Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti is hopeful Victor Osimhen will be fit to face Milan in the Champions League quarter-finals, but the striker has "no chance" of playing at Lecce on Friday.

Osimhen sustained a thigh injury while representing Nigeria during last month's international break, causing him to miss last Sunday's Serie A meeting with Milan.

His absence was felt as Milan thrashed the champions-elect 4-0, but Napoli are positive regarding his prospects of featuring in the first leg of their European tie against the Rossoneri.

Before Wednesday's trip to San Siro, Napoli will look to get their title charge back on track at Lecce, where Spalletti will not have Osimhen available.

Asked about Osimhen's chances of facing Lecce, Spalletti said: "Tomorrow there is no chance. With the schedule, we said we must get to the following week. 

"There are many possibilities to see him against Milan, but we have to wait for the practical development of next week's work."

Osimhen's tally of 21 goals in Serie A this campaign is at least seven more than that of any other player, with Inter's Lautaro Martinez second in the scoring charts with 14.

The 24-year-old has hit 15 goals across all competitions since the turn of the year – a tally only bettered by Karim Benzema and Marcus Rashford (17 each) among players from the top five European leagues.

Despite Osimhen's absence, Spalletti expects Napoli to respond to last week's disappointment as they look to close in on a first Scudetto since the 1989-90 season.

"The week developed in the best possible way, I saw some great training sessions," Spalletti said. "It always amazes me, I've only had this a few times in my career.

"It's a very important match, we know how to face it. A performance is needed in these cases, after a defeat. 

"We still need five victories, 15 points, then everyone can say what they want."

Carlo Ancelotti believes Karim Benzema is capable of winning another Ballon d'Or after netting back-to-back hat-tricks for Real Madrid.

Benzema followed up his treble in last week's 6-0 LaLiga win over Real Valladolid with three more goals in Wednesday's 4-0 Copa del Rey semi-final second leg at Barcelona.

It marks the first time the former France international has scored successive hat-tricks in a Madrid career spanning 14 trophy-laden seasons.

Having won the Ballon d'Or for the first time in 2022 on the back of a superb year for Los Blancos, Ancelotti has backed Benzema to challenge for the individual accolade again.

"Why not?" Ancelotti said following his side's 4-1 aggregate victory against Barcelona. "He remains one of the best players in the world – and not just attacking players."

Benzema now has 25 goals in 31 appearances this season – a tally bettered by Robert Lewandowski (27), Marcus Rashford (28), Kylian Mbappe (31) and Erling Haaland (42).

That includes 19 goals in 19 games since the World Cup, while the 35-year-old's back-to-back hat-tricks have come straight on the back of the international break.

"The work he did during the international break helped him a lot," Ancelotti said of Benzema, who announced his latest retirement from France duty in December.

"He is in prime physical condition. With the qualities he has, he inevitably makes a difference for us."

Real Madrid will face Osasuna, who beat Athletic Bilbao, in the Copa del Rey final on May 6.

Erik ten Hag acknowledged Manchester United are too reliant on Marcus Rashford after the forward's latest goal guided the Red Devils to a 1-0 win over Brentford on Wednesday.

United ended a three-game run without a win – or a goal – in the Premier League as Rashford's close-range finish was enough to down the resolute Bees.

Rashford has scored 15 of United's 42 Premier League goals this season, while his total of 11 strikes since the World Cup is more than any other player in the competition.

Asked whether United have been over-reliant on Rashford this season, Ten Hag told BBC Sport: "Yes, it's the truth.

"But we know other players can score as well. Bruno [Fernandes] can score as well. We have many more players across the squad who can score."

Speaking to United's media channels, Ten Hag said of Rashford: "He played a very good game. I think he was very versatile. He came out of the frontline and we used him as the target, but he also went out wide. 

"You can talk almost every game about [him] and when he's not in the game like Sunday [against Newcastle United], it's not good for us. 

"We have to bring him into the game but also he has to take responsibility, and [so do] other players. 

"He has to be ready to get into those positions and therefore he needs energy, he needs focus, and he has to bring it every game. Today, a great finish again gives us the three points."

Rashford has now scored 10 winning goals in the Premier League this season, the most recorded by a United player in a single campaign since Wayne Rooney in 2009-10 (also 10).

The England forward has 28 goals across all competitions this term, a tally only bettered by Erling Haaland (42) and Kylian Mbappe (31) among players from Europe's top five leagues.

Kyrie Irving led the Dallas Mavericks' second-half rally from a 13 point third-quarter deficit to boost their play-in hopes with a 123-119 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

Irving scored 25 of his 31 points in the second half as the Mavs claimed an important win to improve to 38-42, having trailed 71-60 at half-time at American Airlines Center.

The win sees the Mavs draw level with the 10th-placed Oklahoma City Thunder in the fourth and final play-in tournament spot in the West with two games to play. OKC have the tiebreaker edge.

Dallas play the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs in their final two games, while the Thunder take on the Utah Jazz and the Memphis Grizzlies.

Mavs point guard Irving shot 12-of-23 from the field with six-of-10 from beyond the arc along with four rebounds, eight assists and two steals.

Luka Doncic was outstanding on Dallas' backcourt too, with 29 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while Tim Hardaway Jr scored 24 points including five triples.

Irving led Dallas' third-quarter 12-0 run, flipping the game on its head, ending their own three-game losing skid.

De'Aaron Fox scored 28 points with eight assists for the Kings, with Domantas Sabonis recording a triple-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. All five Kings starter scored double-digit points.

Sacramento also had a season-high 22 offensive rebounds, recording 30-14 second chance points.

Clippers claim crunch win over Lakers

The Los Angeles Clippers claimed a critical 125-118 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the race to avoid the play-in tournament, while extending their recent winning run in the Battle of LA to 11-0.

Norman Powell scored a team-high 27 points off the bench, while Kawhi Leonard added 25 points and seven rebounds. The Lakers, playing the second game of a back-to-back, had LeBron James score 33 points with eight rebounds and seven assists.

The Clippers snapped their two-game losing run and ended the Lakers' four-game winning streak, improving to a 42-38 record to sit fifth ahead of the Golden State Warriors (42-38).

The Lakers are 41-39 in seventh alongside the New Orleans Pelicans (41-39), who won 138-131 over the Memphis Grizzlies despite Jaren Jackson Jr's 40 points, nine rebounds and four blocks.

Bucks and Celtics clinch No.1 and No.2 seeds

The Milwaukee Bucks were without Giannis Antetokounmpo and lost Khris Middleton midgame both due to knee soreness but triumphed 105-92 over the Chicago Bulls to secure the East's number one seed.

The Bucks flexed their muscle without the star duo with Bobby Portis scoring 27 points with 13 rebounds, Brook Lopez adding 26 points and seven rebounds and Jrue Holiday contributing 20 points with eight rebounds and 15 assists.

Milwaukee have locked in top spot with a 58-22 record, while the Boston Celtics won 97-93 over the Toronto Raptors to confirm the East's number two seed with a 55-25 record.

Malcolm Brogdon came off the bench to score 29 points from 35 minutes, while Jaylen Brown managed 25 points and 11 rebounds with Jayson Tatum out with a bruised left hip.

Justin Verlander could be making his New York Mets debut sooner than later after an MRI revealed reduced inflammation in the right throwing shoulder of the prized free agent acquisition.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner is cleared to continue throwing and the Mets said Wednesday that a timeline for him joining the starting rotation will be established as he progresses.

The Mets surprisingly placed Verlander on the injured list with a low-grade teres major strain on Opening Day last Thursday – two days before he was slated to make his New York debut.

Verlander helped the Houston Astros to the 2022 World Series title and agreed to two-year, $86million contract with New York in December.

Verlander turned 40 years old in February but is still one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball.

Despite missing the entire 2021 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, Verlander was the unanimous winner of his third Cy Young Award in 2022 after leading the majors with a 1.75 ERA and 0.83 WHIP, while going 18-4 with 185 strikeouts to 29 walks in 28 starts.

A nine-time All-Star, Verlander captured his first Cy Young Award in 2011 – a season in which he also won the AL MVP. He also won the 2019 AL Cy Young Award, as well as the 2006 AL Rookie of the Year Award.

For his career, Verlander is 244-133 with 3,198 strike outs, ranking first in both wins and strikeouts among active pitchers.

He is historically fared well against NL East opponents, which bodes well for the Mets, as he is posted a 2.14 ERA against those teams in his career – his lowest ERA against any division. His career ERA is 3.24.

In four starts against NL East clubs last season, he went 4-0 without giving up a run over 25 innings, while striking out 26.

The Tampa Bay Rays improved to 6-0 with their second series sweep of the 2023 season, downing the Washington Nationals 7-2 on Wednesday.

The Rays' exceptional start has included winning all six games by four or more runs, outscoring their opponents by 31 runs (44-13) in the process.

Tampa Bay are the first team win their first six games by at least four runs since the St Louis Maroons in 1884, who managed 13 in a row.

It is Tampa Bay's best start in franchise history and the best start of any franchise in the majors since the Baltimore Orioles opened 7-0 in 2016.

It has been a spread of contributions for Tampa Bay as well, with starting pitcher Shane McClanahan having six strikeouts across six innings, with Wander Franco and Harold Ramirez hitting homers.

Franco's third-inning two-run shot opened up a 3-1 lead, with Ramirez's sixth-inning solo blast over center restoring their two-run lead at 4-2 with two outs.

The Rays added two further runs in the sixth, with Taylor Walls driving home Manuel Margot, before Jose Siri singled to right for Walls to score with Victor Robles losing the fly ball in the sun.

Walls along with Randy Arozarena both had two hits, while the latter took a fine leaping catch on Joey Meneses in the first.

Cole outpitches Nola as Phillies slump

Gerrit Cole piled more misery on the struggling Philadelphia Phillies with eight strikeouts in the New York Yankees' 4-2 win.

The Phillies had claimed their first win of the season against the Yankees on Tuesday but slumped to 1-5 with the defeat, where Jose Trevino's seventh-inning two-run shot opened up a 4-1 lead, with Gleyber Torres having three hits with two RBI singles.

Cole outpitched Phillies right-hander Austin Nola, who had seven Ks across six innings. The Yankees pitcher allowed one run with three hits and three walks across six-and-one-third innings.

The Phillies, who were NL champions last year, were held to two or less runs for the third time in four games with Kyle Schwarber hitting a ninth-inning consolation homer.

More Brewers blasts in walk-off win

Rookie Garrett Mitchell blasted a ninth-inning walk-off home run as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the New York Mets 7-6.

Leading off at the bottom of the ninth, Mitchell fell behind 1-2 in the count before unleashing his game-winning shot into the right-field stands, marking his third blast in his past two games.

The result means Milwaukee have won five games in a row, leading the NL Central division with a 5-1 record. The Brewers, who have homered seven times in two games, have scored 38 runs in their past 36 innings.

For the Mets, Pete Alonso hit a duo of two-run homers, the latter putting his side up 6-4 in the fifth.

Real Madrid reached the Copa del Rey final for the first time since 2014 as a Karim Benzema hat-trick and a Vinicius Junior strike earned a 4-0 Clasico victory over Barcelona at Camp Nou and a 4-1 triumph on aggregate.

Eder Militao's own goal at the Bernabeu had Barca heading into Wednesday's second leg with a 1-0 advantage, but Vinicius' goal in first-half added time got Madrid back into the tie.

Carlo Ancelotti's men then took over after the break, Benzema putting them ahead with a sublime finish before coolly converting from the spot after Vinicius was felled.

The reigning Ballon d'Or winner clinched his hat-trick late on to dump the 31-time winners out and set Madrid up to meet Osasuna in the showpiece match on May 6.

Barca started brightly with Sergi Roberto and Raphinha seeing early efforts foiled, though alert defending was needed by Ronald Araujo at the other end to deny Vinicius.

Tempers were starting to fray in a typically high-charged encounter, Xavi booked for dissent before Gavi and Vinicius were cautioned for a fracas in midfield. The visitors remained focused, though, to level the tie just before half-time.

After Courtois made a superb stop to deny Robert Lewandowski, Madrid flew up the other end, and though Jules Kounde initially blocked Vinicius' shot, it crept over the line to make it 1-1 on aggregate.

Ancelotti's side took the lead shortly after the break, Luka Modric teeing up Benzema to expertly stroke into the bottom-left corner.

Madrid then landed a killer blow shortly after, Franck Kessie bringing Vinicius down in the box for a penalty before Benzema stepped up and ruthlessly slotted into the bottom-right corner.

Benzema sealed his hat-trick with 10 minutes to play, delicately dinking over Marc-Andre ter Stegen to send his team cruising into the final.

Manchester United returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a 1-0 victory over Brentford at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Marcus Rashford's first-half strike was enough to see off the Bees, ending a three-match winless streak for Erik ten Hag's side in the league since winning the Carabao Cup.

Brentford could not muster much of a response in the second half, United controlling the flow of the game throughout.

Though the scoreline was far from flattering, it sealed a vital three points for United that moves them back ahead of Tottenham and into fourth position.

The hosts dominated possession early on but were unable to test David Raya in the Brentford net, Scott McTominay firing an effort over the top of the crossbar before Antony cut inside onto his left and curled an effort wide.

United's breakthrough came after 27 minutes, Brentford not clearing their lines effectively from a corner and Antony clipping a ball back into the box where Marcel Sabitzer headed down for Rashford to duly smash home.

Brentford were almost gifted an equaliser shortly after the restart, David de Gea put under pressure by Ivan Toney and the keeper's clearance bouncing off the back of the England international and just wide of the post.

Ten Hag's side continued to be on the front foot, though struggling to truly test Raya's capabilities, but Sabitzer tested his reflexes with a low shot from the edge of the box after Rashford's lay-off.

Though United were not able to find more effectiveness in front of goal, any threat of a Brentford comeback was unfounded as United held firm to clinch three valuable points.

The Denver Nuggets could have clinched the one seed in the Western Conference by the time they face a Phoenix Suns team already sure of the four seed.

Denver will secure the one seed on Wednesday if the two seed Memphis Grizzlies lose to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Should the Grizzlies stay in the hunt with a victory, however, then the Nuggets will go into their penultimate road game of the season knowing a win will see them finish top of the pile in the West. The Nuggets have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Grizzlies.

The outcome of the Grizzlies' game in New Orleans may therefore impact whether the Nuggets elect to play their stars, including MVP contender Nikola Jokic.

Phoenix, meanwhile, have little reason to risk the likes of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.

The Suns are locked into the four seed in the West, but if they want to lay down a marker ahead of a postseason in which they may well face a first-round series with the defending champion Golden State Warriors, this could prove a compelling potential playoff preview.

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Phoenix Suns – Kevin Durant

The Nuggets recently received a reminder of the damage Durant can do. The former MVP and two-time Finals MVP tallied 30 points in the Suns' 100-93 win over Denver on March 31.

He followed that up with 35 points against Oklahoma City Thunder, having been booed by the home crowd, fans of the team where he first made his name. Though he cooled off and had only 18 in the win over the San Antonio Spurs last time out, Durant is in ominous form ahead of the playoffs, and a battle with the potential MVP could further whet his appetite for the postseason.

Denver Nuggets – Nikola Jokic

Even if the Nuggets already have the one seed wrapped up, perhaps Jokic might play in this high-profile encounter to improve his MVP odds.

Joel Embiid is the heavy favourite after his 52-point showing for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Boston Celtics.

But if Jokic can play a starring role against the Suns, could that be enough to tilt the race back in his favour?

KEY BATTLE – Can Suns foil the fast break?

The Nuggets rank fifth in the NBA in fast break points with 16.3 per game. Phoenix, meanwhile, have excelled at stopping teams scoring in that fashion, allowing an average of just 13 fast break points.

Regardless of the makeup of the two teams and the playoff scenarios at play, that area of the game will go a long way to deciding the victor.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Suns have won three of their last five against the Nuggets. They have won their last two as the home team, having lost their previous five as the hosts in this matchup.

Punjab Kings fended off a Rajasthan Royals fightback after a stunning spell from Nathan Ellis had teed up a five-run win that saw them start the 2023 IPL with back-to-back victories.

Both teams had enjoyed opening wins, and this match too could have gone either way despite the Kings appearing to be in complete control thanks to Ellis.

After Punjab captain Shikhar Dhawan did the heavy lifting with 86 not out to see his side finish on 197-4, Ellis (4-30) took a series of vital wickets to slow the Royals' response.

Luck was initially on the Australia bowler's side as an inside edge looped up off Jos Buttler's pad for a smart catch for 19.

Sanju Samson carried the scoring burden, making 42, before he too departed off the bowling of Ellis, who also accounted for Riyan Parag (20) from his next delivery, then bowled Devdutt Paddikal (21) later in the same over.

A deep Royals line-up still contained Shimron Hetmyer (36 off 18) and impact player Dhruv Jurel (32 not out off 15), and the pair combined for a quick 61.

But even with Ellis' allocation up, Hetmyer had himself run out in the final over as Sam Curran (0-44) just about kept the batting side at bay.

Chahal's slow progress

This was not a night IPL veteran Yuzvendra Chahal will reflect on particularly fondly, even if it saw him edge closer to the tournament's wickets record.

His figures of 1-50 were damaging – Punjab scoring easily despite some fine fielding, including from Buttler – but the wicket of Jitesh Sharma was his 171st in the IPL, moving ahead of Lasith Malinga and now trailing only Dwayne Bravo (183).

Electric Ellis excels

Both teams named unchanged XIs, meaning Ellis was preferred to 99-wicket Kagiso Rabada. The Australian had only five IPL wickets to his name prior to this match.

Ellis significantly added to that tally, however, his spell turning the tide and providing a reminder of the talent that saw him take a hat-trick on his T20I debut in 2021 – even if Curran's contribution was still required to get the job done.

Steve Cooper is still Nottingham Forest manager despite claims he was set to be sacked, owner Evangelos Marinakis said in a statement.

Forest lost 2-1 at Leeds United on Tuesday, extending the Premier League's longest active winless run to eight matches.

It was a familiar story for Forest, who failed to win a league-high eighth game after scoring first and still have a joint-low six away points.

The loss leaves the promoted side in 17th place, outside the relegation zone only on goal difference.

Reports in the British media suggested Cooper was therefore set to lose his job on Wednesday.

However, Forest are again standing by their manager, as they did earlier in the season when Cooper was handed a new contract following a 4-0 defeat at Leicester City.

Marinakis said: "No one denies that our club is in a difficult position in the Premier League, but we wish to end the speculation and the false and disruptive reporting in the media to confirm that Steve Cooper remains our manager at Nottingham Forest.

"We have all been disappointed with recent performances, and it is very clear that a lot of hard work needs to be done to address this urgently. Results and performances must improve immediately.

"Now is the time for everyone connected with our club, from us as owners, to the board, our supporters, backroom staff, coaches and players, to come together and fight to secure our status in the Premier League.

"There can be no time for distractions, rumours and speculation.

"There is only time for hard work, determination, a commitment from Steve and the players to getting the results we need and, of course, the continued magnificent support of the fans of Nottingham Forest."

When the season paused at the end of March for an international break, Forest had the third-hardest run-in in the Premier League, according to Opta's power rankings.

They have since taken only a single point from a double-header against fellow strugglers Wolves and Leeds.

Forest's next five games are against top-half opposition, while they are also still to welcome league leaders Arsenal to the City Ground.

The Denver Nuggets are all but certain to be the number one seed in the West, but Michael Malone does not expect a deep playoff run if his team continue to play as they did on Tuesday.

The Nuggets had the opportunity to clinch the top seed with three games of the regular season remaining, yet instead they lost 124-103 at the Houston Rockets, who are last in the conference.

Denver had won the teams' past 10 meetings, including the previous four by at least 15 points, but struggled even with Nikola Jokic back in the lineup.

Although they are still on course to finish first, theirs is now on course to be the worst record by the number one seed in the West since the 1976-77 Los Angeles Lakers.

And this defeat did not do wonders for Malone's hopes of finally guiding the Nuggets to the NBA Finals.

No team across the United States' four major sports have made more playoff appearances without reaching the championship round. This will be their 29th postseason campaign.

"If that's how we're going to play, we'll be out in the first round," the coach said.

"When we don't do our jobs, there's accountability, and I speak the truth.

"I just called our team 'soft,' and I dared someone to challenge me. No one did, because we as a group were soft tonight.

"I'm not saying we are soft, but tonight, we were."

Indeed, the Nuggets were out-rebounded 55-47, although the Rockets lead the league in average rebound margin.

With the Memphis Grizzlies two games back, the Nuggets have three more opportunities to make sure of top spot, continuing their road trip against the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz before returning home to play the Sacramento Kings.

Joel Embiid's stellar showing against the Boston Celtics led Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers to declare the MVP race "over".

Embiid is a likely contender, alongside Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, for the NBA's MVP award.

But with just five days of the regular season remaining, the Sixers star made an almighty push for the gong with a remarkable display against the Celtics.

Embiid scored 52 points, over half of Philadelphia's total in a 103-101 victory on Tuesday, while adding 13 rebounds and six assists.

The 29-year-old is the first player in the stop-clock era to score more than half of his team's points and shoot 80 per cent from the field.

Wilt Chamberlain, meanwhile, was the only other player to have previously shot 80 per cent from the field and record at least 50 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

For Rivers, it means job done in the MVP race.

"The man just scored half our points, in an NBA game," Rivers said. 

"I'm biased, but the MVP race is over.

"We did so many things wrong, but what we did right was Joel Embiid."

Embiid's team-mate James Harden echoed Rivers' sentiment, adding: "Joel should win it.

"He's been in contention for it the last few years. He led the league in scoring last year. It looks like he's going to lead the league in scoring this year.

"We're the third seed in the East. He's been consistent all year."

When the comments of Rivers and Harden were put to him, Embiid quipped: "They're probably right, but we got bigger goals.

"We understand we got a chance, but it's not going to be easy. For me, it was kind of disappointing because we found so many ways to lose the game, and that's on all of us.

"I'm part of it. I could've been better. You know, I had a couple of dumb plays. I could've been better, and we could've been better as a team.

"Like I said, we got bigger goals in mind, but we got to be better than that."

As for how to stop Embiid, who is second in the NBA for points this season (2,162) and leads the way for points per game (33.3), Celtics guard Derrick White is non-plussed.

"I think the whole league's trying to figure that out right now," said White. "So, if you got any ideas, I think every other NBA team would like to know."

Philadelphia 76ers center and MVP hopeful Joel Embiid put together arguably his best game of the season on Tuesday to deliver a 103-101 home win against the Boston Celtics.

Embiid put up 52 points – over half of his team's total and the third-most in his career – while shooting a remarkable 20-of-25 from the field. He also grabbed 13 rebounds, dished six assists and blocked two shots in his 39 minutes.

The 29-year-old, who has finished as the runner-up in the past two MVP votes, had never scored more than 50 points in a game prior to this season, but he has done so three times this campaign, highlighted by a 59-point, 11-rebound, eight-assist, seven-block showing against the Utah Jazz in November.

Against the Celtics, Embiid was supported in style by James Harden as the 76ers' second star chipped in 20 points (seven-of-17 shooting) and 10 assists with no turnovers. It was only his second game this season without a turnover.

Meanwhile, the Celtics were left short-handed as All-Star Jaylen Brown was ruled out in the hours leading up to tip-off, and Jayson Tatum was disappointing in his highly anticipated showdown against Embiid, delivering just 19 points on seven-of-20 shooting with six rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Tatum had a plus/minus of minus 13 in his 38 minutes, meaning Boston were plus 11 in the 10 minutes he was on the bench.

LeBron lifts the Lakers in overtime

The Los Angeles Lakers have now won seven of their past eight fixtures after a 135-133 overtime victory on the road against the Utah Jazz.

It was a mediocre offensive showing from the red-hot Anthony Davis as he shot just seven-of-16 from the field and seven-of-12 from the free throw line for his 21 points, but he added 14 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks.

Instead it was LeBron James coming through for the Lakers, producing his best game since the All-Star break with 37 points (14-of-27 shooting), six assists and five rebounds. Austin Reaves stepped up in D'Angelo Russell's absence, contributing 28 points (eight-of-13) and six assists in an equal team-high 42 minutes.

The win improved the Lakers' record to 41-38, leaving them tied with the Los Angeles Clippers for the sixth-best record in the West – with the Lakers and Clippers to face off on Wednesday.

Warriors stay out of the play-in

The Golden State Warriors were at risk of being leapfrogged by the Lakers and falling into the play-in tournament placings, before coming from behind to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder 136-125.

It was the Thunder leading 106-102 heading into the fourth quarter, but with Klay Thompson missing through injury, Jordan Poole stepped up as the Warriors' hero.

Poole scored 18 points in the fourth quarter while the Thunder scored 19 as a team, with the fourth-year guard finishing with 30 points (eight-of-19 shooting). 

Stephen Curry was just as good, dropping a game-high 34 points (11-of-25), while Most Improved Player candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 32 points (11-of-17) and seven assists for the Thunder.

The win means the Warriors have jumped the Clippers into the fifth seed with just two games remaining, while the Thunder's loss keeps the Dallas Mavericks alive, with just a half-game separating the 10th and 11th seeds.

Luka Doncic accepted responsibility for a Dallas Mavericks defense this season that their Slovenian star believes "anybody can score on".

There was plenty of positivity coming into the season after a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals in 2022, but things have failed to go according to plan.

But while the Mavericks sit 11th in the West with a 37-42 record – one game behind the 38-41 Oklahoma City Thunder in the race for the final play-in tournament spot – they still own the sixth-best offense in the league this season.

Scoring at a rate of 116.0 points per 100 possessions, the Mavericks trail only the New York Knicks (116.8), Denver Nuggets (117.1), Philadelphia 76ers (117.1), Boston Celtics (117.3) and Sacramento Kings (119.0) for the league's best offensive units.

But they also sit 23rd in defense, giving up 115.9 points per 100 possessions, although their stellar offensive play had been enough to keep their head above water prior to the All-Star break.

Since the break – and the trade for Kyrie Irving, where they sent away key rotation pieces Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie – the Mavs have gone 6-13, and while their offense has actually gotten even more efficient (117.5 points per 100 possessions), their defense has cratered even further (118.0).

Doncic called it "a very disappointing season", and pointed to the current group's lack of chemistry – particularly on the defensive end – as one of the main reasons for their late-season collapse.

"I think you don't see that chemistry we had before – I mean, especially last year," he said. "I think that chemistry was at the top, everybody. But chemistry builds not just not right away. It's a long process.

"I don't think the offense is a problem, and I always said this. It's our defensive end. I think anybody can score on us. Whoever it is, anybody can score on us."

But the former Rookie of the Year and three-time All-NBA First Team selection was not looking to point fingers. Doncic highlighted his own packed schedule over the past three years as he spent his offseasons playing for Slovenia internationally, and admitted his defense has reflected his level of fatigue.

"I've been playing basketball for three straight years," he said. "Four weeks in between it was free. 

"Sometimes it's really hard for me to play really hard on both ends. But obviously, the defensive end I gotta be way better. But that's not an excuse.

"I'm still young, age-wise, but it's a lot of basketball. But I've got to be way better. I'm the leader of this team – the one to blame is me."