Sergio Scariolo made sure it was business as usual for the Toronto Raptors despite the absence of six coaches – and one key player – for the victory over the Houston Rockets.
Head coach Nick Nurse and five of his assistants were unable to be involved with the team for Friday's game due to health and safety protocols amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The Raptors also recently lost assistant Chris Finch – who has taken over as head coach at the Minnesota Timberwolves – from their staff, yet Scariolo smoothly stepped up to take on the lead role, despite receiving little notice about his unexpected promotion.
Nurse had a video call with his temporary replacement prior to the game, with Toronto going on to triumph 122-111 to move to 17-17 for the season.
"It was different, because everything happened so fast. We had to re-adjust tasks, timing, schedule, so we had to go a little bit on the fly," Scariolo explained to the media after the game.
"But the players did a great job, and the remaining coaches – the few guys left – were great. The guys who were not with us tonight did a great job also, in terms of the game preparation.
"Coach Nurse was always there – we had a Zoom call before the game. This is teamwork, basically. There is a guy who stays on the sidelines who makes so decisions, but within coach Nurse's philosophy this has always been about teamwork, about a group, so I felt pretty comfortable."
The Raptors - who are playing their home games this season in Florida due to travel restrictions in place during the global pandemic, were also without Pascal Siakam due to NBA protocols.
However, 30 points from Norm Powell and 25 and 20 respectively from backcourt duo Fred VanVleet and Kyle Lowry saw them overcome the Rockets.
It helped that Scariolo knows all about the responsibilities of taking charge, too. As well as working for the Raptors, the Italian is also the head coach of the Spanish national team, leading them to a silver medal at the London Olympics in 2012, followed four years later by bronze in Rio.
Having only just returned from international duty with Spain, the 59-year-old went through a period of quarantine before joining up again with the Raptors - a unique set of circumstances that allowed him to be available to cover for absent colleagues.
"I think this is a subject for a book, rather than an answer!" Scariolo told the media.
"I came back on Monday and was tested immediately after the trip from Poland, we had played there, played two games. Fortunately we won both, so it was worth the effort to go back and forth.
"I quarantined and got tested every day, then travelled to Miami by car by myself. I stayed totally separated from the coaches and the players. Then yesterday we had this situation coming out.
"I was working on preparing for this game as normal, then suddenly at night I got a few texts and realised things were going to change."
LeBron James helped the Los Angeles Lakers end their losing streak, while Jimmy Butler inspired the Miami Heat.
James' double-double of 28 points and 11 rebounds saw the Lakers snap their four-game losing run with a 102-93 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.
Dennis Schroder contributed 22 points, while Montrezl Harrell (17 points) and Alex Caruso (10) finished with double-digits off the bench.
Butler was in fine form as the Heat overcame the Utah Jazz, who have the best record in the NBA, 124-116.
He went 12-of-22 from the field for his 33 points, while also contributing 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Miami (16-17) had five players in double-figures for points, including Goran Dragic (26).
Donovan Mitchell finished with 30 points for Utah (26-7).
Green guides Warriors, Lowry shines
Draymond Green posted a triple-double of 11 points, 19 assists and 12 rebounds in the Golden State Warriors' 130-121 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Green was the first Warriors player to reach 19 assists since Baron Davis in 2008.
For the Hornets, Malik Monk had 25 points in 25 minutes, including five three-pointers. He has at least 20 points and four three-pointers off the bench in three consecutive games. The only other Charlotte reserve to do that in three-plus straight is Dell Curry (March 1995), as per Stats Perform.
Kyle Lowry did likewise for the Toronto Raptors, his 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists seeing them past the Houston Rockets 122-111.
Kemba Walker poured in 32 points as the Boston Celtics overcame the Indiana Pacers 118-112.
The Los Angeles Clippers thrashed the Memphis Grizzlies 119-99, with Kawhi Leonard (30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists) starring.
Rockets crash to another loss
The Rockets slumped to their 10th consecutive defeat with the loss to the Raptors. Victor Oladipo (27 points) and John Wall (21) combined for 48 points, but they went 18-of-42 from the field in total.
Brilliant Butler
Butler was in incredible form to get Miami past Utah.
Friday's results
Boston Celtics 118-112 Indiana Pacers
Toronto Raptors 122-111 Houston Rockets
Sacramento Kings 110-107 Detroit Pistons
Miami Heat 124-116 Utah Jazz
Phoenix Suns 106-97 Chicago Bulls
Los Angeles Clippers 119-99 Memphis Grizzlies
Oklahoma City Thunder 118-109 Atlanta Hawks
Golden State Warriors 130-121 Charlotte Hornets
Los Angeles Lakers 102-93 Portland Trail Blazers
Mavericks at Nets
The Brooklyn Nets (22-12) have won eight straight and will take on Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks (15-16) on Saturday.
Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis has replaced the injured Kevin Durant in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game.
Brooklyn Nets star Durant was ruled out as he deals with a hamstring strain.
Sabonis was called up in his place for the game, which will be played in Atlanta on March 7.
He is averaging 21.5 points, 11.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists for the Pacers this season, earning his second straight All-Star selection.
While Sabonis will be selected with the reserves, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum was added to the starter pool.
Kevin Durant will be out through the All-Star break, the Brooklyn Nets have revealed following recent scans on his injured left hamstring.
Durant has missed the Nets' last six games because of the issue, though his absence has not stopped Brooklyn from stretching their winning streak to eight games.
And the Nets revealed on Friday that he will not return until after the All-Star game, which will be held on March 8.
"After a routine follow-up MRI on his left hamstring, it was determined that Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant will require an additional recovery period that will result in him remaining out through the NBA All-Star break," a Nets statement read.
"The latest images provided a clearer picture of the hamstring and while we are confident that Durant will return at full strength, this extra recovery time will allow him to perform at the level at which he has been playing this season once he returns.
"Durant will continue to undergo rehabilitation and will be re-assessed following the break."
In the 19 games in which he has featured this season, Durant is averaging 29 points per game, his highest tally since his MVP season with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2013-14.
Durant is shooting 52.4 per cent from the field and 43.4 per cent from three-point range.
He will miss games with the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets. Brooklyn's first game back from the All-Star break is against the Boston Celtics on March 11.
Named an All-Star for the 11th time in his decorated career, Indiana Pacers star Domantas Sabonis is expected to replace him in the game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is prepared for "bumps in the road" as the Milwaukee Bucks build foundations they hope will help them succeed when it really matters.
Antetokounmpo scored 38 points - becoming the first Milwaukee player to have 35 or more in three straight games since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1973 - as the Bucks prevailed in a close encounter with the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday.
The victory makes it four in a row for Milwaukee, who had lost five on the spin prior to the start of their current winning run.
For the two-time MVP, however, the focus in the regular season is working out methods that will serve them well when it comes to the playoffs.
"We won in the two previous seasons, we know how to," Antetokounmpo told the media, with the Bucks now owning a 20-13 record after the 129-125 result against New Orleans.
"It's obviously a new group and we have to figure out how to win with this group, but we know how to win, know what it takes and how hard you have to go out there to win.
"There will be bumps in the road, for sure. This season is different. Being able to go on a five-game losing streak and then come out with a four-game winning streak - I don't remember the last time that happened.
"It's good, it's good that we learn how to play when we're down, when we're not feeling good about ourselves, when we think things are not working.
"This is when we get better. This is what is going to help us."
The Bucks have finished top in the East for the previous two years, winning a combined total of 116 games. However, they failed to get out of their Conference in the postseason on both occasions.
Antetokounmpo highlighted how, considering those issues in previous campaigns, there was a need to become more versatile.
"We are trying new things that we haven't done in the past," he said. "We are a team that can adjust, and it's good to have that habit that when things don't go the way you want them to, adjust and find a different way.
"I feel in previous seasons we had our own way - and it worked. Then, at the end, when it didn't work, we didn't have plan B, plan C.
"It's good that we are trying things out. Obviously, it's not going to always look great, at times it's going to be ugly. But we are learning. We are going to create good habits and, hopefully, when it matters, we are good to go."
Once again without guard Jrue Holiday, who missed out on going up against his former team due to health and safety protocols, Milwaukee saw Donte DiVincenzo have a career-high 24 points.
"He was really good tonight, he was calm and collected," Antetokounmpo said of DiVincenzo. "He was getting to his spots and making his right plays. He was aggressive, going downhill, finding guys. He was unbelievable.
"He's a big part of who we are. We need him every single night and he had an unbelievable game."
Kyrie Irving and James Harden combined for 47 points as the Brooklyn Nets proved irresistible in their 129-92 triumph against the Orlando Magic.
Irving led the way with 27 points and nine assists, shooting 11 of 18 from the field and Harden dropped five threes from his 10 attempts from downtown to power Brooklyn to an eighth straight win.
The All-Star duo were supported by Joe Harris, who sank four of six threes for 14 points, while Landry Shamet came off the bench to score 19 points, tying Harden with five from distance.
After the Magic opened up a 10-point lead during the first quarter, the Nets went 41-19 in the second quarter and never looked back, with Nikola Vucevic finishing with 28 points for Orlando.
Still waiting on Kevin Durant to return from a hamstring injury, the 22-12 Nets are second only to the Philadelphia 76ers (22-11) in the Eastern Conference.
Close on their tails are the third-placed Milwaukee Bucks, who beat the New Orleans Pelicans 129-125 to go 20-13, with Giannis Antetokounmpo (38 points) outshining Zion Williamson (34).
Beal and Westbrook chemistry continues for Wizards
The Washington Wizards made it a 3-1 road trip, following up on wins against the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers with a 112-110 victory against the Denver Nuggets.
The NBA's leading scorer Bradley Beal buried 33 points while Russell Westbrook made it three triple-doubles in five games with his 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
George comes up short for Clippers
Tyus Jones was the game's top scorer in the Memphis Grizzlies' 122-94 win against the Los Angeles Clippers despite only spending 15 minutes on court.
Jones was the only player in the game to make 20 points, as Clippers guard Paul George only dropped three of his 12 field-goal attempts for his 13 points.
Zion producing coast-to-coast
Williamson may have come out on the losing side but the 20-year-old not only matched Antetokounmpo almost blow-for-blow, but he also showcased some razor-sharp defensive skills.
Thursday's results
Philadelphia 76ers 111-97 Dallas Mavericks
New York Knicks 140-121 Sacramento Kings
Brooklyn Nets 129-92 Orlando Magic
Memphis Grizzlies 122-94 Los Angeles Clippers
Washington Wizards 112-110 Denver Nuggets
Milwaukee Bucks 129-125 New Orleans Pelicans
Jazz at Heat
The NBA-leading Utah Jazz looked untouchable during a blowout win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Miami Heat have also recently knocked off the defending champions and are on a four-win stretch.
Steve Nash believes the Brooklyn Nets' improvement has come thanks to their growing connection and better defense.
The Nets extended their winning streak to eight games with a 129-92 thrashing of the Orlando Magic in the NBA on Thursday.
Nash said the Nets' growth was down to their improved defense and connectivity.
"A big part of it is our group's bonding, they're growing together, they're starting to feel success and roles are shoring up and you can sense it out there," the Nets head coach told a news conference.
"They're having more fun, they're connected offensively and defensively, they have a lot more poise together, that collective experience while we're still a new group is starting to come through.
"That as much as the improvement defensively, understanding defensively and the fact that we realise defense is a weak spot for us, they're locked in, they're focused and for the most part they're working at their defense, so those two things for me are the most important."
Kyrie Irving top-scored for the Nets against Orlando with 27 points, while James Harden (20), Landry Shamet (19), Joe Harris (14), Bruce Brown Jr. (14) and Nicolas Claxton (10) also had double-digit points.
The Nets got past the Magic despite a slow start, recovering after being 27-17 behind in the first quarter.
"We just tightened up, we relaxed a little, started to find ourselves and most importantly we picked up our defense," Nash said.
"It was one of those nights where they couldn't make a shot after the first segment of the game, but at the same time I thought we handled business, increased our intensity and our decision making on defense improved and we were pretty solid."
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