LeBron James led the way as the Los Angeles Lakers returned to .500 with a hard-fought 108-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.
The four-time NBA MVP had 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals for the Lakers, who have won three of their past four games.
The Lakers had endured a rough period, losing six out of seven games, but are beginning to re-discover some form.
Russell Westbrook contributed 20 points with three rebounds and five assists but had nine turnovers, while Malik Monk added 22 points.
James also shot nine of 12 from the stripe, moving up to fourth on the all-time NBA free throws made list with 7,695, going past Oscar Robertson. Karl Malone, Moses Malone and Kobe Bryant are the players ahead of the 37-year-old.
Giddey breaks LaMelo's mark for youngest NBA triple-double
Oklahoma City Thunder's 19-year-old rookie Josh Giddey returned from COVID-19 protocols with a bang, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double, breaking LaMelo Ball's mark. Giddey had 17 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists but OKC were beaten 95-86 by the Dallas Mavericks, who had Luka Doncic return from protocols with a near-triple-double with 14 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.
Jaylen Brown scored a career-high 50 points, including 21 in the fourth quarter, in the Boston Celtics' 116-111 over-time win over the Orlando Magic. Brown also had 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
Devin Booker scored 24 points with seven rebounds and three assists as the Phoenix Suns improved to 28-8 after beating the Charlotte Hornets 133-99.
Wayward Heat burnt by Kings
Jimmy Butler shot nine of 22 from the field and only one of six from beyond the arc the Miami Heat were beaten by the Sacramento Kings 115-113. Tyler Herro was also eight of 23 from the field.
The Golden State Warriors are set to be bolstered by the return of Draymond Green after the All-Star forward cleared the NBA's health and safety protocols.
Green is eligible to play in Monday's home game against the Miami Heat having been sidelined since Christmas Day's win over the Phoenix Suns.
The 31-year-old entered protocols on December 27, missing the Warriors' past two games, including a narrow loss to the Denver Nuggets which led to him criticising the NBA's decision to postpone the reverse fixture.
The Warriors were set to face Denver in the second of a two-game showdown on Friday, but a coronavirus outbreak within Nuggets camp forced the game to be called off.
Green is averaging 8.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.4 steals per game this season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo declared his place in history will take care of itself as he closes in on matching Michael Jordan's NBA triple-double haul.
The Milwaukee Bucks star nudged ahead of Lakers great Elgin Baylor and up to 19th on the NBA all-time list as he tallied 35 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists in a 136-113 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Jordan Nwora weighed in with 23 points in 19 minutes, while Jrue Holiday grabbed 21 as the Bucks delivered a 400th career win for coach Mike Budenholzer.
Greek maestro Antetokounmpo takes pride in his achievements but says there is little time to stand still and appreciate where his career has taken him – because there is always another game around the corner.
He now has 27 triple-doubles, one shy of all-time great Jordan, who sits 18th on the list.
It was some way to start 2022 for the 27-year-old, who posted on Twitter: "New year, same me."
“To be honest with you, obviously we're so locked in and so focused on what we gotta do, that those moments go, not unnoticed – obviously it’s a great compliment to be with those guys – but you kind of brush it off and just focus on the next game which is Detroit," he said in a post-game news conference.
"But as I get older I gotta take a moment and live in the moment and enjoy this moment. Having 27 triple-doubles, it's insane. I remember getting my first one.
"It's been a long journey, and I've got a long way to go. I'll just keep enjoying every moment, and if you keep playing the right way, good things happen.
"I believe that as long as I am enjoying the game and live in the moment, I keep creating special moments. You've got to appreciate the moments but continue moving forward. That's what I've done my whole life and that's what I'm going to continue doing. It's been working."
He spoke of how his approach had brought rich reward, stating: "I'm just trying to stay aggressive. I feel I'm at my best when I'm aggressive.
"My mindset through the whole game is to be aggressive, make the right decisions, put my team in the right spot."
Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan wondered whether he was dreaming after hitting a buzzer-beating winning three-pointer for the second consecutive day.
After draining a last-gasp shot to lead the Bulls to glory over the Indiana Pacers on New Year's Eve, DeRozan was at it again on Saturday by nailing one from the left corner to earn the Bulls a 120-119 triumph over the Washington Wizards to extend their winning streak to seven.
According to Basketball Reference, DeRozan is the first player in NBA history to hit game-winning buzzer-beaters on consecutive days.
The big moment arrived when he took hold of Coby White's pass with a little over three seconds remaining, dribbled into the corner, faked the shot on rookie Corey Kispert, set his feet and drained the shot.
It was the culmination of another fine performance for DeRozan, who had 28 points, nine rebounds and five assists. He is averaging a league-high eight points on 53 per cent shooting in the fourth quarter this season.
"Just to hit a buzzer-beater in general is amazing, especially when you do it on the road," DeRozan said about his moment of glory.
"I don't know if I'm dreaming. If it's real right now.
"It's just an honour to be trusted in the fourth quarter. Whether things are going good or going bad, my team, team-mates always leaned on me to be that calm presence to bring us home.
"I always bring that calm presence as much as I can in the fourth quarter, letting guys understand, as long we got time we got a chance."
With the Brooklyn Nets having lost to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Bulls stand alone atop the Eastern Conference with a 24-10 record.
Their recent streak is even more impressive in the context of a spate of absentees, a situation that should be eased by the return from health and safety protocols for Lonzo Ball and Alfonzo McKinnie against the Orlando Magic on Monday.
The game will also see head coach Billy Donovan eligible to return from the protocols as well, and stand-in coach Chris Fleming is happy to hand back the reins.
"I'm quite relieved I can give this back to coach," Fleming said. "I was very fortunate enough to be able to experience this from the head coaching standpoint and see the guys from a little bit of a different side.
"I told them after that I was thankful for the partnership and how hard they poured themselves into making the situation a good one.
"That's pretty much how their character has been all season. They've been resilient, they've handled other blows and different guys have been out, and they've just kept chugging."
Stephen Curry said the Golden State Warriors' DNA "is built on chasing championships" as he set a new NBA three-pointer record in their hard-earned win over the Utah Jazz.
For the second road game in a row the Warriors produced when it mattered against a Western Conference rival.
Curry broke his own record for consecutive games with a three-pointer.along the way, surpassing the mark he set in 2016 by reaching 158 appearances in a row with at least one successful three. He finished this game with six three-pointers from 12 attempts.
Having defeated the second-placed Phoenix Suns on Christmas Day, Golden State rallied in the fourth quarter to earn a 123-116 triumph over Utah, with Curry putting up 28 points to go alongside nine assists as they moved to 28-7 for the season.
In what was a real team effort, Andrew Wiggins had 25 points, Otto Porter Jr finished with 20 to go with eight assists and seven rebounds, and Andre Iguodala had 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds off the bench including nailing a late three-pointer to ensure victory.
Reflecting on another big win, Curry said: "It's a good confidence builder to be in these types of settings on the road and get wins like this and show who we are.
"Our DNA is built on chasing championships, and you've got to win games like we have to get it done."
Wiggins, Iguodala and Porter all came up trumps alongside Curry during a final 10 minutes in which the Warriors missed only two shots.
Curry hailed the impact of his team-mates on the win.
"They're talented, and they're gamers, and they understand they're going to have to play like that for us to do special things this year," he added.
"The opportunity is there. It's just a matter of going through the reps."
The Warriors led by as many as 16 at one stage, but 41 points in the third quarter – the most the Warriors have given up in any quarter this season – helped the Jazz to a 91-86 lead.
But the visitors came back strongly again, scoring on seven consecutive plays in the fourth to regain the initiative.
"They did a great job of moving the ball, of getting up into us defensively and making us uncomfortable and controlled that third quarter," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
"But that requires a lot of energy too. That lead we had at half-time forced them to really get after it in that third quarter, and they did. But I thought we had more energy in the fourth as a result."
Kevin Durant has slammed his Brooklyn Nets teammates for "f****d-up attitude" after suffering a shock 120-116 defeat to the under-strength Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
The Clippers charged home in the final quarter, despite Durant's 28 points and nine rebounds, scoring 40-29 to claim the four-point win.
The defeat, with the Clippers missing star trio Kawhi Leonard (ACL), Nicolas Batum (ankle) and Paul George (elbow), left Durant furious with his side.
"We just relaxed too much," Durant said at the post-game news conference. "We get up 10 [points], miss a layup or turn the ball over, and they get a fast break, give up a three, straight-line drive - like coach [Steve Nash] said, we didn't deserve to win this game.
"We came in here with a f****d-up attitude. Thinking we were just going to walk into a W."
He added: "It's natural when a team is missing so many players. They're going through so much over there. [We] relaxed.
"You don't think you could lose an NBA game like this. They're missing how many guys? They're playing guys that are up from the G League.
"Xavier Moon came in and hit some shots for them. Keon Johnson, James Ennis - they all made an impact I felt on the game, and I think we came in too chill to start."
The Nets, who coughed up 15 turnovers, slip to a 23-11 record, while Eastern Conference contenders the Chicago Bulls (24-10) and the Milwaukee Bucks (25-13) both won on Saturday.
Nets head coach Steve Nash lamented his side's lack of "care factor", with the defeat coming two days after going down to the Philadelphia 76ers 110-102.
"I just think [conceding] 71 points in the second half is unacceptable," Nash said. "We just never really had the care factor.
"Turned it up, we had a chance up nine, 10, 11 in the third and fourth at different times and just took our foot off the gas and got what we deserved, really.
"All those guys in there, I think they know it, they're disappointed of course, but it's a disappointment for all of us - that was obviously a very winnable game that we let get away."
James Harden became the first player in Nets franchise history with back-to-back triple-doubles with 30 or more points, with 34 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists against the Clippers.
Kevin Durant has slammed his Brooklyn Nets teammates for "f****d-up attitude" after suffering a shock 120-116 defeat to the under-strength Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
The Clippers charged home in the final quarter, despite Durant's 28 points and nine rebounds, scoring 40-29 to claim the four-point win.
The defeat, with the Clippers missing star trio Kawhi Leonard (ACL), Nicolas Batum (ankle) and Paul George (elbow), left Durant furious with his side.
"We just relaxed too much," Durant said at the post-game news conference. "We get up 10 [points], miss a layup or turn the ball over, and they get a fast break, give up a three, straight-line drive - like coach [Steve Nash] said, we didn't deserve to win this game.
"We came in here with a f****d-up attitude. Thinking we were just going to walk into a W."
He added: "It's natural when a team is missing so many players. They're going through so much over there. [We] relaxed.
"You don't think you could lose an NBA game like this. They're missing how many guys? They're playing guys that are up from the G League.
"Xavier Moon came in and hit some shots for them. Keon Johnson, James Ennis - they all made an impact I felt on the game, and I think we came in too chill to start."
The Nets, who coughed up 15 turnovers, slip to a 23-11 record, while Eastern Conference contenders the Chicago Bulls (24-10) and the Milwaukee Bucks (25-13) both won on Saturday.
Nets head coach Steve Nash lamented his side's lack of "care factor", with the defeat coming two days after going down to the Philadelphia 76ers 110-102.
"I just think [conceding] 71 points in the second half is unacceptable," Nash said. "We just never really had the care factor.
"Turned it up, we had a chance up nine, 10, 11 in the third and fourth at different times and just took our foot off the gas and got what we deserved, really.
"All those guys in there, I think they know it, they're disappointed of course, but it's a disappointment for all of us - that was obviously a very winnable game that we let get away."
James Harden became the first player in Nets franchise history with back-to-back triple-doubles with 30 or more points, with 34 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists against the Clippers.
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