Three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert has entered the NBA's health and safety protocols and will miss the Minnesota Timberwolves' game against the Houston Rockets on Saturday.

Gobert has twice previously tested positive for COVID-19, in January last year and in March 2020 when he was the first NBA player to do, following a now famous press conference.

The French center's positive COVID-19 test in March 2020 led to the NBA being halted.

Gobert played 30 minutes in Friday's 115-102 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks with an illness before the Timberwolves announced he had protocols on Saturday.

Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch was not concerned about the potential impact of Gobert playing on Friday to the rest of the roster.

There is no longer any mandatory quarantine period for players who enter the NBA's health and safety protocols.

Three-time All-Star Gobert, who moved to the Timberwolves from the Utah Jazz in the offseason, is averaging 12.6 points and 13.9 rebounds this season.

Indiana Pacers guard Chris Duarte will likely miss four-to-six weeks after sustaining a Grade 2 ankle sprain in Friday's 101-99 victory over the Miami Heat.

Duarte was coming off a career-high, 30-point performance in Monday's 116-109 road loss to the Brooklyn Nets before stepping on the foot of Heat guard Kyle Lowry in the first quarter on Friday.

Duarte was a second-team All-Rookie selection last season after the 13th overall pick in 2021 averaged 13.1 points per game, sixth-most among all first-year players in the NBA.

He has averaged 8.9 points in nine games, including five starts, this season for an Indiana team that has won three of four following a 1-4 start.

LeBron James has spoken out against former team-mate Kyrie Irving, making it clear he does not condone his behaviour.

The Brooklyn Nets point guard has been issued a five-game suspension by his team for posting a documentary featuring anti-semitic material on Twitter, and subsequently falling short of apologising until after he was banned.

Irving has been widely criticised for his actions, with Nike terminating their relationship with the 30-year-old, while his fellow Nets star Kevin Durant believes the entire process has been "unnecessary".

James, who has long been one of the NBA's vocal leaders on social issues, is disappointed with what he has seen from his former Cleveland Cavaliers team-mate.

"It's simple. Me, personally, I don't condone any hate to any kinds, any race, to Jewish communities, to black communities, to Asian communities. You guys know where I stand," he said after the Los Angeles Lakers' loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday.

"I believe what Kyrie did caused some harm to a lot of people. He has since, today, or was it yesterday, apologised. But he caused some harm, and I think it's unfortunate.

"I don't stand on the position to harm people when it comes to your voice or your platform or anything.

"So, it doesn't matter what colour your skin is, how tall you are, what position you're in. If you are promoting or soliciting or saying harmful things to any community that harm people, then I don't respect it. I don't condone it."

The Nets did not struggle in Irving's absence on Friday, as they claimed a 128-86 win over the Washington Wizards, overseen by interim coach Jacque Vaughn.

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham did not hold back when discussing his side's poor performance in their 130-116 loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday, calling their defense "inept at best".

The Jazz came out of the blocks on fire, putting up 40 points in the first quarter and another 35 in the second to lead 75-62 at halftime.

While the Lakers were able to muster a solid third period, winning the frame 33-25 and trimming the lead to 100-95 heading into the fourth quarter, they failed to keep that momentum up and gave up another 30 points in the last.

Utah's 130 points is the biggest score a team has put up against the Lakers this season, with no team managing more than the Golden State Warriors' total of 123 on opening night.

Speaking to the media after the loss, Ham said it was incredibly disappointing to see his team lose the momentum they have been trying to build as they entered the contest off back-to-back wins.

"We took a huge step backwards tonight," he said. "Giving up 75 points in the first half, giving them at least three 30-plus point quarters, we can't play like that.

"We were good during different small stretches, but the overall picture that was painted, by us defensively, sucks.

"That's got to be in your DNA, and it's a process to get it to be that way – where you want to defend at a high level night-in and night-out.

"It's not comfortable, but it's fun. It has to be fun, you have to enjoy getting stops and holding teams to one possession. Rebounding the ball, getting hits, whether you retrieve the ball or not.

"Just the little things of the game – keeping the ball in front of you, getting down in your stance, sprinting back in transition.

"Unfortunately we have a huge laundry list of things we can show them – that we're going to show them tomorrow.

"This is the first game where I felt like we really weren't there defensively."

When asked about any offensive struggles in the fourth quarter, Ham reinforced that this loss had nothing to do with that side of the ball.

"There's 60,000 points in our locker room, so I'm not worried about our offense," he said.

"We've got to defend. We scored enough points tonight to win a game, but our defense was inept at best."

One Lakers player who did perform well was Russell Westbrook, with the maligned former MVP actually drawing "M-V-P" chants from the home crowd at one point.

He finished with a team-high 26 points on nine-of-14 shooting, hitting three-of-five from long range while adding six assists and two steals, but he said the energy from his side was not there from the jump.

"They just started off playing a lot faster than us," he said. "[We were a] step slow, and it showed. We tried to pick it up in the second half, but we put ourselves in a bad position early."

The Lakers are now 2-6 through their first eight games, and will host the 7-1 Cleveland Cavaliers in their next fixture on Sunday.

Kevin Durant was excited by the style of basketball on display from his Brooklyn Nets in their 128-86 thumping of the Washington Wizards on Friday.

Durant, in the first game since Kyrie Irving's suspension, was at the center of everything the Nets were doing, finishing with team-highs in points (28), assists (11) and rebounds (nine).

As a team, the Nets dished out a season-high 32 assists, making it the first time they have eclipsed 29 in a game this season.

That unselfishness was at the forefront of Durant's mind when discussing the game during his on-court interview, saying his team felt confident in their game-plan and excelled in their execution of it.

"In shootaround we had some good sets that we drew up, and we knew some of that stuff would work against this team," he said. 

"We just stayed in it and moved the basketball all night – everybody touched it, everybody got into the paint – we were able to generate some good offense, and that's how we want to play moving forward.

"That's the name of the game, playing off each other and being able to compliment one another."

His starring performance was highlighted with an emphatic ankle-breaker as he crossed over Washington's Daniel Gafford, nearly making his defender do the splits.

"I really thought he slipped on some sweat there, so I can't take full credit for it," he said. "But I was glad it was able to get us some momentum and give me some space to do my thing. I'm glad I finished the shot too."

Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn also pointed to his side's team-first playing style when asked in his post-game interview what the key was to the blowout win.

"Offensively, the 32 assists really stand out," he said. "Guys were really moving the basketball.

"Kevin [Durant] was a hub for us tonight. He really put them in a tough bind of double-teaming him, then he was a willing passer, and he capitalised whenever he had the opportunities to."

On Durant's nasty crossover, Vaughn said his inner-fan may have come out in his reaction.

"I hope the camera wasn't on me, to be honest with you," he said. "I enjoy the game of basketball, and [Durant] is a special human being, a special player in this league. He enjoys the game of basketball, and he's fun to watch." 

The win leaves the Nets with a 3-6 record through nine games, although they have now won two of their past three.

Jayson Tatum's 36 points ended up being just enough for the Boston Celtics to overcome the Chicago Bulls 123-119 on Friday.

In front of Boston's home fans, the Celtics used a 37-26 second quarter to fight back from a sluggish start and take a 63-57 lead into the halftime break.

Chicago's DeMar DeRozan would try to will his side back into the contest in the third period, putting up 16 points in the quarter to trim the lead to 88-85 and set up a thrilling final term.

DeRozan added another 11 points in the fourth, going on to finish with a game-high 46 as he lived at the free throw line. He hit 13 of his 23 field goal attempts, and added another 20 points from his 22 free throw attempts.

Tatum put together his big game in a similar fashion, although he was less efficient from the field. He finished eight-of-23, but hit 17-of-20 from the free throw line, and had 11 points of his own in the final quarter to repel the Bulls' late charge.

Tatum's running-mate Jaylen Brown had a quieter game, scoring 16 points on six-of-14 shooting, but Malcolm Brogdon rose to the occasion off the Celtics' bench. 

Brogdon was clearly Boston's second-best player, shooting a hyper-efficient nine-of-10 from the field to put up 25 points and four assists in 29 minutes.

Luka magic leads to eighth straight 30-point performance

Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is now one of two players to ever score at least 30 points in the first eight games of an NBA season, putting up 35 in a 111-110 win against the Toronto Raptors.

Doncic joins the great Wilt Chamberlain in that honour, with the 'Big Dipper' accomplishing it on two occasions. Chamberlain started the 1959-60 season with eight consecutive 30-point games, before hitting that benchmark in the first 23 games of the 1962-63 season for a record that will likely never be broken.

The 23-year-old Slovenian was 10-of-15 from the field for his 35 points, and he added eight rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block.

O.G. Anunoby was the shining light for the Raptors, putting up 27 points (11-of-21 shooting) with seven rebounds and five steals.

Mathurin shows star potential for the Pacers

Indiana Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin flashed some intriguing upside as he scored 23 points off the bench in a 101-99 upset win against the Miami Heat.

Mathurin, the sixth overall pick from this year's NBA Draft, has now scored at least 23 points in four of his nine NBA games, and has only scored fewer than 15 points on one occasion.

The six-foot-six scoring wing was five-of-11 from the field, three-for-seven from long range and 10-of-12 from the free throw line in a well-rounded performance, finishing with a plus/minus of plus four in his 37 minutes.

Bucks win again, remain undefeated

The Milwaukee Bucks, who are still missing All-Star Khris Middleton, continue to look like the best team in the league after moving to 8-0 with a convincing 115-102 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In a game where two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was not scoring the ball efficiently, finishing with 26 points on seven-of-17 shooting and a poor 10-of-20 from the free throw line, Jrue Holiday picked up the slack.

To Antetokounmpo's credit, he also added 13 rebounds and 11 assists for a strong triple-double, but Holiday was the star of the show, shooting 50 per cent from the field (12-of-24) for his 29 points, while grabbing eight rebounds, dishing six assists and snatching two steals to round out a terrific performance.

It is the first time in the Bucks' franchise history they have started a season 8-0.

Kyrie Irving's apology is a "step in the right direction" but he must do more to prove his contrition, according to Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks.

The NBA star was suspended indefinitely by the Nets in light of his initial unapologetic response to widespread backlash for allegedly endorsing an antisemitic film.

Irving belatedly issued an apology after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had expressed his disappointment at the lack of one, and the Nets had responded later on Thursday with a press statement confirming the player would be suspended for a minimum of five games with no pay, adding he is "currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets".

Around four hours after that announcement, the seven-time All-Star posted an apology on Instagram: "To all Jewish families and communities that are hurt and affected from my post."

Speaking to reporters about the situation on Friday, Marks said: "I think after anything like this, you would always hope that there's a change in feelings, a change in attitude. And you know, I think per his apology last night, that's a step in the right direction.

"But again, as we've sort of stated, actions speak louder than words and so he's had some time and there'll be some more time to reflect on this.

"The apology is a step in the right direction [but] that's certainly not enough."

In terms of further steps expected of Irving, Marks elaborated: "There is going to be some remedial steps and measures that have been put in place for him to obviously seek some counselling, designated by the team from dealing with some anti-hate and some Jewish leaders within our community.

"He's gonna have to sit down with them, he's gonna have to sit down with the organisation after this and and we'll evaluate and see if this is the right opportunity to bring him back."

When asked if the Nets had considered waiving or releasing Irving, Marks said: "No, not at this particular time."

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant said the Kyrie Irving situation "sucks all around for everybody", but is hoping all involved can soon move on.

Irving was suspended for a minimum of five games by the Nets on Thursday, in light of his unapologetic response to the widespread backlash for allegedly endorsing a film that Nets owner Joe Tsai said was "full of anti-Semitic disinformation".

On Wednesday, the Nets and Irving each donated $500,000 towards causes and organisations that work to eradicate hate and intolerance in our communities, but after the 30-year-old stopped short of apologising during a media session on Thursday, Brooklyn suspended the former Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers guard.

For his part, Durant suggested he did not feel the situation had been handled well, labelling it "unnecessary".

"I ain't hear to judge nobody or talk down on nobody for how they feel, their views or anything, I just didn’t like anything that went on," said Durant.

"I feel like it was all unnecessary. I felt like we could have just kept playing basketball and kept quiet as an organisation. I just don't like none of it.

"It's an unfortunate situation for people that are impacted by this situation. It just sucks all around for everybody. Hopefully we can move past it.

"That's just the way of the NBA now. Media, so many outlets now and their stories hit pretty fast now. That's where all the chaos is coming from, from everybody's opinions. Everybody has an opinion on this situation and we're hearing it nonstop.

"But once the balls start bouncing and we get into practice none of that stuff seeps into the gym. So that's the cool part about being in the league.

"But once you step off the court, everyone got the microphones out and the microscopes looking at you asking you what you feel about it. That's been difficult. But the game is the constant for us."

Durant subsequently tweeted to clarify that his comments in Thursday's media gathering were in no way an endorsement of Irving's actions.

"Just wanna clarify the statements I made at shootaround, I see some people are confused," Durant tweeted.

"I don't condone hate speech or anti-semetism [sic], I'm about spreading love always. Our game unites people and I wanna make sure that's at the forefront."

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has asked people to be "more vigilant" with what they say and promote on social media amid Kyrie Irving's NBA expulsion.

Brooklyn Nets point guard Irving has been suspended for five weeks without pay after refusing to apologise for a post franchiser owner Joe Tsai described as being "full of anti-Semitic disinformation".

Though Irving has subsequently issued a belated apology following news of his ban, Warriors boss Kerr still feels there needs to be a wider conversation around the consequences of such language.

"Words matter," he stated. "Words really, really matter. In modern society with social media, the way things can fan across the globe exponentially and get five million hits immediately, every comment matters.

"Everything you say matters. We have to be more vigilant as a society. We can't be just accepting comments that are so destructive and insulting to people.

"It's crucial that everybody, whether you're a professional athlete or not, it's crucial that everybody thinks before they just throw stuff out there that can be so damaging."

Irving is set to miss away trips to the Wizards, the Hornets, the Mavericks and the Clippers plus a lone home match versus the Knicks before he is considered for a return to the roster.

The Warriors next face the Pelicans after a narrow 130-129 loss to the Magic.

Kyrie Irving has belatedly issued an apology following the Brooklyn Nets' decision to suspend him indefinitely for his repeated failure to "unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs".

Irving declined to apologise for last week's social media post about a book and movie with alleged antisemitic tropes, nor answer explicity when asked if he was antisemitic during a Thursday press conference.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had expressed his disappointment on Thursday that Irving had "not offered an unqualified apology".

The franchise responded later on Thursday with a press statement confirming Irving would be suspended for a minimum of five games with no pay, adding he is "currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets".

Approximately four hours following that announcement, the seven-time All-Star posted an apology on Instagram.

"To All Jewish families and Communities that are hurt and affected from my post, I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologize," Irving wrote.

"I initially reacted out of emotion to being unjustly labeled Anti-Semitic, instead of focusing on the healing process of my Jewish Brothers and Sisters that were hurt from the hateful remarks made in the Documentary.

"I want to clarify any confusion on where I stand fighting against Anti-semticism [sic] by apologizing for posting the documentary without context and a factual explanation outlining the specific beliefs in the Documentary I agreed with and disagreed with.

"I had no intentions to disrespect any Jewish cultural history regarding the Holocaust or perpetuate any hate. I am learning from this unfortunate event and hope we can find understanding between us all.

"I am no different than any other human being. I am a seeker of truth and knowledge, and I know who I Am."

Kyrie Irving has been suspended indefinitely by the Brooklyn Nets, but for a minimum of five games, in light of the All-Star's unapologetic response to the widespread backlash for allegedly endorsing an antisemitic film.

Irving spoke to the media on Thursday for the first time since a controversial press conference on Saturday after last week sharing a social media post about a book and film leading to condemnation, including from the franchise owner Joe Tsai who said it was "full of antisemitic disinformation".

The 2016 NBA champion on Thursday stopped short of apologising for the social media post, instead speaking with ambiguity when directly asked if he had any antisemitic beliefs.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he was disappointed Irving had "not offered an unqualified apology" for his "reckless" social media post.

Irving and the Nets had on Wednesday each donated $500,000 towards causes and organisations that work to eradicate hate and intolerance in our communities.

But after Thursday's press conference, the Nets moved to suspend Irving for a minimum of five games and without pay, having been left "dismayed" by his latest comments.

"Over the last several days, we have made repeated attempts to work with Kyrie Irving to help him understand the harm and danger of his words and actions, which began with him publicizing a film containing deeply disturbing antisemitic hate," the Nets said in the statement.

"We were dismayed today, when given an opportunity in a media session, that Kyrie refused to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material in the film. This was not the first time he had the opportunity - but failed - to clarify.

"Such failure to disavow antisemitism when given a clear opportunity to do so is deeply disturbing, is against the values of our organization, and constitutes conduct detrimental to the team.

"Accordingly, we are of the view that he is currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets."

Irving had said he had take responsibility for sharing the social media post, that has since been deleted, but ultimately stood his ground again.

"I didn't mean to cause any harm," Irving said. "I'm not the one that made the documentary.

"Again, I'm going to repeat. I don't know how the label becomes justified because you guys ask me the same questions over and over again but this is not going to turn into a spin-around cycle - questions upon questions.

"I told you guys how I felt. I respect all walks of life and embrace all walks of life. That's where I sit... I cannot be antisemitic if I know where I come from."

Stephen Curry's 39 points were not enough to prevent the Golden State Warriors from slumping to their fourth straight defeat as Jalen Suggs lifted the Orlando Magic to a 130-129 victory on Thursday.

The reigning champions, who led by 16 points at one stage, had gone into the final minute with scores tied but Suggs drained a three-pointer, followed by making a steal, sinking one of two free-throws to make it to a two-score game.

Suggs finished the game with 26 points with nine assists, while rookie Pablo Banchero contributed 22 points with eight rebounds.

Curry scored 39 points on eight-of-15 three-point shooting with nine assists for Golden State. Klay Thompson found form with seven triples in his 27-point haul.

The Magic scored 33-of-46 points from the free-throw line, compared to Golden State's 10-of-15.

The result means the Warriors fall to 3-6, having lost three of their past four games to sides who missed last year's playoffs. Golden State are also 0-5 on the road.

Jokic records another triple-double

Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic's third triple double of the season and 79th of his career helped the Denver Nuggets to a 122-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jokic scored 15 points with 13 rebounds and 13 assists as Jamal Murray contributed 24 points including four three-pointers for Denver who improve to 5-3.

For the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points but only four in the final quarter when OC went seven-for-22.

Kyrie Irving has been suspended indefinitely by the Brooklyn Nets, but for a minimum of five games, in light of the All-Star's unapologetic response to the widespread backlash for allegedly endorsing an antisemitic film.

Irving spoke to the media on Thursday for the first time since a controversial press conference on Saturday after last week sharing a social media post about a book and film leading to condemnation, including from the franchise owner Joe Tsai who said it was "full of antisemitic disinformation".

The 2016 NBA champion on Thursday stopped short of apologising for the social media post, instead speaking with ambiguity when directly asked if he had any antisemitic beliefs.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he was disappointed Irving had "not offered an unqualified apology" for his "reckless" social media post.

Irving and the Nets had on Wednesday each donated $500,000 towards causes and organisations that work to eradicate hate and intolerance in our communities.

But after Thursday's press conference, the Nets moved to suspend Irving for a minimum of five games and without pay, having been left "dismayed" by his latest comments.

"Over the last several days, we have made repeated attempts to work with Kyrie Irving to help him understand the harm and danger of his words and actions, which began with him publicizing a film containing deeply disturbing antisemitic hate," the Nets said in the statement.

"We were dismayed today, when given an opportunity in a media session, that Kyrie refused to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material in the film. This was not the first time he had the opportunity - but failed - to clarify.

"Such failure to disavow antisemitism when given a clear opportunity to do so is deeply disturbing, is against the values of our organization, and constitutes conduct detrimental to the team.

"Accordingly, we are of the view that he is currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets."

Irving had said he had take responsibility for sharing the social media post, that has since been deleted, but ultimately stood his ground again.

"I didn't mean to cause any harm," Irving said. "I'm not the one that made the documentary.

"Again, I'm going to repeat. I don't know how the label becomes justified because you guys ask me the same questions over and over again but this is not going to turn into a spin-around cycle - questions upon questions.

"I told you guys how I felt. I respect all walks of life and embrace all walks of life. That's where I sit... I cannot be antisemitic if I know where I come from."

James Harden faces a month on the sidelines after the Philadelphia 76ers star suffered a tendon strain in his right foot, according to reports.

The 33-year-old point guard played for 35 minutes in the 121-111 defeat to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, scoring 24 points and adding 10 assists and five rebounds.

However, according to ESPN, he will miss a long stretch now, with the injury detected during the Wizards game and confirmed in tests on Thursday.

Harden joined Philadelphia in February from the Brooklyn Nets in a multi-player trade and this season he has averaged 22 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds through nine games.

The Sixers are 4-5 for the campaign so far.

Harden is a 10-time All-Star and was named MVP in the 2017-18 NBA season.

With Harden on board for the closing games of the 2021-22 campaign, the Sixers reached the Eastern Conference semi-finals in the playoffs, where they were beaten 4-2 in the best-of-seven series by the Miami Heat.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says he is disappointed that Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving "has not offered an unqualified apology" for his "reckless" social media post.

Irving sparked outrage by tweeting a link to a film that contains antisemitic material last Thursday.

Both Irving and the Nets on Wednesday said they would each make donations of $500,000 after the seven-time All-Star posted a link to controversial film 'Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America'.

That money will go towards causes and organisations "that work to eradicate hate and intolerance in our communities."

Silver said in a statement on Thursday: "While we appreciate the fact that he [Irving] agreed to work with the Brooklyn Nets and the Anti-Defamation League to combat antisemitism and other forms of discrimination, I am disappointed that he has not offered an unqualified apology and more specifically denounced the vile and harmful content contained in the film he chose to publicise."

NBA boss Silver added that he will be meeting with Irving in person next week to discuss the situation. 

Irving said last weekend he would not "stand down" and pointed to the "historical complexities" of African heritage in America, but he subsequently deleted the social media post that sparked the uproar. 

In Wednesday’s joint-statement from Irving, the Nets and the Anti-Defamation League, Irving said: "I oppose all forms of hatred and oppression and stand strong with communities that are marginalised and impacted every day. I am aware of the negative impact of my post towards the Jewish community and I take responsibility. 

"I do not believe everything said in the documentary was true or reflects my morals and principles. I am a human being learning from all walks of life and I intend to do so with an open mind and a willingness to listen. So from my family and I, we meant no harm to any one group, race or religion of people, and wish to only be a beacon of truth and light."