Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell was scathing in his criticism of officials after he was ejected in the thrilling 131-123 overtime defeat against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Mitchell stormed off the court and kicked a water cooler towards a security guard after he was tossed from Wednesday's showdown in Philadelphia, where the Eastern Conference-leading 76ers prevailed.
Utah's Mitchell picked up two technical fouls in overtime after 76ers All-Star Joel Embiid had forced OT with a game-tying three-pointer with 5.3 seconds remaining.
Level at 118-118 at the start of overtime, the 76ers went on to outscore NBA leaders the Jazz 13-5 in the additional period before Mitchell unleashed post-game.
"I'm never ever one to blame a ref, blame an official, but this is getting out of hand," Mitchell, who posted 33 points, said.
"There have been games like this we've one. Games we've lost. We're nice, we don't complain, we don't get frustrated, we fight through things.
"But the fact that we continuously get screwed in a way by this … It's getting f****** ridiculous."
Jazz head coach Quin Snyder added: "The challenge is when you don't get the whistles you want — and those things always happen — is to play through it and continue to compete.
"I thought we did that. Obviously, I heard Donovan's comments. Obviously, there's a level of frustration that he has, that we have, and that's something that presumably you can't control.
"But give Philly credit. Embiid hit a big shot. We were on him trying not to give up a three. And then we weren't able to close the other way and overtime got away from us. We just have to take a break, regroup and continue to compete."
The Jazz (27-9) have lost back-to-back games but still own the NBA's best record as they top the Western Conference heading into the All-Star break.
Philadelphia – riding a two-game winning streak – are half a game clear of the Brooklyn Nets in the east ahead of Sunday's All-Star Game in Atlanta.
LeBron James will miss the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, his first absence of the NBA season.
The Lakers fell to a 114-104 home loss against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, despite 38 points from James, who was an impressive 16-for-24 from the field.
Defending champions the Lakers have lost five of their past seven games as injuries begin to pile up.
James was listed as probable to play ahead of the Phoenix game with a left ankle sprain suffered earlier in the season.
He will now sit out of the second game of a back-to-back when the Lakers travel to take on the Kings.
After having a rest and receiving some treatment, it is still expected James will play in his 17th straight All-Star Game on Sunday.
With Anthony Davis already ruled out, Kyle Kuzma and Marc Gasol missed out against the Suns.
"We play so well the last two games, we get back into a rhythm, and then we find out [on the day of the game] that two of our big guns were out," James said after the game, per ESPN.
"It is definitely deflating, especially when you were playing poorly [losing four in a row] and then you get in a good rhythm [with two wins]."
Missing time will not sit well with James, who last month insisted he did not believe in rest amid calls for him to be given a breather to cope with a gruelling schedule.
Despite their recent struggles, the Lakers are third in the Western Conference at 24-12, just behind the Suns (23-11).
Lakers coach Frank Vogel added: "I'm happy with how we are competing.
"Our guys are giving great effort and great hustle and great fight. You understand there is a big picture here, and guys are keeping the big-picture mindset."
The surging Suns won despite an ejection for star shooting guard Devin Booker, who had 17 points before being removed in the third quarter.
Dario Saric had 21 points off the bench, 10 of those coming in the fourth quarter.
James, 36, is averaging 25.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game this season, his third with the Lakers.
All eyes in the NBA will be trained on Houston on Wednesday as the Rockets host James Harden and the Brooklyn Nets.
Harden was an outstanding player with the Rockets, winning the 2018 MVP award and twice reaching the Western Conference Finals, but he is unlikely to receive a warm welcome.
The nine-time All-Star decided in the offseason he wanted to leave Houston and worked to force a trade.
Although the Rockets initially resisted, a blockbuster deal was eventually agreed with the Nets, who pipped the Philadelphia 76ers to the signing.
Harden, slow by his lofty standards in the first eight games of the season in Houston, has rediscovered his best form in the NBA's newest 'big three' with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
Both the player and his former team, struggling badly at 11-22, will be determined to come out on top in this first meeting since they parted ways.
TOP PERFORMERS
Houston Rockets - John Wall
Even with Harden's numbers declining at the start of 2020-21, no Houston player has been able to match the 24.8 points he scored on average across those eight games.
Christian Wood (22.0) has come closest, yet an ankle injury has limited him to just 17 games. The Rockets have lost 12 in a row since he went down a month ago.
So, Wall, who missed the entirety of the Washington Wizards' 2019-20 campaign with a torn ACL, has had to step into the breach.
Although Houston's form is awful, Wall at least comes into this clash on somewhat of a roll, playing 10 straight games and scoring 32 points last time out against the Cleveland Cavaliers, his best return since December 2018.
Brooklyn Nets - James Harden
Wall is not alone in being asked to do some heavy lifting, as Harden, the third man signed to the 'big three', has operated without either Irving or Durant due to injuries at times in the early stages of his Brooklyn career.
He has done so admirably, however, averaging 25.3 points, 11.3 assists and 8.7 rebounds since leaving the Rockets.
With Irving returning following a back issue against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, Harden scaled new heights, becoming the first player to post 30 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in a game without a single turnover since individual turnovers were first tracked in 1977-78.
It was his seventh triple-double of the season already, a mark he only once passed in Houston colours (22 in 2016-17).
KEY BATTLE - CAN HOUSTON GET TO HARDEN?
Irving claimed after the Spurs game there would be "no animosity" and "no tension" in Houston "on the court or about James in my presence or anybody else's presence". That seemed optimistic.
Harden's parting shot at the Rockets, where he claimed to "have done everything that I can", prompted angry responses from Wall and the since-waived DeMarcus Cousins.
Given Wall and Cousins had each been team-mates of Harden for only eight games, it stands to reason that some of his long-standing colleagues might have been even more frustrated.
With the Nets a far superior outfit to the Rockets, the conversation around Harden on the court might prove as interesting as any matchup. The Brooklyn man will have to handle the heat.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Rockets have had the better of this series, boasting a 64-32 regular-season record, most recently winning in December 2019 when lifted by 44 points from Harden.
The 31-year-old has a 14-15 record against the Oklahoma City Thunder, his only other former team, averaging 28.2 points.
In Harden's three years with OKC, he was 6-6 against Houston.
James Harden is hopeful he will feel the love on his return to face the Houston Rockets for the first time with the Brooklyn Nets.
The Rockets (11-22) host Harden and the Nets at Toyota Center on Wednesday as they attempt to halt a miserable 12-game losing streak.
Last month Harden apologised for the "drama" surrounding his exit from the Rockets and wished his trade to the Nets could have been a smoother process.
Former NBA MVP Harden moved to the Nets after playing more than eight seasons with Houston and still feels part of the community, which he has been helping in the aftermath of the recent devastating storm in Texas.
"The love and the appreciation that I've given to that city and that I still give to that city, I'm hoping that the favour can be returned," Harden, who rejected a new contract with the Rockets last year, told ESPN.
"[I hope I will be] received with love.
"I thought I would never leave that franchise. I thought I was going to be in Houston, obviously, for the rest of my career.
"Things happened. I've got different goals, and I've seen a different vision for myself and my career and my family.
"It doesn't change the fact of how I feel about the city. But it just didn't go as well - as smooth - as I planned."
Perhaps reflecting on J.J. Watt's recent exit from the Houston Texans in the NFL, Harden added: "The communication between myself and the front office got a little shaky.
"And now I look back at it and I see these other scenarios, other situations that are happening, specifically around other players that are in Houston, in different sports.
"Their transition is going very smooth and I would've hoped for mine to go that smooth, but it didn't. I am where I am now.
"I feel like I'm a part of the community. Me now being in Brooklyn, it hasn't changed the way I feel about that city and everything it's done for me.
"So whether it's trying to feed as many people as I can, get water, as much water as I can to the people that need it."
As Houston struggle, the Nets are at 23-13 after winning nine of their last 10, with Harden recording 30 points, 15 assists and 14 rebounds in a dramatic overtime win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.
Star trio Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have only played seven games together so far.
"I'm just excited for us, as a whole, to be able to play as many games as we can together because the potential that we have is very, very scary," Harden added.
"We're still just doing whatever it takes to come away with wins. The potential is going to be scarier when [Durant] gets back. But for right now, we're holding it down, and we're coming together as a team."
LeBron James' performance was not enough as defending NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers lost 114-104 at home to the Phoenix Suns.
James posted a game-high 38 points, but the Lakers still went down to the Suns, who ended the team's run of back-to-back wins on Tuesday.
The Lakers had won 10 of their last 12 games against Phoenix – including sweeping the season series 3-0 last term – but a season-high 21 points from Dario Saric off the bench gave the Suns a rare victory.
Aside from Dennis Schroder (17 points), Talen Horton-Tucker (16 points) and Markieff Morris (12 points), James did not have much support as the Lakers continue to play without injured star Anthony Davis.
With the result, Phoenix extended their winning streak to three games.
Beal makes franchise history, Jokic dominates
Bradley Beal became the fastest player to reach 1,000 points in a season in Washington Wizards history – his 31st game of the campaign, surpassing the 33-game record held by Gilbert Arenas (2006-07) and Bernard King (1990-91). Wizards star Beal had 23 points in Washington's 125-111 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis' Ja Morant went off for 35 points and 10 rebounds.
Nikola Jokic produced another masterclass to inspire the Denver Nuggets' 128-97 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks. Jokic put up 37 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his ninth triple-double of the season and 50th of his career – the third-fastest player to the half-century mark in NBA history. A 27-point performance from two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was not enough to prevent the Bucks from having their five-game winning streak snapped.
Paul George stepped up in the absence of injured team-mate Kawhi Leonard with a game-high 32 points, but the Los Angeles Clippers still lost 117-112 to the Boston Celtics.
Double-doubles from Trae Young (18 points and 10 assists) and Clint Capela (10 point and 17 rebounds) gave the Atlanta Hawks a 94-80 victory over the Miami Heat in Nate McMillan's debut as interim head coach following Lloyd Pierce's exit.
Heat fizzle out
It was a forgettable outing for the Heat in Miami. Their six-game winning streak ended abruptly on the back of a woeful shooting display. Miami shot just 37 per cent from the field, while they were only 27.3 per cent from three-point range. Tyler Herro was three-of-12 shooting as he converted just three of seven attempts from beyond the arc.
LeBron says no!
There was no way past James as he denied Phoenix's Deandre Ayton at the rim in the second quarter on Tuesday.
Tuesday's results
Memphis Grizzlies 125-111 Washington Wizards
Boston Celtics 117-112 Los Angeles Clippers
San Antonio Spurs 119-93 New York Knicks
Atlanta Hawks 94-80 Miami Heat
Denver Nuggets 128-97 Milwaukee Bucks
Phoenix Suns 114-104 Los Angeles Lakers
Detroit Pistons-Toronto Raptors (postponed)
Jazz at 76ers
The NBA-leading Utah Jazz (27-8) will travel to face Eastern Conference pacesetters the Philadelphia 76ers (23-12) in a blockbuster showdown on Wednesday. Both teams are coming off losses.
Joel Embiid felt he "dominated" Myles Turner once more as he boosted his Defensive Player of the Year hopes in the Philadelphia 76ers' win against the Indiana Pacers.
Embiid posted 24 points, five assists and 13 rebounds – all on the defensive end – as the Sixers raced to a 130-114 victory, improving to 23-12 at the top of the East.
It was a fourth defeat in a row for the Pacers and a punishing night for center Turner, who had promised to "step up to the challenge" of taking on MVP contender Embiid.
Turner is now 4-7 against Embiid in their career regular-season matchups, only once surpassing 11 points – his contribution on Monday – across those 11 games (25 points in March 2018).
By contrast, Embiid has averaged 28 points against the Pacers and enjoyed two of his 12 career 40-point games in meetings with Turner.
"He's a great player and I have a lot of respect for him," Embiid said of Turner, who joined the NBA the year before him.
"I say this respectfully: that's a matchup that I have dominated since I got to the league."
While Embiid looks to be going toe-to-toe with LeBron James for the MVP award, he says a DPOY challenge is also on the cards.
Rudy Gobert is widely considered the leading candidate for the outstanding Utah Jazz, topping the charts for defensive rebounds with 9.9 per game, Turner has been mooted as an alternative.
He has a sublime 3.4 blocks per game – well clear of second-placed Gobert's 2.8 – but could not live with Embiid, who averages 9.2 defensive rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals.
"[Turner] is a great defender," Embiid said. "He leads the league in blocks, he should be up there for Defensive Player of the Year, and that's also one of my goals.
"In those types of matchups, that's where you've got to take advantage. Especially if I have my eyes set on being the Defensive Player of the Year."
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