Timme, 24, was undrafted in 2023 following a decorated four-year career as an All-American at Gonzaga.

He is averaging 23.9 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 29 games (28 starts) this season for Brooklyn's NBA G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets.

Timme, who has yet to make his NBA debut, was named the G League's Player of the Week for March 17-23.

Two losses to the lowly Washington Wizards, two to the Portland Trail Blazers, and they escaped a depleted Milwaukee Bucks team on Wednesday night.

Denver (46-28) will face another mental test when it hosts the Utah Jazz on Friday night. Utah (16-58) owns the worst record in the NBA and played at home on Thursday night, so the team may be weary from a late arrival in Colorado.

The Jazz lost to Houston 121-110, their fourth setback in a row and 14th in their last 15 games.

Friday night kicks off a five-game road trip for the Jazz and continues a stretch in which they will play eight of nine games against teams holding a postseason or play-in spot.

Utah imploded in the second half against Memphis on Tuesday night, prompting coach Will Hardy to call out his team's effort.

"At some point, every person needs to look in the mirror and understand what's being asked of them, and try to do it to the best of their ability, at the highest level of intensity that they can," he said.

The Jazz had a better effort Thursday but were missing some key pieces, including season scoring leaders Lauri Markkanen and John Collins. Markkanen hasn't played since March 17 due to conditioning, while Collins has been out since March 12 because of a left ankle injury.

Both players are averaging 19 points a game. Collin Sexton (18.1) is third on the team in scoring, and Keyonte George (16.6) is fourth.

Utah announced Thursday that Jordan Clarkson is out for the rest of the season after the guard underwent a procedure to address plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

The Nuggets are dinged up but got three-time MVP Nikola Jokic back in the 127-117 win over the Bucks. He returned after missing five games with a left ankle injury and recorded his NBA-leading 30th triple-double of the season.

"I felt good. I felt much better than I thought," Jokic said after posting 39 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. "I'm happy that we won the game, I'm happy that I feel good. So, it was good."

Jokic is third in the NBA in scoring (29.3 points a game), third in rebounds (12.8) and second in assists (10.3). He leads Denver in those categories as well as steals (1.7). Jamal Murray is second in scoring (21.6 ppg), and Michael Porter Jr. is third (18.2).

Porter has been playing through a balky hamstring and hopes the upcoming three-day break will give him a chance to heal. After Friday night, the Nuggets don't play again until Tuesday against Minnesota.

"I feel like it's affecting my overall power a little bit on my shot, not being able to get as much lift," he said. "But, yeah, I'm just trying to work through it and have it be 100 percent by the time the playoffs come around."

Detroit hasn't posted a winning season since it finished 44-38 in 2015-16. The Pistons (41-32) can end that eight-season drought as early as Friday.

They are facing a division opponent that has dominated their head-to-head matchups in recent seasons. Cleveland has won the last 12 meetings, including three this season.

The Pistons came very close to ending the latter streak on Feb. 5. Cleveland guard Darius Garland heaved in a long 3-pointer at the final buzzer, giving his team a 118-115 victory.

Detroit has won the first two contests of its current three-game homestand despite the absence of All-Star Cade Cunningham, who is nursing a bruised left calf. He will be sidelined again on Friday.

The Pistons pummeled the San Antonio Spurs 122-96 on Tuesday as reserve guard Marcus Sasser pumped in a career-high 27 points. Sasser had 20 points in Detroit's previous outing, a 136-130 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.

"He's a threat whenever the ball is in his hands," Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of Sasser. "He has the ability to create space, he can make shots. He can drive to the basket and create fouls. He's a scorer by nature. With Cade being down, there's points out there to be had. I thought he did a great job."

There were no expectations that the Pistons would have this type of season after winning just 14 games last season.

"(The team) is so locked in right now, they're only focused on the moment that's in front of them," said Bickerstaff, who was fired from his job as Cleveland's head coach after last season.

"I think that's been part of the reason why they've been able to grow and develop, because they just take the challenge that's in front of them.

"They don't look down the road or at those big picture things. I think their focus is just being dialed in to whatever challenge that's in front of them and how we prepare for these last nine games."

The Cavaliers (59-14) also are coming off a win over the Spurs, a 124-116 decision on Thursday in Cleveland.

Jarrett Allen had a huge night with 29 points and 15 rebounds, while Donovan Mitchell racked up 25 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds.

Cleveland heads to Detroit with a three-game winning streak but could be a little leg-weary. The home game on Thursday came after a five-game Western swing. The Cavaliers will be playing their third game in four nights on Friday.

"At this time of year, it's less about strategy and scouting and more about, 'How can we conserve as much energy and be ready to play a team like this?" Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said prior to the Thursday game.

Atkinson rested forward Evan Mobley, who should suit up on Friday. However, Cleveland could opt to rest other regulars.

"I think it's part of my job to help guys stay healthy," Atkinson said. "I communicate intimately, intensely with our performance staff and we bounce things off (them). Our No. 1 goal is to keep these guys healthy."

The Bulls trailed 115-110 with 12.6 seconds remaining before delivering down the stretch with a wild sequence of plays. Patrick Williams and Coby White hit 3-pointers for Chicago before Los Angeles' Austin Reaves made a layup with 3.3 seconds left, setting the stage for Giddey's heroics.

Giddey finished with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists for his fifth triple-double of the season, while White scored 26 points and Kevin Huerter added 21 for Chicago. The Bulls won their fourth game in a row.

Reaves scored 30 points for the Lakers, and Luka Doncic had 25 points, 10 boards and eight assists. Los Angeles took its fourth loss in five games.

Pacers 162, Wizards 109

Nine players scored in double figures as Indiana set multiple franchise records in a blowout of host Washington.

The Pacers began to pull away with a 12-0 run in the first quarter. That spurt set Indiana on its way to scoring 83 first-half points, just three shy of matching the franchise's single-half record. But while the Pacers did not quite reach a half scoring mark, they broke their single-game record of 157 points reached twice last season.

Tyrese Haliburton's 29 points led the Pacers. Haliburton hit 7 of 10 from 3-point distance, helping Indiana set another organization record for 3-point makes with a 27-of-47 night from beyond the arc as a team. Alex Sarr scored 22 points in the most lopsided loss in Wizards history.

Heat 122, Hawks 112

Tyler Herro scored a game-high 36 points on 13-for-17 shooting, helping guide Miami over visiting Atlanta.

Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell added 16 points apiece for the Heat, who have won three consecutive games. Bam Adebayo collected 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Trae Young had 29 points and 12 assists for Atlanta, which dropped its second in a row. Caris LeVert scored 17 points off the bench.

Cavaliers 124, Spurs 116

Jarrett Allen scored 29 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and Darius Garland produced five key points in the final 1:16 as host Cleveland defeated San Antonio.

Donovan Mitchell added 25 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers, who have won three straight games. Max Strus scored 18 points.

Stephon Castle led San Antonio with 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Devin Vassell also had 22 points as the Spurs dropped their second game in a row.

Mavericks 101, Magic 92

Jaden Hardy scored 22 points and Anthony Davis added 15 to go along with seven rebounds, fueling Dallas to a victory at Orlando.

Brandon Williams scored 14 points and Klay Thompson and Max Christie each had 12 for the Mavericks, who changed the complexion of the game by erupting for a 20-2 run to end the third quarter.

Orlando's Paolo Banchero finished with 35 points to eclipse the 30-point plateau for the fifth straight game, and he grabbed 10 rebounds. Franz Wagner recorded 20 points and nine rebounds as the Magic saw their three-game winning streak end.

Rockets 121, Jazz 110

Alperen Sengun totaled 33 points and 10 rebounds to boost Houston to a victory over Utah in Salt Lake City.

Jalen Green added 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Rockets posted their 11th win in 12 games. Amen Thompson and Tari Eason each had 15 points, and Thompson pulled down 10 rebounds.

Collin Sexton led Utah with 21 points, but the Jazz fell for the fourth consecutive outing. Brice Sensabaugh and Keyonte George each contributed 17 points off the bench.

Thunder 125, Grizzlies 104

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points to lead Oklahoma City over visiting Memphis, the Thunder's eighth straight victory.

Gilgeous-Alexander added six assists and three steals and didn't have a turnover. Oklahoma City All-Star Jalen Williams scored 20 points in his return from a hip injury. Isaiah Hartenstein scored eight of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 11 rebounds.

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 27 points to lead the Grizzlies, who have lost four of their last five to drop to fifth in the Western Conference standings. Scotty Pippen Jr. added 17 points.

Kings 128, Trail Blazers 107

Zach LaVine scored 29 points on 13-of-18 shooting to help Sacramento break a four-game losing streak with a win over visiting Portland.

Domantas Sabonis recorded 22 points, 19 rebounds and six assists and DeMar DeRozan had 21 points and 10 assists for the Kings, who shot a season-best 64.9 percent.

Deni Avdija registered 24 points and nine rebounds and Shaedon Sharpe added 22 points and seven rebounds for Portland, which clinched a losing season with a third straight loss.

Domantas Sabonis recorded 22 points, 19 rebounds and six assists and DeMar DeRozan had 21 points and 10 assists for the Kings (36-37), who shot a season-best 64.9 percent from the field. Keegan Murray added 17 points and seven rebounds and Malik Monk scored 16 points for Sacramento.

The Kings moved into ninth place in the Western Conference and are a half-game ahead of the Dallas Mavericks and one game in front of the Phoenix Suns in the battle for the final two play-in berths.

Deni Avdija registered 24 points and nine rebounds and Shaedon Sharpe added 22 points and seven rebounds for Portland (32-42), which clinched a losing season. Anfernee Simons scored 20 points and Duop Reath had 17 off the bench.

The loss was the third straight for the Trail Blazers, who are drifting out of the play-in race and sit four games behind the 10th-place Mavericks.

The Kings held a 46-32 rebounding advantage and made 10 of 27 from 3-point range. Keon Ellis added 10 points for Sacramento.

Portland connected on 39.8 percent of its attempts and 16 of 50 from behind the arc.

Sacramento held an 18-point halftime lead before making 83.3 percent of its shots (10 of 12) in the third quarter.

A basket by Sabonis gave the Kings a 76-55 lead with 9:08 left in the third quarter.

Portland moved within 15 with four-plus minutes left in the quarter. However, Sabonis pushed the lead back to 21 with a basket with 1:21 remaining.

Sacramento led 100-82 entering the final stanza and the lead increased to 23 on LaVine's basket with 8:44 left. The Trail Blazers never made a charge in the opener of a five-game road trip.

LaVine had 20 points as Sacramento led 68-50 at the break. Avdija had 17 points in the half for the Trail Blazers.

The Kings led 36-27 after the opening quarter and then scored nine of the first 11 in the second to open up a 16-point advantage.

DeRozan later scored the final five points of the half as Sacramento held the 18-point lead.

Jalen Green added 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Rockets (48-26) began a three-game road trip with their 11th win in 12 games.

Five other players reached double figures in scoring for Houston, which has had five or more players put up at least 10 points in 13 of 14 games.

Houston's Amen Thompson and Tari Eason each had 15 points, and Thompson pulled down 10 rebounds. Jabari Smith Jr. chipped in 11 points and 10 boards, and Jock Landale and Dillon Brooks each scored 10 points.

Collin Sexton led Utah (16-58) with 21 points, but the Jazz fell for the fourth consecutive outing.

Brice Sensabaugh and Keyonte George each contributed 17 points off the bench for the Jazz, while Kyle Filipowski and Isaiah Collier both had 16. George dished out a game-high eight assists.

Utah lost its 14th game in 15 outings despite shooting 54.4 percent from the field, including 11-for-23 (47.8 percent) from 3-point range.

The Rockets went up 103-92 with under six minutes left after a 7-0 run.

Utah responded with a 10-2 push, pulling within 105-102 with 3:36 left on a Sexton 3-pointer.

Houston quickly regained the momentum for good by scoring six straight, a surge that began and ended with baskets from Thompson.

Cody Williams put the Jazz up 2-0 by hitting a pull-up jumper, but Utah never led again. Sengun scored four points in a 7-0 Houston run, and the Rockets pulled away.

Houston built a 14-point lead in the first half, but Utah tightened things up and trailed just 53-51 at halftime thanks to a 9-2 run in the final 69 seconds.

The Rockets regained a 14-point lead in the third quarter, only to have the Jazz claw back again. Utah scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to get within 89-85 with 10:40 remaining on a Filipowski layup.

Before the game, the Jazz announced that Jordan Clarkson is out for the season after undergoing surgery to address plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

Gilgeous-Alexander added six assists and three steals and didn't have a turnover in more than 33 minutes.

The Thunder have won eight consecutive games, their second-longest winning streak of

the season behind their 15-game streak that ended in early January.

Oklahoma City (61-12) has won more games than it has in any season since the franchise moved from Seattle in 2008.

The Thunder are three wins away from tying the franchise's overall record for wins, set in 1995-96.

The Grizzlies (44-29) have lost four of their last five to drop to fifth in the Western Conference standings after spending much of the season second to Oklahoma City.

The game was tied with seven minutes remaining when Gilgeous-Alexander re-entered after sitting the first five minutes of the fourth quarter.

Soon after Gilgeous-Alexander's return, Luguentz Dort hit a high, arching 3-pointer that ignited a 15-0 Thunder run that eventually became a 26-3 outburst to put the game away.

Oklahoma City All-star Jalen Williams missed the first seven games of the winning streak with a hip injury, but returned Thursday and finished with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Isaiah Hartenstein scored eight of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 11 rebounds.

The Thunder's defense made the difference, as Oklahoma City outscored Memphis 29-9 off turnovers. The Thunder forced seven turnovers in the decisive fourth quarter, leading to 14 points.

Memphis was 1-for-9 shooting with five turnovers during the Thunder's fourth-quarter run.

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 27 to lead the Grizzlies. He scored 10 of Memphis' 15 fourth-quarter points.

Both teams got out to hot starts offensively, with Gilgeous-Alexander and Memphis' Scotty Pippen Jr. each scoring 12 first-quarter points as the teams combined for 65 points.

Pippen was starting his third consecutive game in place of Ja Morant, who missed his sixth consecutive game with a left hamstring strain.

Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said before the game that Morant was making "great progress" toward his return.

The Bulls (33-40) trailed 115-110 with 12.6 seconds remaining before delivering down the stretch with a wild sequence of plays.

Patrick Williams hit a 3-pointer to trim the deficit back to two points before Giddey, who moments earlier had airballed a floater, stole LeBron James' inbound pass, flicked the pass to White, who drained a trey to put Chicago in front 116-115 with 6.1 seconds to play.

The Lakers retrieved the lead on an Austin Reaves layup with 3.3 seconds on the clock, before the Bulls, who had no timeouts left, struck at the buzzer.

Giddey passed the inbound to Williams, who gave it straight back and the Australian nailed the game-winning 47-foot prayer over James.

Giddey finished with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists for his fifth triple-double of the season, while Coby White scored 26 points and Kevin Huerter added 21.

Reaves scored 30 points for the Lakers, and Luka Doncic had 25 points, 10 boards and eight assists. Jaxson Hayes contributed 19 points, and James paired 17 points with 12 assists.

Los Angeles was off target early and Chicago capitalized in transition, moving ahead 24-11 on a Matas Buzelis 3-pointer and leading 32-22 at the end of the first period.

Reaves scored 12 second-quarter points as he ignited the Lakers' fightback.

The visitors progressively ate into the deficit before notching their first lead of the game, 59-58, when Gabe Vincent buried an off-balance trey over White with 0.6 seconds remaining in the half.

The Lakers' lead ballooned to 91-75 on the back of a commanding 32-17 third period in which they dominated the Bulls at both ends.

Giddey's 3-pointer with 7:20 on the clock was Chicago's first field goal of the third period as the Bulls went 6 of 22 from the floor.

At the other end, Doncic was unstoppable, racking up 12 points -- including three 3-pointers -- four rebounds and four assists for the quarter.

The margin was out to 96-78 on Jarred Vanderbilt's three-point play early in the fourth, before White launched separate 8-0 and 11-3 Chicago's runs to revive the Bulls.

Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell added 16 points apiece for Miami (32-41), which has won three consecutive games. Bam Adebayo collected 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Haywood Highsmith and Alec Burks put up 11 points each. Kel'el Ware brought down a game-high 12 boards in the win.

Trae Young had 29 points and 12 assists for Atlanta (35-38), which dropped its second in a row. Caris LeVert scored 17 points off the bench, Onyeka Okongwu added 15 points, while and Vit Krejci and reserve Terance Mann both scored 14 for the Hawks, who squandered an early 14-point lead.

After Miami scored the final 12 points of the first half to take a 60-55 halftime edge, the advantage ballooned to 21 as the Heat opened the third quarter with a 19-3 run. Herro's 3-pointer with 7:47 remaining extended Miami's commanding lead to 79-58.

Atlanta cut the deficit to eight after Georges Niang's banked-in 3-pointer was followed by a floater from Young, but a layup from Kyle Anderson (10 points) and a trey from Highsmith sent Miami into the fourth quarter with a 93-80 edge.

The Hawks trimmed the gap to six on a Krejci 3-pointer, but Herro's three-point play and Highsmith's 3-pointer pushed the margin to 12. With less than five minutes left, Young hit two triples as part of an 8-0 spurt to pull the Hawks within five, but Herro's step-back trey began a game-clinching 8-3 run to seal the victory.

Atlanta jumped out to a 15-2 lead, a run stamped with Zaccharie Risacher, Krejci and Young sinking triples. Young scored the Hawks' last four points of the period, giving Atlanta a 32-22 edge entering the second quarter. With Young's basket at the 1:45 mark, he became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 12,000 points and 4,500 assists, surpassing LeBron James.

The Heat then knotted the score at 41 with 7:03 remaining before the half, forcing an Atlanta timeout after Wiggins hit a trey. After the Hawks took a 55-48 lead on LeVert's layup at the 3:31 mark, Miami finished the first half on a 12-0 run, including Herro's fastbreak dunk with five seconds left.

Coming off a buzzer-beater loss to the Lakers on Wednesday, Indiana (43-30) exercised some frustration on last-place Washington, beginning with a 12-0 run in the first quarter. That spurt set Indiana on its way to scoring 83 first-half points, just three shy of matching the franchise's single-half record. But while the Pacers did not quite reach a half scoring mark, they broke the single-game record of 157 points reached twice last season.

The 53-point margin of victory threatened the 57-point rout of Oklahoma City in 2021 that set the NBA record for the most lopsided road win in league history.

Tyrese Haliburton's 29 points led the Pacers. Haliburton hit 7-of-10 from 3-point distance, helping Indiana set another organization record for 3-point makes with a 27-of-47 night from beyond the arc as a team.

Washington (16-57) was within 13 points at the 8:16 mark of the second quarter, but Indiana ripped off 30 points from there to push the lead to 22 points by intermission.

A 15-7 run midway through the third quarter helped expand the lead to 26. A 15-3 run closed the period and increased the deficit to 37 points.

Myles Turner and Jarace Walker, who scored 17 and 16 points, each made four 3-pointers. Walker led five Pacers reserves who scored in double-figures, joining Thomas Bryant with 12 points; Obi Toppin with 15; and T.J. McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin each with 10.

Indiana's bench outscored Washington's, 85-33.

Alex Sarr led the Wizards with 22 points, coming on the heels of a 24-point effort in Washington's win at Philadelphia on Wednesday. Jordan Poole shot 4-of-8 from 3-point range and finished with 18 points.

Justin Champagnie added 15 points in the loss, which is the most lopsided in the franchise's history.

Hardy sank 7 of 12 shots from the floor -- and 5 of 6 from 3-point range -- to lift the Mavericks to their third win in their last four games and keep them in the thick of the Western Conference play-in race.

Davis made just 5 of 19 shots in his return from a one-game absence as he works his way back from an adductor issue.

Brandon Williams scored 14 points and Klay Thompson and Max Christie each had 12 for the Mavericks (36-38), who changed the complexion of the game by erupting for a 20-2 run to end the third quarter.

Orlando's Paolo Banchero finished with 35 points to eclipse the 30-point plateau for the fifth straight game. He also had 10 rebounds as the Magic remained in the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference play-in race.

Franz Wagner recorded 20 points and nine rebounds and Anthony Black added 14 off the bench for the Magic (35-39), who saw their three-game winning streak come to a halt.

Banchero's dunk gave Orlando a 68-57 lead in the third before Dallas scored 17 in a row and 20 of the final 22 points of the quarter. Hardy sank three 3-pointers during the spirited stretch and Davis connected from beyond the arc.

Wagner made a pair of baskets to draw the Magic to within three at 82-79 before the Mavericks went on a 10-1 run. Christie and Thompson each drained a 3-pointer during that run.

Hardy sank his fifth 3-pointer to stake Dallas to a 97-88 lead with 1:53 remaining in the fourth quarter to effectively seal the win.

Banchero scored 17 of Orlando's 33 points in the second quarter to give his team a 50-43 lead at halftime. He exploited the interior for four quick buckets during the Magic's 14-5 run to start the second, and he sank three foul shots to cap an 11-2 run to end the quarter.

Dallas center Kai Jones sustained a left hip contusion following a hard fall on an alley-oop in the first quarter. He did not return to the contest.

The Cavaliers (59-14) led by five points at halftime and by three after three quarters. San Antonio went up 104-102 on Stephon Castle's 3-pointer with 6:25 to play before Cleveland answered, reeling off the ensuing nine points and never trailing again.

The Spurs (31-41) got within 117-114 when Harrison Barnes scored on a layup with 1:41 remaining. That's when Garland took charge, hitting a 3-pointer and then a finger=roll layup to give Cleveland the cushion it needed to finish off the win.

Donovan Mitchell added 25 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds for Cleveland, which has won three straight games. Max Strus scored 18 points, De'Andre Hunter had 14, Sam Merrill hit for 13 and Garland finished with 10 points despite shooting 4-for-15 from the floor.

Castle led San Antonio with 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Devin Vassell also had 22 points, Keldon Johnson racked up 17 points and 10 rebounds, Julian Champagnie hit for 16 points and Jeremy Sochan scored 13 for the Spurs, who have dropped two games in a row.

Cleveland had a 30-24 advantage after 12 minutes of play and built on its momentum through the first minutes of the second quarter, with Mitchell's 3-pointer pushing the margin to 46-30. San Antonio swung back, closing within 50-47 on Jeremy Sochan's running layup with 50.3 seconds to play in the half. Cleveland led 54-49 at the break despite committing 10 turnovers.

Mitchell led all scorers with 15 points before halftime, the lone player on either team in double figures.

San Antonio surged in front at 81-79 when Vassell canned a pair of free throws with 1:47 to play in the third quarter. The Cavaliers got the best of the final minutes of the period, as five points by Merrill and a dunk by Mitchell, the latter with 16 seconds left, granted them a 86-83 lead heading to the fourth period.

Minnesota (41-32) will return to the court after a three-day break. The Timberwolves spent some of that time in practice sessions watching film of recent defensive breakdowns.

"The film doesn't lie," Timberwolves guard Mike Conley said. "When you look at the film and you look at every single guy making mental mistakes, not just mentally, but the effort that we're putting forth in one game compared to another game, you can't have that drastic change like that."

Phoenix (35-38) also wants to tighten up its defense after allowing 132 points in a loss against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. The loss followed a four-game win streak for the Suns, and coach Mike Budenholzer said he had seen big-picture progress despite Wednesday's struggles.

"I think we should be able to fall back on the progress we've been making," Budenholzer said. "(Against Boston), we got punched. ... We've got to find a way to be better, get ready.

"The great thing about the NBA is that we've got a chance to go defend on Friday. We've got to do better defensively Friday."

Both teams are eager for a win to try to improve their playoff positioning. The Timberwolves would like to climb back into one of the top six spots in the Western Conference and avoid a play-in scenario, and the Suns are trying to hold onto a play-in spot as other clubs look to knock them out.

Anthony Edwards leads Minnesota with 27.3 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting from the field, including 39.5 percent shooting from 3-point range. Julius Randle is averaging 18.6 points, and Naz Reid ranks third with 14.7 points per game.

Kevin Durant leads the Suns with 26.9 points per game on 53 percent shooting, including 43 percent from beyond the arc. Devin Booker (25.5 ppg) and Bradley Beal (17.3) round out the top three scorers.

Beal has been ruled out for Friday's contest because of a left hamstring strain. It will be the sixth game in a row that he has missed.

Budenholzer said he would continue to look for his big men, Nick Richards and Oso Ighodaro, to help guard the perimeter when needed. Richards had 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting in his most recent game but seemed to struggle with getting out toward the 3-point line to disrupt shots.

"We're going to probably stick with Nick and Oso and play those two bigs for the 48 minutes," Budenholzer said. "In some ways, it's a good test or a good opportunity for Nick to get better (with) scrambling and finding shooters.

"The way the league is built now, there's going to be nights where Nick is going to have to find 3-point shooters, Nick is going to have to get rotations. I think he got better as the game went (along)."

This will be the fourth and final matchup of the regular season between the teams. The Timberwolves have won each of the first three games, including a 116-98 victory in the latest meeting March 2 in Phoenix.

Silver and Zaglkis made the announcement after the NBA board of governors meeting in New York and the FIBA executive committee meeting earlier this month in Mies, Switzerland.

"The NBA and FIBA are uniquely positioned to build on the rich tradition of European basketball," silver said. "We look forward to collaborating with FIBA to explore the creation of a new league for fans across the continent."

The league, which would aim to increase the game's growth and draw more fans throughout Europe, would merge into the current European basketball structure, allowing teams to play in their national leagues. While some of the teams will be permanent, others would be offered an opportunity to qualify based on merit.

"The European basketball community is proud of its seven-decade history of international club competitions and the elite talent it develops," Zagklis said. "Yet given the sport's popularity and the success of national team competitions, there is untapped potential in European club basketball.

"A new league in Europe would combine the NBA's business acumen with the international expertise of FIBA to attract new basketball fans and investors alike, maximize club benefits, and establish synergies for the benefit of all stakeholders."

More than a year ago, the NBA and FIBA initiated talks with prospective partners, teams, developers and investors.

As part of the league, the NBA and FIBA plan to provide financial support and assist the development of Europe's basketball structure, namely team academies. The two organizations would also continue to back their existing programs to develop all aspects and levels of the game, including players, coaches and referees.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday following a board of governors meeting, Silver said the league will look for ways to improve the midseason event, which this year drew 4.7 million viewers across TNT platforms - down 13 percent from last year. The only NBA All-Star Game with fewer viewers came in 2023, with 4.6 million.

"I thought we made almost an immeasurable amount of progress," Silver said. "I thought this was a little better, but it was a miss. We're not there in terms of creating an All-Star experience that we can be proud of, that our players can be proud of."

This season's format featured four teams competing in a three-game mini-tournament, with 24 All-Stars divided among three teams in San Francisco. The fourth team was the Rising Stars event winner, which was held two nights before the All-Star Game. Four-time NBA MVP LeBron James, a late scratch, was not among the participants. Anthony Edwards also scratched.

"We recalibrated around this year's All-Star game in San Francisco, around more of an entertainment product, and I don't think it worked," Silver said. "The breaks were too long. And I get it: It was an opportunity to celebrate TNT, as they were gonna have their last All-Star Game. It was well-intentioned."

Next year's All-Star Game will be broadcast on NBC, which takes over following a 23-year run by TNT, and will occur during NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.

"(NBC is) very enthusiastic about the All-Star Game as a marquee property," Silver said.

The commissioner added that despite the success of the NHL's Four Nations Face-Off, the NBA doesn't appear to be set on adding a USA vs. World format for next year's All-Star Game in Inglewood, Calif.

"I'm not sure that makes sense, with the level of development, if that's fair to lump all the other countries together these days," Silver said.

New York saw its two-game win streak come to an end on Wednesday as the visiting Los Angeles Clippers came back to win 126-113.

"They were fresh on two days of rest (and) I knew we would have to be at our best," Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We're more than capable of overcoming adversity but didn't get it done."

The Knicks were playing on the second night of a back-to-back.

Milwaukee (40-32) is riding a two-game losing skid and lost three of their five games on a road trip through the Western Conference road trip when they fell 127-117 to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.

Neither Giannis Antetokounmpo (foot) or Damian Lillard (calf) played for Milwaukee, but the Bucks still kept it close against a healthy Nuggets squad until the final minutes.

Brook Lopez led the way for the Bucks with 26 points. As the only big man available on the Milwaukee roster, Lopez has scored at least 21 points in three straight games.

"Brook was great all night with 26 points," Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said. "A lot of the times he was on (Nikola) Jokic (and) he worked his butt off. We had a chance to win that game. I couldn't be more proud of our guys right now."

Antetokounmpo leads the Bucks with 30.2 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. Lillard averages 24.9 points, 7.1 assists and 1.2 steals, while Lopez adds 13 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.

Jalen Brunson leads New York (45-27) with 26.3 points and 7.4 assists per game. Karl-Anthony Towns averages 24.6 points and a team-best 12.9 rebounds, which ranks second in the NBA.

But Brunson (ankle) remains out for New York and will have his status updated in the coming days. Miles McBride (groin) and Cameron Payne (ankle) also will be out against the Bucks.

Lillard will remain out for Milwaukee, with Antetokounmpo considered day-to-day. Milwaukee's Jericho Sims (thumb) and Bobby Portis (suspension) also won't play against the Knicks

The Knicks have won four in a row against Milwaukee, with two of those coming this season after they won 116-94 at home in November and 140-106 at home in January.

Both teams were at full strength in the latter matchup and Brunson dominated with 44 points, along with 30 points and 18 boards from Towns.

Antetokounmpo scored 24 points for the Bucks and grabbed 13 boards, while Lillard added 22. New York shot 58.0 from the floor while Milwaukee went just 10-for-34 from beyond the arc.

The Bucks had won nine consecutive games over New York prior to the Knicks four-game streak.

New York sits sixth in the NBA in offensive rating and 13th in defensive rating, while Milwaukee excels more on the defensive end ranking 10th in defensive rating compared to 15th in offensive rating.

That includes three discouraging losses in a row. Since March 21, Charlotte (18-54) has suffered a 35-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, a 17-point loss to the struggling Miami Heat and a seven-point loss to the Orlando Magic in a game that was tied after three quarters. The Hornets are guaranteed to finish with fewer than 30 wins for the third consecutive season and currently hold the league's third-worst record.

While it hasn't been the season coach Charles Lee and the Hornets hoped for, Lee is still firm in his belief that Charlotte is building a winning organization.

"The goal for us was to create a standard of competitiveness," Lee said. "Create an environment of just work and obsession with daily improvement, practice days, weight room sessions, our diets, game days, all of it. Just loving the whole journey. The third part was like, building an environment of togetherness and a culture of togetherness because we go through this journey together. I think that all those goals are still in motion and I'm happy as hell with them."

While LaMelo Ball is the team's season-long scoring leader at 25.2 points per game, Miles Bridges has been carrying Charlotte's offense the most in recent months. Bridges has led the Hornets in scoring 18 times in their past 30 games dating back to Jan. 27, including a career-high 46 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 7 and a game-winning 3-pointer against the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 7. Brandon Miller was averaging 21 points per game before he went down for the season in January with a wrist injury.

The Raptors (26-47) entered this week on a skid, sustaining their fourth straight loss in a 123-89 rout by the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday. Toronto responded on Monday, however, beating the Washington Wizards 112-104 on the second leg of a back-to-back. That momentum carried into Wednesday night in Brooklyn. The Raptors put forth one of their best efforts of the season, beating the Nets 116-86 in a convincing wire-to-wire effort.

RJ Barrett leads Toronto in scoring at 21.3 points per game. Scottie Barnes is the team's engine on both ends of the floor, averaging 19.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. Barnes also averages a combined 2.5 steals and blocks per game, leading the team.

"Everything that Scottie does is very important for us and we as a team," Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. "We go as far as Scottie goes. I'm encouraging him, he's our leader. He sets the tone on the defensive end. He sets the tone with the way he plays, with ball movement, with force. He's constantly improving in all aspects of his game."

Immanuel Quickley also contributes 17.4 points per game in his 29 appearances so far this season, while Jakob Poeltl averages 14.4 points and a team-high 9.6 rebounds per game for Toronto.

And it looks like he'll be back when the Warriors visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr said Curry is officially day-to-day and will be listed as questionable Friday, but Kerr added, "I'd be surprised if he didn't play. He's been trending upward."

Curry has missed Golden State's past two games -- a 124-115 loss at Atlanta on Saturday and a 112-86 loss at Miami on Tuesday -- since he suffered a pelvic contusion in a 117-114 home victory against Toronto on March 20.

The Warriors (41-31) never led in the game against the Heat, but Kerr was unfazed because, before the consecutive losses, his team had gone 16-3 since adding Jimmy Butler in a trade with Miami in early February.

"I'm very confident with what we're doing because since we've had Jimmy we're a top five offensive team," Kerr said. "I'm very confident we'll be fine Friday."

Golden State is in a tight battle to claim one of the top six spots in the Western Conference.

"We're in the fight and we've got 10 games to go and I can't wait," Kerr said. "Friday is the biggest game of the year for us. We've lost two games in a row, very poor performances. It's time and we've got to bounce back and that's what good teams do. I'm confident that's what we'll do."

Golden State experienced a setback Tuesday when guard Gary Payton II tore a ligament in his left thumb during the loss to the Miami. He will reportedly be sidelined indefinitely.

Curry's anticipated return isn't the only reason for the Warriors to feel confident about a bounce-back performance Friday. They have won all three games against New Orleans this season -- 124-106 at home on Oct. 29, 104-89 at home on Oct. 30 and 112-108 in New Orleans on Nov. 22.

Additionally, the Pelicans (20-53) have lost nine of their past 12 games, though they did win their most recent one, topping the visiting Philadelphia 76ers 112-99 on Monday night.

Zion Williamson has missed the past three games because of a back contusion and his status for Friday in unclear.

Without its leading scorer, New Orleans has had five, six and five double-figure scorers per game. Against the Sixers, they had 36 assists on 43 field goals, one game after they had 35 assists on 49 field goals in a 136-130 loss at Detroit.

"We're playing fast and we're out in the open floor," coach Willie Green said. "The key for us is doing it together, understanding that it's not on one guy but collectively let's step on the floor, let's move the ball, let's set screens, let's find open guys, shoot the ball when you're open, drive it. It's beautiful basketball to watch."

Among the double-figure scorers against Philadelphia -- Karlo Matkovic (19), Antonio Reeves (17), Yves Missi (16), Kelly Olynyk (14) and Keion Brooks Jr. (10) -- only Missi was in the rotation when the season started. All are rookies except Olynyk, who joined the team in a trade with the Toronto Raptors last month.

"We're still in the gym, we're still working, we're still watching film," Green said, "and I believe that's the reason you're seeing these guys be able to step on the floor and produce like they are."

Payton tore a ligament in his left thumb during Tuesday night's loss to the Miami Heat, per the report.

He is averaging 6.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists through 58 games (11 starts) this season.

Payton has career averages of 5.5 points and 2.8 rebounds in 266 games (51 starts) over nine seasons with five franchises.

The Clippers will attempt to strengthen their grip on sixth place in the West on Friday night when they visit the skidding Brooklyn Nets, whom they beat by 59 points on Jan. 15.

Los Angeles (41-31) shares the same record as the Golden State Warriors -- a team they defeated three times in the first two months of the season, giving them a head-to-head tiebreaker. The Clippers are 9-2 over their past 11 games following a stretch in which they dropped six of seven from Feb. 20-March 4.

The slump, immediately after the All-Star break, saw the Clippers in ninth place but only 1 1/2 games out of the final guaranteed playoff spot. Los Angeles is now three games back of the fifth-place Memphis Grizzlies, a half-game up on the Minnesota Timberwolves and six ahead of the Sacramento Kings.

The Clippers are on the verge of clinching their 14th straight winning season after James Harden and Kawhi Leonard continued to be effective together in Wednesday's 126-113 win over the New York Knicks to start their four-game road trip.

Los Angeles is averaging 119 points during its past 11 games while shooting 51.5 percent. The Clippers scored at least 120 for the seventh time in this run when they shot 51.1 percent and outscored the Knicks 72-58 after halftime.

"I thought in the second half we made some adjustments and were a lot better," Los Angeles coach Tyronn Lue said.

Harden scored 29 points against the Knicks despite tweaking his foot in the second half of Sunday's 103-101 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Harden has scored at least 25 points eight times in the past 11, including a 50-point outing March 5 against the Detroit Pistons.

Leonard added 27 Wednesday and has scored at least 20 in seven straight games. He made 10 of 18 shots against the Knicks and in his past seven, the forward is shooting 57.9 percent.

Entering play Thursday, Brooklyn (23-50) owned the fifth-worst record in the NBA and have lost five in a row. The Nets are on their fourth losing streak of at least five games and are 3-16 in their past 19 since winning six of seven.

Brooklyn is coming off a pair of non-competitive blowout home losses to the Dallas Mavericks and Toronto Raptors. The Nets never led in each game and fell behind early, getting outscored a combined 64-35 in the first quarter of those contests.

On Wednesday, the Nets took an 116-86 loss to the Raptors, who are last in the league in scoring at 105 points per game. They average just 43.8 percent shooting.

Nic Claxton led the Nets with 22 points and 11 rebounds after scoring 19 on Monday. He has scored in double figures in consecutive games for the first time since doing it in three straight Feb. 7-12.

The Nets rested Cameron Johnson and Claxton had little help from D'Angelo Russell. Russell returned from an ankle injury, shot 2-of-8 and is shooting 29.7 percent (22-of-74) over his past six games since a 28-point showing at Charlotte on March 8.

"Obviously we don't want to be this team that gets smashed by 30," Brooklyn's Trendon Watford said. "But we know what we've got to do. And we don't want to be this team. So we've just gotta lock in these next nine games and work towards what we're trying to do."