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.

The Bahamas will look to move one step closer to their dream of competing in Basketball at the Paris Olympics this summer when they tackle Lebanon in the semi-finals of Olympic Basketball Qualifying Tournament 1 in Valencia, Spain on Saturday.

The other semi-final will see hosts Spain taking on Finland, who the Bahamians defeated in the group stage.

The winner of the tournament will advance to the Paris Olympics.

The Bahamians booked their spot in the final four with a 90-81 win over Poland on Wednesday.

18-year-old Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe Jr, a projected top-5 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft who has committed to Baylor University, led the way with an efficient 21 points on 13 shot attempts. He also pulled in six rebounds and had one steal and one block.

Portland Trailblazers center Deandre Ayton was also solid with 18 points and nine rebounds while Eric Gordon missed just one of his six shot attempts on his way to 12 points.

San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Poland.

Lebanon booked their spot in the semis with a 74-70 win over Angola, also on Wednesday.

Former Villanova and Golden State Warriors big man Omari Spellman dominated with 22 points and 13 rebounds for Lebanon and will need to be given extra attention by the Bahamians on Saturday.

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.

Kawhi Leonard impressed again as the Los Angeles Clippers won their fourth straight NBA game on Monday.

The Clippers held off the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers 132-127 to record their ninth win in their last 12 games, a nice recovery from their six-game losing streak at the start of November.

Leonard now has 75 points in his last two games after scoring a team-high 34 against Portland.

There were also key contributions from Paul George (20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists) and James Harden (20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists).

Portland – playing without Deandre Ayton and Malcolm Brogdon – suffered a fourth straight loss despite a career-high 38 points from Anfernee Simons.

Asked about Leonard, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said: "The biggest thing is health and finally getting his rhythm with PG and James starting."

Los Angeles had a 14-point lead late in the first quarter but ultimately had to work hard for the victory.

The Blazers twice held a one-point lead in the closing stages of the fourth quarter having hit a season-high 19 3-pointers in the game.

"I knew it was going to be a tough game for us," added Lue, whose team are now 12-10, eighth in the Western Conference.

"Defensively, we couldn't get stops. They scored every way."

The Clippers are immediately back in action on Tuesday at home against the Sacramento Kings (13-8) to complete a back-to-back.

Leonard had a season-high 41 points in their previous win against the Utah Jazz.

"Offensively the team is in a good rhythm and that is all I care about," Leonard said.

"The ball found me and I made shots. I have played a lot of minutes over the last few games but sometimes you have to. When your best players play longer, you’ll most likely get the win.

"It is about knowing what we are doing and having clarity, using our experience, not being complacent.

"There is still a lot we’re lacking. On defense we didn't play that well. They are a team with great defenders who can turn you over a lot so we were focused on screening hard."

Harden echoed Leonard's view that there is still plenty of work to do.

"We take what the defense gives us, figure it out and attack," he said.

"If you share the ball, you get good results, but it wasn’t as easy as we’d like it to be. We don't have the luxury of overlooking opponents."

Damian Lillard finally has a new team, though it's not the one the NBA world had been expecting.

The Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to send their franchise icon to the Milwaukee Bucks in a blockbuster three-team trade that also involves fellow star players Jrue Holiday and Deandre Ayton, ESPN reported Wednesday.

Portland will receive Holiday from the Bucks and Ayton and rookie Toumani Camara from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Lillard, a seven-time All-Star who requested a trade this summer with the Trail Blazers in a rebuild.

The Blazers will also get Milwaukee's unprotected 2029 first-round pick as well as the right to swap first-round selections with the Bucks in 2028 and 2030.

Phoenix will receive veteran center Jusuf Nurkic and forwards Nassir Little and Keon Johnson from Portland, as well as guard Grayson Allen from Milwaukee.

Lillard had expressed a preference to be dealt to the Miami Heat, but the Blazers were unable to work out a trade to his desired destination that would satisfy their requirements for multiple draft picks and young players to add to their young core of rookie point guard Scoot Henderson and second-year wing Shaedon Sharpe.

The 33-year-old will instead be joining the team that finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference last season, but was dealt a stunning loss by the eighth-seeded Heat in the first round of the playoffs.

Lillard joins two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, three-time All-Star Khris Middleton and first team All-Defensive Team centre Brook Lopez as the nucleus of a Bucks squad that will be considered one of the favourites in the East after finishing 58-24 last season.

The trade, which is still awaiting league approval, also ends the 11-year tenure for arguably the most popular player in Trail Blazers' history. Lillard leaves Portland as the franchise's all-time leader in points (19,376) and three-point field goals (2,387), while his 5,151 assists rank second in team history.

Lillard is also coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 32.2 points per game and matched a personal best by shooting 46.3 per cent from the field, though a calf injury limited him to 58 games and he did not play after March 22.

The Blazers' season didn't go nearly as well, as they finished 13th in the Western Conference with a 33-49 record. Lillard's displeasure over the team's poor finish, plus its decision to keep its first-round draft picks instead of moving them for a win-now player, prompted him to formally issue a trade request in July.

Holiday, who earned a second career All-Star nod in 2022-23, could be on the move again soon, as ESPN reports Portland is expected to field trade offers for the 33-year-old point guard after taking Henderson with the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft.

The 25-year-old Ayton figures to remain part of the Blazers' long-range plans with three seasons left on a four-year, $133 million extension he signed in 2022. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 draft averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds per game last season and has averaged a double-double in each of his five NBA seasons.

Phoenix gets a ready-made replacement for Ayton in Nurkic in addition to building needed depth to its star-laden core of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and offseason pickup Bradley Beal.

Nurkic averaged 13.3 points and 9.1 rebounds while starting 52 games for Portland last season. 

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

Leicester boss Dean Smith says his players know it is important to avoid relegation in order to protect their legacy at the club.

The majority of the Foxes squad have been involved in one of the club’s most successful periods over the last few years, with an FA Cup success and back-to-back fifth-placed finishes under Brendan Rodgers.

Things have been different this season, with the club firmly embroiled in a relegation fight where they are currently out of the bottom three on goal difference alone ahead of Monday’s visit to Fulham.

Smith, who was parachuted in last month on an SOS mission to keep the Foxes up after Rodgers was sacked, has seen that his players care.

“It is, that’s the important thing I’ve felt from the players,” he said when asked how crucial it was to protect the players’ recent achievements by staying up.

“The care for the club and the need to ensure it remains a Premier League team, not just from us as coaching staff but also from the players, has been really noticeable.

“You can see that in the performances as well.”

Leicester have been hamstrung by poor defensive displays, having not kept a clean sheet in 19 games, going back to the 2-0 win at West Ham in the final game before the World Cup break.

Smith reckons if they can get that right between now and the end of the season, they will stay up.

“If we keep four clean sheets until the end of the season, we’re safe. I fully believe we’ve got players that can score goals, so we would win some of those games,” he said.

Smith brought John Terry with him to the King Power Stadium and says the former England and Chelsea centre-back can play a part in shoring up the defence.

He added: “He is someone they listen to because he based his game on being a good defender first and a good footballer second.

“He gives little tips he had and talks about the ‘what if’ quite a lot.

“As a defender you have to think, ‘What if he does make a mistake’ so you are there to cover him.”

Kevin Durant scored 23 points in his Phoenix Suns debut as Devin Booker stole the show with 37 points in a 105-91 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.

Durant stepped out for the Suns for the first time since his trade last month, having been sidelined with a sprained right knee, shooting 10-of-15 from the field and two-of-four from beyond the arc with six rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

Booker shot 15-of-26 from the field in his 37-point haul with six rebounds and seven assists, while Deandre Ayton scored 16 points with 16 rebounds.

Veteran guard Chris Paul took a back seat, with only two points whilst providing 11 assists as the new-look Suns showed off their multi-dimensional line-up.

The victory snapped the Hornets' five-game winning streak, with the Suns going wire to wire in a strong display, improving their record to 34-29.

Charlotte got within six points at three-quarter time but Durant played his part at the start of the fourth with nine points, registering only 19 minutes for the opening three periods, as Phoenix pulled away.

Tatum and Mitchell record 40-point games

Jayson Tatum recorded his ninth 40-point game of the season as the Boston Celtics overcame Donovan Mitchell's Cleveland Cavaliers 117-113.

Tatum finished with 41 points with improved 13-of-21 shooting including four-of-six three-pointers with 11 rebounds and eight assists, while Al Horford added 23 points and 11 rebounds.

Mitchell shrugged off an apparent quad concern in the third quarter with 44 points, piling only 29 in the second half. That was Mitchell's seventh 40-point game of his season.

Knicks down Nets to continue win streak

The New York Knicks extended their winning streak to seven games as Jalen Brunson scored 39 points in a 142-118 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Brunson hit 30 of his 39 points in the first half, with the Knicks piling on 47 points in the first quarter as they opened up 81-57 half-time lead. The Knicks improved their record to 37-27, sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference.

Cam Johnson scored a season-high 33 points for the Nets, who fall to their fourth straight loss and a 34-28 record as they continue to slide in the east.

The resurgent Phoenix Suns made it 11 wins from their past 14 games with a 120-109 home victory against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday.

Phoenix, who earlier this season endured a 2-12 run across a 14-game stretch, are now right back in the mix in the Western Conference, buoyed by the impending debut of trade deadline acquisition Kevin Durant.

Against the Kings, the Suns' main three players all performed at an exceptionally high level.

Point guard Chris Paul dished a season-high 19 assists – the second most by any player this season, trailing only James Harden's 21 against the Los Angeles Clippers in December – to go with 17 points on seven-of-15 shooting.

Offensive focal point Devin Booker led the Suns with 32 points on 13-of-20 shooting, and center Deandre Ayton dominated with 29 points (13-of-17 shooting), 11 rebounds, four steals and two blocks.

Both Kings All-Stars delivered, as De'Aaron Fox led the visitors in scoring with a game-high 35 points on 12-of-22 shooting, while Domantas Sabonis had 24 points (seven-of-12), 15 rebounds, seven assists and two steals.

With the win, the Suns improved their record to 32-27 and moved up to the fourth seed in the Western Conference, one game behind the third-placed Kings (32-25).

Bucks extend winning streak to 11 against undermanned Celtics

The Milwaukee Bucks were pushed all the way by a Boston Celtics team missing four starters, ultimately coming away with a 131-125 overtime win at home.

With Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Al Horford all out, Derrick White had 27 points (10-of-24), 12 assists and three steals, while Malcolm Brogdon added 26 points (eight-of-17) off the bench in a valiant effort.

But the heroics from the Bucks' All-Star duo pulled them across the line, with 40 points (13-of-21), seven assists and three steals for Jrue Holiday, while Giannis Antetokounmpo racked up 36 points (12-of-26), 13 rebounds and nine assists.

The Bucks (40-17) are now just a half-game behind the Celtics (41-17) in the race for the league's best record.

Blazers waste another explosive Lillard performance

Nobody is averaging more points than Damian Lillard over their past 10 games, and he had another 39 in a 126-101 home loss to the Washington Wizards.

Lillard, who came into the contest averaging 38.2 in his past 10, shot 14-of-30 from the field while adding 10 rebounds and six assists.

But the Wizards were too good, led by their leading scorer this season, Kristaps Porzingis, with 28 points (10-of-15), 12 rebounds and five assists, while Kyle Kuzma bombed away for 33 points (11-of-20) and nine rebounds.

Jayson Tatum grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds during the Boston Celtics' 121-118 overtime victory against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.

It was a gritty all-round performance from Tatum as he also finished with 34 points, six assists and three steals, imposing his will on the game despite shooting an inefficient nine-of-27 from the field and committing seven turnovers.

Like Tatum, his All-Star team-mate Jaylen Brown also shot just 33 per cent from the field (six-of-18), but veteran center Al Horford picked up the slack, scoring 20 points on eight-of-13 shooting while adding 10 rebounds and three blocks.

As was a theme on the night, Warriors superstar Stephen Curry struggled from the field, shooting nine-of-25 for his 29 points, supplementing his outing with seven assists, four steals, four rebounds and two blocks. Klay Thompson (eight-of-16) and Jordan Poole (10-of-25) chipped in 24 points each.

With the win, the Celtics improved their league-leading record to 34-12, while the Warriors fell under .500 at 22-23, including a horrific 5-17 record on the road.

Russell leads late Timberwolves comeback

Minnesota Timberwolves guard D'Angelo Russell nearly scored as many points as the entire Toronto Raptors team in the fourth quarter of a 128-126 comeback win.

Russell had 16 in the last period – including 14 in a row for the Timberwolves – while the Raptors could only muster 17 points, allowing the home side to claw back from what was a 14-point margin with 10 minutes remaining.

The former All-Star finished with 25 points on eight-of-15 shooting, adding six assists and two steals, while role-player Kyle Anderson continued to flourish in his expanded minutes with 20 points (eight-of-nine), 10 rebounds and six assists.

Suns snap losing run with Nets win

In the battle of two short-handed teams, the Phoenix Suns ended their three-game losing streak in a nail-biting 117-112 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

The Suns were up by 24 at one point, but Kyrie Irving got hot in the fourth quarter to finish with 30 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, for the Nets who were without Kevin Durant.

Deandre Ayton stepped up for Phoenix, missing Devin Booker and Chris Paul, with 24 points and 14 rebounds, while Mikal Bridges added 28. Cam Johnson added 19 points on his return from injury.

Joel Embiid posted another 50-point performance to lead the Philadelphia 76ers past the Charlotte Hornets 131-113 on Sunday.

Embiid scored 53 points with 11 rebounds for the Sixers, backing up his league season-best 59 points against the Utah Jazz on November 13.

The Sixers center joined Allen Iverson (2000-01 and 2004-05) and Wilt Chamberlain (1965-66 and 1967-68) to become the third player in franchise history to record multiple 50-point games in the same season.

Embiid also joined Chamberlin as the only Sixers in franchise history with at least 30 games of 40 points and 10 rebounds.

The big man's haul was built around 20-of-32 shooting along with making 11-of-11 free throws as the Sixers improved to 14-12.

James Harden made a solid contribution with 16 assists along with 19 points, including three-of-eight three-point shooting.

Pelicans soar into Western Conference lead

Zion Williamson scored 35 points to power the New Orleans Pelicans to a 129-124 overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns, who were missing Devin Booker again.

Williamson starred on 14-of-21 shooting with eight rebounds for the Pels, who beat the Suns twice in three days to surge into the Western Conference lead with a 18-8 record, fueled by seven straight wins.

Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton both fouled out for Phoenix, who were without Booker due to left hamstring tightness.

Griffin snatches remarkable OT Hawks win

A.J. Griffin sunk an overtime buzzer-beater to clinch the Atlanta Hawks a thrilling 123-122 win over the Chicago Bulls, after DeMar DeRozan hit three free throws with 0.5 seconds left to take the lead.

The Hawks snatched the win when Jalen Johnson's inbound alley-oop pass found Griffin, who hit a six-foot turnaround jumper. Trae Young had 19 points and 14 assists for Atlanta.

DeRozan scored a game-high 34 points for the Bulls, including 12 in the fourth quarter and three overtime free throws after being fouled by Bogdan Bogdanovic with less than a second left on a three-point attempt.

The best of the East against the best of the West.

No, this is not the NBA Finals yet, though it very well could be at the end of the season as the Boston Celtics head to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.

The Celtics have responded to losing last year's Finals to the Golden State Warriors in impressive fashion, made all the more notable given the situation around suspended head coach Ime Udoka.

With star performers Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown firing on all cylinders, the Celtics have raced out to win 20 of their first 25 (80.0 win percentage) games this season, topping the Eastern Conference by some distance (ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks with 73.9 per cent).

It has been quite the run since early November, with Boston on a record of 16-2 since their overtime defeat to the Cavaliers in Cleveland.

The Suns arguably had an even more anti-climactic end to their last campaign.

Phoenix ended the regular season with a fantastic record of 64-18, comfortably the best in the league, but were eliminated in the Western Conference semi-finals against the Dallas Mavericks, losing 4-3.

Like the Celtics, though, the Suns have mostly picked up where they left off this year, sitting on a record of 16-8 to narrowly top the West.

Monty Williams will be hoping his team can get back to their best after losing two of their last three games, with their last outing seeing them haunted by Luka Doncic and the Mavs again, but on Wednesday all they will have to deal with is the form team in the league, including Tatum and Brown.

Perhaps that defeat in Dallas will focus minds, but the Celtics will be looking to further cement their credentials.

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Phoenix Suns - Deandre Ayton

Devin Booker may be the main point-getter for the Suns, recently scoring a total of 136 points across three games, but Deandre Ayton's importance in the big games can never be underestimated.

The Bahamian is actually slightly down on his usual rebound average, but his 9.6 per game is still comfortably the best on the Phoenix roster and will be crucial against a team as potent as Boston.

Booker struggled last time out against the Mavs, while Ayton top-scored for his team with 20 points, along with eight rebounds and three blocks.

Boston Celtics - Jayson Tatum

Tatum has been an absolute force of nature so far this season, averaging 30.8 points per game from his 24 appearances, the fourth-best in the league behind only Doncic (33.4), Giannis Antetokounmpo (31.9) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.3).

The 24-year-old has scored 29 or more points in six of his last seven games, while also averaging the most rebounds (8.3) and assists (4.2) for his team this season.

KEY BATTLE - Suns must halt the points at the source

If it were as easy as stopping the opposition from shooting, you would have basketball sussed.

That is basically what Williams' must encourage his team to try though, with only one team having a better field-goal percentage than the Celtics' 49.4 this season (Denver Nuggets, 50.0 per cent).

Perhaps more concerning will be from range, with Boston boasting the best three-point success so far, sinking 40.2 per cent of their attempts from beyond the arc. Either prevent shots or at the very least, do not allow the likes of Tatum and Brown to shoot the ball without pressure.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

This has been a tremendously even battle in recent seasons, with Boston and Phoenix clashing twice in each of the last four campaigns.

In every single season, they have both won one each, with the Celtics winning their last meeting at TD Garden 123-108 on December 31 last year.

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.