Kyrie Irving is enjoying the extra responsibility bestowed upon him by coach Jacque Vaughn in the absence of Kevin Durant.

Irving starred as the Brooklyn Nets beat the Utah Jazz 117-106 on Friday, scoring 48 points with 11 rebounds and six assists at Vivint Arena.

The Nets have struggled since Durant was sidelined by an MCL injury earlier this month, losing four in a row prior to Friday, but Irving stepped up to lead his team to a win in Utah, and when asked about consistently shooting close to 50 points said: "I don't think it's an unrealistic expectation."

The 30-year-old is averaging 26.4 points this season, and following his first 40+ point contribution of the campaign, said: "Every night I try to put myself in that place, in that zone. Specifically in the fourth quarter when it's winning time.

"I have the trust through Jacque to be able to make plays down the stretch, and he comes to me and we talk about it. 

"I think we've been able to develop a dialogue, it continues to grow game-to-game so it gives me a lot of confidence in the fourth quarter to be able to perform that way.

"And my team-mates looking to me as well and when the ball's feeling good in my hands you just want to get a great shot, that's better for our team."

Vaughn – who has a record of 24-10 since being appointed head coach in November – was understandably pleased with Irving's efforts.

"I thought you saw from him throughout the course of the night just different segments of the game where he really put his imprint on what we were trying to do offensively," he said.

"And it paid dividends, especially in the fourth quarter."

Nic Claxton was Brooklyn's next-highest scorer with 20 points, and added his kudos for Irving, saying: "I'm really observing out there on the court and just watching him. It's like he's in a different world. He's locked in. He's in a different type of zone, and he makes those big shots time and time again.

"We just watch it and don't take it for granted, just having a guy that can create shots from all three levels the way he can."

Jayson Tatum scored a season-high 51 points to propel the Boston Celtics to a 130-118 win against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday.

With fellow Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown out with an injury, Tatum produced the seventh 50-point performance of his career, shooting 15-of-23 from the field, seven-of-12 from deep and 14-of-14 from the free throw line.

In doing so, Tatum set the Celtics' franchise record for most regular season 50-point games with his fifth, and also added nine rebounds and five assists, while Derrick White contributed 19 points (five-of-11 shooting) and eight assists as he filled in for Brown in the starting line-up.

Jalen McDaniels was impressive for the Hornets, scoring a season-high 26 points on nine-of-15 shooting, while LaMelo Ball was inefficient for his 25 points (eight-of-23) and six assists.

With the win, the Celtics improved their streak to seven games and their league-best record to 33-12. They also own the NBA's best road record at 16-7.

Curry heroics deliver rare road win for the Warriors

Golden State Warriors icon Stephen Curry put on a show in his side's 127-118 away victory against the Washington Wizards.

Trailing 106-105 with less than six minutes on the clock, Curry went on to match the Wizards the rest of the way, scoring 12 of his 41 points while the home side could only put up 12 points as a team.

He shot 12-of-28 from the field for 41 points and seven rebounds, while Jordan Poole shot 12-of-20 for 32 points and seven rebounds.

It was a rare good night away from home for the now 22-22 Warriors, who at 5-17 own the second-worst road record in the league, while their 17-5 home record is tied for the fourth-best.

Jazz rookie shines as Rudy Gobert replacement

The Utah Jazz appear to have unearthed another towering defensive presence at center as rookie Walker Kessler dominated in a 126-125 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Kessler, the 22nd pick in the most recent NBA Draft, is already one of the league's best shot-blockers, sitting fourth in blocks at 2.0 per game and fourth in blocks-per-36 minutes at 3.6 per game.

It was only the ninth start from his 43 appearances this season, and he put up 20 points (nine-of-13), 21 rebounds (nine offensive), four assists and two blocks in a comprehensive performance.

Ja Morant scored 23 points including an incredible one-handed dunk of the year candidate to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to their ninth straight win, 130-112 over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.

Morant drove forward, reached back with his right arm and launched a massive dunk with 4:20 remaining in the third quarter over Jalen Smith to open up a 20-point lead.

The Grizzlies guard finished the game with 23 points on seven-of-17 shooting from the field, with 10 assists and three rebounds.

Morant is averaging 28.7 points per game during the Grizzlies' nine-game win streak.

Desmond Bane was solid as always, going five-of-11 from three-point range in his team-high 25 points.

The victory means Memphis are tied with the Denver Nuggets at 29-13 for the best record in the Western Conference. The win was the Grizzlies' fourth straight on the road.

The Pacers, missing Tyrese Haliburton, were led by Chris Duarte with 25 points despite a hand concern.

Embiid seals Sixers victory over Jazz

Joel Embiid's jumper with 5.7 seconds remaining clinched a 118-117 victory for the Philadelphia 76ers over the Utah Jazz.

Embiid finished the game with 31 points on nine-of-18 shooting from the field with two three-pointers, seven rebounds and two blocks, while James Harden added 30 points and 11 assists.

Utah trailed for most of the game but hit the lead at 115-114 with 33 seconds left, with Jordan Clarkson scoring 38 points with nine rebounds.

Doncic kept to season low as Blazers fire

Luka Doncic was kept to a season-low 15 points as Damian Lillard led the Portland Trail Blazers to a 136-119 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Doncic was benched with seven minutes to go by Mavs head coach Jason Kidd, in a game where the Blazers snapped a five-game losing run, having led 71-56 at half-time.

Lillard was exceptional with 36 points on 11-of-20 shooting with four three-pointers and 10 assists, while center Jusuf Nurkic added 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Donovan Mitchell was thankful for the "phenomenal" reception he received on his return to the Utah Jazz, though was left to rue Jordan Clarkson's form in a tight defeat.

Mitchell spent five seasons with the Jazz before he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers last year.

Lauri Markkanen was part of that trade and had a double-double of 25 points and 16 rebounds against his former team as he became the second-fastest player in franchise history to reach 1,000 points. Likewise, Mitchell showed just why the Cavs signed him with a game-leading 46-point haul.

Mitchell has broken the 40-point mark in a career-high five games this season, but it was not enough to down his old employers, who triumphed 116-114 after Clarkson came to the fore, netting nine of his 32 points in the final quarter.

The Jazz paid tribute to three-time All-Star Mitchell before Tuesday's game by showing a highlights reel of his time in Utah, while the home crowd gave him an ovation.

"I was really comfortable," Mitchell told the media.

"It wasn't weird. It was just like playing as I have here for the last five years. The reception was phenomenal, and I'm appreciative of it."

Mitchell was handed a rest in the third quarter, though that was when Clarkson began to swing the momentum Utah's way.

"He had that look in his eye, and I was just like, damn, it's going to be one of those back-and-forth nights," Mitchell said.

Clarkson explained: "I was just being aggressive in those moments. Throughout the game, I saw what they were doing defensively and just started being aggressive in the fourth."

Walker Kessler was tasked with marking Mitchell and had nothing but praise for his former team-mate.

"He's an unbelievable guy, man," said 21-year-old Kessler, who joined the Jazz three months before Mitchell left.

"I mean, obviously, I haven't known him too long, but even [when we played] at Cleveland, he came up to me and was super, super encouraging.

"It was really cool to see the Utah fan base get so excited for him. Great player, great guy."

The Cavs have lost two of their last three games but are still well placed in the Eastern Conference with a 26-15 record, while the Jazz are just above the play-in line in the West.

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.

Chicago Bulls' All-Star guard Zach LaVine says he "feels like me again" after scoring a combined 77 points in back-to-back games capped by his side's 126-118 win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday.

LaVine starred with 41 points including 11 three-pointers in Friday's 126-112 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, following that up with 36 on 12-of-21 shooting against the Jazz.

That marks the best form that the 27-year-old has achieved this season after undergoing arthroscopic left knee surgery in the offseason.

"First couple of back to backs, I played and didn't feel great," LaVine told reporters.

"[Now] I feel great. Legs feel healthy. Felt springy at the beginning of the game. It's good to feel like me again."

On Friday, LaVine hit 11 of his 13 three-point attempts (84.6 per cent), joining Stephen Curry as the only players in NBA history to hit at least 11 three-pointers in a game at over 80 per cent efficiency.

LaVine shot another six-of-12 from beyond the arc against the Jazz, including three in a row to push the Bulls' lead to eight.

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan encouraged LaVine to take on more three-point attempts.

"For us to generate more threes, he can be a big part of that," Donovan said.

"Then he's got to find a balance between shooting those threes and obviously getting downhill and either getting to the basket or passing and creating offense for others."

Chicago's win over the Jazz made it three in a row, along with eight victories from their past 11 games, during which they have the fourth best offensive rating in the NBA.

"It always helps when your best players are playing well and you're focused on the other end," LaVine said.

"We're playing well. We're making big plays. I'm not saying we're playing perfect, but we're competing.

"We're coming to each game with a certain type of energy and confidence and we need to keep taking it game by game. We're not trying to look ahead and get ahead of ourselves."

Jayson Tatum registered his second career triple-double as the Boston Celtics ended the Dallas Mavericks' seven-game winning streak with a 124-95 victory on Thursday.

Tatum finished the game with 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists plus one steal and two blocks. The MVP candidate shot eight-of-22 from the field and two-of-eight from beyond the arc, scoring 11-of-12 from the stripe.

The Celtics improved to 27-12 with their merciless display, which comes amid a tough stretch for the Eastern Conference leaders, who had dropped seven of their past 12 games, including giving up 150 points last game to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Luka Doncic was kept to only 23 points for the Mavs, after a five-game run averaging 44.5 points. Doncic, who shot none-of-six from three-point range, was benched in the fourth quarter amid the blowout.

Tatum also struggled from beyond the arc, but Marcus Smart made up for it with four-of-nine triples in his 15 points, while Malcolm Brogdon hit three-of-five three-pointers in his 15 points off the bench.

Jaylen Brown scored 19 points with two three-pointers with seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

Nuggets rout Clippers despite Jokic being quiet

The Denver Nuggets re-claimed top spot in the Western Conference with a 122-91 domination of the Los Angeles Clippers, who slumped to their fourth straight defeat.

The Nuggets, who secured their 10th straight home win, prevailed without a great contribution from MVP Nikola Jokic, who managed 12 points with six rebounds and nine assists.

Jamal Murray top scored with 18 points, including four three-pointers for Denver, who led by as much as 43 points. The Clippers shuffled their deck ahead of a back-to-back with Kawhi Leonard scoring six points in 18 minutes.

The Nuggets lead the west with a 25-13 record ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies, also 25-13, who won 123-115 over the Orlando Magic with Ja Morant scoring 32 points.

Lauri's career-high ends Jazz's five-game skid

Lauri Markkanen scored a career-high 49 points as the Utah Jazz snapped their five-game skid with a 131-114 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Markkanen posted 18 points in the first quarter on his way to the equal 15th highest single-game scoring performance this season.

The Finnish forward sparked a 14-0 fourth-quarter run which put the game to bed. Jalen Green scored 30 points for Houston, while Kevin Porter Jr added 23.

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 New Orleans Pelicans snapped a four-game losing streak on Thursday by defeating the visiting San Antonio Spurs 126-117.

Playing without top offensive options Zion Williamson (health and safety protocols) and Brandon Ingram (toe injury), it was C.J. McCollum's time to shine. Averaging 18.7 points per game entering the contest – McCollum's lowest figure since his second season back in 2014-15 – the 31-year-old showed he still has plenty in the tank. 

He scored a season-high 40 points on 14-of-27 shooting, adding nine assists, eight rebounds and two blocks in a spectacular showing.

It continues a strong run of scoring form for McCollum, who totalled 28 points, 27 points and 31 points in the three preceding games, while also averaging a career-high 5.9 assists for the season.

No other Pelican had more than Jonas Valanciunas' 16 points, while the Spurs received a standout performance from their lottery pick.

Selected ninth overall in this year's draft, Jeremy Sochan enjoyed his best game as a professional with 23 points (seven-of-14), nine rebounds and six assists.

With the win, the Pelicans are back on track at 19-12 – only a half-game behind the Western Conference leaders – while the Spurs are only one game away from the bottom of the conference at 10-21.

Beal brilliance not enough for Wizards

A well-rounded performance from the Utah Jazz saw them defeat the Washington Wizards 120-112 to improve their record to 19-16.

Nothing is going right at the moment for the Wizards, who have now lost 11 of their past 12, but it was no fault of Bradley Beal as he top-scored with 30 points on an efficient 13-of-20 shooting performance.

Meanwhile, the Jazz had four players score at least 18 points each, led by Malik Beasley off the bench with 25 on nine-of-17 shooting. 

It was an impressive start at center for Jazz rookie Walker Kessler, scoring 12 points while controlling the paint for 14 rebounds and two blocks.

The New York Knicks extended their winning run to eight games to shoot into playoffs contention while they compounded the Golden State Warriors' road woes with a 132-94 rout on Tuesday.

The reigning champions, missing 2022 NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry for a third straight game with a shoulder injury, slumped to 3-15 on the road this season, sitting 15-17 overall.

Offseason Knicks addition Jalen Brunson scored 21 points with five assists, while Immanuel Quickley top scored off the bench with 22 points. Julius Randle had 15 points with 12 rebounds and five assists.

The Knicks, who never trailed in the blowout win, had six players reach double-digit scores, with the 38-point triumph their largest margin of victory in the last two seasons.

The victory also means the Knicks boast the longest active win streak in the NBA, having conceded an NBA-best 97.8 points per game during the streak.

The Knicks, who had not beaten the Warriors at home for almost a decade, hit 11 triples in the first half, finishing the game with 17-of-40 three-point shooting, led by Quickley with five.

Jordan Poole scored a team-high 26 points for the Curry-less Warriors, who had James Wiseman play 22 minutes, scoring four points with three rebounds.

The Knicks improved to 18-13 overall to sit sixth in the Eastern Conference.

Markkanen shoots Jazz past Pistons

Seven-foot Finnish power forward Lauri Markkanen scored a career-high nine three-pointers in his 38-point haul as the Utah Jazz won 126-111 over the Detroit Pistons.

Jordan Clarkson had 12 points within 1:51 of gametime but it was Markkanen who stole the show, matching his career-high points output.

The game was the Jazz's third in four evenings, with Malik Beasley adding 17 points off the bench while Clarkson finished with 21. Jarred Vanderbilt had 18 points with 13 rebounds.

Nuggets take over in the west

The Denver Nuggets moved into top spot in the Western Conference with a 105-91 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies led by another Nikola Jokic triple-double.

The back-to-back NBA MVP recorded his sixth triple-double of the season, putting on a brilliant passing display, with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists.

The Nuggets (19-11) defense kept the Grizzlies to 44.4 per cent shooting and only 19.2 per cent from beyond the arc, with Ja Morant top scoring for Memphis with 35 points along with 10 assists.

The Miami Heat needed a career night from Tyler Herro on Thursday to avoid becoming the Houston Rockets' third big-name scalp in a row.

Herro scored a game-high and career-high 41 points on 13-of-20 shooting, hitting 10-of-15 from three-point range in the 111-108 victory.

His All-Star teammate Jimmy Butler was terrific in a supporting role, chipping in 20 points (seven-of-13 shooting), 10 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and three blocks.

For the Rockets, who were coming into the game off consecutive wins against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns, Jalen Green top-scored yet again with 22 points (eight-of-21), while Kevin Porter Jr was more efficient on his way to 21 points (10-of-17), five assists and four steals.

The Heat are now on a three-game winning streak to pull their record even at 15-15, and they have a golden opportunity to rise above .500 when they finish their four-game road trip on Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs.

Morant dominates the Bucks

The Memphis Grizzlies led by 46 points after three quarters of their blowout win against the Milwaukee Bucks, allowing the starters to ride the bench down the stretch on the way to a 142-101 final score.

Last year's Most Improved Player, Ja Morant, was at the center of the Grizzlies' success with 25 points (nine-of-21), 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while eight Memphis players reached double-figures.

With the win, the Grizzlies improved their record to 19-9 and now sit alone atop the Western Conference.

Jazz fight off the Pelicans in overtime

The Utah Jazz continue to win at home, defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 132-129 to improve their record at Vivint Arena to 11-5 this season.

It is the second game in a row the Jazz have defeated the Pelicans after Tuesday's 121-100 triumph, with Jordan Clarkson proving the hero this time around.

Clarkson scored a season-high 39 points on 15-of-26 shooting, adding eight rebounds and two steals, including the first four points of overtime after Pelicans youngster Trey Murphy III forced the extra period with a three-pointer in the dying seconds of regulation.

Splash brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 66 points as the Golden State Warriors claimed arguably their best win of the season, beating the Boston Celtics 123-107 on Saturday.

The Celtics had won eight of their past nine games, including a statement win over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, but the reigning champions shut down the NBA's number one offensive team while the splash brothers were on song.

Curry finished with 32 points including six-of-11 from beyond the arc, with four off the dribble, while Thompson scored a game-high 34 points with four triples. The Warriors are 14-0 all-time when Curry and Thompson both score 30-plus points.

It was a rare night of frustration for the NBA-leading Celtics, who fall to 21-6 overall, with Jayson Tatum kept to 18 points with seven rebounds, two assists and three steals. Jaylen Brown scored a team-high 31 points.

Curry and Thompson led the way, but center Kevon Looney pulled down 15 rebounds while Jordan Poole added 20 points.

The win means the Warriors are 12-2 at Chase Center this season and have won 11 of their past 17 games, improving to 14-13 overall.

Thomas stars as short-handed Nets claim shock win

The short-handed Brooklyn Nets recorded an admirable 136-133 victory over the Indiana Pacers, with Cam Thomas coming off the bench to score a career-high 33 points.

The Nets were without eight players, including All-Stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons, but Thomas stepped up along with Australian guard Patty Mills with 24 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Tyrese Haliburton scored 35 points for the Pacers, but Thomas and Mills were crucial in the fourth quarter, as the Nets made it three straight wins and six from their past seven games.

Jokic records triple-double in Nuggets victory

Nikola Jokic led the Denver Nuggets to a 115-110 win over the Utah Jazz with his fourth triple-double of the season and 80th of his NBA career.

Jokic finished with 31 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists in a dominant display that helped the Nugs improve their record to 15-10.

Jamal Murray supported the reigning MVP well, with 30 points, four rebounds and five assists.

The Utah Jazz will receive a boost for Friday's home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the form of Mike Conley Jr's return from a nine-game injury absence.

Conley, 35, has not played since November 19, when he left the floor against the Portland Trail Blazers after only playing nine minutes, going on to be diagnosed with a strained muscle near his left knee.

An All-Star in 2021, Conley is posting his lowest point average (10.2 per game) since his rookie season, although his 7.9 assists per game is a new career-high in his 16th campaign.

Speaking to reporters after Friday's shootaround, he implied he was not yet at full capacity, but that the only way he is going to get to that point is by returning to game-speed.

"I've been working, and we're still working through some things, but the only way to get through it is to kind of work your way back in it and test the water," he said.

After trading away franchise players Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell in the offseason, it was meant to be a rough rebuilding year for the Jazz, but they have defied expectations up to this point and sit sixth in the Western Conference at 15-13.

Klay Thompson admitted he "fell asleep" as the Utah Jazz produced a stunning finish to snatch a dramatic 124-123 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.

The Warriors roared back from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to lead by four with only 13.3 seconds to play at Vivint Arena.

Golden State paid the price for switching off in the closing stages, though, leaving Malik Beasley on his own in the right corner to give him the chance to land a three-pointer.

Simone Fontecchio then came up with a decisive dunk with 1.4 seconds to go after Utah forced a turnover from Jordan Poole.

Thompson held his hands up for not paying close attention to Beasley.

"I just fell asleep," Thompson said. "I watched the ball handler get to the rim rather than sticking on the three-point shooter. That was a dreadful mistake by myself."

Poole, who scored 36 points and provided eight assists, was at a loss to explain what happened late on.

"I heard on the catch, 'Look for the foul on the ball'," Poole said. "I don't really know [what happened], to be honest."

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr expects his team to learn from a shattering defeat.

"I feel terrible for our guys because they fought and they did a lot of great things, but we have to close the door," Kerr said.

"I thought [we] really fought and earned the right to win the game, and then we didn't close. And you've got to close.

"You've got to be rock solid with the ball. You've got to be smart defensively. We were neither of those things the last 13 seconds."

Golden State are 10th in the Western Conference at 13-13 after back-to-back losses, with the 15-12 Jazz four places above them.

James Wiseman has been recalled by the Golden State Warriors after being sent to their G League affiliate three weeks ago, struggling for form.

The 21-year-old, who was the second pick overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, will link up with the Warriors in Salt Lake City on Tuesday for Wednesday's game against the Utah Jazz.

The reigning champions have ruled out All-Star trio Stephen Curry (left ankle soreness), Draymond Green (left hip tightness) and Andrew Wiggins (right adductor strain) for that game.

Wiseman had played seven games for Golden State's G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, averaging 15.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 26.6 minutes.

The young center has had a difficult time since joining the Warriors, tearing his meniscus in his rookie season before several setbacks in 2021-22 ultimately ended his campaign without playing. Wiseman is averaging 6.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists across 11 games for Golden State this season.

The Warriors have rallied to a 13-12 record, on the back of seven wins from their past 10 games.