Donovan Mitchell is concerned he may have re-aggravated the groin injury that kept him out recently in the final play of the Cleveland Cavaliers' 105-103 loss to the New York Knicks.

Mitchell had missed the Cavs' past three games with groin tightness and said he felt the issue tighten as he drove to the bucket trying to score a game-tying bucket.

The All-Star's shot was blocked by Isaiah Hartenstein, flooring Mitchell who somehow got the rebound and dished a pass to Evan Mobley, whose also missed, ending the game.

Mitchell remained on the ground after the buzzer, initially clutching his right leg in apparent pain and frustration, before being helped to his feet by training staff and gingerly walking to the locker room.

"I went up to try dunk it, both my legs cramped and my groin just tightened up and locked up on me," Mitchell told reporters.

"Three things happened at the same time. As soon as I jumped, then I tried to get the rebound and that was that."

Mitchell, who finished the game with 24 points on nine-of-24 shooting, said the injury felt similar to his previous groin issue, although he was yet to be assessed.

"It felt the same as before," he said. "I don't know what comes next.

"I felt good enough to come back, and for that to be the last five seconds of the game really pisses me off."

When asked why he stayed on the ground for so long after the game, he added: "It's definitely both [frustration about the injury and his play], but more so [the injury]. I'm praying that I'm all right.

"I screwed that [the play] up. The last few possessions, I can cry about the foul calls all I want. I've just got to be more poised for our group. I had one turnover on a layup, even though I feel like I got fouled, pull it out, run a play, get something.

"Then the second one where I air-balled the layup, that's on me. I let the team down at the end of the game. We played a really good game up until that point, all of us, and I didn't do my job. And that's on me."

The win snapped the Knicks' five-game losing run as Julius Randle led the way with 36 points and 13 rebounds.

The Memphis Grizzlies' achieved a franchise record 11th straight win with Desmond Bane and Ja Morant starring in a thrilling 115-114 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

Darius Garland had a three-point shot on the buzzer blocked by Dillon Brooks, after Steven Adams tipped in with 16 seconds left after Morant's miss.

Bane top scored for the Grizzlies with 25 points, including five-of-eight three-point shooting. Morant added 24 points with eight assists for Memphis, who improved to 31-13, along with 20-3 at home.

Morant had spent time in the locker room in the first quarter after copping a knee to his neck, but re-entered the game in the second quarter.

Game-winner Adams scored 13 points with 10 rebounds and four assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr had an excellent all-round game with 15 points, seven rebounds, two steals and four blocks.

Memphis also managed an 11th consecutive game with 115 or more points.

The Cavs were missing Donovan Mitchell due to a groin strain, with Garland top scoring with 24 points on five-of-11 three-point shooting along with 14 assists.

Caris LeVert added 23 points with four rebounds and six assists, with power forward Evan Mobley scoring 18 points and bringing down 15 rebounds with two blocks. The Cavs are now 28-18.

Trae downs Doncic as Hawks win fourth straight

The Atlanta Hawks continued their run of momentum with their fourth straight win in a 130-122 victory over Luka Doncic's Dallas Mavericks.

Dejounte Murray scored 30 points, making four-of-six three-pointers, while John Collins added 19 along with 18 from Trae Young plus 12 assists, as the Hawks secured a season-best four-game winning streak to move above .500 at 23-22.

Doncic, who was traded as a top-five pick for Young at the 2018 NBA Draft, scored 30 points for the Mavs, but only 11 after quarter-time, while he gave up seven turnovers.

Jokic adds another franchise record in Nuggets win

Nikola Jokic recorded his 14th triple-double of the season as he surpassed Alex English for the most assists in franchise history in the Denver Nuggets' 122-118 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The MVP candidate finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, going past English's 3,680-assist franchise record with a dime for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Jamal Murray added 28 points for the Nuggets, who secured their eighth straight win and 15th successive victory at home to remain top in the west, at 32-13.

The Memphis Grizzlies will get a chance to tie their longest winning streak in franchise history when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

Monday's 30-point demolition of the Phoenix Suns extended the Grizzlies' streak to 10, and they are now one victory away from tying the 11-game streak from the 2014-15 campaign starring Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, which was matched last season.

Over their last 10 fixtures, the Grizzlies have been a juggernaut on both ends of the court, scoring 119.9 points per 100 possessions to sit third in offensive rating, while also boasting the best defense in the NBA, allowing just 106.5.

Meanwhile, the team the Grizzlies overtook to snatch top spot in the defensive rankings was the Cavaliers, who still sit second for the season.

Another key indicator for the true contenders is net rating – which measures how much better a team's offensive rating is compared to their defense – and both of these sides have excelled through the first half of the season. The Grizzlies sit second overall with a net rating of 5.8, while the Cavaliers are third at 4.7.

Two very similar teams, both the Cavaliers and the Grizzlies utilise two defensive anchors in their starting line-up, leaning away from the more prevalent "small ball" roster constructions seen around the league.

For the Grizzlies, Steven Adams is arguably the strongest rebounder in the league while Jaren Jackson Jr leads the NBA in blocks per game at 3.3. On the Cavaliers' side, All-Star Jarrett Allen and defensive prodigy Evan Mobley roam the interior.

While these sides are almost identical defensively, the way they attack on offense, particularly through their star players, could decide their fate.

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is, without a doubt, one of the best guards in league history when it comes to finishing at the rim. He is averaging five makes per game within five feet of the basket – the only guard in the league to do so – while converting at a terrific 61 per cent clip.

The problem with that is how well both of these teams protect the basket, as it creates the question of what happens when an unstoppable force – Morant – meets an immovable object – the rim protection of Allen and Mobley.

On the other hand, the combination of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell for the Cavaliers are far more malleable with the way they create their offense.

Garland excels in 'floater range' from five-to-nine feet away from the hoop, sitting 15th in the league with 1.3 makes per game at an efficient 50 per cent, while Mitchell provides the long-range assault.

Mitchell is averaging 3.1 makes per game on deep threes (greater than 25 feet), which trails only the Golden State Warriors' Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry (3.8) and Klay Thompson (3.2).

It should be a mouthwatering clash between the league's best two defensive teams, who both have all their young stars healthy and ready to go as they look to strengthen their playoff positions.

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS 

Cleveland Cavaliers – Jarrett Allen

It is no secret that Morant is the driving force behind the Grizzlies' success, and for him to dominate games, he needs to control the paint.

Allen is the Cavaliers' primary rim protector and will be tasked with preventing Morant from producing more of his highlight-reel finishes, and if he can turn Morant into a jump-shooter for the night, Cleveland will consider that a massive win.

Memphis Grizzlies – Desmond Bane

Desmond Bane is the perfect counterbalance to Morant, providing the Grizzlies with a dynamic shooting threat who holds the defense's attention at all times.

Through three seasons, Bane owns a ridiculous career three-point percentage of 43.3. It is not just a strong number, it is the seventh-best career figure of all-time, and places him in the absolute top echelon of shooters in today's game.

If he can hit a couple early and force the Cavaliers' defense to divert some of their attention away from Morant, Bane could open up everything for the Grizzlies' offense.

KEY BATTLE – Can the Cavaliers figure out how to win on the road?

Heading into this contest, both the Grizzlies (19-3) and the Cavaliers (19-4) sit top-three in the NBA's best home records.

The Grizzlies will get the honour of hosting this time, leaving the Cavs as the underdogs as they try to figure out what is behind their disappointing 9-13 record away from home this campaign.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

This will be the first time this season these two teams meet, although the Grizzlies have won each of the past three matchups.

The Cavaliers defeated the Grizzlies once during Morant's rookie season in 2019, but the former Rookie of the Year has not lost to them since.

Donovan Mitchell was thankful for the "phenomenal" reception he received on his return to the Utah Jazz, though was left to rue Jordan Clarkson's form in a tight defeat.

Mitchell spent five seasons with the Jazz before he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers last year.

Lauri Markkanen was part of that trade and had a double-double of 25 points and 16 rebounds against his former team as he became the second-fastest player in franchise history to reach 1,000 points. Likewise, Mitchell showed just why the Cavs signed him with a game-leading 46-point haul.

Mitchell has broken the 40-point mark in a career-high five games this season, but it was not enough to down his old employers, who triumphed 116-114 after Clarkson came to the fore, netting nine of his 32 points in the final quarter.

The Jazz paid tribute to three-time All-Star Mitchell before Tuesday's game by showing a highlights reel of his time in Utah, while the home crowd gave him an ovation.

"I was really comfortable," Mitchell told the media.

"It wasn't weird. It was just like playing as I have here for the last five years. The reception was phenomenal, and I'm appreciative of it."

Mitchell was handed a rest in the third quarter, though that was when Clarkson began to swing the momentum Utah's way.

"He had that look in his eye, and I was just like, damn, it's going to be one of those back-and-forth nights," Mitchell said.

Clarkson explained: "I was just being aggressive in those moments. Throughout the game, I saw what they were doing defensively and just started being aggressive in the fourth."

Walker Kessler was tasked with marking Mitchell and had nothing but praise for his former team-mate.

"He's an unbelievable guy, man," said 21-year-old Kessler, who joined the Jazz three months before Mitchell left.

"I mean, obviously, I haven't known him too long, but even [when we played] at Cleveland, he came up to me and was super, super encouraging.

"It was really cool to see the Utah fan base get so excited for him. Great player, great guy."

The Cavs have lost two of their last three games but are still well placed in the Eastern Conference with a 26-15 record, while the Jazz are just above the play-in line in the West.

The Miami Heat broke the NBA record for most free throws in a game without a miss as they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-111 at home on Tuesday.

With starters Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry all out due to various injuries, Jimmy Butler was tasked with leading the offense, and he was aggressive from the jump.

He scored only six of his 17 field goal attempts, but finished with a game-high 35 points after going a perfect 23-of-23 from the free throw line. In doing so, he finished one free throw behind James Harden (24-of-24 in December 2019) for the most in one game without a miss.

Butler was not alone in his marksmanship from the line, with his team-mates also combining to shoot 17-of-17, setting the new team record for 40 free throws without a miss.

The Heat star also added seven rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocks in a spectacular two-way performance, while Victor Oladipo chipped in 19 points (seven-of-16 shooting) with four rebounds, four assists and two steals off the bench.

For the Thunder, Josh Giddey collected his second triple-double of the season with 18 points (eight-of-18), 15 rebounds and 10 assists.

Miami are now 22-20, and sit eighth in the Eastern Conference.

Embiid and Harden dominate the Pistons

The stars of the Philadelphia 76ers made light work of the visiting Detroit Pistons, with Joel Embiid and James Harden both enjoying big nights in a 147-116 victory.

Embiid had 36 points (12-of-20 shooting), 11 rebounds and two blocks in just 24 minutes, while Harden posted a strong triple-double with 16 points (six-of-seven shooting), 15 assists and 12 rebounds.

The 76ers have won five of their past six outings to improve their record to 25-15, placing them fifth in the East, 3.5 games behind the league-leading Boston Celtics (29-12).

Mitchell heroics not enough for the Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell was a man on a mission in his first road game against the Utah Jazz since being traded in the offseason, but the Cleveland Cavaliers ultimately went down 116-114.

Mitchell scored a game-high 46 points on 14-of-27 shooting with six assists, five rebounds and three steals, but his team could not stop the duo of Jordan Clarkson and Lauri Markkanen.

Clarkson top-scored for Utah with 32 points on 11-of-19 shooting, while Markkanen continued to build a case for Most Improved Player as he put up 25 points (six-of-18) and 16 rebounds.

Kevin Durant went down injured before Royce O'Neale scored the game-winning two-pointer with 3.2 seconds left as the Brooklyn Nets edged the Miami Heat 102-101 on Sunday.

Durant exited late in the third quarter with a right knee issue after Jimmy Butler fell on him, but the Nets did enough without him to improve to 27-13 overall and second spot in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn have won 18 of their last 20 games.

Butler put the Heat ahead 101-100 with a dunk with 1:12 remaining, but O'Neale had the final say with a putback after Kyrie Irving had missed a 30-foot three-point attempt.

Irving top scored for Brooklyn with 28 points, including six-of-15 from three-point range with six assists, while Nic Claxton contributed strongly again with 13 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.

Durant managed 17 points on five-of-11 shooting from the field with five rebounds in his 30 minutes on the court.

Butler top-scored for the Heat with 26 points, but shot nine-of-21 from the field with two turnovers, while Tyler Herro finished with 24 points before limping off late.

Bam Adebayo was also limited by a right-hand contusion, scoring 10 points with eight rebounds.

Harden records triple-double in 76ers win

James Harden recorded a triple-double and became the 27th NBA player with 24,000 career points as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Detroit Pistons 123-111.

Harden finished with 20 points on seven-of-14 shooting, including three-of-five from beyond the arc, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.

Tyrese Maxey also came to the fore for the Joel Embiid-less 76ers, while Pistons guard Killian Hayes had a game-high 26 points, with four three-pointers.

Suns slump to sixth straight loss

The Cleveland Cavaliers consigned the short-handed Phoenix Suns to their sixth straight defeat with a 112-98 victory as Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland scored 22 points each.

Mitchell, who scored a season-high 71 points in last weeks' OT win over the Chicago Bulls, made seven-of-12 from the field, while Garland dished off seven assists in a fine display.

The Suns were missing their backcourt of Chris Paul and Devin Booker but were within one point at three-quarter time before fading.

Duane Washington top scored for Phoenix in 25 minutes off the bench with 25 points including five triples.

Donovan Mitchell said he feels "humbled" after becoming the seventh player in NBA history to eclipse 70 points in a single game after dropping 71 in the Cleveland Cavaliers' win on Monday.

The Cavaliers beat the Chicago Bulls 145-134 in overtime, with Mitchell scoring a career-high and franchise record 71 points on 22-of-34 shooting, hitting seven-of-15 from long range and 20 of his 25 free throws.

In doing so, he beat his own personal best by 14 points after he scored 57 in a playoff loss with the Utah Jazz in 2020, and it was 25 points better than his previous regular season high of 46.

He also overtook the Cavaliers' franchise record, which was previously set at 57 by both Kyrie Irving in 2015 and LeBron James in 2017.

Mitchell added 11 assists and eight rebounds to his stat line, meaning he scored or assisted on 99 of his side's 145 points – the second-most ever, trailing only the legendary 100-point game from Wilt Chamberlain back in 1962 when he was responsible for 104 points.

Adding to his heroics, he single-handedly forced overtime when he intentionally missed a free throw with three seconds remaining in regulation, before getting his own rebound and putting it back in to tie the contest.

Mitchell went on to outscore the Bulls 13-4 by himself in the extra period, putting the finishing touches on his unforgettable night.

Speaking after the game, Mitchell said he has never scored that many points at any level, except for in video games.

"Never  – except [NBA] 2K, in 2K for sure," he said. "When I first got into the league I played as the Jazz and was shooting it every time.

"I don't think I did it this efficiently in 2K, but no I never have [scored 71 at any level]. The closest I think I got was in the bubble with 57 – but that was in a loss, so this feels a lot better."

When asked how it feels to join Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor, David Robinson, David Thompson and Devin Booker as the only players to reach the 70-point mark, Mitchell was initially lost for words.

"It's humbling," he said. "I'm speechless, to be honest with you. 

"For me, not only did I do that, but I did it in an effort when we came back and won – and it was how we won. That's really what, for me, was like 'man, this is nuts'. 

"I'm extremely blessed, I'm humbled that I'm in that company, in that group. I've always believed I can be one of the best players in this league, but I've got to keep working. 

"This is a big milestone, but at the end of the day those guys have all won at the highest level, and that's my ultimate goal, but to be there in the record books with them is truly incredible."

Team-mate Kevin Love was in Cleveland for their tremendous run of four consecutive trips to the NBA Finals with James and Irving, but he declared this as the best performance he has ever witnessed in person.

"In my 15 years, that's the best performance I've ever seen, ever been a part of," he said. 

"I've seen some special ones, I was talking about Kyrie here against Portland when he had 55, LeBron in Game 1 of the 2018 Finals, 57 for Kyrie in San Antonio – but this one takes the cake."

Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff echoed that admiration for Mitchell's display.

"We were treated tonight to one of the greatest performances in the history of the game," he said. "Every single play that he made was a play that was necessary.

"Donovan has never put himself above the team, so how can you not root for a guy like that? I told everyone else to get out of the way."

The win improves the Cavaliers' record to 24-14 to occupy the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, while they boast the fourth-best home record in the league at 17-4.

Donovan Mitchell shattered the Cleveland Cavaliers' franchise record with 71 points in his side's 145-134 home victory against the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

The Cavaliers' previous record for most points in one game belongs to Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, who both had a 57-point game in a Cleveland uniform in 2015 and 2017 respectively.

Mitchell also came through in a pivotal moment late in the fourth quarter to force overtime after being fouled with three seconds remaining, trailing by three. He made the first free throw, before missing the second and getting his own offensive rebound and putting it back in to tie the game.

He went on to outscore the Bulls 13-4 by himself in the extra period, finishing 22-of-34 from the field, seven-of-15 from deep and 20-of-25 from the free throw line while adding 11 assists and eight rebounds.

Mitchell blew his own career-highs out of the water, having never previously scored more than 46 points in a regular season game, although he had games of 57 and 51 in the Utah Jazz's 2020 playoff series against the Denver Nuggets.

He scored or assisted on 99 of the Cavaliers' 145 points – the second most all-time, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point performance in 1962 where he contributed to 104 points.

Mitchell joins Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor, David Robinson, David Thompson and Devin Booker as the only players to reach the 70-point figure.

It overshadowed a terrific performance from Chicago's DeMar DeRozan, who scored a team-high 44 points on 16-of-32 shooting with four assists and four steals.

LeBron carries the Lakers in vintage display

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James willed his side to a 121-115 road win against the Charlotte Hornets with his second consecutive 40-point game.

After putting up a season-high 47 points his last time out against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, James almost matched it against Charlotte, scoring a game-high 43 points on 16-of-26 shooting with 11 rebounds and six assists.

He was the only Lakers player to score more than 18 points, as Thomas Bryant played strong supporting role with 18 points (nine-of-17 shooting) and 15 rebounds.

The Lakers have now won three of their past four to improve to 16-21 – four games behind the Sacramento Kings (19-16) in the Western Conference's sixth seed.

Nets make it 12 in a row

The Brooklyn Nets own this season's longest winning streak after rattling off their 12th in a row with a 139-103 drubbing of the San Antonio Spurs.

Brooklyn's two offensive centrepieces were both at the top of their game. Kevin Durant scored 25 points on wildly efficient 10-of-14 shooting with 11 assists, while Kyrie Irving scored his game-high 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting.

The highlight of the game came when Irving crashed the offensive rebounds on a Yuta Watanabe miss, rising up for a surprising put-back dunk that sent the Barclays Center crowd into raptures.

Brooklyn are now 25-12 after beginning the season 1-5, and trail the Boston Celtics (26-11) by one game in the race for the league's best record.

Donovan Mitchell shattered the Cleveland Cavaliers' franchise record with 71 points in his side's 145-134 home victory against the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

The Cavaliers' previous record for most points in one game belongs to Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, who both had a 57-point game in a Cleveland uniform in 2015 and 2017 respectively.

Mitchell also came through in a pivotal moment late in the fourth quarter to force overtime after being fouled with three seconds remaining, trailing by three. He made the first free throw, before missing the second and getting his own offensive rebound and putting it back in to tie the game.

He went on to outscore the Bulls 13-4 by himself in the extra period, finishing 22-of-34 from the field, seven-of-15 from deep and 20-of-25 from the free throw line while adding 11 assists and eight rebounds.

Mitchell blew his own career-highs out of the water, having never previously scored more than 46 points in a regular season game, although he had games of 57 and 51 in the Utah Jazz's 2020 playoff series against the Denver Nuggets.

He scored or assisted on 99 of the Cavaliers' 145 points – the second most all-time, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point performance in 1962 where he contributed to 104 points.

Mitchell joins Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor, David Robinson, David Thompson and Devin Booker as the only players to reach the 70-point figure.

It overshadowed a terrific performance from Chicago's DeMar DeRozan, who scored a team-high 44 points on 16-of-32 shooting with four assists and four steals.

LeBron carries the Lakers in vintage display

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James willed his side to a 121-115 road win against the Charlotte Hornets with his second consecutive 40-point game.

After putting up a season-high 47 points his last time out against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, James almost matched it against Charlotte, scoring a game-high 43 points on 16-of-26 shooting with 11 rebounds and six assists.

He was the only Lakers player to score more than 18 points, as Thomas Bryant played strong supporting role with 18 points (nine-of-17 shooting) and 15 rebounds.

The Lakers have now won three of their past four to improve to 16-21 – four games behind the Sacramento Kings (19-16) in the Western Conference's sixth seed.

Nets make it 12 in a row

The Brooklyn Nets own this season's longest winning streak after rattling off their 12th in a row with a 139-103 drubbing of the San Antonio Spurs.

Brooklyn's two offensive centrepieces were both at the top of their game. Kevin Durant scored 25 points on wildly efficient 10-of-14 shooting with 11 assists, while Kyrie Irving scored his game-high 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting.

The highlight of the game came when Irving crashed the offensive rebounds on a Yuta Watanabe miss, rising up for a surprising put-back dunk that sent the Barclays Center crowd into raptures.

Brooklyn are now 25-12 after beginning the season 1-5, and trail the Boston Celtics (26-11) by one game in the race for the league's best record.

Luka Doncic maintained his dynamite form with another triple-double as the Dallas Mavericks improved to 20-16 with a 129-114 victory over the Houston Rockets on Thursday.

Doncic, who scored a franchise-best and season-high 60 points two nights earlier, recorded his eighth triple double of the season, finishing with 35 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists.

The Slovenian guard led the Mavs to their fifth straight win, notching up a second straight triple-double for the second time this season. Doncic's collective 95 points across the past two games is an NBA-record in consecutive triple-doubles.

Doncic shot 11-of-21 from the field, including four-of-nine from beyond the arc, making nine-of-12 free-throws.

Ex-Rockets forward Christian Wood offered good support with 21 points, including five-of-eight three-pointers, six rebounds and four blocks, along with Dwight Powell, who added a season-high 19 points with six rebounds and two blocks off the bench.

The Rockets, who are 10-25 and have lost seven of their past eight games, had few answers as they fell behind 65-51 at half-time with a Doncic 35-foot buzzer beater, with Jalen Green top scoring with 23 points.

Celtics avenge Clippers' blowout

The Boston Celtics avenged their heavy loss to the Los Angeles Clippers three weeks ago with a 116-110 victory led by 29 points each from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

The NBA-best Celtics (26-10) had suffered their worst loss of the season at the hands of the Clippers earlier this month, losing 113-93, starting off a run where they lost five of six games.

Tatum had 11 rebounds to go with his 29 points, shooting 10-of-26 from the field, while Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points with eight rebounds for the Clippers.

Hield makes history in Pacers' win

Buddy Hield made history with the fastest three-pointer recorded since play-by-play began in 1996-97 as the Indiana Pacers downed the Cleveland Cavaliers 135-126.

Hield, who leads the league in three-pointers made this season, swished a shot just three seconds into the game. The Pacers made 19-of-31 from beyond the arc for the game, rallying from a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit.

Tyrese Haliburton top scored with 29 points, including six-of-eight three-point shooting, while Hield made six triples in his 25 points. Donovan Mitchell had 28 points and six assists for the Cavs.

The Brooklyn Nets scored the third most first-half points in NBA history on their way to a 143-113 rout of the short-handed Golden State Warriors at the Barclays Center on Wednesday.

The Nets led 91-51 at half-time, which was also a franchise record first half, led by Kevin Durant who scored 21 of his 23 points before the main break as they claimed their seventh straight win.

The result compelled the Warriors to back-to-back 30-point losses for the first time since 2001 and extended their poor road record to 3-16, leaving them 15-18 overall.

Brooklyn's 46-17 quarter-time lead, which equated to a 29-point differential, was the largest in any period this NBA season.

The Nets were ruthless in the first half, capitalizing on turnovers from the Warriors, who were without Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins and playing the second game in a back-to-back after losing 132-94 to the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

Brooklyn, who were without Kyrie Irving due to calf tightness, also matched a franchise record with nine players reaching double-figure scoring, including Edmond Sumner (16), Royce O'Neale (14) and Ben Simmons (10).

James Wiseman offered some positivity for Golden State, with 30 points from 28 minutes off the bench, while Jordan Poole struggled on four-of-17 shooting with seven turnovers.

The Nets, who have won 11 of their past 12 games, improved to 20-12, while the Warriors end their six-game road trip with a 1-5 record but can look forward to an eight-game home stand.

Knicks win streak over after Siakam domination

The New York Knicks' eight-game winning streak was ended by the struggling Toronto Raptors as Pascal Siakam scored a career-high 52 points in a 113-106 win.

Siakam scored 34 through the second and third quarters, shooting 17-of-25 from the field along with 16-of-18 from the free-throw line as the Raptors halted their own six-game losing run.

Fred VanVleet added 28 points for Toronto, while Julius Randle scored 30 with 13 rebounds for the Knicks, with R.J. Barrett draining four triples in his 30-point haul.

Mitchell's Cavs down Giannis' Bucks

Not even a trademark Herculean Giannis Antetokounmpo performance was enough for the Milwaukee Bucks, who went down 114-106 to Donovan Mitchell's Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Greek forward scored a season-high 45 points with 14 rebounds, four assists and two blocks as the Bucks rallied in the fourth quarter but fell short.

Mitchell was key for the Cavs with 36 points, four rebounds, six assists and two steals, while Darius Garland added 23 points and Jarrett Allen had 19 points with eight rebounds.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Milwaukee Bucks have each contended for and won titles in the past 10 years, but they have very rarely both been good at the same time.

LeBron James led the Cavaliers to four straight NBA Finals between 2014-15 and 2017-18 as they enjoyed an epic rivalry with the Golden State Warriors.

But Cleveland were tied for the second-worst record in the league the following year, with James in Los Angeles, as Central Division rivals Milwaukee came to prominence with the NBA's best record in Giannis Antetokounmpo's first MVP year.

The Bucks have since had control of the division and again lead the Eastern Conference through 30 games at 22-8.

Yet now there is a challenge from the Cavs, who are a competitive 21-11 and have won four straight games ahead of hosting the Bucks on Wednesday.

Having already shown real signs of progress last year in reaching the play-in tournament, Cleveland have kicked on again after a trade for Donovan Mitchell that they hope will turn them into a serious player in the East.

So far, that looks to be the case, with Mitchell's career-high 29.3 points per game leading the team – and ranking eighth in the NBA – while he has produced in big games against the Boston Celtics.

The Cavs are 2-0 against the second-placed Celtics this season; however, they are 0-2 against the Bucks, who will be intent on batting away their division rivals ahead of Christmas.

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Cleveland Cavaliers – Jarrett Allen

The Cavaliers will hope the physicality of Allen can be the missing piece against the Bucks. He has played only 12 minutes against Milwaukee so far this season, absent for the first game and withdrawn injured in the second having scored only a single point.

Since returning from that hip injury earlier this month, Allen has averaged 14.9 points and 9.3 rebounds, with 26 rebounds across his past two outings.

Milwaukee Bucks – Giannis Antetokounmpo

Nobody likes playing against Antetokounmpo, but only against the Brooklyn Nets and the Utah Jazz has he averaged more points per game across his career than against the Cavaliers.

Although the Cavs have spoken of Evan Mobley having the potential to become a player in the Giannis mould, neither he nor his team-mates have a fix for the 'Greek Freak' when he is in form – as he was in scoring 38 points in their last meeting.

KEY BATTLE – Can Cavs keep focus after halftime?

Two of the Cavaliers' three worst quarters this season in terms of points differential were the two third quarters they have played against the Bucks. They represented two of Milwaukee's four best quarters of the year.

The Cavs, again on a four-game winning run, had dominated the first half of the teams' most recent meeting, up by 11 before losing the third quarter 35-10 as they were blown away by the Bucks' title0calibre intensity.

Cleveland must show they are capable of going toe-to-toe with such opposition if they are to be a genuine threat this season.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Cavaliers may have struggled badly in Milwaukee this season, but they won their final two home games against the Bucks last year, providing hope of another win at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, where they are a league-leading 15-2 in 2022-23.

The Bucks have a 130-97 all-time lead in the series, although the Cavs have a 60-53 advantage in Cleveland.

Devin Booker reached 12,000 career points with a season-high 58 points as the Phoenix Suns rallied from a 24-point deficit with a hard-fought 118-114 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday.

Booker, who returned from a hamstring issue in Thursday's win over the Los Angeles Clippers which ended the Suns' five-game losing run, made 21-of-35 attempts from the field, including shooting six-of-12 from beyond the arc.

The Suns guard's haul was the second most by a player in a single game this NBA season, behind only Joel Embiid with 59 points last month against the Utah Jazz.

Booker, 26, also became the sixth youngest player in NBA history to reach 12,000 career points, behind only LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and Tracy McGrady.

The Suns had trailed 83-59 with 7:14 left in the third quarter, coming after the Pelicans had beaten them twice last week.

Booker had five rebounds and five assists along with his 58 points, while Chris Paul added 18 points with five rebounds and eight assists.

Zion Williamson scored 30 points with nine assists for the Pels, while C.J. McCollum added 27 points with eight assists.

Cavs hang on for OT win over Mavs

The Dallas Mavericks spurned three late go-ahead opportunities, including Christian Wood's 30-foot buzzer-beating attempt as the Cleveland Cavaliers got home 100-99 in overtime.

Jarrett Allen's dunk with 2:01 remaining in overtime was the final score, with Donovan Mitchell scoring 25 points for the victorious Cavs, who improved to 20-11. Jarrett Allen had eight points with 15 rebounds.

Kemba Walker top scored with 32 points for the Mavs, who were missing Luka Doncic (quad), while Wood scored 26 points, including five triples, but he missed the crucial late one.

Kawhi finds groove with season-high

Kawhi Leonard scored a season-high 31 points as the Los Angeles Clippers fought back from a three-quarter time deficit to win 102-93 over the Washington Wizards.

Leonard, who has been working back slowly after missing last season with an ACL injury, played a season-high 31 minutes, shooting 12-of-26 with nine rebounds.

Luke Kennard came off the bench to add a season-high 20 points with four three-pointers as the Clippers rallied from a 75-72 three-quarter time deficit.

Donovan Mitchell scored 34 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers claimed an impressive 105-90 road win over Luka Doncic's Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.

The victory improved the emerging Cavs to an 18-11 record and third spot in the Eastern Conference, while the Mavs slipped to 14-14 and ninth in the west.

Mitchell was in an inspired mood against the side who bundled his former franchise, the Utah Jazz, out of last season's playoffs, shooting 13-of-20 from the field, going six-of-nine from three-point range.

The shooting guard scored 27 of his 34 points in the first half, the most he has had in a half this season. Mitchell had good support from Lamar Stevens with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Evan Mobley added 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Doncic shot nine-of-23 from the field in his 30 points, but gave up five turnovers for the Mavs, who trailed 60-41 at half-time at American Airlines Center, with the Cavs going on a 17-0 run at one point.

The Slovenian helped the Mavs rally within nine points in the fourth quarter before Mitchell hit a clutch three-pointer to thwart their momentum.

The victory ended the Cavs' recent road struggles, having lost eight of their past nine games away from their home court.

Mitchell's performance meant he has the fourth highest points per game average by a player in the first 25 games with a new team in NBA history at 29.2, behind only Wilt Chamberlain (35.4, Golden State Warriors), Elvin Hayes (30.4, Houston Rockets) and Adrian Dantley (29.7, Utah Jazz).

Curry injured as Warriors beaten on road

Stephen Curry scored 38 points but exited with a shoulder injury, while Draymond Green was ejected as the Golden State Warriors' road struggles continued with a 125-119 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

Amid a Warriors rally, after allowing 47 points in the second quarter, which tied the most by them in any quarter under head coach Steve Kerr, Curry clutched at his left shoulder in the third quarter and did not return, having previously shot five-of-10 three-pointers.

Green was tossed out in the final quarter after a second technical foul as Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers to victory with 29 points, with the team draining 16 three-pointers. Golden State are 2-13 on the road this season.

Lillard maintains rare three-point form

Damian Lillard sunk seven three-pointers as he scored 37 points before being benched late as the Portland Trail Blazers crushed the San Antonio Spurs 128-112.

The 32-year-old Blazers point guard is averaging 34.4 points per game in December, including hitting 11 triples in Monday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, amid a form upswing following injury.

Anfernee Simons added 23 points and Jerami Grant had 18, while Keldon Johnson top scored with 25 points and seven rebounds for the Spurs, who had won three in a row after ending an 11-game losing run.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have given their leading scorer Donovan Mitchell the night off Friday, opting to rest the three-time All-Star against the Sacramento Kings on the first night of a home back-to-back.

Mitchell has been nursing an ankle injury for weeks after initially spraining it against the Golden State Warriors on November 11, before tweaking it again on November 28 against the Toronto Raptors.

He missed one game following the Warriors injury, and did not miss any time following the aggravation against the Raptors, averaging 33.3 points per game in the Cavs' three contests leading up to Friday.

But after listing him as questionable for the meeting against the Kings, Cleveland have opted to play it safe and give their new superstar a rest day. Mitchell will likely return for Saturday's home fixture against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Suiting up for 23 of the Cavs' 25 games this season, Mitchell's 29 points per game is the seventh-highest figure in the league, and a new career-high after being traded from the Utah Jazz in the offseason for a bevy of draft picks.

His 42.4 per cent three-point shooting on 9.1 attempts per game has him as one of the league's best shooters this season, as only Stephen Curry (43.2 per cent on 11.8 attempts) is eclipsing 40 per cent on at least nine attempts per game.

Starting in his place will be Caris LeVert, who is averaging 12.1 points, 5.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds in his 14 starts this campaign, while All-Star point guard Darius Garland will be tasked with an increased scoring burden.