The Dallas Mavericks will be anxiously awaiting more information on Luka Doncic's heel injury after he was forced to exit Thursday's home win against the New Orleans Pelicans in the third quarter.

Doncic had 27 points in the first half as the Mavericks blew the doors off early, jumping ahead by 31 points halfway through the second period.

The 23-year-old, who has been selected for his fourth All-Star Game this season, scored four more points before taking an awkward fall when going up for a dunk.

He exited the game and did not return, and from that point on the Pelicans outscored the Mavericks 50-27, but Dallas were able to hold on for the 111-106 victory after a controversial referee mistake robbed New Orleans of a chance to shoot for the tie in the final seconds.

The Mavericks officially labelled Doncic's injury as a right heel contusion, and while head coach Jason Kidd did not sound too concerned about it being a long-term issue, he said they are not sure about the extent of the injury.

"We'll see how he feels tomorrow, and I'll have a better update to give you," he said.

Any missed games would be an issue for the 28-25 Mavericks, who rose up to fourth place in the Western Conference with the win, but sit only three games ahead of the 13th-placed Oklahoma City Thunder in a tightly bunched race.

Dallas are winless in the six games Doncic has missed this campaign, and third-year guard Josh Green explained what their issues are without him.

"It's Luka," he said. "It's different [without him].

"It took our team a while to get used to it [against the Pelicans] – we're used to having Luka bring the ball up at a slow pace, and they realised it too.

"They were trying to make us play like we still had Luka by doubling Spencer [Dinwiddie] and trying to make it a slower game, when the guys we had on the court were not made for a slow game.

"It's a game of pace when Luka is not out there, and we need to realise that… it's about bringing a faster pace and not just playing how we're used to."

For the Pelicans, it was their 10th loss in a row as they desperately await the return of All-Star starter Zion Williamson from his hamstring injury.

The Los Angeles Lakers trailed by 14 early in the fourth quarter before storming back to defeat the Indiana Pacers 112-111 on the road.

Los Angeles' defense let them down early on Thursday as they gave up 35 points in the first quarter and another 32 in the second, heading into the long break trailing 67-54.

The Lakers were finally able to hold the Pacers under 30 points in a 30-29 third frame, before their defense woke up in the final period and kept the home side to just 15.

The visiting team did not claim their first lead of the game until LeBron James drained a three-pointer to jump ahead 108-106 with 2:35 remaining, but a jump shot from rookie Andrew Nembhard put the Pacers up by one with under a minute to play.

With the game on the line, Anthony Davis drained a clutch post fadeaway over elite defensive center Myles Turner to retake the lead, and although the Lakers left the door open with a pair of missed free throws from Pat Beverley, Buddy Hield's potential game-winner was off the mark thanks to Beverley's smothering defense.

It was a gutsy comeback to give the Lakers their second win in a row, led by Davis' 31 points on 13-of-27 shooting with 14 rebounds and two blocks. 

Meanwhile, James was efficient with 26 points on 11-of-19 shooting, adding seven rebounds and seven assists. He is now 62 points away from tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring mark.

For the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton enjoyed a strong return from injury after three weeks on the sideline, leading his team in points (26) and assists (12) after being named to his first All-Star team earlier in the day.

Jokic toys with the Warriors

Reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic continued his march towards a three-peat as he dominated the Golden State Warriors in the Denver Nuggets' 134-117 triumph.

Jokic finished with 22 points on nine-of-13 shooting with 16 assists and 14 rebounds. Over his past 17 games, he has only finished with fewer than nine assists once, and no player is averaging more than his 11.9 assists over their past 15 games.

It was also another strong performance from Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, scoring 33 points on 12-of-23 shooting with eight assists and five rebounds. Over his past five outings, Murray is averaging 27.6 points and 7.2 assists.

The Nuggets sit four games clear atop the Western Conference at 36-16, while the 26-26 Warriors are ninth.

Mavericks hold on as Doncic leaves hurt

The Dallas Mavericks led the New Orleans Pelicans by 31 points during the second quarter, but ended up getting pushed all the way in a 111-106 victory.

Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic had 27 points in the first half, and made his way up to 31 early in the third period before he suffered a heel injury due to a hard fall, ending his night.

The Mavericks led by 28 when he exited the game, and from that point on the Pelicans closed the contest on a 50-27 run. They ultimately came up short after a controversial refereeing mistake in the final seconds robbed them of a chance to shoot for the tie.

It was the Pelicans' 10th loss in a row as they desperately await the return of Zion Williamson from his hamstring injury, while the Mavericks improved to fifth in the West at 28-25.

The Western Conference All-Star reserves included three first-time selections, headlined by Most Improved Player candidates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lauri Markkanen.

The reserves announcement on Thursday followed the starter reveal a week earlier, where Los Angeles Lakers megastar LeBron James was named captain of the West team.

He will be joined by Dallas Mavericks MVP candidate Luka Doncic, New Orleans Pelicans powerhouse Zion Williamson, reigning back-to-back MVP of the Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic, and Golden State Warriors icon Stephen Curry.

The Memphis Grizzlies are the only top-two team in either conference to not have a starter, but they will still send two players to All-Star Weekend with Ja Morant heading back for his second and Defensive Player of the Year favourite Jaren Jackson Jr earning his first appearance.

Jackson is leading the NBA with 3.3 blocks per game, while his 4.3 combined blocks and steals is well clear of the second-placed Nic Claxton (2.6 blocks, 0.7 steals) and Anthony Davis (2.0 blocks, 1.3 steals).

He is joined by fellow first-time selections Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Utah Jazz's key offseason trade acquisition Lauri Markkanen.

At 30.8 points per game, Gilgeous-Alexander sits fifth in the league, while boasting elite efficiency splits of 50.5 per cent from the field, 35.9 per cent from three and 91 per cent from the free throw line. He is also the only guard averaging at least one block per game (1.1), and is the only player in the league averaging at least 1.5 steals (1.7) and a block.

While Gilgeous-Alexander's trajectory had been pointing up, Markkanen's rise has been more of a surprise. 

Having never previously scored more than 18.7 points per game or shot better than 48 per cent from the field, the star of Finland's international team is now up to 24.9 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting 52.1 per cent from the field and a blistering 43.4 per cent from deep.

Also earning a spot in the West reserves was Los Angeles Clippers wing Paul George –  who leads all reserves this year with his eighth selection – as well as Portland Trail Blazers' all-time leading scorer Damian Lillard with his seventh.

The Sacramento Kings were campaigning for two All-Stars due to their impressive position third in the West, but they had to settle for just center Domantas Sabonis after point guard De'Aaron Fox was arguably the conference's biggest snub.

Fox is leading the team in scoring at 24.3 points per game and is also enjoying his first season shooting above 50 per cent from the field, while Sabonis is leading the league in rebounding at 12.4 per game to go with his 18.8 points (61.5 per cent shooting) and 7.1 assists.

Other than Jokic (10.0 assists per game), Sabonis is the only other interior player in the league averaging at least seven assists.

Former MVP James Harden and Atlanta Hawks franchise player Trae Young were among those to miss out on All-Star selection after the Eastern Conference reserves were announced on Thursday.

The starters had already been named a week ago, with Brooklyn Nets tandem Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant being joined by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell and Boston Celtics MVP candidate Jayson Tatum on the East team, captained by Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

After being a surprise omission from the starters, Philadelphia 76ers back-to-back MVP runner-up Joel Embiid headlined the reserves, where he will be joined by Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, New York Knicks big-man Julius Randle, Chicago Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan, Bucks point guard Jrue Holiday and Indiana Pacers rising star Tyrese Haliburton.

It is the sixth consecutive All-Star selection for Embiid, the sixth overall for DeRozan, while it will be the second time for Adebayo, Brown, Randle and Holiday – with Holiday having to wait 10 years between drinks after his first selection in 2013.

Haliburton was the only first-time All-Star in the East, and he had to beat out some serious names to earn the honour.

The Pacers point guard is averaging career-highs in points (20.2) and assists (10.2) after being traded from the Sacramento Kings at last season's trade deadline, while his 1.8 steals per game has him sitting fourth in the league.

His 10.2 assists per game trails only Harden (11.0), while Harden is also averaging more points (21.4), rebounds (6.4 to 4.0) and owns a superior record. Harden – who had made 10 consecutive All-Star Games prior to this season – is 23-11 in his 34 contests entering Thursday, while Haliburton's Pacers are 22-18 in his 40 appearances.

The 76ers are the only of the East's top-four teams to not send two players to All-Star Weekend.

Meanwhile, Young's Hawks also sit two places above the Pacers in the standings with a 26-26 record. With 27.0 points and 9.9 assists per game, Young joins Harden and back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic as the only players in the league averaging at least 21 points and nine assists.

James Harden has shrugged off any stress over his chances of making the All-Star Game, saying his numbers speak for themselves.

Harden had a double-double of 26 points and 10 assists as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Orlando Magic 105-94 on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old is a 10-time All-Star, but an 11th successive appearance in the mid-season exhibition game is not guaranteed.

Harden faces stiff competition from several other star names, including Sixers team-mate Joel Embiid, in the Eastern Conference to make the reserve list for the All-Star Game. There are seven spots available for each conference.

Yet Harden, who is averaging 21.4 points per game – Embiid, with 33.5, is the only Sixers player to boast more – 6.4 rebounds and 11 assists this season, believes he has done enough.

"If my name is called, great," Harden told reporters. "If not, there's bigger and better goals for the season.

"I'm not going to sit here and make a case. The numbers show it, our seed shows it."

The Sixers are third in the East with a 33-17 record, having won eight of their previous nine games.

Harden made three catch-and-shoot three-pointers against Orlando and was thrilled to thrive in an area where he has struggled.

"That's pretty exciting, I didn't want to do too much, just catch and shoot," he explained.

"You put the work in, I work on it every day. So opportunities are going to come whether it's Joel or dribble penetration."

Embiid added: "That's not something he was comfortable with, but he's gotten better over time and he's taking more and more.

"He needs to take more than he does, but it's a good step. He's getting better and he's knocking them down."

Embiid was marked tightly by the Magic's Franz Wagner, though still topped the scoring with 28 points, adding 11 rebounds and three assists.

"A really good young player," Embiid said of Wagner. "Obviously, you can tell he's competitive, as he kept attacking even though he was not getting the better of me.

"But I like him, a great talent and as a team, that's a pretty good team."

Sixers coach Doc Rivers, meanwhile, saw scope for improvement. 

"I didn't think we played great, but we played good enough to win," he said. "We'll take that."

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone and his staff will take charge of LeBron James' team in this season's All-Star Game.

The game will be played in Salt Lake City on February 19, with LeBron's team taking on a side headed up by Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.

A victory for the Portland Trail Blazers over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday ensured the Nuggets will top the Western Conference by the end of play on Sunday, two weeks before the game, meaning Malone's coaching staff are assured of their roles in the exhibition event.

It is the second time in his career that Malone will coach in the All-Star Game, after he oversaw a 178-164 victory for Team LeBron over Team Giannis in 2019. Joe Mazzulla, interim coach of the Boston Celtics, is to take charge of Team Giannis.

The Nuggets still have eight games to play before the All-Star break, however, starting with a clash against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, and Malone warned against any complacency.

He said: "I say it every year and I told our players this. There's some teams that are dying for the All-Star break and can't wait to go to Cancun.

"No, we are keeping our eyes on the prize and we have to make sure we play all the way to the break."

Nuggets star Nikola Jokic has been selected as a starter, though the two-time reigning NBA MVP might not be coached by Malone, who will have to wait until the day of the game to find out his full roster when James drafts his side.

Boston Celtics' Robert Williams says team-mates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are using last year's close call as motivation to win the NBA Championship this time around.

Tatum and Brown were scintillating as the Celtics cruised to an emphatic 139-96 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.

The duo became the first team-mates in franchise history to each make seven three-pointers in the same game, doing so in just three quarters, while Tatum's plus-42 heading into halftime saw him better Kevin Garnett's Celtics record for a single-half plus/minus.

Tatum finished with a game-leading 31 points as well as nine rebounds and four assists, while Brown had 26 points, three assists and three rebounds. It was the eighth time this campaign that the pair have each accumulated 25 points or more.

Williams added a useful 16 points and nine rebounds from just 19 minutes of action, and he said Tatum and Brown are "carrying the team" as they look to make amends for last year's NBA Finals defeat to the Golden State Warriors.

"They take all criticism. They take all the 'he said, she said'," Williams said.

"But I love how they've been responding. Feel like they're hungry, really. You know what I'm saying? Still p***** about last year."

Only Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks (1,538) has more points on the board than Tatum's 1,493 this season, while the latter's 31.1 points per game average is a career-best.

Tatum, for his part, feels the sustained level of performance from Brown and himself has been overdue as he noted "it's not done" until the Celtics clinch their first championship since 2008.

He told reporters: "It's been a long time coming. We've had our good times and not-so-good times, but I think those are just growing pains.

"We were just 19-year-old kids that came into the league hungry and trying to help our team win. We've had to learn how to play in this league, learn how to play with each other, learn how to lead the team.

"I feel like we're still a long way ultimately from where exactly we want to be, but we've made amazing strides from the beginning.

"You can tell we were ready to go from the jump. We've still got a long way to go. It's not done until we win a championship."

It was the first time in franchise history that Boston, who top the Eastern Conference with a league-best 37-15 record, outscored their opponent by at least 30 points in the first quarter, in which they scored 46 points before going on to record their biggest victory of the season.

Nets star Kyrie Irving, whose 20 points was a team-high for Brooklyn, felt there was little his side could do as they slumped to their heaviest loss since a 44-point defeat to the Portland Trail Blazers in February 2014.

"It's clear as day that they want to win the championship, and they're not wasting any time in the regular season," Irving said. "Tonight I felt like we were just one of those teams in the way, and you know, we just can't be one of those teams in the way.

"We've got to be one of those teams that stands up to them and at least shows them that we're going to be competition for them moving forward, which I believe we are. But we just didn't show it."

The Brooklyn Nets fell to their worst loss in nine years after a hugely one-sided first quarter teed the Boston Celtics up for a 139-96 win.

The Nets had lost their previous two games against the Celtics this year, but this was by some margin the worst of the lot.

A 43-point loss was the Nets' heaviest since losing by 44 against the Portland Trail Blazers in February 2014.

Brooklyn never gave themselves a chance after being outscored by 30 in the first quarter, shooting one of 12 from the field to start as shot after shot went in at the other end.

The Nets' 23.1 per cent three-point shooting over the game stood in stark contrast to the Celtics' 48.1 per cent as Jayson Tatum (31 points) and Jaylen Brown (26 points) made seven threes apiece.

The pair were the first Boston team-mates to each make seven threes in the same game in franchise history, and the huge lead even allowed them to sit the fourth quarter.

Former Celtic Kyrie Irving was one of seven from beyond the arc on his way to 20 points and a plus/minus of minus-31.

No let-up from Lillard

Another big performance from Damian Lillard saw Portland rally to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 122-112.

Lillard scored 42 points, including a stunning seven-point play early in the third quarter, along with his 10 assists and eight rebounds.

The point guard has now topped 30 points in five straight games as the Blazers have gone 4-1 and 11 of 13 games going back to early January.

Swift revenge for Sixers

The Philadelphia 76ers had suffered a shock loss in their previous game at home to the Orlando Magic two days earlier, but a rematch went according to plan.

Joel Embiid, the bright spot in that loss, was again influential with 28 points and 11 rebounds in a 105-94 win.

Markelle Fultz, Embiid's former Sixers team-mate, had celebrated victory on his first return to Philadelphia and again tried to lift the Magic in this loss, finishing with a team-high 18 points on seven-of-11 shooting.

Wednesday's game between the Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards has been postponed due to weather-related travel issues.

The Pistons have been unable to get back to Detroit after Monday's defeat at the Dallas Mavericks, with an ice storm leading to several flights out of Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport being cancelled in recent days.

A weather warning will remain in effect until at least Thursday, with ice also affecting roads.

The Pistons said in a statement: "We will provide further information on the new date and time once it is available."

Detroit sit bottom of the Eastern Conference with a record of 13-39, while the ninth-placed Wizards are on a six-game win streak, currently 24-26 overall for the season.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Thursday's game between the Mavericks and the New Orleans Pelicans is also in doubt due to the weather conditions.

Bobby Gray scored 45 points as Horizon successfully defended its title after thrashing Storm by 113-89 in the final of the Elite 1 Caribbean Basketball Winter League on Sunday at the National Arena in Kingston.

Meanwhile, Waves copped third place by delivering a similar thrashing to the Rivers who ended the competition without a victory from their eight games.

The final was competitive right up to two minutes before the end of the first quarter when Horizon went on a 10-2 run to open up a 12-point lead.

After that, it was basically one-way traffic as Horizon increased their lead in each subsequent quarter leading 59-47 and 83-68, before emphatically retaining their title.

Gray was named MVP but he was supported by Asaad Woods and Rasheed Maynard Woods who scored 18 and 17 points, respectively.

 Da'Rell Dominek scored 30 points and Jayrn Johnson 22 for the Storm, but could have done with a big game from their best player Brandon BDot Armstrong, who scored only six points in what was his worst game of the tournament.

"(I) feel pretty elated tonight. We had done it in the summer and this is the winter league and we are able to pull off another championship again,” said Horizon head coach Cleon Morgan.

“We came out tonight looked a little bit smoother even though we started off a little sloppy but regardless of that we picked up back the pace and we maintained the lead all the way till the end of the game."

Storm’s head coach, Oneil Brown, said his team did not play to win.

"Actually, a lot of us struggled. I think the guard play; Horizon had better guard play than us tonight,” he said.

“Their guards outscored us and you can see the score at the end. I am disappointed in my team. If it wasn't for Da'Rell we'd by down by 40 and the game would be long over but it has been a good season, ups and down and we looking forward for next year."

In the playoff for third, Waves came prepared to close out the championship with a win after narrowly missing out on a place in the final.

They dominated Rivers in every quarter and category - three-pointers, blocks, free throws and defense. They led 30-12, 52-33, 82-67 before closing out the victory 110-86.

Lushane Wilson scored 27 points and Cameron Burhannon 26 points for Waves while Ricky Shuford had a game-high 35 points and the dependable Anthony Ottleym 14, for Rivers.

"It was a good game but it was one of the toughest games of the season for us mentally. I am really proud of the guys because I was worried,” said Waves coach Rohan Robinson afterwards.

“They said they wanted to finish it off strong, they’re not going out like losers. They are looking forward again to the next tournament in the summer."

After leading Rivers to yet another disappointing loss, Ludlow Barker hopes to get another chance at coaching in the league.

"I think if we going to have the rosters and we can select some more of the players then. If we can choose the kind of team we need then we will get a chance but if you have to play with those you are given then you have to work with it," he said.

League owner Wayne Dawkins was pleased with the tournament stating that the league was here to stay.

"The level of talent we were able to attract down here was extremely high,” he said.

“Our coaching staff did a phenomenal job, our table staff and everybody else, because we really have to get that down in order to be able to scale and grow this thing and so that I was very pleased with."

Khris Middleton is unconcerned by his bench role after his best game of 2023 during the Milwaukee Bucks' win over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.

The small forward posted 18 points, three rebounds and three assists to help his side pull away in the third quarter en route to a 124-115 victory.

Having struggled with soreness in his right knee that led him to missing 18 games, the three-time All-Star has worked his way back in recent weeks.

After delivering the best performance of his latest comeback spell, Middleton stressed he remains untroubled by performing a role that requires him to come off the sidelines.

"I started my career coming off the bench, so it doesn't really bother me at all," he said. "I've been on the bench before, not playing games.

"Sometimes, [I am] coming in [the] first quarter, [the] second quarter or not until the second half. I just know I have to stay ready and have to be loose.

"Right now, I'm trying to be as aggressive as I can. I know it sounds simple, but that's just the mindset I'm trying to come up with, especially with my limited minutes.

"Hopefully as my minutes keep going [up], I keep the same mindset, because it's been working."

Middleton featured for 20 minutes as team-mate Giannis Antetokounmpo guided the Bucks to victory with 34 points and 18 rebounds.

They next play the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday and then the Miami Heat two days later in a double home stand.

LeBron James is completely relaxed about breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record NBA points total after moving another step closer during the Los Angeles Lakers' 129-123 win over the New York Knicks.

James played a starring role on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, becoming the first 38-year-old to ever record a 20-point triple-double as he finished with 28 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

Those 10 assists saw him overtake Steve Nash on the all-time leaderboard for NBA assists, with James now fourth on 10,336.

He remains 908 behind still-active Chris Paul in third, but the record that all eyes are on is overall points.

James' 28 here leaves him 88 off Abdul-Jabbar's record (38,387), meaning he is likely to surpass to his fellow Lakers great either on Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans, or three days later against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Some athletes might get nervous when approaching such a milestone, but James is utterly at ease with the situation due to it essentially being a formality.

"It's not getting heavier," James said.

"I'm going to do it. I mean, it's just a matter of time when I'm going to do it.

"It's not heavy. I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be in this league for at least a few more years.

"I'm going to do it. It's not heavy at all."

There is also an element of anticipation from James' team-mates, with it set to be a momentous moment for everyone associated with the Lakers when he does break the record.

That is not lost on Anthony Davis.

"The team is very excited," he added. "It's probably going to be a surreal moment for all of us, but probably more so him... Obviously, whatever game it is, we want to be able to win the game."

But much of the focus around James on Tuesday related to his assists and overtaking Nash.

"It's amazing because that's just what I love to do and get my guys involved," James continued.

"Anytime you link with some of the greats – Mark Jackson played here, was drafted here by the Knicks, so it's a super cool thing. And obviously, we know when Nash was [in the league]; I played against him for many, many years. His ability to pass the ball was very uncanny."

Lakers coach Darvin Ham also paid tribute to James, saluting him for ignoring criticism about his game over the years and continuing to play true to himself.

"He's just a kid who's grown before our eyes. The last 20 years at this level, has done nothing but play the right way and make the play that's in front of him," Ham said.

"Regardless of how much he's been criticised for a while for not taking the last shots and the overpassing, he's just making the right plays. You saw that again tonight."

Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets will travel to Boston on Wednesday to take on the Celtics in a tantalising clash between Eastern Conference contenders.

The Celtics, at 36-15, currently boast the best record in the NBA, while the 31-19 Nets occupy the fourth seed. 

Fresh off a trip to the NBA Finals, Boston have looked like genuine contenders since the opening day, building an elite, championship-level statistical profile.

Almost without fail, the eventual champion will show signs of elite play on at least one side of the ball throughout the regular season. Last year's champions, the Golden State Warriors built their identity on a top-two defense; the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks had a top-five offense and top-10 defense; the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers owned the third-best defense.

This year's Celtics side are currently in the rare air of sitting top-five in both offensive and defensive efficiency, guided by two no-brainer All-Stars on the wing with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as well as reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and fellow All-Defensive selection Robert Williams III.

While games and series can often be decided by which team has the singular best player, the Celtics have been buoyed by the continued ascent of Tatum, who is now a legitimate MVP candidate.

This season the 24-year-old is averaging career-highs in points (31.1 per game), rebounds (8.7), assists (4.4), field goal makes (10.1) and attempts (21.8), three-point makes (3.3) and attempts (9.3), free throw makes (7.6) and attempts (8.8) – all while shooting his best field goal percentage (46.5) since his rookie season and a career-best 86.9 per cent from the free throw line.

The Celtics' elite record, profile and talent, combined with the fact they will be playing in front of their home fans will have them as favourites on Wednesday – but Irving and the Nets present a frisky opposition.

It is without question that the Nets have entered a mini tailspin since Kevin Durant suffered a knee injury against the Miami Heat on January 8. Brooklyn were 27-13 at the time but have won only four of their 10 games since.

Their ranks as the fifth-best offense and 10th-best defense for the season are both tumbling due to this past stretch, where both units have been the definition of mediocre, ranking 19th on offense and 18th defensively.

That is no fault of former Celtic Irving, who is enjoying a tremendous run of personal form. He has posted seven consecutive outings of at least 26 points and six assists, and after the Nets dropped their first four games of Durant's absence, they responded with four wins from their next six.

Also playing into Brooklyn's favour is the fact they are the NBA's second-best team away from home this season, while their 16-11 mark on the road is only bettered by the Celtics at 17-9.

Unfortunately for the Nets, Boston have also had little trouble at home. They own the fifth-best home record (19-6), and their overtime defeat against the New York Knicks on Thursday was their first loss at TD Garden since December 21.

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Boston Celtics – Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White

Simply put, with Durant out of action, the Nets only have one superstar on the offensive end, and the Celtics have the perfect player to make Irving's life miserable. Or at least they normally would.

Smart became the first guard to win Defensive Player of the Year since 'The Glove' Gary Payton back in the 1995-96 season, and his impact on Irving has been evident in recent matchups – but he will miss this fixture as he recovers from an ankle injury.

Malcolm Brogdon – one of the favourites for Sixth Man of the Year – will take his place as the top defensive guard in the line-up, with help from Derrick White, and together they will aim to pick up where Smart left off.

In his past four games against the Celtics, Irving has only reached 20 points once, finishing with the following shooting performances: four-of-19, eight-of-18, seven-of-21 and nine-of-24.

Brooklyn Nets – Bench shooters

While Irving is the obvious focal point and the engine that will make the Nets run, they will likely need one of their shooters off the bench to get hot.

In their win against the Lakers on Monday, second-year spark plug Cam Thomas and veteran Patty Mills scored 21 points each while combining to shoot eight-of-11 from long range. The previous game, a rivalry victory against the New York Knicks, the trio of Thomas, Edmond Sumner and Yuta Watanabe combined to hit six-of-six three-pointers.

Watanabe in particular could be a game-changer, as he is shooting 49 per cent from deep – the best figure in the league among players averaging at least one attempt per game.

KEY BATTLE – How will Brooklyn slow down the Boston wings?

As previously discussed, the Nets have been a top-10 defense this season, but they will definitely be without the seven-foot Durant, and will likely also be missing six-foot-10 former Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Ben Simmons and six-foot-eight T.J. Warren.

It leaves them woefully undermanned when it comes to defending the All-Star duo of Tatum and Brown, and while Tatum is the exact kind of matchup Brooklyn had in mind when they traded a first-round pick to Utah for Royce O'Neale, they will likely be stuck with Joe Harris on Brown.

Watanabe, at six-foot-eight, and perhaps even six-foot-nine veteran Markieff Morris will get a chance off the bench, but the rest of Brooklyn's perimeter options are simply too small.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Since the beginning of February 2022, the Celtics are undefeated in nine meetings against the Nets, including a clean 4-0 sweep in the first round of last season's playoffs.

Boston have won both head-to-head matchups this campaign by 11 points – one with Durant playing, and one with him out.

Marcus Smart was not going to let Boston Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla downplay his achievement after he and his staff were named as coaches for the All-Star Game's Team Giannis.

Mazzulla and his staff were selected for the honour after securing the Eastern Conference's best record through February 5, with their 36-15 mark one game ahead of Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets (35-16) in the race for the overall one seed.

It has been a remarkable rise from obscurity for 34-year-old Mazzulla – who is two years younger than his starting center Al Horford – having earned his first role in the NBA as an assistant to Brad Stevens back in 2019 after two years as head coach of division two college Fairmont State.

When Stevens was promoted by the Celtics to president of basketball operations, he retained Mazzulla while promoting Ime Udoka to his first NBA head coaching role.

Udoka's lone season in charge was a success, taking the Celtics all the way to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2010. He was suspended in the offseason after what was described as an "inappropriate, consensual relationship" with an employee.

Stevens showed no hesitation in naming another first-year head coach, and it has again proven to be a shrewd move, as Mazzulla has his side sitting top-five in both offensive and defensive efficiency.

When asked about the honour of coaching the All-Star Game, Mazzulla deflected credit to others in the organisation.

"It's more of a testament to the players and to the staff," he said. "The staff, as hard as they work on scouting and preparation and the relationships that they build with the players. 

"So it's a testament to the staff, and then the players have to play the games and they have to win. I'm blessed that we have guys that work at it and I appreciate their support for our staff and for our organisation. 

"But if they don't win the games and play as hard as they played, we’re not in this situation. So thank you to both of them."

Listening close by, Smart jumped in and made sure his coach received the praise he deserves.

"Oh, he’s definitely pumped about it," he said. "I mean, first time being a head coach and you go to coach the All-Star Game, I don’t see how you’d not be excited – but that’s just Joe. 

"He does a good job of hiding his enthusiasm for certain things and other times, he lets you know. 

"We’re just extremely proud of Joe for everything, and how him and the rest of this team and coaching staff have responded to everything we’ve been through this season. We tip our hat off to those guys."

Smart added that Mazzulla's willingness to share the credit is part of why this Celtics side are the juggernaut they have become.

"It’s just the humble mentality that we have," he said. "We got a lot of great guys, from coaches and players, that could sit here and boast about themselves, about everything they’ve accomplished and things like that, but that’s not us. 

"We love each other, and we let all the outside noise do the talking for us. But it definitely means something to Joe, and it means a lot to us for him to do it. 

"Joe’s been through a lot. He stepped into a situation that wasn’t ideal for anybody, and he strived and exceeded, I’m sure, a lot of expectations, so we’re happy for him."

LeBron James collected another pair of milestones as he made history in the Los Angeles Lakers' 129-123 overtime victory against the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

Playing on the road in Madison Square Garden, James became the first 38-year-old to ever record a 20-point triple-double, finishing with 28 points on 11-of-25 shooting, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

He also came into the contest eight assists away from overtaking Steve Nash for fourth-place on the all-time assist leaderboard, with James dishing assist number 10,336 early in the fourth period. 

James is 908 assists behind the still-active Chris Paul (11,246) – which would take him another 124 games to reach at his current career average of 7.3 per game – while he is 240 games at that pace away from the second-placed Jason Kidd (12,091).

Against the Knicks, the Lakers had to pull themselves off the canvas after their six-point lead with under two minutes left evaporated, as Jalen Brunson tied the game at 114-114 with 24 seconds on the clock.

But the Lakers had the answer this time, holding the Knicks scoreless for a near three-minute stretch in the five-minute extra period to pull away.

There were extremely encouraging signs for Los Angeles in the first game sporting their new-look starting five, with Anthony Davis making his first start since December 16, and his first alongside new trade acquisition Rui Hachimura.

Davis looked back to his best with 27 points (nine-of-16 shooting), nine rebounds and two steals, while Hachimura put together an efficient 19 points (eight-of-12) with nine rebounds and strong defense on Julius Randle.

With the win, the Lakers improved their record to 24-28, and sit just three games out of the Western Conference's six seed.

Kawhi dominates the Bulls on both ends

Any concerns about Kawhi Leonard's prime passing him by have been quashed after the latest standout performance from the two-time NBA Finals MVP.

Leonard was clearly the best player on the court in the Los Angeles Clippers' 108-103 road win against the Chicago Bulls, scoring a game-high 33 points (11-of-24) while also snatching a season-high five steals with two blocks.

It was the kind of performance that has earned the 31-year-old three First Team All-NBA and three NBA All-Defensive First Team selections, and it cancelled out one of the more well-rounded games of Zach LaVine's career.

LaVine grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds for the Bulls to go with 18 points (six-of-14) and eight assists, also adding a steal and a block.

Giannis overpowers the Hornets

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo continued to build a convincing case for his third MVP during his side's 124-115 home win against the Charlotte Hornets.

Antetokounmpo led both teams with 34 points and 18 rebounds, shooting a terrific 14-of-24 from the field and a more than respectable five-of-six from the free throw line.

Despite being on the losing side, Hornets franchise player LaMelo Ball produced a head-turning stat line with 27 points (10-of-26), 11 assists, 10 rebounds, three steals and three blocks.

The Bucks own the third-best record in the league at 34-17.