New York Mayor Eric Adams has ruled out the prospect of making an exception to coronavirus rules that would allow Kyrie Irving to play at home for the Brooklyn Nets.

Irving is unvaccinated which means he is unable to play for the Nets when they have games at Barclays Center under current guidelines, even though he can play in the NBA on the road.

A quirk in the rules means away players from other teams can play in New York City even if they have not had the vaccine, a situation Adams accepts "makes no sense" and is "ridiculous".

Adams hopes Irving can play for the Nets at home soon but will not change the rules early for one person because of the example it would set to the city's employees.

"These are the rules and I have to follow the rules," Adams said to CNBC. 

"If I don't, I'm going to open the door that is sending the wrong message to everyday employees.

"Listen, I want Kyrie on the court. I would do anything to get that ring. So badly, I want it. 

"But there's so much at stake here. And I spoke with the owner of the team. We want to find a way to get Kyrie on the court, but this is a bigger issue."

Adams added: "I can't have my city closed down again.

"It would send the wrong message just to have an exception for one player when we're telling a countless number of New York City employees, 'If you don't follow the rules, you won't be able to be employed'.

"Businesses have their vaccine mandates. City employees have their vaccine mandates. I have to follow the rules. And trust me, I want Kyrie on the court.

"We are here right now opening our city because of vaccine mandates. We can't close down again. I can't have my city close down again."

Irving said at the weekend he could see "light at the end of the tunnel" in his bid to play home games for the Nets and appreciated comments from NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who questioned the rules that allow unvaccinated road players to take to the court in New York.

The Nets (32-29) are at home against the Toronto Raptors (32-27) on Monday, having earned a key road win at NBA champions the Milwaukee Bucks last time out, Irving starring with a game-high 38 points.

Stephen Curry says the Golden State Warriors must "bring an edge" as he and coach Steve Kerr aim to heed the lessons from the shock loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

The Warriors held a 19-point advantage heading into the final quarter on Sunday, yet ultimately slipped to a 107-101 loss – their fifth defeat in seven games.

Golden State's brilliant start to the season has them comfortably among the top teams in the NBA, with a 43-18 record, though their recent form will be a worry.

For Curry, however, the defeat can provide lessons on what the Warriors have to anticipate as the regular season enters its final stages and the playoffs approach.

"We played great defense for 36 minutes," Curry, who had a double-double of 27 points and 10 assists, said.

"We felt like we had the game under control. For whatever reason, our energy shifted when we missed a couple of shots, empty possessions.

"They come down and score, we start getting deflated, and for no reason.

"We've got to figure out how to maintain our energy when the shots aren't falling. Because, that's what it might be like in a playoff game.

"So I'd like to say it was a good lesson to learn, even though it sucks to have to go through it.

"We've got to bring an edge. Sustain that over 48 minutes and each game we'll have an opportunity to do that, to turn it into a positive and try to build momentum, but it's not going to happen on its own just because the coach says it or because we want it to. We've got to do it."

It was a sentiment echoed by Kerr, whose side's capitulation marked the biggest blown fourth-quarter lead so far this season. 

"We did not maintain our grit down the stretch," said Kerr, who has previously been highly critical of his teams defense across their poor run.

"We just let our momentum get away from us. We can't just say, 'Oh well, when Draymond [Green] and Andre [Iguodala] get back we will be better.' It doesn't matter who's out there. We've got to get better executing under pressure and maintaining competence.

"It's actually good to go through and feel it because this is what it feels like in the playoffs, when you're playing against a really good team."

LeBron James conceded this season is "definitely different" after the Los Angeles Lakers slumped to another defeat on Sunday.

The Lakers were humiliated 123-95 by the New Orleans Pelicans at home, giving up 23 turnovers for the game, which was the team's most this season.

James and Russell Westbrook combined for 14 turnovers, which was their worst return as team-mates.

The only positive was James scored 32 points, marking his 500th career game with 30 points or more.

But that was not enough to prevent a fifth defeat in six matches for the Lakers, with James recognising the need for a win to provide the catalyst for a turnaround.

"It all starts with a win. You learn from that win, the things you did well and what you didn't do well," he said.

"It always starts with that and how you can implement it into a game and a game situation.

"Obviously the last two losses have been... the Clippers game was right there [to win] and obviously we couldn't finish the game.

"And tonight against the Pelicans, who have been playing some good ball of late... this season is definitely different."

Next up for the 27-33 Lakers is a showdown with the Dallas Mavericks, who came from behind to stun the Golden State Warriors on Monday.

James Harden recorded his first triple-double for the Philadelphia 76ers who flexed their muscle with a dominant 125-109 win over the New York Knicks on Sunday.

Harden had 29 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists, while Joel Embiid top scored with 37 points along with nine rebounds and four blocks.

Embiid made a season-high 23 free-throws, heading to the line 27 times across the game as the 76ers relentlessly attacked the rim.

The 76ers made 39 free-throws for the game, which was the most of any team this season.

Philadelphia had contributions from beyond their star pair, though, with Tyrese Maxey scoring 21 points with seven rebounds

Doncic leads Mavs comeback win

Luka Doncic helped the Dallas Mavericks overcome a 21-point third-quarter deficit to win 107-101 over the Golden State Warriors. The Slovenian had 34 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavs, while Stephen Curry finished with 27 points and 10 assists.

The Utah Jazz claimed their eighth win from their past nine games and condemned the Chris Paul-less Phoenix Suns to their second straight defeat in a 118-114 defeat, with Rudy Gobert scoring 16 points with 14 rebounds.

Kelly Olynyk scored a match-winning buzzer beater in overtime as the Detroit Pistons beat the Charlotte Hornets 127-126, while the in-form Boston Celtics were shocked 128-107 by the Indiana Pacers.

Lakers demolished on home court

The Los Angeles Lakers were humiliated 123-95 by the New Orleans Pelicans at home, giving up 23 turnovers for the game, which was the team's most this season. LeBron James and Russell Westbrook combined for 14 turnovers which was their worst return as teammates. The only positive was James scored 32 points, marking his 500th career game with 30 points or more.

Joel Embiid is feeling good about the new-look Philadelphia 76ers labelling his partnership with James Harden as "unstoppable" after Sunday's 125-109 win over the New York Knicks.

In Harden's second game for the 76ers since his trade from the Brooklyn Nets, the 2018 MVP recorded a triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists.

Embiid added a game-high 37 points with nine rebounds and four blocks, as the 76ers put on 125 or more points for the second straight game.

"Unstoppable," Embiid said after the game. "What are you really going to do?

"He's a great passer, and obviously I've got someone [next to me] that attracts a lot of attention to him, so you've got to make a decision. Do you stay on me, or do you stay on him?

"And if you want to guard both of us with the other guys, now you've got Matisse [Thybulle] diving to the rim or wide-open shooters that have got one job to do, and that's make shots. That's all we got to keep doing.

"Like I was saying in the locker room, I'm happy I don't have to post up every single possession, so it's great."

The Knicks had no answer for the pair, with Embiid getting to the stripe 27 times, making 23 free-throws, while Harden made 10-of-10 from the free-throw line.

"That's our job every single night, is to put pressure on that rim," Harden said. "That creates opportunities for ourselves and our teammates.

"There's a lot of opportunities Joel had with and-ones where he just didn't convert, but that pressure night-in and night-out consistently is going to be tough for teams to cover."

In another ominous sign for the 76ers, who improve to 37-23, Harden said he was feeling the best he has physically for a long time, having endured hamstring issues during his time with the Nets.

"I feel good. It's my second game in damn near a month, but just my body feels great," Harden said. "Feels great. I haven't felt this way in a really, really long time.

"So just my pop, me getting to the rim, my extra step, feels really great. So just got to continue to work, continue to build my body and legs and keep pushing."

All-Star Ja Morant scored a career-high 46 points as the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Chicago Bulls at United Center, and later attributed his achievement in part to Bulls legend Michael Jordan.

Saturday's encounter saw the Grizzlies win 116-110 to move to 42-20, while the Bulls are 39-22.

Steven Adams also hit 12 points with a season-high 21 rebounds for Memphis, while DeMar DeRozan extended his 30-point streak to 10 games with a 31-point haul as the Bulls' six-game win streak came to an end.

After the game, Morant was asked if he had seen the highlights video played in the arena of Jordan's most memorable moments.

"I did watch it," he said. "And then, I did start scoring a lot. It probably played a part in it."

The 22-year-old made 15 of 28 field goal attempts, sank three shots from beyond the arc and made 13 out of 15 free throws.

His 46-point haul comes just 10 days after he racked up 44 against the Portland Trail Blazers, and makes it 16 games in a row in which he has scored at least 20 points.

"I've seen too many [incredible performances]. Kinda boring now," Grizzlies team-mate Adams said jokingly. "He's such an amazing player."

Morant also went on to praise the effort of his team, saying: "They gotta be recognised for the job they do for us on the floor. Obviously we had a lot of guys who contributed big for us tonight.

"[Desmond Bane] hit a big-time three, Kyle [Anderson] with the stops on the defensive end, Steve being the man inside the paint, Tyus [Jones] stepping up and hitting big free throws, and so on down the line.

"Obviously without them, we probably wouldn't have been in that position, so a lot of credit has to go to my team-mates."

Kyrie Irving can see "light at the end of the tunnel" after the best performance of his difficult season in the Brooklyn Nets' defeat of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Irving put up 38 points, as the Nets beat the reigning champions 126-123 on the road on Saturday.

With Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons sidelined, Irving stepped up with a strong performance, finishing 14-of-26 shooting to overshadow Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

It was a glimpse of a possibly exciting end to the season for the Nets and Irving, whose appearances have been limited by the vaccine mandate in New York City.

The 29-year-old, who is unvaccinated, has only been able to play in road games until now, but New York City mayor Eric Adams said this week that the mandate is likely to be phased out as cities across the United States begin to remove their COVID-19 restrictions.

"I'm glad that things are kind of settling down and there's light at the end of the tunnel here," Irving said. "Hopefully, I can get back on that home floor playing in the Barclays, and now we can finally have that conversation that you've been dying to have just about turning the page and moving forward beyond this.

"But like I said, I'm not the only one. I feel for everybody that's either in my boat or a similar boat or has dealt with some type of trauma from this. And just wishing everybody well-wishes, always."

On the prospect of New York's mandate being lifted, Irving said: "I'm following it as much as you guys are, so just remaining patient and just seeing where things end up in this next week or so, next two weeks, I'm not too sure, but I know as much as you do.

"And I want to say this: I'm very appreciative of all those that are pushing behind the scenes to make our world a better place.

"And with everything calming down with the COVID cases, the most important thing for me was just making sure everyone's okay. I've been on record saying this that it's not about me, that I don't want to feel like it's all on me, but the circumstances this year have not been ideal."

Irving has only played in 15 games this season but has maintained a points average of 25.1, above his career figure of 22.9. That is despite his field-goal percentage (45.9 per cent) dropping to its lowest since his penultimate season with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2015-16.

He said he was grateful to NBA commissioner Adam Silver for suggesting the New York mandate "doesn't quite make sense" as unvaccinated opposition players were still allowed to play.

"I know his job is not easy, standing in the fire, sometimes, on behalf of our league," he added. "So my respect level went to a whole new one for him, and I'm just grateful that he did that, and he really took one for the team. And I'm grateful for that.

"But like I said, we want to set a great example for the world in what we're doing, and we try to stand for what's right and respect everyone else's decisions and their personal beliefs."

Kyrie Irving was cool under pressure as he scored a season-high 38 points in the Brooklyn Nets' impressive 126-123 road win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, who finished with 29 points, 14 rebounds and six assists, missed a three-point attempt to send the game to over-time.

The Nets were missing key players Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons but produced a win that showcased their potential having lost 13 of their past 15 games.

New additions Seth Curry (19 points with four three-pointers) and Andre Drummond (17 points, 12 rebounds and five assists) supported Irving well, with the point guard crucial down the stretch from the stripe.

Bobby Portis scored a career-high eight three-pointers in his 30-point haul along with 12 rebounds, while Khris Middleton added 25 points for the Bucks who have lost four of their past five.

Ja records career-high haul

All-Star Ja Morant scored a career-high 46 points, while Steven Adams had 12 points with a season-high 21 rebounds as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Chicago Bulls 116-110. DeMar DeRozan extended his 30-point streak to 10 games with a 31-point haul as the Bulls' six-game win streak was halted.

Nikola Jokic closed to within five of Wilt Chamberlain's all-time triple-doubles record as the Denver Nuggets won 115-110 over the Sacramento Kings. Jokic had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists for his 73rd career triple-double.

The Boston Celtics claimed their 11th win from their past 12 games with a 113-104 victory over the Detroit Pistons, while Trae Young dropped 41 points as the Atlanta Hawks won 127-100 against the Toronto Raptors.

Pop's record on hold

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich will have to wait a few more days before he can tie the NBA record for regular-season victories after a 133-129 loss to the Miami Heat, with Bam Adebayo scoring a season-high 36 points. Popovich has 1,334 regular-season wins as Spurs coach, putting him one behind Don Nelson.

Draymond Green has returned to practice for the first time with the Golden State Warriors since early January as he closes in on a return from injury.

Green has been out since January 9 with a lower back injury but joined in shooting drills and 5-on-0 conditioning.

The All-Star forward has spent plenty of time during his rehab phase in the weight room and said he was "stronger than I've ever been in my life" in an ominous sign for the Warriors.

"My progress has been tremendous," Green said. "I think, where I am today, if you knew where I was eight weeks ago or seven weeks ago, it's night and day."

He added: "I'm stronger than I've ever been in my life. I spent six weeks just sitting in the weight room, working in there for four, five hours a day."

The Warriors remain reluctant to offer a firm timeframe on Green's return to play, with head coach Steve Kerr simply stating it was good to have him back in team practice.

Green, however, admitted he was still weeks away but he should return to get some on-court time ahead of the playoffs, with the Warriors well placed at 43-17 and second in the west.

"I'm trying to stick to as fast as I can possibly get back," Green said. "From where I am, you feel like it's three weeks or so, but it could be five weeks or so. It's no set thing.

"In a week and a half, it could be like my conditioning is at a level, my strength is at a level, my explosiveness is at a level where you can go back out there.

"Like I said, as soon as I feel like I'm whole and can get back out there and get my feet back under me before the playoffs, great. If that's 15 games, fantastic. If it's 10, I'll make do. If it's five, then five is going to have to work."

Brooklyn Nets' All-Star Kevin Durant will return in the next week according to head coach Steve Nash.

Durant has been sidelined since January 15 when he suffered an MCL sprain, with the Nets struggling in his absence, sliding to a 31-29 record including a run of 11 straight defeats.

The Nets have been reluctant to put a timeframe on the 33-year-old's return, having been expected to be out until the All-Star break but Nash offered some clarity ahead of Saturday's road game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

"Every day closer," Nash said after shootaround. "We'll see. I expect in the next week he'll be back for sure. It could be quick; it could be the whole week barring any setbacks."

"I think with Kevin he's been a great healer throughout his career so the number one thing is to get him back healthy and feeling secure in his health and his body so he can move and be free.

"When he's back, obviously he adds a ton to our team on both ends of the floor... one of the greatest scorers of all time. And we also know he helps us defensively; he gives us more size and length. So he's a big miss for us, and whenever he gets back, he'll impact our team."

Nash was less committal on Ben Simmons, whom joined the Nets earlier this month in a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. Simmons has not played all season due to his standoff with the 76ers and is building up his conditioning, as well as managing a "little soreness in his back".

"He's not gone to high intensity yet," Nash said. "Just ramping him up still."

On the back issue, Nash added: "It's not like an injury. It's just kind of like as he's returning to play his back's flared up a little bit. It's not a long-term thing."

LeBron James has quashed suggestions he is set to leave the Los Angeles Lakers, while repeating that he hopes to continue his career long enough to eventually play alongside his son.

The 37-year-old, one of the NBA's most successful superstars of the twenty-first century, joined the Lakers in 2018, leading them to a 2020 championship - the fourth of his prolific career.

Yet, following comments around the league's All-Star game over wanting to play alongside his son Bronny, speculation had run rife that James could leave the Lakers to finish his career with another franchise.

Speaking after the 105-102 defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday though, James sought to shut down discussion, saying he is committed to the franchise through the end of his contract and beyond.

"This is a franchise I see myself being with. I'm here. I'm here," he said. "I see myself being with the purple and gold as long as I can play."

James' current deal has one more season to run, though he is eligible to pen a two-year extension later this year, while high schooler Bronny would not be available to be drafted until the 2024-25 campaign.

"I also have a goal that, if it's possible - I don't even know if it's possible - that if I can play with my son, I would love to do that," James added.

"Is that, like, something that any man shouldn't want that in life? That's like the coolest thing that could possibly happen. That doesn't mean I don't want to be with this franchise."

James - who top scored with 21 points in the loss to the Clippers, as well as managing 11 rebounds - also admitted he remains frustrated by the lack of game time he has shared with Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook this season, with the trio often split by injury.

"I do wish that we were just playing better basketball and between me, AD and Russ on the floor at the same time," James said. "That's the biggest disappointment so far, that us three, because we all wanted to see this work. We just haven't been on the floor."

James Harden scored 27 points with 13 assists on his Philadelphia 76ers debut and formed a strong partnership with Joel Embiid in a 133-102 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.

Harden, who crossed from the Brooklyn Nets in an NBA Trade Deadline move earlier this month, almost registered a debut triple-double, with eight rebounds.

Embiid has been in irrepressible form this season, although there had been some concern Harden's arrival may blunt some of his offensive impact, but the center contributed 34 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.

The new-look 76ers had immediate cohesion, scoring 65 points in the first half, before a 41-point final quarter with Tyrese Maxey finishing with 28 points while Harden also drained five three-pointers, shooting seven-of-12 from the field.

The 76ers recorded a season-high 19 three-pointers for the game, with head coach Doc Rivers admitting "that was pretty good" when asked post-game if Harden's debut could have gone any better.

Lakers fall to Clippers again

Terance Mann led the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds as the Los Angeles Clippers won a tight game with the Los Angeles Lakers 105-102, the sixth time in a row they have beaten their local rivals.

LeBron James top scored with 21 but was unable to stop the Clippers from taking charge in the closing moments, with Amir Coffey adding 12 of his 14 points for the night in the fourth quarter.

The San Antonio Spurs edged the Washington Wizards 157-153 in double over-time, with both teams setting season-highs in scoring. Spurs guard Dejounte Murray recorded a triple-double, although he missed potential winning shots in both regulation and the first over-time.

RJ Barrett scored 46 points including six three-pointers but the New York Knicks went down 115-110 to the Miami Heat, while Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points and Rudy Gobert had a double-double (14 points and 17 rebounds) as the Utah Jazz beat Luka Doncic's Dallas Mavericks 114-109.

Suns streak halted

The table-topping Phoenix Suns' eight-game winning streak came to an end, going down 117-102 to the lowly New Orleans Pelicans. Devin Booker top scored with 30 points for the Suns, who were without injured veteran guard Chris Paul. CJ McCollum scored 32 points for the Pels as he continues to thrive following his trade.

Joel Embiid could not hide his smile in the fourth quarter of the Philadelphia 76ers' 133-102 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves as his partnership with debutant James Harden thrived.

Harden was making his 76ers debut after his NBA Trade Deadline move from the Brooklyn Nets, with the 2018 MVP scoring 27 points including five three-pointers along with eight rebounds and 12 assists.

Embiid's influence remained as strong as ever, finishing with a game-high 34 points along with 10 rebounds and three assists.

The 76ers piled on the points showing Embiid and Harden had struck immediate cohesion with 65 first-half points, while they added another 41 in the fourth quarter.

"You should’ve seen my face every single time especially in the fourth," Embiid told NBC Sports after the game. "The first three quarters obviously making plays for all of us.

"That was probably the most wide open I've ever been in my career. I had a lot of easy baskets.

"I used to have to work for everything but I the fourth quarter the shot-making ability and shot creation, you should’ve seen my face.

"I've never had this. Nothing close to it. Hopefully it continues. We didn’t even play our best. I think we can be way better than that."

The combination quelled fears that Harden's arrival may stifle Embiid's offensive impact, which has him among this season's MVP candidates.

Instead, Harden's influence enabled others to make strong impacts, including Tyrese Maxey who finished with 28 points, while the Sixers managed a season-high 19 three-pointers.

"Easy shot after easy shot. You've just got to be winning shooters. That's what we were tonight," Embiid added.

"[Harden] attracts a lot of attention. When you've two guys on the floor who do that, me and him, it becomes a little easier for everybody else. it's on everyone else to just make shots."

Stephen Curry is aiming to help the Golden State Warriors "peak at the right time" after Thursday's 132-95 rout of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Fresh from the All-Star break, where he hit 16 threes in a 50-point showing, Curry provided 14 assists and put up 18 points in Portland.

Steve Kerr's side had lost four of the previous five games, but Curry hopes the Warriors are set for a strong run leading into the playoffs.

"I'm just trying to enjoy the process, I'm trying to peak at the right time with my guys," he said.

"It's a strong start to the last home stretch and we've got to keep building.

"There's 22 games left where we've got to be our best selves come playoff time, and it's going to be nice to be back on that stage."

The dominant nature of the performance provided plenty of room for optimism for Curry, whose team shook off a slow start after trailing at the end of the first quarter.

"I'm very encouraged," he said. "I thought defensively we asserted our will after the first quarter, really understood how to get stops and turn it into easy offense.

"Portland's different now but they still require your attention, they've got a couple of guys that can light it up."

Curry's display helped seven of his team-mates reach double-figure points tallies and coach Steve Kerr was thrilled with his star man.

"Steph was brilliant," said Kerr. "I loved his patience and the way he ran the team. He played a beautiful game."

The short-handed Brooklyn Nets slumped to their 13th defeat from their past 15 games as Jayson Tatum led the Boston Celtics to a 129-106 victory on Thursday.

Tatum scored 30 points including four three-pointers along with seven rebounds and four assists for the Celtics who have won 10 of their past 11 games.

The Celtics' hot form is in contrast to the Nets, who have slumped to a 31-29 record in the absence of the injured Kevin Durant, unavailable Kyrie Irving and unfit Ben Simmons.

Boston led from start to finish, opening up a 35-22 quarter-time lead, with good support from big men Robert Williams III (12 points and 11 rebounds) and Al Horford (11 points and 13 rebounds).

Seth Curry top scored for the Nets with 22 points but only made two-of-seven from beyond the arc, while Patty Mills struggled with one point from 28 minutes, shooting none-of-nine from the field.

Morant hurt in tight loss

Ja Morant airballed a game-tying three-point attempt in the dying seconds and had a third-quarter injury scare as the Memphis Grizzlies lost 119-114 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Morant finished with 20 points and eight rebounds but seemed to pick up a leg injury on a drive which impacted his final quarter. D'Angelo Russell scored 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter for the Timberwolves.

The ladder-leading Phoenix Suns had no issues without Chris Paul as they extended their winning streak to eight games with a 124-104 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Devin Booker scored 25 points with five rebounds, 12 assists and a career-high six steals.

Stephen Curry was benched late after 18 points and 14 assists as the Golden State Warriors won 132-95 over the Portland Trail Blazers, while Nikola Jokic had 25 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in the Denver Nuggets' 128-110 triumph over the Sacramento Kings.

Trae wayward in Hawks loss

Trae Young struggled as the Atlanta Hawks went down 112-108 to the Chicago Bulls. The Hawks guard made three-of-17 from the field in his 14 points for the game. For the Bulls, who have won six in a row, in-form DeMar DeRozan scored 37 points while Zach LaVine returned from injury with 20 points.