Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić will be sidelined at least one week due to a strained right wrist, ESPN reported Thursday.

Doncic said after Dallas' 132-91 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday that he hurt his wrist in the first quarter, though he remained in the game and told reporters afterward he believed the injury to be "nothing serious."

The 2023-24 NBA MVP finalist had his wrist checked out Wednesday, according to ESPN, which revealed the strain.

Doncic is set to miss the entirety of Dallas' three-game road trip that begins with Friday's clash with the Denver Nuggets, as well as the Mavericks' next home game against the New York Knicks on Wednesday.

Doncic has missed just one of Dallas' first 15 games of this season, though his numbers are slightly down compared to his consecutive First Team All-NBA campaigns of 2022-23 and 2023-24. The five-time All-Star has shot 43.5 per cent from the field and 32.4 per cent from 3-point range while averaging 28.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game.

The 25-year-old averaged 33.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.9 assists over the course of the previous two seasons while shooting 49.1 per cent from the field and 36.5 per cent from beyond the arc.

Doncic's injury comes after the Mavericks were starting to gain traction following a sluggish start to this season. Tuesday's win was Dallas' third straight after it lost four consecutive games to fall to 5-7 over its first 12 contests.

The Mavericks are coming off a highly successful 2023-24 season in which they reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. Dallas then made one of the offseason's more notable moves by acquiring four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson in a sign-and-trade with the Golden State Warriors. 

The Philadelphia 76ers could be without Paul George for several weeks after he suffered a hyperextended left knee during their defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.

The Sixers' miserable start to the season continued as they suffered their 12th defeat in 14 games – and their fifth in a row – at FedExForum, going down 117-111.

Philadelphia fielded star trio George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey together for the first time after the latter recovered from a hamstring injury, but George was forced to exit early in the second half.

George previously missed five games of preseason after hyperextending the same knee, and head coach Nick Nurse believes he could face a similar spell on the sidelines.

"I think they said it was similar to last time, which was a bone bruise, I think," Nurse said. 

"He was actually fairly close to coming back in the game, but then it kind of stiffened up as he got out a little bit more, so I decided not to, and now we got to take a look at it, make sure."

However, Nurse was more upbeat when asked if the team could rule out structural damage to George's knee, saying: "I think so."

George only managed two points, four rebounds and two assists in his 17 minutes on court, going 1-of-6 shooting.

Despite Philadelphia continuing to be hamstrung by fitness concerns, Nurse admitted they had not done enough to warrant a better result.

"Listen, it's certainly not easy," Nurse said. "Tyrese was just getting back and didn't really have a feel tonight, and Paul going out...

"It's certainly not easy but we didn't put enough together again for 48."

The Sixers have seven games in the next 14 days, starting with Friday's home encounter with the Brooklyn Nets and ending against the Orlando Magic on December 6.

Jalen Brunson scored 36 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 34 and the New York Knicks rolled over the Phoenix Suns 138-122 on Wednesday night for their fourth straight win.

All five Knicks starters scored in double figures. Josh Hart had 19 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

Devin Booker scored 33 points on 12-for-23 shooting and Jusuf Nurkic had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the injury-depleted Suns, who have lost five straight.

New York never trailed, hitting its first eight shots, including four 3-pointers. The Knicks carried that momentum to a 44-28 advantage after one quarter and a 76-58 lead at halftime. Brunson had 23 points before the break on 8-for-9 shooting, including hitting all four 3s.

The Suns cut the deficit to 88-77 midway through the third quarter, but the Knicks responded with an 11-2 run.

Phoenix star Kevin Durant missed his seventh straight game with a left calf strain. Teammate and three-time All-Star Bradley Beal was out for the fifth straight game, also because of a strained left calf.

The Knicks shot 18 for 23 (78.3%) in the first quarter, including 8 for 11 (72.7%) from 3-point range.

Sengun stars as Rockets win again

Alperen Sengun had a season-high 31 points with 12 rebounds to lead the Houston Rockets to a 130-113 win over the Indiana Pacers.

The Rockets used a big run in the third quarter to push the lead to 21 entering the fourth and cruised to their sixth victory in seven games.

Jabari Smith Jr. added 23 points for the Rockets for his second 20-point game in the last four, and Fred VanVleet had 18 points and six assists.

Quenton Jackson had a career-high 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting for the Pacers, who lost for the fourth time in five games. Pascal Siakam had 19 points at halftime but only scored two more points the rest of the way.

A dunk by Myles Turner got the Pacers within three with about eight minutes left in the third quarter before the Rockets used a 12-3 run, with 3s from VanVleet and Sengun, to make it 82-70 less than three minutes later.

The Pacers made just 5 of 22 3-pointers, while Houston made 12 of 36 attempts.

Antetokounmpo powers resurgent Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 41 points, nine rebounds and eight assists as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Chicago Bulls 122-106.

Brook Lopez scored 21 points, Damian Lillard had 20 points and 10 assists, and AJ Green added 18 points to help the Bucks win for the fourth time in five games following a 2-8 start.

Zach Lavine scored 27 points and Torrey Craig added 15 for Chicago, which dropped to 3-8 this month.  

The Bucks led by 18 and seemed to be in control after a 16-0 run from the end of the first quarter and into the second, but the Bulls chipped away and pulled within one in the third. The score remained close until midway through the fourth when the Bucks once again pulled away with Antetokounmpo dominating inside.

After being held to 13 points in the first half, Antetokounmpo scored 25 of Milwaukee’s 29 points in the third quarter. Lopez scored 20 or more points for the third time in four games.

Green swished a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer, his fifth of the game, from the corner with 6:49 left in the game to push the Bucks' lead to seven. Lillard and Lopez followed with 3s of their own to extend the lead to 13.

Kevin Durant wants to be with the Phoenix Suns and is expected to sign a contract extension, according to franchise owner Mat Ishbia. 

The two-time NBA Finals MVP and four-time Olympic gold medallist, who joined the Suns in February 2023, is under contract at Footprint Center through the 2025-26 season.

Durant made a strong start to his 18th NBA season - averaging 27.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 53.3% shooting and 42.9% from three-point range - though he is currently sidelined with a calf strain.

And Ishbia expects the 36-year-old to retire as a Sun, with both parties set to pursue a two-year, $120 million maximum extension following the conclusion of the 2024-25 campaign.

"[Durant] loves being in Phoenix, we love having him," the Suns owner told ESPN.

"He's off to an amazing start this season, and we're off to a very good start. We expect Kevin to sign an extension and be with us for the long term. We hope he finishes his career here in Phoenix.

"You can't sign a two-year extension this last summer, you can't do it based on the NBA rules. So, we figured after the season, we'd talk about it, take care of it.

"Kevin wants to be here, we want Kevin here. There's never been one grumbling of anything different."

Evan Mobley says the Boston Celtics were a "good test" for the Cleveland Cavaliers as they saw their perfect start to the NBA season ended.

The Cavaliers were 15-0 going into the game, the fourth team in NBA history to open with that record, but a slow start cost them as they lost 120-117 to the defending champions on Tuesday.

Cleveland fought back to cut a 21-point deficit to two in the third quarter, with Donovan Mitchell making it a four-point game with 24 seconds remaining, but they could not snatch a win as Al Horford's late dunk sealed it.

Mobley had 22 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the Cavaliers, and chose to focus on the positives from the defeat, in particular, their response to the half-time deficit.

"I'm happy how we fought back," said Mobley. "That was the main thing that I can be happy about.

"I feel like we didn't start the best. That was the main thing that really shot us in our foot. But overall, I feel like we played a pretty good game.

"I think it was a good test, and from what I saw out there, we could beat anybody."

Mitchell, Cleveland's top scorer with 35 points, added: "[I learned] that it's the group I thought we were.

"It's just a test. This is a big test. Whether you win, lose or draw, it's just a test, and obviously, you want to learn through wins, but we lost tonight.

"But there's a lot we can take away from the good in the second half and a lot we can learn from the first half to get better at."

The Celtics bounced back from a defeat to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA Cup with this result and made it three wins on the trot.

They improved their record to 12-3, though they still sit below the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference, and Derrick White says Boston knew a lot was riding on this result.

"Everybody knew that they were undefeated and coming to our building," he said. "And also, it's an NBA Cup game, and we already lost one game.

"So, it was a really big game in that aspect. So, we were all aware [of the excitement around it]."

The defending NBA champions held off the league’s hottest team on Tuesday night, with Jayson Tatum scoring 33 points and adding 12 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics to a 120-117 victory over Cleveland and hand the Cavaliers their first loss after 15 straight wins to open the season.

Cleveland cut a 21-point deficit to two in the third quarter, and Donovan Mitchell hit a rainbow 3-pointer with 24 seconds left to make it a four-point game. Tatum sank one of two free throws, and then collided hard with Mitchell at the other end, leaving the Cavaliers guard on the floor in need of medical attention.

Mitchell eventually stepped to the line and sank both free throws, but Boston inbounded the ball without trouble and passed it downcourt for an easy Al Horford dunk to clinch it.

Tatum sank six of Boston’s 22 3-pointers and added seven assists for Boston’s third straight win.

Mitchell scored 35 points, and Evan Mobley had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who were the fourth team in NBA history to open the season with 15 wins in a row. The 15-game winning streak was the longest in franchise history.

The Celtics scored 19 of the last 26 points in the second quarter to turn a five-point lead into a 65-48 advantage at the break. Cleveland cut a 21-point deficit to two in the third.

The Celtics were 14 for 22 from 3-point range in the first half. They were up by five with 5:05 left when they hit four straight 3’s, and six in all down the stretch, opening a 65-48 halftime lead.

Knecht matches rookie 3s record for surging Lakers

Dalton Knecht tied the NBA's single-game rookie record with nine 3-pointers while scoring a career-high 37 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 124-118 for their sixth consecutive victory.

LeBron James had 26 points and 12 assists, and Anthony Davis had 26 points and 14 rebounds as the Lakers improved to 7-0 at home. Austin Reaves added 17 points for the defending NBA Cup champions, who improved to 2-0 in group play this season.

The Lakers hadn't won six straight since February 2021, shortly after their championship run in the Florida bubble.

Lauri Markkanen scored 25 points for the Jazz, who have lost three straight. Keyonte George scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, and Collin Sexton added nine of his 19 in the fourth.

Knecht hit 3-pointers on four consecutive possessions in the third quarter, getting the entire crowd on its feet. He scored 21 points in the third alone. His ninth 3 put LA up by 25 early in the fourth, but he didn't score again, and Utah trimmed the lead down the stretch.

Knecht tied the single-game rookie 3-pointer record shared by Rodrigue Beaubois (2010), Yogi Ferrell (2017) and Utah’s Keyonte George (2024).

Doncic helps Mavericks win in return

Luka Dončić returned to the lineup and scored 26 points, Klay Thompson added 19 and Kyrie Irving had 18 as the Dallas Mavericks beat the undermanned New Orleans Pelicans 132-91 in an NBA Cup game.

Doncic, who missed his first game of the season in Dallas' win at Oklahoma City on Sunday due to a knee injury, shot 10 of 16 overall and 3 for 8 from 3-point distance. He hit a pair of step-back 3-pointers midway through the fourth quarter giving Dallas a 111-75 lead.

Trey Murphy III, playing his fourth game this season because of hamstring issues, scored a season-high 19 points to lead the Pelicans. New Orleans was missing five of its rotation players. Two-time All-Star Zion Williamson missed his sixth consecutive game and is out indefinitely.

The Mavericks won their third straight, finishing with their highest point total of the season and largest margin of victory.

New Orleans has lost 11 of its last 13 games.

The Pelicans cut Dallas’ lead to 81-65 late in the third period before Irving followed a 25-foot 3-pointer with another seconds later, pulling up from 29 feet.

Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers was impressed by Damian Lillard's "courage" as he secured a late win over the Houston Rockets in the NBA.

Lillard returned to the Bucks' line-up after missing the last three games while in concussion protocol and made a go-ahead layup with 3.9 seconds left to clinch a 101-100 win.

He finished with 18 points and 10 assists to make it three wins from four for Milwaukee, who started the season 2-8.

However, Lillard also missed all six of his 3-point attempts, but Rivers maintained his confidence in the eight-time All-Star, comparing him to one of the NBA's greatest shooters.

"Dame just has great courage, you know?" Rivers said. "Reminds me a lot of Ray Allen in that way.

"Ray didn't have a lot of bad shooting nights, but when he had one, if you had one shot to make, you still wanted to go to him. And that's how you feel about Dame.

"Like, whether he's on fire or not, he just has this thing in him that he believes that he should take the last shot and make the last shot. And he does it over and over."

Brook Lopez scored 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting, along with 10 rebounds, while Giannis Antetokounmpo chipped in with 20 points and 13 rebounds.

The Rockets looked set to extend their winning streak to six games though, as they edged to a 100-99 lead with 1:17 remaining until Lillard's late involvement flipped the script.

"I could feel it was one of those games where I needed to keep going, keep my foot on the gas down the stretch," Lillard said.

"It just came down to those last two plays. I got one to go, and we were able to get a stop on the other end."

Franz Wagner tallied 32 points and eight assists as the Orlando Magic kept rolling with Monday's 109-99 victory over the injury-plagued Phoenix Suns.

Orlando also received 20 points and nine assists off the bench from Anthony Black to extend its winning streak to six games by taking this matchup of teams currently going in opposite directions. Goga Bitadze added 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting along with 10 rebounds for the Magic, who are now 6-4 since All-Star Paolo Banchero went to the sidelines with an oblique injury.

Phoenix was dealt a fourth consecutive loss while playing without three starters in Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic. The Suns are 1-5 since Durant went down with a calf injury after starting the season 8-1.

Devin Booker, coming off a season-high 44-point effort in the Suns' loss at Minnesota on Sunday, managed just 17 in this one while missing six of seven shots from 3-point range.

Tyus Jones paced Phoenix with 18 points and eight assists, while Grayson Allen scored 17 points off the bench.

Orlando remained in control after scoring the final four points of the first quarter to take a 26-22 lead after one period. The Magic then dominated the second, shooting 60 percent for the quarter while outscoring the Suns by a 38-26 margin to head into the break owning a 64-48 advantage.

The Magic's lead got as high as 19 points in the second half, and they maintained a double-digit cushion until a Booker 3-pointer with 3:36 remaining got Phoenix within 98-91.

Lillard returns, hits winning shot as Bucks end Rockets' winning streak

Damian Lillard capped his return to the Milwaukee Bucks' lineup by making a go-ahead layup with 3.9 seconds left that lifted his team to a 111-110 win over the Houston Rockets.

Having missed Milwaukee's previous three games while in concussion protocol, Lillard went just 6 of 18 from the field while compiling 18 points and 10 assists in 36 minutes. The eight-time All-Star hit the biggest shot of the night, however, by driving past a Houston defender and eluding another to convert the layup that put the Bucks ahead.

The Rockets then failed to get a shot off before time expired as their five-game winning streak came to an end.

Milwaukee, meanwhile, has now won three of four following a surprising 2-8 start to the season. The Bucks received 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting along with 10 rebounds from Brook Lopez in this victory, while Giannis Antetokounmpo chipped in 20 points and 13 rebounds.

The Rockets got 26 points from Fred VanVleet and 21 from Jalen Green but struggled from the perimeter, shooting just 28.1 per cent from 3-point range.

Houston shot just 26.9 per cent overall in the second quarter and was outscored by a 30-17 margin for the period as the Bucks built a 57-45 half-time lead.

Milwaukee's advantage was 14 points deep into the third quarter before the Rockets began closing the gap. Houston finished the period on a 9-2 run to pull within 83-80 entering the fourth following a three-point play from Alperen Sengun.

The Rockets' surge continued into the fourth quarter, as Sengun's tip-in with 1:58 left put the Bucks at a 100-94 deficit. Milwaukee scored the game's final seven points, however, with AJ Green's clutch 3-pointer with 1:17 remaining cutting the lead to 100-99 and setting up Lillard's game-winner.

Clippers hold on to halt Warriors' run

Norman Powell scored 23 points and the Los Angeles Clippers survived a late comeback attempt by the Golden State Warriors to hand the current Pacific Division leaders a 102-99 loss.

Powell went 5 of 6 from 3-point range on a night the Clippers shot 47.1 per cent from beyond the arc en route to their fifth straight win at the brand-new Intuit Dome. Los Angeles had lost its first four games at the state-of-the-art arena.

James Harden dished out 16 assists to go along with 12 points to help the Clippers end Golden State's three-game winning streak and deal the Warriors just their third defeat in 13 games this season. Ivica Zubac contributed 17 rebounds for Los Angeles.

Stephen Curry finished with 26 points for Golden State and Andrew Wiggins had 22, and the duo nearly led the Warriors back after Powell's 3-pointer with 2:30 left staked the Clippers to a 102-92 lead.

Wiggins answered with a three-pointer of his own with 1:44 to go, and Curry followed with a layup to cut the margin to five points entering the final minute. After Harden misfired on a 3-point try, Wiggins scored off a Draymond Green feed with 35 seconds remaining to pull the Warriors within 102-99.

Powell then was stripped of the ball on the following possession, but both Curry and Gary Payton II missed 3-point shots in the closing seconds as the Warriors' rally fell short.

Powell had 11 points and Harden scored 10 in the first half to lead the Clippers to a 56-45 advantage at half-time. Los Angeles was up 61-49 early in the third quarter before the Warriors reversed momentum, as they outscored the Clippers by a 23-11 count over the next eight minutes to tie the game at 72-72 late in the period.

NBA superstar Luka Doncic has backed Kylian Mbappe to "figure it out" after his underwhelming start to life at Real Madrid.

Mbappe has scored eight goals in 16 games for Madrid in all competitions since joining as a free agent following the expiration of his Paris Saint-Germain contract.

He has gone four matches without a goal – a run that includes losses to Barcelona and Milan – and has been left out of France's latest squad.

However, Dallas Mavericks guard Doncic – a Real Madrid supporter due to his previous ties with the sports club – can see Mbappe turning things around.

"Obviously [their season] could be better," Doncic told Managing Madrid after the Mavericks' win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. 

"But when you get a guy like Mbappe, it takes some time to get used to it. We'll figure it out."

Mbappe has scored six goals in 11 LaLiga appearances for Madrid but has underperformed his season's expected goals (xG) total by 2.04.

The forward is averaging a goal every 166 minutes in all competitions this term, compared to one every 88 minutes for PSG in his last of seven seasons in Paris.

Madrid thrashed Osasuna 4-0 last time out in the league to return to winning ways but still trail leaders Barcelona by six points.

Asked about his connections with Madrid, former Los Blancos basketball player Doncic said: "I follow Real Madrid every time.

"I grew up there. They taught me everything, so it's a part of my life. You can call it a secondary home. 

"I learned a lot of stuff there and, especially, they gave me a way to be here right now [in Dallas]. I always appreciate that 100%."

Madrid return to action after the international break with a trip to Leganes on Sunday.

James Harden may consider himself one of the most confident players in the NBA, but he does not expect to overhaul Stephen Curry's all-time 3-pointer record after going second in the charts.

Curry made a pair of 3-pointers as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Utah Jazz 116-105 on Sunday, finishing with 20 points, 11 assists and six rebounds.

His first 3-pointer of the evening, made with around six minutes to go in the first quarter, was the 2,794th of his NBA career, the second-most in league history.

Having surpassed Ray Allen's total of 2,973, Harden only trails Curry – who has hit 3,782 3-pointers ahead of his Golden State Warriors facing the Clippers on Monday.

Asked about his feat after Sunday's game, Harden said: "Unbelievable accomplishment. It's just a testament to the amount of work that I've been putting in. 

"As I get older and just chip away at an unbelievable career, I start to accomplish things like that. So I don't ever want to take it for granted.

"I just want to give motivation to the youth and every other person that's chasing a dream to play professional basketball or whatever it is, so it's an honour."

But when asked if Curry's mark was now within his sights, Harden – who is just a year younger than the all-time record holder – said nobody will ever take that honour, adding: "I'm one of the most confident guys that we have in this league, but no, I probably won't catch Steph.

"I don't think anybody will honestly. He can shoot the s*** out of the ball. Granted a lot of these guys are on that list for being catch-and-shoot players, so they came off pindowns, they were spot shots or whatnot. 

"Now, where the game has evolved, guys like Steph are coming off pindowns, he's creating off isos, he's coming off pick-and-rolls. 

"There's so many different variables to be able to shoot the 3, make shots and do it at an efficient high level.

"Somebody has to have an unbelievable career, shoot the ball well and make a lot of 3s. If it happens, it's going to be when we're not here anymore. So that'll be in there for a minute."

The Cleveland Cavaliers are relishing the chance to test themselves against the Boston Celtics.

Cleveland extended their perfect record as they became just the fourth team in NBA history to go 15-0 to start a season by beating the Charlotte Hornets 128-114 on Sunday.

The Cavs are tied for the second-best start to a season, trailing only the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who went 24-0.

Cleveland, inspired by LeBron James, beat the Warriors in the NBA Finals that year. All three of the previous teams to go 15-0 to start a season have reached a championship series (2015-16 Warriors, 1993-94 Houston Rockets and 1948-49 Washington Capitols).

Next up for the Cavs are the reigning NBA champions, and first-year coach Kenny Atkinson, who rested talisman Donovan Mitchell against the Hornets, cannot wait for the task of facing the Celtics, who beat Cleveland in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season.

"Boston Garden," Atkinson said after becoming the first coach to win his first 15 games in charge of a team. "What's better than that?

"It's great for the NBA, right? Everybody is going to be watching, and I know our guys are anxious. I know they remember last year. We're going well. They're going well. It's great for the league. Great for our franchise. We're excited.

"It's going to be a great test for us. They obviously play a different style, five-out with five shooters, so it's going to be a really good test for us.

"We're at that point right now, 15-0. Let's test ourselves against the best and see where we stand and see where we're going to make adjustments or not make adjustments.

"It actually comes at the perfect time."

Jarrett Allen had 21 points and 15 rebounds against Charlotte, and was one of four Cleveland players to finish with over 20 points, along with Darius Garland (25), Ty Jerome (24) and Evan Mobley (23).

"It's a rematch," said Allen of facing the Celtics, though he missed last season's playoff series due to a rib injury.

"I know they didn't have some players. And we didn't have me, so I want to try and beat them and test where we are with them.

"Everyone is showing tons of energy, all over the city. It's incredible how Cleveland has adopted us. They come to every game, yelling for everything. The city of Cleveland has our backs."

The Celtics, who will visit the White House later this week to celebrate last season's success, have gone 11-3 to start the campaign and are second in the Eastern Conference behind the Cavs.

Darius Garland amassed 25 points and a season-high 12 assists, while three other Cleveland players had at least 21 points as the Cavaliers extended their perfect start to the season with Sunday's 128-114 win over the Charlotte Hornets.

Cleveland became the fourth team in NBA history to win its first 15 games in a season despite holding out leading scorer Donovan Mitchell. Ty Jerome started in the five-time All-Star's place and tied a career high with 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting while adding eight assists.

The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who opened with 24 consecutive wins, are the only team to start a season 16-0. The Cavaliers will try to become the second when they visit Boston on Tuesday night for a showdown with the defending NBA champion Celtics, a game in which Mitchell is expected to play.

Cleveland also received 23 points and 11 rebounds from Evan Mobley and 21 points and 15 boards from Jarrett Allen while leading the Hornets from nearly start to finish.

LaMelo Bell led Charlotte with 31 points and 12 assists hours after being handed a $100,000 fine from the NBA for using an anti-gay slur during a post-game interview following the team's win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.

Mobley had 10 points and both Garland and Jerome dished out five assists as the Cavs built a 38-28 lead after one quarter. Cleveland went into half-time owning a 72-59 advantage, though the Hornets put up 40 points in the third quarter to close within 102-99 entering the fourth.

Garland helped Cleveland pull away in the final period, however, by scoring nine points for the quarter and sparking an 8-0 run that gave the Cavs a 124-109 lead with 1:41 left.

Mavericks overcome Doncic's absence to hold off Thunder

P.J. Washington posted 27 points and a career-high 17 rebounds as the Dallas Mavericks withstood the absence of Luka Dončić and held on for a 121-119 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Despite Doncic missing his first game of the season with a bruised right knee, Dallas handed the Thunder just their third loss in 14 contests behind Washington's big night and a 23-point effort from Kyrie Irving.

The Mavericks also had to overcome a 36-point, eight-assist performance from Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as well as Jalen Williams' 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting.

Reserves Jaden Hardy and Naji Marshall went a combined 10 of 15 from the field while contributing 13 points each to the Mavericks' second straight win following a four-game losing streak.

Behind Washington's 17 points and nine rebounds, Dallas emerged with a 66-58 lead at half-time and later stretched the margin to 14 points when Irving's 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter put the Mavericks up 112-98.

The Mavericks were held without a field goal over the final two minutes, however, as Oklahoma City closed on a 10-2 spurt to nearly prevail.

Gilgeous-Alexander's 3-pointer with 25.2 seconds left closed the gap to 121-118, and he made it a two-point game by hitting a free throw after being fouled with 4.3 seconds remaining. He then deliberately missed the second attempt, which the Thunder rebounded for a chance at the winning shot.

Luguentz Dort's 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark, however, as Oklahoma City's three-game winning streak came to an end. 

Randle's 35 points, winning shot lift Timberwolves over Thunder

Julius Randle finished a season-high 35-point effort by hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer that gave the Minnesota Timberwolves a dramatic 120-117 win over the now-slumping Phoenix Suns.

After getting the ball back on a shot-clock violation with 2.7 seconds left, the Timberwolves got the ball to Randle out of a timeout and the veteran forward knocked down a 25-foot shot that lifted Minnesota to a second straight victory following a three-game losing streak.

Phoenix, meanwhile, has lost three in a row and fell to 1-4 since losing former league MVP Kevin Durant to a calf injury. The Suns went 8-1 with Durant available for the season's first nine games.

Playing without sharpshooter Bradley Beal as well, Phoenix had its skid extended despite Devin Booker pouring in a season-high 44 points to go along with seven assists.

Grayson Allen added 18 points off the bench for the Suns and gave Phoenix a 117-115 lead by draining a 3-pointer with 56 seconds remaining.

Minnesota pulled right back even, however, as Anthony Edwards was fouled on the following possession and made both free throws. The Suns then missed three shots in the waning seconds before turning the ball over to set up Randle's winning basket.

Edwards finished with 24 points and six assists while going 9 of 15 from the field.

Phoenix started the game hot, opening up a 29-14 lead over the first 10-plus minutes largely behind Booker's 17 first-quarter points. The Suns held a 13-point advantage deep into the second quarter before Randle's 3-pointer at the buzzer brought Minnesota within 64-54 at the half.

The Timberwolves continued to close the gap in the third, outscoring Phoenix 32-26 for the period and getting 13 points from Edwards to trim the Suns' lead to 90-86 entering the fourth. 

Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown says De'Aaron Fox "did his job" as he led them to a 121-117 win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday.

Fox had scored 60 points in an overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, but he once again dug deep and spurred his team on with 49 points at the Golden 1 Center.

He now has the most points over a two-game span in franchise history, surpassing DeMarcus Cousins' 104 from 2016.

Meanwhile, Fox is now just the third player ever in the NBA to score at least 109 points over two days, joining Kobe Bryant (2007) and Wilt Chamberlain (17 different times).

The Kings were missing DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk, and Brown is proud of how Fox has stepped up in their absence.

"The back-to-back, the overtime game, him playing 75 minutes [on Friday] ... for him to come with us missing three of our top six guys, that's what says OK, he's De'Aaron Fox, and he did his job," Brown said.

"Nobody can stop him from getting to his spots when he wants to. He's feeling that. Not only is he feeling that, but he's showing that.

"When you have guys of his calibre - and I've been around the Stephs [Curry] and the KDs [Kevin Durant] and the Kobes and the LeBrons [James] and the Tim Duncans ... they get to their spots when they want to.

"The biggest difference between those guys and the other pretty good players is that they do it consistently. So no, I didn't have to say anything to Fox. He knew ... he had to carry us."

Fox went 16-of-30 from the field and made 14-of-19 from the free-throw line, while also adding nine assists and two steals.

The night prior, he went 22-of-35 from the field, making six 3-pointers and 10 free throws.

"I was a little tired coming in [on Saturday], but I feel like when the game started, I was fine," Fox said.

"I'm not going to say I'm not tired ... but I can't say this back-to-back has made me more tired than any other back-to-back."

The Kings extended their record to 8-6 as they bounced back from that defeat, while Utah are bottom of the Western Conference having suffered a ninth loss of the season. 

After scoring 60 points in a losing effort the night before, De'Aaron Fox scored 49 points to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 121-117 win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.

Fox went 16 of 30 from the field and made 14 of 19 from the free-throw line, and he also added nine assists and two steals. Fox now has the most points over a two-game span in franchise history, surpassing DeMarcus Cousins.

Kevin Huerter had 18 points, and Trey Lyles added 17 points for the Kings.

Lauri Markkanen had 25 points, Collin Sexton added 18 and Keyonte George scored 19 points for the Jazz.

DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk and Domantas Sabonis were sidelined for Sacramento, and Taylor Hendricks and Walker Kessler did not play for the Jazz.

The Kings led 62-50 late in the second quarter and held on for a 64-63 margin at the half.

The Jazz opened the third quarter with a 10-3 run. They bumped their margin up to 89-78 on a layup by Isaiah Collier before ending the frame with a 94-90 lead.

Sacramento came back in the fourth to take a 118-116 lead on a Jordan McLaughlin 3 with a minute left to play. After Fox made one free and missed the next two with 13 seconds left to play, Clarkson made one free throw before the Jazz were called for a lane violation. Fox made the last two free throws to seal the victory.

Tatum plays hero in Celtics’ win

Jayson Tatum hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime and the Boston Celtics rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors 126-123.

Tatum finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds, Jaylen Brown added 27 points and Al Horford and Derrick White scored 18 points apiece.

Toronto has lost seven straight and failed to register its first road win of the season despite getting a career-high 35 points from Jakob Poeltl, who finished 16 of 19 from the field with 12 rebounds. RJ Barrett added 25 points and 10 rebounds.

With the game tied at 112 in regulation, Barrett connected on a runner in the lane and was fouled by Brown with 59 seconds remaining. But Barrett missed his ensuing free throw.

Boston’s Neemias Queta, who started in place of Jrue Holiday (left knee tendinopathy), scored a driving layup on Boston’s next possession.

With the game tied at 123, Toronto won a coach’s challenge on an out of bounds call that originally was awarded to Boston. But Barrett had his driving layup attempt blocked by Queta, giving the ball back to the Celtics with 20.2 seconds remaining.

Davis powers streaking Lakers

Anthony Davis had 31 points and 14 rebounds and the Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to five games with a 104-99 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

LeBron James highlighted a 21-point performance with a pair of pivotal 3-pointers in the final minutes, but his career-long four-game triple-double streak came to an end.

Rookie Dalton Knecht hit five 3s to finish with a career-high 27 points in a spot start for the Lakers.

One night after posting 40 points and 12 rebounds in a victory at San Antonio, Davis reached the 30-point plateau for the eighth time in 12 games played this season.

Brandon Ingram scored 32 points, and reserve Jaylen Nowell scored 16 points for the Pelicans, who lost for the 10th time in their last 12 games.

Right after a clutch 3 by Ingram gave the Pelicans a late two-point lead, James responded with consecutive 3s to put the Lakers up 101-97 with 37 seconds left.

The Cleveland Cavaliers celebrated the longest winning streak in franchise history with their new frog mascot on Friday, leaving the defeated Chicago Bulls hopping mad.

Donovan Mitchell scored 18 of his season-high 37 points in the fourth quarter as the Cavs pulled away for a 144-126 victory at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, their 14th in as many games this season.

That result ensured they went one better than the previous team record of 13 successive wins, which they managed on three occasions during the LeBron James era.

They are just the sixth team in NBA history to go 14-0 from the start of a season and the first since 2015-16, when the Golden State Warriors did so en route to the Western Conference title.

After the victory, Mitchell – as well as team-mates Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen – celebrated by dancing with a man in a frog costume, which had gone viral as an impromptu mascot during the team's historic start to the campaign. 

"That was fun," Mitchell said. "It shocked the hell out of me when I saw the frog. It was pretty dope. It was like just a vibe."

"It's Cleveland," Allen said when asked about the frog's arrival. "It's just a vibe in the city, and I hope it doesn't change.

"I've been wanting to dance with that frog since I first saw him!"

After scoring 49 first-quarter points in a blistering start, the Cavs found themselves just five points up at half-time, prompting coach Kenny Atkinson to angrily throw a sandal in the locker room.

"That's what we want," Mitchell said when asked about the incident after the game. "We all prefer that. We hear how good we are. 

"For us, that's how we get better. We haven't lost, but how do you continue to find ways to build habits? It's continuing to coach hard and not let any lapses. That's what you want in a coach."

Cleveland have some way to go to record the best start to a campaign in NBA history, with the Warriors going 24-0 to begin the 2015-16 season.

However, a victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday would make their start the joint-second best in league history, along with the 1948-49 Washington Capitols and the 1993-94 Houston Rockets.