-speed scrimmage with the team's starters in Denver last week when the Warriors' clash with the Nuggets was postponed.
On Saturday, the 31-year-old posted on Instagram a video from the 1996 movie Space Jam where Bill Murray's character returns to a basketball game, with Thompson writing: "How I'm pulling up to [Chase Center] tomorrow. Bill Murray is my spirit animal.
"I'm so excited to see y'all Dubnation. Let's get it!"
Thompson has not played since game six of the 2019 NBA Finals before suffering an Achilles injury in November 2020.
Since entering the league as the 11th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Thompson boasts a career average of 19.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, while shooting at 45.9 per cent from the field and 41.9 from three-point range.
The Warriors currently have the second-best record in the NBA (29-9), only behind the Phoenix Suns (30-8).
Kevin Durant has reiterated that he will not try and force or persuade Kyrie Irving to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Irving had been left off the Brooklyn Nets' initial roster for the 2021-22 season, as he had elected against receiving a vaccine.
New York City's vaccine mandate means the seven-time All-Star cannot play home games unless he gets vaccinated.
Irving would have been available to play most road games, though the Nets elected not to include him at all.
That changed when, due to a depleted roster caused by a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, Irving was recalled, and the point guard returned with a 22-point display in Wednesday's win over the Indiana Pacers.
Yet Irving could not feature on Friday as the Nets went down 121-109 at home to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Durant insisted the Nets must accept Irving's decision.
"I told him how important he is, how much I want him to play, play every game," Durant told reporters.
"But I'm not about to force somebody to get a vaccine, like that's not my thing. So he can play basketball? Nah, I'm not about to do that.
"We've had conversations about wanting him to be a part of the team and conversations about him being here full-time, but that's on his time. Whatever decision he want to make, he's going to make.
"It's on us to be professionals no matter what and do our jobs. All of us, from the owner down to the equipment manager, so whenever he ready, he'll be ready."
In Irving's absence, Durant and fellow star man James Harden delivered 29 and 16 points respectively for the Nets, but Milwaukee, inspired by Giannis Antetokounmpo's 31 points, had too much.
"I haven't even asked for an explanation," Durant continued. "It ain't my place I don't think. So I'm ready for whatever, that's been my whole mentality.
"It's a weird situation, who knows? I don't understand most of this s***. COVID, all of this stuff has been crazy."
Harden added: "It felt good honestly to have him back [on Wednesday]. It felt good. It felt like an extra life that we had.
"But we got to live with what we're dealt with, and that's home games we've got to figure ways and even road games.
"Just because Ky's on the road with us doesn't mean it's going to be easy for us as well. So we've got to mesh, we've got to find ways to win games."
Bucks talisman Antetokounmpo was asked whether his approach would be different.
"When it comes to basketball, I feel like I can talk to them," he replied. "I've got to let them make their decision. They're grown men and every situation is different.
"I cannot pressure somebody to do something that he doesn't feel comfortable doing. I can tell you why I did it. Why I felt comfortable doing it. To protect my family, to protect my mom and stuff, stay safe, and you just hope he understands that. But if he doesn't want to do it, I can't keep pressuring him."
Giannis Antetokounmpo registered a seventh successive 30-point game against the Brooklyn Nets as he propelled the Milwaukee Bucks to victory.
In the first meeting between these teams at the Barclays Center since last season's overtime win for the Bucks in the playoffs, Antetokounmpo stole the show on his return from a one-game illness absence.
Milwaukee lost to the Toronto Raptors without their talisman, a second straight defeat after a shock reverse to the Detroit Pistons, but the reigning NBA champions snapped that mini losing streak in style with a 121-109 triumph on Friday.
Antetokounmpo had 31 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. He went into the game having recorded 30 or more points and at least 10 rebounds in each of his previous six appearances against Brooklyn, including postseason meetings.
The Bucks were without several key players, including Jrue Holiday, and coach Mike Budenholzer due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols, but they just had too much in the form of Antetokounmpo, who was ably supported by Bobby Portis, who had a double-double of 25 points and 12 rebounds.
The Nets has snapped a three-game losing streak on Wednesday by beating the Indiana Pacers, with Kyrie Irving returning.
However, Irving was not available for this home game, as he cannot play in New York state due to not being vaccinated against COVID-19.
Kevin Durant scored 29 points and James Harden added 16, but the Bucks had too much as they moved onto 26-15 for the season, though the Nets remain ahead of Milwaukee in second place in the Eastern Conference.
LaVine leads the way as Bulls roll on
The Chicago Bulls top the East and their winning run was extended to nine games thanks to a 130-122 defeat of the Washington Wizards.
Zach LaVine had a game-leading 27 points, as the Bulls ended a run of three games in which they had won by five points or fewer.
The Bulls have now matched their longest winning streak since 2010-11, when Chicago won nine in a row to finish the regular season.
James and Jokic rampant
LeBron James led the Los Angeles Lakers to their first four-game winning run of the season as he scored 32 points against the Atlanta Hawks, adding eight rebounds and nine assists in a convincing 132-118 victory.
The Lakers are now 21-19 and sixth in the Western Conference, a place ahead of the Denver Nuggets, who had reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic reach 20 points for a seventh straight game in a 121-111 win over the Sacramento Kings.
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