Giannis Antetokounmpo continued his red-hot form on Tuesday as he scored a season-high 55 points in the Milwaukee Bucks' 123-113 win over the Washington Wizards.

His 55-point outburst on 20-of-33 shooting – including an impressive 15-of-16 at the free throw line – comes after games of 43 points and 20 rebounds against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, and 45 points, 22 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

In doing so, Antetokounmpo became the first player since Hall-of-Famer Wilt Chamberlain in 1964 to average at least 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists over a three-game span.

He added 10 rebounds and seven assists against the Wizards, while fellow defensive stalwart Brook Lopez was also terrific. Lopez scored 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting while grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking six shots. 

His 2.7 blocks per game is the best figure among those who have qualified for the league leaderboard by playing at least 70 per cent of their team's games, although Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr is averaging 3.1 blocks in his 20 appearances.

Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo boosted his scoring average to 32.8, placing him third in the league, and he is also third in rebounding at 11.8 per game.

With the win, the Bucks are now 24-13, which is tied with the Denver Nuggets for the third-best record overall.

Thunder shock the Celtics

The Oklahoma City Thunder produced one of the more unlikely performances of the season as they broke their franchise scoring record with a 150-117 home win against the league-leading Boston Celtics.

Making the feat even more impressive was the fact that the Thunder were without franchise player and the NBA's fifth-leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after he was a late withdrawal due to an illness.

OKC were led by Josh Giddey with 25 points (10-of-15 shooting), five rebounds, five assists and two steals as one of five Thunder players to score at least 20.

The 150 points is the second-most the Celtics have ever conceded in a game as Oklahoma City piled on quarters of 34, 40, 48 and 28 in a completely one-sided contest.

Fox delivers game-winner for the Kings

De'Aaron Fox nailed a game-winning lay-up with under one second remaining to give the Sacramento Kings a 117-115 road win against the Utah Jazz.

Fox led all scorers with 37 points on 15-of-22 shooting, adding six assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal. 

He was supported strongly by two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis, who had 21 points (eight-of-13), 14 rebounds and eight assists to help the Kings into the Western Conference's fifth seed as they seek to break the NBA's longest active playoff drought (2006).

Ja Morant was almost unstoppable in the Memphis Grizzlies' 118-108 victory against the visiting Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

Morant was the game's top-scorer with 35 points on 13-of-23 shooting, adding eight rebounds and five assists in an encouraging performance during what has been a relatively inefficient period for the Grizzlies star.

After posting a career-high field goal percentage of 49.3 this past season – earning a Most Improved Player trophy in the process – Morant's percentage has plummeted to 45.5 this campaign, while his true shooting percentage is also a mediocre 54.9 per cent.

Despite his dip in efficiency, Morant's 27.0 points per game has him 13th in the league, and he joins Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Nikola Jokic as the only players averaging at least 25 points and eight assists.

Morant was supported well by center Steven Adams, who tied his career-high with 23 rebounds. He has reached 23 rebounds once before – back in 2018 when he played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, also against the Kings.

Grizzlies big Jaren Jackson Jr blocked three shots, and his 3.2 blocks per game is the best figure in the league, although he does not currently qualify for the official league leaderboards due to only playing in 19 of his side's 36 games.

The win is the Grizzlies' third in a row, improving their record to 23-13 – only a half-game behind the Denver Nuggets in the race for the top seed in the Western Conference.

Nuggets retain top spot

The Nuggets had to defeat the Boston Celtics to hold onto the top spot in the West, and they did just that, defending home court with a 123-111 triumph.

It was another showcase for reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic, leading his team in scoring (30), rebounds (12) and assists (12) for his ninth triple-double in 32 games this season.

Jokic has somehow managed to reach new heights in his quest to become the first MVP three-peat since Larry Bird (1984-86), posting career-highs in assists per game (9.5) and true shooting percentage (68.6).

Kuzma collects triple-double in Wizards win

Kyle Kuzma and Rui Hachimura led the way in the Washington Wizards' 118-95 win against an undermanned Milwaukee Bucks team.

The Bucks were missing Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, and did not have the firepower to keep up with a Wizards side that shot 53.2 per cent from the field.

Former top-10 draft pick Hachimura scored a game-high 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting off the bench, while Kuzma had his first triple-double of the season with 10 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists.

After losing 10 games in a row earlier in the season, the Wizards are now on a five-game winning streak to improve their record to 17-21.

LeBron James celebrated his 38th birthday with 47 points in a near triple-double as the Los Angeles Lakers downed the Atlanta Hawks 130-121 on Friday.

James scored 47 points on 18-of-27 shooting from the field with 10 rebounds and nine assists, showing the four-time NBA MVP is evergreen.

The 18-time All-Star scored 16 points in both the second and fourth quarters on his way to a season-high points haul.

The Lakers rallied back from a 15-point deficit before getting the edge in a tight fourth quarter, with James' three-pointer giving them a 103-101 lead which they never surrendered.

James iced the game with a pair of free-throws amid chants of "MVP! MVP!" from the State Farm Arena crowd, who appeared to be willing to switch allegiance for the star on his birthday.

Thomas Bryant scored 19 points with a  season-high 17 rebounds, while Russell Westbrook added 14 points and 11 assists off the bench.

Trae Young returned from a calf contusion for the Hawks to top score with 29 points and eight assists, while Dejounte Murray contributed 20 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.

The result improves the Lakers to a 15-21 record, having lost nine of their past 13 games entering the game. The Hawks fell to 17-19 having lost their past three.

Giannis drops another 40-point game

Giannis Antetokounmpo powered an almighty third-quarter comeback from the Milwaukee Bucks, who won 123-114 over the Minnesota Timberwolves, dropping 40 points for the fourth time in six games.

The Bucks trailed 61-50 at half-time, but won the third 39-22 led by Antetokounmpo, who finished the game with 43 points on 14-of-23 shooting with 20 rebounds, five assists and two blocks.

Milwaukee had good contributions off the bench from Bobby Portis with 22 points and 14 rebounds and Joe Ingles with 14 points and 10 assists. Anthony Edwards top scored for the Wolves with 30 points and 10 rebounds.

McCollum hits franchise-record 11 threes

C.J. McCollum scored a franchise-record 11 three-pointers on his way to 42 points as the New Orleans Pelicans downed the Philadelphia 76ers 127-116.

McCollum shot 11-of-16 from beyond the arc in a dazzling display, well supported by Zion Williamson with 36 points on 13-of-19 shooting with five rebounds.

Joel Embiid was strong for the 76ers with 37 points on 14-of-22 shooting with eight rebounds and five assists, while James Harden added 20 points including four triples and 10 assists.

Kyrie Irving scored 15 fourth-quarter points to lift the Brooklyn Nets to their 10th straight win – the longest streak this NBA season – with a 108-107 victory over the short-handed Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

Irving finished with 28 points, headlined by 15 in the final period, making five three-pointers with five rebounds and eight assists, as the Nets held on to their three-point three-quarter time lead.

Kevin Durant added 26 points with a season-high 16 rebounds and eight assists, with center Nic Claxton contributing 17 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high six blocks.

The result means the Nets have achieved their longest win streak since 2005-06, moving closer to their franchise record of 14, from 2003-04 and 2005-06.

Brooklyn improved their record to 23-12, having won 14 of their past five games, closing the gap on the top two in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics (25-10) and the Milwaukee Bucks (22-12).

Irving led a 17-3 fourth-quarter run with eight consecutive points as the Nets pulled clear in the last before the Hawks rallied, only for Dejounte Murray to miss a 27-footer on the buzzer.

Murray finished with 24 points and John Collins added 21 for the Hawks, who were without Trae Young and Clint Capela with calf injuries as well as De'Andre Hunter (ankle).

Butler and Bam lead Heat past Lakers

The Miami Heat dominated on offense and defense, keeping the Los Angeles Lakers to their second lowest score of the season, in a 112-98 victory.

Jimmy Butler (27 points and six steals) and Bam Adebayo (23 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks) combined for 50 of the Heat's 112 points, as they improved to 18-17, with all five starters reaching double figures. Tyler Herro added 18 points, including three triples and nine assists.

LeBron James, playing against his former franchise, scored 27 points with nine rebounds and six assists and Russell Westbrook added 15 points on six-of-16 shooting.

DeRozan downs Giannis in OT

Giannis Antetokounmpo had a monster double-double with 45 points and 22 rebounds but could not prevent the Milwaukee Bucks losing 119-113 to the Chicago Bulls in overtime.

Demar DeRozan stuffed his stat sheet too, with 42 points on 15-of-25 shooting, with 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. Zach LaVine added 24 points with four three-pointers.

DeRozan made a crucial steal from an Antetokounmpo's inbound with 11.1 seconds of regulation time remaining down 106-104, setting up Ayo Dosunmu's dunk to send it to OT.

Jayson Tatum said it was "fun playing on Christmas" after excelling for the Boston Celtics in the victory against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Christmas Day clash at TD Garden saw the two teams with the best records in the NBA this season collide, with Boston running out 139-118 victors.

Tatum posted 41 points with seven rebounds and five assists, scoring 20 points in the third quarter alone.

"It's fun. It's fun playing on national TV; it's fun playing on Christmas," Tatum said. "And those matchups are fun. You get to play against the other best players, and it just raises your level of play.

"The competition is exciting, but that's the game that you live for. The moments, the matchups, if you can't get up for those games, then you're probably in the wrong profession."

The Celtics appear to be back on track, recording back-to-back wins after a run of five defeats in six, and moving on to a record of 24-10.

"It did feel good to get back to playing the way we know how to play," Tatum added. "We have the emotional understanding of it [being] a long season, and there's going to be great stretches and there's going to be some bad ones. But not letting the bad ones snowball effect and getting back on track sooner than later. It helps when we make shots too."

Tatum has scored at least 30 points in his last five games and is averaging 30.9 for the season, fifth in the league behind only Joel Embiid (33.1), Luka Doncic (32.8), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.6) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (31.2), who the Celtics restricted to 27 points on Sunday.

"It's definitely an honour. I've said many times how much I love being here and what it means to play on Christmas, [this is my] sixth year in a row and something I never want to take for granted," Tatum said.

"As a kid, that was part of the tradition: Eat, be with family, watch all the games and try to envision myself playing out there one day. Now I get to do that."

The Boston Celtics shot the lights out during their 139-118 Christmas Day win against the Milwaukee Bucks in a crunch clash between two of the Eastern Conference heavyweights.

Boston scored at least 36 points in three of the four quarters, including a 77-point second half as they proved unstoppable offensively.

They were led by MVP candidate Jayson Tatum with a game-high 41 points on 14-of-22 shooting, adding seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.

His running-mate Jaylen Brown was just as effective in his supporting role, scoring 29 on 11-of-19 shooting with five rebounds and four assists, while reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart set the table with eight assists and only four total field goal attempts.

As a team, the Celtics shot 58.8 per cent from the field (50-of-85) and 48.7 per cent from long range (19-of-39) in a blistering performance.

Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was not at his best for the Bucks, shooting nine-of-22 from the field for his 27 points, nine rebounds and three assists, while Jrue Holiday was more effective for his 23 points (eight-of-14), seven assists and six rebounds.

A win for the Bucks would have seen them overtake the Celtics for the top seed in the East, but they instead fell to 22-11 and are now one-and-a-half games behind Boston at 24-10.

Doncic, Mavs catch fire in the third

The Dallas Mavericks were a completely different team after half-time in their 124-115 home win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Trailing 54-43 at the long break, the Mavericks came out of the locker room and put up 51 points in the third period, setting a new record for the most points scored in a quarter on Christmas Day. They won that quarter by 30 points, racing to the lead before the duo of Luka Doncic and Christian Wood put the game to bed.

Doncic, who was being consistently double-teamed all night and being forced to give off early passes, still worked his way to 32 points (nine-of-16 shooting), nine rebounds and nine assists, while Wood added 30 points (12-of-17), eight rebounds, seven assists, four steals and two blocks.

LeBron James was the lone bright spot for the Lakers, scoring a game-high 38 points (13-of-23) as his side lost their fourth in a row to fall to 13-20.

Warriors remain the league's best home team

There is no place like home for the Golden State Warriors this season, improving their league-best record in their own stadium to 13-2 with a 123-109 victory over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies.

The Warriors are still below .500 overall at 16-18 thanks to their 3-15 road record, but once again shot the ball beautifully in front of the Chase Center crowd.

Behind 32 points from Jordan Poole and 24 from Klay Thompson, Golden State shot 18-of-44 from three-point range (40.9 per cent). It was a throwback game for Draymond Green as well, delivering a gritty double-double with 13 rebounds and 13 assists to go with his two points.

Ja Morant was the only Grizzlies player to shine under the bright lights, scoring a game-high 36 points on 15-of-29 shooting with eight assists and seven rebounds on his Christmas Day debut.

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.

Kevin Durant says the Brooklyn Nets treated Friday's 118-100 win over the Milwaukee Bucks as "bigger than a regular season" after extending their win streak to eight games.

The Nets claimed a confidence-boosting victory over the 2021 NBA champions, moving Brooklyn to a  21-12 record, while the Bucks are only slightly ahead in the Eastern Conference with a 22-10 record.

Durant scored 24 points, extending his run of games with plus 50 per cent field-goal shooting to 12, while Nic Claxton added 19 points with eight rebounds, five assists and three steals.

There were contributions all round for Brooklyn, with Kyrie Irving scoring 18 points with nine rebounds and six assists, while Ben Simmons had 12 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals. T.J. Warren chipped in 12 points and six rebounds off the bench.

All five Nets' starters reached double figures, marking the sixth time they have achieved that this season.

After a tumultuous start to the season where they commenced with a 1-5 record and had off-court issues involving Irving to deal with, the Nets have rallied to become genuine contenders.

"It's good for us," Durant told reporters. It's good for us to keep stacking days. We respect Milwaukee, we understand how dominant they've been this season.

"We wanted to come out and we understand everyone is watching this game, everybody looked at this as bigger than a regular season game, so I think we tried to approach it that way.

"I know those guys play extremely hard every night, we tried to match that. They play playoff style basketball every game so it was on us to match it and play our brand as well.

"We've been trying to stay at their level as consistently as we can. It's tough to do in the regular season with injuries and the ebb and flow of the season but we tried to stay locked in as much as we can."

Durant called the victory a "great team win" for the Nets given the raft of contributions, creating 30 assists compared to the Bucks' 17, and forcing 18 turnovers.

"We were locked in all night on both sides of the ball," Durant said. "We were able to get a nice cushion early.

"They're a championship quality team so they're going to fight back and get into the game. We were able to make big shots and get big stops. Great team win for us."

The Nets kept Giannis Antetokounmpo scoreless in the final quarter, led by Simmons, as they weathered any late challenge, pulling away to win by 18 points after leading 85-75 at the final change.

"I thought overall the mental approach from guys, we knew they'd make some threes and we didn’t panic," Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said.

"Giannis is going to get through us sometimes and we're not going to over-react. But we be steady throughout the night to put multiple bodies in front of him? That's tough to do, because he's coming downhill at you with force and you're going to get hit. I thought overall our guys responded extremely well."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Knicks win streak over after Siakam domination

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

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

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

Mitchell's Cavs down Giannis' Bucks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Cleveland Cavaliers – Jarrett Allen

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

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

Milwaukee Bucks – Giannis Antetokounmpo

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

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

KEY BATTLE – Can Cavs keep focus after halftime?

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

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

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

HEAD-TO-HEAD

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

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

Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 42 points while Zion Williamson was largely subdued by an excellent performance from Jrue Holiday as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the New Orleans Pelicans.

Antetokounmpo made 12 of 17 field goal attempts, while also sinking 17 out of a hefty 22 shots from the free-throw line.

Williamson was restricted to 18 points in his team's 128-119 defeat at Smoothie King Center, with former Pelican Holiday shining back in New Orleans.

"I'm guessing I've done it quite a bit here," Holiday said, after also scoring 18 points with 11 assists. "So, just coming off that screen and letting it fly.

"We know [Williamson] is such a big part of their offense that if he's not scoring, we had a good chance. I feel like we kind of frustrated him."

Along with Antetokounmpo, three other players scored 30+ points, with Brook Lopez helping out his fellow Buck, while Jonas Valanciunas (37) and CJ McCollum (31) stepped up while Williamson struggled for the Pels.

Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer reserved praise for Holiday and the job he did on Williamson.

"Jrue, in a kind of subtle, understated way is very, very strong and I think he loved the challenge, beating him to a spot, having the strength to kind of take a hit, pressuring him a little bit," he said.

"There's probably only a handful of guards, if even that many, like Jrue that could maybe pick him up higher, pick him up earlier, do some different things to him."

Anthony Edwards continued to show what he can do as a true top option in the Minnesota Timberwolves' 116-106 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.

With Karl-Anthony Towns still out, Rudy Gobert was also ruled out in the hours leading up to tip-off, leaving the home Timberwolves as the underdogs against a full-strength Mavericks outfit.

But after one of the best games of his career against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday – when Edwards had 37 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds – the former number one overall draft pick showed it was no fluke.

Playing against arguably the league's top one-man-show in Dallas' Luka Doncic, Edwards produced an all-round performance with 27 points (seven-of-21 shooting), 13 rebounds and nine assists, helping his side build a 20-point buffer heading into the last quarter.

After only exceeding six assists in two of his first 23 games this season, Edwards has now registered at least seven in five of his past eight outings.

He was supported strongly against the Mavericks by Naz Reid, with the sweet-shooting center taking full advantage of his team's absences and his expanded role. He had 27 points on 11-of-19 shooting with 13 rebounds, after a 28-point, nine-rebound performance on Friday.

Doncic was kept quiet in his 28 minutes, hitting just five-of-17 from the field for 19 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

The win is the Timberwolves' third in a row, pulling their record above .500 at 16-15 after starting the season 2-6.

Giannis, Lopez dominate the Pelicans' interior

Giannis Antetokoumpo put up his third-highest point total of the season as he dropped 42 in the Milwaukee Bucks' 128-119 win against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Both teams entered the contest in the top-three of their respective conferences, but it was the 2021 NBA Champions coming out on top, with Antetokounmpo shooting 12-of-17 from the field and 17-of-22 from the free throw line while adding 10 rebounds.

Brook Lopez was similarly impressive, also shooting 12-of-17 from the field for 30 points, although his league-leading figure in blocks per game (2.8) took a small dip after only blocking one shot against the Pelicans.

Young carries the Hawks' offense

Trae Young had his fifth game of the season with at least 30 points and 10 assists in a close 126-125 victory to snap a six-game Orlando Magic winning streak.

Young finished with 37 points on 11-of-22 shooting, while also dishing 13 assists. None of his teammates scored more than rookie A.J. Griffin's 19 off the bench.

It was comfortably the best game of the season for former number one draft pick Markelle Fultz, scoring 24 points with nine assists and six rebounds as the Magic's starting point guard.

The Milwaukee Bucks are preparing for the debut of Joe Ingles, with the 35-year-old Australian reportedly aiming to return from his ACL injury on Monday.

Ingles, who spent the first eight years of his NBA career with the Utah Jazz after debuting as a 27-year-old, signed a one-year, $6.5million free agent deal with the Bucks in the offseason.

He was signed in the midst of his rehabilitation from an ACL injury in late January, with the idea that the career 40.8 per cent three-point shooter could provide a boost down the stretch and in the playoffs for a Bucks team with title aspirations.

Ingles' injury came during a relatively down year by his standards, as he set career-highs in the 2020-21 campaign with 12.1 points per game at a career-best 48.9 per cent figure from the field, and a blistering 45.1 per cent from downtown on 6.1 three-point attempts per game.

He is also a capable 'point-forward', being officially listed by the Bucks at six-foot-nine while averaging 5.3 assists per-36 minutes.

His addition should elevate the Bucks from the middle of the pack in terms of assist percentage – 14th in the league at 60.9 per cent – and boost their three-point percentage, as they currently attempt the seventh-most (37.4 per game), but own the 19th-ranked percentage (34.7 per cent).

The Miami Heat needed a career night from Tyler Herro on Thursday to avoid becoming the Houston Rockets' third big-name scalp in a row.

Herro scored a game-high and career-high 41 points on 13-of-20 shooting, hitting 10-of-15 from three-point range in the 111-108 victory.

His All-Star teammate Jimmy Butler was terrific in a supporting role, chipping in 20 points (seven-of-13 shooting), 10 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and three blocks.

For the Rockets, who were coming into the game off consecutive wins against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns, Jalen Green top-scored yet again with 22 points (eight-of-21), while Kevin Porter Jr was more efficient on his way to 21 points (10-of-17), five assists and four steals.

The Heat are now on a three-game winning streak to pull their record even at 15-15, and they have a golden opportunity to rise above .500 when they finish their four-game road trip on Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs.

Morant dominates the Bucks

The Memphis Grizzlies led by 46 points after three quarters of their blowout win against the Milwaukee Bucks, allowing the starters to ride the bench down the stretch on the way to a 142-101 final score.

Last year's Most Improved Player, Ja Morant, was at the center of the Grizzlies' success with 25 points (nine-of-21), 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while eight Memphis players reached double-figures.

With the win, the Grizzlies improved their record to 19-9 and now sit alone atop the Western Conference.

Jazz fight off the Pelicans in overtime

The Utah Jazz continue to win at home, defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 132-129 to improve their record at Vivint Arena to 11-5 this season.

It is the second game in a row the Jazz have defeated the Pelicans after Tuesday's 121-100 triumph, with Jordan Clarkson proving the hero this time around.

Clarkson scored a season-high 39 points on 15-of-26 shooting, adding eight rebounds and two steals, including the first four points of overtime after Pelicans youngster Trey Murphy III forced the extra period with a three-pointer in the dying seconds of regulation.