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.

Joel Embiid has been ruled out by the Philadelphia 76ers for the game against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday with "foot soreness".

Embiid had landed awkwardly in the fourth quarter of the Sixers' 120-111 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.

The 28-year-old center was assessed by the Sixers team doctors on Wednesday and was ruled out despite initially being listed as questionable.

Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said there were no long-term issues and that Embiid was day-to-day moving forward.

"He didn't talk about a lot of soreness right afterwards," Rivers told reporters prior to Wednesday's game.

"Then, later that night, he said his foot was bothering him and was sore, and then more the next day."

Embiid was the Eastern Conference player of the month for December after averaging 35.4 points on 54.5 per cent shooting from the field for the month.

Luka Doncic put up arguably the most gaudy stat-line of the season in the Dallas Mavericks' 126-121 home victory against the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

Doncic ended up with 60 points on 21-of-31 shooting, 21 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and a block in the virtuoso performance, and the Mavericks needed every bit of it to come back from a late deficit.

Trailing 112-103 with less than 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Dallas staged a miraculous recovery, but still needed some Luka magic to send the game to overtime.

With four seconds on the clock, trailing by three, Doncic was sent to the line for two free throws. He made the first, before intentionally missing the second, tracking down his own rebound and putting it back in to tie the game.

He scored seven of the Mavericks' 11 points in the overtime period to complete the comeback, finishing the game on a 23-9 run.

The win is Dallas' fourth in a row, and improves their record to 19-16 to sit seventh in the Western Conference.

Despite the loss for the Knicks – their fourth in a row – there were encouraging signs for the future of their backcourt. With Jalen Brunson missing his first game of the season due to a hip injury, Immanuel Quickley was handed the start. 

He had 11 of his 15 assists in the first half before struggling down the stretch as he was asked to play a game-high 51 minutes, while Quentin Grimes top-scored for New York with 33 points (12-of-25).

LeBron's Lakers get back on track

The Los Angeles Lakers are back in the winner's list after LeBron James led them to a 129-110 road win against the Orlando Magic.

Entering the contest on a four-game losing streak since the injury of Anthony Davis, James was terrific, scoring a team-high 28 points on 12-of-24 shooting with seven rebounds and five assists.

He was supported well by Davis' replacement in the starting lineup, with Thomas Bryant chipping in 21 points (eight-of-10 shooting) and 10 rebounds, while Russell Westbrook tied Detlef Schrempf's all-time record for triple-doubles off the bench with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists.

The Magic had won eight of their previous nine, but it was a tough outing for number one draft pick Paolo Banchero, scoring a career-low four points with five fouls in 22 minutes.

76ers waste incredible Embiid performance

The Philadelphia 76ers' winning streak has ended at eight games after a disappointing 116-111 loss to the Washington Wizards, despite Joel Embiid heroics.

Embiid, the back-to-back MVP runner-up, scored a game-high 48 points on 17-of-31 shooting, adding nine rebounds, three blocks and three steals to finish with a plus/minus of plus eight in his 36 minutes.

Unfortunately for Embiid, the 76ers were outscored by 13 in the 12 minutes he was on the bench, with Kristaps Porzingis' 24 points (seven-of-15), 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals leading the way for the Wizards.

The win may be coming at a cost, however, as All-Star Bradley Beal left in the fourth quarter after suffering a hamstring injury.

The Brooklyn Nets claimed a statement Eastern Conference victory over the Milwaukee Bucks to extend their win streak to eight games with a 118-100 triumph on Friday.

Kevin Durant top scored for the Nets with 24 points along with five rebounds and six assists, while Nic Claxton starred with 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

All five Nets' starters reached double-figure scoring, achieving that feat for the sixth time this season. The Nets' eight-game win streak matched the franchise's most since their relocation to Brooklyn a decade ago.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points with 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Bucks but did not have a shot in the fourth quarter, with Ben Simmons dulling his output

Simmons finished the game with 12 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals.

The Nets have surged into contention this month, improving to a 21-12 overall record after a 9-1 December. The Bucks are second in the east with a 22-10 record.

Antetokounmpo hurt his hand in a fall but X-rays revealed no major damage, according to head coach Mike Budenholzer.

Harden matches franchise assists record in 76ers win

James Harden matched the Philadelphia 76ers' franchise record for assists as part of a triple-double in their 119-114 win over the Los Angeles Clippers to sweep a seven-game homestand.

Harden finished the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 21 assists, matching Wilt Chamberlain and Mo Cheeks' franchise record for assists, as the 76ers rallied from a 20-point first-half deficit.

Joel Embiid top scored with 44 points with seven rebounds, while Kawhi Leonard continued his improved scoring form with 28 points and five assists for the Clippers.

Doncic scores season-high in Mavs win

Luka Doncic scored a season-high 50 points as the Dallas Mavericks overcame the Houston Rockets 112-106 with the Slovenian adding 17 in the fourth quarter.

Doncic shot 17-of-30 from the field including six three-pointers for his second career 50-point game, with his career best being 51 against the Clippers in February this year.

The Mavs point guard also had eight rebounds and 10 assists, while Jabari Smith Jr top scored for the Rockets with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

The Brooklyn Nets claimed a statement Eastern Conference victory over the Milwaukee Bucks to extend their win streak to eight games with a 118-100 triumph on Friday.

Kevin Durant top scored for the Nets with 24 points along with five rebounds and six assists, while Nic Claxton starred with 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

All five Nets' starters reached double-figure scoring, achieving that feat for the sixth time this season. The Nets' eight-game win streak matched the franchise's most since their relocation to Brooklyn a decade ago.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points with 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Bucks but did not have a shot in the fourth quarter, with Ben Simmons dulling his output

Simmons finished the game with 12 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals.

The Nets have surged into contention this month, improving to a 21-12 overall record after a 9-1 December. The Bucks are second in the east with a 22-10 record.

Antetokounmpo hurt his hand in a fall but X-rays revealed no major damage, according to head coach Mike Budenholzer.

Harden matches franchise assists record in 76ers win

James Harden matched the Philadelphia 76ers' franchise record for assists as part of a triple-double in their 119-114 win over the Los Angeles Clippers to sweep a seven-game homestand.

Harden finished the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 21 assists, matching Wilt Chamberlain and Mo Cheeks' franchise record for assists, as the 76ers rallied from a 20-point first-half deficit.

Joel Embiid top scored with 44 points with seven rebounds, while Kawhi Leonard continued his improved scoring form with 28 points and five assists for the Clippers.

Doncic scores season-high in Mavs win

Luka Doncic scored a season-high 50 points as the Dallas Mavericks overcame the Houston Rockets 112-106 with the Slovenian adding 17 in the fourth quarter.

Doncic shot 17-of-30 from the field including six three-pointers for his second career 50-point game, with his career best being 51 against the Clippers in February this year.

The Mavs point guard also had eight rebounds and 10 assists, while Jabari Smith Jr top scored for the Rockets with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

James Harden was left blown away after joining "rare company" by matching the Philadelphia 76ers franchise record of 21 assists in Friday's 119-114 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Harden joined Wilt Chamberlain and Mo Cheeks with the record, which was a career-high for the former MVP, in a game where the 76ers rallied from a 20-point first-half deficit.

The 33-year-old finished the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 21 assists and became the second player in 76ers history with a 20-assist triple-double, joining Chamberlain from 1968 against the Detroit Pistons.

"That's rare company," Harden told reporters. "Mo Cheeks was one of my coaches in OKC and then Wilt, I feel like he has every record.

"Just always and be in the conversation of some of the best basketball players to touch a basketball is a blessing. Hopefully, I can keep going and get more records."

Joel Embiid top scored for the 76ers with 44 points, shooting 18-of-30 from the field with seven rebounds and three assists. Harden regularly fed Embiid points throughout the game.

"I just do what I do," Harden said. "Honestly, I feel really good and just trying to get to that paint and they do a really good job of using their length.

"They're a really long team, they switch, they do a really good job of switching so I tried to press the paint and really try and find matchups that work in our advantage that really make the game easier for all of us and guys knock down shots, Joel did a really good job of getting to his spots. It was a total team effort."

Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers heaped praise on Harden for sacrificing his scoring game.

"This is a generational scorer that has taken and decided to be a point guard, who still scores, but to be a point guard for this team," Rivers said.

"That's hard to do. A lot of people, most people, can’t do that, or will not do it is a better way of saying it. The fact that he is willingly doing it, running the team, organizing us, is huge for us."

Kyrie Irving's game-winner gave the Brooklyn Nets their fifth win in a row, and ninth from their past 10, after defeating the Toronto Raptors 119-116.

Irving was terrific on the offensive end, scoring a team-high 32 points on 13-of-22 shooting, with five assists and only one turnover. 

His big moment came after Scottie Barnes' two free throws tied the game at 116-116 with eight seconds to play, and after a smart foul from Fred VanVleet, the Nets had the ball out of bounds with just three seconds to find a shot.

But that would be all Irving would need, taking a few dribbles to his right before pulling it back for a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded.

Kevin Durant was at his efficient best, shooting 10-of-15 from the field for his 28 points, while Ben Simmons finished with 10 points, five rebounds and five assists.

It was the second consecutive strong outing from VanVleet in a loss, scoring 39 points on 14-of-24 shooting just two days after scoring 39 on 13-of-25 shooting against the Sacramento Kings.

The Nets began the season 1-5, but have recovered strongly to 18-12 and now occupy the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference through 30 games.

Embiid improves league-leading scoring average

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid scored a game-high 34 points in Friday's 118-106 win against the Golden State Warriors.

Embiid entered the game averaging 33.4 points per game – the best figure in the league – and improved it ever-so-slightly to 33.5 as he shot 11-of-23 from the field, adding 13 rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks.

He is narrowly ahead of Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic in second (33.0 points per game), with Embiid currently on track for the scoring title, and perhaps even league MVP, having finished runner-up in each of the past two seasons.

Edwards and the Timberwolves fight off SGA

The Minnesota Timberwolves had to deal with the third-leading scorer in the NBA, but got the job done thanks to a mature performance from franchise centerpiece Anthony Edwards.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, averaging 31.0 points per game, scored a game-high 35 on 11-of-23 shooting, with seven rebounds and five assists, but none of his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates scored more than 14 in the 112-110 loss.

For the Timberwolves, Edwards played a strong team game as he shot at least 50 per cent from the field (eight-of-16) and from three-point range (two-of-three) for his 19 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

He was supported in fine fashion by Naz Reid, who finished one point away from his career-high with 28, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals.

The Philadelphia 76ers are beginning to figure things out on the offensive end, scoring at least 123 points for the fourth consecutive game to defeat the Sacramento Kings 123-103 on Tuesday.

Joel Embiid top-scored with 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting, while James Harden set the table with 15 assists to go with his 21 points (seven-of-13 shooting), seven rebounds and five steals.

In fact, all five 76ers starters finished better than 50 per cent from the field, combining to shoot 33-of-56 (58.9 per cent) from the field for 94 points.

For the season, the 76ers own the 13th-best offense at 112.4 points per 100 possessions, but in these past four games they have raised that to 118.6 – the fourth-best figure over that span.

The key factor in the return of their offensive firepower is the return of James Harden – who returned from a five-week absence exactly four games ago, and has averaged 11.7 assists per contest since.

Embiid pointed to Harden's ability to generate open looks for his teammates when he spoke to reporters after the game.

"We're playing pretty well offensively," Embiid said. "James is doing a great job getting everyone easy shots. 

"My teammates are doing a fantastic job moving the ball and being in the right spots. That's what we've got to do.

"All we have to do is stay healthy – but we're not there yet. We have a long way to go."

Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers agreed that the offense has found its groove.

"Really the last two games," he said. "We're in the 120s, shooting over 50 per cent, the ball’s moving, the floor is wide open – that’s exactly what we’re talking about. 

"Tobias had nine assists tonight, James had 15. It just says that they’re moving the ball, they’re playing together, our spacing is correct, and it’s good to see."

Harden, who is averaging over 10 assists per game for the fourth consecutive season, expanded on exactly what constitutes an efficient offense.

"I think offensively, it’s just knowing what we’re trying to accomplish possession by possession," he said. "That’s the most important thing. 

"If we’re out here and everybody’s on different pages and have their own individual agendas, and that goes for any team, the offense isn’t gonna be successful. 

"It doesn’t matter how many great guys you have on the team, so I think just knowing what we’re trying to accomplish and just going out there and doing our best job to accomplish it on both ends of the ball.

“For me, individually, I just try to pick up the pace, get the ball up as fast as we can before Joel gets down there, and once he gets down there, we know what to do.

"Guys are doing a great job of just moving their bodies, finding open spots, and then I’m just trying to hit them on target."

The 76ers have now won three in a row to improve their record to 15-12, and sit fifth in the Eastern Conference.

Joel Embiid downplayed the enormity of his historic 53-point performance for the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, insisting that his teammates simply fed the hot hand.

Embiid reached 50 points for the second time this season, both occurring in the past nine games as the Sixers won 131-113 over the Charlotte Hornets.

The center also joined Allen Iverson and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in 76ers franchise history to have two 50-point games over a nine-game stretch.

Embiid also joined Chamberlain as the only Sixers in franchise history with at least 30 games of 40 points and 10 rebounds.

"We won," Embiid told reporters. "It's good to do that when you win. It would suck to have those type of scoring nights if you lose.

"I'm just happy it's contributing to winning. Whether I'm scoring a lot, but especially if I'm scoring a lot, at the end of the day, what matters is if it brings us the win."

He added: "We have a saying that you gotta feed the hot hand. My teammates, if I just scored once, it doesn't matter.

"If anybody on the team, if they just score once, you gotta keep feeding them until the defense stops them once or twice or three times. In that situation, I just kept scoring, and they just kept giving me the ball."

Embiid's dominance was underlined by a second-quarter stretch where he scored 15 points in a row. He shot 20-for-32 from the field, making 11-of-11 free-throws with 12 rebounds.

"Every single time, it seems to bring us the win so just gotta keep trying to be efficient and try to play with my teammates," Embiid said.

"Good things happen when you’re worried about the right things and that’s moving the ball and the ball just finds me."

Teammate James Harden, who laid off 16 assists with 19 points, praised the MVP contender.

"He was in attack mode for the entire game," Harden said. "He made scoring look easy tonight, you know what I mean? He was just in attack mode, getting to the basket, his jumper was falling, he had an aggressive night tonight."

Joel Embiid downplayed the enormity of his historic 53-point performance for the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, insisting that his teammates simply fed the hot hand.

Embiid reached 50 points for the second time this season, both occurring in the past nine games as the Sixers won 131-113 over the Charlotte Hornets.

The center also joined Allen Iverson and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in 76ers franchise history to have two 50-point games over a nine-game stretch.

Embiid also joined Chamberlain as the only Sixers in franchise history with at least 30 games of 40 points and 10 rebounds.

"We won," Embiid told reporters. "It's good to do that when you win. It would suck to have those type of scoring nights if you lose.

"I'm just happy it's contributing to winning. Whether I'm scoring a lot, but especially if I'm scoring a lot, at the end of the day, what matters is if it brings us the win."

He added: "We have a saying that you gotta feed the hot hand. My teammates, if I just scored once, it doesn't matter.

"If anybody on the team, if they just score once, you gotta keep feeding them until the defense stops them once or twice or three times. In that situation, I just kept scoring, and they just kept giving me the ball."

Embiid's dominance was underlined by a second-quarter stretch where he scored 15 points in a row. He shot 20-for-32 from the field, making 11-of-11 free-throws with 12 rebounds.

"Every single time, it seems to bring us the win so just gotta keep trying to be efficient and try to play with my teammates," Embiid said.

"Good things happen when you’re worried about the right things and that’s moving the ball and the ball just finds me."

Teammate James Harden, who laid off 16 assists with 19 points, praised the MVP contender.

"He was in attack mode for the entire game," Harden said. "He made scoring look easy tonight, you know what I mean? He was just in attack mode, getting to the basket, his jumper was falling, he had an aggressive night tonight."

Joel Embiid posted another 50-point performance to lead the Philadelphia 76ers past the Charlotte Hornets 131-113 on Sunday.

Embiid scored 53 points with 11 rebounds for the Sixers, backing up his league season-best 59 points against the Utah Jazz on November 13.

The Sixers center joined Allen Iverson (2000-01 and 2004-05) and Wilt Chamberlain (1965-66 and 1967-68) to become the third player in franchise history to record multiple 50-point games in the same season.

Embiid also joined Chamberlin as the only Sixers in franchise history with at least 30 games of 40 points and 10 rebounds.

The big man's haul was built around 20-of-32 shooting along with making 11-of-11 free throws as the Sixers improved to 14-12.

James Harden made a solid contribution with 16 assists along with 19 points, including three-of-eight three-point shooting.

Pelicans soar into Western Conference lead

Zion Williamson scored 35 points to power the New Orleans Pelicans to a 129-124 overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns, who were missing Devin Booker again.

Williamson starred on 14-of-21 shooting with eight rebounds for the Pels, who beat the Suns twice in three days to surge into the Western Conference lead with a 18-8 record, fueled by seven straight wins.

Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton both fouled out for Phoenix, who were without Booker due to left hamstring tightness.

Griffin snatches remarkable OT Hawks win

A.J. Griffin sunk an overtime buzzer-beater to clinch the Atlanta Hawks a thrilling 123-122 win over the Chicago Bulls, after DeMar DeRozan hit three free throws with 0.5 seconds left to take the lead.

The Hawks snatched the win when Jalen Johnson's inbound alley-oop pass found Griffin, who hit a six-foot turnaround jumper. Trae Young had 19 points and 14 assists for Atlanta.

DeRozan scored a game-high 34 points for the Bulls, including 12 in the fourth quarter and three overtime free throws after being fouled by Bogdan Bogdanovic with less than a second left on a three-point attempt.

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving eclipsed 30 points each in the Brooklyn Nets' 120-116 home win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.

It was also the return of Ben Simmons after a five-game stint on the sidelines, starting and contributing six points, seven assists, six rebounds and four steals in 21 productive minutes.

Durant top-scored with 34 points on 14-of-25 shooting, while Irving was just as good, scoring 33 on 11-of-21 shooting while chipping in 11 rebounds.

Mostly known for his offense, Durant blocked two shots, raising his season average to 1.7 per game – the eighth-best figure in the league.

Trae Young was solid for the Hawks with 33 points (12-of-25 shooting) and nine assists, but he committed a game-high eight turnovers. He is the only player in the NBA averaging at least 25 points (27.2) and nine assists (9.5).

With the win, the Nets have now taken six of their past seven, improving their record to 15-12 after starting the season 1-5.

Pelicans stay top of the West

Entering the game as the top two teams in the Western Conference, the New Orleans Pelicans rode a terrific Zion Williamson performance to a 128-117 win against the Phoenix Suns.

Williamson was unstoppable offensively, scoring a game-high 35 points on 13-of-17 shooting, adding seven rebounds and four assists. Of his 20 games this season, it is the ninth time he has scored at least 25 points on 60 per cent shooting.

There are 14 players shooting 59 per cent or better from the field this season, and of those, only Anthony Davis is averaging more field goal attempts per game (17.5) than Williamson's 15.4.

Embiid's early dominance almost goes to waste

Joel Embiid tied the Los Angeles Lakers' whole team in the first quarter with 20 points each, but the Philadelphia 76ers needed an overtime period to come away with a 133-122 win.

Embiid was eight-of-nine from the field in the first quarter for his 20 points, going on to finish with 38 on 14-of-19 shooting, 12 rebounds and five assists. Teammate De'Anthony Melton helped out with a career-high 33 points on 11-of-16 shooting, hitting eight of his 12 three-point attempts.

Anthony Davis continued his strong form with 31 points (nine-of-13 shooting) and 12 rebounds, but he missed a potential go-ahead free throw in the final seconds, before the Lakers were outscored 13-2 in overtime.

Anthony Davis enjoyed his highest-scoring game since January 2020 as he put up 44 points to deliver a Los Angeles Lakers road win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.

The Bucks entered the contest on a three-game winning streak, and were welcoming three-time All-Star Khris Middleton back to the starting line-up for his first action of the season. 

Middleton was solid in his return, scoring 17 points on six-of-11 shooting with seven assists and no turnovers in his 27 minutes, but there was nothing he could do to stop Davis.

Davis was dueling head-to-head with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, and while the Bucks superstar had 40 points (16-of-23 shooting), seven rebounds and five assists, Davis dropped his 44 on 18-of-27 shooting, adding a game-high 10 rebounds and three blocks.

It is the third-most points Davis has scored in a Lakers jersey, trailing a 46-point effort back in 2020 and a 50-point explosion in 2019.

Davis is averaging 26.3 points, 12.7 rebounds (most in the NBA) and 2.3 blocks per game (third-most) this campaign, and both his field goal percentage (56.9 per cent) and true shooting percentage (63.5 per cent) are career-highs.

With the win, the Lakers have now emerged victorious in seven of their past nine games to salvage their rough start and improve their record to 9-12, while the Bucks hold onto the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 15-6.

Heat upset the Celtics in overtime

The Miami Heat (11-12) collected an impressive 120-116 overtime win against the league-leading Boston Celtics (18-5) as four of their starters scored at least 20 points each.

Bam Adebayo top-scored for the Heat with 28 points, while Tyler Herro added 26 with three steals, Jimmy Butler had 25 with 15 rebounds and Kyle Lowry chipped in 20 of his own.

Jaylen Brown was terrific for the Celtics with a game-high 37 points on 12-of-23 shooting, adding 14 rebounds and five assists, but his heroics were not enough to prevent his side from dropping only their second game from their past 16 outings.

Morant, Jackson deliver Grizzlies win

Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr showed exactly why they are the two centerpieces the Memphis Grizzlies are building around, delivering on both ends in a 117-109 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Morant top-scored for the Grizzlies with 28 (10-of-28 shooting), while Jackson flashed his unique skill-set by blocking four shots and hitting two three-pointers on his way to 22 points (seven-of-12) and nine rebounds.

Joel Embiid was immense for the 76ers, scoring a game-high 35 points (13-of-26) with 12 rebounds, eight assists and three blocks, posting a plus/minus of plus nine in his 41 minutes.

This means in the seven minutes he was on the bench, the 76ers were outscored by 17.

Joel Embiid will miss the Philadelphia 76ers' next two games after suffering a foot injury.

Embiid tripped over teammate Georges Niang with 5:53 remaining in the fourth quarter of Saturday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, writhing in pain on the ground before being attended to by a trainer and hobbling to the bench at Wells Fargo Center.

The Sixers confirmed on Monday that the Cameroonian superstar has sustained a left midfoot sprain, meaning he will be absent for Tuesday's clash with the Brooklyn Nets and Wednesday's trip to the Charlotte Hornets.

Embiid has been in imperious form of late, averaging 32.3 points per game for the season and recently scoring 59 against the Utah Jazz.

That was 56.2 per cent of the Sixers's total of 105, the highest percentage of a team's points in an NBA game played in the state of Pennsylvania since Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in Hershey in March 1962 (59.2 per cent).

The 28-year-old joins James Harden and Tyrese Maxey in the treatment room, with the duo also sidelined with foot issues.

It leaves Tobias Harris as the only available member of the Philadelphia roster averaging double figures for points per game this season, though he only returned to training on Monday after missing the last two games with a hip issue.

Kyrie Irving is never too far away from making himself the headline.

The 30-year-old returned on Sunday from the suspension imposed by the Brooklyn Nets after social media activity that appeared to promote a book and film with anti-Semitic tropes.

Following eight games on the sidelines before an eventual apology arrived, Irving was back on the court in the 127-115 win against the Memphis Grizzlies, scoring 14 points along with five rebounds.

Playing just 26 minutes at Barclays Center, he could feature more against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday as he clears off some of the rust.

However, as far as the Sixers are concerned, it will be more about those missing in action.

Former Net James Harden remains out with a foot injury, and he has now been joined by Joel Embiid, who will miss the upcoming clashes with the Nets and the Charlotte Hornets.

The Cameroonian will be a huge miss for Doc Rivers, having been in sensational form of late.

Embiid has an average of 32.6 after 12 outings this season, with his 4.6 assist average also higher than he has managed before in his career.

The 28-year-old had scored over 30 in five of his last six games, including a monstrous performance against the Utah Jazz where he put up 59 points as well as eight assists and 11 rebounds, showing just what a big hole he will leave.

Philadelphia are also still missing Tyrese Maxey, the only player other than Embiid and Harden (22.0) to be averaging over 20 points this season (22.9).

The Sixers had won three on the bounce before defeat last time out against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and face a Nets side that have experienced a bit of resurgence under coach Jacque Vaughn.

Having lost two of his first three games after replacing Steve Nash, including conceding 153 in the loss at Sacramento, Vaughn has seen his team overcome the Portland Trail Blazers and the Grizzlies in their last two.

With no Embiid, Maxey or Harden on the other side of the court, this will surely be an ideal opportunity for the Nets to build some much-needed momentum.

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Philadelphia 76ers - Tobias Harris

Recent talk of a potential trade for Harris needs to be pushed to one side as the only available Sixers player to have an average in double figures this season (14.9).

He is another who has suffered recent injury problems having missed the last two games with a hip issue, but he practiced on Monday and surely will be used if possible given all the other absences.

Harris stepped up to support Maxey when Embiid and Harden were both out against the New York Knicks earlier this month, scoring 23 with nine rebounds.

Brooklyn Nets - Kevin Durant

Of course, many eyes will be on Ben Simmons against his former team, especially after his performance against Memphis, but Durant remains Brooklyn's danger man.

While the Nets have struggled for consistency, Durant has been an ever-reliable figure, having not scored fewer than 26 in any of his 17 games this season, at an average of 30.4.

KEY BATTLE - Can Sixers defense keep them in the game?

With so much attacking talent unavailable, it will inevitably mean Philadelphia's ability to keep the opposition's scoring to a minimum will be crucial.

Despite the efforts of Embiid, the Sixers have one of the worst records in the league for scoring this season, with only the Los Angeles Clippers (105.2) averaging less than their 108.6 (level with the Wizards, the Heat and the Rockets).

They do indeed have the third-best record for points against, with only the Clippers (105.4) and the Dallas Mavericks (105.3) conceding fewer than their 106.6 per game. 

HEAD TO HEAD

The Nets won three of their four meetings with the Sixers last season, although Rivers' men were victorious in their last contest in Philly, winning 110-102 at the end of December at Wells Fargo Center.