LeBron James gave an emotional speech after surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the all-time regular season scoring record on Tuesday, thanking those who helped him along the way.

James came into the contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder trailing by 35 points, and he needed only three quarters to get there, nailing a fadeaway jump shot late in the third period to bring up 36 points on 12-of-18 shooting.

That basket gave him his 38,388th regular season point, while he is already 1,644 points clear of Michael Jordan for the most points in playoff history.

During a lengthy delay after James broke the record, where Abdul-Jabbar came onto the court for a symbolic passing of the torch, James reflected on the journey to this moment.

"I just want to say thank you to the Lakers faithful, you guys are one-of-a-kind," he said.

"To be able to be in the presence of such a legend as great as Kareem means so much to me, it's very humbling – please give a standing ovation to 'The Captain' please.

"To my beautiful wife, my daughter, my two boys, my friends, my boys, my family, my mother – man, everyone who has ever been a part of this run with me the past 20 years.

"I just want to say I thank you so much, because I wouldn't be me without y'all. All y'all help, all y'all passion, all y'all sacrifices helped me get to this point. 

"To the NBA, to Adam Silver, to the late great David Stern, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of something I've always dreamed about. 

"I would have never, ever, in a million years have dreamt this even better than it is tonight… thank you guys."

Klay Thompson was hailed by Stephen Curry after a masterclass in three-point shooting for the Golden State Warriors, draining 12 from behind the arc against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

It was only the seventh time in NBA history that a player has made at least 12 threes in a game, and Thompson joins team-mate Curry as the only ones to accomplish it twice.

Thompson holds the outright record of 14 three-pointers in an NBA game, achieved in 2018 against the Chicago Bulls, but this time 12 was plenty as the Warriors scored a crushing 141-114 win over the Thunder.

"That boy gooooood!" Curry wrote on Twitter.

Curry is out for the foreseeable with knee ligament damage, so the onus falls on the likes of Thompson to step it up for the 28-26 Warriors, last season's champions who sit seventh in the Western Conference.

Thompson put together a 27-point first half at Chase Center, finishing the game with 42 points on 15-of-22 shooting, including a 12-of-16 record from long range.

The 32-year-old Thompson is no strange to such big individual efforts. He has hit at least 10 threes on eight occasions across his NBA career, and he had an inkling something special was one before this game began.

He said, quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle: "Every pregame when I’m doing my little warm-up I flip a kettle bell to see if it lands upright, and tonight it did. So I knew it was going to be a good one."

Thompson savoured what he achieved, saying: "It felt great, but what felt even better was the 43 team assists we had and only 16 turnovers.

"I think that was the indicator of how the night went. It has to be the most we've had all season and the ball was humming. And when we do that we're at our best. And for me, I'm a huge beneficiary of when the ball is moving."

The 42 points was Thompson's second-biggest haul of the season, beaten only by his huge 54-point game on January 2 against the Atlanta Hawks.

Coach Steve Kerr said: "That was probably the most fun I've had watching our team all year."

He praised the "magnificent" Jordan Poole, who had a career-high 12 assists and added 21 points.

"It was one of the best games I've ever seen him play, he was so under control," Kerr said.

"Klay was dominating with his shot, but Jordan was controlling the game, just running the show and taking care of the ball. Then he started scoring in the second half when that presented itself. He was brilliant all night."

Brooklyn Nets spark plug Cam Thomas almost outdueled the Los Angeles Clippers' All-Star duo by himself before ultimately going down 124-116 on Monday.

Thomas, 21, set a new career-high on Saturday with 44 points in a win against the Washington Wizards, and he eclipsed that figure with 47 on 15-of-29 shooting against the Clippers.

In doing so, he became the youngest player since LeBron James to reach 40 points in back-to-back games.

The second-year guard hit seven of his 11 three-pointers after going four-of-five against Washington, capitalising on the increased opportunity created by the departure of Kyrie Irving in a trade to the Dallas Mavericks.

Thomas scored more than double his closest team-mate – Edmond Sumner with 23 points – but the combination of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George ended up pulling it out down the stretch.

The Clippers trailed 107-99 with six minutes remaining, before closing the game on a 25-9 run, including nine of Leonard's 24 points. The two-time NBA Finals MVP added six assists and four rebounds while shooting eight-of-17.

George was slightly better with 29 points on 10-of-20 shooting, and center Ivica Zubac was important with 19 points (six-of-nine), 12 rebounds and three steals.

The win was the Clippers' eighth from their past 10 games, improving their record to 31-26 and strengthening their grip on the Western Conference's fourth seed. The Nets sit fourth in the East at 32-21.

Mavericks get a taste of the future

Third-year guard Josh Green and rookie Jaden Hardy appear poised to assume expanded roles after both set new career-highs with 29 points in the Dallas Mavericks' 124-111 road win against the Utah Jazz.

Green, 22, has been on an upward trajectory since being selected 18th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, and with the Mavericks shipping away two players for Irving, there are minutes up for grabs.

He shot 10-of-17 from the field as he blew past his previous career-high of 23 early in the last period, while Hardy also made his case for more playing time as he matched Green's 29 points (eight-of-12) for a new career-high of his own. Green finished with a gaudy plus/minus of plus 39 in 37 minutes, while Hardy was plus 23 in 26 minutes.

It was reported by The Athletic that Green and Hardy were off-limits in the Irving discussions, and they are justifying that stance right away as the keys to Dallas' first win this season without Luka Doncic in the line-up.

Klay winds back the clock

Chase Center fans were treated to a vintage Klay Thompson performance as the Golden State Warriors sharpshooter put together a 27-point first half during a 141-114 demolition of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Thompson shot 10-of-14 from the field and hit seven of his nine three-point attempts in the first half, before going on to finish with 42 points on 15-of-22 shooting, including 12-of-16 from long range.

It was only the seventh time in NBA history that a player has made at least 12 three-pointers in a single game, and Thompson now joins team-mate Stephen Curry as the only players to accomplish it twice. Thompson has hit at least 10 threes on eight occasions, and he owns the single-game record as the only player to make 14.

The Western Conference All-Star reserves included three first-time selections, headlined by Most Improved Player candidates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lauri Markkanen.

The reserves announcement on Thursday followed the starter reveal a week earlier, where Los Angeles Lakers megastar LeBron James was named captain of the West team.

He will be joined by Dallas Mavericks MVP candidate Luka Doncic, New Orleans Pelicans powerhouse Zion Williamson, reigning back-to-back MVP of the Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic, and Golden State Warriors icon Stephen Curry.

The Memphis Grizzlies are the only top-two team in either conference to not have a starter, but they will still send two players to All-Star Weekend with Ja Morant heading back for his second and Defensive Player of the Year favourite Jaren Jackson Jr earning his first appearance.

Jackson is leading the NBA with 3.3 blocks per game, while his 4.3 combined blocks and steals is well clear of the second-placed Nic Claxton (2.6 blocks, 0.7 steals) and Anthony Davis (2.0 blocks, 1.3 steals).

He is joined by fellow first-time selections Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Utah Jazz's key offseason trade acquisition Lauri Markkanen.

At 30.8 points per game, Gilgeous-Alexander sits fifth in the league, while boasting elite efficiency splits of 50.5 per cent from the field, 35.9 per cent from three and 91 per cent from the free throw line. He is also the only guard averaging at least one block per game (1.1), and is the only player in the league averaging at least 1.5 steals (1.7) and a block.

While Gilgeous-Alexander's trajectory had been pointing up, Markkanen's rise has been more of a surprise. 

Having never previously scored more than 18.7 points per game or shot better than 48 per cent from the field, the star of Finland's international team is now up to 24.9 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting 52.1 per cent from the field and a blistering 43.4 per cent from deep.

Also earning a spot in the West reserves was Los Angeles Clippers wing Paul George –  who leads all reserves this year with his eighth selection – as well as Portland Trail Blazers' all-time leading scorer Damian Lillard with his seventh.

The Sacramento Kings were campaigning for two All-Stars due to their impressive position third in the West, but they had to settle for just center Domantas Sabonis after point guard De'Aaron Fox was arguably the conference's biggest snub.

Fox is leading the team in scoring at 24.3 points per game and is also enjoying his first season shooting above 50 per cent from the field, while Sabonis is leading the league in rebounding at 12.4 per game to go with his 18.8 points (61.5 per cent shooting) and 7.1 assists.

Other than Jokic (10.0 assists per game), Sabonis is the only other interior player in the league averaging at least seven assists.

Luka Doncic produced yet another spectacular performance on Monday as he carried the Dallas Mavericks with 53 points in a 111-105 home win against the Detroit Pistons.

The 23-year-old Slovenian returned to the lineup after missing the Mavericks' loss against the Utah Jazz on Saturday, and he looked on track for a big one from the jump.

Doncic scored 24 of Dallas' 30 points in the first quarter, but the team found themselves trailing at half-time as the rest of the Mavericks struggled on the offensive end.

By the end of the third frame, Dallas trailed by one as Doncic had 45 points and none of his team-mates had more than eight, but the Mavericks were able to hold the Pistons to 21 points in the final period to pull out the narrow victory.

Doncic shot 17-of-24 from the field for his 53 points – the second-most he has ever scored in an NBA game – while adding eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. He had 41 points more than his closest team-mate, Spencer Dinwiddie with 12.

It was the fifth time in his career Doncic has reached 50 points, and the fourth since December 23, after posting games of 50, 51 and 60 points in the last nine days of 2022.

With the win, the Mavericks improved their record to 27-25, sitting sixth in the Western Conference, while the Pistons are dead last in the East at 13-39.

Curry brings the thunder to OKC

Stephen Curry was at his best in the Golden State Warriors' 128-120 road win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, leading both teams in points and assists.

The reigning NBA Finals MVP finished with 38 points on 12-of-20 shooting, while also dishing 12 assists and snatching eight rebounds in a masterful display.

He was supported well by 'Splash Brother' Klay Thompson, who chipped in 28 points on 10-of-21 shooting, as the duo combined to hit 14-of-28 from three-point range.

They locked horns with the Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who maintained the fifth-best scoring average in the league (30.9 per game) by scoring 31 on 10-of-24 shooting with seven assists and three blocks.

Banchero shines in Fultz's return to Philly

Orlando Magic guard Markelle Fultz posted his first double-double of the season as the former number one overall pick made a winning return to Philadelphia.

In his first road game against the Philadelphia 76ers since being traded from the franchise in 2019, Fultz finished with 12 points and 10 assists, helping to ignite a 77-47 second-half demolition on the way to a 119-109 upset win.

The star for the Magic was their other top overall pick, as rookie Paolo Banchero scored a team-high 29 points on 11-of-22 shooting while adding nine rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal.

Joel Embiid was terrific for the 76ers, dropping 30 points (11-of-20), 11 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks, but his scoring average for the season dropped to 33.6. He still leads the league, but Doncic (33.4) is hot on his tail.

The Splash Brothers found their range as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 64 points including 10 three-pointers in the Golden State Warriors' 129-117 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday.

Curry top scored with 35 points on 13-of-21 shooting from the field, making four-of-eight from beyond the arc, with seven rebounds, 11 assists and two steals at Chase Center.

Thompson finished with 29 points but nailed six-of-14 three-point attempts, along with eight rebounds.

Donte DiVincenzo made another strong impression off the bench, playing 33 minutes for 12 points with two-of-five three-pointers and 11 assists.

As a team, Golden State shot at 55.6 per cent from the field (50-of-90), while they had 40 assists compared to Toronto's 24.

The win improves the Warriors' home record to 19-6, while they nudge over .500 with a 25-24 overall record to move up seventh in the Western Conference.

Raptors guard Fred VanVleet scored a team-high 28 points on five-of-10 three-point shooting with 10 assists, while Scottie Barnes chipped in with 24 points.

Giannis dominates as Middleton comeback continues

Giannis Antetokounmpo held off another Indiana Pacers' late charge as the Milwaukee Bucks won 141-131 fuelled by the Greek's 41 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.

Antetokounmpo made five-of-eight free-throws in the final four minutes as the Bucks held on. Jrue Holiday contributed 20 points with nine rebounds and nine assists.

Khris Middleton continued his gradual return to full fitness, scoring 17 points in 15 minutes off the bench, while Myles Turner top scored for Indiana with 24 points.

SGA racks them up again for OKC

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded his fourth straight 30-point game as the Oklahoma City Thunder down the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-100 after scores were locked at three-quarter time.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 35 points, with eight assists and five rebounds for OKC, who won for the sixth time in eight games to improve to 24-25.

The Cavs were without Donovan Mitchell due to a groin injury, with Darius Garland starring for them with 31 points and 13 assists.

Meanwhile, Ja Morant recorded his fourth triple-double of the season with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in the Memphis Grizzlies' 111-100 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander plays the game at his own pace, according to Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault after his star player helped them break the Denver Nuggets' winning streak.

Denver had put together nine victories in a row, and were unbeaten in 16 at home before the Thunder overcame them 101-99 at Ball Arena on Sunday.

Gilgeous-Alexander led the way as he scored 34 points, with five rebounds and five assists as OKC made it five wins from six games and moved onto 23-24 for the season.

The decisive basket came from Gilgeous-Alexander with 9.2 seconds remaining and Daigneault praised the Canada international guard's composure under pressure.

"He's got some poise in those situations," Daigneault said of the 24-year-old. "The game slows down for him. He's got great confidence and he's always at his pace, even in the most pressure situations."

It was the first time in over a month that the Thunder had limited an opponent to under 100 points, and Daigneault paid tribute to the Nuggets – who were again without Nikola Jokic due to a hamstring issue – and his team's ability to get past them.

"I thought we did a really good job, played really good situational basketball down the stretch of the game," he said. "Denver were really good honestly, we especially had a hard time getting anything going offensively, but the guys stuck together.

"That's a tough place to play and it was a grind, so I was really pleased with the guys tonight."

Gilgeous-Alexander is one of just five players in the league to average more than 30 points per game this season (30.7), and he believes OKC are only going to improve.

"We're getting better," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "And we're in it more often, we've played a lot of close games for a few years now and we're just going to keep getting better in those moments... really trying to get better from our mistakes in every moment we're in."

The Golden State Warriors blew a 12-point fourth-quarter lead at home as the Brooklyn Nets prevailed 120-116 after 38 points from Kyrie Irving on Sunday.

The Nets outscored the Warriors 22-6 after the reigning NBA champions had led by 12 with 5:42 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Irving scored a game-high 38 points, making five-of-seven three-point attempts, with seven rebounds and nine assists. Irving's performance was his third 30-point game in his past four.

Nic Claxton added a career-high 24 points with 15 rebounds and three blocks, while Ben Simmons contributed a game-high 11 assists. Royce O'Neale, who had 16 points, scored a go-ahead three-pointer with 27.1 seconds remaining.

Stephen Curry top scored for Golden State with 26 points, making four-of-eight from beyond the arc, along with six rebounds and seven assists.

Jonathan Kuminga added 20 points off the bench, while center Draymond Green had 11 rebounds and seven assists.

The Warriors' home loss means their record at the Chase Center falls to 17-6, having managed 3-2 on their recent road trip where they have struggled throughout this season.

Lakers complete stunning second-half turnaround

LeBron James scored 37 points with 11 rebounds while Thomas Bryant added 31 points as the Los Angeles Lakers stormed home for a 121-112 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Lakers had trailed 71-46 at halftime after the Blazers put up 45 second-quarter points, but rallied in a remarkable second-half turnaround to improve to 22-25.

Bryant had 14 rebounds to go with his 31 points, while Dennis Schroder contributed 24 points. Anfernee Simons scored 31 points for Portland, with Damian Lillard adding 24.

OKC snap Nuggets' win streak

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit an eight-footer with 9.2 seconds remaining to end the Denver Nuggets' nine-game win streak as the Oklahoma City Thunder won 101-99. 

The Nuggets were without back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic for the second straight game with tightness in his left hamstring, with Jamal Murray top scoring in his absence with 26 points and nine assists. Murray missed an attempt on the buzzer to force overtime.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished the game with 34 points on 13-of-21 shooting with five rebounds, five assists and two blocks, while Josh Giddey added 18 points and nine rebounds. The result also ended Denver's 17th game win streak at home.

The Miami Heat suspended Dewayne Dedmon for one game without pay after the outburst where he swatted a massage gun on to the court in Tuesday's 112-111 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Dedmon reacted angrily after being subbed out of the game, exchanging words with coaches, before storming off and flinging a massage gun back on to the court during play. The reserve center was ejected by officials for that act.

The Heat announced on Wednesday that in consultation with the NBA they had decided Dedmon would be banned for one game for "conduct detrimental to the team".

Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra had labelled the outburst as "unacceptable" after Tuesday's game.

"It's the Miami Heat. We're all a bunch of gnarly personalities," Spoelstra said.

"That part was unfortunate. Everything before that, that's the Miami Heat. That part was unacceptable."

Jimmy Butler had "no idea" the Miami Heat had broken the NBA record for the most free throws in a game without a miss.

The Heat edged out the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-111 on Tuesday, with Butler scoring a game-leading 35 points and going 23-of-23 from the free-throw line.

That means Butler was just one short of James Harden's league record of 24-of-24 free throws, set in December 2019, for the most in one game without a miss.

Butler was not the only Heat player on top form from the line, with the rest of the team shooting 17-of-17, breaking the team record of 39-for-39 made by the Utah Jazz against the Portland Trail Blazers in 1982.

Yet Butler had no clue the Heat were setting a record, with his sole focus on Miami's fightback - they trailed 111-106 heading into the final minute but came out on top in the closing seconds.

"I had no idea," Butler told reporters about the 40 free-throw feat. "I'm more excited that we won this game by one point."

"We won. A complete team effort. I'm proud of my guys. We always talk about finding a way to win. This is a good start to that. Whatever it takes to win."

It was a similar story for Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who said: "We've been a very good free-throw shooting team all year, but that's crazy.

"I didn't realise we hadn't missed a free throw.

"It's just a normal Tuesday night for the Miami Heat. I think this is when we feel most alive, when everything just happens and when all of our competitive juices get out there.

"That's the team we all can relate to. That's the team I like."

Miami are now 22-20 for the season and sit eighth in the Eastern Conference.

The Miami Heat broke the NBA record for most free throws in a game without a miss as they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-111 at home on Tuesday.

With starters Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry all out due to various injuries, Jimmy Butler was tasked with leading the offense, and he was aggressive from the jump.

He scored only six of his 17 field goal attempts, but finished with a game-high 35 points after going a perfect 23-of-23 from the free throw line. In doing so, he finished one free throw behind James Harden (24-of-24 in December 2019) for the most in one game without a miss.

Butler was not alone in his marksmanship from the line, with his team-mates also combining to shoot 17-of-17, setting the new team record for 40 free throws without a miss.

The Heat star also added seven rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocks in a spectacular two-way performance, while Victor Oladipo chipped in 19 points (seven-of-16 shooting) with four rebounds, four assists and two steals off the bench.

For the Thunder, Josh Giddey collected his second triple-double of the season with 18 points (eight-of-18), 15 rebounds and 10 assists.

Miami are now 22-20, and sit eighth in the Eastern Conference.

Embiid and Harden dominate the Pistons

The stars of the Philadelphia 76ers made light work of the visiting Detroit Pistons, with Joel Embiid and James Harden both enjoying big nights in a 147-116 victory.

Embiid had 36 points (12-of-20 shooting), 11 rebounds and two blocks in just 24 minutes, while Harden posted a strong triple-double with 16 points (six-of-seven shooting), 15 assists and 12 rebounds.

The 76ers have won five of their past six outings to improve their record to 25-15, placing them fifth in the East, 3.5 games behind the league-leading Boston Celtics (29-12).

Mitchell heroics not enough for the Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell was a man on a mission in his first road game against the Utah Jazz since being traded in the offseason, but the Cleveland Cavaliers ultimately went down 116-114.

Mitchell scored a game-high 46 points on 14-of-27 shooting with six assists, five rebounds and three steals, but his team could not stop the duo of Jordan Clarkson and Lauri Markkanen.

Clarkson top-scored for Utah with 32 points on 11-of-19 shooting, while Markkanen continued to build a case for Most Improved Player as he put up 25 points (six-of-18) and 16 rebounds.

Luka Doncic will miss his fourth game of the season after being ruled out of Sunday's road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Doncic, who is leading the league in scoring at 34.0 points per game, has played in 37 of the Mavericks' 40 games this season. They are 23-14 in those 37 games and 0-3 when Doncic has not played.

He is officially listed as out due to left ankle soreness after putting up 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in Saturday's win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

It has been yet another spectacular campaign for the 23-year-old Slovenian superstar, who has a Rookie of the Year and three All-NBA First Team selections from his first four seasons.

Doncic has taken yet another step forward on both ends, posting career highs in points, field goal percentage (49.9), three-point percentage (35.5), made free throws per game (8.4) and steals (1.6).

He will be joined on the sideline by Dorian Finney-Smith (adductor strain), Josh Green (elbow sprain) and Maxi Kleber (hamstring tear).

The Mavericks entered Sunday's action sitting fourth in the Western Conference, just 3.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets in first place.

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).

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.

Damian Lillard wrote his name into his franchise's record books on Monday as he surpassed Hall-of-Famer Clyde Drexler to become the Portland Trail Blazers' new all-time leading scorer.

He entered the contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder trailing by just 20 points, and he crossed that mark with a three-pointer late in the third quarter on his way to 28 points on nine-of-17 shooting.

Lillard is also the franchise leader for career points per game at 24.7, meaning he reached the 18,040 point figure in 137 fewer games than Drexler, who sported a career average of 20.8 per game.

Speaking after the game, Lillard said how despite being largely unbothered by individual accomplishments, this is one he has had his eye on.

"It's a great feeling to reach the top," he said. "It's been a goal of mine, and the list has so many players, great history of our organization, so to finally be number one is a special accomplishment that I'm proud of.

"Even during the game tonight, I wasn't playing focused on getting to the record. I was playing the game just trying to win. I knew it would happen eventually."

In a statement, Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin paid tribute to his star player.

"Damian's commitment to Portland is now incapsulated with this prestigious career milestone," he said. "His dedication, humility and hard work have been pillars for his path to this very moment.

"On behalf of the organization, we would like to congratulate Damian on this great achievement and look forward to many more."

It is one of many franchise records Lillard will likely claim by the end of his stint in Portland, already owning the record for three-pointers with 2229 – almost 1000 more than C.J. McCollum in second-place (1297) – as well as made free throws (4047).

He is also only 460 assists away from Terry Porter's franchise record (5319), and at his current career average of 6.7 per game, Lillard will reach that mark in another 69 contests.

While it was all about Lillard for Portland, the Thunder rained on his parade as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drained a game-winning buzzer-beater to cap his 35-point night, including 24 in the second half.

Gilgeous-Alexander is the league's third-leading scorer this season at 31.3 points per game, and is the current favourite for Most Improved Player.