Stephen Curry's 50 points were not enough for the Golden State Warriors to avoid a ninth straight road loss going down 134-126 to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

The Warriors' dreadful road record worsened to 7-27 across the season, with Kawhi Leonard top scoring for the Clippers with 30 points at Crypto.com Arena.

Curry piled on 21 points in the third quarter, shooting 20-of-28 from the field and eight-of-14 from three-point range, matching his season-high 50 points from the November 16 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

The reigning Finals MVP is the only player in the NBA to score 50-plus points in a loss multiple times this season. All other players are 18-2 in 50-point games this season.

Curry, who turned 35 earlier this week, also tied Wilt Chamberlain on seven for the most 50-point games after turning 30-years-old, moving past Michael Jordan (six).

Golden State's latest defeat comes in the first game of a five-game road trip which may define their playoffs aspirations, with the Warriors in sixth in the Western Conference at 36-34, while the Clippers are fifth on 37-33.

The Clippers claimed their fourth straight win after an 0-5 start after the All-Star break.

Leonard led the way on 10-of-19 field shooting, while Paul George added 24 points including four triples and seven assists.

Jordan Poole provided the Warriors' next best output with 19 points off the bench, while Draymond Green received his 16th technical foul of the season, meaning he will cop a one-game suspension.

Sixers clinch sixth win in a row

Joel Embiid scored 36 points with 18 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers continued their momentum with their sixth straight win in a 118-109 triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Embiid had a charging call against him overturned with 4:12 remaining, which would have been his sixth foul, allowing him to play out the game and guide the 76ers home after the Cavs had led 96-95 in the last quarter.

James Harden added 28 points with 12 assists for Philadelphia, while Donovan Mitchell was kept to 21 points on nine-of-19 shooting, making only one-of-seven from beyond the arc.

In the Eastern Conference standings, the third-placed 76ers move to 46-22, just behind the second-placed Boston Celtics (48-22) who edged the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-102. The Cavs are fourth at 44-28.

Clutch Fox sinks Bulls on buzzer

De'Aaron Fox landed a go-ahead pull-up three-pointer with 0.7 seconds left to earn the Sacramento Kings' 117-114 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

Fox finished with 32 points on 12-of-17 shooting, making four-of-six three pointers including the game-winner under pressure from Ayo Dosunmu, after DeMar DeRozan tied the game at 114-all with a four-point play.

Domantas Sabonis managed a triple-double with 14 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists for the Kings, who improved to 41-27 with the win in the race for second seed in the West.

Mikal Bridges' incredible start to his career as a Brooklyn Net continued on Sunday as he led his team to a 122-120 road upset against the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets despite Nikola Jokic's massive triple-double.

Bridges, 26, arrived from Phoenix as the central piece heading to Brooklyn in the Kevin Durant trade, and he has lived up to even the most lofty expectations about what he could produce as the focal point of an offense.

Playing in a supporting role during his time with the Suns, Bridges was averaging a career-high 17.2 points per game this season. It is the fifth season in a row he has improved his points per game, all with career shooting splits of 49.9 per cent from the field, 37.6 per cent from deep and 85.2 per cent from the free throw line.

In his 12 games since joining the Nets, Bridges has shown he is indeed capable of filling a featured role, averaging 25.8 points while maintaining elite efficiency at 51.4 per cent from the field, 49.2 per cent from deep and 90 per cent at the line.

Against the Nuggets, Bridges again led his team in scoring with 25 points on seven-of-16 shooting, while fellow trade deadline acquisition Spencer Dinwiddie posted a career-high 16 assists to go with his 15 points (five-of-15) and six rebounds.

After starting the season a perfect 25-0 in games when reigning back-to-back MVP Jokic has tallied a triple-double, Denver have now dropped two in a row, with his 35 points (14-of-23), 20 rebounds and 11 assists proving not enough to make up for Jamal Murray's ice-cold five-of-19 shooting night.

The Nets have now won five of their past six to improve to 39-29, sitting 3.5 games clear of the play-in tournament placings, while the 46-22 Nuggets are still five games clear atop the West.

Murphy's big night carries the Pelicans

Second-year wing Trey Murphy III dropped a career-high 41 points as the New Orleans Pelicans defended their home court 127-110 against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers.

With Damian Lillard out of action for Portland, they did not have a single player exceed 17 points, while Murphy caught fire.

The 22-year-old hit 13-of-20 shots and nine-of-14 three-pointers, eclipsing his previous high score by nine points as he reached the 30-point mark for the third time. 

Much like Bridges, Murphy has excelled when given an expanded opportunity, providing a silver lining to the absences of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.

Embiid too big, too strong for the Wizards

Philadelphia 76ers MVP candidate Joel Embiid was once again the most dominant player on the floor during Sunday's 112-93 manhandling of the Washington Wizards.

Embiid, who leads the race for the scoring title at 33.4 points per game, raised his average ever so slightly with 34 points on 12-of-21 shooting, adding eight rebounds, four assists, four blocks and a steal.

James Harden, who is leading the league in assists at 10.8 per game, made his center's life easier with another 14 dimes to go with 18 points (six-of-11).

The win is the 76ers' fifth in a row, and they are now only 1.5 games behind the Boston Celtics (47-21) as they both try to chase down the conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks (48-19).

Joel Embiid was hailed as the "MVP" and "big-time player" after holding his nerve to snatch a last-gasp victory for the Philadelphia 76ers over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Embiid landed the decisive basket with 1.1 seconds to go at Wells Fargo Center on Friday, securing a 120-119 triumph.

There were chants of 'MVP' from the crowd for the six-time NBA All-Star, who scored 39 points as the Sixers rallied from 21 points down in the first half to take their record for the season to 44-22.

James Harden, who finished with 19 points, said of his team-mate Embiid's game-winning moment: "Something that he works on every day. That's why he's MVP of the league this year."

Portland star Damian Lillard felt the Trail Blazers gave a great account of themselves and doffed his cap to Embiid.

"It was a good performance," Lillard said. "We played really well on both ends of the floor. The game felt good, just how we played on both sides.

"We were on a string defensively. Our presence on the ball. Our presence in the paint, and we gave ourselves a really good chance to win the game.

"They just made a big-time shot from a big-time player."

Philadelphia have won five of their six games this month and sit third in the Eastern Conference.

Head coach Doc Rivers: "It wasn't our night until 1.1 seconds, when you think about it. We stayed at it. We were looking for everything and just couldn't get going, man. We looked like we were in mud in the first half on both ends.

"That's a hell of a win for us because we didn't have a lot, and you could see it."

A 34-point haul for Anfernee Simons was in vain for the Trail Blazers, who slipped to 31-36.

Joel Embiid did his MVP chances no harm on Friday as he carried the Philadelphia 76ers to their fourth win in a row with a 120-119 home win against the Portland Trail Blazers.

It was looking like Portland's night early on as they built a 71-50 lead approaching half-time, led primarily by the hot-shooting Anfernee Simons on his way to a team-high 34 points on 13-of-22 from the field.

But from that point on they were outscored 70-48 in a true game of two halves, although the 76ers still found themselves down 11 going into the final period.

The driving force behind the comeback was Embiid, who re-entered the game with 6:33 remaining and his team down 110-98. He scored nine of his game-high 39 points in the final six minutes – matching Portland's scoring efforts as a team down the stretch.

He finished 13-of-20 from the field and 13-of-18 from the free throw line, adding seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals in a dominant two-way masterclass.

James Harden chipped in a near triple-double in support, scoring 19 points (six-of-14 shooting) with nine rebounds and eight assists.

With the win, Philadelphia improved their record to 44-22, just 1.5 games behind the Boston Celtics (46-21) in the race for the second seed in the East as the Milwaukee Bucks (48-18) pull away in front.

Portland fell to 31-36, leaving them 13th in the West and 1.5 games outside of the play-in tournament placings.

Jokic's triple-double winning streak comes to an end

The Denver Nuggets had been unbeaten in the 25 games this season Nikola Jokic had tallied a triple-double, until the San Antonio Spurs upset them 128-120.

The loss was not the fault of the reigning back-to-back MVP, as he scored a game-high 37 points (14-of-24 shooting) to go with 11 rebounds and 11 assists, but he lost his top offensive wing in the third quarter when Michael Porter Jr was ejected.

San Antonio had six players reach double figures, led by Keldon Johnson's 23 points (eight-of-17 shooting), eight rebounds, six assists and two steals, while Tre Jones was a game-high plus/minus of plus 21 off the bench after contributing 14 points (five-of-seven), eight assists and three steals.

Denver remain six games clear atop the Western Conference.

Nets survive in overtime

The playoff-bound Brooklyn Nets have won four of their past five after emerging victorious 124-123 following an overtime scare on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Brooklyn made it to the fourth quarter with a nine-point lead, but scored only 17 points in the period to allow Minnesota back into the game, and Naz Reid completed the comeback with a clutch game-tying three-pointer to beat the buzzer.

But led by Mikal Bridge's 34 points (13-of-24) and Spencer Dinwiddie's 29 (11-of-24) with 11 assists, the Nets narrowly prevailed in the extra five minutes, with Dorian Finney-Smith's go-ahead three-pointer proving the difference.

Joel Embiid was the dominant force in the Philadelphia 76ers' 117-94 road win in Minnesota on Tuesday, declaring afterwards "I feel like I'm unguardable".

The seven-foot Cameroonian behemoth was at the peak of his powers against Rudy Gobert, racking up 39 points on 13-of-22 shooting in just 28 minutes. He also added 14 rebounds, four assists and four steals.

Making the feat even more impressive was the fact that it came on the second night of a back-to-back, just 24 hours after piling 42 points (11-of-16 shooting) on defensive ace Myles Turner and the Indiana Pacers.

Following consecutive seasons where he finished runner-up in MVP voting to Nikola Jokic, the 28-year-old has taken his game up another level this time around, sporting career-highs in points (33.2), field goal percentage (53.5) and steals (1.1).

He trails only Luka Doncic (33.4 points per game) in the race for the scoring title, while also leading the league in made free throws per game (10.2).

Speaking to ESPN immediately after improving the 76ers' record to 43-22, Embiid said he feels it will be the same outcome no matter who is guarding him, even three-time Defensive Player of the Year Gobert.

"I take pride every single time I step on the floor, no matter who's guarding, I feel like I'm unguardable," he said. "I want to show them that it’s not that easy to guard me.

"[The Gobert matchup] doesn't necessarily motivate me, but it's the same thing with every big in the league, it doesn't matter who I'm playing, it just feels like I'm going to do my thing regardless. I'm going to dominate. 

"It's no disrespect to any of them, but MVPs, Defensive Player of the Year, that doesn't mean anything to me. I'm still going to be the best player on the floor."

While he said he has bigger things to worry about, Embiid admitted it would be special to receive what he feels is the pinnacle of individual awards when asked who he feels is the MVP favourite.

"I don't know, that's not for me to answer," he said. "I feel like, you know, obviously being in the running the last few years has been 'whatever', and this year I've taken a different approach.

"I'm just trying to focus on the right things, win games, dominate – which I've been doing – and whatever happens, happens.

"Obviously it would mean a lot to win one, that's the best award anyone can get, but like I said I'm just focused on making sure I, first of all stay healthy, win games, and dominate.

"But I'm excited about the playoffs, that's where I feel like – I feel good. I feel good about myself and my team, so I just want to make sure that all of us get there healthy, and we do what we gotta do."

After putting together a 31-10 record since December 9, the 76ers are now just 1.5 games behind the Boston Celtics (45-21) in the race for the Eastern Conference's two seed, with the Milwaukee Bucks (47-18) pulling away out in front.

Josh Giddey's career-high 17 assists proved too much for the Golden State Warriors to overcome in Tuesday's 137-128 home win for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The visitors received a vintage performance from reigning NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry, dropping 40 points on 14-of-23 shooting, including 10-of-16 from deep, while adding seven assists and six rebounds.

It was the most points Curry had scored since Golden State's January 16 victory over the Washington Wizards, where he had 41, and marks a return to his best in his second game back following a month on the sidelines.

Curry has now made at least 10 three-pointers on 23 occasions, while no other player has ever had more than team-mate Klay Thompson's nine.

But the Thunder were too strong as Giddey raced past his previous career-high of 14 assists, while also adding 17 points (six-of-11) and 11 rebounds for his third triple-double of the season, after four in his rookie campaign.

Giddey was supported in style by the league's fifth-leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who came into the game averaging 31.1 points per game and gave that figure a small bump with 33 points on 14-of-24 shooting.

With the win – the Thunder's third in a row – they improved their record to 31-34 to join the logjam of teams tied for the Western Conference's ninth and 10th seeds. 

They are only 2.5 games behind the Warriors (34-32), who are narrowly clear of the Play-In Tournament placings, a half-game clear in sixth.

Embiid gets the better of Gobert

In a clash between arguably the most dominant offensive and defensive centers of their generation, Joel Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers overwhelmed Rudy Gobert's Minnesota Timberwolves in a 117-94 blowout.

Embiid was unstoppable, finishing with 39 points in 28 minutes after shooting 13-of-22 from the field, adding seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal.

With James Harden out following his 20-assist showing in Monday's first leg of their back-to-back, Tyrese Maxey enjoyed a larger role with 27 points (nine-of-16 shooting), five assists and four rebounds, pulling the 76ers (43-22) to within 1.5 games of the second-seeded Boston Celtics (45-21).

Gobert ended up with six points (two-of-six), nine rebounds, two steals and a block.

Kyrie and Luka get back in the winner's list

The mesmerising offensive duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for 62 points in the Dallas Mavericks' close 120-116 home win against the Utah Jazz.

Irving was the more efficient of the two on the offensive end, scoring a team-high 33 points on 10-of-18 shooting (10-of-10 free throws) with eight assists and six rebounds. Doncic was not far behind with 29 points (10-of-23 shooting), 10 rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block.

All-Star Lauri Markkanen kept his terrific season going with 33 points (12-of-20 shooting), but after looking like a potential playoff team early in the campaign, the 31-35 Jazz now sit outside the Play-In Tournament spots.

The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off an unlikely 118-114 home comeback win in overtime on Monday, but not without some help from the visiting Boston Celtics.

Boston, who led 92-78 at three-quarter time, and 102-91 with 4:30 remaining, gave up a 16-4 from that point to allow the Cavaliers to hit the lead with 24 seconds on the clock.

A Derrick White three-pointer put the Celtics back in front by two, before Donovan Mitchell tied things up at 109-109, but the visitors looked poised to get away with their sloppy fourth quarter after Grant Williams was sent to the free throw line with 0.8 seconds left.

After appearing to tell Mitchell "I'll make them both", Williams proceeded to miss both attempts, blowing a golden opportunity and sending the game to overtime.

The Celtics only mustered five points in the extra five minutes, clearly feeling the absence of missing star Jayson Tatum down the stretch, while Mitchell put the finishing touches on his 40-point night.

Cleveland's top scoring option finished 14-of-34 from the field, adding 11 rebounds and four assists, while rising second-year defensive ace Evan Mobley impressed with 25 points (10-of-14 shooting), 17 rebounds and three blocks.

Jaylen Brown did his best to cover for Tatum, finishing with team-highs in points (32), rebounds (13) and assists (nine), and Malcolm Brogdon was strong off the bench with 24 points (eight-of-14 shooting) and five assists.

Boston (45-21) are now two games behind the Milwaukee Bucks in the hunt for the Eastern Conference's top seed, while the Cavaliers (41-26) are also trending towards having home court advantage in the first round, sitting fourth.

Dame carries the Blazers

Damian Lillard produced his second triple-double of the season, and the third of his career, to lift his Portland Trail Blazers to a 110-104 victory on the road against the Detroit Pistons.

The current third-highest scorer in the league at 32.5 points per game, Lillard showed off his all-round skill set as he snatched down 13 rebounds to go with 12 assists and 31 points, shooting 10-of-28 from the field and six-of-14 from deep.

It was also an eye-opening performance from Cam Reddish. The Portland trade deadline acquisition had never registered more than six assists in a game before, but he flashed some impressive playmaking with eight assists, 13 points, six rebounds and two steals in 40 minutes.

The result leaves the Trail Blazers tied with the 10th-seeded Utah Jazz at 31-34 as they try to force their way into the Play-In Tournament.

Harden and Haliburton combine for 36 assists in shootout

In a clash between the league's top two assist leaders, James Harden's Philadelphia 76ers overcame Tyrese Haliburton's Indiana Pacers in a 147-143 shootout.

Harden finished with 14 points (three-of-11), 20 assists, nine rebounds, and just one turnover, becoming the first player in 76ers history to record multiple 20-assist games in one season. 

Meanwhile, Haliburton exploded for one of the best games of his career with 40 points (12-of-19), 16 assists and two turnovers.

Joel Embiid carried the scoring load for Philadelphia, leading the way with 42 points (11-of-16 shooting, 19-of-19 free throws) while also forcing elite defender Myles Turner to foul out in just 17 minutes.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is eager for the Milwaukee Bucks to learn from their winning-streak-ending loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Joel Embiid and James Harden led the charge as the 76ers overcame a 14-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter to win 133-130 in Milwaukee on Saturday, snapping the Bucks' 16-game winning run.

Milwaukee went into the contest with the best record in the NBA but Embiid – whose three-pointer with 42 seconds left on the clock nudged the 76ers ahead – and Harden ensured the league's longest winning streak of the season came to a shuddering halt.

Embiid finished with 31 points, 10 assists and six rebounds to back up Harden's 38 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, while Tyrese Maxey added 26 points.

It was the first time two Philadelphia players finished with at 30 or more points and 10 or more assists in the same game since Hal Greer Wilt Chamberlain did so in October 1965.

Antetokounmpo now wants to see the Bucks respond.

"They went wherever they wanted to go, scoring from the paint, floaters, isos, offensive rebounds, free throws, threes," said Antetokounmpo, who had a double-double of 34 points and 13 rebounds.

"You name it. They were able to get everything.

"We've got to be able to play 48 minutes of good basketball, defend for 48 minutes. This is a good lesson for us.

"We did a good job the first three quarters. Obviously, the fourth quarter, a lot of free throws, they made some tough threes. 

"It was basically our game but they came out, they were aggressive, they moved the ball, got downhill to the paint."

For his part, Philadelphia talisman Embiid was not convinced he had the best of games at an individual level.

"I thought tonight I could have been better. I missed a lot of easy shots I usually make," he said.

The 76ers hold a 41-22 record for the season and pulled to within four games of the Bucks in the race for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

"It's good, having these types of games, especially with our schedule the rest of the way," Embiid added.

"It's good for us, prepares us for the playoffs. It's good and bad. Good because you know you're able to do it, but it's also bad because you put yourself in that position [down 18].

"So maybe we should try to find a way to not put ourselves in those positions in the first place so we don't have to do it again."

Harden said: "Give ourselves a chance. That was the whole fourth quarter. I feel like they had us that entire game, and then, that fourth quarter, we came out with some pop.

"You find something that works and you try to stick with it. We found something late, in that fourth quarter, and we just stuck with it. We got some stops and things changed for us."

Anthony Davis will join LeBron James on the sidelines and miss the Los Angeles Lakers' game with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday due to a foot injury.

The Lakers said Davis had a right foot stress injury, which is an issue that has caused him to miss 20 games earlier this season.

Darvin Ham's 29-33 side are already without James (ankle) and D'Angelo Russell (foot) as they look to launch a charge to qualify for the playoffs. Entering Wednesday's slate of games, the Lakers are 12th in the Western Conference.

Wednesday's game was the second of a back-to-back for LA, having lost 121-109 to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.

Joel Embiid will also not play on Wednesday due to a sore foot, missing the Philadelphia 76ers' clash with the Miami Heat.

The 76ers said it was left foot soreness, forcing him to miss a game for the 13th time this season.

Jayson Tatum was ejected for the first time in his NBA career as the New York Knicks extended their win streak to six games with a 109-94 victory over the Boston Celtics on Monday.

Tatum was tossed after remonstrating with the referees with 3:46 remaining in the fourth quarter with the Celtics destined for a defeat, which sees them drop below the Milwaukee Bucks atop the NBA standings.

The Bucks (43-17) are ahead of the Celtics (44-18) on percentage, marking the first time Boston have not been top of the league since December 22.

The Celtics were not helped by two-of-19 three-point shooting in the first half, the worst of any half this season.

Tatum played his part in that, finishing the game with 14 points on six-of-18 shooting from the field, with seven rebounds and nine assists. Marcus Smart added 19 points while Jaylen Brown was out for personal reasons.

The Knicks were led by Julius Randle and Immanuel Quickley who both scored 23 points, while Jalen Brunson added 17.

New York are 8-1 since February 5, marking the second-best record in the NBA during that period, while they have a point differential per game of 10.2 during that stretch, also second best in the league.

Butler acrobatics in Heat triumph

Jimmy Butler led the way as five Miami Heat players hit double figures in their 101-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Butler produced a go-ahead acrobatic reverse layup scoop with 1:28 remaining, finishing the game with 23 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.

James Harden's game-winning three-point attempt bounced off the rim, meaning he scored 20 points with 12 assists. Joel Embiid top scored with 27 points and 12 rebounds, while Tyrese Maxey had 23 points off the bench.

The Heat have now won 13 games this season in one-score games, which is comfortably the most in the NBA.

Clutch Banchero leads Magic past Pels

Last year's NBA Draft top overall selection Paolo Banchero came up clutch in the dying minutes to lead the Orlando Magic past the New Orleans Pelicans 101-93.

Banchero finished with 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field with eight rebounds and four assists. The talent landed three clutch mid-range jumpers in the final few minutes.

Brandon Ingram top scored for the Pels, who continue to struggle without their former top NBA Draft pick Zion Williamson, with 25 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Jayson Tatum scored a clutch three-pointer before Joel Embiid's full-court buzzer-beater was wiped off as the Boston Celtics clung on for a 110-107 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.

Tatum drained the go-ahead triple with 2.0 seconds left from Marcus Smart's clever assist after Derrick White's inbound.

Embiid launched a desperate long-range shot which he hit but replays showed he released the ball after time had elapsed meaning the Celtics secured the win.

Tatum did not shoot the ball well throughout the game, finishing with 18 points on seven-of-17 shooting, but came up big when it mattered. The MVP candidate also pulled down 13 rebounds with six assists.

Al Horford turned the game with four three-pointers in the third quarter as the Celtics rallied from a 15-point deficit to lead at the final change.

Horford finished with 15 points, while Jaylen Brown top scored for Boston with 26 points with three steals.

Embiid had 41 points for the game with 12 rebounds and five assists, while James Harden added21 points with eight assists.

The Eastern Conference-leading Celtics have won three straight, improving their record to 44-17, while the 76ers, third in the east, are 39-20.

Grizzlies rout Nuggets in best in the west battle

The Memphis Grizzlies blew away the Denver Nuggets 112-94 in a match-up between the Western Conference's top two as Ja Morant scored 23 points with seven rebounds.

The Grizzlies led by as many as 35 points, opening up a 66-42 half-time lead and keeping the Nuggets to a season-low team score. Denver are 42-19 while Memphis are 36-23.

Nikola Jokic scored 15 points with 13 rebounds and three assists, while Jamal Murray only managed eight points on three-of-13 shooting from the field.

Knicks rout Pelicans in front of championship team

The New York Knicks honoured their onlooking 1972-93 NBA championship team in style, with a 128-106 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans making it five straight wins.

Julius Randle top scored with 28 points making five-of-10 three-point attempts along with seven rebounds and five assists, as five Knicks players reached double figures.

R.J. Barrett added 25 points with a season-high seven assists while Jalen Brunson scored 20 points. Zion Williamson was absent again for the Pels, for whom Brandon Ingram top scored with 19.

Joel Embiid looked to channel his inner Bill Russell as he helped the Philadelphia 76ers edge out the Memphis Grizzlies 110-105 on Thursday.

Embiid could not get going in the first half, shooting two-for-14 – his joint-worst showing across the first two quarters of a game.

Indeed, he only shot seven-of-25 from the field through the game, but he turned on the style defensively.

Embiid stepped up in the second half to finish with 27 points, 19 rebounds and six assists.

He also added a steal and six blocks, while 17 of his rebounds were defensive.

"For me, defense is more important for me than offense," Embiid told reporters.

"I could not make any shots, especially the ones I usually make. But, defensively, I thought I had to be Bill Russell, to be able to kind of balance it out."

The late, great Russell – who died last year – was integral to the Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships between 1956 and 1969.

"Every single night I try to be as good of a defender as I can," added Embiid.

"But I think there's a pattern with myself where if you look at most of the games where I have bad shooting nights, I just can't make the shots that I usually do. I go from having a good defensive game to having an amazing defensive game.

"That's part of it. When you're not contributing offensively you've got to find a way, making your team-mates better. So defensively, just being a monster. It was a little bit more of a focus on that end tonight."

Fortunately for Embiid, he was not the only star player to have an off-colour performance from an attacking standpoint, with Grizzlies talisman Ja Morant finishing with 15 points.

James Harden, however, was on his game, top scoring with 31 points while adding seven rebounds and as many assists for the Sixers.

"As much as you don't want it to happen, it's part of basketball, not making shots. We were resilient, and we fought and fought and fought and gave ourselves a chance," Harden said.

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner had a career night, but his side ultimately went down 142-138 in an overtime shootout against the Boston Celtics on Thursday.

Playing in front of his home fans after recently signing a contract extension, Turner tied his career-high with 40 points while shooting a spectacular 13-of-15 from the field. He also hit a career-high eight three-pointers from 10 attempts.

Among all centers this season, Turner's 78 made threes trail only Milwaukee's Brook Lopez (104), Washington's Kristaps Porzingis (100), Chicago's Nikola Vucevic (98) and Boston's Al Horford (92).

His All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton was terrific in support, scoring 22 points (seven-of-14 shooting) with 14 assists, three steals and two blocks, but the Celtics duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown proved overwhelming down the stretch.

It was a rough shooting night for Tatum, finishing nine-of-25 from the field, but he worked his way to the free throw line to finish with 31 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block. Meanwhile, Brown – wearing a protective face mask in his first game returning from a facial fracture – had 30 points (11-of-24), 11 rebounds and three assists.

Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart chipped in 15 points and two steals, but he came through when it mattered, scoring seven of the Celtics' first eight points in the overtime period.

With the win, Boston remain alone atop the standings with a 43-17 record, while the Pacers sit 12th in the East at 26-35.

Jokic cruises to another big triple-double

Reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic was dominant in the Denver Nuggets' 115-109 road win against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers came into the contest boasting one of the best home records in the NBA at 25-6, and they led at three-quarter time, but Jokic defied his unusual seven turnovers to produce another monster showing.

His 24 points on eight-of-13 shooting trailed only team-mate Michael Porter Jr (25) for the Nuggets' most, while Jokic also led both teams with 18 rebounds and 13 assists for his league-leading 22nd triple-double this season. The Nuggets are 22-0 in the games he has posted a triple-double.

Their win, combined with the Memphis Grizzlies' loss, leaves Denver (42-18) six games clear in the race for the Western Conference one seed.

Harden ignites late 76ers comeback

The Philadelphia 76ers overcame a rare poor shooting night from Joel Embiid to produce a fourth-quarter comeback, beating the Grizzlies 110-105 at home.

Embiid ended up with a gaudy stat line of 27 points, 19 rebounds, six assists and six blocks, but he shot just seven-of-25 from the field for his worst field goal percentage of the season.

The 76ers trailed by 12 with eight minutes remaining, but James Harden was in full control from that point, scoring nine of his game-high 31 points and dishing five of his seven assists, igniting a 31-14 run to close the show.

At 39-19, the 76ers own the fourth-best record in the league, and sit third in the East.

Jayson Tatum scored an All-Star game record 55 points as Team Giannis defeated Team LeBron 184-175 in Sunday's game in Salt Lake City.

Tatum won the Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP for the contest, where the first team to 182 points won with an untimed fourth quarter.

The Boston Celtics small forward shot 22-of-31 from the field along with 10-of-18 from beyond the arc, with 10 rebounds and six assists from 35 minutes. Tatum's 55 points exceeded Anthony Davis' previous All-Star record of 52 from 2017.

Tatum led the way in the free-scoring contest where defense was at a minimum, with Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell adding 40 points on 15-of-25 shooting from the field with 10 assists on his return to Utah.

Damian Lillard contributed 26 points off the bench, making eight-of-20 from three-point range, while captain Giannis Antetokounmpo left the court after a dunk in the first minute with an ongoing wrist issue.

Opposition captain LeBron James exited the game at half-time due to a hand contusion sustained in a second-quarter dunk, finishing with 13 points and four assists across 14 minutes.

Celtics guard Jaylen Brown top scored for Team LeBron off the bench with 35 points along with 14 rebounds and five assists.

Brown and Tatum's combined 90 points, albeit on opposition sides, was the most ever by a pair of teammates in an All-Star Game.

Joel Embiid and Kyrie Irving both scored 32 points for Team LeBron, while the latter had a game-high 15 assists.

Joel Embiid is unsure if he will be fit for the All-Star Game on Sunday after making history in the Philadelphia 76ers' win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Embiid scored 29 points, took 14 rebounds and provided five assists as the 76ers beat the Cavaliers 118-112 at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday.

The center became the fastest 76ers player to reach the 10,000 points milestone in his 373rd game, beating the record of 378 that was held by Allen Iverson.

Embiid is due to feature in the All-Star showpiece at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Sunday, but is not certain to showcase his talents due to the sore left foot that has been troubling him.

Asked if he will play this weekend, he replied: "I'm not sure. I'm not healthy. I haven't been healthy for the past three weeks, or a month.

"I was just trying to get to the All-Star break without missing games and stuff. But I feel like I've reached the point where I need to follow the doctor's advice. ... Back then he said I should have been sitting for two weeks, so we'll see how the next few days go, and go from there."

Embiid says the prospect of claiming the MVP award on Sunday as an injury replacement for Kevin Durant will not tempt him to take any risks with his fitness.

"I haven't been healthy," he said. "I've been having this lingering foot issue. According to the doctors, which needs a lot of rest and staying off my feet."

Embiid expressed his pride at reaching a huge milestone.

He added: "It's great. I'm extremely lucky. But then again, I've put in a lot of work to be able to put myself in those positions, no matter what it is on the floor. To be able to make something happen.

"I'm just proud it contributes to winning. It doesn't matter how much you score. As long as you win, that's what matters."

Philadelphia are third in the Eastern Conference, above the Cavaliers at 38-19 after a fourth successive victory.