Frank Vogel hit out at the Phoenix Suns for an "unacceptable" defeat to the San Antonio Spurs.

San Antonio were shorn of star player Victor Wembenyama on Monday, yet ran out 104-102 winners over the Suns.

Phoenix have now lost three of their four meetings against the Spurs this season, despite San Antonio having been rooted to the bottom of the Western Conference.

And Vogel did not hold back in criticising his team.

"It's just unacceptable to lose that game," Suns coach Vogel said.

"For our guys, we all said the right things. We all did the right preparation. But we didn't play with the necessary focus in this position throughout, I would say, the first half."

Bradley Beal added: "It's disappointment.

"We came in here and laid an egg. We thought it was going to be easy with no Wemby. Just got our a** kicked.

"They came out aggressive, just like the coach told us they would, and we didn't respond. Well, we did, but we didn't withstand their punches."

Devin Booker says the Suns knew what to expect of the Spurs, but just did not deliver.

"I'm not into disrespecting our opponents," Booker said.

"These guys are NBA guys. There are some talented young players over there. We weren't unprepared. We knew what to expect."

Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell both finished with 26 points for the Spurs.

"I was confident," Sochan said.

"Even at the start, I was asking for the ball, I had my hands up. I felt like a couple of the last games the ball hasn't going in for me from the 3-point line. But no matter what, I believe in myself."

The Suns sit eighth in the West, but are about to embark on what ESPN class as the toughest end to the season in the NBA, but Vogel dismissed those concerns.

"We like our chances against anybody. We don't worry about the schedule," he said.

De'Andre Hunter scored 24 points, including a game-sealing 3-pointer with 10.1 seconds left, and the Atlanta Hawks roared back from a 30-point deficit to hand the NBA-leading Boston Celtics a shocking 120-118 loss on Monday.

The Hawks trailed 68-38 with under 4 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter before Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanović and Dejounte Murray keyed an improbable second-half rally. Bogdanovic scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, while Murray recorded 11 of his 19 points after half-time and ended the night with 15 assists.

In a back-and-forth fourth quarter that saw seven lead changes, Bogdanovic buried a 3-pointer with 1:34 remaining to give Atlanta a 115-114 edge. Jaylen Brown scored on the ensuing possession to put Boston back ahead, but Murray drove the lane and scored with one minute to go for a 117–116 Hawks' lead.

After Brown misfired on a 3-point try, Hunter knocked down a 26-foot jumper with time winding down to secure Atlanta's second consecutive victory and end the Celtics' nine-game winning streak.

Jayson Tatum racked up 37 points and eight rebounds for Boston, with 23 of those points coming in the first half as the Celtics built a 74-56 advantage at the intermission.

Atlanta outscored the Celtics by a 34-22 margin in the third quarter to cut its deficit to 96-90 entering the fourth, then opened the final period on a 7-0 run to move ahead.

Brown finished with 24 points and Kristaps Porzingis totalled 17 for Boston.

Red-hot Rockets pull away from Blazers to win ninth straight

Jalen Green scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half to help the resurgent Houston Rockets extend their winning streak to nine games with a 110-92 victory over the downtrodden Portland Trail Blazers.

Houston's run is the franchise's longest sequence of consecutive wins since a nine-game streak from Feb. 23-March 11, 2019. The hot stretch has moved the Rockets, a team which has missed the play-offs in each of the last three seasons, within a half-game of the Golden State Warriors for the final spot in the Western Conference's play-in tournament.

The Rockets prevailed despite forward Jabari Smith serving a one-game suspension for fighting with Utah Jazz guard Kris Dunn on Saturday. Jock Landale made his first start of the season in Smith's place and contributed 17 points and nine rebounds.

Rebuilding Portland was dealt a seventh straight loss but did own a 64-55 lead after Scoot Henderson hit a 3-pointer with 7:32 remaining in the third quarter. The Rockets then reversed momentum by scoring 25 of the game's next 29 points and never trailed thereafter.

Green tallied 12 points during the game-changing run, which Aaron Holiday capped with a 3-pointer that gave the Rockets an 80-68 advantage near the end of the third quarter.

Dalano Banton led the Blazers with 28 points and 11 assists off the bench, while Henderson finished with 15 points. 

Siakam helps Pacers extend Clippers' slump

Pascal Siakam scored 31 points and the Indiana Pacers dominated the early stages of the fourth quarter to hand the struggling Los Angeles Clippers a 133-116 loss.

Indiana also received 24 points from Myles Turner and 21 from Tyrese Haliburton, who added nine assists to help the Pacers move to 6-1 over their last seven road games.

Los Angeles, meanwhile, has now lost five straight at home and suffered its sixth defeat in its last nine overall outings despite Russell Westbrook's return from a 12-game absence caused by a broken hand.

Westbrook tallied 14 points and seven assists in just 18 minutes, while Kawhi Leonard and Paul George each had 26 points for the Clippers.

Haliburton's 3-pointer in the final minute of the first half staked Indiana to a 65-62 lead at the break, and the Pacers later extended their margin to double digits before Leonard's jumper near the end of the third quarter brought the Clippers within 97-89 entering the fourth.

The Pacers were on fire during the final period, however, as they shot 68.2 per cent from the field for the quarter. Indiana began the fourth with eight straight points to take a 105-89 lead, and Siakam had the final five points of a 15-5 run later on that stretched the Pacers' advantage to 122-99 with six minutes to play.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has no time left for excuses after the Milwaukee Bucks put injury struggles to one side in a convincing victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Bucks star Antetokounmpo recorded 30 points and a season-high 19 rebounds, while Khris Middleton registered his second career triple-double in Sunday's 118-93 thrashing of the Thunder.

Middleton had missed 16 straight games with a sprained left ankle, while Antetokounmpo returned for Thursday's victory over the Brooklyn Nets after missing two games due to an issue with his left hamstring.

Indeed, Sunday was the first time Antetokounmpo, Middleton and seven-time All-NBA guard Damian Lillard had shared the court since February 3.

"I just feel this appreciation of having everybody healthy and available to play," Antetokounmpo said.

"When we're not healthy, I think sometimes we play well, sometimes we don't, sometimes we create this excuse in our mind that like, 'OK, when he gets back, we're going to be better.' 

"But now we're all here. There are no more excuses."

Middleton had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first triple-double since January 2018 and echoed Antetokounmpo's sentiment.

"With a full team out there, we realise what we can do," said Middleton. "We have so many guys, so many weapons that can carry us, or guys that can make a play or just attract a crowd."

In total, Milwaukee had seven players score in double figures as Bobby Portis posted 15 points, Brook Lopez 14, Lillard and Pat Connaughton 11 each and Jae Crowder 10.

"Just having everybody together makes the game easier for everybody,” Antetokounmpo added. "We don't have to force anything. We just keep on playing good basketball, keep on moving the ball.

"There's going to be some nights that it's going to be my night. There's going to be some nights that it's going to be Khris' night. There's going to be some nights that it's going to be Dame's night.

"But we don't have to force anything. Everybody out there is a threat. I think our bench is unbelievable, and they keep on getting better."

Such was Milwaukee's control, Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 12 points – the first time since January 16 he has been held below 20 – and sat out the entire fourth quarter as the Bucks dominated.

"They had him in a crowd for much of the night and made it very difficult for him to get his cracks," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said of Gilgeous-Alexander.

"I thought as a team, just our overall pace and sharpness on offense wasn't where it needed to be."

Steph Curry may have been surprised to not feature more in the Minnesota Timberwolves defeat but Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr insists his side will not solely rely on their star.

That message from Kerr was clear after Sunday's 114-110 loss to the Timberwolves, with the Golden State chief prioritising Curry's fitness over chasing results.

Curry scored 31 points on 9-of-21 shooting in his 30 minutes, including five 3-pointers, despite sitting out 11 straight minutes between the end of the third quarter and the closing stages of the fourth.

"I want to play as many minutes as I'm fresh and able to, so I'm a little bit [surprised] knowing that they were going on a run," said Curry.

Curry acknowledged "our lead was withering away" as the Warriors man was removed with four third-quarter minutes left and not introduced until just over six final minutes remained.

Kerr refuted suggestions Curry should have been reinstated sooner, though, pointing to the fitness load already on his strained shoulders.

"We can't expect to just ride Steph game after game after game," Kerr said. "We've put the burden of this franchise on his shoulders for 15 years.

"We can't expect him to play 35 minutes ... If you want to say that him playing 30 minutes instead of 32 is a difference between a win and a loss, I totally disagree with that.

"We're trying to win the game. And we're trying to keep him fresh, too."

Unlike the Timberwolves defeat, Curry played the entirety of the fourth quarter and 35 minutes overall in Friday's 123-11 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

"I played the whole fourth quarter against Indiana and it didn't work out, this didn't work out [against Minnesota]. We've got to find somewhere in the middle," Curry added.

"The situation will define itself in real-time. Every game matters as we're inching closer to the other end of the standings we never thought we would be in.

"No one is going to wave the white flag and say we are mailing it in. If that means playing more minutes, I'll be ready to do that."

The Warriors are just one game up on the in-form Houston Rockets, hanging on to the no.10 seed in the Western Conference by a slight margin.

Curry had earlier stated there remains no concern as to where Golden State finish in the standings, so long as the Warriors develop a winning habit to regain form for the postseason.

"What Steph is saying is if we don't build the habits, it doesn't matter," Kerr clarified as the final 12 games loom.

"You make the play-in, you don't, if you don't have the habits you're not going anywhere."

Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey each had 24 points as the Philadelphia 76ers got back on track with Sunday's 121-107 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in the teams' first meeting since November's James Harden trade.

Harden's tumultuous 21-month tenure with the 76ers came to an end when Philadelphia shipped the disgruntled star guard to Los Angeles shortly after the start of this season. The 10-time All-Star dished out 14 assists against his former team, but was held to 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting.

The Sixers started fast and never trailed en route to ending a two-game losing streak, though Los Angeles erased a 17-point first-half deficit to tie the contest midway through the third quarter.

Philadelphia regained control behind a 6-0 run to take a 79-73 lead with five minutes left in the third quarter, then later scored 13 consecutive points in the fourth to open up a commanding 103-85 advantage with eight minutes to go.

Maxey accounted for 10 points during that pivotal spurt and scored 19 of his points after half-time.

Harris tallied 11 first-quarter points and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 10 as the Sixers built a 41-29 lead after 12 minutes, and Philadelphia stretched the margin further in the second before the Clippers closed out the first half on a 10-0 run to pull within 63-56 at intermission.

Los Angeles continued to chip away early in the third quarter and tied the game at 65-65 on a Paul George 3-pointer 2:14 into the second half.

Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell paced the Clippers, who were coming off consecutive wins over the lowly Portland Trail Blazers, with 20 points each.

Bucks knock Thunder out of West's top spot with rout

Giannis Antetokounmpo racked up 30 points and a season-high 19 rebounds, Khris Middleton amassed a triple-double and the Milwaukee Bucks rolled to a dominant 118-93 victory over Oklahoma City that knocked the Thunder out of first place in the Western Conference.

Playing with their core three of Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Middleton together for the first time since Feb. 3, the Bucks held Oklahoma City to its lowest point and field goal percentage (37.1) totals of the season to increase their lead on the second-place Cleveland Cavaliers to three games in the Central Division.

The Thunder had a four-game winning streak halted and dropped a half-game behind the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets for the West's best record.

Middleton compiled 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his second career triple-double, while Antetokounmpo scored 11 of his points in the third quarter as Milwaukee began pulling away after holding a slim 48-47 edge at half-time.

Seven of Antetokounmpo's points came during a 16-0 run that turned a one-point advantage into a 68-51 lead just past the midway stage of the third quarter. 

The Bucks didn't let up in the fourth, as they shot 63.6 per cent for the period while increasing their lead to as many as 26 points.

Josh Giddey led Oklahoma City with 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder's All-Star guard, was held to 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting and had a streak of 29 consecutive games of 20 points or more snapped.

Heat bounce back with dominant win over Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost ground to the Bucks in the Central race with a lopsided loss to the Miami Heat, who had seven players score in double figures to cruise to a 121-84 blowout win.

Miami rebounded strongly from Friday's 23-point home loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, as the defending Eastern Conference champions built a lead as large as 45 points while getting contributions all throughout the roster.

The Heat received 59 points from their reserves, led by Haywood Highsmith's 18 on 7-of-10 shooting, as well as a 15-point, 16-rebound effort from starting center Bam Adebayo to end a three-game losing streak at home.

Cleveland got 15 points from Evan Mobley in the forward's return from a nine-game absence caused by a sprained ankle. No other Cavaliers' players reached double figures, however, as the injury-plagued club was dealt a third straight loss. 

The Heat shot nearly 58 per cent from the field in the first quarter to build a 32-22 lead, then increased the margin during a second quarter that guard Terry Rozier closed with a buzzer-beating layup that sent Miami into the break owning a comfortable 60-39 advantage. 

Cleveland never got closer than 19 points down in the second half, and the Heat's lead swelled to 118-73 with 4:23 left to play.

Miami's 45-point lead was its largest margin in any game since a 46-point cushion over the Chicago Bulls in a 2013 play-off contest.

There is no danger of the Boston Celtics taking their foot off the pedal as the business end of the season approaches, said Sam Hauser after the NBA's best team made it nine straight wins.

Hauser joined Al Horford in scoring 23 points in support of Jayson Tatum (26) as the Celtics improved to 57-14 with a 124-113 road win over the Chicago Bulls at United Center on Saturday.

Tatum returned after missing Thursday's win over the Detroit Pistons to lead a short-handed Boston side to victory, with Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis absent after picking up minor injuries.

The Bulls led 92-91 in the closing minute of the third quarter only to run out of steam, failing to respond when Payton Pritchard scored six straight points for Boston and Hauser made a 3-pointer to extend their lead early in the fourth.

While the Celtics' focus is now firmly on the playoffs as they target a first NBA championship since 2008, Hauser says they will not ease up in the closing weeks of the regular season.

"We're just hungry for more," Hauser said. "It's not in our character to just mail it in for the rest of the season."

Horford, meanwhile, was most impressed by the way other players stepped up in the absence of Brown and Porzingis, with the Celtics making light of a gruelling run of five games in seven days.

"Different people, different guys, are ready to step up when their number is called," Horford said. 

"We all understand what we're trying to do, how we're trying to play. Guys are just staying ready and taking advantage of the opportunities."

The Celtics face back-to-back away games against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday and Wednesday as they continue their six-game road stretch.

The 34-37 Bulls, meanwhile, will look to strengthen their grasp on a Play-In spot when they host the Washington Wizards on Monday.

Jalen Green said the Houston Rockets' hot streak will be meaningless if they fail to make the NBA Playoffs, after pouring in 41 points in Saturday's 147-119 rout of the Utah Jazz.

The Rockets extended their winning streak to eight games – their longest since an identical run in 2019 – to improve to 35-35, going within 1.5 games of the Golden State Warriors, who currently occupy the Western Conference's final Play-In spot.

Green's second 40-point showing of the year was supported by Fred VanVleet, who scored 34 points with 10 3-pointers as Houston built a commanding first-quarter lead and never looked back.

Asked about the team's rise up the standings after the game, Green said: "It won't really mean anything if we don't make the playoffs.

"That's the goal everyone has right now. I'm just trying to go out there and be the best version of myself for my team-mates."

The start of the second quarter saw Houston forward Jabari Smith Jr. and Jazz guard Kris Dunn ejected for fighting, the duo throwing punches at one another after getting tangled up with just five seconds of the quarter played. 

Smith did not speak to the media after the game, though Dunn accepted responsibility for his actions as he told reporters: "We exchanged a couple of words, a couple of pushes and the next thing you know, we're ejected.

"For me, I take responsibility for my actions and whatever the league decides for me, I have to respect that."

Rockets coach Ime Udoka suggested the incident was a follow-up to an altercation between the pair on January 20, when both were issued technical fouls in a 127-126 overtime win for Houston.

"I think Dunn hit him with a shot, and then they got wrapped up and threw a few punches," Udoka said of Smith's role in the altercation. 

"Basically, nothing landed, but as soon as you throw a punch, you're going to be ejected."

Houston are back in action with another home game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, before going to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah in a two-game road stretch.

The 29-42 Jazz, meanwhile, will look to snap their five-game losing streak against the Dallas Mavericks as they open a run of three straight home games on Monday. 

Jalen Green poured in 41 points and Fred VanVleet scored 34 with 10 3-pointers as the Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to eight games with a 147-119 rout of the Utah Jazz on Saturday.

Green shot 15 of 22 from the field, 7 of 11 from 3-point range and hit all four free throws to fall one point shy of his career high.

Jeff Green added 21 points for the Rockets, who sank a season-best 27 3-pointers and have their longest winning streak since an eight-game run in November 2019. They have closed to within 1 ½ games of idle Golden State for 10th place and the last play-in spot in the Western Conference.

Houston improved to 35-35, marking the first time it has been at .500 since Jan. 13, with a 19-19 record.

John Collins scored a season high-tying 25 points for Utah, which matched a season high with its fifth straight defeat.

Celtics win 9th in row

Jayson Tatum scored 26 points and Sam Hauser and Al Horford each added 23 to lead the NBA-leading Boston Celtics to their ninth straight win, 124-113 over the Chicago Bulls.

Derrick White chipped in 17 points and Payton Pritchard had 15 and eight assists as the Celtics won for the 19th time in 21 games to improve the NBA’s best record to 57-14.

Boston sank 21 3-pointers and won again despite missing Jaylen Brown (sprained right ankle) and Kristaps Porzingis (right hamstring) – two of its top four scorers.

DeMar DeRozan had 28 points, nine assists and six rebounds for the Bulls, who lost all three meetings this season against the Celtics.

Kings edge Magic with late free throws

De’Aaron Fox sank the tying and go-ahead free throws with 21.2 seconds left and finished with 31 points to give the Sacramento Kings a 109-107 victory over the Orlando Magic.

After Fox’s two free throws gave the Kings a 108-107 lead, Keon Ellis made the second of his two free throws with two seconds left and Paolo Banchero missed a long 3-point attempt at the buzzer.

Domantas Sabonis had 21 points and 14 rebounds and Keegan Murry scored 22 points for Sacramento, which completed a 2-1 road trip.

Jonathan Isaac matched his career high with 25 points, but Orlando had a five-game winning streak stopped.

Paul George insists the Los Angeles Clippers are not focusing on what the New Orleans Pelicans are doing as they battle it out for the Western Conference fourth seed.

The Clippers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 125-117 on Friday, while the soaring Pelicans have won eight of their last 10 games.

Los Angeles are a game-and-a-half ahead of the Pelicans in the race for the No.4 seed.

But George, who led the Clippers with 31 points, is paying little attention to New Orleans' form.

"We're not looking at them," George said.

"It's more about us. We've got to play well and we're in the driver's seat. So it's more about us."

With the Clippers holding a large lead in the final quarter, coach Tyronn Lue was able to rest George and fellow star Kawhi Leonard, who added 22 points.

Lue said: "I just want us to lock in and be healthy."

The West is tough anyway, no matter who we play or where you play. Whether you start at home, start on the road, it's going to be tough.

"So it doesn't really bother me or phase me in any way. We've just got to be healthy."

Lue will be buoyed, then, by the impending return of Russell Westbrook. 

He has been out for three weeks since he underwent surgery on a fractured hand.

Westbrook, though, is expected to return to action next week.

D'Angelo Russell set a new Los Angeles Lakers record for the most 3-pointers in a single season as his team snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Los Angeles won 101-94 on Friday, earning their first victory over Philadelphia since March 2020.

The Lakers improved to 38-32, now the same record as the Sixers, with the fourth quarter proving key as they edged a close, low-scoring game.

It was the Lakers' lowest points tally in a game since January 3 and LeBron, who had 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, as well as eight rebounds and six assists, accepted it had not been a vintage performance.

"It was ugly, but we got the job done," he said, per ESPN. "We defended well in the second half. They only had 18 points in the fourth. That's big-time when the offense was struggling like it was.

"We turned the ball over way too much and gave up too many easy baskets, but when we got in the half-court, we buckled down and made them take tough shots."

Davis had 23 points and 19 rebounds for Los Angeles, while Russell finished with 14 points and four 3-pointers.

Nick Van Exel had 183 successful 3s for the Lakers during the 1994-95 season, but Russell hit his 184th of this season in the first quarter, having sunk six from deep in the win against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.

Russell said: "It just feels good to be part of one of these type of deals. 

"This franchise is one of the most prestigious, so to have my name be a part of it, more than grateful.

"Just continue to shatter it, if I can. Make it really hard for the next person!"

Tyrese Maxey scored 27 points for the Sixers, who have lost seven of 10 without MVP Joel Embiid and are 0-2 on their four-game West Coast road trip which continues against the Los Angeles Clippers next.

"We played unbelievably hard and executed the game plan," Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said. "I just thought we could not get enough offense to hang in there.

"As long as we play our guts out, I can live with it. I’m having a hard time living with it right now because I thought we played so hard and executed so well."

The Lakers, meanwhile, have won seven of their last 11 and host the Indiana Pacers (40-31) on Sunday. They are ninth in the Western Conference standings.

Jaylen Brown scored 33 points to lead the NBA-leading Boston Celtics to their eighth straight victory, 129-102 over the short-handed Detroit Pistons on Friday.

Payton Pritchard had 20 points and Derrick White added 19 with 11 assists for Boston, which has won 18 of 20 games to continue cruising toward the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Leading scorer Jayson Tatum sat out to rest an ankle for the second time in five days.

James Wiseman scored a season-high 24 points for the Pistons, who have lost five in a row overall and the last nine meetings with the Celtics.

Detroit was missing its top post players in Jalen Duren (back), Stanley Umude (ankle), Simone Fontecchio (toe), Isaiah Stewart (hamstring) and Ausar Thompson (illness).

Pelicans roll over Heat

CJ McCollum scored 30 points and the New Orleans Pelicans exacted a measure of revenge on the Miami Heat with a 111-88 rout.

Jose Alvarado added 17 points and Trey Murphy had 14 with eight rebounds as the Pelicans had no trouble in the first meeting between the teams since four players were ejected in the most recent matchup in New Orleans last month.

Zion Williamson was limited to only four points in 25 minutes, but the Pelicans won their eighth in 10 games.

Jimmy Butler scored 17 points as the Heat dropped to 17-16 at home, the 19th-best mark in the league. Miami dropped four games behind Southeast Division-leading Orlando.

Thunder down reeling Raptors

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in his only regular-season trip to his native Canada and the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away to defeat the Toronto Raptors, 123-103.

Jalen Williams added 20 points and Kenrich Williams and Cason Wallace scored 12 apiece as the Thunder won their fourth straight and remained on top of the Western Conference.

Rookie Gradey Dick scored 21 points for the Raptors, who lost their ninth straight game. Toronto was without seven players, including five regular starters.

New Orleans Pelicans star forward Brandon Ingram will miss at least two weeks with a left knee injury he sustained in the team's loss to the Orlando Magic on Thursday.

The Pelicans announced Friday that Ingram has been diagnosed with a bone contusion following the results of an MRI and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Ingram, New Orleans' second-leading scorer at 20.9 points per game, exited Thursday's 121-106 loss to the Magic early in the second half with what the team initially described as a hyperextended left knee. 

Though subsequent testing showed he avoided a serious, long-term injury, Ingram still figures to miss a good portion of the Pelicans' remaining games of the regular season, which concludes April 14.

New Orleans currently sits in fifth place in the Western Conference and is trying to avoid a spot in the play-in tournament, which would contain the teams that finish between seventh and 10th. The Pelicans are just 1 1/2 games ahead of the seventh-place Phoenix Suns. 

Ingram, the 2019-20 NBA Most Improved Player, has been mostly healthy this season after missing significant time in each of the previous two campaigns. A left toe contusion sidelined him for 29 games last season, while various injuries limited him to 55 games in 2021-22.

The eight-year veteran is on track to average over 20 points per game for a fifth straight season and is averaging 5.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists through 63 games in 2023-24.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is aiming to control the controllables after he returned to action with a 21-point haul in Thursday's win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Antetokounmpo had missed the Milwaukee Bucks' win over the Phoenix Suns and their defeat to the Boston Celtics with a hamstring issue.

But the two-time NBA MVP wasted little time in getting back to form, finishing with 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists in a 115-108 victory over the Nets.

"You try to control what you can control," Antetokounmpo said.

"Things like this [injury] are going to pop up now and then.

"Kind of unexpected, but at the end of the day, these are the cards you've been dealt, and you just have to keep on figuring it out, keep on playing through pain, playing through adversity."

Damian Lillard, meanwhile, recorded at least 30 points for a third straight game for the Bucks, as he finished with 30 points and 12 assists.

However, his most important plays were arguably late steals that helped Milwaukee, who occupy second in the Eastern Conference, seal the win.

Lillard said: "I think in my career, I haven't been known as a defender, but down the stretch of games, I've always been able to have a moment or do what I needed to do at the end of the game defensively."

Bucks coach Doc Rivers was effusive in his praise of Lillard, saying: "Dame defensively was phenomenal, all game.

"He's a very competitive guy, and you could see that."

Rivers also explained his decision to give Khris Middleton a rest, after he had played two straight games after missing 16 due to an ankle issue.

"He's been out all these games, and he's playing great," Rivers said. "We just want to keep him where he's at."

The Nets, meanwhile, have now lost five straight games and sit out of the playoff picture in the East as it stands.

Interim coach Kevin Ollie was able to take the positives, however.

"We didn't get a win, but I really believe that we grew tonight," he said.

"That's the message I've been telling them since I took over. I just want them to grow."

Jalen Green scored 26 points and Dillon Brooks added 23 before he was ejected as the Houston Rockets stretched their winning streak to seven games with a 127-117 win over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.

Jock Landale had 17 points and Aaron Holiday added 14 off the bench for Houston, which has gone 9-1 in March to get within 2 ½ games of Golden State for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.

Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan and Brooks were ejected for their part in an on-court scrum in the third quarter.

With 6:02 left in the third quarter, DeRozan committed a foul on Green that caused Brooks to become upset. DeRozan turned and subsequently elbowed Brooks in the chin, which prompted the melee.

Ayo Dosunmu scored 35 points on 13-of-18 shooting and DeRozan finished with 16 on 4-of-15 shooting as Chicago failed to win a third straight.

Jokic notches triple-double in Nuggets’ win

Nikola Jokić recorded his 22nd triple-double of the season with 30 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists as the surging Denver Nuggets topped the New York Knicks, 113-100.

Jokic’s triple-double was the 127th of his career, a total bettered only by Russell Westbrook (198), Oscar Robertson (181) and Magic Johnson (138).

Michael Porter Jr. had 31 points on 13-of-16 shooting with eight rebounds and Jamal Murray added 23 points to help Denver win for the 13th time in 15 games. The Nuggets are percentage points behind Oklahoma City for first place in the Western Conference.

Porter also had three 3-pointers to give him 193 on the season and break Dale Ellis’ single-season team mark set in 1996-97.

Jalen Brunson scored 26 points for the Knicks, who had a four-game winning streak stopped.

Streaking Magic handle Pelicans

Paolo Banchero had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists for his second career triple-double and the Orlando Magic defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 121-106, for their fifth straight win.

Banchero missed his first 10 shots, two of them free throws, but rallied to finish 9 of 18 from the field.

Jalen Suggs added 22 points and Franz Wagner had 18 for Orlando, which clinched its second winning season in 12 years by winning for the 18th time in 23 games.

Trey Murphy III scored 21 points and Zion Williamson tallied 20 points and seven rebounds but also had a season-high eight turnovers.

New Orleans, which had won seven of eight, lost forward Brandon Ingram early in the second half to an apparent left knee injury.

Joe Mazzulla is taking nothing for granted despite seeing his Boston Celtics team overcome the Milwaukee Bucks in what could be a prelude to a playoff game.

The Celtics won 122-119 on Wednesday, with the Bucks - who sit second in the Eastern Conference, but 11 games behind runaway leaders Boston - unable to get over the line in the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Jayson Tatum scored 31 points for the Celtics, who have now won seven games on the bounce.

Mazzulla, however, does not necessarily see the win as a preview of what could come in the postseason.

He said: "Nothing's guaranteed in life.

"We may see them; they may see us; we may not. You never know what's going to happen.

"I know both teams are developing an identity and there's obviously a DNA there that both teams have. But you don't want to overthink things. And you don't take anything for granted."

Payton Pritchard chipped in with 19 points for the Celtics, while Derrick White had 23 and Jaylen Brown finished with 21.

"Everybody always had talked about his shooting," Mazzulla said of Pritchard.

"But I think this year, in particular, he’s been impacting by his rebounding, impacting by his defense, his pace.

"He's just becoming a really well-rounded player who knows he can have a positive impact on the game in many different ways, and it's a huge asset for us."

Pritchard, meanwhile, said he was motivated by an insult dished out to teammate Luke Kornet by the Bucks' Patrick Beverley, who seemingly mocked the Boston man for his height.

"It kind of lit a fire under me," said Pritchard.

"He's trying to clown one of our teammates. So I definitely took it a little personally."