Sharpshooting Bahamian Buddy Hield expressed excitement at the opportunity to play for the Golden State Warriors in his first interaction with Warriors media on Thursday.

The 31-year-old joined the seven-time NBA Champions through a sign-and-trade with the Philadelphia 76ers in early July.

The Warriors will be the fifth team Hield has represented since being drafted sixth overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2016 NBA Draft.

“Excited! Excited for the opportunity to come in here and learn from great players, a great organization, great coach, and be a sponge and an open book to everybody around me,” was Hield’s response to a question about his emotions heading into his first season in San Francisco.

Hield was brought in by the Warriors as a like-for-like replacement for franchise legend Klay Thompson who left for the Dallas Mavericks in Free Agency after 13 seasons and four titles with the Warriors.

The Bahamian says he isn’t feeling the pressure of trying to replicate what Thompson gave the Warriors.

“There’s no pressure, I just have to come and do my job. What Klay has done for this organization has been tremendous. I love Klay a lot and I watched him over the years and he’s special,” he said.

“The way he can get hot and change the game as a two-way player. I think it’s fun being in that role,” he added.

One of the hallmarks of the Warriors during their run of dominance in the Steph Curry-Draymond Green-Klay Thompson era has been their complicated offensive scheme.

Hield believes practice is the key to learning where he fits into the offense quickly.

“Taking it day by day in practice, watching a lot of film. Practice will be really important. I’ve watched these guys play since college. Even in the pros when they play, they’re always a fun team to watch,” he said.

“I think it’s a great fit and it shouldn’t be that hard but everything takes time,” he added.

The Bahamas' quest for a historic first Olympic basketball berth came to a heartbreaking end on Sunday, as they fell to Spain 86-78 in the 2024 FIBA Qualifying Finals in Valencia, Spain.

Deandre Ayton, the Portland Trail Blazers' centre, delivered a commendable performance with 17 points on 8-14 shooting, 14 rebounds, and two assists in 36 minutes of play. Ayton's efforts throughout the FIBA Qualifying Tournament in Valencia were notable, as he averaged 19.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive 64.2 per cent from the field.

Buddy Hield, recently acquired by the Golden State Warriors, led The Bahamas in scoring during the final with 19 points, while new Philadelphia 76ers signee Eric Gordon contributed 15 points.

For Spain, former Blazer Rudy Fernandez, 39, added nine points, two rebounds, and two assists. Guard Lorenzo Brown was the top scorer for Spain, registering 18 points, including 4-5 shooting from beyond the arc.

Entering the final as underdogs, The Bahamas put up a valiant fight but struggled to recover from a crucial 25-17 second quarter in favour of Spain, which ultimately proved to be the difference in the game.

Spain's significant free-throw advantage also played a pivotal role, as they shot 23-25 from the charity stripe compared to The Bahamas' 10-13. Additionally, Spain's superior ball handling was evident, winning the turnover battle 15-11.

Despite the loss, The Bahamas showed fight. Ayton's standout performances, coupled with solid contributions from Hield and Gordon, underscore a promising future for Bahamian basketball on the international stage.

The team’s valiant effort in Valencia marks a significant step forward, and while they fell just short of an Olympic berth, the experience gained and the competitive spirit displayed bode well for future international competitions.

Portland Trailblazers center Deandre Ayton was in a dominant mood on Saturday to help the Bahamas defeat Lebanon 89-72 and book their spot in the final of the Olympic Basketball Qualifying Tournament in Valencia, Spain.

The Bahamians jumped out to a 31-16 lead at the end of the first quarter before a tight second quarter meant the Caribbean nation enjoyed a 50-36 lead at halftime.

Lebanon had a much better defensive showing in the third quarter, holding the Bahamas to only 13 points while scoring 18 of their own to cut the deficit to 63-54 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Bahamas were back to their dominating best in the final stanza, however, winning 26-18 for a final score of 89-72.

Ayton, in his 32 minutes of action, went 11-15 from the field on his way to a top score of 24 points to go along with 15 rebounds.

Warriors guard Buddy Hield contributed 19 points while VJ Edgecombe and Eric Gordon had 13 points, each.

Sergio El Darwich had 22 points, five rebounds and three assists for Lebanon.

Their opponent in Sunday’s final will be the winner of the semi-final between Spain and Finland.

At the time of publishing, Spain were ahead 38-30 at halftime.

Bahamian shooting guard Buddy Hield is on his way to San Francisco after the Philadelphia 76ers completed a sign-and-trade that will send the 31-year-old sharpshooting wing to the Golden State Warriors.

Hield has hit 200-plus 3-pointers in six straight seasons with a career 3-point shooting percentage of 40% on 7.6 attempts per game.

He’s played with the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers since being selected with the 6th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Hield started last season with the Pacers and was traded to Philadelphia at the trade deadline.

He joins a Warriors backcourt looking to replace the production of Klay Thompson, who agreed to a deal with the Dallas Mavericks this week after playing his entire career with Golden State.

Hield and new teammate Stephen Curry lead the NBA in 3-pointers made over the last five seasons.

Hield is currently starring for the Bahamas in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Valencia, Spain.

The Bahamas are currently in the semi-finals where they will play Lebanon on Saturday while hosts Spain will tackle Finland in the other semi-final.

The tournament winners will advance to the Olympics in Paris.

The Bahamas opened up their Olympic Basketball Qualifying Tournament 1 Group B campaign with a 95-86 win over Finland in Valencia, Spain on Tuesday.

The Bahamians opened up a one point (27-26) lead at the end of the first quarter before their Finnish counterparts drastically improved their play in the second period on the way to a 28-20 victory for an overall 54-47 lead at the end of the first half.

Bahamas came back into the contest with a dominant third quarter in which they doubled Finland’s production 26-13 before a 23-18 advantage in the fourth quarter secured an eleven-point victory to open their campaign.

Buddy Hield was the main scorer for the Bahamians six three pointers on his way to 24 points along with six rebounds and three assists while Villanova University-bound Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe Jr had 20 points, four rebounds and two steals.

Big man Deandre Ayton and sharpshooter Eric Gordon were also key contributors. Ayton, the Portland Trailblazers center, recorded 19 points and nine rebounds while Gordon, who recently signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, had 16 points and four assists.

The Bahamas will next play Poland on Wednesday with a win securing them a spot in the semi-finals of Olympic Qualifying Tournament 1.

In Group A play of Olympic Qualifying Tournament 1 on Wednesday, Spain hammered Lebanon 104-59.

Each Olympic Qualifying Tournament features six teams divided into two groups of three.

Each team plays each other once before the top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals.

From there, the two semi-final winners will square off for one spot at the Paris Olympic Games.

Jalen Brunson scored 34 points, Miles McBride added a career-high 29, and the New York Knicks ran their winning streak to four games with Monday's 119-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

McBride, who entered the contest averaging just 6.5 points per game, buried 6 of 9 attempts from 3-point range and totalled 11 first-quarter points in a game the Knicks never trailed. New York also received a 10-point, 11-rebound, 11-assist triple-double from Josh Hart to extend their lead on fifth-place Orlando in the Eastern Conference to one game.

The Knicks opened the game on an 18-4 run and led by as many as 15 points in the first half, though Golden State closed out the second quarter on a 12-3 spurt to cut its deficit to 62-56 at the break.

Despite 15 second-half points from Klay Thompson, the Warriors never got closer than four points behind over the final two quarters as the Knicks continued to keep them at arm's length mainly due to the shot-making of Brunson, who recorded 20 points in the second half.

Golden State lost for the fourth time in six games despite 27 points from Stephen Curry and 18 from Thompson, who added a team-high eight assists. Rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis finished 9 of 9 from the field while compiling 19 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Warriors. 

76ers fend off Heat to gain ground in standings

Tyrese Maxey tallied 30 points and 10 assists to lead the way as the Philadelphia 76ers earned an important win by holding off the Miami Heat for a 98-91 victory.

The 76ers' second straight win, coupled with Indiana's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, moved Philadelphia a half game ahead of the Pacers for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The top six teams in both conferences are guaranteed to avoid the play-in round and are assured of a quarterfinals series.

Kelly Oubre Jr. also posted a double-double for Philadelphia with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Kyle Lowry chipped in 16 points in his first meeting with the Heat since being traded by his former team in January.

The Heat took the court again without injured stars Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro but kept the game close until the Sixers began to pull away over the final seven minutes.

Buddy Hield's 3-pointer with 6:34 left snapped an 85-85 tie and ignited an 8-2 Philadelphia run that Oubre finished with a layup to give his team a 93-87 edge with 2:28 remaining.

The Heat missed nine of their final 10 field goal attempts and had their two-game winning streak snapped when the 76ers made three free throws in the final 18.3 seconds.

Philadelphia was clinging to a 53-51 lead early in the second half before ripping off 15 consecutive points - seven of which came courtesy of Maxey - to go up by double digits. 

Miami responded in the fourth, however, by outscoring the Sixers by a 17-4 margin over a 3 1/2-minute stretch. Terry Rozier had eight points during the run along with a steal that led to Caleb Martin's dunk that tied the game at 85-85 with 6:54 left.

Rozier and Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 20 points each, with Adebayo adding 13 rebounds and six assists and Rozier recording eight rebounds.

Resilient Cavaliers pin key loss on Pacers

The Indiana Pacers were leap-frogged by the 76ers in the standings after being dealt a 108-103 loss by the Cleveland Cavaliers, who received big performances from Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen to overcome the absence of several missing pivotal players.

LeVert compiled 23 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds and Allen also had 23 points along with nine rebounds as Cleveland prevailed despite again playing without All-Star Donovan Mitchell and fellow starters Evan Mobley and Max Strus.

Indiana received 19 points and 12 rebounds from Pascal Siakam but had an off-shooting night as a team, as it connected on just 9 of 38 tries (23.7 per cent) from 3-point range.

Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers' top scorer this season, was held to 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting but did hand out 12 assists.

Indiana did shoot nearly 61 per cent from the field while building a 34-25 lead after one quarter, and was up by 15 points nearing the midway stage of the second before the Cavaliers roared back. 

Cleveland outscored the Pacers by a 22-7 count over the remainder of the first half to tie the game at 54-54 at intermission, and later took a 72-62 advantage in the third quarter behind an 18-6 run.

Indiana rallied in the fourth quarter to knot the score at 103-103 on Haliburton's floater with 2:05 left, but LeVert put the Cavs back ahead with a basket on the ensuing possession. 

The Pacers failed to score the rest of the way, and Isaac Okoro put Cleveland up by two possessions with a layup off a feed from Allen with 26.1 seconds remaining.

The Philadelphia 76ers had reason to celebrate after Saturday's victory over the Charlotte Hornets and Nick Nurse's side will have further joy incoming as Joel Embiid continues his recovery from injury.

Center Embiid was forced into meniscus surgery for a left knee issue at the end of January but Nurse suggested his star man could return before the NBA playoffs.

"I'm still hoping so and pretty confident, yes," the 76ers coach said when asked if Embiid would feature in the postseason.

"I think there's always stages of how these things progress. Everyone wants to know 'Well how long is it going to be?'

"And they give a wide range because of that because everyone heals differently. We're just trying to take it as it comes, get him healthy and get him back when he's ready to go."

Embiid has missed 21 games since tearing his meniscus against the Golden State Warriors, with the 76ers slipping down from third to eighth in the Eastern Conference.

The 76ers man was at least in attendance as Philadelphia downed the Hornets 109-98, with that victory coming after Embiid offered a boost when returning to on-court training.

"He looked pretty good to me," said Cam Payne. "For my first time seeing him, he looked pretty good, man. He attracts a lot of attention out here. So it's probably going to make our job a little bit easier."

Against Charlotte, Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 22 as the 76ers withstood a fourth-quarter comeback for victory.

Buddy Hield also had 14 points and Paul Reed contributed 11, though the 76ers are still 8-13 without key player Embiid.

"I thought Buddy kept us going there for stretches in the second half," Nurse said. "He got some good spots and got some good looks.

"We only scored 109 points, but I thought the offense was really good."

Charlotte have now lost six straight to Philadelphia, though coach Steve Clifford was not too disheartened.

"We were right there with three and a half minutes left," Hornets coach Clifford said.

"We had a couple blown sets where we got a little disorganized there, but we got back into the game and I would say that we played well for about 43 minutes.

"The second quarter, we had a couple of minutes there where the ball didn't hit the paint and we took a couple of OK shots and put a lot of pressure on the defense."

Bahamian NBA star Chavano Rainer "Buddy" Hield was appointed the new Ambassador at Large in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bahamas.

Hield, the Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard, officially received his credentials from Prime Minister Philip Edward Davis during a ceremony at the Office of the Prime Minister on Friday.

The 31-year-old, Hield, was drafted to the NBA in 2016, and since entering the league, has conducted a number of basketball camps in The Bahamas, particularly on Grand Bahama.

He joins NBA players Rick Fox and Olympian Chris Brown as the third Bahamian athlete to be appointed as an Ambassador at Large.

"I do swear by Almighty God that I will lead with true faith and allegiance to the Commonwealth of Bahamas. I will faithfully discharge the duties of my office which I am about to enter. I sincerely swear that I will be bound by the office secret act of the Bahamas and agree to apply it not only during the period of my appointment, but also after my appointment has seized.

"As an officer of the Foreign Affairs, I will support and defend the constitution of the Bahamas and uphold the rule of law to both protect and defend the interest of the Commonwealth of Bahamas whether domestically or internationally," Hield said during the ceremony.

Recent acquisition Buddy Hield scored 24 points and the Philadelphia 76ers held on late to end the Cleveland Cavaliers' nine-game winning streak with Monday's 123-121 victory.

Despite still being without injured reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid, Philadelphia handed the red-hot Cavaliers just their second loss in their last 19 games behind hot-shooting efforts from Hield and Kelly Oubre Jr. 

Hield, making his third appearance since being acquired by the Sixers from the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, finished 5 of 8 from 3-point range and 9 of 13 overall from the field. Oubre hit 10 of his 14 field goal attempts while also collecting 24 points.

The win was Philadelphia's second straight following a 1-8 stretch from Jan. 25-Feb. 9, during which the team lost Embiid for an extended period due to a knee injury that required surgery.

Cleveland got 36 points and six assists from All-Star Donovan Mitchell and 21 points and 10 rebounds from Jarrett Allen, but couldn't match the Sixers down the stretch after taking a 102-100 lead with seven minutes remaining.

Hield scored the final eight points of a 13-2 run that gave Philadelphia a 113-104 advantage with 4:28 left to play, and the 76ers led 120-110 with 1:25 to go following an Oubre 3-pointer.

The Cavs responded with a 9-0 spurt to pull within 120-119 on Mitchell's 3-pointer with 14 seconds remaining, and had a chance to win at the buzzer when Darius Garland launched a 3-point shot that just missed the mark.

Garland ended with 21 points and nine assists, while Tyrese Maxey recorded 22 points and nine assists for Philadelphia.

Timberwolves dominate second half in rout of Clippers

The Minnesota Timberwolves got 24 points from Karl-Anthony Towns and a big third quarter to pull away for a 121-100 win over the Los Angeles Clippers and pad their lead atop the Western Conference.

Anthony Edwards added 23 points, 12 of which came during a dominant third quarter in which the Timberwolves outscored Los Angeles by a 40-19 margin.

Minnesota entered Monday's clash owning a slim half-game advantage on the Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets, who were handed a 112-95 defeat by the Milwaukee Bucks, in the tightly bunched West standings. 

The Clippers kept it close until the latter stages of the third quarter, as the Timberwolves held a 70-69 edge with under five minutes left in the period.

Minnesota took over from there, as it closed out the quarter on a 19-3 run to take a commanding 89-72 lead into the fourth. Towns had eight points during the pivotal spurt.

The Timberwolves maintained a lead of 15 points or more throughout the final period en route to posting a second straight win and giving Los Angeles a second loss in its last three games.

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George led the Clippers with 18 points each, while James Harden finished with 17 points and six assists. 

Bucks use defence to get past champion Nuggets

The Milwaukee Bucks got 36 points and 18 rebounds from Giannis Antetokounmpo and another strong performance from their much-maligned defence to hand the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets a 112-95 loss.

Milwaukee entered Monday's marquee matchup ranked 23rd in the NBA in scoring defence at 119.3 points allowed per game, but held the formidable Nuggets to their second-lowest shooting rate of the season at 38.3 per cent.

The Bucks have yielded under 100 points in consecutive games for the first time this season. Milwaukee lost five of its first six outings under new head coach Doc Rivers prior to Friday's 120-84 rout of the Charlotte Hornets.

Nikola Jokić amassed 29 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Nuggets. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., Denver's second and third-leading scorers on the season, were a combined 4 of 16 from the field, however.

Murray managed just three points on 1-of-5 shooting before sitting out the second half due to inflammation in his lower legs.

The Bucks had built a comfortable 60-44 lead at that point as Antetokounmpo racked up 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting over the first two quarters. The Nuggets never got their deficit under 13 points the rest of the way and are now mired in a two-game losing streak.

Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon all starred as The Bahamas got a big win over hosts Argentina in their second group game at the FIBA Americas Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament on Wednesday.

The Bahamians overcame a 12-point deficit at the end of the first quarter to enter halftime with a 55-53 lead.

From there, they built on their advantage to lead 82-67 after the third quarter before completing a 101-89 win.

Ayton, the 25-year-old Phoenix Suns Center, shot 11-16 from the field on the way to a 22-point performance. The big man also recorded 15 rebounds, three blocks and two steals.

Eric Gordon, who will be Ayton’s teammate in Phoenix this upcoming NBA season, had a game-high 24 points while Indiana Pacers sharp-shooter, Buddy Hield hit four three-pointers on the way to a 23-point night while also getting six rebounds and three assists.

Travis Munnings also had himself an excellent game, shooting a perfect 8-8 from the field to finish with 20 points and four rebounds.

Nicolas Brussino led the way for the 2004 Olympic Gold medalists with 21 points and seven rebounds while Facundo Campazzo had a double-double with 18 points and assists.

The Bahamians are now through to the semi-finals of the tournament after winning their two group phase games.

The semifinals are Saturday and the finals are Sunday. Bahamas must win the tournament to advance to next year’s FIBA Olympic qualifying tournaments July 2-7, 2024.

Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton, Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield and Charlotte Hornets forward Kai Jones have committed to play for their native Bahamas in upcoming Olympic qualifying action.

All four are on the roster for Bahamas for its Olympic qualifier in Santiago de Estero, Argentina, from Aug. 14-20.

Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Uruguay and the U.S. Virgin Islands are also participating in hopes of qualifying for a spot in the 2024 Paris Games.

Bahamas must win this tournament to qualify for another Olympic qualifier next summer.

Bahamas has never competed in the Olympics in men’s basketball.

This Bahamian team is projected to be the strongest the country has ever had. Bahamas is coached by Golden State Warriors assistant coach Chris DeMarco.

The full roster is as follows:

Deandre Ayton, Dominick Bridgewater, Jaraun Burrows, Garvin Clarke, Kadeem Coleby, Rashad Davis, Buddy Hield, Sammy Hunter, Kai Jones, Danrad Knowles, Lourawls Nairn, Willis Mackey Jr, Franco Miller, Travis Munnings, Kentwan Smith, David Nesbitt, AJ Storr, Mychel Thompson

They say styles make fights, and it will be a true styles clash when the run-and-gun Indiana Pacers travel to take on the grinding Miami Heat on Wednesday.

Coming into the contest, the Heat sit sixth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 29-25, 4.5 games ahead of the 10th-placed Pacers (25-30). Miami have been treading water recently with a 5-5 record from their past 10, while Indiana have struggled to a 2-8 run.

While there are many complex layers to this contest, a lot of it boils down to one simple point: the Pacers want to play fast, and the Heat want to play slow.

The young Pacers, led by the current official league-leader in assists Tyrese Haliburton (10.3 per game), play at the fourth-highest pace in the league (101.9 possessions per game). Meanwhile, the veteran Heat outfit, led by the current league-leader in steals Jimmy Butler (2.1 per game), play at the third-slowest pace (97.1 possessions).

That mindset dictates many key indicators for each team, starting with the disparity in fast-break offense.

The Pacers lead the league with 19 fast-break points per game, while the Heat are 27th at 11.3 – so Indiana will run all over Miami, right?

Well, not necessarily. The hectic pace the Pacers play at is conducive to high-scoring offense from both teams – allowing the sixth-most fast-break points per game (15.0) – while the Heat often control the tempo and limit fast-breaks all together, allowing the fourth-fewest points per game in that category (12.1).

Another symptom of playing fast at all costs is turnovers, and that is an area the Heat will look to exploit.

Miami forces a turnover on 16.8 per cent of opponent possessions – the best rate in the league – and 17.4 per cent of their total points come directly from these turnovers, which is the second-highest percentage.

Meanwhile, the Pacers' commit turnovers on 15.0 per cent of their possessions, making them the eighth-most turnover prone side in the NBA.

Another key difference between the two franchises is their discipline defensively, which primarily presents itself in two areas – fouling and boxing out.

Miami allows an offensive rebound on just 8.6 per cent of opponent misses – the best rate in the league – while Indiana allow the second-most (12.1 per cent).

The Heat also limit their opponents to the second-fewest made free throws per game (16.2), while the Pacers give up the most (20.3).

While this game is essentially about a fast team and a slow team, it is also about a good defense and a bad defense.

For the season, the Heat boast the fifth-best defensive efficiency in the league, allowing 111.0 points per 100 possessions, and they have been even better than that recently, with their mark of 109.8 across their past 15 games the third-best figure during that period.

Unfortunately for the Pacers, who started the season so far above expectations, their offense has cratered over that same 15-game span as Tyrese Haliburton's injury triggered a dismal run that resulted in the league's worst offense (109.3 points per 100 possessions). Haliburton has returned for their past three games, but there has been no improvement, with their 104.2 offensive rating in those three games also the worst figure in the league.

Indiana also rank 22nd in defense for both the full season and across the past 15 games, and their one strength on that end – Myles Turner, who is top-five in blocks per game (2.4) for the seventh consecutive season – is partially negated by the fact that Miami's offense only absorbs 3.8 blocks per game, tied for the league's fewest.

However, the silver lining for the Pacers is that they can bomb away from long range – averaging the sixth-most made three-pointers per game (13.8) – while the Heat are not equipped to stop them, allowing the second-most made threes per game (13.2).

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Indiana Pacers – Buddy Hield

While Haliburton and Turner are the Pacers' two best players at both ends of the court, Hield is the X-factor thanks to his marksmanship and the Heat's tendency to get beat from long range.

Averaging 3.8 made three-pointers per game, he trails only Golden State Warriors duo Stephen Curry (4.9) and Klay Thompson (4.2), Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard (4.1) and Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball (3.9) – and Hield's three-point percentage of 42.8 is better than all of them.

Miami Heat – Jimmy Butler

Adebayo is the only All-Star selection this season for the Heat, but Butler is the straw that stirs the drink, and the key to their efficient half-court offense.

He is metronomically consistent – averaging exactly 14.1 field goal attempts per game in both wins and losses this season. Butler's ability to control the pace and not allow his opposition to dictate play will be crucial against a team with such a different style, as will his distribution skills, with a 20 per cent assist increase (4.4 up to 5.3) in wins.

KEY BATTLE – Who will control the pace?

It goes without saying that whichever team forces the game to be played at their pace should have the advantage, and unfortunately for the Pacers, it is far easier to slow the game down than speed it up.

By controlling the rebounds, limiting their own turnovers and staying switched on defensively, Miami can turn this into a halfcourt grind and take the sting out of Indiana's speed in transition, so it will be imperative that the visitors shoot well from deep.

If the Pacers can hit some early threes and build a lead, it will create a sense of urgency in the trailing side that inevitably leads to quicker shots, more possessions and a style that suits the away team.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Since the beginning of the 2021-22 season, these two sides have met on six occasions. Despite the fact that Miami have been a staple in the playoffs and the Pacers are on track to miss out for the third season in a row, they have split those six meetings 3-3.

Illustrating how evenly matched the teams have been, they are 2-2 in their past four, and 1-1 in their past two, while the three most recent contests have been decided by a combined margin of 10 points.

Luka Doncic maintained his dynamite form with another triple-double as the Dallas Mavericks improved to 20-16 with a 129-114 victory over the Houston Rockets on Thursday.

Doncic, who scored a franchise-best and season-high 60 points two nights earlier, recorded his eighth triple double of the season, finishing with 35 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists.

The Slovenian guard led the Mavs to their fifth straight win, notching up a second straight triple-double for the second time this season. Doncic's collective 95 points across the past two games is an NBA-record in consecutive triple-doubles.

Doncic shot 11-of-21 from the field, including four-of-nine from beyond the arc, making nine-of-12 free-throws.

Ex-Rockets forward Christian Wood offered good support with 21 points, including five-of-eight three-pointers, six rebounds and four blocks, along with Dwight Powell, who added a season-high 19 points with six rebounds and two blocks off the bench.

The Rockets, who are 10-25 and have lost seven of their past eight games, had few answers as they fell behind 65-51 at half-time with a Doncic 35-foot buzzer beater, with Jalen Green top scoring with 23 points.

Celtics avenge Clippers' blowout

The Boston Celtics avenged their heavy loss to the Los Angeles Clippers three weeks ago with a 116-110 victory led by 29 points each from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

The NBA-best Celtics (26-10) had suffered their worst loss of the season at the hands of the Clippers earlier this month, losing 113-93, starting off a run where they lost five of six games.

Tatum had 11 rebounds to go with his 29 points, shooting 10-of-26 from the field, while Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points with eight rebounds for the Clippers.

Hield makes history in Pacers' win

Buddy Hield made history with the fastest three-pointer recorded since play-by-play began in 1996-97 as the Indiana Pacers downed the Cleveland Cavaliers 135-126.

Hield, who leads the league in three-pointers made this season, swished a shot just three seconds into the game. The Pacers made 19-of-31 from beyond the arc for the game, rallying from a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit.

Tyrese Haliburton top scored with 29 points, including six-of-eight three-point shooting, while Hield made six triples in his 25 points. Donovan Mitchell had 28 points and six assists for the Cavs.

Domantas Sabonis is reportedly being sent to the Sacramento Kings by the Indiana Pacers, who will acquire Tyrese Haliburton as part of a six-player trade. 

According to ESPN, the Pacers will also receive guard Buddy Hield and center Tristan Thompson in exchange for two-time All-Star Sabonis. Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a 2027 second-round pick will head to the Kings.

It is expected that Indiana's decision to part with Sabonis reduces the chances of Myles Turner departing before Thursday's trade deadline, given he can now play a bigger role at center.

Sabonis is averaging 18.9 points, 12.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in 2021-22. Only Rudy Gobert (15.1), Nikola Jokic (13.7) and Clint Capela (12.2) average more rebounds per game than Sabonis, whose 34 double-doubles this season ranks him third in the league.

The Kings had to give up Haliburton to get the deal done, with the 12th overall pick from the 2020 draft having been expected to be a key player for the franchise for years to come.

Haliburton's 1.69 steals per game this season is the sixth best in the league, while he sits 11th for assists per game with 7.4. He is also averaging 14.3 points and 3.9 rebounds.

They have also given up Hield, who has made 3.3 three-pointers per game this season. Only Stephen Curry (4.8) and Fred VanVleet (3.9) average more.

Domantas Sabonis is reportedly being sent to the Sacramento Kings by the Indiana Pacers, who will acquire Tyrese Haliburton as part of a six-player trade. 

According to ESPN, the Pacers will also receive guard Buddy Hield and center Tristan Thompson in exchange for two-time All-Star Sabonis. Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a 2027 second-round pick will head to the Kings. 

It is expected that Indiana's decision to part with Sabonis reduces the chances of Myles Turner departing before Thursday's trade deadline, given he can now play a bigger role at center. 

Sabonis is averaging 18.9 points, 12.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in 2021-22. Only Rudy Gobert (15.1), Nikola Jokic (13.7) and Clint Capela (12.2) average more rebounds per game than Sabonis, whose 34 double-doubles this season ranks him third in the league. 

The Kings had to give up Haliburton to get the deal done, with the 12th overall pick from the 2020 draft having been expected to be a key player for the franchise for years to come. 

Haliburton's 1.69 steals per game this season is the sixth best in the league, while he sits 11th for assists per game with 7.4. He is also averaging 14.3 points and 3.9 rebounds. 

They have also given up Hield, who has made 3.3 three-pointers per game this season. Only Stephen Curry (4.8) and Fred VanVleet (3.9) average more.