The struggling Philadelphia 76ers will be without Tyrese Maxey for multiple weeks after the All-Star point guard sustained a right hamstring injury in Wednesday’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Maxey left prior to the fourth quarter Wednesday before Philadelphia fell to 1-6 on the season with a 110-98 loss in Los Angeles.

Maxey entered Wednesday with averages of 30.2 points and 4.3 assists in Philadelphia's first six games.

Selected 21st overall by the 76ers in the 2020 NBA Draft, Maxey was the 2023-24 NBA Most Improved Player and a first-time All-Star last season, when he averaged career highs of 25.9 points, 6.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 70 games.

Philadelphia is also without former NBA MVP Joel Embiid, who has yet to play this season due to left knee management and a three-game, league-imposed suspension for shoving a member of the media that will need to be served once healthy.

Paul George, though, did make his 76ers debut Monday after Philadelphia signed the nine-time All-Star in the offseason.

George sat out the team’s first five games after injuring his knee during the preseason.

Paul George was treated to a mixed reaction on his return to Los Angeles, receiving a video tribute before boos from the crowd as the Philadelphia 76ers lost.

The Los Angeles Clippers came out on top in a 110-98 victory on Wednesday to compound the Sixers' tough start to the NBA season.

Despite suffering defeat at the Inuit Dome, George impressed, scoring 18 points, making seven of nine shots, and also got seven rebounds and three steals.

George spent five years with the Clippers before signing for the Sixers as a free agent in the close season, signing a four-year $212million max contract, having previously stated he wanted to stay in LA, who declined the contract he wanted.

However, after he left for Philadelphia, he irked some of the Clippers' fans with comments made on his podcast where he described returning to his hometown of Los Angeles like being on the "B team" because rival Lakers fans suggested he should have signed for them instead.

While he appreciated the video tribute from the Clippers, he admitted to being surprised by the fans' reaction, especially after helping the franchise reach their only Western Conference finals in 2021.

"It is stupid," George said. "I mean, I was a free agent, you know what I mean? It wasn't something that I demanded a trade or went against the team here.

"I was a free agent. The team presented something that was team-friendly, and I did what was best for me in that situation.

"So, there were the cheers. I appreciate them. Those were the ones that I played hard for. The boos I didn't get it. I still don't get it when I go [back] to Indy, but it is what it is. It's sports. I look forward to next year being back here and more boos."

Despite improving to a 7-1 record by beating the Boston Celtics, Steph Curry insists the Golden State Warriors "haven't done anything yet".

Curry impressed in the Warriors' 118-112 victory over the reigning NBA champions, as he finished with 27 points, seven rebounds, nine assists and four steals.

He played 34 minutes after missing a week with a sprained ankle, and moved to 30th on the NBA's all-time scoring list, passing Charles Barkley when he scored the 23,747th point of his career in the third quarter.

The win moved the Warriors joint-top of the Western Conference, but despite what looks to be a statement win, Curry was not getting ahead of himself.

"We haven't done anything yet," Curry said.

"A good team, or a relevant team, wins the games they are supposed to win, you steal a couple on the road against good teams, you protect your home court. We've done those things so far, but we got two more games on this road trip, two tough tests.

"So, I like where we're at, obviously. But [there's a] long way to go.

"Until proven otherwise, that's how we have to play [splitting up the contributors]. And we've talked about it.

"Coach has talked about it until he's blue in the face already. Every practice, every film session, every pregame, it's the same message. So, it is who we are right now. It's who we have to be."

The Celtics had taken the lead in the first quarter after a strong start, but they struggled to cope as the Warriors' constant rotation among defenders wreaked havoc on the hosts' offense.

Boston committed 12 turnovers as they failed to find their rhythm for most of the game, though coach Joe Mazzulla was fairly pleased with how his team adapted.

"They're physical, so they force you to fight for your space," Mazzulla said. "They have active hands, so I think in the first half, they got a ton of deflections.

"They were able to get some stuff there, but I thought we did a better job of handling the physicality in the second half and just have to put - again, we talk physicality, it's just as much about defense as offense.

"So, it took us a little while to get adjusted to that. Once we did, we executed really well. And then it just came down to a couple possessions at the end."

The Celtics sit second in the Eastern Conference behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, who hold a perfect record so far.

Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said "you have to" enjoy the moment after they continued their perfect start to the NBA season.

The Cavs won 131-122 against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, opening their season 9-0 for the first time in the franchise's 55-year history.

Cleveland had previously recorded an 8-0 start in 1976-77, but they have surpassed that, with Atkinson becoming the first NBA coach to win his first nine games with a new team.

Cleveland got 50 points from reserves, led by Caris LeVert (16 points) and Ty Jerome (11).

"You have to [enjoy it]," said Atkinson. "This season's so long. It's so hard to win in this league. So, when you do have moments like this, you have to celebrate a little.

"Everyone contributes. It's what good teams do. We're in a good place physically. We're in a good place mentally.

"When you win nine in a row, it's not one or two guys; it's the whole roster."

The Cavs were led by Donovan Mitchell, who scored 29 points, while Jarrett Allen added 16 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to add to their winning record.

They had to rally back from an early 12-point deficit though, and did so in part by shooting 54.2% overall, including 48.6% from 3-point range.

"What I think about is this team and the camaraderie they have, and the chemistry we have going and how connected they are," Atkinson added.

"I've been fortunate to land with a really good group, a group that's been really successful in the past, and I'm happy for them -- and I think they're happy for me in the locker room.

"There's a bond between the head coach and a team. You've got to celebrate those moments, and it's pretty cool."

Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 131-122 on Wednesday night to open 9-0 for the first time in their 55-year NBA history.

Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen each added 16 points, and Allen grabbed 14 rebounds as the Cavaliers surpassed an 8-0 start by the 1976-77 squad that finished 43-39 under coach Bill Fitch.

Zion Williamson returned from a two-game absence and had 29 points for the Pelicans. He temporarily took himself out after playing 10 minutes but returned to start the second half and scored 23 after halftime.

Jose Alvarado hit all seven 3-pointers he took and finished with 27 points for New Orleans. Brandon Ingram added 20 points for the Pelicans, who have lost three straight and six of seven.

Cleveland had no trouble rallying back from an early 12-point deficit on the road and did so in part by shooting 54.2% overall, including 48.6% from 3-point range.

After Alvarado's back-to-back 3s made it 112-106, Mitchell responded with a hesitation move in the lane and a floater to make it 114-106 and stem the Pelicans' momentum with 5:20 left.

Cleveland got 50 points from reserves, led by LeVert and Ty Jerome (11 points).

Rookie Risacher has best game to lift Hawks

No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher scored 33 points and had seven rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks rallied late to beat the New York Knicks 121-116.

Risacher's 33 points were the most by a rookie this season. He shot 11 for 18 overall, including 6 for 10 from 3-point range, and also had three assists, three steals and two blocked shots.

The Hawks trailed 110-105 with 2:57 to play but went on a 13-1 run to put the game away.

Jalen Johnson had 23 points and 15 rebounds. Trae Young had 23 points, 10 assists and six rebounds one game after scoring just two points on 1-for-10 shooting against Boston.

Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 34 points and 16 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson scored 21 points.

Clint Capela capped a 9-1 run with a fast break dunk with 46.9 seconds remaining to give the Hawks a 114-111 lead. Young started a fast-break off a 3-point miss from Towns and dished it to a sprinting Capela for the dunk.

Surging Suns rally past Heat

Kevin Durant scored 32 points, Jusuf Nurkic had 20 and 18 rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns rallied from a 15-point deficit for a 115-112 victory over the Miami Heat to extend their winning streak to six games.

The Suns trailed 79-64 in the third quarter but finished the period on a 15-3 run to cut the Heat’s lead to three.

Neither team could take control in the fourth, but Durant’s jumper from the free-throw line with 16 seconds to play gave Phoenix a four-point lead.

Devin Booker had 22 points and nine assists for Phoenix (7-1), which has won its last five games by six points or fewer. Booker made one of two free throws with 4.8 seconds to go, giving the Heat a chance, but Miami failed to get a shot off before time expired.

Grayson Allen scored 12 points and Tyus Jones matched Booker with nine assists for the Suns.

Tyler Herro led the Heat with 28 points. Reserve forward Haywood Highsmith scored 19 and Jimmy Butler added 15. Bam Adebayo had 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Bradley Beal’s 3-pointer put the Suns ahead to stay at 106-103 with 3:52 remaining. Beal didn’t score in the first half and was in foul trouble. He finished with seven points.

The Suns’ 7-1 start matches the best in franchise history, equalling three previous seasons (1980-81, 2000-01, 2009-10).

Joel Embiid's shove of a member of the media will cost the Philadelphia 76ers centre three games.

The NBA announced the three-game suspension on Tuesday for Embiid's confrontation with a newspaper columnist.

The ban will begin in the next game he is physically able to play. The 2022-23 league MVP has yet to play this season due to what the team is calling left knee management.

The altercation that led to the suspension occurred Saturday night in the locker room of Philadelphia's home arena after the 76ers' 124-107 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Embiid was angry with a piece written by Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes in which he questioned Embiid's professionalism and mentioned the seven-time All-Star's late brother and son.

Embiid shoved Hayes and threatened him while spewing profanity.

"Mutual respect is paramount to the relationship between players and media in the NBA," NBA executive Joe Dumars said in a statement announcing the suspension. "While we understand Joel was offended by the personal nature of the original version of the reporter’s column, interactions must remain professional on both sides and can never turn physical."

Without Embiid, the 76ers have started just 1-5.

There was some hope that Embiid would be able to make his debut Wednesday against the Clippers, but now the earliest he would be eligible to play would be next Tuesday against the New York Knicks.

Anthony Davis is unsure as to the extent of a foot injury he aggravated against the Detroit Pistons, but he knows the Los Angeles Lakers must find some consistency.

Davis scored 37 points on Monday but his efforts were not enough to prevent Los Angeles slipping to a 115-103 loss.

The Lakers are now 4-3 overall after winning their opening three games of the season.

To compound their frustration, Davis – who is averaging 32.6 points per game – aggravated a left foot issue in the final quarter.

"We're just two different teams right now," lamented Davis.

"One game, we're this team who showcased it can be one of the better teams in the league. Then the next, we're this team who -- I don't even know who we are. So, we just got to be better.

"We got to put a full 48 [minutes] together, and we can't continue to do this if we expect to do anything this season."

On his injury, Davis added: "I'll talk to my trainer and just kind of figure out what exactly is going on.

"I've been managing it since this summer, honestly, and my goal for every game is to be on the floor. And I just kind of landed directly on the spot that's been killing me. So, we'll figure it out."

LeBron James finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds, and was honest in his assessment of a potential lay-off for Davis.

"I don't play the 'if' game," James said.

"We'll go off what AD says and see how he feels over the next couple of days and go from there. But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know [the impact] if AD's in or out. C'mon."

Reflecting on the latest defeat, Lakers coach JJ Redick simply said: "We're all disappointed."

Darius Garland capped a 39-point night by hitting a go-ahead 3-pointer with 45 seconds left that enabled the scorching Cleveland Cavaliers to stay unbeaten with Monday's 116-114 win over the reeling Milwaukee Bucks.

After converting a layup that brought the Cavaliers within 111-110 with 1:07 remaining, Garland knocked down a 25-footer on Cleveland's next possession after the Bucks' Damian Lillard was called for a backcourt violation.

Lillard then misfired on a 3-point try on Milwaukee's next trip down the court before Jarrett Allen sealed the Cavs' eighth straight win to begin the season with a layup off a Garland feed with 12.2 seconds to go.

Cleveland matched the best start in a season in franchise history, having previously gone 8-0 to open the 1976-77 campaign.

Garland finished 7 of 11 from 3-point range and 15 of 22 overall from the field while adding eight assists. The Cavaliers also received 14 points, 15 rebounds and six assists from Allen and 17 points from Evan Mobley.

Milwaukee, meanwhile, has lost six in a row since a season-opening win at Philadelphia for its longest skid in a season since also dropping six straight in March 2015. The Bucks also played without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo due to a strained adductor muscle he sustained in a 114-113 loss to Cleveland on Saturday.

Lillard paced the Bucks with 36 points on 11-of-22 shooting to go along with seven assists. Bobby Portis and AJ Green each had 21 points for Milwaukee, with Portis adding 18 rebounds.

Thunder cruise past Magic to move to 7-0

The Oklahoma City Thunder also stayed perfect for the young season by coasting to a 102-86 victory over the Orlando Magic behind Jalen Williams' 23 points and 21 from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Western Conference's lone remaining unbeaten team led from start to finish and built a margin as large as 26 points in the second half to extend its best start since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. The Seattle Supersonics began a season 7-0 or better three times, most recently a 10-game run to open the 1993-94 campaign.

Orlando shot just 35.4 per cent from the field to lose its fourth straight game following a 3-1 start. The last three defeats have come with leading scorer Paolo Banchero sidelined with a torn oblique.

Franz Wagner led the Magic with 22 points, while Jalen Suggs recorded 19 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Williams put up 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting as the Thunder shot a torrid 71.4 per cent in the first quarter to take a 39-26 lead into the second. The forward ended the first half with 19 points to lead Oklahoma City into the break owning a comfortable 58-43 advantage.

The Thunder continued to add to their lead in the third quarter, as three consecutive 3-pointers from reserve Isaiah Joe highlighted a 13-1 run that extended the margin to 84-58 late in the period.

Durant's late basket lifts Suns, foils 76ers in George's debut

Kevin Durant's driving layup with 24 seconds remaining broke a tie game and put a damper on Paul George's delayed debut with the Philadelphia 76ers as the Phoenix Suns came through with a 118-116 win.

Durant's key basket capped a 10-1 run over the final 3 1/2 minutes that lifted Phoenix to its fifth straight victory following a 1-1 start. The star forward finished with 35 points and six assists to help offset an off night from team-mate Devin Booker, who went 3 of 18 from the field while scoring 13 points.

George had 15 points in 32 minutes in his first appearance since signing with the 76ers as a free agent in the offseason. The nine-time All-Star missed the team's first five games due to a bone bruise in his left knee and was rusty during his return, missing 10 of his 14 shot attempts.

Philadelphia, which remains without franchise centre Joel Embiid due to a knee issue, dropped to 1-5 despite Tyrese Maxey's 32 points on 12-of-22 shooting.

The 76ers appeared on the way to a win after owning a 115-108 advantage following Guerschon Yabusele's dunk with 3:39 to go, which turned out to be their final basket of the night.

Phoenix answered with eight straight points, capped by Durant's jumper with one minute to play, to take a 116-115 edge.

After Maxey made one of two free throws to tie the game with 49.6 seconds left, Durant drove past a defender and scored before George misfired on a 23-footer just before the final buzzer. 

The San Antonio Spurs will be without head coach Gregg Popovich indefinitely after he reportedly suffered a health issue prior to the team’s last game.

The 75-year-old Popovich didn’t coach the Spurs (3-3) during Saturday’s 113-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves due to what the team said was an undisclosed illness.

Mike Johnson took over as head coach against Minnesota and will remain in the role while Popovich is sidelined.

“He's not feeling well,” Johnson said prior to Saturday’s game. “This has happened before.

“I think everybody's just always got to be ready for the next man up. We've had it with injuries and sometimes people get sick or don't feel well or things come up in life.

“He's just not feeling well.”

Popovich is the NBA's all-time leader with 1,391 victories and has won five NBA titles while coaching San Antonio since the 1996-97 season.

J.B. Bickerstaff believes the Detroit Pistons are "getting better at everything" after bouncing back to beat the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

The Pistons suffered a heavy defeat to the New York Knicks on Friday but made it two wins from three with their 106-92 victory over the Nets after they lost their opening four games of the NBA season.

Detroit finished with six players on double figures, with Cade Cunningham leading the charge with 19 points. It was the second time this season they have had that many players score 13 points or more in a single game, after doing it just once last term.

And while their attack was impressive, they also held the Nets to just 15 points in the fourth quarter, showing a vast improvement to their defense.

Bickerstaff was impressed with how his team have grown already since the start of the season.

"The guys did a great job of bouncing back," Bickerstaff said. "The conversation around the group has been to be better than we were the other night.

"Every single night we step on the floor, we aim to improve. The guys, just from a grit standpoint, how hard they played and how they shared the ball, it was unbelievable.

"We're getting better at everything. I feel our guys have embraced the system. They're really competing on that end of the floor. Individually, everybody's taking the challenge.

"There are still small things systematically, we're going to continue to improve on things. I'm learning what guys are capable of, but guys' willingness to take the challenge has given us an opportunity to put ourselves in a position that now we have a foundation of that, and we can grow from there."

Malik Beasley, who was another to finish on double figures as he scored 18 points, including two critical 3-point shots, believes their more proactive approach to defending pushed them towards the win.

"We started the game physical," Beasley said. "Last game, New York came out and just got whatever they wanted to get to.

"We made a point today to be physical and if we get fouls called early, it is what it is. We need to be known for a grit team, the Bad Boys, that whole thing. We did that [on Sunday]."

The Pistons are in action again on Monday when they face the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Luka Doncic hailed a "real fun" performance from the Dallas Mavericks after they bounced back from Thursday's loss to the Houston Rockets with a comfortable win over the Orlando Magic.

Coming off the back of their second defeat of the season, the Mavs downed a short-handed Magic side by a 108-85 scoreline to improve to 4-2 for 2024-25.

Doncic had 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while team-mate Daniel Gafford added a season-high 18 points and eight rebounds in just 20 minutes on court.

But it was a suffocating defensive performance that kept out an Orlando team deprived of injured star Paolo Banchero and won Dallas plaudits, and Doncic enjoyed his role.

"Today was real fun," he said. "We were guarding everybody, defending, rebounding, playing with a lot of pace. So that's fun for me."

Four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson, who arrived from the Golden State Warriors during the offseason, had a quiet night with just nine points for Dallas.

However, head coach Jason Kidd was pleased with his all-round contribution, saying: "I thought he played a great game.

"I know we look at him for scoring and shooting threes, but I thought his playmaking, his energy was high. He was moving on both ends at a very high level."

Dallas are next in action against the Indiana Pacers on Monday, while the 3-4 Magic visit the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Dallas Mavericks used suffocating defence to easily defeat the Orlando Magic, rolling to a 108-85 victory on Sunday.

Luka Doncic had 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and Daniel Gafford added a season-high 18 points and eight rebounds in just 20 minutes.

The Mavericks (4-2) used a 30-9 run in the second quarter to take a 65-40 lead into half-time. Their lead grew to as many as 33 points at one point.

The Magic (3-4) were playing their second game since Paolo Banchero suffered a torn right oblique last Wednesday, and the offence struggled mightily.

Orlando finished with a season low in points, field-goal percentage (33.3) and three-point percentage (19.5).

Franz Wagner's 13 points were the most by any player for the Magic, who came in averaging 111.7 points.

Hawks beat short-handed Pelicans to snap skid

The Atlanta Hawks rode a 14-0 run in the fourth quarter to pull out a 126-111 win over a New Orleans Pelicans team playing without Zion Williamson.

The Hawks (3-4) made more than half of their shots for the first time all season, shooting 56.8 per cent to snap a four-game losing streak.

Jalen Johnson led Atlanta with 29 points, while Trae Young finished with 23 points on 5-of-10 shooting from 3-point range to go with 12 assists.

Already playing without starters Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, and Herb Jones, the Pelicans (3-4) announced shortly before tip-off that Williamson was scratched due to right hamstring tightness.

Brandon Ingram had 32 points on 12-of-19 shooting, but the only other New Orleans starter to score in double figures was Jordan Hawkins, who scored 19.

Without Williamson, the Pelicans were also overpowered under the basket, as the Hawks held a 66-32 scoring advantage in the paint. 

Balanced Pistons get past Nets

Cade Cunningham was one of six players to score in double figures for the Detroit Pistons in their 106-92 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Cunningham paced the Pistons with 19 points, while Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley had 18 points apiece. Jaden Ivey scored 15, Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 14 and Jalen Duren added 13.

It was the second time this season Detroit had six players score 13 points or more in a game after having one such game all of last season.

The Pistons (2-5), who held the Nets to just 15 points in the fourth quarter, won for the second time in three games after starting the season 0-4.

Cam Thomas entered the game leading Brooklyn (3-4) with an average of 28.2 points, but finished with a season-low 17 on 6-of-17 shooting.

The only other Net to score in double figures was Cameron Johnson, who had a season-high 26.

The Milwaukee Bucks are struggling to sustain their performance levels over a full game amid their five-game losing streak, says coach Doc Rivers.

The Bucks have failed to win since triumphing in their season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers, going down 114-113 to the perfect Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.

They raced into a 38-30 first-quarter lead at Fiserv Forum before tailing off badly, prompting Rivers to question their fitness.

“We don’t sustain the game,” Rivers said. “We haven’t been able to sustain 48 minutes.

“We’ve got to figure that out. That’s on us. We have not found the correct rotation yet.”

Damian Lillard was unfortunate to be on the losing team after scoring 41 points with nine assists and shooting 10 of 15 from 3-point range, and he pointed out that several opponents had benefitted from having strong bench options against them.

“I think every team that’s hurt us, they’ve had somebody come in off the bench and have an impact on the game,” Lillard said. 

“They had a guy come in and knock down three 3s when they were bleeding and we had them down and our energy was right. He comes in and, ‘Bang, bang, bang.’"

However, Giannis Antetokounmpo – who had 34 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists – believes the Bucks’ results will soon turn, claiming their displays have improved.

“It doesn’t mean we’re going to go to a five-game winning streak or a 10-game winning streak,” Antetokounmpo said. 

“But I know that we’re playing better. We trust one another better. The ball is moving. There’s a lot of good things that we can do. That’s all we can control.”

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, including a jumper with three-tenths of a second left, and the Cleveland Cavaliers remained perfect with a 114-113 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.

The 7-0 Cavaliers are one win away from matching their best start in franchise history. They won their first eight games in 1976-77.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists for the Bucks, who have lost five straight since winning their opener. Milwaukee wasted a brilliant performance from Damian Lillard, who had 41 points with nine assists and shot 10 of 15 from 3-point range.

Lillard had put Milwaukee ahead by hitting a step-back jumper with 9.8 seconds remaining.

After shooting a combined 17 of 73 on 3-point attempts in losses at Boston and Memphis, the Bucks were 18 of 39 from beyond the arc in this one. Their hot start from long range helped them build a 16-point first-quarter lead.

After Lillard put Milwaukee ahead, Cleveland called timeout. Evan Mobley inbounded a pass to Mitchell, who caught it while barely avoiding a backcourt violation. Mitchell briefly lost control of the ball, but regained possession in 3-point range, dribbled inside the arc and hit a 19-footer.

Thunder defeat Clippers to remain unbeaten

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 25 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder extended their undefeated start to the season by beating the Los Angeles Clippers 105-92.

All five Thunder starters scored in double figures, and the six straight wins to begin the season marked the team's best start since moving to Oklahoma City from Seattle in 2008.

Norman Powell scored 24 points and James Harden added 12 points and 13 rebounds, but the Clippers dropped to 0-4 in their new arena despite holding double-digit leads in each of those defeats.  

The Clippers got off to a good start from 3-point range, making eight long balls in the first quarter, but went 3 for 16 the rest of the way.

Aaron Wiggins hit a 3 to end the third quarter for an 81-78 lead, and the Thunder followed that up by scoring the first seven points in the fourth to create separation.

Booker leads Suns to 4th straight win

Devin Booker had 28 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, and the Phoenix Suns used a dominant third quarter to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 103-97.

Kevin Durant scored 21 points for Phoenix, which won its fourth in a row.

The Suns led by as many as 26 points, but the Trail Blazers cut the deficit to 99-97 in the final minute. Booker and Tyus Jones each made two free throws in the final 21 seconds to seal the win.

Grayson Allen scored 18 off the bench, making a team-high four 3-pointers. Jones and Bradley Beal each finished with 15 points, while Jusuf Nurkic had a game-high 15 rebounds.

Trailing 47-43 at halftime, Phoenix scored 44 in the third quarter to take a 22-point lead by the end of the period. The Suns had zero turnovers in the third quarter after committing nine in the first half.

Booker and Allen each had 10 points in the third quarter, while Portland only managed 18 points in the period.

Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant led the Trail Blazers with 20 points apiece. Deni Avdija scored 13 points and former Sun Deandre Ayton had 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Nikola Jokic accepted blame for the Denver Nuggets' dramatic collapse to the Minnesota Timberwolves, whose late surge saw them win 119-116.

Jokic's contribution of 26 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds put Denver up 116-109, after he had scored two free throws with two minutes and 30 seconds left.

But the visitors surmounted a comeback, and the Serbian missed the chance to bring the scores level at 119-119 with 2.3 seconds left on the clock.

The result leaves the Nuggets languishing near the bottom of the Western Conference with just two wins from their opening five matches, and Jokic took responsibility for his poor showing.

"We had 10 or eight points in the last, I don't know how many minutes. We didn't execute, I missed basically all of my shots in the last two or three minutes," he reflected.

"They scored easily, they had open looks. This defeat is on me. I need to do a better job of getting guys involved.

"Today, I didn't do a good job. I had a turnover, I missed two turnaround jumpers, so it was a bad sequence for me."

The Nuggets had started to put a run of form together with wins over the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors in their previous two matches, but will now face Utah Jazz feeling they need a win now more than ever.

The Timberwolves will be leaving far happier, with Anthony Edwards scoring 29 points during the victory. The guard credited the rivalry between the two teams for the grandstand finish.

"They know when they see us, they don't like us, and I'm pretty sure they know we don't like them,” Edwards said. "It's always a great game. I love going against those guys. Plus, they have got the best player in the league, so I look forward to it."