The New York Knicks have now won six of their past seven games after Jalen Brunson excelled in a 112-108 victory against the Washington Wizards on Friday.

Brunson, who is averaging career-highs in points (21.9) and assists (6.4) since signing with the Knicks in the offseason, was once again his side's best player.

He scored a team-high 34 points on 12-of-24 shooting with eight rebounds and eight assists, continuing the red-hot form that has seen him average 33.2 points, 5.6 assists and 5.2 rebounds on 52 per cent shooting since the new year began.

Another player in scintillating form since the start of January is Knicks forward Julius Randle, and he is now averaging 24.8 points and 14.4 rebounds this month after putting up 23 points (eight-of-19 shooting) and 16 rebounds.

The Knicks overcame a terrific performance from Wizards wing Kyle Kuzma, who scored a season-high 40 points on 14-of-27 shooting with seven rebounds and seven assists.

New York are now 24-19, and sit sixth in the Eastern Conference.

No Jokic, no problem for the Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets showed they can survive without reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic as they defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 115-103.

It was just the third contest Jokic has missed out of 41 total opportunities, but while on the sidelines nursing a wrist injury he watched Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr pick up the slack.

Murray scored a team-high 24 points on eight-of-17 shooting with eight rebounds and four assists, while Porter had 22 points (nine-of-17) with four rebounds and three assists.

The highlight of the game came courtesy of Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, who dunked on the head of Zeke Nnaji on his way to 24 points (10-of-21) and nine rebounds.

Hawks bigs deliver the win

Despite having two All-Stars in their backcourt, the Atlanta Hawks frontcourt came to the rescue in a 113-111 triumph over the Indiana Pacers.

Third-year center Onyeka Okongwu was tremendous with 18 points (nine-of-12 shooting), a career-high 20 rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two steals. 

His interior partner, John Collins, was less impactful for the first three quarters, and while he only finished with seven points, he scored the game-winning tip-in with less than a second remaining on the clock.

Bradley Beal is nearing his return for the Washington Wizards after being cleared for full basketball activities.

Beal has not played since suffering a left hamstring strain on January 3, but received a positive update during Thursday's re-evaluation.

The Wizards are scheduled to host the New York Knicks on Friday, but it is unclear if Beal will suit up for that contest, with the team announcing "his return to play will be based on his progression".

The 29-year-old is averaging a team-high 22.9 points, and while that is his lowest figure since the 2017-18 season, he has reached a new level of efficiency this campaign.

Having never posted a field goal percentage greater than 48.5 per cent during his 10-year career, Beal is sitting at a career-high 52.5 per cent this season.

He has done so by being more particular about the kind of shots he takes, with his usage rate of 27.8 also a five-year low.

The Wizards have lost three of their past four games since Beal's injury, relegating their record to 18-24, placing them 12th in the Eastern Conference.

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).

Ja Morant was almost unstoppable in the Memphis Grizzlies' 118-108 victory against the visiting Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

Morant was the game's top-scorer with 35 points on 13-of-23 shooting, adding eight rebounds and five assists in an encouraging performance during what has been a relatively inefficient period for the Grizzlies star.

After posting a career-high field goal percentage of 49.3 this past season – earning a Most Improved Player trophy in the process – Morant's percentage has plummeted to 45.5 this campaign, while his true shooting percentage is also a mediocre 54.9 per cent.

Despite his dip in efficiency, Morant's 27.0 points per game has him 13th in the league, and he joins Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Nikola Jokic as the only players averaging at least 25 points and eight assists.

Morant was supported well by center Steven Adams, who tied his career-high with 23 rebounds. He has reached 23 rebounds once before – back in 2018 when he played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, also against the Kings.

Grizzlies big Jaren Jackson Jr blocked three shots, and his 3.2 blocks per game is the best figure in the league, although he does not currently qualify for the official league leaderboards due to only playing in 19 of his side's 36 games.

The win is the Grizzlies' third in a row, improving their record to 23-13 – only a half-game behind the Denver Nuggets in the race for the top seed in the Western Conference.

Nuggets retain top spot

The Nuggets had to defeat the Boston Celtics to hold onto the top spot in the West, and they did just that, defending home court with a 123-111 triumph.

It was another showcase for reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic, leading his team in scoring (30), rebounds (12) and assists (12) for his ninth triple-double in 32 games this season.

Jokic has somehow managed to reach new heights in his quest to become the first MVP three-peat since Larry Bird (1984-86), posting career-highs in assists per game (9.5) and true shooting percentage (68.6).

Kuzma collects triple-double in Wizards win

Kyle Kuzma and Rui Hachimura led the way in the Washington Wizards' 118-95 win against an undermanned Milwaukee Bucks team.

The Bucks were missing Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, and did not have the firepower to keep up with a Wizards side that shot 53.2 per cent from the field.

Former top-10 draft pick Hachimura scored a game-high 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting off the bench, while Kuzma had his first triple-double of the season with 10 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists.

After losing 10 games in a row earlier in the season, the Wizards are now on a five-game winning streak to improve their record to 17-21.

Luka Doncic put up arguably the most gaudy stat-line of the season in the Dallas Mavericks' 126-121 home victory against the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

Doncic ended up with 60 points on 21-of-31 shooting, 21 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and a block in the virtuoso performance, and the Mavericks needed every bit of it to come back from a late deficit.

Trailing 112-103 with less than 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Dallas staged a miraculous recovery, but still needed some Luka magic to send the game to overtime.

With four seconds on the clock, trailing by three, Doncic was sent to the line for two free throws. He made the first, before intentionally missing the second, tracking down his own rebound and putting it back in to tie the game.

He scored seven of the Mavericks' 11 points in the overtime period to complete the comeback, finishing the game on a 23-9 run.

The win is Dallas' fourth in a row, and improves their record to 19-16 to sit seventh in the Western Conference.

Despite the loss for the Knicks – their fourth in a row – there were encouraging signs for the future of their backcourt. With Jalen Brunson missing his first game of the season due to a hip injury, Immanuel Quickley was handed the start. 

He had 11 of his 15 assists in the first half before struggling down the stretch as he was asked to play a game-high 51 minutes, while Quentin Grimes top-scored for New York with 33 points (12-of-25).

LeBron's Lakers get back on track

The Los Angeles Lakers are back in the winner's list after LeBron James led them to a 129-110 road win against the Orlando Magic.

Entering the contest on a four-game losing streak since the injury of Anthony Davis, James was terrific, scoring a team-high 28 points on 12-of-24 shooting with seven rebounds and five assists.

He was supported well by Davis' replacement in the starting lineup, with Thomas Bryant chipping in 21 points (eight-of-10 shooting) and 10 rebounds, while Russell Westbrook tied Detlef Schrempf's all-time record for triple-doubles off the bench with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists.

The Magic had won eight of their previous nine, but it was a tough outing for number one draft pick Paolo Banchero, scoring a career-low four points with five fouls in 22 minutes.

76ers waste incredible Embiid performance

The Philadelphia 76ers' winning streak has ended at eight games after a disappointing 116-111 loss to the Washington Wizards, despite Joel Embiid heroics.

Embiid, the back-to-back MVP runner-up, scored a game-high 48 points on 17-of-31 shooting, adding nine rebounds, three blocks and three steals to finish with a plus/minus of plus eight in his 36 minutes.

Unfortunately for Embiid, the 76ers were outscored by 13 in the 12 minutes he was on the bench, with Kristaps Porzingis' 24 points (seven-of-15), 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals leading the way for the Wizards.

The win may be coming at a cost, however, as All-Star Bradley Beal left in the fourth quarter after suffering a hamstring injury.

Devin Booker reached 12,000 career points with a season-high 58 points as the Phoenix Suns rallied from a 24-point deficit with a hard-fought 118-114 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday.

Booker, who returned from a hamstring issue in Thursday's win over the Los Angeles Clippers which ended the Suns' five-game losing run, made 21-of-35 attempts from the field, including shooting six-of-12 from beyond the arc.

The Suns guard's haul was the second most by a player in a single game this NBA season, behind only Joel Embiid with 59 points last month against the Utah Jazz.

Booker, 26, also became the sixth youngest player in NBA history to reach 12,000 career points, behind only LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and Tracy McGrady.

The Suns had trailed 83-59 with 7:14 left in the third quarter, coming after the Pelicans had beaten them twice last week.

Booker had five rebounds and five assists along with his 58 points, while Chris Paul added 18 points with five rebounds and eight assists.

Zion Williamson scored 30 points with nine assists for the Pels, while C.J. McCollum added 27 points with eight assists.

Cavs hang on for OT win over Mavs

The Dallas Mavericks spurned three late go-ahead opportunities, including Christian Wood's 30-foot buzzer-beating attempt as the Cleveland Cavaliers got home 100-99 in overtime.

Jarrett Allen's dunk with 2:01 remaining in overtime was the final score, with Donovan Mitchell scoring 25 points for the victorious Cavs, who improved to 20-11. Jarrett Allen had eight points with 15 rebounds.

Kemba Walker top scored with 32 points for the Mavs, who were missing Luka Doncic (quad), while Wood scored 26 points, including five triples, but he missed the crucial late one.

Kawhi finds groove with season-high

Kawhi Leonard scored a season-high 31 points as the Los Angeles Clippers fought back from a three-quarter time deficit to win 102-93 over the Washington Wizards.

Leonard, who has been working back slowly after missing last season with an ACL injury, played a season-high 31 minutes, shooting 12-of-26 with nine rebounds.

Luke Kennard came off the bench to add a season-high 20 points with four three-pointers as the Clippers rallied from a 75-72 three-quarter time deficit.

Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving says there will be "no more distractions" for the team after they seized a 112-100 road win against the Washington Wizards on Monday.

The New York outfit improved to 17-12 for the season with a commanding victory at Capital One Arena, led by a 30-point haul for Kevin Durant.

The result helped the Nets further distance themselves from their early season controversy, when Irving was suspended over a series of tweets linking to an anti-semitic documentary, before initially refusing to apologise.

Now, the seven-time All-Star says the team are keeping their focus firmly on the court and know they have the players on hand to succeed this term.

"Man, let's just go win ballgames," he said. "That's it, that's really what the attitude is.

"We know the talent we have. This is our group. No more excuses, no more distractions."

Having been held back from building an early lead, the Nets raced out to 88-71 in the third quarter, and never let the Wizards get within eight after that.

Durant, who also posted nine rebounds and six assists, noted the visitors were aware letting their foot off the pedal could have proven dangerous.

"We talked about this being a trap game," he added. "If we'd have played too relaxed, with no sense of urgency, we definitely would have lost this game."

The Nets are now 5-1 across December, and have gone unbeaten over their last four matches, with trips to the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons next on the agenda.

The Brooklyn Nets continued their hot run of form on Monday as they defeated the Washington Wizards 112-100 on the road for the eighth win from their past nine outings.

Kevin Durant's under-the-radar MVP campaign took another step in the right direction with a game-high 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting, adding nine rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block.

For the season, he is averaging exactly 30.0 points per game – the sixth-highest figure in the league – while his 55.9 per cent field goal shooting is a new career-high in his 15th campaign, and he is eighth in the league for blocks at 1.7 per game.

Durant was supported well by Kyrie Irving with 24 points (seven-of-17 shooting), six rebounds and five assists, while Ben Simmons contributed 10 points (five-of-nine), eight rebounds and five assists in 23 productive minutes.

After beginning the season with five losses from their first six games, the Nets are now fourth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 17-12, and they can make it nine wins from 10 when they travel to take on the Toronto Raptors on Friday.

Jackson sets new career-high

Jaren Jackson Jr had six blocks in his first nine minutes of action against the Atlanta Hawks, going on to finish with a career-high eight in a 128-103 win.

The former fourth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft showed exactly the kind of defensive upside that, when coupled with his sweet shooting stroke, makes him one of the sport's most versatile big men.

He added 15 points and seven rebounds to go with his eight blocks, and he is also hitting 1.9 three-pointers per game at a 37.3 per cent clip.

The Grizzlies are now 18-9 and occupy the second seed in the Western Conference.

Luka outduels Shai to move the Mavs above .500

Luka Doncic raised his league-leading points per game figure to 33.1 as he dropped 38 in the Dallas Mavericks' 121-114 home win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

With his 38 points on 13-of-27 shooting, Doncic has now eclipsed 30 points in 19 of his 25 games this season, while his 8.8 assists per game has him fourth in the league, chipping in another eight with his 11 rebounds against the Thunder.

It was also a terrific display from the Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored a game-high 42 points on 14-of-23 shooting to raise his average to 31.2 per game – now second in the league.

Dallas are now 14-13, and are tied for the eighth seed in the West.

The Washington Wizards will be without Bradley Beal for at least a week after it was revealed on Monday that he had suffered a hamstring strain.

The injury occured in the first quarter of the Wizards' loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, with Beal exiting after only three minutes of action.

Beal, 29, is second on the Wizards' franchise leaderboard for total points scored, with his 14.643 career points for the team that drafted him third overall in 2012 trailing only Elvin Hayes (15,551). Based on his scoring average this season, he will overtake Hayes' record in 42 more games.

He is averaging 22.9 points and 5.4 assists per game this campaign, shooting a career-high 52.2 per cent from the field, although the Wizards are 7-11 in the 18 games he has featured in.

Sporting an 11-13 record overall, the Wizards will need Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma to run the show in Beal's absence, with the team stating he has been ruled out of their next three games and will be re-evaluated in one week, although it is far more likely his return will be closer to two weeks.

LeBron James says Anthony Davis after his dominant 55-point display in the Los Angeles Lakers' 130-119 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday.

Davis' monster points haul, which is the second most by a player in a single NBA game this season behind Joel Embiid's 59, backed up Friday's 44 points against the Milwaukee Bucks. Davis is the first Laker with back-to-back 40-point games since Kobe Bryant in March 2013.

Davis fell just shy of his career-high 59 points in a single game, but it was the second most he has ever scored and most for the Lakers.

"He's been unbelievable, man," James told reporters. "On both sides of the floor. I mean, playing like the MVP of this league. Just straight dominance."

The Lakers power forward is averaging a career-best 12.6 rebounds this season, along with 27.2 points and 2.4 blocks.

"I just think he's hit a switch where he knows how dominant he can be, night in, night out," James said.

"He's got every aspect of his game working right now. From the paint, to the mid-range, to the threes, his free-throws, his jump hooks, he has everything working for him right now.

"It's just the work. When you put in the work, you live with the results."

Davis' near career-best season comes after injuries dogged him over the past two years, restricting him to only 76 games across the past two seasons.

James said eight-time All-Star Davis had re-discovered his confidence in both his body and his play, admitting he had kept in his ear to get the best out of his team-mate.

"We all need to be reminded sometimes, no matter how good you are sometimes," James said. "Why you're here, what your capabilities are and how much we believe in each other.

"Me as the leader of the team, it's part of my job to reassure AD how great he is in this league, not just this team."

Anthony Davis put up a sensational 55-point haul to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to their fourth straight road win, triumphing 130-119 over the Washington Wizards on Sunday.

Davis, who scored 44 points against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Lakers' previous game, could not eclipse his career-high 59 points from 2016 against the Detroit Pistons.

But Davis' 55 points, coming from 22-of-30 field shooting and nine-of-nine shooting from the line, were the second most in a single game this NBA season, behind only Joel Embiid's 59 against the Utah Jazz on November 13.

The eight-time All-Star scored 31 of his 55 points in the second half, adding 17 rebounds and three blocks. Davis is the first Laker with back-to-back 40-point games since Kobe Bryant in March 2013.

LeBron James, who had been listed as questionable due to an ankle issue, added 29 points on 12-of-26 field shooting with eight rebounds and six assists but committed five turnovers.

Russell Westbrook came off the bench to contribute a season-high 15 assists with seven rebounds, while guard Lonnie Walker IV added 20 points on four-of-four three-point shooting.

The Wizards were not helped by a game-ending first-quarter injury to All-Star Bradley Beal. Kristaps Porzingis top scored for the Wizards with 27 points on 11-of-25 shooting, while ex-Laker Kyle Kuzma added 26 points with seven rebounds before fouling out.

The victory improved the Lakers to 10-12, having won three games in a row, but they remain 12th in the Western Conference.

Brown helps Celtics snap Nets' streaks

The NBA-best Boston Celtics ended the Brooklyn Nets' four-game winning streak and six-game winning home stand on 34 points from Jaylen Brown as they triumphed 103-92.

Brown led the way for the Celtics with 20 of his 34 points in the first quarter, finishing also with 10 rebounds, while Jayson Tatum scored 29 points on 10-of-19 field shooting with 11 rebounds.

Kyrie Irving struggled against his former franchise, shooting seven-of-21 from the field for 18 points with eight rebounds and five assists. Kevin Durant top scored for the Nets with 31 points but gave up eight turnovers.

Suns extend struggling Spurs' skid

The Western Conference-leading Phoenix Suns condemned the San Antonio Spurs to 11 straight losses with a 133-95 blowout win led by Deandre Ayton's double-double.

Suns center Ayton finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Devin Booker added 20 points on seven-of-16 field shooting, with Mikal Bridges making six-of-seven triples in his 20 points.

The struggling Spurs were blown away in a 36-11 second quarter, seeing them close within two defeats of a franchise-worst losing streak, set in 1989.

Devin Booker continued his hot scoring run with a season-high 51 points in only 31 minutes as the Phoenix Suns won 132-113 over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

Booker, who scored 44 points against the Sacramento Kings on Monday, added 26 of his 51 points in the third quarter, including making five-of-five from three-point range.

It was the fourth 25-point quarter in Booker's career, tied with Kobe Bryant for second most in the past 25 years.

Booker shot at 80 per cent from the field, making six-of-seven from three-point range, while he also added four rebounds and six assists before sitting out most of the final quarter.

It marked Booker's fourth career 50-point game, which is the most in franchise history.

Suns center Deandre Ayton contributed 30 points with 14 rebounds and two blocks as Phoenix improved to 15-6.

The Bulls fall to 9-12, with DeMar DeRozan top scoring with 29 points with seven rebounds.

Tatum stars in front of royals with 49-point haul

Jayson Tatum scored a season-high 49 points as the Boston Celtics maintained their perfect home record in November with a 134-121 victory over the Miami Heat.

The Celtics small forward scored 28 of his points in the first half, which is the most in any half this season, while he also had 11 rebounds, three assists and two assists. Jaylen Brown added 26 points with seven rebounds in a game attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales, who sat courtside.

Tatum brought up his fifth 45-point game, which is second behind Larry Bird (19) in Celtics history, having moved ahead of Paul Pierce (four).

Hot Nets above .500 for first time this season

The Brooklyn Nets claimed their fifth straight home win as Kevin Durant scored 39 points in a 113-107 victory over the Washington Wizards.

Durant managed a game-high 39 points on 13-of-20 shooting with five rebounds and five assists, while Kyrie Irving added 15 of his 27 points in the final quarter.

The win improved the Nets to 12-11, moving above .500 for the first time this season on the back of three straight wins.

The Brooklyn Nets announced Ben Simmons will miss at least another three games with a left lateral upper calf strain.

Simmons exited Monday's 109-102 win over the Orlando Magic due to left knee soreness, according to the Nets.

Brooklyn head coach Jacque Vaughn clarified prior to Wednesday's game against the Washington Wizards that Simmons was dealing with a new issue, beyond the knee complaint, which saw him miss six games earlier this season.

"It's the knee, but the back of the knee," Vaughn told reporters. "He was grabbing his knee during the game and said he needed to come out.

"It ended up being the back of the knee, so it's the upper part of the calf."

Simmons, who is averaging 8.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists this season, will miss upcoming games against the Wizards, the Toronto Raptors (Friday) and the Boston Celtics (Sunday).

The 26-year-old had been enjoying his best run for the Nets over the past fortnight since his February trade from the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring double-digit points in six straight games.

Vaughn added that there was no specific event when Simmons suffered the injury, meaning they could commence his return to play on managed minutes.

Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns was initially diagnosed with a right calf strain after leaving Monday's 142-127 loss to the Washington Wizards in the third quarter.

Towns' injury appeared serious when he went down in a non-contact situation, needing to be helped back to the locker room.

Fortunately, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Timberwolves have "early optimism" that he has avoided a "substantial injury to his lower right leg".

Towns, 27, was the 2016 Rookie of the Year and has gone on to make three All-Star games in 2018, 2019 and 2022, and is the only center to ever win the Three-Point Contest during All-Star Weekend.

The self-proclaimed "best big-man shooter ever" is averaging 21.4 points per game, which is his lowest figure since the 2017-18 season, as well as a career-low 8.5 rebounds and a career-low 0.7 blocks.

After trading four first-round draft picks to the Utah Jazz for Rudy Gobert in a win-now move, the Timberwolves are just 10-11 through their first 21 games as they tick past the quarter-mark of the season.

Towns' absence will allow the Timberwolves to play a more traditional line-up with Gobert as the only center on the floor, and will place an increased offensive responsibility on fellow former Rookie of the Year Anthony Edwards.