Author: NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

Zach LaVine helps Kings exhale after majestic road performance against Heat originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings went to South Beach and played their best game of the 2025-26 NBA season, coasting to a 127-111 win over the Miami Heat on Saturday at Kaseya Center. 

Yes, you read that correctly: Sacramento, in the midst of a losing skid and on the road, put together four impressive quarters against one of the league’s best defensive teams in a city notoriously known for distracting its visitors.

To many teams in the league, it could’ve been any other victory. For the Kings, especially at this juncture of the season, it’s a moment to exhale – and release some built-up tension.

“The preparation has been the same,” Zach LaVine told Kyle Draper, Morgan Ragan and Deuce Mason on “Kings Postgame Live.” “We’ve been fighting through it. Everyone in this locker room is a competitor. I’m a competitor. No one is quitting. No one wants to lose. 

“We are fighting through a little bit of adversity from top to bottom with the whole team. We’re just trying to figure out how to make it happen. Everybody in this locker room is going to stick with it regardless of what people say on the outside. We don’t care about that. We’re going to keep doing what we have to do.” 

"No one is quitting. No one wants to lose."

Zach LaVine emphasizes the Kings' commitment after tonight's win 👏 pic.twitter.com/9ZDHWccOSs

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 7, 2025

Sure, among the Heats’ inactives were guards Tyler Herro and Davion Mitchell, but the Kings, propelled by a season-high 42 points from LaVine, left coach Doug Christie – and Sacramento fans – with plenty to be proud of.

“We work on the defense when get practice days, and when these guys are locked in, we’ve seen them play some really good defense,” Christie told reporters.

“Now, they have some guys out, so you got to understand that. At the same time, they played on a back to back, so there are some things there. But still, their style of basketball plays to everyone on their team. I know with [Heat coach Erik Spoelstra], it’s the next man up. There are no excuses, and for us to come out and play that way mightily impressive.”

"For us to come out and play that way was mightily impressive."

Doug Christie was pleased with the Kings' defensive work 👏 pic.twitter.com/T52BYcVn38

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) December 7, 2025

LaVine, who also tallied eight 3-pointers, was supported by a pair of King rookies. 

After gaining Christie’s confidence through several strong performances, rookie Maxime Raynaud made his first career start tonight. 

The Stanford product finished with a double-double, registering 12 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. 

Meanwhile, first-round pick Nique Clifford, coming off the bench, demonstrated his best performance of the season, adding 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting.  

Before returning home, the Kings will make a stop in Indiana to face the Pacers on Monday. 

In the meantime, they’ve earned every right to take in some of the Miami experience.

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Warriors follow unlikely superhero Pat Spencer to encouraging win vs. Cavaliers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors wobbled into Cleveland on Saturday and, for the first time this season, summoned the kind of performance that delivers a warm cup of encouragement to everyone on the payroll.

Coming off a distasteful loss Thursday night in Philadelphia, they vanquished a quality opponent, on the road, without the services of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler III and Al Horford.

The Warriors’ 99-94 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers was accomplished behind the horsepower of a patchwork starting lineup, their 12th of the season, and a rotation that mostly made sense even if at times it looked as if the names were drawn from a hat.

No one was more vital to this stunning triumph than Pat Spencer, the Bay Area’s latest unlikely superhero. The two-way guard, making his first NBA start, submitted something of a movie trailer for his own Linsanity moment.

Spencer this week has moved from reliable part-time energizer to critical component of the Warriors. He is vastly outplaying his two-way contract.

“We’ve seen the competitiveness,” Kerr told reporters at Rocket Arena. “We’ve seen what a good player he is over the past couple years. But he’s really improved his jump shot. That’s the big thing. Last year, he would turn down a lot of threes, drive in, shoot a lot of floaters. He’s never going to be Steph, but he’s a threat out there. That’s what it takes. You have to be a threat from the line to pull the defense out. I just think now the shot quality we’re getting with him on the floor is way better than it was the last couple years.

“And the other thing is that his coach realizes that Pat is that motherf–ker. That became clear.”

Spencer scored a team- and career-high 19 points, on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, including 3 of 4 from distance. He recorded a game-high seven assists, while committing only one turnover, and was plus-nine in 29 minutes.

He was at his best in the fourth quarter, when the moment grew in magnitude and the Cavs intensified their defense, trimming a 13-point deficit with 5:17 remaining to two with 20.9 seconds left. Spencer scored 12 of Golden State’s 27 points in the quarter and assisted on two more buckets.

“It took a collective effort,” Spencer said on NBC Sports Bay Area’s “Warriors Postgame Live.” “We had 10 guys, but we had 10 pretty young guys today. And [the Cavaliers] were coming off a back-to-back [set]. We knew if we played with pace, got up and down, we’d find some shots that were beneficial for us.”

All 10 available Warriors provided something that helped the carve out the victory. Buddy Hield finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Quinten Post produced 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three blocks while battling NBA All-Star big man Even Mobley to a virtual standoff. Jonathan Kuminga, making his first start since Nov. 11, scored four only points on 1-of-10 shooting but yanked seven rebounds.

The bench came through with enough solid play at both ends to ensure there would be no significant drop-off from the starters. Golden State generated leads as high as 14 points. Gui Santos gave the Warriors 14 points and three assists, with two crucial free throws with 11.3 seconds remaining. Brandin Podziemski, struggling of late, delivered 10 points, three rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes.

The Warriors pestered the Cavaliers into 34.6-percent shooting from the field, including 23.8 beyond the arc. Stars Donovan Mitchall, Darius Garland and Mobley combined to shoot 25 of 60 from the field.

“We were on a string,” Kerr said. “We were connected. We did a pretty good job taking care of transition, which was our No. 1 key. They are so fast in transition, one of the best teams in the league at scoring in the first eight seconds of the clock. They get the ball down the floor. I thought we took that away.”

There is no doubt, though, that the high-velocity spirit of Spencer was contagious enough to push the entire squad to levels that must be as dynamic as they can reach without the team’s best players.

When Spencer went the line to shoot two free throws with 4.3 seconds remaining and the Warriors up 97-94, he followed his first make by waving goodbye to the crowd. He then dropped in the second for the final score.

“We’ll take any win we can get right now,” Spencer said. “Great energy in the locker room, just competing our butts off tonight. We’re trying to weather the storm until we get healthy. But yeah, we’re fired up.”

As well they should be. Who could have imagined the Warriors getting a quality road win with Curry, Green and Butler inactive? Who could have dreamed Spencer would be the driving force?

To be sure, this victory doesn’t mean Golden State’s failed two-timeline plan has been revived – goodness, no. But it’s proof that the supporting cast is hearing the pleas the veterans have been urging for a few weeks.

Given the turbulent play so far this season, there is legitimate value in that.

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Steve Kerr epically quotes Pat Spencer in NSFW podium quip after Warriors' win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

If you’re not familiar with Pat Spencer by this point, then you probably should be.

After his defiant declaration on Thursday in Philadelphia, Spencer backed it up in the Warriors’ 99-94 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night at Rocket Arena. The 29-year-old point guard — in his first career NBA start — scored a career-high 19 points to go with seven assists and four rebounds.

Steve Kerr offered a priceless moment in his postgame presser, repeating Spencer’s audacious quote that could end up being iconic in Warriors lore.

“I think the other thing is that his coach realized that Pat is that motherf–ker,” Kerr told reporters. “I think that became clear.”

Was Kerr previously aware of that quality Spencer possesses? That was the next question for Golden State’s coach.

“No, I was getting the inkling, you know,” Kerr replied. “It was starting to creep in, but I didn’t realize it until he told the world, and tonight it was very clear.”

Minutes later, Gui Santos similarly agreed with Spencer’s assertion.

“A huge compliment for Pat, that guy,” Santos explained to reporters, before asking if he could swear. “Pat is that motherf–ker, you know. He’s great. It’s great to have a guy like that on the team.”

Pat Spencer: not the hero the Warriors deserve, but the hero they needed. Just as we all predicted.

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What we learned as Pat Spencer fuels depleted Warriors' upset win vs. Cavaliers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

Remember all those games where the Warriors played a team without multiple stars yet still found themselves on the losing side? Saturday night in Cleveland finally was the opposite for Golden State.

The Warriors, without Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, continued to show their competitive spirit. They only had 10 healthy players on the first night of a back-to-back while the Cleveland Cavaliers had their Big Three and the majority of their most important players. As the Warriors have learned time and time again, the game isn’t played on paper but on the hardwood. 

Behind the all-powerful Pat Spencer and a spunky bunch of role players, the Warriors pulled off a wild 99-94 upset win against the Cavs at Rocket Arena.

Spencer earned his first career start and continued to dazzle. The 29-year-old on a two-way contract scored a new career-high 19 points and was a plus-9 in 29 minutes. Spencer also had a team-high seven assists.

Scoring came up and down the Warriors’ roster. Gui Santos’ 14 points were second to Spencer, and five players scored in double figures.

Here are three takeaways from a huge Warriors win on the road.

Pat Spencer, Starting Point Guard

A major change was seen in the Warriors’ starting lineup with so many injuries. But the move wasn’t made solely because of a lack of players. Spencer on Saturday was rewarded with his first career NBA start after providing a needed spark with perhaps the two best performances of his career in back-to-back games.

Spencer on Tuesday tied his career-high of 17 points with three rebounds, six assists and one steal. He then followed that up with 16 points, four rebounds, four assists and one steal. So, what did he do in his first start? 

The first quarter wasn’t easy because of two early fouls. But then Spencer got the Warriors going in the second quarter, pushing the pace, getting into the paint and assisting on three 3-pointers. That made Spencer a team-high plus-10 through the first half with four points, two rebounds and three assists as the Warriors led by nine points.

Winning time is Spencer time. He scored six fourth-quarter points against OKC, 12 in Philadelphia and another 12 in Cleveland with multiple clutch shots made. Spencer in the second half scored 15 points with two rebounds and four assists.

How JK, Podz Responded

During Steve Kerr’s pregame press conference, the Warriors coach laid out the best paths to success for Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski, two former first-round NBA draft picks who have struggled as of late. 

“Well, JK, it’s always run the floor, take care of the ball – the turnovers have been an issue lately,” Kerr told reporters. “So I’m really urging him to get up the floor instead of, you know, holding back in the backcourt and asking for the ball. I want him to be the first guy down the floor, not the last.”

Kuminga was in the starting five after coming off the bench his past four games. He began by dribbling, dribbling, dribbling and missing between a couple fadeaways inside the arc, a missed three and a blocked layup. Kuminga missed his first seven shots and was the lone Warrior held scoreless in the first half, but he did have three rebounds and three assists. 

The game became easier for Kuminga in the third quarter, cutting to the hoop for easy points or getting to the free-throw line. Kuminga only played two and a half minutes in the fourth quarter. Though he did grab seven rebounds, Kuminga was just 1 of 10 from the field for four points.

“With Brandin, he’s got to get off the ball early,” Kerr continued. “When he gets into trouble is when he tries too hard to make plays on his own, instead of doing what he does best, which is to move the ball and be part of a five-man group that is really executing.”

Unlike Kuminga, Podziemski did not get the starting nod. All 10 healthy Warriors played in the first half, and Podziemski was the only one whose plus/minus wasn’t in the positive. Podziemski was a minus-1 going into halftime with five points, two rebounds and two assists.

Podziemski made a huge step-through layup with a minute and a half left and closed the game after not playing the entire fourth quarter Thursday night. The third-year guard ended as a minus-5, scoring 10 points and adding three rebounds, two assists and one steal.

Defensive Clinic

Great defense leads to offense, and that was the story for the Warriors in Cleveland. The Warriors’ defense was connected on a string and frustrated the Cavs for all four quarters. 

The Cavs came into Saturday night averaging 119.6 points per game, good for seventh in the NBA. They scored 36 in the first half and finished with 94. They average 15.3 made threes per game, good for fifth in the NBA. Their 10 threes made were five below their season average. None of this was by mistake. 

Donovan Mitchell averages 30 points per game and scored 29, but needed 26 shots. Nobody else scored 20 points for the Cavs. Evan Mobley (18 points) and Darius Garland (17 points) barely missed the mark. They also were a combined 14-of-34 shooting (41.2 percent). 

The Cavs’ 94 points was a season low. The Warriors quietly have cracked the top five in defensive rating and for the second straight game held their opponent to under 100 points.

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Al Horford admits he needs to ‘be better' amid early struggles with Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors veteran center Al Horford recognizes he has fallen short since his arrival to the Bay Area. 

In an exclusive interview with The Athletic’s Nick Friedell, the 39-year-old big man reflected on his first two months as a part of Golden State, which he joined in late September on a multi-year contract.

The 19-year NBA veteran’s self-assessment? Harsh yet honest and accurate. 

“I’m not where I want to be,” Horford told Friedell on Thursday. “I would say I haven’t been very good. I understand that there’s a lot of work ahead of me, there’s more that I need to do, and I need to be better, and I feel like I will. But right now, I’m not where I want to be.”

To say that Horford’s adjustment to the Warriors has been less than ideal is an understatement. 

The former All-Star and NBA champion, who won’t play back-to-back games this season, only has featured in 13 games for Golden State, averaging career-lows of 5.6 points and 4.4 rebounds in 21.5 minutes. 

On Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers, Horford returned after missing two weeks due to sciatica.

“It’s not so much frustrating,” Horford told Friedell. “It’s just that there are a lot of different circumstances going on. Whether it’s injury, missing time away from the team, there’s a lot of factors, and there’s no excuses, but I take all of this first part with a hint of salt, and I know that I will be better. So I know that I will be better.”

Outside of adjusting to a new system, injuries and playing for a team based west of the Great Plains, Horford and his wife, Amelia, recently welcomed their sixth child. 

It has been a whirlwind, but Horford knows exactly what parts of his game he has to improve on. 

“For me, it’s continuing to figure everything out defensively,” Horford added to Friedell. “So being more of a support on the defensive end. And then on offense, getting more comfortable in spots so I can impact the team. 

“Being able to get to the right spots to shoot the three, and just giving the team more on the offensive end. Whether it’s setting screens, getting guys open, things like that. That’s always something that I’m going to continue to try to be better at.”

Horford made his first start of the season in the Warriors’ 99-98 loss to the 76ers. 

And although his performance wasn’t the most convincing, it’s a step in the right direction for the veteran, especially during a time in which an injury-riddled Warriors could benefit from the brand of basketball that has kept Horford in the league for nearly two decades.

“That’s always been my mindset,” Horford told Friedell. “And I understand it, but right now the team needs me. We need to be a little better, and this is a part of it; it’s a part of the journey. But in my mind, I know where I need to be when that time comes.”

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Steve Kerr shares what Warriors need from Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

On the first night of a Midwest back-to-back, the Warriors will be down several key contributors — namely stars Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green — against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Without those steady veterans, coach Steve Kerr needs a big night from Golden State’s second timeline, particularly two players who have struggled lately: Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski. Before Saturday’s matchup in Cleveland, Kerr detailed some areas he needs to see improvement from that young duo.

“Well, JK, it’s always run the floor, take care of the ball — the turnovers have been an issue lately,” Kerr told reporters. “So I’m really urging him to get up the floor instead of, you know, holding back in the backcourt and asking for the ball. I want him to be the first guy down the floor, not the last. And I think that’s been an issue the last few games. I don’t think he’s running the floor that well.”

Kuminga had a strong start to the 2025-26 NBA season but hasn’t looked quite like himself since returning from a seven-game absence due to bilateral knee tendinitis.

Podziemski, on the other hand, has been thrust into a larger role while Curry is out with a quad contusion. But in Thursday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Podziemski was a team-worst minus-20 in just under 20 minutes, while third-string point guard Pat Spencer was a team-best plus-17 in 24 minutes.

“And then with Brandin, he’s got to get off the ball early,” Kerr continued. “When he gets into trouble is when he tries too hard to make plays on his own, instead of doing what he does best, which is to move the ball and be part of a five-man group that is really executing.

“That’s why Pat has closed these last couple of games and played most of the fourth quarters, if not all, because he’s doing that. So Brandin needs to get back to just focusing on the things he does best.”

With Golden State missing practically all of their veterans on Saturday, Kerr needs Kuminga and Podziemski to return to form to have any chance at taking down a talented Cavaliers squad on the road.

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Why Russell Westbrook is ‘GOAT' point guard to Kings rookie Nique Clifford originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Programming note: Watch the full “Conversations with Deuce & Mo” interview with Nique Clifford, debuting at 4 p.m. PT Saturday on NBC Sports California

Nique Clifford, as a rookie, already is playing with one of his favorite NBA players of all time.

After Kings point guard Russell Westbrook racked up his 204th career triple-double in Sacramento’s win over the Golden State Warriors earlier this month, Clifford joined NBC Sports California’s “Kings Postgame Live” and revealed that Westbrook is his top-three point guard in NBA history.

But in speaking to NBC Sports California’s Deuce Mason and Morgan Ragan on a recent “Conversations with Deuce & Mo,” Clifford clarified his stance on that ranking.

“It’s debatable. You can put Magic [Johnson] and Steph [Curry] in there, of course,” Clifford said. “But honestly, Westbrook has always been my G.O.A.T. for point guard my whole life. It’s just the way he impacts the game from all levels. He plays hard, his passion. He’s always been my No. 1 point guard. But you can argue Steph and Magic, of course.”

Clifford has stated on multiple occasions that Westbrook has been one of his “favorite players” growing up.

Now, Clifford gets to spend his rookie season — and Year 18 for Westbrook — being teammates with one of his idols.

The young rookie shared what has surprised him most since playing alongside the former league MVP.

“The fact that he’s still doing what he’s doing. Like how old is he? He’s been doing it so long and he’s still got that burst to him,” Clifford said. “He still has that same passionate energy and competitiveness. That’s been super impressive. Just as a teammate, he’s been a great dude to learn from. Seeing how he approaches it every day. Real professional.

“And always has the same energy and smile that you see when he’s playing. That’s who he is off the court, too. It’s been real cool to be a part of that and play with one of my favorite players of all time.”

The Kings traded a protected 2027 first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder to move up in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft and secure Clifford at No. 24 overall.

Clifford has shown flashes of his potential in a small sample size thus far, averaging 4.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 19 minutes through 10 games this season.

Playing alongside several established veterans, including Westbrook, Clifford is in good hands in Year 1.

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Three words perfectly summed up what LeBron James has been trying to tell us most of his life.

His pass to Rui Hachimura in the closing seconds of Thursday’s game led to the game-winning basket. With that pass, James sacrificed a chance to score at least 10 points in an NBA-record 1,298 consecutive games. When the game is on the line, the sports industry wants stars like him to take the last shot because that’s how the industry traditionally defines greatness.

People say: “Jordan would’ve shot it. Kobe would’ve shot it.” And ever since Sports Illustrated put James on the cover in 2002 — next to the words “chosen one” — he has been trying to tell us he defines greatness differently.

He reiterated that after the game against Toronto, when asked what feelings he had toward his scoring streak ending.

“None. We won.”

The sports industry, the machine, will discuss whether to feel the same way.

But we can’t pretend he hasn’t been telling us the same thing for more than 20 years: All he cares about is making the right play for the team. He’s been saying that since the S.I. cover. And that has been particularly true since creating his own media company, Uninterrupted, back in 2014.

He and Yankees great Derek Jeter, who started the Players Tribune that same year, are pioneers when it comes to modern athletes telling their own stories. And in the decade since, it’s been captivating watching athletes move beyond the gatekeeping of traditional media and the limitations of social media to create podcasts and produce documentaries (or at least try) — all to tell their own stories.

That’s not to say every time a group of former or active players steps in front of a mic, brilliance is heard. In fact, a lot of what we hear is just retelling stories we’ve heard a thousand times, only with less structure. Oftentimes there are ego-driven attempts to rewrite history under the guise of “setting the record straight.” As if we don’t have Google and can’t see the record for ourselves. But it is in their own words, which adds something to the discussion. And because there’s more of it, I’m finding some of the best stuff out there isn’t from the gods of the game like James, but the near-mortals.

Take “Run It Back” on FanDuel TV. The sports media machine is driven by stars, but the league is mostly made of voices like the ones on that show. The players who didn’t lead teams to heights and whose faces never made it to the cover of a magazine. And until recently, most of the insight from most of the players was just lost because we didn’t hear their voices. But now — particularly this season, with networks investing heavily in athlete-driven NBA content — more sources are bringing more texture. People like “Run It Back” co-host Chandler Parsons.

“I like the inside info, and I like the takes from the other guys,” Parsons said about hearing from the non-superstars. “I like hearing from Draymond Green and hearing what he has to say through his eyes and not through a third party…. As an athlete who has been in my shoes and played the game at the highest level, I respect their takes and I respect their opinion.”

In the early days of Monday Night Football, Howard Cosell, the original sports media provocateur, often griped about former NFL players leaving the field and walking into the booth. He would say sports media was the only profession where someone with no experience could be handed a big check to do the job at the highest level. That was back in the 1970s, when TV networks were few and media-savvy athletes like the great Muhammad Ali were even fewer.

Parsons graduated from the University of Florida with a journalism degree, so perhaps he avoids the scorn of Cosell’s ghost. Still, without the explosion of streaming networks and podcasting, there’s a good chance we wouldn’t have heard much from him and others like him, just because they weren’t household names. It was his appearance on another athlete-driven podcast, “All the Smoke,” that elevated him as a viable NBA analyst.

“I had no idea I wanted to do this,” Parsons said.

Same for Matt Barnes, who along with Stephen Jackson, started their podcast “All the Smoke” after careers in the NBA and stints with traditional media. To understand how popular it is today: Since joining YouTube in 2019, the show has amassed more than half a billion views, has landed interviews with Vice President Kamala Harris, First Lady Michelle Obama and Gov. Gavin Newsom and has grown into a full-fledged production company.

Barnes, who is the CEO of All the Smoke Productions, told me that because of the increase in NBA content in the so-called manosphere, there can be pressure to give takes for clicks. (I told him that sounded familiar.)

“There are some athletes in this space who say some of the craziest s—,” Barnes said. “I feel like if I put the work in and have deep, meaningful conversations, I’ll go viral for something that’s an interesting story.”

Case in point: “Smoke” was among the first media outlets to have NBA legend Dwyane Wade on to talk about his transgender daughter. It was a powerful episode that a decade ago would never have been initiated by former athletes. That’s not just a reflection of the times changing. It embodies how players now see themselves, and speak for themselves, in these changing times.

Players and former players are the new voice of the NBA. They’ve always been there. They just needed to be heard.

YouTube: @LZGrandersonShow

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Celtics finish tough 15-game stretch looking like much better team originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

BOSTON — When the Celtics suffered a tough loss at home to the Utah Jazz on Nov. 3 that dropped their record to 3-5, they did not look like a playoff-caliber team. They weren’t in sync offensively, the defense was not executing at a high level and the offseason additions were still settling into their roles.

Fast forward one month and the Celtics look like a much better team. And not only that, they have the look of a squad that could make a run in the Eastern Conference playoffs if healthy.

Beginning on Nov. 5 with a win against the Washington Wizards and ending Friday with a win over the rival Los Angeles Lakers at TD Garden, the C’s have just wrapped up one of the toughest portions of their regular season schedule.

This 15-game stretch, during which the C’s earned an 11-4 record, spanned one month and included matchups versus a lot of quality opponents. Eleven of the 15 games were against teams currently in a playoff spot.

The Celtics beat the No. 1 team in the East (Detroit Pistons), the No. 2 team in the East (New York Knicks), twice beat the No. 4 team in the East (Orlando Magic), and the No. 2 team in the West (Los Angeles Lakers).

Boston has won four straight games — its longest win streak of the season so far — after dispatching the shorthanded Lakers. The C’s are 9-2 in their last 11 games, which has vaulted them up from the play-in tournament spots to fifth place in the East standings. Only four games separate the Celtics from the first-place Pistons.

What’s been going right for the Celtics? Well, quite a bit, actually.

During this 15-game stretch, the Celtics ranked No. 7 in the league in points per game (120.6), fifth in field goal percentage (49.5), No. 3 in 3-point percentage (40.1), No. 12 in rebounds per game (44.7), No. 8 in blocks per game (5.4), No. 1 in offensive rating (126.0), and No. 3 in net rating (10.7).

“We got guys who are finding their stride, feeling confident, and you can see it,” Celtics wing Jaylen Brown said postgame.

Speaking of Brown, he has been the leading force for the Celtics. He averaged 30.4 points over this 15-game span — the fifth-highest in the league — while shooting 48.5 percent from the field, along with 7.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He’s literally playing at an MVP level of late, and proving that he absolutely can play like a true No. 1 option in the absence of Jayson Tatum.

Jordan Walsh also is making a strong impact at both ends of the floor, but especially on defense. His perimeter defense, hustle, tenacity and rebounding have made a huge difference in Boston’s recent success, evidenced by the team’s 9-2 record since he was elevated to the starting lineup.

He has shot 18-of-19 from the field (94.7 percent) over his last three games. He’s also averaged 15.3 points per game over his last four contests.

Despite the uptick in performance on a team basis and individually, there are still plenty of areas where Boston can improve.

Even though the Celtics’ defense has been better of late, their defensive rating of 114.7 (17th in the league) is far below where it’s been in previous seasons. The Celtics need to rebound better, too. They rank 17th in rebounds per game. Drawing fouls has been difficult for the C’s as well. They are the only team in the association averaging fewer than 20 free throw attempts (19.2) per game.

The Celtics also could use another center who can rebound and defend the paint. Neemias Queta is making a strong case to be in the Most Improved Player Award conversation, but the depth behind him isn’t great.

The Celtics have hit their stride over the last 15 games. This is a scrappy team getting contributions from a lot of different guys, headlined by Brown’s heroics.

There’s still a lot of season left to play, but it’s fair to say the Celtics have exceeded expectations to this point. And the scary part for the rest of the league is they can play a lot better.

“I think the expectation level has always been the same in my brain,” Brown said. “Just come out, compete and maximize our potential and kind of go from there. Don’t focus on the end result, focus on what you control and what’s in front of you. And that’s winning each possession, being the harder playing team, all that good stuff.

“It sounds boring, but that’s the type of stuff that leads to building a really good team.”

Kevin Durant became just the eighth player in NBA history to reach 31,000 career points during the Houston Rockets' 117-98 win against the Phoenix Suns.

The 37-year-old started the game needing just four points to hit the milestone and took his tally to 31,000 points with a 10-foot jump shot midway through the first quarter.

Durant, who finished the night with 28 points to move to 31,024 overall, sits behind Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James on the all-time list.

"As you're coming up into the league, you look at these guys as heroes and you put them on pedestals, and you look at their accomplishments as sometimes unreachable," Durant said.

"But then you get on that road trying to do your thing. That's what I've done since 2008.

"I've been focused on trying to be the best player I can be, and they set a standard for each player when they left the league.

"Guys like Wilt, Michael, Kobe - I'm missing so many guys - they just set a standard that I try to reach every day."

Antetokounmpo out for up to a month

The Milwaukee Bucks expect to be without star player Giannis Antetokounmpo for the next month as he recovers from a calf strain.

The Greek power forward limped out of Wednesday's game against the Detroit Pistons after falling to the ground during a defensive play.

Initial scans indicated the 31-year-old could miss between two to four weeks.

But the Bucks say they will give Antetokounmpo added time to recover given the nature of the injury.

"I feel like we should learn that with calves - make sure they're healthy," Bucks coach Don Rivers said.

"So that may take longer than we want. That even may make Giannis frustrated over it, but we've just got to try to get that right."

Elsewhere, James and Luka Doncic were absent as the Los Angeles Lakers lost 126-105 to the Boston Celtics.

James, 40, continues to be troubled by a sciatica problem in his left foot, which saw him miss the first 14 games of the season.

Doncic, who missed the match for personal reasons, could return for the three-game trip against the Philadelphia 76ers this weekend.

NBA results in full

The Knicks' starting lineup is finally at full strength.

OG Anunoby returned to the floor on Friday against the Jazz, his first game since injuring his hamstring on Nov. 14. The forward missed nine games just when he was putting up some of the best numbers of his career. 

But Anunoby picked up where he left off, scoring 11 points and assisting one in 23 minutes on Friday night. As with any game Anunoby plays, his impact goes far beyond the stat sheet. The first defensive possession for the Knicks, Anunoby forced a bad pass from Jazz forward Svi Mykhailiuk, one of many stops by the Knicks as they got off to a 23-0 start, the best in NBA history since play-by-play has been recorded (1997-98), en route to a 146-112 rout. 

"I didn't really notice it. We were just playing. Someone told us later," Anunoby said. "I didn't even notice they didn't score; we were just getting stops and going. So felt pretty good just playing the way we try to play all the time."

That good feeling extended to Anunoby's health. He said he felt good after the game and that he missed playing with his teammates and playing for the fans. But he did not have a good time being unable to play. In those few weeks of missing action, Anunoby described his time recovering as "not fun" but still tried to help his teammates however he could. 

"Just try to help in any way possible," Anunoby said. "Be supportive, talk to my teammates, tell them what I'm seeing, and still help."

Part of that support is watching film and pointing out little things his teammates are not doing or what teams are doing to the Knicks and trying to get them to incorporate it.

Anunoby's 23 minutes was good, but head coach Mike Brown was hoping to extend his forward even longer, but the score dictated he empty his bench. Brown did allow Anunoby to play with the reserves as the rest sat on the bench, watching for most of the fourth quarter. 

"It was tough because you always wonder... you get a big lead, you don’t want anybody to get hurt. But we needed to get OG some game minutes to work on his conditioning," Brown explained. "He looked good for the time he was out there. I would have loved to get him 25-26 minutes, but 22-23 worked good enough, especially with the way we had the lead tonight."

Anunoby says he'll need just a couple of game to feel like he's in game shape, and he'll definitely need his conditioning when the Knicks welcome a physical Magic team to the Garden on Sunday.