Nick Smith Jr. finished with 19 points and Mark Williams scored 10 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter after missing stretches because of foul trouble for Charlotte, which hit 17 shots from 3-point range. Reserves Moussa Diabate and Cody Martin each added 10 points for the Hornets.

Kyrie Irving's 33 points and Daniel Gafford's season-high 31 points were tops for the Mavericks, who managed to score only five points in the last six minutes. Dallas was 6-for-32 (18.8 percent) on 3s.

A 10-0 run gave the Mavericks a 100-94 lead with less than 6 1/2 minutes remaining. Smith's 3-pointer put the Hornets in the lead at 105-102.

The Hornets were up 107-103 on Williams dunk at the 2:59 mark, and then the offenses hit rough patches.

Gafford scored off an offensive rebound with 1:31 remaining. That was the only field goal for Dallas in the last 5 1/2 minutes.

Ball went 1-for-2 on free throws with 13 seconds to play before Klay Thompson was off the mark on a potential tying 3-pointer for the Mavericks. Charlotte's Josh Green sealed the outcome with two free throws.

Williams grabbed 13 rebounds and Ball handed out nine assists. Seven of the Hornets' 11 victories have come in home games.

Irving scored 10 points in the third quarter, and the Dallas lead was 83-82 entering the fourth quarter.

Gafford entered the day averaging 11.7 points per game, but he went above 25 points for the second time this season -- both in a three-game stretch. His performance in the lane also put Williams in foul trouble.

The score was knotted at 55-55 at halftime, with Gafford at 21 points and Ball at 20. Ten of Charlotte's 19 first-half goals were 3-pointers, with Ball sinking five of those.

The team said Monday that an MRI revealed a Grade 3 left toe sprain. ESPN reported DiVincenzo has been placed in a walking boot.

DiVincenzo suffered the injury at the end of last Wednesday's game against Golden State.

DiVincenzo is averaging 11.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 40 games (eight starts) this season, including 17.5 points over his last six games. He scored 28 against the Warriors on 6-for-12 shooting from the 3-point line.

He's missed the past two games with the injury.

DiVincenzo, 27, is in his first season in Minnesota. The former first-round pick of the Milwaukee Bucks is averaging 10.6 points per game for his career.

Kel'el Ware, a 7-foot rookie center, figures to be a bigger part of the game plan when the Heat host the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.

On Sunday, Ware tied his career high with 25 points in Miami's 128-107 win over the San Antonio Spurs. Ware also blocked two shots, playing extended minutes alongside center Bam Adebayo for the first time all season.

The two big men combined to produce 31 points, 19 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks.

"Defensively, that looked elite," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Offensively, they'll figure it out. If I have to lean on this (lineup), I will."

Heat guard Tyler Herro said playing those two centers simultaneously allows Adebayo to roam defensively.

Spoelstra said he has been working the Adebayo-Ware combination in practice for a while, and the conditions were right on Sunday against San Antonio's 7-3 center Victor Wembanyama.

However, Spoelstra cautioned fans and media members not to get ahead of themselves.

"(Ware) generates a lot of opinions," Spoelstra said. "Let us do our jobs. Let (Ware) do what he's been doing."

Prior to Sunday's game, Ware was averaging just 13.2 minutes and 6.6 points. He was the No. 15 overall pick in June's draft.

"Our initial thing was let (Ware) become comfortable in a role," Spoelstra said. "His second unit had become a bright spot. What he's done now is earn more minutes."

Spoelstra said his message to all backups is: "Make us have to play you."

Meanwhile, Portland on Sunday snapped a five-game losing streak, beating the visiting Chicago Bulls 113-102.

Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson filled up the box score, posting 25 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

He also had a game-high-tying four turnovers.

"There were still things in the game that I can improve on," Henderson said. "But we're just trying to stack wins."

Henderson, the third pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, will turn 21 next month. His shooting has improved this season, but he still has strides to make, especially defensively.

"I'm always happy," Henderson said. "For the doubters, forget them. I don't really care about the people who are hopping on the wave now."

Blazers shooting guard Anfernee Simons, who is second on the team in scoring (18.0) and assists (4.9), missed Sunday's game due to a strained right elbow.

The Blazers were also without 7-2 rookie center Donovan Clingan, who has a sprained left ankle, for the third straight game. He is averaging 5.6 points and 6.5 rebounds in 16.6 minutes.

Clingan, who also turns 21 next month, won a national title with Connecticut last season.

The other players Portland is trying to rebuild around are veteran center Deandre Ayton, 26; forward Deni Avdija, 24; and shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe, 21.

Forward Jerami Grant is a solid starter, but, at age 30, there have been rumors that the Blazers are looking to trade him away.

Kawhi Leonard scored 19 points Sunday in a 116-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers while matching a season high with 24 minutes in his fifth game of the season after missing the first three months with knee soreness.

"I'm happy with the progress," said Leonard, who surpassed 14,000 career points. "For me, it's just about how I'm feeling and I'm coming out of the games feeling great but I still have work to do and we're going to keep taking each step."

Against the Bulls, though, the Clippers will revert to their previous look as Leonard takes a maintenance day Monday for his knee. It is a busy week for the team with four games in five days.

With Leonard missing time early in the season, Norman Powell has become the focus of the offense and leads the Clippers with 23.6 points per game after scoring 22 against the Lakers. Ivica Zubac added 21 points with 19 rebounds in his fourth game this season with at least 20 points and 18 rebounds.

"I'm just so proud of our guys for sticking with it and just executing, no matter who's touching the ball, who's getting shots," Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said. "We just have to keep building and keep stacking days."

Another Los Angeles player whose status might be in question for a second game in two nights is veteran James Harden, who had 21 points and 12 assists Sunday but played 40 minutes, one off his season high. Harden had been questionable Sunday with an illness.

Harden passed Oscar Robertson for 14th on the all-time scoring list Sunday and now is at 26,721 career points.

The Bulls also played Sunday, falling 113-102 on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers as their losing streak reached five games.

Zach LaVine scored 27 points for Chicago, while Nikola Vucevic had 17 points with 11 rebounds and seven assists. Coby White (nine points, no assists) departed in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.

The Bulls gave up 19 points on 16 turnovers. Josh Giddey did not have a point in 29 minutes while going scoreless in a game for the first time this season.

A potential trade piece before next month's deadline, LaVine has averaged 23.7 points with 4.6 assists after dipping to 19.5 points and 3.9 assists last season when he was limited to 25 games by a foot injury that required surgery.

"Whatever he did to evaluate the situation and what happened last year, the surgery and all those things, I'm not privy to, but he kind of took the approach of, ‘I've had a lot of time to reflect,'" Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. "And whatever he digested or reflected, he's been great in the locker room, he's been great off the court, he's been great with our guys."

Chicago was without guard Lonzo Ball because of a right quad contusion and left knee injury management. Ball, a Los Angeles-area native drafted No. 2 overall by the Lakers in 2017, hasn't played an NBA game in his hometown since November 2021.

Norman Powell scored 22 points and Kawhi Leonard had 19 in his fifth game of the season as the Clippers won their fourth consecutive game overall and improved to 15-6 in their new $2 billion arena. Zubac added three blocks against his former team.

LeBron James scored 25 points and dished out 11 assists and Anthony Davis had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers, who lost their third consecutive road game and fell for the fourth time in their past six games overall.

Rui Hachimura scored 19 points and Austin Reaves added 14 before leaving late in the game due to a knee injury for the Lakers, who previously played at Great Western Forum in Inglewood from 1967-99.

Bucks 123, 76ers 109

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 34 points and grabbed 15 boards to lead host Milwaukee to a win over short-handed Philadelphia.

It marked the fourth win in a row for Milwaukee. Damian Lillard added 25 points thanks to a 16-point fourth quarter, while Khris Middleton chipped in 13 points to go along with eight assists off the bench.

Tyrese Maxey had 37 points on 14-of-28 shooting to lead Philadelphia, which was without Joel Embiid (left knee injury management) and Paul George (groin), among others. Four other Sixers scored in double figures, including Kelly Oubre Jr., who finished with 19 points. The 76ers have dropped six straight games.

Nuggets 113, Magic 100

Nikola Jokic notched his 18th triple-double of the season by posting 20 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, Christian Braun added 20 points and 11 boards and Denver beat host Orlando.

Jokic, who leads the NBA in triple-doubles, went 7-for-9 from the field and didn't play in the fourth quarter. Peyton Watson had three blocks but left the game in the second quarter after taking a hit to the head. Denver has won six straight road games.

Wendell Carter Jr. had 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Anthony Black scored 14 points for the Magic, who have dropped three straight games. They were playing without Jalen Suggs (back), Gary Harris (hamstring), Franz Wagner (reconditioning) and Goga Bitadze (concussion protocol).

Thunder 127, Nets 101

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander collected 27 points and 10 assists to lead Oklahoma City to a win over visiting Brooklyn.

The Thunder have won 20 of their past 23 games overall and 12 straight at home. Oklahoma City shot 55.2 percent from the floor, its third-best field-goal percentage in a game this season.

Tyrese Martin and Johnson led Brooklyn with 15 points apiece. The Nets lost their third straight game and fell for the 19th time in 24 games.

Kings 123, Wizards 100

Domantas Sabonis had a double-double by halftime, De'Aaron Fox finished with one of his own and host Sacramento rolled over Washington, which has lost 10 games in a row.

Sabonis recorded his league-leading 37th double-double with game highs of 29 points and 18 rebounds as the Kings won for the ninth time in their last 10 games. Fox chipped in with 12 points and a game-high 13 assists in his seventh double-double of the year.

Backup Jonas Valanciunas topped the Wizards in points (23) and rebounds (12), hitting nine of his 11 shots off the bench. Coming off a 38-point explosion Saturday night at Golden State, Jordan Poole connected on just 4 of 11 shots and 3 of 9 3-point attempts en route to 11 points.

Trail Blazers 113, Bulls 102

Scoot Henderson recorded 25 points, eight assists and seven rebounds to help Portland deliver a victory over visiting Chicago.

Shaedon Sharpe added 23 points as the Trail Blazers snapped a five-game losing streak. Deni Avdija had 20 points, 12 rebounds and three steals, Jerami Grant scored 18 points and Deandre Ayton contributed 15 points and 13 rebounds for Portland.

Zach LaVine scored 27 points and Nikola Vucevic added 17 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Bulls, who dropped their fifth consecutive game.

Heat 128, Spurs 107

Lightly-used reserve Kel'el Ware, a 7-foot rookie, tied his career high with 25 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots as host Miami defeated San Antonio.

Ware played 34 minutes as he was needed to guard 7-foot-3 Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama, who finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and one block.

Duncan Robinson scored 21 points, Terry Rozier had 20 off the bench and Tyler Herro overcame a slow start to post 18 points for the Heat. Devin Vassell topped the Spurs with 23 points.

Sabonis recorded his league-leading 37th double-double with a game-high 29 points and a game-high 18 rebounds for the Kings, who won for the ninth time in their last 10 games.

Fox chipped in with 12 points and a game-high 13 assists in his seventh double-double of the year.

Sabonis had 18 of his points and 11 of his rebounds in the first half, during which Sacramento got the jump on a Wizards team playing for the second time in two nights. The Kings led by as many as 11 in the first quarter and 14 in the second en route to a 62-48 halftime advantage.

In losing for the 10th straight time, the Wizards never got closer than 10 in the third period, yet hung within 102-91 with 7:11 remaining in the game before Sabonis dropped in a five-footer, DeMar DeRozan and Keegan Murray threw down dunks, and DeRozan added a 20-footer in an 8-0 burst that broke the game open for good.

Sabonis went 12-for-16 from the field, helping Sacramento outshoot Washington 48.4 percent to 36 percent.

DeRozan finished with 24 points, Malik Monk 23 and Keon Ellis 18 for the Kings, who entered the game fresh, having been off the previous two days. Ellis did all his scoring on 6-for-8 accuracy from beyond the 3-point arc.

Backup Jonas Valanciunas topped the Wizards in both points with 23 and rebounds with 12, hitting nine of his 11 shots off the bench.

Coming off a 38-point explosion Saturday night at Golden State, Jordan Poole connected on just four of his 11 shots and three of his nine 3-point attempts en route to 11 points.

Bilal Coulibaly also had 11 points for Washington, while Kyle Kuzma put up 13 to go with seven rebounds and Corey Kispert 14 off the bench.

Rookie Alex Sarr had six points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes.

Shaedon Sharpe added 23 points as the Trail Blazers snapped a five-game losing streak. Deni Avdija had 20 points, 12 rebounds and three steals, Jerami Grant scored 18 points and Deandre Ayton contributed 15 points and 13 rebounds for Portland.

Zach LaVine scored 27 points and Nikola Vucevic added 17 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Bulls, who dropped their fifth consecutive game. Patrick Williams had 15 points and Ayo Dosunmu added 12 for Chicago.

The Trail Blazers had a 50-36 rebounding edge one night after they were outrebounded 61-40 in a loss to the visiting Houston Rockets. Avdija and Ayton missed the Houston game due to injuries.

Portland shot 47.2 percent from the field, including 9 of 31 from 3-point range.

The Bulls made 44.4 percent of their attempts and were 8 of 29 from behind the arc.

Chicago trailed by 15 points in the fourth quarter but moved within 111-102 on Williams' basket with 1:26 left.

But Avidja's basket pushed the lead back to 11 with 1:10 left. When LaVine missed a trey 12 seconds later, the Bulls' comeback bid was effectively over.

The score was tied at halftime before Portland scored the first seven points of the third quarter for a 60-53 lead. Grant had five of the points.

The Trail Blazers led by eight after a 3-pointer by Avdija with 8:11 left in the quarter. However, Chicago battled back to knot the score at 75 on a 3-pointer by Dosunmu with 3:37 remaining.

Henderson then scored six straight points as part of a quarter-ending 12-2 surge that gave Portland an 87-77 lead entering the final stanza.

The Trail Blazers later scored eight straight points, capped by a 3-pointer from Sharpe, to take a 97-82 lead with 7:36 remaining.

The score was tied at 53 at the break. LaVine had 13 for the Bulls and Henderson had 13 for Portland.

Chicago had a 15-point lead late in the first quarter before things began to unravel.

Norman Powell scored 22 points and Kawhi Leonard 19 in his fifth game of the season as the Clippers won their fourth consecutive game and improved to 15-6 in their new $2 billion arena.

Leonard was 9-of-13 shooting and added four assists while matching a season high with 24 minutes. He missed the first three months with knee soreness. Zubac added three blocks against his former team.

LeBron James scored 25 points with 11 assists and Anthony Davis had 16 points with 10 rebounds for the Lakers, who lost their third consecutive road game and fell for the fourth time in their past six games overall.

Rui Hachimura scored 19 points and Austin Reaves added 14 before leaving late in the game with a knee injury for the Lakers, who previously played at The Forum in Inglewood from 1967-99.

The Clippers led 32-26 after one quarter and took charge by outscoring the Lakers by nine points in the second quarter to take a 64-49 lead into halftime. Powell scored 14 points in the opening half as the Clippers shot 57.8 percent from the floor.

Leonard scored eight points in the third quarter and the Clippers led by as many as 26 points, before the Lakers went on an 11-0 run late in the period to pull within 90-75. The Clippers took a 92-77 advantage into the fourth quarter.

The Lakers were within 96-85 with 8:04 remaining before the Clippers turned a timeout into a 6-0 run and took a 102-85 lead with 6:10 remaining.

The Lakers' Max Christie matched up against his brother Cam Christie of the Clippers for the first time in an NBA game as they squared off over the final minute. Cam Christie scored one point in his second career game, while Max Christie had 10 points.

Daigneault earned his first All-Star Game head coaching nod after the Thunder clinched the best record in the Western Conference through games of Feb. 2. They improved to 35-7 with a 127-101 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

In five seasons as head coach of the Thunder, Daigneault is 177-182, while guiding his team into the playoffs last season. He is the first Oklahoma City head coach to earn the honor since Scott Brooks in the 2013-14 season.

The nod for Daigneault also assures that one Thunder assistant coach will be the head coach of another of the four NBA All-Star teams. The head coach and an assistant from the Eastern Conference squad with the best record through Feb. 2 will coach the other two teams.

The NBA adopted a new one-night All-Star Game tournament this season with three teams comprised of eight All-Stars drafted to teams by former NBA players Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal of "Inside the NBA."

The winner of the Rising Stars challenge competition between first- and second-year players will be the fourth team in the All-Star Game tournament.

Last year's All-Star Game was widely ridiculed despite reverting back to the traditional East-West matchup from a "captain's draft," with the fan-vote leaders from each conference drafting two teams.

Tournament games will be decided by the first team to reach 40 points.

The Thunder have won 20 of their last 23 games overall and 11 straight in Oklahoma City.

While Gilgeous-Alexander returned after missing Friday's loss in Dallas, the Thunder were without Jalen Williams for the first time this season. Williams missed the game with a right hip strain.

Gilgeous-Alexander didn't show ill effects from the wrist sprain that kept him out Friday, hanging off the rim for several seconds after a first-quarter dunk.

The Nets missed their first eight shots, not hitting from the field until more than 4:30 into the game.

While Brooklyn struggled offensively early, Oklahoma City got off to a hot startm primarily from the perimeter.

Oklahoma City started 8 of 11 from beyond the arc, and hit nine 3-pointers in the first quarter, including 4 of 5 from Isaiah Joe.

Brooklyn was just 2 of 14 from beyond the arc in the first quarter, and the Thunder led by as many as 27 points in the period.

Brooklyn didn't fade away quickly, though, cutting the deficit to 12 midway through the second quarter.

Oklahoma City padded the cushion back to 20 again by halftime, and the Nets never pulled closer than 13 the rest of the way.

With the game well in hand, Gilgeous-Alexander, who also had four steals, didn't play in the fourth quarter.

Joe scored 24 points -- going 8 of 10 from beyond the arc.

Oklahoma City shot 55.2 percent from the floor, its third-best shooting game of the season.

Cameron Johnson returned for the Nets after missing the last two games and seven of their previous eight with an ankle sprain.

Brooklyn is winless in all nine games Johnson has missed this season.

Tyrese Martin and Johnson led Brooklyn with 15 points each.

Brooklyn lost its third straight game and 19th in their last 24.

It marked the fourth win in a row for Milwaukee. Damian Lillard added 25 points thanks to a 16-point fourth quarter, while Khris Middleton chipped in 13 points to go along with eight assists off the bench.

Tyrese Maxey had 37 points on 14-of-28 shooting to lead Philadelphia, which was without Joel Embiid (left knee injury management) and Paul George (groin), among others. Four other Sixers scored in double figures, including Kelly Oubre Jr., who finished with 19 points. The 76ers have dropped six straight games.

Milwaukee led 30-21 after the first quarter thanks in large part to 12 points from Antetokounmpo. However, Philadelphia responded.

A 10-0 76ers run to start the second quarter gave the visitors the lead. It took the Bucks over four minutes to make a field-goal attempt in the quarter, but they got back on track late in the frame to take a 59-50 lead into halftime.

Milwaukee was just 5-for-18 from deep before the break but shot 46.9 percent from the floor compared to 40.9 percent for Philadelphia.

After a poor start to the third quarter and a 6-2 spurt from Philadelphia that brought the 76ers' deficit down to just five, 61-56, Milwaukee would slowly pick it back up offensively and go into the fourth up 90-81.

The Bucks found their stroke from deep to start the fourth, with Lillard and Brook Lopez combining for three 3-pointers in the first three minutes of the final quarter to put Milwaukee up 101-90 with 8:57 to go.

Lillard ended up with three triples in his big fourth quarter, which allowed him to reach the 22,000-point plateau for his career. The Bucks led by as many as 16 in the final 12 minutes of action.

Jokic, who leads the NBA in triple-doubles, went 7-for-9 from the field and didn't play in the fourth quarter. Jamal Murray scored 19 points, Michael Porter Jr. contributed 15 and Russell Westbrook supplied 12 for Denver, which has won six straight road games.

The Nuggets' Peyton Watson had three blocks but left the game in the second quarter after taking a hit to the head. He did not return to the contest.

Wendell Carter Jr. had 16 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Magic. Anthony Black scored 14 points, Tristan da Silva and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 12 apiece and Paolo Banchero and Jonathan Isaac each contributed 10 for Orlando, which has dropped three straight games.

The short-handed Magic played without Jalen Suggs (back), Gary Harris (hamstring), Franz Wagner (reconditioning) and Goga Bitadze (concussion protocol).

Orlando took a 63-60 lead on da Silva's dunk with 8:03 left in the third quarter, but the Nuggets then seized control of the game. Westbrook converted a layup and fed Braun for a 3-pointer, Porter hit a trey of his own and Braun made a running layup and a dunk during a 14-2 run that gave Denver a 74-65 lead.

Trevelin Queen's layup cut the Magic's deficit to six. However, the Nuggets ended up going up by 11 before Banchero's three-point play got Orlando within 83-77.

Murray scored all 10 of his third-quarter points in the final 1:35 of the frame to give Denver a 93-77 lead heading into the fourth.

The Nuggets started fast in the final quarter and opened up a 103-82 lead on Julian Strawther's 3-pointer with 8:15 left. The Denver lead grew to 24 on Braun's layup with 6:24 remaining, and the visitors coasted to the finish.

Orlando led by as many as 10 in the second quarter, but the Nuggets tied the contest at 49 on a layup by Westbrook. Denver led 54-52 at the break.

The Pelicans made a season-high 22 shots from 3-point range on their way to their most points in a game and season-best margin of victory in their 136-123 win over the Jazz.

They will try to continue their recent run of success when the teams meet at New Orleans again Monday night.

The Pelicans have won a season-best three in a row, four of their last five games and six of nine.

They tied a season-high with 50 attempts from 3-point range against Utah, matching the total from a victory Tuesday against the Chicago Bulls. They surpassed the previous season high of 18 made shots from distance in a Jan. 10 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Head coach Willie Green said increased 3-point volume and efficiency is one of "the concepts that we want to implement with our team."

"We're staying consistent," Green said. "Our message is the same. Our guys are doing a great job of buying in. I think the biggest concept for us is we're getting healthy, and these guys have had time on the floor together.

Zion Williamson had 24 points, a season-high 14 rebounds, six assists and three blocks in 23 minutes against Utah.

It was just the fourth game Williamson has played in since returning from a 27-game absence due to a hamstring strain. Since his return he has missed three games - one due to a suspension for being late for a team flight and the other two because they were on the back end of back-to-backs as he continues to work his way into top form.

"It's what he's capable of doing night in and night out (with) his ability to rebound, his ability to pass," Green said of Williamson. "I think he was solid defensively."

Williamson was the only double-figure rebounder in a game in which New Orleans out-rebounded the Jazz 56-40, including a 21-7 edge in offensive rebounds, leading to a 35-8 edge in second-chance points.

"It's hard to win when those numbers are that skewed," Utah coach Will Hardy said. "They end up getting 14 more shots than us (100-86), and the math is against you if you can't rebound the ball a group."

Hardy was encouraged that his team fought back from a 26-point deficit in the second quarter to get as close as six points before fading in the second half. Utah center Drew Eubanks gave the team a lift with 17 points and seven rebounds.

"Drew is incredibly special," Hardy said. "His teammates love him because he does a lot of the dirty work. He sets screens and rebounds."

Another bright spot was rookie guard Isaiah Collier, who had a season-high 11 assists off the bench, topping the 10 he had Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets. Still, the Jazz have lost five of six.

"This is the part of the season where people start to drift and your focus starts to drift and your energy can start to drift," Hardy said. "Everybody starts talking about this time of year like, ‘Oh we're tired and the All-Star break is sort of in sight,' and that's not something we're going to give in to."

The Celtics head west following a 119-115 overtime loss at home to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night, their fourth defeat in an eight-game stretch of alternating results.

The good news for Boston: It hasn't lost two in a row since its last holiday appearance -- a 118-114 setback to the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Christmas Day.

The Celtics and Warriors have split each of their last three regular-season series. In each case, Golden State won the first game (by an average of 8.7 points) before Boston captured the rematch (by an average of 25.7 points).

The Warriors opened this year's head-to-head on a similar note, beating the Celtics 118-112 in Boston on Nov. 6.

Stephen Curry paced Golden State with 27 points, but all eyes had been on Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who was seeing Warriors coach Steve Kerr for the first time since winning a gold medal together with Team USA at last summer's Paris Olympics. Tatum was benched twice by Kerr during the tournament despite winning an NBA championship just weeks earlier.

Tatum had a game-high 32 points in the loss. He leads Boston in scoring (27.7 points per game), rebounding (9.3) and assists (5.4).

The Celtics have struggled to resemble last season's championship team over the past five weeks, going just 10-9 following a 19-4 start.

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla pointed to lessons learned in recent defeats as a potential positive to the club's inconsistency.

"We've got to get better at our late-game execution," he said. "We had a chance to win (against the Hawks), and we didn't execute it."

Golden State has had ups and downs of its own after a similarly fast start. The Warriors were 12-3 after they won at New Orleans on Nov. 22 but have gone just 9-17 since, never winning more than two in a row.

Golden State enters Monday's contest on a two-game winning streak but finished its 122-114 home victory over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night without Curry and Draymond Green on the court.

Curry limped to the sidelines on a sore left ankle with 1:05 remaining in the game, while Green lasted just three minutes before he succumbed to a tight left calf. Green was scheduled for an MRI on Sunday.

Both will be game-time decisions.

Kerr noted after Saturday's win that he's confident Andrew Wiggins can help pick up the slack if the injury news once again turns sour for a team already missing Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Kyle Anderson.

Wiggins had a season-high 31 points against the Wizards and is averaging 25 points over his last three games.

"The way things have evolved the last couple of weeks, we just really leaned into his scoring," Kerr said. "He's doing a lot of good things for us, scoring in multiple ways. The way he rebounded (11 against the Wizards) ... He was fantastic."

Ware played 34 minutes as he was needed to guard 7-3 Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama, who finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and one block.

Entering Sunday, Ware was averaging just 13.2 minutes and 6.6 points in 25 games, all as a reserve, and he was not used in 15 contests.

Also for Miami, Duncan Robinson scored 21 points; Terry Rozier had 20 points off the bench; and Tyler Herro overcame a slow start to post 18 points. Herro had just two points at halftime.

Jimmy Butler, in his second game back from a seven-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, collected eight points, seven assists and three rebounds in 28 minutes.

Devin Vassell topped the Spurs with 23 points.

San Antonio led 30-20 at the end of the first quarter as Wembanyama had 11 points. For Miami, Herro had his first scoreless first quarter of the season, missing on both of his shot attempts.

In the second period, Wembanyama went scoreless, missing all six of his shots, including three from distance. Miami capitalized, rallying to take a 46-41 halftime lead.

Ware scored nine points in the second quarter, when he was a plus-15. The Spurs shot just 1-for-10 on 3-pointers in that quarter.

The Heat trailed most of the first half, but it was Rozier's 3-pointer with 3:20 left in the second quarter that gave Miami a 43-41 advantage.

Miami never trailed again.

Herro finally got hot in the third period, making 4 of 5 shots including a 3-pointer as Miami blew the game open, taking a 92-68 lead. Herro and Robinson each had 11 points in the third.

Wembanyama was held to three points in the third period as Miami outshot San Antonio 70.8 percent to 44.0 percent.

In the fourth quarter, the Spurs never got closer than 14 points as Miami snapped a three-game losing streak.

The Spurs have now lost three in a row, and Wembanyama is 0-3 in his brief career against Miami.

Durant and Booker have been tormenting opponents, and the duo will try to keep rolling on Monday when Phoenix collides with the host Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Suns have caught fire in the wake of a four-game losing streak that bridged December and January, going 6-2 in their past eight games. Durant has put up 26.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game during that strong stretch, while Booker has averaged 30.0 points, 4.5 boards and 7.1 assists.

Even though Durant finished with a game-high 36 points and Booker supplied 35 in a 125-121 win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, it was backup big man Nick Richards who stole the spotlight.

Richards collected 21 points and 11 rebounds in his Phoenix debut after being acquired in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. Based off that initial performance, Booker is eager to see what else the 27-year-old can bring to the Suns' bench.

"Nick was incredible. He was catching, he was finishing. He was rebounding. For his first game, playing in the right spacing, too. Getting looks in that dunker catching and finishing," Booker said. "That was a big pickup for us. It showed (Saturday)."

Richards could get some more run on Monday if Jusuf Nurkic isn't able to play. Nurkic is dealing with an illness and has missed the past six games. Phoenix has also been without Bradley Beal, who is nursing a sprained left ankle.

Cleveland also is a bit banged up, as it didn't have Evan Mobley (calf) for its 124-117 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night. The Cavaliers still took care of business, though, getting 36 points, eight rebounds and seven assists from Donovan Mitchell and 29 points from Darius Garland.

Mobley's status for Monday is not yet known. Cleveland is also hoping to have Isaac Okoro back after the guard/forward aggravated a right shoulder injury that sidelined him earlier this season.

Before beating Minnesota, the Cavaliers were blown out by the Oklahoma City Thunder 134-114 on Thursday. Cleveland forward Georges Niang has been pleased with just how resilient his team has been, and he is hoping that the Cavaliers can get another winning streak going on Monday.

"I thought (the win) was awesome," said Niang, who netted 15 points against the Timberwolves. "Obviously, playing a Minnesota team that has a lot of weapons, they can do a lot of different things and offer a lot of different positional challenges, especially with one of our big guns, Evan Mobley, out.

"I thought it was awesome how we responded, especially after the performance in Oklahoma City."

The win against Minnesota marked the end of a three-game road trip for Cleveland, which now returns home, where it is 20-2 this season. The Suns, meanwhile, are just 8-12 away from Phoenix.

Phoenix has taken seven of its past nine meetings with the Cavaliers.

The Hawks defeated the Boston Celtics 119-115 in overtime on Saturday and have won four of their last five overall. The Knicks were beaten 116-99 by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday and have lost six of their last nine.

Atlanta is 2-0 against the Knicks in their head-to-head series. The Hawks have won the last three contests against New York.

Atlanta got forward Jalen Johnson back in the lineup after he missed five games with shoulder soreness. Johnson had 14 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in nearly 38 minutes in his return. Johnson averages 19.7 points (second-most on the club), 10.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists.

"It was good to have Jalen back," Atlanta coach Quin Snyder said. "His presence in the game ... It doesn't matter if he's scoring, there are different ways to impact the game and I was impressed, as the game went on, the things that he did."

Johnson gives Atlanta another offensive weapon that Trae Young can find on the court. Young, who missed the previous game against Chicago with sore ribs, scored 28 points and had 11 assists against the Celtics.

De'Andre Hunter, who had missed the previous two games with a sore left foot, also returned.

"One of the biggest plays in the game was when Trae swung the ball quickly to (Hunter) and he didn't make the shot," Snyder said. "But you could see the response right after with those two that they knew that was the right play. Over time that's what winning teams do, so for them to do that was emblematic of their connection during the game."

Johnson's return pushed two-way player Daeqwon Plowden back on the bench. He scored 19 points and was 5-for-6 on 3-pointers in his NBA debut on Wednesday and was instrumental in the win. He did not play on Saturday.

The Knicks struggled with 3-pointers on Friday -- giving up too many (22-for-40, 55 percent) and not making enough (14-for-34, 41.2 percent).

"The best way to guard the line is to prevent the 3s and that's where we're pretty good," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "But we have to challenge those. We have to have the ability to get in and get out and then have an awareness of when a guy gets hot. We've got to make sure we're there on the catch to take his airspace away. We've got to read the game and make guys do things that they really don't want to do."

Neither team is great defensively against the 3. Atlanta allows a league-worst 15.2 3-pointers per game and Knicks are No. 22 with 13.8 3-pointers allowed. The teams both allow 37.8 percent of 3-pointers, tied for 26th in the NBA.

The Knicks have played the last two games without Karl-Anthony Towns (25.4 points and 13.9 rebounds) because of a sprained right thumb. In 17 career games against the Hawks, Towns is averaging 23.5 points and 12.7 rebounds. He has totaled 53 points and 35 rebounds in two games against Atlanta this season.

"It's day to day, you know," Thibodeau said. "We'll give it a shot (Monday) and see where he is and go from there."

The Rockets won for the sixth time in seven games by seizing control in the second half of a 125-103 road victory in advance of back-to-back home games starting Monday against the Detroit Pistons.

Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green, who both signed extensions in the offseason before their fourth seasons in the NBA, again co-authored the triumph. Sengun produced 23 points, 15 rebounds and six assists while Green added 26 points and five rebounds.

Green and Sengun have found a simultaneous rhythm of late for the ascendant Rockets, whose .683 winning percentage at the halfway mark of the schedule is their best since Houston went 65-17 in 2017-18 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. The Rockets already have more wins (28) this season than they did in the three seasons before last year's .500 finish.

Despite their success and position as the second seed in the West, the Rockets crave more. Houston remains a top-five defense in the NBA with the play of Green and Sengun stabilizing an offense that has thrived in fits and spurts.

Consistency has been the buzzword for the Rockets throughout the first half, and that hasn't changed as the second half kicks off.

"Good, but we want more," Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. "(We) feel there's another level that we can take it to. Defensively it hasn't been great lately. I think we've had some slippage there. Offensively we're still finding our way. There's some things we can improve at.

"We're doing some of the benchmarks that we tried to do at the start of the season, which are offensive rebounds and transition (points), being at the top of the league in those categories. But (we) can still get a lot better. It's consistency that's been the message to our team the whole year."

The Pistons are in a relatively similar frame of mind. Despite a 125-121 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, their second defeat in a row, the Pistons remain at .500 after winning seven of eight games before their back-to-back losses.

Detroit last qualified for the postseason in 2018-19, when the Pistons finished 41-41. Over the five subsequent seasons, the Pistons' high-water mark for wins was 23 in 2021-22. Detroit is currently eighth in the East.

Fourth-year guard Cade Cunningham primarily is responsible for the Pistons' emergence this season, with averages of 24.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 9.4 assists per game. He had 20 points, six rebounds and 11 assists -- half of the Pistons' total -- in the loss to the Suns, and his per-game assists average is more than double that of closest teammate Jaden Ivey, who is sidelined with a broken leg. Tobias Harris' 2.5 assists per game currently ranks second among the available Pistons.

Seeking better offensive distribution is a focal point for the Pistons.

"It's just got to be ball movement," Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "We keep talking about the diversity in our offense and just doing the next, right thing. That's one of the things that we continue to work on."

Bane, a shooting guard, has filled in admirably at point guard in place of Morant, who missed his 18th game of the season Friday at San Antonio with a sore right foot. Bane stepped in for the two-time All-Star and produced as if he's spent his career directing the offense.

Bane finished with a season-high 14 assists -- two shy of his personal best -- in a lopsided victory over the Spurs. Bane's steady hand helped the Grizzlies play relatively error free. The team's seven turnovers were a season low.

If Morant is unable to appear in Monday's home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins feels comfortable Bane can handle another assignment directing the show.

"I've got so much faith and trust in Des to be a lead playmaker and an advantage creator for us," Jenkins said. "And he's getting to the point of attack at the rim and kicking out for threes. That's been awesome to watch."

The 140-112 loss the Grizzlies handed the Spurs was San Antonio's largest margin of defeat this season. In addition to his 14 assists, Bane finished with 22 points, the eighth time in the last nine games he's scored 20 or more points.

Bane's offensive consistency also has provided a boost for the Grizzlies, who have won three of their last four, all on the road.

Memphis opens a four-game homestand with the game against the Timberwolves. In addition to Bane, the Grizzlies hope to get another strong contribution from Santi Aldama.

Aldama dropped in a career-high 29 points -- along with eight rebounds -- in the win over the Spurs. He made 10 of 19 shots, including five 3-pointers, and sparked a 20-5 run that began in the third quarter and put the Grizzlies comfortably ahead.

"He's been very consistent all season long," Jenkins said. "I love the confidence he is playing with on the offensive end. Fiery Santi is the best one -- the one that has that fuel.

"When we are playing with pace and playing with movement, you've seen all season long he can flourish in close out situations. When he comes with the mentality of being aggressive, you get to see these results and the impact he can have."

After defeating the New York Knicks 116-99 Friday night, the Timberwolves fell to the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 124-117 on Saturday night. Anthony Edwards had 36 points, 13 boards and seven assists against the Knicks, but despite strong performances Saturday from Edwards and Julius Randle, Minnesota was unable to win a second straight game of a back-to-back.

Edwards led the Timberwolves with 28 points and Randle nearly added a triple-double with 20 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists.

Minnesota was forced to play a second straight game without point guard Donte DiVincenzo, who is out with a left big toe sprain. But Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said the team's undoing came on the boards.

"I really thought the game came unglued for us with our inability to rebound defensively," Finch said. "They had six offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and scored on all of them."

But they'll be back at it Monday afternoon when the Dallas Mavericks visit.

The Hornets, who are looking for their first three-game winning streak of the season, are coming to grips with the loss of swingman Brandon Miller, who sustained what has been revealed as a severe wrist injury.

The Mavericks have injury questions as well, so the health of the teams is bound to be a factor.

The Hornets are back home after what was supposed to be a five-game road trip. But two games in Los Angeles were postponed because of the California wildfires, so it ended up being a 2-1 trip.

Normally, that would be considered super for Charlotte. But the Miller injury put a damper on the mood, so much so that guard LaMelo Ball called it "tough times" for the team.

The Hornets were without Miller during Friday night's 125-123 victory at Chicago, with information about the possible extent of his absence coming after the game. He sustained the injury two nights earlier at Utah.

To fill the void left by Miller, the Hornets could call upon Josh Okogie, who was acquired several days ago in a deal that sent center Nick Richards to the Phoenix Suns.

"I think he's a jack of all trades, and we're super excited about everything he's going to bring to our group," Hornets coach Charles Lee said of Okogie. "I think immediately, he brings a great defensive presence to our team. His knowledge of the league and tendencies."

Charlotte's Nick Smith Jr. made his first NBA start and logged 26 minutes Friday, while Seth Curry played 18 minutes off the bench. Each chipped in 15 points.

Miller is averaging 21.0 points per game, though this will be his second prolonged injury-related absence of the season.

"We'll just kind of have to band together and help him through his rehab," Lee said.

Dallas also hasn't played since Friday when it prevailed for a 106-98 home victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kyrie Irving poured in 25 points to lead the Mavericks in scoring for the first time since Dec. 28.

"Amazing," teammate Naji Marshall said. "He just put us on (his) back."

Because of a back injury, Irving has played in only three games in January. He appeared for 39 minutes Friday night, but he said it's still a process in getting back to form.

"Just continue to trend in the right direction so I don't have a lapse in a way where I'm out and I have to get surgery," Irving said. "I feel a lot better. ... Taking my time and just remaining patient."

Even with a couple of days off, the Mavericks might be hurting entering Monday's game. Jaden Hardy exited Friday's game with an injured right ankle and Dwight Powell departed with a hip ailment. Neither player returned to action.

Since Christmas Day, the Mavericks have lost nine of 13 games. Dallas has dropped its past five road outings.

So after beating one of the NBA's top teams, the Mavericks will try to keep the momentum against one of the worst clubs in the league.

It's a return to Charlotte for Mavericks forward P.J. Washington, who spent nearly five years with the Hornets to begin his pro career.

Washington has started in 34 of the 35 games he has played for Dallas this season, averaging 13.1 points and a career-best 7.8 rebounds per game.