Kevin Durant was philosophical after the Brooklyn Nets saw their 12-match winning streak ended, saying the team ran into "special players" against a hot Chicago Bulls side.

The Nets headed into Wednesday's contest as the in-form team but fell to a 121-112 defeat in Chicago, where six Bulls players finished with double figures for points.

DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams put up 22 apiece, while Nikola Vucevic scored 21 to go with 13 rebounds and Ayo Dosunmu and Zach Lavine finished with 17 and 13 points respectively.

Durant acknowledged the Bulls have "three elite scorers, from all angles of the floor" in reference to DeRozan, LaVine and Vucevic, and added: "Their top two guys [DeRozan and LaVine] were 12 for 31 for 35 points. 

"We can live with that. But Pat Williams made some shots and easy rolls to the rim. Ayo is playing great this year and put pressure on the rim.

"I felt like a lot of times we chased them a bit, and that was just consistent throughout the whole game, us just playing from behind.

"I think we definitely put our foot on the gas in spurts but they made shots. They're talented players, special players. When you've got your whole five in double figures, it's tough to stop that."

Defeat leaves the Nets third in the Eastern Conference but with an identical 25-13 record with the Milwaukee Bucks and just a game back from the table-topping Boston Celtics, who own the best record in the NBA.

For Durant, there were still plenty of good things to take out of the defeat.

"We understand how we want to play every night," he said. "I feel like the league is always on notice with the talent we have on our team. 

"I don't think anybody takes us for granted when they're preparing for us each night. I think we found some things that were good for us on both ends of the floor and want to be consistent with executing those things as we move forward."

The Bulls, who are 10th in the conference, had lost their past two games prior to halting the Nets' charge.

Curiously, their record against the top three in the East this season stands at 6-1, but against teams who are under .500 they are 4-8.

"To come out here after those two tough losses and beat one of the hottest teams in the NBA, it's good," LaVine said. "I think we came out with the right attention to detail. We withstood their run at the end, and we beat them collectively.

"Because you know if you don't come in here and you don't have your A-game you're going to get blown out.

"I think that's the difference in our record. We come out here with the same attention to detail like we've all talked about I think that will flip around a lot of things."

Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded his second triple-double of the season as the Milwaukee Bucks blew a 21-point second-half lead before rallying for a 104-101 overtime win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.

Antetokounmpo finished the game with 30 points on seven-of-18 shooting, making 15-of-21 from the free-throw line, along with a season-high 21 rebounds and 10 assists with one block.

The dominant display came in the second game of a back-to-back after his 55-point performance against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. Antetokounmpo is the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972 to drop 200-plus points, 80-plus rebounds and 30-plus assists over a five-game span.

The Greek forward drove to the basket and laid off a crucial assist for Grayson Allen's go-ahead triple with 11.6 seconds remaining in OT.

Allen had earlier given up a flagrant 1 foul on a four-point play as Gary Trent Jr shot a three-pointer to make it 97-92 with 29.1 seconds remaining. Trent also nailed a 27-foot three-point jumpshot to tie the game at 97-97 sending it to OT.

The Raptors were plagued by poor OT shooting as Antetokounmpo set up Allen twice to clinch the game.

Milwaukee had led 90-69 with 3:50 remaining in the fourth quarter, before Toronto's 28-7 run was sparked by Fred VanVleet, who finished with 28 points and 12 assists along with Trent Jr with 22 points for the game. Scottie Barnes had 19 points for the game, all after three-quarter time.

Brook Lopez had 19 rebounds with nine points for the Bucks, who were missing Jrue Holiday (non-COVID illness) and Khris Middleton (knee).

The result improves the Bucks' record to 25-13 and second in the Eastern Conference, while the Raptors are 12th with a 16-22 record.

Nets winning run ended by Bulls

The Brooklyn Nets' 12-game winning streak was ended by the Chicago Bulls 121-112 despite Kevin Durant's 44 points.

Durant shot 15-of-22 from the field, including five-of-10 from three-point range, but the Bulls had a rounded team effort with all five starters reaching double digits, led by Patrick Williams and DeMar DeRozan, who both scored 22 points with seven rebounds.

Center Nikola Vucevic had 21 points with 13 rebounds, helping the Bulls go on an 8-0 fourth-quarter run when Durant was rested, with Ayo Dosunmu laying down a big dunk for 106-95 with 6:46 left.

Schroder leads short-handed Lakers to victory

Dennis Schroder led the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers past the Miami Heat 112-109 with 14 of his season-high 32 points coming in the fourth quarter.

The Lakers, without LeBron James (non-COVID illness) and Anthony Davis (foot), were also helped by Russell Westbrook with 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds off the bench. Thomas Bryant also scored 21 points.

LA fought back from a six-point fourth-quarter deficit, despite Bam Adebayo's 30 points and 13 rebounds, along with Jimmy Butler contributing 27 points.

The Golden State Warriors are hopeful that reigning NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry can return next Friday ahead of their six-game road trip.

Curry has been sidelined since suffering a left shoulder subluxation on December 14 against the Indiana Pacers.

Warriors general manager Bob Myers revealed Curry was scheduled to be re-evaluated by medical staff on Saturday, which could pave the way for a playing return soon.

"He's working out on the court, and the two-week mark to re-evaluate him this weekend," Myers told Bay Area radio station 95.7.

"There have been no setbacks, so [Friday] would be a hope. That's what we would be shooting for, something in that range when he could be back.

"He's been, not contact, but out there doing all this stuff. He looks like the same guy. He's got a sleeve on his shoulder and arm."

The reigning champions have had a disjointed 2022-23 season, sitting 20-18 and seventh in the Western Conference, ahead of Wednesday's game against the Detroit Pistons.

Curry's return ahead of their six-game road trip would be a boost for the Warriors, who have the worst road record in the NBA, at 3-16.

Joel Embiid has been ruled out by the Philadelphia 76ers for the game against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday with "foot soreness".

Embiid had landed awkwardly in the fourth quarter of the Sixers' 120-111 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.

The 28-year-old center was assessed by the Sixers team doctors on Wednesday and was ruled out despite initially being listed as questionable.

Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said there were no long-term issues and that Embiid was day-to-day moving forward.

"He didn't talk about a lot of soreness right afterwards," Rivers told reporters prior to Wednesday's game.

"Then, later that night, he said his foot was bothering him and was sore, and then more the next day."

Embiid was the Eastern Conference player of the month for December after averaging 35.4 points on 54.5 per cent shooting from the field for the month.

Four-time NBA MVP LeBron James will miss the Los Angeles Lakers' clash with the Miami Heat on Wednesday due to a non-COVID-related illness.

James is fresh from back-to-back 40-point games for the Lakers, including scoring 47 points on his 38th birthday against the Atlanta Hawks.

The Lakers forward has stepped up during Anthony Davis' absence due to a foot injury, averaging 31.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.0 assists through December.

James is averaging 29.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.6 assists across the season for the Lakers, who are 16-21.

Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to make his performances so consistently brilliant that people become bored by him.

The Greece-born star scored a career-high 55 points in the Milwaukee Bucks' 123-113 win against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, while also claiming 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Antetokounmpo is averaging 32.8 points per game after 31 appearances for Milwaukee this season, with only Luka Doncic (34.3) and Joel Embiid (33.5) averaging more in the league.

"I want to get in a position... that my game is boring," Antetokounmpo said after the win. "I just do what I do and people don't talk about it because it becomes boring, I do it every single night.

"That's what I want to do. I want other people to feel like my game is boring. But I don't get bored. The greats, the best players, never get bored. They go out there and they always give their best any given night."

The 28-year-old also became the first player to average 45.0+ points, 15.0+ rebounds and 5.0+ assists per game over a three-game period since Wilt Chamberlain 59 years ago.

"He's been kind of playing with this kind of determination, this kind of just willing us in games," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "Tonight we were able to win it. He's just been phenomenal."

Brooks Lopez, who scored 21 points along with 12 rebounds and three assists, claimed there were not enough words available to describe his team-mate.

"He's just constantly improving," Lopez said. "When you think where else can he go and how else can he improve, he just improves again. We're going to have to expand the English language in some way to come up with words [to describe him].

"I don't know if I've said that before, but I'm sure he's going to improve again. Who knows what he's going to do next? He's just so otherworldly."

Giannis Antetokounmpo continued his red-hot form on Tuesday as he scored a season-high 55 points in the Milwaukee Bucks' 123-113 win over the Washington Wizards.

His 55-point outburst on 20-of-33 shooting – including an impressive 15-of-16 at the free throw line – comes after games of 43 points and 20 rebounds against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, and 45 points, 22 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

In doing so, Antetokounmpo became the first player since Hall-of-Famer Wilt Chamberlain in 1964 to average at least 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists over a three-game span.

He added 10 rebounds and seven assists against the Wizards, while fellow defensive stalwart Brook Lopez was also terrific. Lopez scored 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting while grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking six shots. 

His 2.7 blocks per game is the best figure among those who have qualified for the league leaderboard by playing at least 70 per cent of their team's games, although Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr is averaging 3.1 blocks in his 20 appearances.

Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo boosted his scoring average to 32.8, placing him third in the league, and he is also third in rebounding at 11.8 per game.

With the win, the Bucks are now 24-13, which is tied with the Denver Nuggets for the third-best record overall.

Thunder shock the Celtics

The Oklahoma City Thunder produced one of the more unlikely performances of the season as they broke their franchise scoring record with a 150-117 home win against the league-leading Boston Celtics.

Making the feat even more impressive was the fact that the Thunder were without franchise player and the NBA's fifth-leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after he was a late withdrawal due to an illness.

OKC were led by Josh Giddey with 25 points (10-of-15 shooting), five rebounds, five assists and two steals as one of five Thunder players to score at least 20.

The 150 points is the second-most the Celtics have ever conceded in a game as Oklahoma City piled on quarters of 34, 40, 48 and 28 in a completely one-sided contest.

Fox delivers game-winner for the Kings

De'Aaron Fox nailed a game-winning lay-up with under one second remaining to give the Sacramento Kings a 117-115 road win against the Utah Jazz.

Fox led all scorers with 37 points on 15-of-22 shooting, adding six assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal. 

He was supported strongly by two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis, who had 21 points (eight-of-13), 14 rebounds and eight assists to help the Kings into the Western Conference's fifth seed as they seek to break the NBA's longest active playoff drought (2006).

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson will be reevaluated in three weeks he suffered a right hamstring strain during Monday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the team announced Tuesday.

Late in the third quarter of Monday’s game, Williamson grabbed a defensive rebound and began pushing the ball in transition, before pulling up sharply as he crossed mid-court, holding his hamstring.

He was evaluated in the locker room by the team’s training staff and did not return to the game.

Imaging on Tuesday revealed a strain that will keep him off the floor until late this month at the earliest.

Williamson’s absence will be a blow to a New Orleans club that has been without co-star Brandon Ingram since November 25 because of a left toe injury.

Despite Ingram’s injury, the Pelicans began Tuesday with the third-best record in the Western Conference at 23-14.

Ingram has begun doing individual shooting drills and appears nearing a return, but C.J. McCollum will likely be asked to carry the offensive load in the meantime.

Larry Nance Jr. would be the most obvious candidate to step into Williamson’s forward spot in the starting lineup, but he has played in just two of the past eight games due to a neck contusion and soreness in his right Achilles tendon. Third-year forward Naji Marshall may fill that role until Nance can return.

Dominant when on the court, Williamson has had his young pro career marred – and perhaps defined – by a series of injuries that have kept him on the sidelines. Since being drafted first overall in 2019, Williamson has played just 114 games, and he missed all of last season with a fractured right foot.

Williamson is averaging 26 points, 7 rebounds and 4.6 assists this season in 29 games.

The Brooklyn Nets will look to extend their winning streak to 13 games when they travel to take on the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

Brooklyn's current 12-game run is the best streak in the NBA this season, and they are showing no signs of slowing down, with their past two victories against the San Antonio Spurs (139-103) and the Charlotte Hornets (123-106) coming by a combined 53 points.

Over that 12-game span, the Nets have gapped the field as the best offensive team in the league. In fact, their 124.2 points per 100 possessions is 6.0 points better than the second-placed Portland Trail Blazers (118.2).

That gap is greater than the distance between the Trail Blazers and the 24th-ranked Minnesota Timberwolves (112.9).

Their offensive firepower has been ignited by some unbelievable, and perhaps unsustainable efficiency by their All-NBA duo.

Over the past 12 games, Kevin Durant is shooting 59.2 per cent from the field – well above his career-best field goal percentage of 53.7 from his 2016-17 and 2020-21 campaigns. It is the same story for Kyrie Irving, who has led the team with 29.3 points at 54.3 per cent shooting, which would both comfortably set new career-highs.

The all-time record for team three-point percentage in a season belongs to the 1996-97 Charlotte Hornets at 42.7 per cent, while during this stretch the Nets have shot the three-ball at an unprecedented 44.2 per cent.

Unless that pair – who are both in their 30s – as well as the Nets as a whole are truly about to shatter their own personal and franchise records, they will, at some point, have to come back down to earth.

However, there is no indication the Bulls will be the team equipped to stand in their way.

During the Nets' winning streak, the Bulls have had the third-worst defense in the NBA, conceding 119.2 points per 100 possessions.

A big part of that has been their inability to rebound and finish off their defensive possessions. They are allowing 16.8 second-chance points per game – the second-most – while at the same time being the league's worst offensive rebounding team, grabbing only 21.9 per cent of their own misses.

The Bulls have also been the absolute worst team in the league at restricting three-pointers, allowing an average of 15.7 made threes per game at an efficient 38.6 per cent.

But while the three-pointer has been the Nets' best friend and the Bulls' worst enemy, it is also the most volatile method of scoring, and teams will generally regress to the mean over the course of an 82-game season.

It means the Nets will not keep shooting this well, and the Bulls will not continue to get lit up from long range at this rate – and while it is impossible to predict when things will begin to swing in the opposite direction, both teams are due for a change of fortune.

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Brooklyn Nets – Kyrie Irving 

While Durant is the Nets' undisputed best player, Irving is the X-factor, and his strong games generally coincide with wins.

Irving is shooting 52.6 per cent from the field and 43.7 per cent from deep in the 18 wins he has been a part of, while those figures plummet to 44.9 per cent from the field and 24.7 per cent on three-pointers in his nine losses.

Chicago Bulls – Zach Lavine

It is a similar story for the Bulls, who have DeMar DeRozan as their consistent centrepiece, but rely on Zach Lavine to bring the additional firepower to a team lacking in three-point threats.

For the season, the Bulls are hitting just 10.6 three-pointers per game – the fourth-worst figure in the league – but in the 15 wins Lavine has played in he has hit 3.5 threes per game at a red-hot 46.1 per cent clip. It is a stark difference to his 2.2 made threes at 30.6 per cent in his 18 losses.

KEY BATTLE – Who can control the paint?

It seems clear that whoever catches fire from long range will likely emerge victorious, but with so much volatility attached to high-volume three-point shooting, it may come down to whichever team gets the easiest baskets.

A diet of lay-ups, dunks and free throws will always be the most sustainable form of offense, and the Nets are a team that lack much true size beyond starting center Nic Claxton.

If Bulls center Nikola Vucevic can impose his will on Claxton early and perhaps get him into foul trouble, it could open up the paint and force Ben Simmons to play extended minutes as the Nets' primary rim protector, which is not where he shines defensively.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Bulls have won three of their past four meetings with the Nets, including the most recent fixture on November 1, coming away 108-99 victors after holding Irving to just four points.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will be without their franchise player for Tuesday's home game against the Boston Celtics after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was ruled out due to an illness.

Gilgeous-Alexander, 24, is in the midst of a breakout season that has him the favourite for the Most Improved Player award.

After averaging 24.5 points per game this past season on shooting splits of 45/30/81, the Canadian has jumped up to 30.8 points per game on 49/35/91 to sit fifth in scoring.

Almost a lock for his first All-Star appearance this season, Gilgeous-Alexander has helped his relatively mediocre Thunder team to a 10-9 home record, although they are 5-12 on the road, leaving them with the sixth-worst record in the league at 15-21.

On the flip-side, the Celtics own the league's best record at 26-11, and the league's best offense, scoring 117.2 points per 100 possessions. Meanwhile, the Thunder are way down with the 24th-ranked offense (110.5) despite Gilgeous-Alexander playing all but three games.

Damar Hamlin had the American sporting community rooting for him after the Buffalo Bills safety suffered an on-field cardiac arrest, as team-mate Josh Allen pleaded: "Please pray for our brother."

Hamlin was in a critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, having collapsed during Monday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Hamlin made a tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter, and after briefly returning to his feet, he slumped to the ground.

He was administered CPR on the field, before being loaded into a waiting ambulance and rushed away.

Amid harrowing scenes, the game was suspended while the Bengals were leading 7-3 with 5:58 remaining in the first period.

Allen led the call for prayer for Hamlin, with well-wishers from across sport, entertainment and politics also sending thoughts and best wishes.

Former Chargers and Saints quarterback Drew Brees wrote on Twitter: "Damar Hamlin represents every one of us and every team-mate we've ever had.

"I've never met him, but I know him as a member of our brotherhood. My family and I pray for him and his family as he recovers. God be with him."

Michael Vick and Patrick Mahomes also said they were praying for Hamlin, the latter adding: "Please be okay man."

Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill added: "Praying for Damar Hamlin, his family and everyone in Buffalo... no words for a situation like this."

The NFL said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with Damar, his family and the Buffalo Bills."

Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt said: "The game is not important. Damar Hamlin’s life is important. Please be ok. Please."

From basketball, the NBA said: "The entire NBA family's thoughts and prayers are with Damar Hamlin, his family and the NFL community."

That was reflected in post-game comments from a number of leading stars after Monday's NBA action, with Lakers superstar LeBron James saying: "My thoughts and super prayers goes up to the skies above for that kid's family, for him, for that brotherhood of the NFL and everybody a part of the NFL family."

James said it was "definitely the right call" to abandon the game for the night.

He said of the incident: "It was a terrible thing to see and I wish nothing but the best for that kid, for the city of Buffalo, for the franchise of the Bills and like I said, for the rest of the NFL as well and also the Bengals that was there and playing in that game."

Klay Thompson, from the Golden State Warriors, added: "As athletes, sometimes the game can overshadow us as individuals or people.

"On behalf of the organisation, we wish him the best. We're keeping him in our prayers and hoping for the best possible outcome. He's a tremendous person and it's bigger than the sport."

Hollywood actor Ben Stiller, a big sports fan, wrote: "Sending good thoughts and prayers to Damar Hamlin and his family."

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani said: "Our prayers are with Damar Hamlin."

Amid the focus on Hamlin's plight, there was a surge in donations to a Christmas fundraiser the Bills star organised in 2020, to raise money to buy toys for children hit hard by the pandemic.

The fundraiser's target had been $2,500, but its running tally passed $3million by the early hours of Tuesday.

Klay Thompson recalled his lowest moments from an extended time on the sidelines after posting his best scoring performance of the season on Monday.

Thompson, who missed over two and a half years through injury before returning to the court last January, scored 54 points as the Golden State Warriors sealed an overtime win against the Atlanta Hawks.

The 32-year-old, who also had eight rebounds and three assists, made 21 of 39 field goal attempts and 10 of 21 from beyond the arc as the Warriors won 143-141 at Chase Center.

"It's better than good, [it's] amazing,'' Thompson said after his performance. "Those moments where you have the ball with the game on the line down the stretch and your team-mates trust you, those are what you really live for as a competitor, as a basketball player. It was hard to see those at times during the rehab process."

The defending NBA champions have struggled on the road this season, but their far more reliable home form saw them move to 20-18, with 17 of those wins coming at Chase Center.

Coach Steve Kerr was particularly pleased with the effort of Thompson, saying: "He just made shot after shot and play after play, he was incredible."

Kevon Looney scored the winning basket right at the final buzzer in second overtime, making up for a miss just prior, and laughed when asked if he had ever scored a game-winner before.

"Not a walkoff game-winner," Looney said. "I rushed the first one. I didn't think I had that much time, but I saw I had more time, so I took my time on the second one and I was able to make it."

LeBron James' ability to take care of himself allows the Los Angeles Lakers to still rely on the 38-year-old, says coach Darvin Ham.

Having managed 47 points in Friday's win at the Atlanta Hawks, James scored 43 in the Lakers' 121-115 victory against the Charlotte Hornets, becoming the first player beyond the age of 38 to score 40 or more in consecutive games since Michael Jordan.

James, who also recorded 11 rebounds and six assists at Spectrum Center in almost 40 minutes on court, turned 38 on Friday.

"I just want to ride him," Ham said after the win. "And he allows you to do that because he takes such great care of himself. So, it's a great luxury to have."

James has been in impressive form of late, averaging 34.5 points from his last 11 games. He insisted his consistency is unrelated to carrying more pressure following the recent injury to Anthony Davis, though his form also improved last season when Davis was sidelined.

"Last year is last year," James said when it was put to him. "Obviously, I found a good groove last year. But this year is this year, as well. I feel really good in every facet of my game."

Austin Reaves, who scored 15 points with six rebounds and seven assists in just over 22 minutes of action, also paid tribute to James' conditioning.

"It's incredible," Reaves said. "To see him at his age... the stuff that he does, the way that he moves, the contact that he endures in a full game and just the way that his body has held up this whole time, it's super impressive.

"But it's a testament to what he does on a daily basis. He's always the first one in the training room, the first one taking care of his body and also getting the work in as well. So, to say the least, I'm happy to be on his team."

Donovan Mitchell said he feels "humbled" after becoming the seventh player in NBA history to eclipse 70 points in a single game after dropping 71 in the Cleveland Cavaliers' win on Monday.

The Cavaliers beat the Chicago Bulls 145-134 in overtime, with Mitchell scoring a career-high and franchise record 71 points on 22-of-34 shooting, hitting seven-of-15 from long range and 20 of his 25 free throws.

In doing so, he beat his own personal best by 14 points after he scored 57 in a playoff loss with the Utah Jazz in 2020, and it was 25 points better than his previous regular season high of 46.

He also overtook the Cavaliers' franchise record, which was previously set at 57 by both Kyrie Irving in 2015 and LeBron James in 2017.

Mitchell added 11 assists and eight rebounds to his stat line, meaning he scored or assisted on 99 of his side's 145 points – the second-most ever, trailing only the legendary 100-point game from Wilt Chamberlain back in 1962 when he was responsible for 104 points.

Adding to his heroics, he single-handedly forced overtime when he intentionally missed a free throw with three seconds remaining in regulation, before getting his own rebound and putting it back in to tie the contest.

Mitchell went on to outscore the Bulls 13-4 by himself in the extra period, putting the finishing touches on his unforgettable night.

Speaking after the game, Mitchell said he has never scored that many points at any level, except for in video games.

"Never  – except [NBA] 2K, in 2K for sure," he said. "When I first got into the league I played as the Jazz and was shooting it every time.

"I don't think I did it this efficiently in 2K, but no I never have [scored 71 at any level]. The closest I think I got was in the bubble with 57 – but that was in a loss, so this feels a lot better."

When asked how it feels to join Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor, David Robinson, David Thompson and Devin Booker as the only players to reach the 70-point mark, Mitchell was initially lost for words.

"It's humbling," he said. "I'm speechless, to be honest with you. 

"For me, not only did I do that, but I did it in an effort when we came back and won – and it was how we won. That's really what, for me, was like 'man, this is nuts'. 

"I'm extremely blessed, I'm humbled that I'm in that company, in that group. I've always believed I can be one of the best players in this league, but I've got to keep working. 

"This is a big milestone, but at the end of the day those guys have all won at the highest level, and that's my ultimate goal, but to be there in the record books with them is truly incredible."

Team-mate Kevin Love was in Cleveland for their tremendous run of four consecutive trips to the NBA Finals with James and Irving, but he declared this as the best performance he has ever witnessed in person.

"In my 15 years, that's the best performance I've ever seen, ever been a part of," he said. 

"I've seen some special ones, I was talking about Kyrie here against Portland when he had 55, LeBron in Game 1 of the 2018 Finals, 57 for Kyrie in San Antonio – but this one takes the cake."

Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff echoed that admiration for Mitchell's display.

"We were treated tonight to one of the greatest performances in the history of the game," he said. "Every single play that he made was a play that was necessary.

"Donovan has never put himself above the team, so how can you not root for a guy like that? I told everyone else to get out of the way."

The win improves the Cavaliers' record to 24-14 to occupy the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, while they boast the fourth-best home record in the league at 17-4.

Donovan Mitchell shattered the Cleveland Cavaliers' franchise record with 71 points in his side's 145-134 home victory against the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

The Cavaliers' previous record for most points in one game belongs to Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, who both had a 57-point game in a Cleveland uniform in 2015 and 2017 respectively.

Mitchell also came through in a pivotal moment late in the fourth quarter to force overtime after being fouled with three seconds remaining, trailing by three. He made the first free throw, before missing the second and getting his own offensive rebound and putting it back in to tie the game.

He went on to outscore the Bulls 13-4 by himself in the extra period, finishing 22-of-34 from the field, seven-of-15 from deep and 20-of-25 from the free throw line while adding 11 assists and eight rebounds.

Mitchell blew his own career-highs out of the water, having never previously scored more than 46 points in a regular season game, although he had games of 57 and 51 in the Utah Jazz's 2020 playoff series against the Denver Nuggets.

He scored or assisted on 99 of the Cavaliers' 145 points – the second most all-time, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point performance in 1962 where he contributed to 104 points.

Mitchell joins Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor, David Robinson, David Thompson and Devin Booker as the only players to reach the 70-point figure.

It overshadowed a terrific performance from Chicago's DeMar DeRozan, who scored a team-high 44 points on 16-of-32 shooting with four assists and four steals.

LeBron carries the Lakers in vintage display

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James willed his side to a 121-115 road win against the Charlotte Hornets with his second consecutive 40-point game.

After putting up a season-high 47 points his last time out against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, James almost matched it against Charlotte, scoring a game-high 43 points on 16-of-26 shooting with 11 rebounds and six assists.

He was the only Lakers player to score more than 18 points, as Thomas Bryant played strong supporting role with 18 points (nine-of-17 shooting) and 15 rebounds.

The Lakers have now won three of their past four to improve to 16-21 – four games behind the Sacramento Kings (19-16) in the Western Conference's sixth seed.

Nets make it 12 in a row

The Brooklyn Nets own this season's longest winning streak after rattling off their 12th in a row with a 139-103 drubbing of the San Antonio Spurs.

Brooklyn's two offensive centrepieces were both at the top of their game. Kevin Durant scored 25 points on wildly efficient 10-of-14 shooting with 11 assists, while Kyrie Irving scored his game-high 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting.

The highlight of the game came when Irving crashed the offensive rebounds on a Yuta Watanabe miss, rising up for a surprising put-back dunk that sent the Barclays Center crowd into raptures.

Brooklyn are now 25-12 after beginning the season 1-5, and trail the Boston Celtics (26-11) by one game in the race for the league's best record.