The San Antonio Spurs announced on Wednesday that Gregg Popovich has been away from the team due to a mild stroke the Hall of Fame head coach suffered earlier this month.

The 75-year-old Popovich suffered the stroke on November 2 at San Antonio’s arena before the Spurs faced the Minnesota Timberwolves.

San Antonio initially said Popovich would not coach that night because of an undisclosed illness.

Popovich has started a rehabilitation program and is expected to make a full recovery, the Spurs said Wednesday.

“During this time, the organisation is grateful to the extended community for providing privacy and space to the Popovich family,” the team said in a release.

Mike Johnson has taken over as head coach and led San Antonio to a 3-3 record after the Spurs opened 2-3 under Popovich.

Popovich is the NBA's all-time leader with 1,393 victories and has won five NBA titles while coaching San Antonio since the 1996-97 season.

The San Antonio Spurs announced on Wednesday that Gregg Popovich has been away from the team due to a mild stroke the Hall of Fame head coach suffered earlier this month.

The 75-year-old Popovich suffered the stroke on November 2 at San Antonio’s arena before the Spurs faced the Minnesota Timberwolves.

San Antonio initially said Popovich would not coach that night because of an undisclosed illness.

Popovich has started a rehabilitation program and is expected to make a full recovery, the Spurs said Wednesday.

“During this time, the organisation is grateful to the extended community for providing privacy and space to the Popovich family,” the team said in a release.

Mike Johnson has taken over as head coach and led San Antonio to a 3-3 record after the Spurs opened 2-3 under Popovich.

Popovich is the NBA's all-time leader with 1,393 victories and has won five NBA titles while coaching San Antonio since the 1996-97 season.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr expressed deep emotions regarding Klay Thompson's return to the Bay Area, this time as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.

Thompson finished with 22 points in an emotional return to Chase Center for the first time since he departed, though former team-mate Steph Curry stole the show. 

Curry scored 37 points, including Golden State's final 12, to rally the Warriors past the Mavericks 120-117 in the NBA Cup on Tuesday.

Thompson spent 13 successful years with Kerr in San Francisco, winning four NBA Championships. 

After the game, Kerr revealed the surreal moment between himself and Curry before he went out to meet with his former “Splash Brother” Thompson. 

"We went over our pre-game scout and the matchups,” Kerr said. “It was almost surreal saying, ‘Steph, you got Klay.’ Steph smiled.”

In Thompson’s time in California, he was part of the core alongside Curry and Draymond Green, who also helped to bring so much success to the team.

However, Thompson missed more than two years after suffering back-to-back injuries.

First, an ACL tear and then a torn right Achilles tendon – before making a return in January 2022, with Kerr lauding his resilience to come back to the sport. 

“I think what he overcame is almost unprecedented,” Kerr told reporters.

“The last couple of years after he came back, he struggled reconciling all of that, losing those prime seasons. We all saw that, saw him struggle with it emotionally.

"We saw him fight to get his game back. He helped us win a championship, led the league in threes two years ago, he did a lot of amazing things.

“We wished that this had gone forever, that Klay would have finished his career with us, but circumstances always dictate these things.

"In the end, I think he made the right choice. He was not happy and that was hard to see, because he deserves to be happy. At his core, he’s a very happy person.”

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr expressed deep emotions regarding Klay Thompson's return to the Bay Area, this time as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.

Thompson finished with 22 points in an emotional return to Chase Center for the first time since he departed, though former team-mate Steph Curry stole the show. 

Curry scored 37 points, including Golden State's final 12, to rally the Warriors past the Mavericks 120-117 in the NBA Cup on Tuesday.

Thompson spent 13 successful years with Kerr in San Francisco, winning four NBA Championships. 

After the game, Kerr revealed the surreal moment between himself and Curry before he went out to meet with his former “Splash Brother” Thompson. 

"We went over our pre-game scout and the matchups,” Kerr said. “It was almost surreal saying, ‘Steph, you got Klay.’ Steph smiled.”

In Thompson’s time in California, he was part of the core alongside Curry and Draymond Green, who also helped to bring so much success to the team.

However, Thompson missed more than two years after suffering back-to-back injuries.

First, an ACL tear and then a torn right Achilles tendon – before making a return in January 2022, with Kerr lauding his resilience to come back to the sport. 

“I think what he overcame is almost unprecedented,” Kerr told reporters.

“The last couple of years after he came back, he struggled reconciling all of that, losing those prime seasons. We all saw that, saw him struggle with it emotionally.

"We saw him fight to get his game back. He helped us win a championship, led the league in threes two years ago, he did a lot of amazing things.

“We wished that this had gone forever, that Klay would have finished his career with us, but circumstances always dictate these things.

"In the end, I think he made the right choice. He was not happy and that was hard to see, because he deserves to be happy. At his core, he’s a very happy person.”

Joel Embiid said the first five minutes of his NBA return were "tough", but knows he will become more comfortable as he eases back in with the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Embiid made his first appearance in nine games on Tuesday due to the management of a left knee ailment stemming from the previous season and a three-match suspension. 

However, he was unable to stop the 76ers' rough start to the season, going down 111-99 in the NBA Cup to the New York Knicks to move to 2-8 for the season. 

Embiid looked understandably rusty in his 26-minute cameo, registering 13 points on 2-for-11 shooting from the field (but 8-for-8 from the free throw line), plus three rebounds, five assists and one block. 

"I felt OK," Embiid said afterward. "The first five minutes were rough, but I guess that’s what happens when you haven’t played in a while. I felt after that, I still should be rusty.

"That’s expected, but I thought overall, I felt pretty good health-wise. I think it’s just my trust in myself.

"I thought I was a little timid, so I stuck with a lot of jumpers just to get myself a little comfortable, but as the games go, and I’ll get back to myself, it’s going to be easier."

The first play of the game included Embiid throwing a perfect pass to Paul George for a layup, who cut baseline to get an easy look at the basket.

George had his best game as a Sixer, scoring 29 points on 10-for-19 shooting and 7-for-11 from deep with 10 rebounds as he and Embiid finally got on the floor together for the first time.

"It felt good," Embiid said of the pairing with George. "I thought tonight, he had a nice rhythm which we’re going to need him to keep doing.

"Like I said, my job is to try and make the game easy for all those guys.

"Setting screens and getting them open. Just try to make the game simple. Especially as I’m getting back and trying to feel more confident."

But up next for the 76ers, who find themselves 14th in the Eastern Conference, are the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers, who beat the Chicago Bulls 119-113 on Tuesday. 

Embiid has been on record saying he won't play in back-to-backs ever again in his career, but he stated that he will try to give it a go against the Cavs.

"I mean, I want to," Embiid said. "That’s up to those guys. I know I said I’ll never play back-to-backs, but I’m a troll so I’m sure at some point, I’ll play, but if I feel good.

"I feel good right now. We’re gonna see, but it’s up to them."

Stephen Curry scored 37 points, including Golden State's final 12, to rally the Warriors past Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks 120-117 on Tuesday night in an NBA Cup game.

Thompson finished with 22 points in an emotional return to Chase Center for the first time since he departed to join Dallas in July.

Luka Dončić started and had 31 points, eight rebounds and six assists after the team decided his left groin strain was healthy to play once he went through his warmup routine.

The Warriors gifted captain hats to fans in a tribute to Thompson's tradition of taking his boat across the bay to games. Thompson embraced Curry shortly before tipoff and his 3-pointer gave Dallas a 110-105 lead before his old Splash Brother took over.

Curry shot 14 for 27 with five 3s and added nine assists and six rebounds, also sparking a 20-3 burst to begin the third quarter.

Dereck Lively II, questionable to play because of a sprained right shoulder, contributed 12 points and eight rebounds for Dallas, which committed 18 turnovers, leading to 21 Warriors points.

Golden State got 16 points from Jonathan Kuminga and 14 from Buddy Hield.

Curry fouled Thompson 15 seconds into the game and Thompson scored the initial two points of the contest at the free-throw line. But Thompson missed his initial two field-goal attempts before knocking down a 3-pointer with 1:26 remaining in the opening quarter.

Knicks handle Embiid, struggling 76ers

OG Anunoby scored 24 points and the New York Knicks spoiled 76ers star Joel Embiid's season debut, beating Philadelphia 111-99 in the opener of NBA Cup group play for both teams.

Embiid was rusty in his first action since winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 10. He finished with 13 points on 2 of 11 from the field with three rebounds in 26 minutes and was unable to lift the struggling Sixers, who fell to 2-8. Paul George led Philadelphia with 29 points and 10 rebounds.

Josh Hart added 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for the Knicks. Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 13 boards, while Jalen Brunson scored 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting.

New York started the fourth quarter on a 13-2 run that broke open a three-point game. Anunoby had three dunks during the run, often taking dead aim at a vacancy caused by Embiid, who was slow to defend the rim.

The Knicks recorded 31 assists on 44 field goals and shot 49% from the floor.

Hawks rally past Celtics

Onyeka Okongwu tipped in a missed shot with 6.1 seconds left, and Jaylen Brown missed a jumper at the buzzer as the Atlanta Hawks overcame a 15-point, second-half deficit to beat the Boston Celtics 117-116 in their NBA Cup opener.

Dyson Daniels scored a career-high 28 points, and Jalen Johnson had 18 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists as Atlanta snapped a two-game losing streak despite playing without star Trae Young.

Brown scored a season-high 37 points and Derrick White added 31 for Boston as it opened the in-season tournament on a green floor with a special parquet design. The defending NBA champions had a two-game winning streak snapped and lost for just the third time this season.

Jayson Tatum's 3-point attempt from the left corner with 24 seconds left and Boston leading 116-115 rimmed out. Daniels missed a floater, but Okongwu tipped it in to give the Hawks their first lead since the final seconds of the first quarter.

The teams traded turnovers on inbounds passes before White found Brown, who pulled up from 13 feet and shot off the rim.

Oklahoma City Thunder talisman Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shrugged off his career-high 45 points as he suggested the showing "didn't feel special".

Gilgeous-Alexander's 14th career 40-point game inspired the Thunder to a 134-126 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

Yet Gilgeous-Alexander did not want to play up the importance of his haul, as he instead focuses on pushing for a deeper postseason run this time around.

"It didn't feel special," Gilgeous-Alexander said. 

"It didn't feel like I did something I'd never done before. Just felt like another basketball game. I felt like I should have had more, missed some easy shots, but [that's] the game.

"I don't say this to slight my teammates, but I feel like the end of our season last year in the playoffs, obviously for a lot of them, it was the first time in the playoffs and playing games that meaningful.

"I don't want to say they weren't ready, but I feel like I could have equipped them better throughout the year in taking [certain] shots, getting to spots and being more comfortable in certain positions on the court, especially offensively.

"I feel like in the playoffs we were good defensively and offensively is why we lost. And part of my job is to make sure that my teammates are confident and are ready for big moments."

Gilgeous-Alexander had to step up against the Clippers, given his star teammate Chet Holmgren faces up to two months out due to a hip injury.

He is the first player in the Thunder's franchise history to record at least 45 points and five steals in a single game, and he explained how he was set on getting Oklahoma City back on track after their defeat to the Dallas Mavericks in last season's playoffs.

"When we lost, I thought about why we lost and obviously there's so many things to nitpick," Gilgeous-Alexander said, with the Thunder having gone 9-2 to start the season.

"But I can only control what I can control, and I try to look at it from through that lens.

"A lot of people don't recognize it until it's too late. And I don't want it to be too late, so I tried to hit it on the head early."

Donovan Mitchell said "it's great to be part of history" after he propelled the Cleveland Cavaliers to their 12th straight win to start the season.

Cleveland are just the eighth team in NBA history to reel off a 12-0 record from the start of a campaign.

The last team to do so was the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who set the NBA record at 24-0.

Mitchell plundered a season-high 36 points in Monday's 119-113 win over the Chicago Bulls, and the omens are good for the Cavs, given five of the previous seven teams to start the season with a 12-0 record went on to reach the NBA Finals.

"It's great to be part of history," said Mitchell.

"I never want to take those things for granted along the road when we're doing it in various ways.

"We're doing it in ways where we are blowing out teams. We're winning from behind. We're winning close games.

"And it's somebody different every night leading the charge. It's always a group effort."

For first-year coach Kenny Atkinson, the level of focus displayed by his team is the most pleasing aspect of their excellent start.

"This group is locked in," he said.

"I do think there's [been] questions about this group, whether they can get to the next level, can they make the next step?

"So, I think when you have that, you have that chip [on your shoulder], you focus even more.

"There's another level of concentration, another level of focus, another level of detail that these guys use to carry us to 12-0 so far."

And Mitchell, who is averaging 22.5 points per game this season, knows the Cavs cannot step off the gas.

"It's great. We're playing well, vibes are good, but we have to continue to be this team," Mitchell added.

"That's been my message to the guys in the locker room.

"We're going to get teams' best shots. We're going to get tested early, but are we going to continue? No doubt we will, [but] are we going to continue to be this team January, February, March, April?

"I think the guys all feel it, but it's great to enjoy these moments too while you're still having a humble approach to it."

Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 36 points and sparked a second-half rally that lifted the still-unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-113 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

Cleveland fought back from a nine-point deficit late in the third quarter to become only the eighth team in NBA history to begin a season 12-0. The Cavaliers are the only team to win each of its first 12 games while scoring at least 110 points in all of those contests.

Darius Garland added 17 points and Evan Mobley had 15 with 11 rebounds for Cleveland, which once again received a big contribution from its second unit. Reserves Caris LeVert, Georges Niang and Ty Jerome each recorded 12 points, with Jerome dishing out six assists as well.

Zach LaVine had 26 points on 12-of-20 shooting in his second outing back from a three-game absence, but Chicago was hurt by 20 turnovers and lost for the fifth time in six games.

Nikola Vucevic and Coby White each finished with 20 points for the Bulls, while Josh Giddey scored 18 to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists.

Cleveland trailed 85-76 with four minutes left in the third quarter before getting back into it with a 9-0 run led by its bench. LeVert and Dean Wade started the flurry with back-to-back 3-pointers before Niang converted a three-point play to tie the game with 2:53 left in the period.

The teams were again tied at 106-106 with five minutes to go, but the Cavs put together a 9-2 spurt capped by LeVert's 3-pointer with 3:23 remaining to go ahead for good.

Cleveland owned a 52-42 lead midway through the second quarter before the Bulls answered with a 14-2 run to take a 56-54 edge with four minutes to play before half-time.

Gilgeous-Alexander scores career-high 45 as Thunder bounce back

One night after losing one of their star players for an extended period, the Oklahoma City Thunder returned to their winning ways behind a huge performance from another.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander racked up a career-high 45 points as Oklahoma City got back in the win column with a 134-128 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Thunder were coming off Sunday's 127-116 home defeat to the Golden State Warriors in which starting center Chet Holmgren suffered a pelvic fracture that will sideline him at least eight weeks. With the 7-footer unavailable, the Clippers recorded a 47-29 rebounding advantage while also going 20 of 37 (54.1 per cent) from 3-point range.

Oklahoma City still prevailed in large part due to Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished 13 of 21 from the field and 15 of 16 from the foul line while adding nine assists.

The Thunder also received a big 28-point, eight-rebound, six-assist effort from Jalen Williams and 19 points from Luguentz Dort to overcome a 31-point display from Los Angeles' Norman Powell, who went 5 of 8 from beyond the arc.

Los Angeles had its four-game winning streak snapped despite Ivica Zubac's 22 points and 14 rebounds and a near triple-double from James Harden, who tallied 17 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

The Clippers couldn't stop Gilgeous-Alexander, though, as the two-time All-Star put up 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting in the first half to propel the Thunder to a 66-53 lead at intermission.

Oklahoma City's margin swelled to 20 points in the third quarter, though Los Angeles closed out the period with an 11-2 run to pull within 99-94 on Powell's 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

The Clippers cut the lead to two late when Zubac converted a three-point play to make the score 130-128 with 42.3 seconds left. Gilgeous-Alexander made two free throws on the other end, however, before Willams sealed the outcome with a dunk off a Harden turnover.

Wembanyama dominates as Spurs cruise past Kings

Victor Wembanyama joined an elite group of NBA players with a 34-point, 14-rebound effort that carried the San Antonio Spurs to a 116-96 win over the Sacramento Kings.

The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year added six assists in his 82nd career game and became only the sixth player in league history to record 1,700 points, 800 rebounds and 300 assists over a first full season. That list includes such legends as Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Larry Bird.

Chris Paul contributed 12 points and 11 assists for San Antonio, which had lost three of its previous four games but got back on track by making a season-high 22 shots from 3-point range. Wembanyama led the way in that category as well by going 6 of 12 from beyond the arc.

The Kings, coming off an overtime win at Phoenix on Sunday, built a 31-22 lead early in the second quarter but relinquished it before the end of the first half. 

San Antonio answered with a 10-2 run to cut its deficit to one, then closed out the half with seven straight points to own a 60-55 edge on Paul's 3-pointer at the buzzer.

The Kings then shot just 25 per cent in the third quarter while being outscored by a 24-16 margin for the period as the Spurs took an 84-71 lead into the fourth. Their margin never dipped below double-digits over the final 12 minutes.

De'Aaron Fox paced Sacramento with 24 points, while Domantas Sabonis had 23 points and 12 rebounds and DeMar DeRozan finished with 21 points in the loss.

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown was disappointed with Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo after he offered him a fake handshake during their 113-107 win on Sunday.

The incident happened in the second quarter of Boston's victory when Antetokounmpo offered his hand to Brown after giving away an offensive foul.

But before Brown could accept it, the former MVP pulled his hand back and ran it through his hair. After laughing about it, he then reached out to offer Brown his hand again, although the gesture was not accepted and Brown shook his head.

"Giannis is a child," Brown said after the game. "I'm just focused on helping my team get a win. And that's what we did tonight."

Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, was surprised to hear that Brown had reacted so badly after the game after having previously joked with Brown on the court.

"We always joke around with the flow of the game," Antetokounmpo said. "It's something that I do to my kids, I play around.

"This is who I am. I play the game with fun, joy."

The Bucks held the lead at half-time, with Antetokounmpo scoring 19 points in the first quarter, his highest-scoring quarter this season. However, they could not hold out for the win as they fell to 2-8.

After the game, Antetokounmpo – who eventually finished with 42 points and 13 rebounds – was complimentary about Brown in an attempt to seemingly smooth things over.

"I think he's an incredible player," he said. "I'm just going to continue to be me. And at the end of the day, if I'm called a child, so be it.

"I just try to go out there and have fun. But again, [he is a] great player, great competitor. If I have another opportunity, I'll do it again."

Brown was called for a flagrant foul against Antetokounmpo in the fourth quarter after challenging him in the air, with the official saying it was excessive and unnecessary contact.

The foul was, according to Brown, not intentional or in response to the earlier handshake gesture.

Michael Malone is running out of superlatives for Nikola Jokic, who the Denver Nuggets coach labelled "the best player in the world".

Jokic posted a triple-double of 37 points, 15 assists and 18 rebounds as the Nuggets claimed a 122-120 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. He is the first player in NBA history to finish with that stat line.

The Nuggets needed a last-gasp mid-range jumper from Michael Porter Jr. to clinch their fifth straight win, though Jokic's performance rightly stole the show.

It was Jokic's fourth straight triple-double. The Serbian is averaging 29.7 points per game this season, the fourth-highest PPG average in the NBA, while his 13.7 rebounds and 11.7 assists per game are league-highs.

Speaking to the press after the game, Malone quipped: I would assume that after tonight's performance, he'll only be fifth in the MVP voting.

"He just needs to do more for us, because clearly what he’s been doing hasn't been noticed by anyone on the outside of this Rocky Mountain empire.

"But, 37-15-18, three steels, the minutes that he played – 38 is a good number, I'm happy about that, we kept him under 40.

"On a serious note, just incredible. We're all running out of words, adjectives and ways to describe his greatness and his impact.

"The simple way to say it is he’s the best player in the world. That's the best way to say it, in my opinion."

Jokic has won the NBA's MVP award in three of the past four seasons.

The Mavericks, meanwhile, have now lost four of their last six games.

Kyrie Irving top-scored with 43 points, while Luka Doncic added 24, but it was not enough for Dallas to get back on track following a defeat to the Phoenix Suns.

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced that starting center Chet Holmgren will be sidelined from eight-to-10 weeks with a pelvic fracture he sustained in Sunday's game against the Golden State Warriors.

Holmgren has been diagnosed with a right iliac wing fracture as the result of a hard fall the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year runner-up took while contesting a shot during the first quarter of the Thunder's 127-116 loss to Golden State.

The 2022 No. 2 overall pick played a big role in the 8-1 start Oklahoma City took into Sunday's contest. Holmgren entered the game averaging 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds while shooting 40 per cent from 3-point range, and his 2.6 blocks per game currently ranks third in the NBA.

Oklahoma City was already without another of its top big men for the foreseeable future, as center Isaiah Hartenstein is expected to be sidelined into December after fracturing his left hand during the pre-season.

Hartenstein signed a three-year, $87 million contract with the Thunder during the offseason, the largest deal in franchise history, after averaging 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game for the Knicks in 2023-24 and helping New York win 50 games while reaching the Eastern Conference semi-finals.

Holmgren missed the entire 2022-23 season due to a Lisfranc fracture in his foot, but came back to put together a strong debut campaign for a Thunder team that went 57-25 and earned the Western Conference's No. 1 seed in 2023-24.

The 7-footer averaged 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while playing in all 82 games to finish second behind San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama in NBA Rookie of the Year voting. 

Stephen Curry scored a season-high 36 points and the Golden State Warriors held off a late comeback attempt from the Oklahoma City Thunder to come away with a 127-116 win in Sunday's clash between two of the Western Conference's top teams so far this season.

Curry had seven of the Warriors' 21 makes from 3-point range to help Golden State improve to 8-2, tied with the Thunder and Phoenix Suns for the West's best record. The Warriors also received 20 points off the bench from Jonathan Kuminga and 19 points and 10 rebounds from De'Anthony Melton.

Oklahoma City lost for the second time in three games following a 7-0 start after trailing by as many as 30 points in the third quarter and losing starting centre Chet Holmgren in the first. The 7-footer did not return after injuring his right hip following a hard fall just over five minutes into the contest.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paced the Thunder with 24 points but was held to 6-of-17 shooting. Jalen Williams went 9 of 15 from the field while recording 20 points.

The Warriors trailed 33-26 after one quarter but took control in the second, using a 10-2 run to open up a 58-49 lead with less than two minutes before half-time. Kuminga tallied 12 points in the second quarter as Golden State went into the break owning a 65-58 advantage.

Curry then took over in the third quarter, scoring 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Golden State outscored the Thunder by a 42-21 margin for the frame to take a commanding 107-79 lead into the fourth.

The Thunder made a late bid by putting together an 18-4 spurt that cut a 20-point deficit down to 114-108 with under five minutes to go. Kuminga answered with an alley-oop dunk on the next possession, however, before Curry's 3-pointer with 3:23 remaining helped put an end to the threat.

Kings halt Suns' seven-game win streak with overtime victory

DeMar DeRozan poured in a season-high 34 points, including eight in overtime, as the Sacramento Kings put an end to the ailing Phoenix Suns' seven-game winning streak by rallying for a 127-118 victory.

De'Aaron Fox also had eight of his 21 points in extra time to help Sacramento to its sixth win in eight games following an 0-2 start. Fox added 11 rebounds and eight assists, while Domantas Sabonis contributed 20 points and 12 rebounds and Keegan Murray compiled 14 points and 14 boards for the Kings.

In their first outing since Kevin Durant sustained a strained calf that's expected to sideline the perennial All-Star for around two weeks, the Suns played much of Sunday's game without another key starter after centre Jusuf Nurkic sat out the second half and overtime due to lingering soreness in his ankle. 

Tyus Jones did step up in Durant's absence by scoring 22 points to complement the Suns' two other superstars, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker. Beal finished with 28 points and eight rebounds and Booker recorded 23 points and 12 assists. Jones finished 6 of 10 from beyond the 3-point line.

Phoenix looked on the way to another win after taking a 92-81 lead on Booker's jumper with 8:58 left in regulation. The Suns held a seven-point advantage with four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but Murray's 3-pointer ignited a 7-1 Sacramento run that brought the Kings within 105-104 with two minutes to go.

Murray tipped in DeRozan's missed shot with four seconds left in regulation to give the Kings a 111-110 edge, but was called for a foul on the ensuing in-bounds play to allow Booker to make the tying free throw and force overtime.

DeRozan then took control during the extra period, scoring the first eight points of a 10-1 spurt early in OT as Sacramento opened up a 121-114 lead with 2 1/2 minutes to go.

The Kings were up by 11 points early in the third quarter before Phoenix put forth a 9-0 run to pull within 66-64 with 7:47 remaining in the period. 

Porter's late basket lifts streaking Nuggets over Mavericks

Michael Porter Jr. hit a tie-breaking jumper with 6.5 seconds remaining to give the Denver Nuggets a fifth straight win with Sunday's 122-120 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

The Nuggets scored the game's final four points after Dallas' Kyrie Irving snapped a 118-118 deadlock by banking in a shot with 1:39 to go.

Nikola Jokić tipped in his own missed shot in the final minute, however, to pull Denver back even. After Irving misfired on a 3-point try on the other end, Porter drove the lane and got a 14-footer to fall before Irving again couldn't connect on a 3-point attempt just prior to the final buzzer.

Irving had made his first six shots from beyond the arc prior to those two late misses, part of a 43-point performance in which the eight-time All-Star went 17 of 22 from the field.

Denver countered with a dominant 37-point, 18-point, 15-rebound effort out of Jokic, the two-time NBA MVP's fourth consecutive triple-double. Porter finished with 17 points and seven rebounds and the Nuggets also received 18 points and six assists from Jamal Murray.

Dallas was dealt a second straight defeat despite Irving's huge night and the presence of Luka Dončić, who played through a groin strain that had him questionable coming into the contest and recorded 24 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in 41 minutes.

Victor Wembanyama made six three-pointers for the Utah Jazz, but could not drag the San Antonio Spurs over the line.

Wembanyama finished with a game-leading 24 points on Saturday, and marked the third NBA game of his career in which he has had at least five three-pointers and five blocks, which moved him level with Kristaps Porzingis for the second most in the competition's history, behind Raef LaFrentz (four).

Yet the Frenchman's career-best haul of threes could not help the Spurs avoid a 111-110 defeat.

It is now three defeats in the space of four games for San Antonio, and Wembanyama knows there is much more to come.

"My rhythm's there for sure," Wembanyama said.

"But there's so much more to be gained. It's just a matter of how well we can combine everything together. Once we combine it all, it's great.

"But it's about how often we can do it, and this is how we can keep piling up wins."

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland says their unbeaten start is not a "fluke", as they extended their record to 11-0 at the start of the NBA season.

It was the first time the Cavaliers had failed to score 110 points this season, but they rallied for a 105-100 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, becoming the 12th team in NBA history to start a season 11-0.

Garland scored eight of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, which Cleveland started by trailing, but they dug deep to ensure their perfect record stayed intact.

The Cavaliers are now just two victories away from matching the longest streak in franchise history, having won 13 in a row three times, most recently in 2017.

And Garland believes they have proven that they are among the contenders in the NBA this season.

"I don't think this is just any old fluke," he said after the game. "We played some really good teams out of these 11 games, and we had some great challenges.

"I think we have a really good chance at being one of those contenders for sure."

With the team trailing 82-68 late in the third quarter, coach Kenny Atkinson made the bold decision, choosing to bench Jarrett Allen for the final quarter and moving Evan Mobley to centre.

In the end, it worked. Mobley finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds, with Atkinson praising his performance.

"He [Mobley] was phenomenal," Atkinson said. "Those three or four stops we needed at the end of the game, he got caught on a switch and Cam [Thomas] tried to shoot it over him.

"He's just too long. He had the big block on the last play, and he rebounded the heck out of the ball."

The Golden State Warriors hold the league record for winning their first 24 games in 2015-16, and Atkinson admitted that the prospect of losing their winning streak did play on his mind.

"You're thinking about it," he added.

"Normally, this is 11 games in. You're not thinking about a streak, but then you're like, man, I don't want it to end this way.

"We're competing. We're trying to win every game, but it's kind of weirdly in the back of your mind when you're out there competing. Like man, we got to keep this thing going."

The Cavaliers face the Chicago Bulls in their next match on Monday.