Evan Mobley says the Boston Celtics were a "good test" for the Cleveland Cavaliers as they saw their perfect start to the NBA season ended.

The Cavaliers were 15-0 going into the game, the fourth team in NBA history to open with that record, but a slow start cost them as they lost 120-117 to the defending champions on Tuesday.

Cleveland fought back to cut a 21-point deficit to two in the third quarter, with Donovan Mitchell making it a four-point game with 24 seconds remaining, but they could not snatch a win as Al Horford's late dunk sealed it.

Mobley had 22 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the Cavaliers, and chose to focus on the positives from the defeat, in particular, their response to the half-time deficit.

"I'm happy how we fought back," said Mobley. "That was the main thing that I can be happy about.

"I feel like we didn't start the best. That was the main thing that really shot us in our foot. But overall, I feel like we played a pretty good game.

"I think it was a good test, and from what I saw out there, we could beat anybody."

Mitchell, Cleveland's top scorer with 35 points, added: "[I learned] that it's the group I thought we were.

"It's just a test. This is a big test. Whether you win, lose or draw, it's just a test, and obviously, you want to learn through wins, but we lost tonight.

"But there's a lot we can take away from the good in the second half and a lot we can learn from the first half to get better at."

The Celtics bounced back from a defeat to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA Cup with this result and made it three wins on the trot.

They improved their record to 12-3, though they still sit below the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference, and Derrick White says Boston knew a lot was riding on this result.

"Everybody knew that they were undefeated and coming to our building," he said. "And also, it's an NBA Cup game, and we already lost one game.

"So, it was a really big game in that aspect. So, we were all aware [of the excitement around it]."

The Cleveland Cavaliers are relishing the chance to test themselves against the Boston Celtics.

Cleveland extended their perfect record as they became just the fourth team in NBA history to go 15-0 to start a season by beating the Charlotte Hornets 128-114 on Sunday.

The Cavs are tied for the second-best start to a season, trailing only the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who went 24-0.

Cleveland, inspired by LeBron James, beat the Warriors in the NBA Finals that year. All three of the previous teams to go 15-0 to start a season have reached a championship series (2015-16 Warriors, 1993-94 Houston Rockets and 1948-49 Washington Capitols).

Next up for the Cavs are the reigning NBA champions, and first-year coach Kenny Atkinson, who rested talisman Donovan Mitchell against the Hornets, cannot wait for the task of facing the Celtics, who beat Cleveland in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season.

"Boston Garden," Atkinson said after becoming the first coach to win his first 15 games in charge of a team. "What's better than that?

"It's great for the NBA, right? Everybody is going to be watching, and I know our guys are anxious. I know they remember last year. We're going well. They're going well. It's great for the league. Great for our franchise. We're excited.

"It's going to be a great test for us. They obviously play a different style, five-out with five shooters, so it's going to be a really good test for us.

"We're at that point right now, 15-0. Let's test ourselves against the best and see where we stand and see where we're going to make adjustments or not make adjustments.

"It actually comes at the perfect time."

Jarrett Allen had 21 points and 15 rebounds against Charlotte, and was one of four Cleveland players to finish with over 20 points, along with Darius Garland (25), Ty Jerome (24) and Evan Mobley (23).

"It's a rematch," said Allen of facing the Celtics, though he missed last season's playoff series due to a rib injury.

"I know they didn't have some players. And we didn't have me, so I want to try and beat them and test where we are with them.

"Everyone is showing tons of energy, all over the city. It's incredible how Cleveland has adopted us. They come to every game, yelling for everything. The city of Cleveland has our backs."

The Celtics, who will visit the White House later this week to celebrate last season's success, have gone 11-3 to start the campaign and are second in the Eastern Conference behind the Cavs.

The Cleveland Cavaliers celebrated the longest winning streak in franchise history with their new frog mascot on Friday, leaving the defeated Chicago Bulls hopping mad.

Donovan Mitchell scored 18 of his season-high 37 points in the fourth quarter as the Cavs pulled away for a 144-126 victory at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, their 14th in as many games this season.

That result ensured they went one better than the previous team record of 13 successive wins, which they managed on three occasions during the LeBron James era.

They are just the sixth team in NBA history to go 14-0 from the start of a season and the first since 2015-16, when the Golden State Warriors did so en route to the Western Conference title.

After the victory, Mitchell – as well as team-mates Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen – celebrated by dancing with a man in a frog costume, which had gone viral as an impromptu mascot during the team's historic start to the campaign. 

"That was fun," Mitchell said. "It shocked the hell out of me when I saw the frog. It was pretty dope. It was like just a vibe."

"It's Cleveland," Allen said when asked about the frog's arrival. "It's just a vibe in the city, and I hope it doesn't change.

"I've been wanting to dance with that frog since I first saw him!"

After scoring 49 first-quarter points in a blistering start, the Cavs found themselves just five points up at half-time, prompting coach Kenny Atkinson to angrily throw a sandal in the locker room.

"That's what we want," Mitchell said when asked about the incident after the game. "We all prefer that. We hear how good we are. 

"For us, that's how we get better. We haven't lost, but how do you continue to find ways to build habits? It's continuing to coach hard and not let any lapses. That's what you want in a coach."

Cleveland have some way to go to record the best start to a campaign in NBA history, with the Warriors going 24-0 to begin the 2015-16 season.

However, a victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday would make their start the joint-second best in league history, along with the 1948-49 Washington Capitols and the 1993-94 Houston Rockets. 

Donovan Mitchell said "it's great to be part of history" after he propelled the Cleveland Cavaliers to their 12th straight win to start the season.

Cleveland are just the eighth team in NBA history to reel off a 12-0 record from the start of a campaign.

The last team to do so was the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who set the NBA record at 24-0.

Mitchell plundered a season-high 36 points in Monday's 119-113 win over the Chicago Bulls, and the omens are good for the Cavs, given five of the previous seven teams to start the season with a 12-0 record went on to reach the NBA Finals.

"It's great to be part of history," said Mitchell.

"I never want to take those things for granted along the road when we're doing it in various ways.

"We're doing it in ways where we are blowing out teams. We're winning from behind. We're winning close games.

"And it's somebody different every night leading the charge. It's always a group effort."

For first-year coach Kenny Atkinson, the level of focus displayed by his team is the most pleasing aspect of their excellent start.

"This group is locked in," he said.

"I do think there's [been] questions about this group, whether they can get to the next level, can they make the next step?

"So, I think when you have that, you have that chip [on your shoulder], you focus even more.

"There's another level of concentration, another level of focus, another level of detail that these guys use to carry us to 12-0 so far."

And Mitchell, who is averaging 22.5 points per game this season, knows the Cavs cannot step off the gas.

"It's great. We're playing well, vibes are good, but we have to continue to be this team," Mitchell added.

"That's been my message to the guys in the locker room.

"We're going to get teams' best shots. We're going to get tested early, but are we going to continue? No doubt we will, [but] are we going to continue to be this team January, February, March, April?

"I think the guys all feel it, but it's great to enjoy these moments too while you're still having a humble approach to it."

Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 36 points and sparked a second-half rally that lifted the still-unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-113 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

Cleveland fought back from a nine-point deficit late in the third quarter to become only the eighth team in NBA history to begin a season 12-0. The Cavaliers are the only team to win each of its first 12 games while scoring at least 110 points in all of those contests.

Darius Garland added 17 points and Evan Mobley had 15 with 11 rebounds for Cleveland, which once again received a big contribution from its second unit. Reserves Caris LeVert, Georges Niang and Ty Jerome each recorded 12 points, with Jerome dishing out six assists as well.

Zach LaVine had 26 points on 12-of-20 shooting in his second outing back from a three-game absence, but Chicago was hurt by 20 turnovers and lost for the fifth time in six games.

Nikola Vucevic and Coby White each finished with 20 points for the Bulls, while Josh Giddey scored 18 to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists.

Cleveland trailed 85-76 with four minutes left in the third quarter before getting back into it with a 9-0 run led by its bench. LeVert and Dean Wade started the flurry with back-to-back 3-pointers before Niang converted a three-point play to tie the game with 2:53 left in the period.

The teams were again tied at 106-106 with five minutes to go, but the Cavs put together a 9-2 spurt capped by LeVert's 3-pointer with 3:23 remaining to go ahead for good.

Cleveland owned a 52-42 lead midway through the second quarter before the Bulls answered with a 14-2 run to take a 56-54 edge with four minutes to play before half-time.

Gilgeous-Alexander scores career-high 45 as Thunder bounce back

One night after losing one of their star players for an extended period, the Oklahoma City Thunder returned to their winning ways behind a huge performance from another.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander racked up a career-high 45 points as Oklahoma City got back in the win column with a 134-128 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Thunder were coming off Sunday's 127-116 home defeat to the Golden State Warriors in which starting center Chet Holmgren suffered a pelvic fracture that will sideline him at least eight weeks. With the 7-footer unavailable, the Clippers recorded a 47-29 rebounding advantage while also going 20 of 37 (54.1 per cent) from 3-point range.

Oklahoma City still prevailed in large part due to Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished 13 of 21 from the field and 15 of 16 from the foul line while adding nine assists.

The Thunder also received a big 28-point, eight-rebound, six-assist effort from Jalen Williams and 19 points from Luguentz Dort to overcome a 31-point display from Los Angeles' Norman Powell, who went 5 of 8 from beyond the arc.

Los Angeles had its four-game winning streak snapped despite Ivica Zubac's 22 points and 14 rebounds and a near triple-double from James Harden, who tallied 17 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

The Clippers couldn't stop Gilgeous-Alexander, though, as the two-time All-Star put up 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting in the first half to propel the Thunder to a 66-53 lead at intermission.

Oklahoma City's margin swelled to 20 points in the third quarter, though Los Angeles closed out the period with an 11-2 run to pull within 99-94 on Powell's 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

The Clippers cut the lead to two late when Zubac converted a three-point play to make the score 130-128 with 42.3 seconds left. Gilgeous-Alexander made two free throws on the other end, however, before Willams sealed the outcome with a dunk off a Harden turnover.

Wembanyama dominates as Spurs cruise past Kings

Victor Wembanyama joined an elite group of NBA players with a 34-point, 14-rebound effort that carried the San Antonio Spurs to a 116-96 win over the Sacramento Kings.

The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year added six assists in his 82nd career game and became only the sixth player in league history to record 1,700 points, 800 rebounds and 300 assists over a first full season. That list includes such legends as Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Larry Bird.

Chris Paul contributed 12 points and 11 assists for San Antonio, which had lost three of its previous four games but got back on track by making a season-high 22 shots from 3-point range. Wembanyama led the way in that category as well by going 6 of 12 from beyond the arc.

The Kings, coming off an overtime win at Phoenix on Sunday, built a 31-22 lead early in the second quarter but relinquished it before the end of the first half. 

San Antonio answered with a 10-2 run to cut its deficit to one, then closed out the half with seven straight points to own a 60-55 edge on Paul's 3-pointer at the buzzer.

The Kings then shot just 25 per cent in the third quarter while being outscored by a 24-16 margin for the period as the Spurs took an 84-71 lead into the fourth. Their margin never dipped below double-digits over the final 12 minutes.

De'Aaron Fox paced Sacramento with 24 points, while Domantas Sabonis had 23 points and 12 rebounds and DeMar DeRozan finished with 21 points in the loss.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland says their unbeaten start is not a "fluke", as they extended their record to 11-0 at the start of the NBA season.

It was the first time the Cavaliers had failed to score 110 points this season, but they rallied for a 105-100 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, becoming the 12th team in NBA history to start a season 11-0.

Garland scored eight of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, which Cleveland started by trailing, but they dug deep to ensure their perfect record stayed intact.

The Cavaliers are now just two victories away from matching the longest streak in franchise history, having won 13 in a row three times, most recently in 2017.

And Garland believes they have proven that they are among the contenders in the NBA this season.

"I don't think this is just any old fluke," he said after the game. "We played some really good teams out of these 11 games, and we had some great challenges.

"I think we have a really good chance at being one of those contenders for sure."

With the team trailing 82-68 late in the third quarter, coach Kenny Atkinson made the bold decision, choosing to bench Jarrett Allen for the final quarter and moving Evan Mobley to centre.

In the end, it worked. Mobley finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds, with Atkinson praising his performance.

"He [Mobley] was phenomenal," Atkinson said. "Those three or four stops we needed at the end of the game, he got caught on a switch and Cam [Thomas] tried to shoot it over him.

"He's just too long. He had the big block on the last play, and he rebounded the heck out of the ball."

The Golden State Warriors hold the league record for winning their first 24 games in 2015-16, and Atkinson admitted that the prospect of losing their winning streak did play on his mind.

"You're thinking about it," he added.

"Normally, this is 11 games in. You're not thinking about a streak, but then you're like, man, I don't want it to end this way.

"We're competing. We're trying to win every game, but it's kind of weirdly in the back of your mind when you're out there competing. Like man, we got to keep this thing going."

The Cavaliers face the Chicago Bulls in their next match on Monday. 

Kenny Atkinson says 10 is "kind of the magic number" after the Cleveland Cavaliers extended their perfect start to the NBA season against the Golden State Warriors.

The Cavs triumphed 136-117 on Friday, becoming the first team in NBA history to win their first 10 games and score at least 110 points in each of them.

It is already their best-ever start to a season in franchise history, and they are the first team to register a 10-0 record since the Warriors themselves in 2015-16.

Darius Garland went 6-of-11 from 3-point range while totalling 27 points, while Evan Mobley added 23. All-Star Donovan Mitchell managed just 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting.

The new coach has so far impressed since replacing J.B. Bickerstaff, using his squad depth wisely during their winning streak, and he was delighted to continue it against tough opposition.

"10-0 is something. It's kind of a magic number, right?" Atkinson said.

"I was worried about tonight because the Warriors are champions. That surprised me, how ready we were, how hungry we were. 10-0 is really something for our team."

Atkison previously spent three years as an assistant coach to Steve Kerr at the Warriors before moving to Cleveland.

The Cavs ended Golden State's five-game winning streak on Friday, but Kerr was full of praise for the way his former colleague has transformed the Cavs so far.

"This was a great job to get, just like mine was 10 years ago," Kerr said.

"Now you're just tweaking things and seeing where you can get better on the margins rather than trying to grow something organically. It's a perfect spot and Kenny has taken advantage.

"[They're] clearly one of the best teams in the league."

The Cleveland Cavaliers set a franchise record by building a 41-point half-time lead en route to their latest victory, a 136-117 drubbing of the Golden State Warriors on Friday.

Cleveland moved to 10-0 to extend the best-ever start in team history despite All-Star Donovan Mitchell managing just 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Plenty of other Cavaliers stepped up with the playmaking guard struggling, however, as Darius Garland went 6 of 11 from 3-point range while totalling 27 points and Evan Mobley put up 23 points in 26 minutes.

The Cavaliers, the first team in NBA history to open a season with 10 straight wins while scoring at least 110 points in each, also received 13 points and 12 rebounds from Jarrett Allen and 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting off the bench from Ty Jerome.

Cleveland also held Stephen Curry to just 12 points while putting an end to the Warriors' five-game winning streak. 

Jonathan Kuminga led Golden State with 21 points, while fellow reserve Brandin Podziemski finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.

The Cavaliers began the game on a 20-2 run and never looked back, as they sped out to a 39-22 lead after one quarter before completely dominating the second.

Cleveland outscored the Warriors by a 44-20 margin in the next period to own an insurmountable 83-42 advantage at the intermission, which tied a franchise record for points in a half. 

The Cavs shot 63.6 per cent (14 of 22) from 3-point range over the first two quarters, with Jerome and Isaac Okoro each tallying 13 first-half points and Garland and Mobley recording 11 apiece.

Nurkic's late surge lifts hot Suns over Mavericks

The Phoenix Suns are now on a seven-game winning streak after rallying in the fourth quarter for a 114-113 road victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Jusuf Nurkic scored the Suns' final five points and snapped a 113-113 tie by making one of two free throws with 0.8 seconds left. The veteran centre was fouled after grabbing the rebound of team-mate Royce O'Neale's missed shot to set up the go-ahead point.

Nurkic finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Kevin Durant scored 26 points to help Phoenix improve to 8-1, which matches the 2009-10 team for the best start in franchise history. 

Luka Dončić had 30 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Dallas, but misfired on a long 3-point attempt at the buzzer.

Kyrie Irving compiled 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the reigning Western Conference champion Mavericks, who have alternated losses and wins over a five-game stretch since starting 3-1. 

Dallas fought back from a 63-50 half-time deficit to take a 97-91 lead on Naji Marshall's layup with 7:47 remaining, but Bradley Beal had seven points during a 9-3 run that brought the Suns even at 100-100 with five minutes to go.

Nurkic scored on back-to-back possessions to give Phoenix a 113-111 edge with 31.4 seconds left. The Mavericks answered on their next trip down the court, however, as Doncic fed Daniel Gafford for a game-tying alley-oop dunk with 23.5 seconds left to play.

Thunder keep rolling with dominant win over Rockets

The Oklahoma City Thunder kept pace with the Suns atop the Western Conference by cruising to a 126-107 win over the Houston Rockets.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each scored 29 points to help Oklahoma City (8-1) bounce back from its lone loss of the season, a 124-122 setback at Denver on Wednesday. 

The Thunder also kept Houston's top two scorers in check, as Jalen Green was held to 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting and Alperen Sengun missed nine of 12 shots while finishing with 11 points. 

Dillon Brooks led the Rockets, who had a two-game winning streak stopped, with 17 points.

After the teams played to a 31-31 tie through one quarter, the Thunder took control in the second by outscoring Houston by a 44-20 margin for the period.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren each had 10 points during the second quarter, and Oklahoma City shot 70 per cent from the field for the frame to go into half-time with a comfortable 75-51 lead.

The Thunder extended the margin to as many as 29 points in the third quarter, and Houston never got its deficit under 19 points the entire second half.

Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said "you have to" enjoy the moment after they continued their perfect start to the NBA season.

The Cavs won 131-122 against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, opening their season 9-0 for the first time in the franchise's 55-year history.

Cleveland had previously recorded an 8-0 start in 1976-77, but they have surpassed that, with Atkinson becoming the first NBA coach to win his first nine games with a new team.

Cleveland got 50 points from reserves, led by Caris LeVert (16 points) and Ty Jerome (11).

"You have to [enjoy it]," said Atkinson. "This season's so long. It's so hard to win in this league. So, when you do have moments like this, you have to celebrate a little.

"Everyone contributes. It's what good teams do. We're in a good place physically. We're in a good place mentally.

"When you win nine in a row, it's not one or two guys; it's the whole roster."

The Cavs were led by Donovan Mitchell, who scored 29 points, while Jarrett Allen added 16 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to add to their winning record.

They had to rally back from an early 12-point deficit though, and did so in part by shooting 54.2% overall, including 48.6% from 3-point range.

"What I think about is this team and the camaraderie they have, and the chemistry we have going and how connected they are," Atkinson added.

"I've been fortunate to land with a really good group, a group that's been really successful in the past, and I'm happy for them -- and I think they're happy for me in the locker room.

"There's a bond between the head coach and a team. You've got to celebrate those moments, and it's pretty cool."

Darius Garland capped a 39-point night by hitting a go-ahead 3-pointer with 45 seconds left that enabled the scorching Cleveland Cavaliers to stay unbeaten with Monday's 116-114 win over the reeling Milwaukee Bucks.

After converting a layup that brought the Cavaliers within 111-110 with 1:07 remaining, Garland knocked down a 25-footer on Cleveland's next possession after the Bucks' Damian Lillard was called for a backcourt violation.

Lillard then misfired on a 3-point try on Milwaukee's next trip down the court before Jarrett Allen sealed the Cavs' eighth straight win to begin the season with a layup off a Garland feed with 12.2 seconds to go.

Cleveland matched the best start in a season in franchise history, having previously gone 8-0 to open the 1976-77 campaign.

Garland finished 7 of 11 from 3-point range and 15 of 22 overall from the field while adding eight assists. The Cavaliers also received 14 points, 15 rebounds and six assists from Allen and 17 points from Evan Mobley.

Milwaukee, meanwhile, has lost six in a row since a season-opening win at Philadelphia for its longest skid in a season since also dropping six straight in March 2015. The Bucks also played without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo due to a strained adductor muscle he sustained in a 114-113 loss to Cleveland on Saturday.

Lillard paced the Bucks with 36 points on 11-of-22 shooting to go along with seven assists. Bobby Portis and AJ Green each had 21 points for Milwaukee, with Portis adding 18 rebounds.

Thunder cruise past Magic to move to 7-0

The Oklahoma City Thunder also stayed perfect for the young season by coasting to a 102-86 victory over the Orlando Magic behind Jalen Williams' 23 points and 21 from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Western Conference's lone remaining unbeaten team led from start to finish and built a margin as large as 26 points in the second half to extend its best start since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. The Seattle Supersonics began a season 7-0 or better three times, most recently a 10-game run to open the 1993-94 campaign.

Orlando shot just 35.4 per cent from the field to lose its fourth straight game following a 3-1 start. The last three defeats have come with leading scorer Paolo Banchero sidelined with a torn oblique.

Franz Wagner led the Magic with 22 points, while Jalen Suggs recorded 19 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Williams put up 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting as the Thunder shot a torrid 71.4 per cent in the first quarter to take a 39-26 lead into the second. The forward ended the first half with 19 points to lead Oklahoma City into the break owning a comfortable 58-43 advantage.

The Thunder continued to add to their lead in the third quarter, as three consecutive 3-pointers from reserve Isaiah Joe highlighted a 13-1 run that extended the margin to 84-58 late in the period.

Durant's late basket lifts Suns, foils 76ers in George's debut

Kevin Durant's driving layup with 24 seconds remaining broke a tie game and put a damper on Paul George's delayed debut with the Philadelphia 76ers as the Phoenix Suns came through with a 118-116 win.

Durant's key basket capped a 10-1 run over the final 3 1/2 minutes that lifted Phoenix to its fifth straight victory following a 1-1 start. The star forward finished with 35 points and six assists to help offset an off night from team-mate Devin Booker, who went 3 of 18 from the field while scoring 13 points.

George had 15 points in 32 minutes in his first appearance since signing with the 76ers as a free agent in the offseason. The nine-time All-Star missed the team's first five games due to a bone bruise in his left knee and was rusty during his return, missing 10 of his 14 shot attempts.

Philadelphia, which remains without franchise centre Joel Embiid due to a knee issue, dropped to 1-5 despite Tyrese Maxey's 32 points on 12-of-22 shooting.

The 76ers appeared on the way to a win after owning a 115-108 advantage following Guerschon Yabusele's dunk with 3:39 to go, which turned out to be their final basket of the night.

Phoenix answered with eight straight points, capped by Durant's jumper with one minute to play, to take a 116-115 edge.

After Maxey made one of two free throws to tie the game with 49.6 seconds left, Durant drove past a defender and scored before George misfired on a 23-footer just before the final buzzer. 

The Milwaukee Bucks are struggling to sustain their performance levels over a full game amid their five-game losing streak, says coach Doc Rivers.

The Bucks have failed to win since triumphing in their season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers, going down 114-113 to the perfect Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.

They raced into a 38-30 first-quarter lead at Fiserv Forum before tailing off badly, prompting Rivers to question their fitness.

“We don’t sustain the game,” Rivers said. “We haven’t been able to sustain 48 minutes.

“We’ve got to figure that out. That’s on us. We have not found the correct rotation yet.”

Damian Lillard was unfortunate to be on the losing team after scoring 41 points with nine assists and shooting 10 of 15 from 3-point range, and he pointed out that several opponents had benefitted from having strong bench options against them.

“I think every team that’s hurt us, they’ve had somebody come in off the bench and have an impact on the game,” Lillard said. 

“They had a guy come in and knock down three 3s when they were bleeding and we had them down and our energy was right. He comes in and, ‘Bang, bang, bang.’"

However, Giannis Antetokounmpo – who had 34 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists – believes the Bucks’ results will soon turn, claiming their displays have improved.

“It doesn’t mean we’re going to go to a five-game winning streak or a 10-game winning streak,” Antetokounmpo said. 

“But I know that we’re playing better. We trust one another better. The ball is moving. There’s a lot of good things that we can do. That’s all we can control.”

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, including a jumper with three-tenths of a second left, and the Cleveland Cavaliers remained perfect with a 114-113 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.

The 7-0 Cavaliers are one win away from matching their best start in franchise history. They won their first eight games in 1976-77.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists for the Bucks, who have lost five straight since winning their opener. Milwaukee wasted a brilliant performance from Damian Lillard, who had 41 points with nine assists and shot 10 of 15 from 3-point range.

Lillard had put Milwaukee ahead by hitting a step-back jumper with 9.8 seconds remaining.

After shooting a combined 17 of 73 on 3-point attempts in losses at Boston and Memphis, the Bucks were 18 of 39 from beyond the arc in this one. Their hot start from long range helped them build a 16-point first-quarter lead.

After Lillard put Milwaukee ahead, Cleveland called timeout. Evan Mobley inbounded a pass to Mitchell, who caught it while barely avoiding a backcourt violation. Mitchell briefly lost control of the ball, but regained possession in 3-point range, dribbled inside the arc and hit a 19-footer.

Thunder defeat Clippers to remain unbeaten

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 25 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder extended their undefeated start to the season by beating the Los Angeles Clippers 105-92.

All five Thunder starters scored in double figures, and the six straight wins to begin the season marked the team's best start since moving to Oklahoma City from Seattle in 2008.

Norman Powell scored 24 points and James Harden added 12 points and 13 rebounds, but the Clippers dropped to 0-4 in their new arena despite holding double-digit leads in each of those defeats.  

The Clippers got off to a good start from 3-point range, making eight long balls in the first quarter, but went 3 for 16 the rest of the way.

Aaron Wiggins hit a 3 to end the third quarter for an 81-78 lead, and the Thunder followed that up by scoring the first seven points in the fourth to create separation.

Booker leads Suns to 4th straight win

Devin Booker had 28 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, and the Phoenix Suns used a dominant third quarter to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 103-97.

Kevin Durant scored 21 points for Phoenix, which won its fourth in a row.

The Suns led by as many as 26 points, but the Trail Blazers cut the deficit to 99-97 in the final minute. Booker and Tyus Jones each made two free throws in the final 21 seconds to seal the win.

Grayson Allen scored 18 off the bench, making a team-high four 3-pointers. Jones and Bradley Beal each finished with 15 points, while Jusuf Nurkic had a game-high 15 rebounds.

Trailing 47-43 at halftime, Phoenix scored 44 in the third quarter to take a 22-point lead by the end of the period. The Suns had zero turnovers in the third quarter after committing nine in the first half.

Booker and Allen each had 10 points in the third quarter, while Portland only managed 18 points in the period.

Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant led the Trail Blazers with 20 points apiece. Deni Avdija scored 13 points and former Sun Deandre Ayton had 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Darius Garland scored 25 points, Donovan Mitchell added 22 and the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 6-0 with a 120-109 victory Friday night over the Orlando Magic, who played their first game without injured All-Star Paolo Banchero.

The Cavs are the only unbeaten team in the Eastern Conference. The last time Cleveland started 6-0 was in 2016 with LeBron James when it lost to Golden State in the NBA Finals. The club's best start was 8-0 in 1976.

The early meeting between Orlando and Cleveland was a rematch of last season's tense opening-round playoff series won by the Cavs in seven games.

Banchero is expected to miss at least a month - and maybe longer - with a torn right oblique. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft was on an early tear, averaging 29 points with 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists before getting hurt Wednesday.

Orlando's Jalen Suggs scored a career-high 28 points and had eight rebounds and seven assists. Franz Wagner had 17 points.

The Magic hung around and were still within 10 late in the third quarter, when Cavs reserves Caris LeVert, Sam Merrill and Georges Niang all made 3-pointers in the final 2:17 to give Cleveland a 17-point lead going to the fourth.

Cleveland improved to 30-7 in Mitchell's last 37 regular-season games since January.

Thunder roll past Blazers to stay unbeaten

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points in 28 minutes and the Oklahoma City Thunder remained perfect with a 137-114 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Jalen Williams added 22 points for the Thunder and Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins each had 13 off the bench as Oklahoma City improved to 5-0.

Jerami Grant led Portland with 17 points and Deandre Ayton added 14.

After the Blazers came back from down 17 to tie the game at 68 at the half, Oklahoma City outscored the Blazers 38-17 in the third quarter and Portland was never able to get back in it.

Wolves edge Nuggets in thriller

Anthony Edwards hit a go-ahead 7-foot floater with 25.7 seconds left, and Rudy Gobert iced the game with two free throws to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Denver Nuggets 119-116.

Edwards scored 29 points, Gobert had 17 points and 14 rebounds and Julius Randle added 23 points and seven assists for the Timberwolves, who recovered from a 25-3 fourth-quarter run by the Nuggets.

Nikola Jokić had 26 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds and hit two free throws with 2:30 left to put Denver up 116-109, before Minnesota roared back. Jokic had a chance to tie the game at 119, but Gobert forced an errant corner 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds to go.

Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 31 points and 11 rebounds in a rematch of last season's Western Conference semifinal.

Michael Porter Jr. added 26 points for the Nuggets, who lost point guard Jamal Murray to the concussion protocol in the third quarter after colliding with Randle.

Christian Braun dunked over the 7-foot-1 Gobert with 5:14 left and got even closer to his face with a taunting scream that egged Gobert into grabbing Braun by the neck. The benches cleared, shouts were exchanged, and both players got a technical.

Bronny James revelled in the "insane" reception he received from the Cleveland Cavaliers supporters in Wednesday's loss for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bronny, son of LeBron, came on from the bench in the fourth quarter with the game all but decided in the Cavs favour.

The Lakers ultimately lost 134-110, though Bronny ensured it was a memorable defeat as he got his first NBA bucket.

LeBron is arguably the greatest player in Cavs history, and the home fans were chanting for Bronny to get a look-in from the bench from early in the second half.

"It was insane," Bronny said.

"Much more than I anticipated for sure. But it's all love. It was insane. It was a nice moment.

"The chants really got me. I was straight-faced, but I felt it and it felt really good, especially coming from here. It was a special moment for me for sure."

Of sinking his first points in the NBA, Bronny said: "I've been watching [my dad] for a minute playing in the league. Just dreaming of being in those players' steps, not only [LeBron's] but players he used to play against and with.

"So yeah, it was just a dream come true for me."

LeBron lauded his son's mental strength, suggesting he would not have been able to deal with such pressure when he was only 20.

"He's better than I would have been in that situation, 20,000 fans screaming my name to get in the game and wanting me to be in the game," said LeBron.

"If the role's reversed, I don't know if I would have been able to handle it. To see him get his first NBA basket in this arena where he grew up not too far away from here, it's an unbelievable moment.

"An unbelievable moment for him, first of all. For our family. It's just pretty cool to be a part of it."

LeBron dragged the Cavs to their first NBA Championship in 2016, and has fond memories of his two spells in Cleveland.

"We spent a lot of years here," LeBron said.

"We're part of this community, obviously. We were born not too far from here, 35 miles south of here, [our] hometown of Akron. And I spent 11 years of my NBA career – half of my career – here."

Evan Mobley scored 25 points, Donovan Mitchell added 24 and the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 5-0 with a 134-110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night in a game that included a special homecoming for LeBron James and his son, Bronny.

The win marks the first time the Cavs have started 5-0 since the 2016-17 season, led by LeBron, and the third time in franchise history.

In the final minutes, Bronny played for the second time as a pro and was inserted with 5:16 left. The younger James, who grew up in the arena, made a 14-foot jumper with 2:03 to play for his first NBA points.

Jarrett Allen added 20 points and 17 rebounds for Cleveland.

LeBron scored 26 and Anthony Davis had 22 and 13 rebounds for the Lakers, who were unable to cut into Cleveland's lead after falling behind by 23 in the first half.

Mitchell made back-to-back 3-pointers as the Cavaliers made four treys in a span of 1:45 in the first quarter to open a 19-point lead after one.

Towns’ big night powers Knicks           

Karl-Anthony Towns had 44 points and 12 rebounds, Jalen Brunson scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half and the New York Knicks rallied to beat the Miami Heat 116-107.

Towns had the fourth-most points for the Knicks against the Heat. Jamal Crawford scored 52 in 2007, Carmelo Anthony had 50 at Miami in 2013 and RJ Barrett 46 in 2022.

Towns shot 17 of 24 from the field, 4 of 5 from long range and 24 of his 44 points in the first half to keep New York close.

Mikal Bridges added 17 points for New York, which trailed by 13 in the third quarter before flipping the game. OG Anunoby had 11 points and Josh Hart finished with 10 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.

Tyler Herro had 34 points for Miami, hitting eight 3-pointers. Terry Rozier scored 16 points, Jimmy Butler had 15, Bam Adebayo 11 and Nikola Jovic 10.

The Knicks ended the third quarter on a 30-10 run, turning a 70-57 deficit into an 87-80 lead.

Thunder down Spurs to remain perfect

Lu Dort scored 20 points, Chet Holmgren added 19 and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 105-93to remain the only unbeaten team in the Western Conference.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 18 points, and Jalen Williams had 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Thunder. Oklahoma City has won all four of its games by at least 12 points.

Harrison Barnes scored 18 points, Jeremy Sochan had 17 points and nine rebounds, and Chris Paul added 14 points and nine assists for the Spurs.

San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama was held to six points on 1-for-5 shooting in his matchup with Holmgren, a fellow second-year big man. Wembanyama also had eight rebounds and three blocks.

Oklahoma City showed it can win even when Gilgeous-Alexander's shot is off. Gilgeous-Alexander, one of the league's top scorers with 28.7 points per game through his first three contests, made just 7 of 20 shots, including 2 of 10 from 3.

The Spurs cut Oklahoma City's lead to 82-75 in the fourth quarter before the Thunder went on a 9-2 run with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench to regain control of the game. Rookie Ajay Mitchell scored five points during that stretch. The Thunder led 93-81 when Gilgeous-Alexander returned, and Oklahoma City was up 103-87 when he went to the bench for good with 2:46 remaining.