Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan called Lonzo Ball's road to recovery an "uphill battle" as the 25-year-old went under the knife on Monday for the third procedure on his troublesome left knee.

Ball last played in an NBA game on January 13 last year. The latest update on his situation was that he was failing to make any significant progress, and that this extra procedure – a cartilage transplant – could rule him out until the middle of 2024.

One of the best guard defenders in the league, Ball has a career average of 1.6 steals per game. This season there are only five players – O.G. Anunoby (2.0), Jimmy Butler (1.9), Fred VanVleet (1.7), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (1.7) and Herbert Jones (1.7) – averaging a higher figure.

Speaking ahead of Monday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Donovan said while it is a long road ahead, he is confident in Ball's work ethic and motivation to get back to full strength.

"I know he's going to work really hard [on his rehab]," he said. "[The doctors] felt like the surgery went well.

"I do know that Lonzo, just based on the information he was able to gather from different sets of doctors, [was] making the decision that he felt like this was the best chance to be able to get him back on the court. 

"We all understand that that is going to be an uphill battle for him, but I know he's going to do everything possible in his rehab to get himself back on the court.

"He's certainly got a long road to recovery, a long road to get himself at a place where he can get back on the court and playing again. 

"But I am hopeful with his work ethic and his commitment and drive and just how eager he is to play, that he's gonna exhaust every opportunity to do that."

Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins is "hopeful" All-NBA point guard Ja Morant will make his return on Wednesday after completing an eight-game suspension.

Morant, 23, was suspended after a March 3 road game against the Denver Nuggets for "conduct detrimental to the league".

The NBA was forced to investigate after Morant appeared to brandish a gun on social media while at a nightclub.

Morant was "holding a firearm in an intoxicated state", the NBA said, but it did not prove the gun was owned by the Grizzlies star, or that he took it on the team flight or into any league facility.

When asked prior to Monday's game against the Dallas Mavericks, Jenkins said Morant had "a good first day back" with the team, which included addressing his team-mates and coaches after spending a brief stint in counselling.

Despite missing Morant's 27.1 points, 8.2 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game, the Grizzlies have gone 5-3 during his eight-game absence.

It was a similar story last season when they went 20-5 in the 25 games their star spent on the sidelines.

"What the group's done in his absence has been phenomenal from a defensive standpoint, offensive standpoint, execution standpoint, togetherness standpoint," Jenkins said. 

"That's obviously our expectation with Ja reintegrating with the team. He's been connected with us player-wise, staff-wise, he knows what we're doing.

"He's excited to be a part of the group and get back and help his team [reach] our ultimate goal.

"I think it's going to be a seamless reintegration. We know how important he is to us. We know how important he is, he knows how important his team-mates are to him."

At 43-27, Memphis are tied for the second seed in the Western Conference, and they have 12 games remaining to overtake the Sacramento Kings, or even make a run at the top-seeded Nuggets (48-24).

The Brooklyn Nets will attempt to arrest their slide in the Eastern Conference when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.

Brooklyn and the Cavs square off twice in New York this week, the second meeting coming on Thursday.

And the Nets head into the first game of the doubleheader on the back of a three-game losing streak.

The Nets, sixth in the East, are now 39-32, just two games in the loss column ahead of the Miami Heat at 39-34.

As such, they are at risk of slipping into the play-in tournament places, and the Nets understand they must get better at rebounding if they are to return to winning ways.

The Nets are last in total rebounds in home games and were outrebounded 40-33 by the Denver Nuggets in Sunday's loss to the Western Conference leaders.

Cleveland represent formidable opposition, with the Cavs sitting at 45-28, fourth in the East. They have won seven of their last 10 games.

But this is a matchup in which the Nets may actually have an edge on the boards to help them end their losing run.

PIVOTAL PLAYERS

Brooklyn Nets – Mikal Bridges

Bridges has quickly become the Nets' talisman having been acquired in the trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns, and he has been one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA in March.

He is averaging 27.1 points per game this month, putting him 10th in league. No other Brooklyn player is averaging 20.

Cleveland Cavaliers – Jarrett Allen

The player who will bear much of the responsibility for ensuring the Nets continue to struggle on the boards is a former Brooklyn player.

Cavs center Allen has thrived on the glass this season, averaging 9.8 rebounds per game, the 11th-most in the NBA.

KEY BATTLE – Can Nets win the rebound challenge?

After their struggles on the boards against the Nuggets, head coach Jacque Vaughn was asked about how the Nets need to go about improving their rebounding.

"We have to accept it, it's truth, it's staring us in the face," he said. "The scouting report says try to go to offensive rebound versus the Nets, and we have to understand that and really do a diligent job of trying to do it together. We can't do it with two people or three people.

"We're trying to be systematic in how we embrace this problem, but I just want our guys to embrace it and realise that it is really a big difference from us being a pretty good defensive team, and that challenge we have to take on, and we have to win it. We have to win that challenge."

Winning that challenge may be easier against the Cavs who, despite Allen's prowess on the glass, are 25th in the NBA in rebounds per game with 41.4, just 1.2 more than the Nets.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Nets were victorious over the Cavs in their previous meeting in Cleveland on December 26 and have won five of the last six games between the teams.

Austin Reaves was lost for words after praise from four-time MVP team-mate LeBron James following his career-best 35 points led the Los Angeles Lakers to a crucial win on Sunday.

Reaves top scored for the Lakers, including scoring their last 10 points, in the 111-105 win over the Orlando Magic, which moved them into a tie for ninth in the Western Conference with a 35-37 record.

The shooting guard made his telling contribution in 30 minutes off the bench. Reaves became the seventh player in franchise history to score 35 points or more off the bench.

The Lakers bench contributed 61 of their 111 points, but Reaves earned special praise from James.

James, who missed his 11th straight game due to a right-foot injury, wrote on social media "You toooooo TOUGH!!" about Reaves after his game-winning display.

"You're talking about arguably one of the greatest players ever," Reaves told reporters. "I mean I don't know what to say.

"For him to accept me the way he accepted me from day one, obviously I felt there was a really good chemistry, IQ-wise, from day one. But not just him, everybody else."

Anthony Davis, who contributed 15 points with 11 rebounds and four blocks, heaped further praise on Reaves.

"He carried us tonight with his play," Davis said. "We know what we have in Austin. He's very confident and he played that way tonight."

The Lakers' Crypto.com Arena crowd went so far as to chant M-V-P towards Reaves for his performance, which he revelled in.

"For them to recognise what I do – obviously not an MVP-calibre player, those guys are really good – but for them to do that for me is special, it means a lot to me," Reaves said.

"Every time I take the court, play with a sense of urgency and leave it all out on the floor, because that's how I feel basketball should be played."

Reaves is averaging 11.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game this season, but has managed double-digit scores in the Lakers' past eight games, averaging 15.9 points during March.

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer simply called Giannis Antetokounmpo "special" after shooting a perfect nine-of-nine 22-point triple-double in Sunday's 118-111 win over the Toronto Raptors.

Antetokounmpo brought up his 33rd career triple-double with 22 points on 100 per cent shooting from the field, with 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

The Greek forward became only the ninth NBA player to achieve a triple-double with perfect shooting from the field. It was only the 13th perfect triple-double in NBA history.

"It was mentioned that he was perfect from the field, it's like a pitcher with a perfect game," Budenholzer told reporters.

"It is fascinating to go nine-of-nine from the field and have a triple-double. I'm a little surprised it's happened 13 times. It seems like a rarity. I'm not a huge stat guy or historian but he's special."

Antetokounmpo was more interested in the Bucks claiming their 51st win of the season, improving their NBA-best record to 51-20, having lost their previous game 139-123 to the Indiana Pacers.

"I'm happy we were able to get a win, get back on track," Antetokounmpo said. "When you're in the moment it moves that fast, you don't slow down and appreciate it.

"Maybe when I'm older and I'm done and gonna look back like, 'Oh, that was cool I was able to do that, now I'm not able to run or jump or chase my kids.' Right now, when you're into it, it moves too fast."

Antetokounmpo is fourth in the NBA for points per game (31.4) and second for rebounds (11.9) this season.

Budenholzer was delighted with Brook Lopez's impact in Sunday's win, leading their 29-16 fourth-quarter charge with the first eight points of the final period.

Lopez scored 17 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, with the Bucks flipping the game early in the last on a 15-2 run. The Bucks center also had five rebounds and two blocks.

"It changed the game," Budenholzer said. "I think what he did offensively was important, and then the defense always stands out.

"It was a little bit muddy, not a pretty game there, and he stepped up and kind of just changed our feel and changed the momentum for us, particularly offensively, which we needed tonight."

LeBron James' regular season is not over, according to Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham.

James has been absent since suffering a tendon injury in his foot during a February 26 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, with the franchise initially saying he will be re-evaluated in three weeks.

Three weeks have now passed, and while there was no concrete update in his timetable, Ham made it clear there is no thought of shutting down the rest of James' regular season.

The reality is that the Lakers do not have the luxury of holding James out for the playoffs, as they currently sit barely inside the Western Conference play-in tournament placings.

When asked for an update ahead of the Lakers' crucial win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday, Ham said: "We anticipate him coming back at some point [this season]."

Ham also pointed to how James' time away may have benefited his team, by being forced to field other players in expanded roles.

"I think Bron, him being out has revealed that we have a lot of different weapons that are very capable players on both sides of the ball that can help us achieve the goal that we're trying to achieve," he said. "And when he comes back, he's just going to add to it."

If James is not able to get back on the floor this season it will not be due to a lack of effort, according to Lakers point guard Dennis Schroder, highlighting the work the four-time Finals MVP is putting in to return to full strength.

"He works three times a day on his body to get back," he said. "I think we got a real chance here [once James returns]."

Nikola Jokic recorded his 28th triple-double of the season as the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets rediscovered some form with a 108-102 road victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

The Nuggets had lost five of their past six games, but improved to 48-24 with the triumph, maintaining a sizeable buffer at the top of the West from the second-placed Sacramento Kings (43-27).

Serbian center Jokic starred with 22 points on nine-of-12 shooting with 17 rebounds and 10 assists, while Michael Porter scored a team-high 28 points with five-of-nine three-point attempts.

Jamal Murray added 25 points, nailing all four of his attempts from beyond the arc, and he posted 20 of his haul in the opening quarter as Denver got a fast start to lead 33-21 at the first break.

The Nuggets were coasting to victory with a 91-71 lead at three-quarter time before the Nets rallied in the fourth, with Porter settling the game with one of his five triples.

The defeat dents Brooklyn's aspirations to claim a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference, falling to 39-32, marginally ahead of the seventh-placed Miami Heat (39-34).

Mikal Bridges top scored for the home side with 23 points on eight-of-18 shooting from the field, while Nic Claxton chipped in 19 points and eight rebounds.

Giannis records triple-double in Bucks win

The Milwaukee Bucks stormed past the Toronto Raptors 118-111 on a 29-16 fourth-quarter charge as Giannis Antetokounmpo brought up his 33d career triple-double.

Antetokounmpo finished with 22 points on 100 per cent shooting from the field with 13 rebounds and 10 assists, while Brook Lopez added a team-high 26 points with Khris Middleton scoring 20.

Lopez scored 17 of his 26 points in the final period, including the first eight of the quarter, with the Bucks going on a game-changing 15-2 run. The NBA-best Bucks are now 51-20.

SGA leads OKC past Suns

Shai Gilgeous-Alezander scored 40 points, came up clutch down the stretch and garnered M-V-P chants as the Oklahoma City Thunder boosted their play-in hopes with a 124-120 win over the Phoenix Suns.

Gilgeous-Thunder hit two free throws with 10 seconds left to hold off the Suns, who had Devin Booker score 46 points, including 30 in the second half, having led 69-57 at half-time. Chris Paul scored 14 points with 13 assists.

OKC (35-36) have four wins from their past five games to stay in the play-in hunt, thanks in large part to Gilgeous-Alexander's perfect 11-of-11 free throws in the second half, while Luguentz Dort added 20 points.

Nikola Jokic admitted the Denver Nuggets need to be concerned following defeat against the New York Knicks.

A 116-110 reverse at Madison Square Garden condemned the Nuggets to a fifth loss in six games, reducing their lead at the summit of the Western Conference.

The Nuggets now stand four wins ahead of the Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies, with their form dwindling at a crucial stage of the season.

Despite that, Denver are still poised for the number one seed and home court advantage throughout the playoffs – though Jokic remains worried about their form.

"It is what it is. We need to be concerned. We need to try to win the next one," he said.

"Me first, and then everybody collectively, needs to do a better job of rebounding the ball, because even when we made a couple of stops, we didn't rebound and they just got easy ones.

"They had like 15 offensive rebounds, so that's a lot. That's 15 chances to score again."

Nuggets coach Michael Malone also highlighted rebounding as a problem for his side, particularly late in the game.

"It was the rebounding, and our inability to defend without fouling. Now you're playing against a set defense for 12 minutes, and then you couple that on top of turnovers. I think those are three areas that stood out to me," he told reporters.

The Nuggets will aim to stop the rot in their second consecutive game in New York against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

Russell Westbrook shouldered the responsibility for the Los Angeles Clippers' defeat to the Orlando Magic, saying "it's on me to be more focused in closing the game".

The Clippers, fifth in the Western Conference, were beaten 113-108 by a Magic side who are struggling down in 13th in the East on Saturday.

Westbrook made a hot start to the game, draining four of his first six shots to finish the first quarter with 11 points, three assists and three rebounds.

But Westbrook went cold with his shooting from there, ending the game with 14 points on the back of five-of-14 shooting, while he had nine assists and five rebounds.

"This one's on me honestly tonight," Westbrook said. "I could have been better.

"I started off good, but just in the second half was terrible. I got to do a better job of helping the guys out in the second half and the fourth quarter.

"So, it's nothing anybody did. But honestly, it's on me to be more focused in closing the game."

Westbrook failed to make any of his three three-point attempts, while the Clippers were just six-of-22 in total from beyond the arc.

"That's more on me," Westbrook added. "My job is to be able to penetrate and get guys open shots, and get them open threes, and I didn't do a good enough job of that. 

"I'll make sure I'll be better at that tomorrow."

Paul George backed his veteran team-mate to figure out his shooting struggles, though.

"He's going to get through it. He knows to stay confident, and he knows that we trust him and got his back, that he's going to stay in attack mode," George said. 

"I don't ever worry about Russ' shooting. I just know what he brings and his value to the team. And that is bigger than anything. 

"Whether he makes or misses shots is part of the game. He just does so much other stuff that I don't care. He plays hard and that's a guy that I want to roll with. 

"He's a guy I want to compete with on a nightly basis, so he knows to just stay confident and just keep shooting."

Joel Embiid has been dubbed a "walking cheat code" by Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle after leading the Philadelphia 76ers to an eight-straight win.

Embiid set a franchise record with his ninth game in a row scoring at least 30 points in the 76ers 141-121 triumph, with a tally of 31 on 10-for-15 shooting with seven rebounds and six assists.

The 76ers sit comfortably as the number three seed in the Eastern Conference following their winning streak, which stands as the longest run in the NBA - no other side having a run of victories longer than three matches.

With Philadelphia picking up form and Embiid leading the way, Carlisle ranks the 29-year-old as the best performer in the league this season.

"Embiid, right now, he's probably the MVP, with what their team is doing and how he's just elevated his game," he said.

"He's as difficult a guy to game plan for as there is in the game. Giannis [Antetokounmpo) is crazy ridiculous. [Nikola] Jokic is the same. And this guy is maybe even more difficult, if that's possible.

"He had 31 points in less than three quarters. Made it look like he wasn't even trying to do it. He's a walking NBA cheat code right now. He's just that good."

Aaron Nesmith started the game as the Pacers' first line of defence against Embiid and spoke of the difficulty in matching up against the Cameroonian ace.

"It's tough because he's such a big dude. Seven foot and very heavy. It's hard to guard him without using your hands and being physical," Nesmith said.

"In today's game, the way the refs call it, it's hard to be physical with a guy like that and not get in foul trouble.

"I was trying to find that balance. When I first got him, I picked up like three fouls because of it."

Walker Kessler produced a game-winning block to deny Grant Williams' after Lauri Markkanen's 27th double-double of the season as the Utah Jazz edged the Boston Celtics 118-117 on Saturday.

The Jazz, fighting for a playoff spot in the tight Western Conference, had re-taken the lead with 35.3 seconds remaining from Talen Horton-Tucker's lay-up before Kessler blocked Williams' game-winning two-point attempt on a drive to the basket on the buzzer.

Utah rallied back from a 19-point deficit but the Celtics went on a 14-3 run to re-claim the lead before the late drama.

All-Star Markkanen was brilliant with 28 points including four three-pointers with 10 rebounds and three assists for Utah, while Horton-Tucker added 19 points. Among Markkanen's triples was one with 1:19 to play in the fourth to cut the margin to one point at 117-116.

Williams had produced a career-high seven three-pointers in his 23-point haul, while Jayson Tatum was kept to 15 points on four-of-12 shooting with six assists in a quiet second half.

Boston guard Jaylen Brown scored a team-high 25 points, making four-of-nine from beyond the arc, with six assists.

The Celtics shot 22 three-pointers at 43.1 per cent, but the Jazz hauled down 56-40 rebounds and scored 17-of-22 from the free-throw line.

Boston, playing their third game in four nights, clinched their playoff spot despite the defeat, by virtue of the Miami Heat's 113-99 loss to the Chicago Bulls.

Despite his cold night, Tatum (two) became the fourth Celtics' player to reach multiple 2,000-point seasons, alongside Larry Bird (four), Paul Pierce (four) and John Havlicek (two)

Embiid exceeds Iverson & Wilt franchise record

Joel Embiid became the first Philadelphia 76ers player to record nine straight 30-point games as they downed the Indiana Pacers 141-121.

Embiid scored 31 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field along with 10-of-13 from the free-throw line, plus seven rebounds, seven assists and two blocks.

The center has averaged 36.1 points per game during his nine-game 30-point run, exceeding Allen Iverson and Wilt Chamberlain's previous joint record of eight.

Tyrese Maxey added 31 points with five triples while Tobias Harris contributed 24 points for the 76ers, who move into second in the Eastern Conference following Boston's loss.

Brunson leads Knicks past slumping Nuggets

Jalen Brunson made an impressive return from a foot injury with 24 points, including 16 in the first quarter, as the New York Knicks got past the Denver Nuggets 116-110.

The Knicks (42-30) rallied from a 13-point third-quarter deficit, with Brunson making two free throws with 43 seconds remaining, before lobbing to Mitchell Robinson to seal the win with 24 seconds left.

Nikola Jokic scored 24 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Western Conference-leading Nuggets, who have lost five of their past six games to fall to a 47-24 record.

The West's second-ranked Memphis Grizzlies closed the gap on the Nuggets with a 133-119 win over the Golden State Warriors, led by Jaren Jackson Jr's 31 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.

Kyrie Irving is focusing on maximising his on-court efficiency after returning from injury in style for the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.

Irving had been absent from the Mavs' previous three games due to soreness on his right foot, the team winning only one of those outings.

But his importance to the Mavs was clear to see as he returned to the court for the 111-110 win away to the Los Angeles Lakers, posting a game-high 38 points, plus six rebounds and six assists.

It was one of those assists that proved decisive at the end, as Irving lured two Lakers players before spotting Maxi Kleber wide open, and he ultimately drained the buzzer-beating three-pointer.

"I'm just grateful I was able to have my head on a swivel," he said post-game.

"I thought for a second about forcing that two up to tie the game, but I saw Maxi open and AD [the Lakers' Anthony Davis] helping a little too much, so I tried to get into his shot pocket, and I'm glad I got it to [Kleber] with enough time to at least get the shot off.

"I could easily be sitting in this position with a loss. It was just that kind of game, but I'm glad we were resilient.

"We got really lucky and fortunate at the end of the regulation, so I'm glad it worked out for us."

Certainly, Irving's inspirational impact showed few signs of any lingering issues with his foot.

But he hinted afterwards that he did play through the pain barrier a little, meaning he felt the need to think extra carefully about how he operated on court.

"It would feel better if my wife rubbed on it when I get home... Watch it," he said with a grin.

"I just need to take care of it. Again, I said a few days ago it's a little worse than I thought, but I've just got to manage it, and I'm not going to sit up here and make any excuses."

On his efficiency, Irving added: "I don't think it's any extra science or anything like that, but it comes down to being intentional about my reps.

"I could sit at home or be on the court and be like, 'I wish my foot felt as great as it has all season', but it's just not the reality.

"Just taking my reps out there on the floor and being efficient in the opportunities I have.

"It's not the first time I've played with an injury or anything like that. Just keep pushing and keep getting rehab and recovery to put myself in the best position."

The Mavs are sixth in the West with a 36-35 record after beating the Lakers, who are 10th on 34-37.

Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said a frank halftime discussion among his players was the catalyst for the biggest comeback in the NBA this season.

Trailing by 29 points in the third quarter of Friday's contest against the San Antonio Spurs, the Grizzlies produced a resounding fightback to earn a 126-120 overtime triumph.

Still down by nine in the final minute of regulation play, a 9-0 stretch in a dramatic finale sent the game into additional time.

Jaren Jackson Jr put up 28 points for the Grizzlies, who set a franchise record with their comeback.

Asked what sparked the revival, Jenkins said: "It really started at halftime. 

"We didn't watch any film. I just opened up the floor to the players to talk and said, 'What do you got for me?' 

"Four or five guys spoke up and said it was unacceptable what we were doing in the first half.

"We were too casual, we weren't communicating, we weren't executing our coverages, we weren't playing with physicality, we weren't trusting the pass."

The Grizzlies are now 4-3 without their All-Star guard Ja Morant, who served the seventh of an eight-game ban for "conduct detrimental to the league".

Jackson said the turnaround was reward for the Grizzlies' perseverance.

"We came in at halftime, regrouped, talked about it," Jackson said. 

"Just came out firing (in the second half). You chip away long enough, you're going to make some noise."

The Grizzlies sit third in the Western Conference with a 42-27 record.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are anxiously awaiting an injury update on star player Anthony Edwards after the former Rookie of the Year had to be carried off the court on Friday.

Edwards, who is averaging 25.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in his third season, had eight points in eight minutes before going down with an ankle injury early in a 139-131 double-overtime loss to the Chicago Bulls.

The former number one draft pick is living up to the hype on the offensive end, but he has also shown terrific instincts on the other side of the ball, currently tied with Tyrese Haliburton for the fifth-most steals per game (1.6).

Minnesota had been expected to spiral after Karl-Anthony Towns went down with a long-term injury in November, but Edwards had kept them afloat, currently sitting eighth in the West at 35-36.

But while they are just one game behind the six seed, they are also only one game in front of the Utah Jazz in 11th, and any Edwards absence with just 11 games remaining could decide the franchise's playoff fate.

Speaking immediately after the loss, Edwards said he knew straight away that his night was over.

"I couldn't walk on it, so I knew it was a wrap," he said. "See how it feels tomorrow."

Head coach Chris Finch did not have an update on his status, and lamented the crushing nature of the loss after leading in the final stages of regulation.

"It's a devastating loss," he said "We've got to win that game, you know?

"Up two with 26 seconds left, with the ball. No reason to do anything, other than just make them come get us, and we just throw it out of bounds. We couldn't get a shot off in some key moments, too.

"We battled, and battled. We changed defenses all night long, we played our butt off, and we got a chance to win the game – and you've got to win that game."

When asked about how they will move forward without their two top offensive options, Finch said it can not be used as an excuse.

"Nobody cares," he said. "We've got to keep fighting. We've got a heck of a game tomorrow [away against the Toronto Raptors], and nobody cares what's happened to the Timberwolves.

"We'll figure it out, we'll lace it up tomorrow and we'll fight – I know that. We still have other players who can put the ball in the bucket.

"Obviously, you lose Ant's dynamic big-shot making – of course you lose everything he brings – but we're going to have to rely more on ball movement, body movement, pass-pass combinations, those kinds of things.

"I thought we did a really good job in that three-man game with Kyle [Anderson], Mike [Conley} and Rudy [Gobert]… we have things we can go to, we just have to sift through it and figure it out."

Wolves center Rudy Gobert shared the sentiment that the team cannot feel sorry for themselves.

"We know that no one's going to help us," he said. "We're all we got. 

"So we've just got to go out there, keep putting in the work, keep enjoying it and just learn from this situation. Win a game when we're in position to win a game."

The Chicago Bulls rode DeMar DeRozan's best game of the season to a thrilling 139-131 double-overtime home victory on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

DeRozan scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-tying basket to force overtime with 20 seconds remaining. He added nine more in the overtime periods, giving him a season-high 49 points on 15-of-25 shooting, including 17-of-18 from the free throw line.

The six-time All-Star logged 52 minutes of action – the third-most of any player this season (Immanuel Quickley 55; Luka Doncic 53) – while chipping in 14 rebounds, four assists, three steals and only one turnover.

His partner-in-crime Zach LaVine was playing a supporting role through three quarters, but he rose to the occasion from that point on, helping the Bulls claw back from a 10-point deficit with 10 minutes remaining.

LaVine had 12 in the fourth quarter, made the shot to force a second overtime, and kept it going with the Bulls' first five points of the final period. He ended up with 39 on identical shooting to DeRozan (15-of-25 from the field), continuing his excellent form since the All-Star break.

He came into Friday's contest averaging 30.7 points while shooting 54.8 per cent from the field, 47.5 per cent from deep and 91.5 per cent from the free throw line in the nine games since the break.

For the Timberwolves, Kyle Anderson put up his second triple-double from the past three games with 11 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, while Rudy Gobert posted 21 points (eight-of-14) and 19 rebounds.

But the big story out of Minnesota will be the health of franchise player Anthony Edwards, after he went down with what looked like a serious ankle injury in the first half.

The win keeps the Bulls (32-37) just a half-game inside the play-in tournament placings.

Kyrie puts away the Lakers

The Dallas Mavericks have won back-to-back games for the first time in over a month after a buzzer-beating 111-110 road win against the Los Angeles Lakers.

They were buoyed by the return of Kyrie Irving after a three-game injury absence, and he dominated the contest with a game-high 38 points on 14-of-23 shooting, with six rebounds and six assists.

Anthony Davis was strong for the Lakers with a team-high 26 points (nine-of-14), but a missed free throw with six seconds remaining meant his side only led by two instead of three. That proved to be the difference as Irving found Maxi Kleber for the game-winning three-pointer.

A win would have pulled the Lakers up into a tie for eighth, and left them just one game out of the six seed, but instead they fell to 34-37 and are in a tie for the 10th seed.

Tatum and Brown deliver another Celtics win

All-Star Boston Celtics duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 61 points as they overcame the Portland Trail Blazers 126-112 on the road.

The Celtics had to deal with another big Damian Lillard outburst as he piled on a game-high 41 points (12-of-23 shooting), although his seven turnovers hurt the Blazers.

Tatum shot eight-of-20 and 16-of-18 from the free throw line for his team-high 34 points and 12 rebounds, while Brown was 12-of-23 for 27 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Veteran center Al Horford finished one assist shy of his career-high with 10.

The win is the Celtics' fourth from their past five games, pulling them to within 1.5 games of the Eastern Conference leading Milwaukee Bucks.