Coby White felt the Chicago Bulls had been due a good shooting night after he and Zach LaVine made NBA history against the New Orleans Pelicans.
In the Bulls' 129-116 success against the Pelicans on Wednesday, White and LaVine became the first team-mates in NBA history to each make at least eight three-pointers in the same game.
The pair combined for 76 points, the third time they have accumulated at least 75 together – only Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen have achieved that on more occasions (six) for Chicago.
LaVine was 17-of-25 from the field, including 9-of-14 from distance, as he racked up a season-high 46 points. White went 8-of-17 from beyond the arc for 30 points, with the Bulls shooting 59.3 per cent overall as they made a franchise record 25 three-pointers.
"We were due for a good team shooting night. We haven't been shooting the ball well as a team, especially at home, so it was time for a good team shooting night," said White.
"Everybody contributed and everybody came out locked in. We knew we let a couple games slip away. Tonight was a much-needed win for us, so we've got to come out and play big. Come out and compete and play the right game."
White shot over 50 per cent from the field for just the fourth time this season and is trying to ignore criticism from outside and focus on improving his on-court relationship with LaVine.
"I just stay the course. Basketball's filled with ups and downs. You're never gonna please everyone," said White.
"I'm still growing and I'm still learning and I know that. I've just got to be who I am, come out and play and block out all the noise – that's the most important thing."
He added of LaVine: "We're continuing to grow. We're continuing to get better, we're continuing to figure each other out playing together. This is the first time we're playing together this year, so we're continuing to grow. We both never get too high or low, we're more focused on the winning part."
LaVine, who also put up seven rebounds, four assists and one block, was not surprised by his performance and was pleased to see White getting hot too.
"That's big. I didn't know that," LaVine said when asked for his reaction to the historic performance from himself and White.
"We're explosive to be able to do that, two really good shooters. Obviously you're not gonna be able to hit shots like that throughout the whole entire game but I'm glad and very happy for Coby that he got back on track. He showed that confidence in him again.
"Coby's a very explosive scorer. Sometimes he's just got to go out there and play his game to get back in rhythm."
On his own display, he added: "I expect to do that. I put in the time and effort. It happens that way. You hit a couple, get hot. You wish it could happen every game. Obviously, it can't. But when you get in a zone, you want to stay in it."
LeBron James showed in the Los Angeles Lakers' latest overtime win against the Oklahoma City Thunder why he is likely to win this season's MVP award, according to head coach Frank Vogel.
The Lakers claimed a second straight overtime victory against the Thunder on Wednesday, having needed two additional five-minute periods to get past the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
It was the first time in franchise history the Lakers won three straight overtime games, with the last NBA team to achieve the feat being the Minnesota Timberwolves in January 2007.
James played at least 40 minutes in all three – he last played that much in three successive games in January 2017 – and became the first player aged 35 or older in NBA history to do that in a trio of consecutive overtime triumphs.
Despite his increased time on the floor, the four-time MVP showed no noticeable dip in production. In a total of 130 minutes across the three wins he had 86 points, 30 assists, 25 rebounds and eight steals. The last NBA player to reach those numbers over a three-win span in the regular season was Michael Jordan in January 1989.
The Lakers were without Anthony Davis for a second straight game and Vogel felt the leadership LeBron displayed offensively and defensively was evidence of why he is a frontrunner for the MVP award.
Asked if he was concerned by the minutes James had racked up, Vogel replied: "Of course, there's always concern but his body's been feeling good.
"These aren't scripted plans to go to overtime each night and get him up to 40 minutes, but he's gonna be there in those situations to win the game.
"We'll continue evaluating how he's feeling, his workload on a day-by-day basis and make decisions on a game-by-game basis.
"He made several defensive plays to be honest with you, he's really leading the charge taking a matchup of [Al] Horford on certain situations. That's what Bron does. Bron does it on both sides of the ball.
"That's why he's probably going to be this year's MVP; carrying the load offensively and quarterbacking the number one defense in the league and taking these tough assignments and making the plays down the stretch, so he's played terrific."
Vogel joked that James was getting rest after the game by being excused from media duty.
He added: "These are the toughest games to play, when you have a sub-.500 team that comes in with guys out. Everybody on their team is getting an opportunity. You've got an opportunity to be the go-to guy. We've seen that with a few different games.
"We've certainly got to be better, we're not making things easy on ourselves but at the end of the day we're doing enough to grind things out in the second half and do what we need to do to get that W. Happy to get three wins but certainly got to be better.
"We're not worried about being tired. We're a no excuse team."
Kyle Kuzma praised James mentality after he contributed 25 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals in the 114-113 success over the Thunder.
"You've heard it from him: being tired is just in your head," said Kuzma, who contributed 15 points and nine rebounds.
"If you put your mind to it, you don't really see yourself getting too tired and that's always been his mindset through his unbelievable career. That dude's a beast. If he says he's not tired, doesn't get tired, [then] he doesn't get tired."
Zach LaVine and Coby White proved unstoppable from downtown as the Chicago Bulls delivered a record-breaking display, while Luka Doncic's superb triple-double powered the Dallas Mavericks.
The Bulls exploded to post an all-time franchise best total of 25 three-pointers as Chicago halted the New Orleans Pelicans' four-match winning streak, 129-116, at the United Center.
LaVine delivered 20 points in the first quarter before going on to drop 46 in total, draining nine of his 14 three-point shots, while White added 30 points including eight of 17 buckets from distance.
The duo became the first team-mates in NBA history to each hit eight three-pointers in the same game as the Bulls came back from eight points down at the half to blow away the Pelicans.
The scorching-hot LaVine also became the first Chicago player to post 120 points in a three-game stretch since Michael Jordan in 1997 as the Bulls improved to 10-14.
Doncic posted his 32nd career triple-double as the Mavericks edged a nail-biting 118-117 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks to extend their winning streak to three.
The Slovenian star dropped 28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as Dallas trailed by nine at the start of the fourth quarter but finished strongly to close out the win and take their record to 12-14.
Atlanta's John Collins was the game's top scorer with 33 points, while Trae Young notched 25 points and 15 assists, but the Hawks could not find the decisive play in a wild final 90 seconds.
Giannis produces fireworks but Suns claim comeback win
The Phoenix Suns kept their momentum rolling, claiming a fourth straight win by edging Milwaukee 125-124 after coming back from 16 points down, but Giannis Antetokounmpo exploded for the Bucks.
The two-time NBA MVP carried his team on his shoulders, scoring a season-high 47 points and claiming 11 rebounds and five assists. Antetokounmpo almost snatched a remarkable victory but his buzzer-beater bounced back off the rim.
Indiana off the pace against Brooklyn
Malcolm Brogdon had a day to forget as the Indiana Pacers were held under 100 points, falling to their fourth straight defeat, in a 104-94 reverse against the Brooklyn Nets.
The Indiana guard had a 29.4 per cent field-goal success rate, scoring five of his 17 attempts, as the 12-13 Pacers could not match Kyrie Irving and James Harden's high-power offense.
LeBron sets up Matthews for key bucket
With less than a minute remaining in overtime and the Los Angeles Lakers level against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Wesley Matthews came up clutch.
LeBron James drove towards the paint in heavy traffic, before flipping the ball out right for Matthews to sink the key three-pointer.
The Lakers clinched a 114-113 overtime victory to improve to 20-6.
Wednesday's results
Toronto Raptors 137-115 Washington Wizards
Dallas Mavericks 118-117 Atlanta Hawks
Los Angeles Clippers 119-112 Minnesota Timberwolves
Memphis Grizzlies 130-114 Charlotte Hornets
Brooklyn Nets 104-94 Indiana Pacers
Chicago Bulls 129-116 New Orleans Pelicans
Denver Nuggets 133-95 Cleveland Cavaliers
Los Angeles Lakers 114-113 Oklahoma City Thunder
Phoenix Suns 125-124 Milwaukee Bucks
76ers at Trail Blazers
Led by the in-form Joel Embiid, the 18-7 Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers go on the road to face another team with a winning record, the 13-10 Portland Trail Blazers, on Thursday.
The NBA has said all teams will keep up the tradition of playing the United States national anthem before games, despite the Dallas Mavericks' decision not to.
ESPN reported on Tuesday that Mark Cuban, director and owner of the Mavs, had confirmed the team – who had not played the national anthem prior to any of their 13 pre-season or regular-season home games so far – would not resume the tradition.
Cuban declined to comment further but made the decision after consulting with NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
However, on Wednesday, the NBA issued a statement insisting teams will play the anthem before each home game.
"With NBA teams now in the process of welcoming fans back into their arenas, all teams will play the national anthem in keeping with longstanding league policy," a statement from NBA chief communications officer Mike Bass read.
The NBA's rulebook requires players to stand during the national anthem though it is not a policy which has been enforced by Silver, with players often choosing to take a knee during the anthem to protest social and racial injustice – something which Cuban has previously backed.
The NBA has said all teams will keep up the tradition of playing the United States national anthem before games, despite the Dallas Mavericks' decision not to.
ESPN reported on Tuesday that Mark Cuban, director and owner of the Mavs, had confirmed the team – who had not played the national anthem prior to any of their 13 pre-season or regular-season home games so far – would not resume the tradition.
Cuban declined to comment further but made the decision after consulting with NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
However, on Wednesday, the NBA issued a statement insisting teams will play the anthem before each home game.
"With NBA teams now in the process of welcoming fans back into their arenas, all teams will play the national anthem in keeping with longstanding league policy," a statement from NBA chief communications officer Mike Bass read.
The NBA's rulebook requires players to stand during the national anthem though it is not a policy which has been enforced by Silver, with players often choosing to take a knee during the anthem to protest social and racial injustice – something which Cuban has previously backed.
Kyrie Irving accepts the Brooklyn Nets "look very average" but insisted the rest of the NBA will be on notice when the team finally starts to click.
The Nets have assembled a star-studded cast with James Harden arriving last month to form an exciting 'Big 3' alongside Irving and Kevin Durant.
But since Harden's heralded arrival, the Nets have gone 7-6. Tuesday's disappointing 122-111 loss to the Detroit Pistons was their third in a row and they have a 14-12 record for the season, comfortably behind Eastern Conference rivals the Philadelphia 76ers (18-7) and the Milwaukee Bucks (16-8).
Defense has been a particular concern for the inconsistent Nets, a fact highlighted by the Pistons shooting 56 per cent from the field and 44.8 per cent from the beyond the arc.
Irving knows the Nets, who were without Durant against the Pistons, are not living up to expectations but remains confident they will get it right as the season progresses.
"I don't think that we go out every single day and sacrifice the time to be average at anything," Irving told reporters.
"We look very average, we have the talent that the eye test presents that we should be dominating. We have the experience in terms of some of our guys have been some through certain things, circumstances to be able to battle through.
"We're the team that is literally battling against so many odds that at this point it's not even a reason to continue to comment on. They are what they are.
"As a warrior that I am and the energy I have alongside my team-mates, we just have to turn that corner. We haven't done it yet but we will and I'm telling you the league is going to be on notice when that happens. We just have to take it by day by day."
The Nets have lost four of their past five outings, with three of those setbacks coming against teams who have losing records.
Irving acknowledges the Nets need to address the perception the team is not playing hard enough.
"I don't accept that, and I don't think our team accepts it as a whole, obviously we don't want that to be what teams think of us," he added.
"We're seeing it day in, day out where guys and teams are coming out and punching us in the mouth early and we're playing catch up.
"It happens to be against the guys with the least good records. We gotta call it for what it is, we gotta fix that. It takes maturity, accountability and a realisation of what we need to do moving forward."
Irving missed the previous loss to the Philadelphia 76ers due to an injury to his right index finger – an issue that is still troubling him.
"It sucks man," he said. "It's uncomfortable but at the same time I don't want to make excuses.
"I'm out there, I do a lot of treatment on it, we're down a few players obviously as well. You just want to go out there and compete and worry about the pain later. I'm doing the best I can."
Stephen Curry dazzled once again as he scored 32 points for the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, leading Steve Kerr to declare: "I don't think I've ever seen him look better".
Having missed the majority of the previous season due to injury, Curry has been outstanding upon his return. The guard is averaging 29.6 points per game despite playing restricted minutes following his long lay-off.
The San Antonio Spurs were the latest team unable to stop the two-time NBA MVP, who produced one particularly memorable play in the first quarter of his team's 114-91 triumph on the road.
Curry was fouled on a drive but, with his back to the basket, managed to flip the ball on target at the last moment, having appeared set at one moment to throw a pass out to a waiting team-mate.
For Golden State coach Kerr, it was another example of how the 32-year-old makes the seemingly impossible look easy.
"I think that's part of Steph's brilliance is that he just constantly amazes you to the point where you almost take it for granted," Kerr said after the win over the Spurs.
"I do think, and maybe it's circumstantial given the injuries and the fact that he's playing with a different group of guys, that this is the best I've ever seen him just from a confidence and a strength standpoint.
"That's saying something, obviously - a two-time MVP. I don't think I've ever seen him look better."
Draymond Green compared Curry's miracle shot to one produced by the great Michael Jordan, though the scorer himself insisted it was simply a case of reacting to the situation, having realised he had drawn the foul.
"It was a fun one," Curry said after the game. "I don't know the ranking, but it was up there, for sure.
"I had to improvise. I don't really even know how to explain it: I just had a good flow once I got the contact and heard the whistle. Just get it up on the glass however you can. All the wild and acrobatic shots you practice or tried, the instincts take over, so that was pretty cool."
Curry's performance - he went 11-for-20 shooting from the floor - helped put an end to the Spurs' three-game winning streak, while the Warriors improve to 13-12 on the season.
The result also saw Kerr reach a significant landmark in his coaching career, with this his 350th win.
"I worked my butt off over the offseason," Curry said. "I'm just happy to be playing. I feel strong. I feel in rhythm, in ultimate control of my game. Shots are falling.
"It all comes not only with my own confidence, but growing confidence in my team."
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