Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel says LeBron James scoring 14 final-quarter points and leading the side to victory over the Sacramento Kings is "just who he is".

James had shot six-of-17 from the field for the game, before stepping up in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers past the Kings 122-114 on Tuesday.

The four-time MVP finished with 31 points, sinking two three-pointers in a row with under five minutes to go, turning around his shooting struggles from earlier in the game.

"You always know that's a possibility," Vogel said at the post-game news conference. "If he's not having a good shooting night, like anybody, you coach him.

"You have to coach him like everybody else but you never lose belief that he's going to do what he did in the fourth quarter. That's just who he is.

"If anything, I think the tweaks we made tonight were about what he was doing on the defensive side.

"He was exerting energy trying to double down. We had to pull back some of that."

The victory means the Lakers have won three in a row after a recent five-game skid, improving to 20-19.

James has averaged 28.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game this season.

LeBron James powered the Los Angeles Lakers to a hard-fought 122-144 win over the Sacramento Kings with a last-quarter barrage on Tuesday.

James finished with 31 points including 14 in the fourth quarter along with five rebounds and five assists for the game to help the Lakers improve to 20-19.

With the Lakers trailing 102-101 with less than five minutes to go, the four-time MVP hit back-to-back three-pointers to claim the ascendancy.

Malik Monk contributed 24 points for the Lakers, while Russell Westbrook had 19 points and seven rebounds.

De'Aaron Fox scored 30 points with three rebounds and six assists for the Kings who move to 16-23.

Paul and Booker shine for Suns

Chris Paul provided 15 assists alongside his 11 points as the west's second seeds, the Phoenix Suns, defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 123-110. Devin Booker scored 33 points for the Suns with nine rebounds and four assists, while Jonas Valanciunas had 25 points with 16 rebounds for the Pels.

The Memphis Grizzlies secured their sixth straight win with a 110-106 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers led by Ja Morant with 26 points, five rebounds and six assists. Darius Garland (27 points and 10 assists) and Kevin Love (18 points and 10 rebounds) were good for the Cavs.

Sabonis struggles from stripe

Domantas Sabonis struggled from the stripe making five-of-12 free-throws while he was bossed by Julius Randle as the Indiana Pacers were beaten 104-94 by the New York Knicks. Sabonis only managed 15 points with eight rebounds, while Randle scored 30 points with 16 rebounds. The Pacers have lost five in a row.

Kevin Durant questioned the intensity shown by the Brooklyn Nets after they suffered a home defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Nets lost for a third game running on Monday, with Ja Morant starring for the Grizzlies at Barclays Center.

Morant scored a game-high 36 points as the Grizzlies won 118-104, claiming a fifth consecutive victory.

While Memphis had five players in double figures for points, the Nets relied on the shooting prowess of Durant and fellow star James Harden.

Durant led the way with 26 points, three rebounds and six assists, with Harden adding a further 19 points, four rebounds and eight assists, but other than Nic Claxton (11), no other Brooklyn player had above 10 points.

Now 23-12 and behind the Chicago Bulls at the top of the Eastern Conference, the Nets have to recover before facing the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

Durant said Brooklyn "relaxed too much" after the defeat to a depleted Los Angeles Clippers team last time out, and the 11-time All-Star put Brooklyn's latest defeat down to a lack of urgency.

"It's about coming into the games with a sense of urgency on both ends of the floor," Durant told reporters. "Making the correct play on both ends of the floor."

While Durant's frustration with the Nets' performance was evident, he was full of praise for the game's star performer Morant.

The 22-year-old leads the Grizzlies for points per game (25.1), and assists per game (6.7), while his 5.7 rebounds per game ranks him second in Memphis' roster.

Morant's field goal percentage of 49.2 is up on his previous seasons (47.7 in 2019-20 and 44.9 in 2020-21), while he is well on course for a career-best points tally.

"He's just controlling the game," Durant said of Morant.

"He's always been an efficient player who can run the point guard spot, he's developed into a major scorer as well. He just plays with a great pace out there, plays with joy and enthusiasm, and you see him blossoming in front of our eyes.

"Since college, he's been on this trajectory. As a basketball fan, you can't wait to see what he's like in years going forward."

It was a sentiment echoed by Morant's team-mate Desmond Bane, who contributed 29 points to the Grizzlies' score.

"People will debate whether or not [Morant] should be an All-Star," Bane said of Morant.  "I think we should be debating whether or not he's the best point guard in the league."

For his part, Morant believes Memphis are finally getting the respect they deserve.

"Since I [came] here, I've been saying we deserve more respect," Morant said. "The stuff we're doing now, obviously that recognition and everything will come."

The Brooklyn Nets suffered a third straight defeat as Ja Morant inspired the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, while the Milwaukee Bucks also slipped up.

Morant scored a game-leading 36 points to lead the Grizzlies to a 118-104 victory – Memphis' fifth successive win.

He was ably supported by Desmond Bane (29 points), Brandon Clarke (16), Jarret Culver and Tyus Jones (both 12), with Kevin Durant and James Harden unable to prevent the Nets' recent slump continuing.

Memphis' victory at the Barclays Center was taken in by Antonio Brown, the NFL wide receiver who was dismissed as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer after his remarkable walk-out against the New York Jets on Sunday.

While the Grizzlies travel to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers on Tuesday, Brooklyn must lick their wounds after relinquishing top spot in the Eastern Conference to the Chicago Bulls, who edged out the Orlando Magic 102-98 to win an eighth straight game.

Pistons stun Bucks

The Pistons had the worst record in the league heading into their clash with reigning champions Milwaukee, but Saddiq Bey's career-high 34 points saw Detroit overcome the odds.

Milwaukee's six-game winning streak was snapped by a 115-106 reverse, with a 31-point turn from talisman Giannis Antetokounmpo not enough.

It was a stunning result for the Pistons, who had lost 12 straight regular-season games to the Bucks by an average of 16.7 points heading into the game – while Milwaukee had also downed Detroit four times in the 2019 playoffs.

Detroit are now 7-28 for the season, meaning it is the Magic who have the league's worst winning percentage. The Bucks must now bounce back against the Toronto Raptors, who beat them in December, on Wednesday.

Jazz get back on the horse

The Utah Jazz responded to their defeat to Western Conference leaders the Golden State Warriors with a 115-104 triumph over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Donovan Mitchell was the standout performer, topping up his game-high 29 points with three rebounds and five assists. It is now nine road wins in a row for the Jazz, who sit third in the West behind the Warriors and the Phoenix Suns.

While the Suns are at New Orleans on Tuesday, Golden State kept themselves secure at the top by collecting a fifth win in six games with a 115-108 victory at home to the Miami Heat.

Doncic and Embiid lift Mavs, Sixers

Luka Doncic claimed another double-double with 21 points and a joint season-high 15 assists to propel the Dallas Mavericks to a convincing 103-89 triumph over the Denver Nuggets.

Doncic's team may have come out on top, but fellow Balkan star Nikola Jokic led the game with 27 points, adding 16 rebounds, albeit last season's MVP could not stop Denver having a three-game winning run ended.

The Mavs are sixth in the West, one place behind Denver but having won a game more.

Joel Embiid, meanwhile, is a player well in the running to take Jokic's regular-season MVP crown, and he turned in a brilliant display in the Philadelphia 76ers 133-113 rout of the Houston Rockets.

Embiid turned in a fourth straight 30-point game with a triple-double of 31 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.

LeBron James led the way as the Los Angeles Lakers returned to .500 with a hard-fought 108-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

The four-time NBA MVP had 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals for the Lakers, who have won three of their past four games.

The Lakers had endured a rough period, losing six out of seven games, but are beginning to re-discover some form.

Russell Westbrook contributed 20 points with three rebounds and five assists but had nine turnovers, while Malik Monk added 22 points.

James also shot nine of 12 from the stripe, moving up to fourth on the all-time NBA free throws made list with 7,695, going past Oscar Robertson. Karl Malone, Moses Malone and Kobe Bryant are the players ahead of the 37-year-old.

Giddey breaks LaMelo's mark for youngest NBA triple-double

Oklahoma City Thunder's 19-year-old rookie Josh Giddey returned from COVID-19 protocols with a bang, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double, breaking LaMelo Ball's mark. Giddey had 17 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists but OKC were beaten 95-86 by the Dallas Mavericks, who had Luka Doncic return from protocols with a near-triple-double with 14 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.

Jaylen Brown scored a career-high 50 points, including 21 in the fourth quarter, in the Boston Celtics' 116-111 over-time win over the Orlando Magic. Brown also had 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks.

Devin Booker scored 24 points with seven rebounds and three assists as the Phoenix Suns improved to 28-8 after beating the Charlotte Hornets 133-99.

Wayward Heat burnt by Kings

Jimmy Butler shot nine of 22 from the field and only one of six from beyond the arc the Miami Heat were beaten by the Sacramento Kings 115-113. Tyler Herro was also eight of 23 from the field.

The Golden State Warriors are set to be bolstered by the return of Draymond Green after the All-Star forward cleared the NBA's health and safety protocols.

Green is eligible to play in Monday's home game against the Miami Heat having been sidelined since Christmas Day's win over the Phoenix Suns.

The 31-year-old entered protocols on December 27, missing the Warriors' past two games, including a narrow loss to the Denver Nuggets which led to him criticising the NBA's decision to postpone the reverse fixture.

The Warriors were set to face Denver in the second of a two-game showdown on Friday, but a coronavirus outbreak within Nuggets camp forced the game to be called off.

Green is averaging 8.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.4 steals per game this season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo declared his place in history will take care of itself as he closes in on matching Michael Jordan's NBA triple-double haul.

The Milwaukee Bucks star nudged ahead of Lakers great Elgin Baylor and up to 19th on the NBA all-time list as he tallied 35 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists in a 136-113 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Jordan Nwora weighed in with 23 points in 19 minutes, while Jrue Holiday grabbed 21 as the Bucks delivered a 400th career win for coach Mike Budenholzer.

Greek maestro Antetokounmpo takes pride in his achievements but says there is little time to stand still and appreciate where his career has taken him – because there is always another game around the corner.

He now has 27 triple-doubles, one shy of all-time great Jordan, who sits 18th on the list.

It was some way to start 2022 for the 27-year-old, who posted on Twitter: "New year, same me."

“To be honest with you, obviously we're so locked in and so focused on what we gotta do, that those moments go, not unnoticed – obviously it’s a great compliment to be with those guys – but you kind of brush it off and just focus on the next game which is Detroit," he said in a post-game news conference.

"But as I get older I gotta take a moment and live in the moment and enjoy this moment. Having 27 triple-doubles, it's insane. I remember getting my first one.

"It's been a long journey, and I've got a long way to go. I'll just keep enjoying every moment, and if you keep playing the right way, good things happen.

"I believe that as long as I am enjoying the game and live in the moment, I keep creating special moments. You've got to appreciate the moments but continue moving forward. That's what I've done my whole life and that's what I'm going to continue doing. It's been working."

He spoke of how his approach had brought rich reward, stating: "I'm just trying to stay aggressive. I feel I'm at my best when I'm aggressive.

"My mindset through the whole game is to be aggressive, make the right decisions, put my team in the right spot."

Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan wondered whether he was dreaming after hitting a buzzer-beating winning three-pointer for the second consecutive day.

After draining a last-gasp shot to lead the Bulls to glory over the Indiana Pacers on New Year's Eve, DeRozan was at it again on Saturday by nailing one from the left corner to earn the Bulls a 120-119 triumph over the Washington Wizards to extend their winning streak to seven.

According to Basketball Reference, DeRozan is the first player in NBA history to hit game-winning buzzer-beaters on consecutive days.

The big moment arrived when he took hold of Coby White's pass with a little over three seconds remaining, dribbled into the corner, faked the shot on rookie Corey Kispert, set his feet and drained the shot.

It was the culmination of another fine performance for DeRozan, who had 28 points, nine rebounds and five assists. He is averaging a league-high eight points on 53 per cent shooting in the fourth quarter this season.

"Just to hit a buzzer-beater in general is amazing, especially when you do it on the road," DeRozan said about his moment of glory.

"I don't know if I'm dreaming. If it's real right now.

"It's just an honour to be trusted in the fourth quarter. Whether things are going good or going bad, my team, team-mates always leaned on me to be that calm presence to bring us home.

"I always bring that calm presence as much as I can in the fourth quarter, letting guys understand, as long we got time we got a chance."

With the Brooklyn Nets having lost to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Bulls stand alone atop the Eastern Conference with a 24-10 record.

Their recent streak is even more impressive in the context of a spate of absentees, a situation that should be eased by the return from health and safety protocols for Lonzo Ball and Alfonzo McKinnie against the Orlando Magic on Monday.

The game will also see head coach Billy Donovan eligible to return from the protocols as well, and stand-in coach Chris Fleming is happy to hand back the reins.

"I'm quite relieved I can give this back to coach," Fleming said. "I was very fortunate enough to be able to experience this from the head coaching standpoint and see the guys from a little bit of a different side.

"I told them after that I was thankful for the partnership and how hard they poured themselves into making the situation a good one.

"That's pretty much how their character has been all season. They've been resilient, they've handled other blows and different guys have been out, and they've just kept chugging."

Stephen Curry said the Golden State Warriors' DNA "is built on chasing championships" as he set a new NBA three-pointer record in their hard-earned win over the Utah Jazz.

For the second road game in a row the Warriors produced when it mattered against a Western Conference rival.

Curry broke his own record for consecutive games with a three-pointer.along the way, surpassing the mark he set in 2016 by reaching 158 appearances in a row with at least one successful three. He finished this game with six three-pointers from 12 attempts.

Having defeated the second-placed Phoenix Suns on Christmas Day, Golden State rallied in the fourth quarter to earn a 123-116 triumph over Utah, with Curry putting up 28 points to go alongside nine assists as they moved to 28-7 for the season.

In what was a real team effort, Andrew Wiggins had 25 points, Otto Porter Jr finished with 20 to go with eight assists and seven rebounds, and Andre Iguodala had 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds off the bench including nailing a late three-pointer to ensure victory.

Reflecting on another big win, Curry said: "It's a good confidence builder to be in these types of settings on the road and get wins like this and show who we are.

"Our DNA is built on chasing championships, and you've got to win games like we have to get it done."

Wiggins, Iguodala and Porter all came up trumps alongside Curry during a final 10 minutes in which the Warriors missed only two shots.

Curry hailed the impact of his team-mates on the win.

"They're talented, and they're gamers, and they understand they're going to have to play like that for us to do special things this year," he added.

"The opportunity is there. It's just a matter of going through the reps."

The Warriors led by as many as 16 at one stage, but 41 points in the third quarter – the most the Warriors have given up in any quarter this season – helped the Jazz to a 91-86 lead.

But the visitors came back strongly again, scoring on seven consecutive plays in the fourth to regain the initiative.

"They did a great job of moving the ball, of getting up into us defensively and making us uncomfortable and controlled that third quarter," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

"But that requires a lot of energy too. That lead we had at half-time forced them to really get after it in that third quarter, and they did. But I thought we had more energy in the fourth as a result."

The Golden State Warriors stormed home with a strong final quarter led by Stephen Curry to halt the Utah Jazz's winning run with a 123-116 victory on Saturday.

The Warriors fought back from a 16-point deficit in the third quarter with a 37-25 final period, going 13 of 18 from the field.

Curry finished the game with 28 points including six three-pointers with six rebounds and nine assists, while Andrew Wiggins contributed with 25 points.

Donovan Mitchell scored 20 points with nine assists, Rudy Gobert had 20 points and 19 rebounds while Bojan Bogdanovic netted 20 points including four triples for the Jazz who had won six in a row.

The result improves the Warriors to 28-7 while the Jazz are 26-10 in the Western Conference.

DeRozan does it again

DeMar DeRozan became the first player to hit a game-winning buzzer beater in successive games since 1997-98 as the Chicago Bulls won 120-119 over the Washington Wizards. DeRozan finished with 28 points, nine rebounds and five assists, while Zach LaVine had 35 points for the Bulls. Bradley Beal had 27 points and 17 assists for the Wizards.

Giannis Antetokounmpo started the year with a triple-double as the Milwaukee Bucks claimed their sixth straight win, beating the New Orleans Pelicans 136-113. Antetokounmpo scored 35 points with 16 rebounds and 10 assists.

Nikola Jokic scored 34 points with 11 rebounds and Facundo Campazzo delivered 22 points and 12 assists as the Denver Nuggets won 124-111 over the Houston Rockets.

Nets beaten as stars shooting off

The Brooklyn Nets stars were back together but they were humbled by the depleted Los Angeles Clippers 120-116. Kevin Durant shot 11 of 24 from the field for his 28 points while James Harden went nine of 22 from the field. Harden did have 34 points with 12 rebounds and 13 assists.

All-Star point guard Luka Doncic has cleared the NBA's health and safety protocols and is set to return for the Dallas Mavericks in Sunday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Doncic is one of the three Mavericks who have cleared protocols, after the Slovenian entered prior to Christmas.

The 22-year-old will likely be joined by shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. and power forward Maxi Kleber in returning for Sunday's game.

Doncic is averaging 25.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists this season for the Mavericks but has not played since December 10.

The 2020 and 2021 All-Star aggravated a sprained left ankle in a loss to the Indiana Pacers on December 10 and missed the next five games before entering protocols.

Doncic has subsequently missed the Mavericks' past 10 games with the side going 5-5 to hold a 17-18 record for the season.

LeBron James is taking pride from the efficiency of his supreme scoring streak with the Los Angeles Lakers.

One day after turning 37, the NBA icon had a season-high 43 points as the Lakers routed the Portland Trail Blazers 139-106 at home on Friday.

The Lakers improved to 18-19 on the season and James extended his remarkable run of 30-point games to seven, the first time he has done that since 2013.

James is nearing his best streak of 10 such games he recorded with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2005-06.

He is averaging 36 points per game over his seven-game stretch, making 57.8 per cent of his shots from the field.

James was 16 of 26 shooting and connected with five three-pointers as the Trail Blazers were crushed, giving him his 67th career 40-point game and sixth for the Lakers in his fourth season with the team.

"If that is what our team needs to win, I am OK with that," said James, per ESPN.

"I am not a guy who goes out and sees if I can jack up a bunch of shots. 

"The streak I have been on with my scoring I have been efficient. I take pride in that as a player."

James also became the oldest player in NBA history to have a game with at least 40 points and 14 rebounds.

Asked about that record, he added: "I don't feel like I have been in the league 19 years. When I am daily reminded of it, I feel it sometimes.

"Sometimes you do have to remind people you can still do what you can do at a high level.

"I literally try to prepare my mind and my body and my soul on how I can stay young in a young man's game.

"Because that's what it all boils down to. It boils down to putting the work in and everything else will take care of itself."

Russell Westbrook (15 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists) recorded a triple-double for the Lakers, his ninth of the season, while there were 18 points from Malik Monk, but James was the clear standout.

Lakers coach Frank Vogel, who cleared the league's COVID-19 protocols to take his place on the sideline against the Trail Blazers, was thrilled with the veteran's impact.

"This is just LeBron James playing at a superior level more than what is happening around him," he said.

"While Anthony Davis is out, he is intent on doing everything he can to pile up wins and play at an extra-high level."

Up next for the Lakers, who had lost six of seven prior to this morale-boosting win, is a home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves (16-19) on Sunday.

DeMar DeRozan believes the sky is the limit for the surging Chicago Bulls as their resilient winning streak continued against the Indiana Pacers.

The Bulls grabbed a dramatic 108-106 road win on Friday, their sixth straight NBA triumph meaning they ended 2021 sitting top of the Eastern Conference at 23-10.

Chicago were without head coach Billy Donovan for a fourth straight game due to health and safety protocols, with Lonzo Ball absent for the same reason, while Alex Caruso is still out with a foot injury.

They were missing 10 players at one stage in December after a COVID-19 outbreak.

DeRozan, who hit an incredible buzzer-beating three-pointer to see off the Pacers, takes huge encouragement from the Bulls' fine form while the team has been undermanned.

"We have been battling COVID protocols with our coach, our players, for what has felt like the last two months," DeRozan said, per ESPN.

"For the team to be able to hold on, sustain like we are doing and end the year top of our conference, it speaks volumes to the type of team we are. 

"And [it speaks volumes to] the type of team we can be once we get back to full strength."

DeRozan paid tribute to teammate Coby White, who hustled to grab a crucial rebound before the game-winning shot off one leg from 28 feet.

White also connected with six of seven attempts from behind the arc in a 24-point display, but it was DeRozan who took the plaudits with a game-high 28 and a +18 point differential.

DeRozan is the league leader for both total points and points per game in the fourth quarter.

This was his second career buzzer-beater and the first for a Bulls player since Jimmy Butler in 2016.

"For that shot to go in was a big-time relief for me," added four-time All Star DeRozan, who is in his first season with the Bulls after spells with the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs.

"We were battling that whole fourth quarter, feeling like nothing was going our way on both ends.

"We couldn't get a rebound. We couldn't get going offensively. It felt like we were getting beat up here and there. 

"By the time I looked up at the clock, I said, 'All right, I got to make something happen'. I just tried to get enough space, get it up, get it over and as soon as it left my hand it felt good.

"I'm a firm believer in, as long as I got time I got a chance.

"Sometimes it's going to be rough nights, and you have got to understand, as long as there's time on that clock you can figure out something to do to pull out a victory. That's what we did."

The Bulls are back in action at the Washington Wizards (18-17) on Saturday.

DeMar DeRozan knocked down a buzzer-beating three-pointer as Eastern Conference leaders the Chicago Bulls dramatically defeated the Indiana Pacers 108-106.

The Bulls ended 2021 on a high with a sixth straight victory that came about when DeRozan picked up the ball with around nine seconds remaining, looked around for options on the court before taking on the shot himself when he noticed the clock winding down.

It was the second time in DeRozan's career he had hit a buzzer-beater, while no Bulls player had achieved the feat since Jimmy Butler in 2016.

DeRozan drained 28 points in total to go with six assists and three rebounds, while Coby White had 24 points. DeRozan is the league leader for both total points and points per game in the fourth quarter.

Victory sees the Bulls head into the new year top of the East, with an identical record (23-10) to the Brooklyn Nets.

Celtics stop the skid to down Suns

The Phoenix Suns entered their showdown with the Boston Celtics with the best record in the NBA but lost for the third time in four games with a 123-108 defeat.

Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart each scored 24 points with the former registering 11 rebounds and the latter eight assists as the Celtics stopped a three-game losing streak. Robin Williams had a triple-double of 10 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds.

Deandre Ayton and Jae Crowder missed a third straight game for the Suns due to being placed on the health and safety protocols. Devin Booker put up 22 points, Cam Johnson had 20, Jalen Smith registered 19, and Chris Paul had 14 points and eight assists, but it was all in vain for the Suns.

LeBron James had a season-high 43 points and extended his streak of 30-point games to seven as the Los Angeles Lakers routed the Portland Trail Blazers 139-106 to improve to 18-19 on the season.

Bulls on a hot-streak

Chicago's six-game winning streak has propelled the Bulls to the top of the East and represents their best winning run since December 2017.