Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka made it clear on Tuesday that their trade for Rui Hachimura will not be the end of their dealings before the deadline on February 9.

The Lakers made the first big splash of trade season by sending three second-round picks and bench guard Kendrick Nunn to the Washington Wizards in exchange for their former ninth overall draft pick from 2019.

They remain with two premium trade assets – their first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2029 – as well as Russell Westbrook's massive contract to potentially balance any salary with a star arriving in Los Angeles.

According to Pelinka, he felt the Hachimura move was the kind of low-risk, high-reward deal that made sense as they continue to pursue bigger fish.

"[We] felt like it was an opportunity for us to strike early and address a need in a market that has proven to be a little bit slow," he said.

"It doesn't mean our work is finished – we're going to continue to monitor the situation with the 29 other teams.

"Our job as a front office is always to look to improve our team both now and in the future, and we felt like Rui was the perfect way to do that, and that's why we struck early."

The Lakers have been linked with a number of deals, including a reported trade for Indiana Pacers duo Buddy Hield and Myles Turner prior to the season, but Pelinka said he is saving his bullets for a championship-altering move.

"I think the calculus for the Lakers is to win a championship or not," he said. "There's no in-between or incremental growth. 

"So as we analyze opportunities, we have to do it through that lens. And, I said this at the beginning of the season, if there's an opportunity to get all the way to the end and win a championship, there's no resource we'll hold onto if we feel like that's there.

"The completely unwise thing to do would be to shoot a bullet early and then not have it later when you have a better championship move you can make. That's a really delicate calculus and something the entire front office, we evaluate with all the moves. 

"If we see a move that puts us as a frontrunner to get another championship here, the 18th one here, we'll make it, and if that move doesn't present itself, we'll be smart and make it at a later time."

Lakers superstar LeBron James has let his frustration be known at times this year about the urgency of not wasting the final years of his prime, but Pelinka said he will not let that force him into a sub-optimal move.

"I think LeBron said it really well at the press conference the other night when he said: 'My job is to play basketball, the front office's job is to do their job and build a roster, and coach [Darvin] Ham's job is to coach.'," he said. "I agree with that.

"We all have to do our jobs and do them with excellence and all be together. That's how we operate and will continue to operate."

While the Lakers wait for their next big move, coach Ham shared his excitement about the acquisition of the 24-year-old, six-foot-eight Hachimura.

"I've always been impressed by him," he said. "Just a multi-faceted, strong, athletic, skilled young player that I'm really excited about having the opportunity to add him to our ballclub. I think he's going to bring a lot."

After losing to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, the Lakers are now 22-26 and sit 2.5 games behind the Dallas Mavericks in the race for the sixth seed in the Western Conference.

LeBron James scored 46 points but the Los Angeles Clippers continued their recent dominance over the Los Angeles Lakers with a 133-115 victory on Tuesday.

The Clippers have now won 10 straight against the Lakers and are 36-9 in recent seasons. The win moves the Clippers up to fifth spot in the west with a 26-24 record, while the Lakers are 22-26 and 13th in the west.

Paul George top scored for the Clippers, who made 19 three-pointers at 50 per cent as a team, leading the way with 27 points on 11-of-20 shooting while adding nine rebounds and four assists.

Kawhi Leonard chipped in 25 points with nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks as the Clippers found form with a third straight win, and they could receive further reinforcements soon as Luke Kennard (calf) and John Wall (abdominal strain) close in on returns.

James was exceptional for the Lakers, shooting 16-of-29 from the field with nine-of-14 triples, along with eight rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block.

The four-time NBA MVP's 46-point haul moves him to within 177 of tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record at 38,387.

James appeared set for a 50-point game, scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter, before the Clippers put the game to bed on an 8-0 run and send James to the bench for good with five minutes remaining.

Another triple-double as Jokic calls game

Nikola Jokic scored the game-winner with 16.2 seconds left as he recorded his 15th triple-double of the season in the Denver Nuggets' 99-98 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Jokic and Jamal Murray were disconnected down the stretch before linking up for the crucial two-pointer, capping the Serbian's game with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, adding further weight to his claims for a third straight MVP, which would be the first occurrence since Larry Bird from 1984-86.

Murray added 25 points on 11-of-21 shooting with seven assists for Denver, while C.J. McCollum top scored for the Pels with 20 points, but he went zero-of-eight from three-point range.

Celtics suffer back-to-back defeats

The short-handed Miami Heat fought back from 14 points down to inflict back-to-back defeats on the Boston Celtics with a 98-95 victory.

Bam Adebayo top scored with 30 points and 15 rebounds for Miami, who were without Jimmy Butler due to a back injury. The Heat squared the game up at 87-87 in the fourth quarter on a 10-0 run, before going on to win their sixth straight game at home.

Jayson Tatum, who scored 31 points with 14 rebounds, threw a pass that was intercepted by Tyler Herro in the final minute, before Payton Pritchard missed a desperation three-point attempt on the buzzer.

LeBron James shared his pride after his son Bronny James was named as one of 24 players to participate in the 2023 Boys' McDonald's All-American game in Houston on March 28.

James, the son of four-time NBA MVP LeBron, is rated as an NBA Draft prospect when eligible in 2024. The McDonald's All-American Game is the annual all-star exhibition for high-school players.

LeBron, who was the MVP of the 2003 All-American game, posted on Instagram: "Ayyyyyyyeeeeee @bronny!!!!!! Congratulations Son! So damn proud of you! Continue to be you through it all no matter what!! You’re truly AMAZING!!! #JamesGang . P.S. Congrats to all the other men and women who was named as well in the 2023 Class Micky D's games! It’s an HONOR."

Two-way guard James, 18, is the only uncommitted player selected in this year's rosters, while there are four prospects headed to Kentucky.

James is not the only son-of-a-gun selection, with Stanford's Andrej Stojakovic, son of three-time NBA All-Star Peja, is also named.

Kentucky's D.J. Wagner is included, marking the third generation in his family to play in the game.

The Los Angeles Lakers have made a notable move in their quest to earn a playoff spot by acquiring former lottery pick Rui Hachimura from the Washington Wizards on Monday.

The Lakers sent reserve guard Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks to Washington in exchange for Hachimura – the ninth overall choice of the 2019 draft – who will be a restricted free agent this offseason after failing to reach an agreement on a contract extension with the Wizards in October.

According to ESPN, the Wizards will receive the Chicago Bulls’ 2023 second-round pick and the Lakers' 2029 second rounder, as well a the less favourable of Washington and the Lakers' 2028 second-round selections.

Hachimura is averaging 13 points and 4.3 rebounds over 30 games this season, and matched a career-high with 30 points in his final appearance with the Wizards, a win over Orlando on Saturday.

The 24-year-old forward is a career 35.6 percent three-point shooter who will be expected to provide a perimeter presence and defense to a veteran Lakers team that entered Monday's play 12th in the Western Conference, but they sit only two games back of the sixth-place Los Angeles Clippers in a tightly bunched race.

"We are excited to welcome Rui and his family to the Los Angeles Lakers," team vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. "Adding both size and depth to the wing position has been a goal, and the chance to accomplish that by acquiring a player with Rui’s two-way skills and upside was one that doesn’t present itself often."

The Lakers were 14-21 and near the bottom of the West standings on December 29, but have won eight of 12 since and could soon be getting back eight-time All-Star Anthony Davis from a foot injury that has sidelined him since mid-December.

Nunn signed a two-year, $10.25million contract with the Lakers in August 2021 after averaging 15 points per game with the Miami Heat over his first two NBA seasons. The 27-year-old missed all of last season with a knee injury, however, and has averaged just 13.5 minutes in 39 games thus far in 2022-23.

"Kendrick has shown the ability to be a solid perimeter threat who can provide instant offence as a reserve." Wizards president Tommy Sheppard said in a statement. "He has proven to be a valuable contributor during his young career, most notably as a key role player helping Miami make a run to the (2020) Finals."

It was a game of two halves at Moda Center as the Los Angeles Lakers overturned a 25-point deficit to beat the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.

When the Lakers went in trailing by 25 at the half, they had just experienced the wrong side of the joint second-biggest scoring margin in one quarter since the NBA added the three-point arc in 1979.

Portland outscored the visitors 45-13 in the second quarter, but LeBron James and his team-mates would not lie down.

The Lakers came back to register 75 points in the second half, while only allowing 41, turning around the 25-point deficit to win by nine.

"I guess it's only one or two ways, you can either go out and you can lay down and get ready for the next game or you can see what happens in the third quarter, make a game of it," James said after the victory.

"And for us as competitors, and our team and our makeup this year, we're not a lay-down team. That's just not the makeup of our club."

James scored 37 with 11 rebounds as he closed in further on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record, while Thomas Bryant added 31 with 14 rebounds as the Lakers produced their second-biggest half-time deficit comeback win in franchise history.

"They jumped on us and knocked us down,” James added. "Thank God for the standing eight count."

The Golden State Warriors blew a 12-point fourth-quarter lead at home as the Brooklyn Nets prevailed 120-116 after 38 points from Kyrie Irving on Sunday.

The Nets outscored the Warriors 22-6 after the reigning NBA champions had led by 12 with 5:42 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Irving scored a game-high 38 points, making five-of-seven three-point attempts, with seven rebounds and nine assists. Irving's performance was his third 30-point game in his past four.

Nic Claxton added a career-high 24 points with 15 rebounds and three blocks, while Ben Simmons contributed a game-high 11 assists. Royce O'Neale, who had 16 points, scored a go-ahead three-pointer with 27.1 seconds remaining.

Stephen Curry top scored for Golden State with 26 points, making four-of-eight from beyond the arc, along with six rebounds and seven assists.

Jonathan Kuminga added 20 points off the bench, while center Draymond Green had 11 rebounds and seven assists.

The Warriors' home loss means their record at the Chase Center falls to 17-6, having managed 3-2 on their recent road trip where they have struggled throughout this season.

Lakers complete stunning second-half turnaround

LeBron James scored 37 points with 11 rebounds while Thomas Bryant added 31 points as the Los Angeles Lakers stormed home for a 121-112 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Lakers had trailed 71-46 at halftime after the Blazers put up 45 second-quarter points, but rallied in a remarkable second-half turnaround to improve to 22-25.

Bryant had 14 rebounds to go with his 31 points, while Dennis Schroder contributed 24 points. Anfernee Simons scored 31 points for Portland, with Damian Lillard adding 24.

OKC snap Nuggets' win streak

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit an eight-footer with 9.2 seconds remaining to end the Denver Nuggets' nine-game win streak as the Oklahoma City Thunder won 101-99. 

The Nuggets were without back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic for the second straight game with tightness in his left hamstring, with Jamal Murray top scoring in his absence with 26 points and nine assists. Murray missed an attempt on the buzzer to force overtime.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished the game with 34 points on 13-of-21 shooting with five rebounds, five assists and two blocks, while Josh Giddey added 18 points and nine rebounds. The result also ended Denver's 17th game win streak at home.

Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham hailed "one of those great, great nights" as his team halted the Memphis Grizzlies' 11-game winning streak.

The Lakers pulled off a 122-121 victory, with a crucial late steal by Dennis Schroder pivotal to the outcome. Schroder managed a decisive lay-up and three free throws in the closing 14 seconds at Crypto.Com Arena

"He knows how to make big plays in big moments. He's not afraid," Ham said of Schroder.

LeBron James had 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists, not finding his scoring best but playing a part all the same as others raised their level.

The Lakers are now 21-25 for the season, with reports saying Anthony Davis should be back from injury next week.

Looking at the key to getting the big win on Friday night in Los Angeles, Ham said: "I just think our resolve. Our guys showed a lot of character, a lot of fight.

"It was disappointing to give up so many defensive rebounds and second-chance points, and fouls. But once we kept our togetherness, we never got too down.

"Guys were chirping, talking, communicating, constantly encouraging one another to be better on the defensive glass.

"But the biggest thing, we had 10 turnovers for seven points but for the most part we took care of the ball, we got good shots, we stayed in attack mode playing downhill, and we were able to get to the free-throw line ourselves and were plus-seven from the free-throw line in terms of makes. It helped us, and we were able to knock down some threes.

"It was a hard-fought game. It's a hell of a ball club over there, they're very well coached. It was just one of those great, great nights and a hell of a game.

"I wish I could have watched that as a fan, and not sweating underneath my half-zip. Our guys stayed competing, stayed aggressive, and I think that was the recipe."

James spoke after the game about a half-time altercation involving several Grizzlies players and Fox Sports host Shannon Sharpe, a former star NFL tight end.

"I run with Shannon 365 days, 366 in a leap year, 24/7. That's my guy," James said. "I'll always have his back, and he's got mine. He can talk with the best of them, that's for sure."

Russell Westbrook led scorers for the Lakers with a 29-point game, with Memphis reined in after leading by 13 late in the third quarter.

Schroder, who had 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, dedicated the win to Anton Walkes, the English footballer for Charlotte FC who died on Friday.

Schroder said the Lakers found a way to win without having to rely on a dominant James.

Speaking to ESPN, Schroder said: "It's a team game. Everybody's got to just chip in, do their job.

"LeBron, Russ, AD [Davis] when he comes back, they're the head ot the snake, but everyone's just got to chip in and that's what we did tonight."

The Los Angeles Lakers produced a late comeback to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 122-121, denying the visitors what would have been a franchise-record 12th consecutive victory.

Memphis looked well on their way to breaking their record, jumping out to a 13-point lead late in the third quarter, but a 41-point final period from the Lakers turned the game on its head.

Los Angeles trailed by five points with under a minute on the clock, and after Dennis Schroder cut the margin to one with 19 seconds left, he then stole the ball and laid it in – with a foul – to put the Lakers in front for good.

Brandon Clarke had a chance to tie the game with two free throws in the final seconds, but after hitting the first, he missed the second. He was arguably the Grizzlies' best player, shooting a perfect seven-of-seven from the field for 20 points and 10 rebounds in his 22 minutes.

Russell Westbrook led all scorers with 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting, adding six assists and five rebounds, while LeBron James had 23 points (eight-of-21), nine rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks.

The win improves the Lakers' record to 21-25, leaving them 13th in the Western Conference, but only two games behind the Los Angeles Clippers (24-24) in the race for the six seed.

Kawhi back to his best for the Clippers

Two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard looked back to his All-NBA self as he scored a season-high 36 points in the Los Angeles Clippers' 131-126 road win against the San Antonio Spurs.

Leonard shot 13-of-18 from the field while adding seven assists and two steals, marking his sixth consecutive game with at least 24 points and a steal. 

During that stretch, his 30.0 points per game is the seventh-highest figure in the league, all while shooting 57.4 per cent from the field, 50 per cent from deep and 93.8 per cent from the free throw line.

He was supported well by fellow All-Star Paul George, who dished a season-high 12 assists to go with his 16 points.

Undermanned Warriors shoot the lights out

The Golden State Warriors came into their road fixture against the Cleveland Cavaliers without Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins – but still came away with a 120-114 victory.

In the absence of their top stars, the Warriors received a 32-point outburst from Jordan Poole on 10-of-23 shooting, while Ty Jerome posted season-highs in points (22) and assists (eight).

As a team, the Warriors shot 23-of-43 (53.5 per cent) from three-point range, opening a 20-point lead in the third quarter that was too much for the Cavaliers to overcome.

LeBron James remained the overall leader in the third fan returns of NBA All-Star Game voting announced Thursday.

In the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo passed Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant for the top spot.

Los Angeles Lakers talisman James has received 6,506,682 votes and Antetokounmpo is now up to 5,970,196, which is 132,014 votes ahead of Durant in the East.

Durant’s status for the All-Star Game on February 19 in Salt Lake City, Utah is unknown as he’s currently sidelined with an MCL sprain in his right knee.

The top three frontcourt players along with the top two guards in the East and West will be the starters in the All-Star Game. The overall leading vote-getters from each conference will be named captains and then pick their teams.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (4,718,218) and the Lakers' Anthony Davis (3,838,171) are behind James in the West among frontcourt players. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors leads all West guards with 5,151,822 votes, 246,167 ahead of the Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic.

In the East, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (4,521,414) trails Antetokounmpo and Durant among frontcourt players. Brooklyn's Kyrie Irving (3,968,041) and Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers (3,851,233) lead in voting for guards.

Fan voting, which accounts for 50 percent in determining the starters, ends on Saturday. NBA players and a media ballot account for 25 percent each.

The captains and starters will be announced on January 26.

LeBron James could do with a break, and Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham admits he fears he might be "running him into the ground".

James had 32 points, eight rebounds and nine assists in a 116-111 defeat to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, a third tight loss for the Lakers in their last four games.

They stand at 20-25 for the season, despite the impressive efforts of their talisman.

James has scored 30 points or more in 13 of his last 17 games, but the Lakers have only won nine of those contests.

He is taking on a heavy share of the burden in the injury-forced absence of Anthony Davis, who is expected back in action in February.

Only once in his last eight games has James spent less than 35 minutes on court, and Ham might have to do something about that.

Ham said: "I feel bad about that. He's playing at an amazing level, but we can't run him into the ground. That was one of my main goals coming into this season. Here he is with 36 and a half [minutes] again tonight.

"We just have to manage him and have clarity in terms of scaling back his minutes some. And with the non-game days, being smart. His preparation is always on point, but we can still hold him out of some things that we may do on the court.

"He's a high-IQ basketball player, so he understands he can sit there and watch something and have it all figured out defensively and offensively.

"It is a concern. My staff and I, we talk about it all the time. It's just tough because he's such a competitor. We're in these games and he wants to win and we want to win, so you kind of lose sight of the minutes until you come back and see the stats sheet after the game.

"You're like, 'Oh hell'. We're going to figure it out. We have a team of very smart people – our medical and training staff and our coaching staff.

"We all put our heads together and see what the best course of action is to give him whatever rest can be gained, not just going forward in the short term, but the long term as well."

De'Aaron Fox led the Kings with 31 points against the Lakers, and Sacramento have now won five successive games to improve to 25-18 for the season.

The Lakers will be back in action against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, with Ham looking for more from his team.

Ham said: "It sucks to lose these close games, but I still feel wholeheartedly at some point we're going to break all the way through. We're competing in my opinion at a very high level."

LeBron James shrugged off a pre-game tease about his age to show that it's nothing but a number as the 38-year-old dazzled for the Los Angeles Lakers.

James had 48 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in a spectacular performance for the Lakers, who beat the Houston Rockets 140-132 on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Before the game began, Houston's 19-year-old power forward Jabari Smith Jr approached LeBron and said: "Hey, you played against my dad, your first NBA game ever. Sacramento."

An amused James replied: "Why do you do that to me?"

Smith added: "You feel old, don't you?"

Smith's cheeky remarks need a little addendum, as records show his father was in fact an unused bench player in that fixture on October 29, 2003, that saw James drop a game-high 25 points for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Sacramento Kings to make an immediate impact on the NBA.

James and Smith senior did go head to head in the following season, though, when Smith moved on to the New Jersey Nets.

Asked after Monday's game about playing against both father and son, James laughed off Smith's reminder in an interview with NBA TV.

"Versus dad, man, versus dad! It made me feel old as c**p," James said.

"He said, 'That make you feel old?'. I said, 'Absolutely man'.

"I've had the pleasure and the opportunity to play against a couple of dad and son combinations: Gary Trent and Gary Trent Jr, Kenyon Martin and Kenyon Martin Jr, and now Jabari Smith Jr and Jabari Smith Sr.

"It's been a great ride, these 20 years that I've been able to see a lot of great players come in and come out, so it's always an honour for me."

The Lakers scored 113 points with James on the court and did not have one turnover during that time. It made James the only NBA player in the last 20 years to have his team score 100-plus points with no turnovers with him on the floor in a game.

James said the win felt "very important" as the Lakers (20-24) ended a three-game losing run, including tight defeats to the Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers.

"After the Dallas game and after the Philly game last night, we just had some heartbreaking losses, and we could have found out better ways to close the game," James said.

"Tonight, we kept our composure, and even when they made a run we kept our composure and executed offensively, made some tough shots and then got some key defensive stops."

LeBron James believes Tom Brady should only play on in the NFL if his heart is still in it.

The season is over for Brady and there will be no Super Bowl for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after a 31-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round on Monday.

Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott outshone Brady, delivering the best playoff performance of his career by completing 25 of 33 passes for 305 yards, throwing four touchdowns and rushing for another, with no turnovers.

Brady completed 35 of his personal playoff record 66 attempts for 351 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

He will have turned 46 by the time next season begins, and this is now a time for contemplation as Brady wonders whether to extend his NFL career for a further season.

After his shock retirement U-turn last March, Brady is unlikely to have rushed whatever decision he announces this time.

"Listen man, follow your heart," said Los Angeles Lakers superstar James.

"Follow your heart and your gut is going to tell you what to do."

Brady is coming off a campaign where he set an NFL record for the most pass attempts and completions in a regular season, so he may feel there is life left in his playing career.

Speaking on NBA TV, the 38-year-old James said: "That man's been doing it for 20-plus years at such a high level.

"As always, my best wishes. He's not only my favourite quarterback but also a really good, dear friend to me, so whatever he decides to do [I support him].

"I love seeing him on the field, it gives me inspiration to keep going at my age, so we'll see what happens."

LeBron James described recent refereeing of Los Angeles Lakers games as "frustrating as hell" on Monday.

James' frustration comes after back-to-back Lakers losses were decided by questionable calls in the final seconds.

In Thursday's double-overtime defeat to the Dallas Mavericks, the NBA's Last Two Minute Report revealed seven incorrect calls in the final two minutes plus the overtime periods, including what should have been a foul on James' attempted game-winner at the end of the first overtime.

That was followed by Sunday's one-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, where Russell Westbrook felt he was fouled by Joel Embiid on the final play of the game.

However, the Last Two Minute Report against the 76ers ruled that the referees got the decision correct, and after a fan on Twitter called it a "huge scandal", James retweeted it and added his own thoughts.

He wrote: "And all year they keep telling me to my face on the court, "I didn’t see it" or "It wasn’t a foul". It’s not making sense to me seriously! Frustrating as hell man! Anyways keep going squad!"

James made a similar complaint in November, referencing a lack of free throw attempts, but he has since seen that figure rise quickly.

Having never averaged fewer than 5.7 free throw attempts per game during any of his 20 seasons, James was awarded just 5.3 attempts per game in October, and 4.5 attempts per game in November. It is the same story for Westbrook, who is averaging a career-low 4.2 attempts from the line.

James was back up to 5.9 attempts per game in December, and has been back to his best since the new year began, averaging 9.0 attempts – a number he has not reached for a full season since 2009-2010 during his first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham labelled LeBron James as "phenomenal" after scoring his 38,000th NBA career point, while the four-time MVP refused to discuss the milestone after another loss.

The Lakers slumped to a 19-24 record with Sunday's 113-112 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers where Russell Westbrook failed to get a clear shot or pass away on the final play.

Earlier, James made history in the first quarter by bringing up his 38,000th career point, joining only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with that milestone.

James is on track to usurp Abdul-Jabbar's all-time NBA record of 38,387 points next month, although he would not be drawn on that after the game.

Instead, Ham offered praise for James, who finished with 35 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists.

"I thought Bron was phenomenal," Ham told reporters. "Really playing downhill. Playing the right way, running off the ball.

"Really finding guys as well. I thought he was really, really good."

James' performance was his 525th career 30-point game, while he is averaging 35.2 points, 10.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists across the past six games.

The 38-year-old was not in a reflective mood after the game, ignoring the 38,000-point milestone for concern about a disappointing loss.

"We got a stop, gave ourselves a chance to win the game and we didn't," James said about the final play.

"It's just frustrating, getting in those positions and not being able to come away with the victory."

LeBron James became the second player to 38,000 career NBA points before Russell Westbrook's failed final play as the Los Angeles Lakers lost 113-112 to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

With the Sixers leading by one point, Westbrook rebounded after Joel Embiid missed a two-point shot with 16 seconds remaining, opting to advance the ball, rather than take a timeout, before failing to get a clean shot or pass away as the clock expired under defense from Embiid and Georges Niang.

The finish took some gloss off James' significant achievement, reaching the 38,000 career points mark in the first quarter, before finishing the game with 35 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

Only one player in NBA history has more career points than James and that is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 38,387. James is on track to surpass Abdul-Jabbar next month.

The game was tight throughout, with Embiid top scoring for the Sixers with 35 points on 12-of-21 shooting from the field with two three-pointers. Embiid also had 11 rebounds and four assists. James Harden contributed 24 points, seven rebounds and 13 assists.

Westbrook played 34 minutes of the bench with 20 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists but four turnovers. That marked Westbrook's 198th career triple-double.

Jokic sinks late three to clinch Nugs win

Back-to-back NBA MVP Nikola Jokic landed a step-back three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left to secure the Denver Nuggets a 119-116 victory over the Orlando Magic.

Jokic finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists for his 12th triple-double of the season, with the Nugs clinching their 13th straight home win to remain top of the Western Conference.

Aaron Gordon added 25 points with eight rebounds and five assists, while Jamal Murray delivered 18 points with three three-pointers and seven assists.

Lillard leads Blazers past Mavs missing Doncic

Damian Lillard backed up with 40 points for the Portland Trail Blazers to complete a two-game back-to-back sweep of the Dallas Mavericks, 140-123.

Lillard shot 10-of-17 from the field and four-of-nine from three-point range with six assists for the Blazers, who had lost five in a row prior to the two games against Dallas.

The Mavs rested Luka Doncic after his season-low 15 points in Saturday's game, having starred in Thursday's double overtime win over the Lakers.