Category: Basketball

After a short string of games at full health, the Lakers walked out of Thursday’s game in Denver with 40% of their starting lineup unable to finish the game.

Deandre Ayton played only briefly on in the first quarter before exiting after just 4:30 with left knee soreness. LeBron James, meanwhile, played much more of the contest before suffering his own injury that forced him out of the game.

With four minutes to go in the fourth quarter, LeBron drove to the rim and finished through contact from Nikola Jokić. That contact, however, knocked LeBron to the ground and into a cameraman, where he hit his elbow.

Immediately, LeBron clutched his arm in clear pain. Eventually, he walked off the court while still flexing his arm, trying to get feeling back into it.

After a short stint on the bench, LeBron returned to the game, but never took a shot during his time on the floor. While he attempted to tough it out, though, he could not finish the game, opting out of attempting to in-bound the ball with the Lakers down five and 20 seconds left.

“It’s pretty sore right now,” LeBron said. “What was I feeling? Feeling like one of them funny bone situations but super more intense.”

Honestly, that’s a very funny description that everyone also immediately understands the pain he was feeling. Take a hit to the funny bone and you need 10 minutes for it to stop tingling. Take a “super more intense” hit to the funny bone and not be LeBron James and you might need 2-3 business days to recover.

LeBron was icing his elbow after the game, but didn’t have much more in the way of clarity of how severe his injury was.

“We’ll see what happens over the next couple days,” LeBron said. “Hopefully I wake up tomorrow and it doesn’t feel too much worse than it is now or if it feels better, that’d be great.”

The Lakers immediately return to the court on Friday against the Pacers, so we’ll learn pretty quickly the severity of his injury. In theory, a game against one of the worst teams in the league is a good one to miss if injured.

Following that game, though, the Lakers play New York and Minnesota at home, two games that will be far tougher challenges.

Hopefully, LeBron’s “super more intense” funny bone situation is a short term injury and not another thing that lingers this season.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

DENVER — Lakers star Luka Dončić was confused as to why he was assessed a technical foul during the second quarter of Thursday’s 120-113 road loss to the Nuggets at Ball Arena on Thursday night, which was his 15th technical of the season.

If Dončić is assessed one more technical foul over the Lakers’ final 20 games of the regular season, he will have to serve a one-game suspension.

“Just because I yelled at him I guess,” Dončić said, referring to the explanation he was given from referee Dedric Taylor, who gave the Lakers star the tech. “That’s what he said. But I heard three other players say the exact same sentence and didn’t get a tech. And that’s my problem; I was trying not to talk at all. [That was] the first thing I said, no warning or nothing. But I heard three other players say the exact same thing and nothing. So it’s just … I don’t know what to say.”

Luka Doncic on why he was assessed the technical foul, which is Luka's 15th of the season:

"Just because I yelled at him I guess. That's what he said. But I heard three other players say the exact same sentence and didn't get a tech. And that's my problem. I was trying not to… pic.twitter.com/WSgNrzx9Tk

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) March 6, 2026

Dončić appeared to be unhappy after not receiving a shooting foul when Nuggets guard Bruce Brown made contact with him when he missed a pull-up midrange shot at the 5:52 mark of the second quarter.

After grabbing the defensive rebound, Christian Braun raced out in transition and assisted Jamal Murray on a corner 3-pointer to put the Nuggets up 49-39.

Shortly after the made 3, Doncic was assessed the technical foul, with Murray making the free throw to put the Nuggets up by 11.

“Dončić was issued a technical foul for using profanity directed towards a referee,” Crew Chief Ed Malloy said in the postgame pool report. “We are trained not to stop an offensive transition when calling a technical foul on the defense.”

Players who receive 16 technical fouls in a regular season receive an automatic one-game suspension and a fine. 

There has been three times in his NBA career (2020-23) that Dončić has finished a season with 15 technical fouls. 

He finished with 13 techs in 50 games last season with the Mavericks and Lakers after having 13 in 2023-24 with the Mavericks.

While playing for the Mavericks, Dončić narrowly avoided a one-game suspension in the season finale of the 2021-22 season after the NBA office rescinded his 16th technical foul.

pic.twitter.com/PepcnOSNZE

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) March 6, 2026

Dončić also picked up a 16th technical foul late in the 2022-23 season, which was also rescinded, resulting in him not having to serve a one-game suspension then either. 

“Don’t get another tech,” Doncic responded when asked how he can avoid the suspension. 

When asked whether he was committing to not picking up another technical foul, Doncic responded: “We’ll see. Can’t predict the future.”

Dončić didn’t say whether he thought there was a chance his technical from Thursday’s game would be rescinded.

“I mean if three other people say it and I’m the only one that [gets] a tech, what’s the point of that?,” Dončić said. “I really wasn’t trying to talk at all and that was the first thing I said and immediately.”

Entering this season with the oldest roster in the NBA, the Los Angeles Clippers had an absolutely brutal start to the year, a 2-13 November being the biggest indicator that it would be a challenging season. Summer acquisition Bradley Beal fractured his hip just 6 games into the season and was lost for the year, while the team moved off James Harden before the trade deadline following the latest financial dispute between the Beard and an NBA front office.

The seemingly forever-injured Kawhi Leonard missed time early on and was on a minutes restriction upon his eventual debut, but he’s actually had one of the strongest seasons of his career and has the Clippers firmly in the play-in picture after a dreadful 6-21 start for LA’s other team. They catch the Spurs on a SEGABABA, following an epic clash with the East-leading Detroit Pistons nonetheless, but San Antonio has to at least be happy that they’re home for this one.

San Antonio Spurs (45-17) vs Los Angeles Clippers (30-31)

March 6, 2026 | 8:30 PM CT

Watch: ESPN, FanDuel | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Harrison Barnes, ankle (OUT), Mason Plumblee, reconditioning (OUT), David Jones-Garcia, OUT

Clippers Injuries: Darius Garland, toe (OUT), Bradley Beal, hip (OUT), John Collins, neck (OUT), Yanic Konan Niederhauser, foot (OUT)

What to watch for

• Contrasting offensive styles will be on display tonight. Largely due in part to fielding the oldest roster in the NBA this season with an average age of around 33 years old, the Clippers are near the bottom of the league in terms of pace. Their opportunities in transition are few and far between, forcing them to rely on what has actually been a very good half court offense this season thanks to Leonard and the recently departed Harden. San Antonio on the other hand is in the upper half of the league when it comes to pace, fueled by a tough-nosed, young defense that’s among the most disruptive in the Association.
• Following the trade of longtime center Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers, veteran big man Brook Lopez will be Victor Wembanyama’s main match-up. Lopez has always been great at using his massive wingspan to make up for comparatively limited athleticism, helping to anchor more than a few really good Milwaukee Bucks’ defenses in his run there. Lopez, in his 17th season, will be 38 years old in a little less than a month.
• In his 14th season, Kawhi Leonard is averaging the most points per game of his career. He’s shooting 50/38/90 from the field on his way to that 27.9 PPG average, all while still being a more than capable defender even at age 34 and with numerous lower body injuries over the years. As has always been the case with him, the biggest knock on Leonard is his availability, but he’s played in 47 of the Clippers’ 61 games this season. Leonard has only played more than 55 games for the Clippers twice in 7 seasons with the club. Here’s to hoping the next great San Antonio perimeter defender Stephon Castle draws the main assignment on the former Spur.
• With the offensive breakout of all the young talent on this team, Devin Vassell has scored for at least 20 points just 9 times this season, but 3 of those performances have come since the All Star break.
• Carter Bryant is becoming a player that fans just have to watch when they tune into a game. Bryant has made a substantial leap throughout the course of the season, especially on the defensive end where he can use his frame to really disrupt all sorts of players. He scored just 2 points in last night’s win over the Detroit Pistons, but he was everywhere defensively in his 19 minutes of action.

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LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most field goals scored in NBA history as the Los Angeles Lakers lost at the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.

James scored 16 points for the Lakers in the 120-113 defeat and passed Abdul-Jabbar's tally of 15,837 during the first quarter.

The 41-year-old, who is playing in an unprecedented 23rd NBA season, passed Abdul-Jabbar to become the top scorer in NBA history in February 2023.

Last year he became the first player to reach 50,000 points combined in the regular season and post-season, and currently has 43,127 in the regular season alone.

"Being mentioned with some of the greatest to ever play this game has always been humbling," said James, the league's four-time Most Valuable Player.

"I grew up watching, reading [about], idolising a lot of the greats, and if I was able to be part of the NBA, I wanted to put myself in position that I can be named with some of the greats by doing something right.

"It's a pretty cool feat, but it's hard for me to kind of wrap my head around it or what it looks like."

Lakers coach JJ Redick likened the evolution of James' career to that of Bruce Springsteen, saying: "You get to the end and you're like, 'this guy's greatest hits are like insane'.

"And LeBron's greatest hits, he just keeps adding to them. He just plays and plays and plays and the greatest hits, he's got a hell of a catalogue."

James passed Abdul-Jabbar's points record before field goals as three-point shots were introduced midway through the NBA legend's career.

The six-time champion spent most of his 20-year career with the Lakers and retired in 1989 having scored 55.9% of his 28,307 shots. James has a 51.6% scoring rate.

The four-time champion is set to claim another record as Thursday's game was his 1,606th in the regular season, putting him five behind Robert Parish.

James earned his 22nd All-Star selection this year and says he has not decided whether he will continue playing next season.

Fellow All Stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray each scored 28 points for Denver, who stayed fifth in the Western Conference standings, one spot above the Lakers.

Second-placed San Antonio claimed their 13th victory from 14 games, with Victor Wembanyama returning to top form with 38 points and 16 rebounds as the Spurs won 121-106 at home against the Detroit Pistons, who lead the Eastern Conference.

• Heated Doncic interaction 'very normal' - Redick

DENVER — LeBron James said after the Lakers’ 120-113 road loss to the Nuggets on Thursday night that his left elbow was “pretty sore” after his fall late in the game at Ball Arena, with the Lakers star adding that the injury is day-to-day.

The Lakers star, who was icing the elbow during his postgame media availability inside the visitor’s locker room, fell onto the court after Nuggets star Nikola Jokic made contact with him in the air while James made a layup to cut the Lakers’ deficit to 110-106 with just over four minutes left.

No foul was called, with James immediately grabbing at his left elbow and staying down on the court during the Nuggets’ ensuing possession.

LeBron James was holding his left elbow area after his fall. He's on the bench being tended to by his longtime trainer right now. pic.twitter.com/Oy676TN19U

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) March 6, 2026

“It’s the same s—, James said. “‘Marginal.’ It’s the same s—. It’s, it’s, it’s … whatever. That’s all they keep saying is, ‘marginal.’ I’m so f—— tired of that word.”

Reserve big man Jaxson Hayes subbed in for James once James got up and the Lakers called timeout with 3:58 left. 

“It felt like one of those funny bone situations,” James said. “But like, super more intense.”

Mike Mancias, James’ longtime trainer and the Lakers’ athletic performance liaison, tended to James’ elbow while he was on the team’s bench after the timeout. 

James subbed back in for Rui Hachimura with 2:05 remaining but wasn’t on the court for after-timeout play when Luka Dončić missed a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer with 20 seconds left, with the Nuggets maintaining a 116-111 lead.

“It was bothering [him] enough that he didn’t feel comfortable doing the inbound pass when we called timeout down five,” Redick said. “So we put Luke [Kennard] in for him. He’s got ice on it. Get it looked at.”

The Lakers next will host the Pacers on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena, with James’ status up in the air. 

“We’ll see what happens over the next couple days,” James said. “Hopefully I’ll wake up [on Friday] and it doesn’t feel too much worse than it is now. Or, if it feels better, that would be great. So, it’s day-to-day, we’ll see what happens.”

Lakers star Luka Doncic is one technical away from receiving an automatic one-game suspension after he picked up his 15th technical of the season in a 120-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.

Doncic, who had 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, was charged with a technical with 5:43 left in the second quarter.

“Just because I yelled at him, I guess. That's what he said,” said Doncic about his interaction with referee Ed Malloy. “But I heard three other players say the exact same sentence and didn't get a tech. And that's my problem, you know, I was trying not to talk at all. This is the first thing I said — no warning or nothing."

Read more:LeBron James breaks another Kareem Abdul-Jabbar record, but hurts his elbow in loss

Malloy said after the game that Doncic was issued a technical for "using profanity directed towards a referee."

The NBA automatically suspends any player who receives 16 technical fouls during a season. Doncic has reached the threshold twice in his career, but the NBA rescinded the 16th technical each time, allowing him to avoid suspension.

Doncic wasn't making any guarantees about whether he'll be able to avoid another technical.

“We'll see,” he said. “Can't predict the future.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

After dropping Thursday’s game to the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers will immediately return to Los Angeles where they will begin a five-game home stand, starting with the Pacers on Friday.

This is the first meeting between the two teams this season.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Indiana Pacers

When: 7 p.m. PT, Mar 6

Where: Crypto.com Arena

Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet

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The Lakers will be greeted back at Crypto.com Arena by a Pacers team that’s currently struggling. The Pacers are lottery-bound and there’s really no reason for them to aim for anything but a top pick at this point of the season. It’s understood league-wide that this season was a gap year for them after Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in the Finals.

That said, the Lakers will still have to earn this one. In fairness to them, they’ve been performing well on the second night of back-to-backs as of late, winning three of their last four. They should win this one simply because they’re the better team. It’s also the perfect opportunity to quickly bounce back after losing a close game in Denver.

Without Haliburton, Indiana ranks dead last in the league in offense. They average just 111.4 points per game and don’t rebound the ball very well. Outside of Pascal Siakam, they don’t have much of a consistent threat on offense. Their defense doesn’t make up for their offense either because they don’t have the pieces to protect the rim, especially with Ivica Zubac out. More notably, Indiana doesn’t have an answer for Los Angeles’ main guys.

That’s why it would be nice to see the Lakers put together a nice bounceback game, one that will begin this crucial five-game home stand on a strong note. Hopefully, they shoot better than they did on Thursday night, especially if this one goes down to the wire.

The Lakers should be able to feast in the paint even more and defend without fouling so much. It’s the defense’s responsibility to make sure that Siakam, Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard don’t play extraordinary well.

One of the perks of the NBA regular season is that there’s always an opportunity to bounce back, especially after losing such a winnable game. Let’s see if the purple and gold can do just on Friday against the Pacers.

Notes and Updates

• This is the Lakers’ 11th back-to-back this season. After this one, they will play three more.
• Since the Lakers played on Thursday, there’s no injury report yet.
• As for the Pacers, Tyrese Halliburton (Achilles injury), Johnny Furphy (right ACL tear), Ivica Zubac (left ankle sprain) are all out.
• Pascal Siakam (left wrist sprain), Aaron Nesmith (right ankle and lower back sprain) and Andrew Nembhard (lower back and neck soreness) are probable.
• Luka Dončić was called for his 15th technical foul of the season on Thursday against the Nuggets. If he gets called for one more, he will be automatically suspended for one game.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

The Lakers might just be cursed to always have an injury.

After a short string of games where they had a clean injury report, they came away from Thursday’s game against the Nuggets with plenty of bumps and bruises to go along with their loss. Two starters did not finish the game, one being LeBron, who suffered an elbow injury late in the contest.

The other, perhaps more serious injury was Deandre Ayton, who only played the opening 4:30 of the game before leaving with a knee injury. Ayton was eventually ruled out at halftime.

From the Lakers —
Deandre Ayton (knee) will not return to tonight’s game at Denver.

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) March 6, 2026

After the game, head coach JJ Redick said Ayton was dealing with left knee soreness, leading to his early exit.

JJ Redick says he thinks Deandre Ayton is dealing with left knee soreness.

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) March 6, 2026

After being asked to clarify, Redick reiterated that it was left knee soreness. That’s relevant because in early February, Ayton dealt with right knee soreness that limited him to one appearance in the team’s four games prior to the All-Star break.

It’s possible this is the same injury resurfacing, but either way, it’s concerning. As much as Ayton has struggled in recent weeks, when he was at his best early in the season, the team was at its best.

That being said, in his absence, Jaxson Hayes looked fantastic against the Nuggets. Maxi Kleber has also had some solid showings in recent games, though he’s been dealing with a back injury. The Lakers found success in Denver with a small ball lineup as well.

While the Lakers do clearly have options they can turn to, any hit to the team’s depth is a blow, especially as they look to make their playoff push.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Don’t let the score fool you. The Lakers never had a shot in this one.

The Nuggets started the game on an 11-0 and never trailed. Anytime LA made a push, Denver responded and closed the door.

When Deandre Ayton played, he was bad, and when Lakers head coach JJ Redick went to players he hadn’t used in a while like Jarred Vanderbilt, it didn’t work.

Besides LeBron James, few Lakers can hold their heads high when looking back at how they played in this game.

So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

LeBron James

34 minutes, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 7-11 FG, 0-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, -10

From the beginning, LeBron was excellent in this game. He was pushing into the paint, attacking the basket, and was an active defensive participant.

His elbow injury in the fourth interrupted his play, but he gave the Lakers everything he had.

Grade: A

Luka Dončić

40 minutes, 27 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 11-24 FG, 3-10 3PT, 2-4 FT, 0

Luka was offensively aggressive in this game and played at his typical level. It was good to see him taking some shots late, though Marcus Smart took a few that would’ve been nice to see Luka or LeBron attempt. Beyond that, though, he was adequate.

Grade: B

Marcus Smart

32 minutes, 9 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, 4 fouls, 3-9 FG, 3-6 3PT, +3

On the one hand, Smart played hard and was one of the Lakers who showed up the entire game. On the other hand, the flopping was a bit much and the threes he missed in the final quarter sealed LA’s fate.

Still, other players underperformed and Smart was the only starter who was a positive in the plus-minus.

Grade: B-

Austin Reaves

38 minutes, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 6-11 FG, 1-2 3PT, 3-4 FT, -4

It was another slow start for Reaves. He had just four points at the half. Reaves improved in the third and fourth quarters, but this was still another game where he had underperformed. This has been a trend over the past seven games, and an end does not seem in sight.

Perhaps since LA plays Indiana next, he’ll look good in a low-stakes contest.

Grade: C

Rui Hachimura

29 minutes, 16 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 6-9 FG, 4-5 3PT, +10

Hachimura played well. He had some key threes that helped tilt things in LA’s favor, so it’s hard to be frustrated with what he provided.

Grade: B

Jaxson Hayes

27 minutes, 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 foul, 8-10 FG, 3-5 FT, +7

Hayes was fantastic in this game. He was a great screener, was flushing the ball down the hoop with ease and had his best performance of the season.

Grade: A+

Luke Kennard

20 minutes, 8 points, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 3-6 FG, 2-3 3PT, -7

Kennard did what he was supposed to in this game, and that’s knocking down threes, moving the ball and setting screens.

There’s not much more that can or should be asked of him.

Grade: B+

Jake LaRavia

10 minutes, 2 points, 1 assist, 2 fouls, 1-6 FG, 0-3 3PT, -16

If LaRavia isn’t going to knock down his shots, continue to be passive when he’s open and get burnt on defense, then he can take a seat.

Grade: F

Deandre Ayton, Jarred Vanderbilt,

This pair didn’t play long enough to earn a grade, and if they did, it wouldn’t be positive.

JJ Redick

If the Lakers weren’t ready to start this game, that’s going to fall on the coach. Ayton has been making a case to get benched and he hasn’t been. Before he exited the game with a knee injury, he was terrible. These games are tests for the Lakers and they failed.

Grade: D

Thursday’s DNPs: Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero, Kobe Bufkin, Bronny James

Thursday’s inactives: Maxi Kleber, Chris Mañon, Nick Smith Jr, Drew Timme,

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

New Orleans Pelicans (20-44, 13th in the Western Conference) vs. Phoenix Suns (35-27, seventh in the Western Conference)

Phoenix; Friday, 9 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Suns -5.5; over/under is 225.5

BOTTOM LINE: The Phoenix Suns host the New Orleans Pelicans in Western Conference action Friday.

The Suns are 24-18 against Western Conference opponents. Phoenix ranks last in the Western Conference scoring 43.5 points per game in the paint.

The Pelicans are 13-28 in Western Conference play. New Orleans is 10-20 in games decided by at least 10 points.

The Suns are shooting 45.2% from the field this season, 2.5 percentage points lower than the 47.7% the Pelicans allow to opponents. The Pelicans average 11.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.8 fewer makes per game than the Suns allow.

The teams square off for the fourth time this season. The Suns won the last matchup 123-114 on Dec. 28. Devin Booker scored 20 points to help lead the Suns to the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Collin Gillespie is averaging 13.5 points and 4.8 assists for the Suns. Jalen Green is averaging 12.9 points over the last 10 games.

Trey Murphy III is averaging 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals for the Pelicans. Saddiq Bey is averaging 2.7 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Suns: 4-6, averaging 102.7 points, 46.0 rebounds, 23.3 assists, 8.3 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 40.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.4 points per game.

Pelicans: 6-4, averaging 118.3 points, 45.6 rebounds, 27.1 assists, 8.3 steals and 6.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.9 points.

INJURIES: Suns: Jordan Goodwin: out (calf), Dillon Brooks: out (hand), Mark Williams: out (foot).

Pelicans: Dejounte Murray: day to day (reconditioning).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Golden State Warriors (32-30, eighth in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (49-15, first in the Western Conference)

Oklahoma City; Saturday, 8:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Oklahoma City will try to earn its 50th win of the season when the Thunder play the Golden State Warriors.

The Thunder are 34-9 in conference matchups. Oklahoma City has a 3-6 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Warriors are 22-19 in conference matchups. Golden State is third in the league with 29.2 assists per game led by Draymond Green averaging 5.2.

The Thunder average 118.9 points per game, 4.8 more points than the 114.1 the Warriors allow. The Warriors are shooting 46.1% from the field, 2.5% higher than the 43.6% the Thunder's opponents have shot this season.

The teams square off for the fourth time this season. The Thunder won the last meeting 131-94 on Jan. 3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points to help lead the Thunder to the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Cason Wallace is scoring 8.9 points per game and averaging 3.2 rebounds for the Thunder. Isaiah Joe is averaging 14.2 points and 3.1 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Green is averaging 8.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists for the Warriors. Brandin Podziemski is averaging 16.7 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 8-2, averaging 113.3 points, 45.2 rebounds, 25.3 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 45.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.5 points per game.

Warriors: 4-6, averaging 112.3 points, 43.5 rebounds, 31.5 assists, 9.9 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.3 points.

INJURIES: Thunder: Alex Caruso: day to day (hip), Ajay Mitchell: day to day (abdomen), Branden Carlson: day to day (back), Jalen Williams: out (hamstring), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee), Isaiah Hartenstein: day to day (calf).

Warriors: Kristaps Porzingis: day to day (illness), Jimmy Butler III: out for season (knee), Gary Payton II: day to day (ankle), Stephen Curry: out (knee), Moses Moody: day to day (wrist), Seth Curry: day to day (back), Will Richard: day to day (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Dallas Mavericks (21-41, 12th in the Western Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (41-21, second in the Eastern Conference)

Boston; Friday, 7 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Celtics -15.5; over/under is 222

BOTTOM LINE: Dallas comes into the matchup with Boston as losers of five games in a row.

The Celtics are 20-10 in home games. Boston is fifth in the NBA with 12.9 offensive rebounds per game led by Neemias Queta averaging 3.0 offensive boards.

The Mavericks are 7-22 on the road. Dallas is 5-7 in one-possession games.

The Celtics average 114.5 points per game, 3.1 fewer points than the 117.6 the Mavericks give up. The Mavericks are shooting 47.0% from the field, 2.9% higher than the 44.1% the Celtics' opponents have shot this season.

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Celtics won 110-100 in the last matchup on Feb. 4. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 33 points, and Cooper Flagg led the Mavericks with 36 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Derrick White is shooting 39.2% and averaging 17.3 points for the Celtics. Brown is averaging 20.3 points over the last 10 games.

Flagg is averaging 20.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Mavericks. Naji Marshall is averaging 14.9 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Celtics: 7-3, averaging 108.5 points, 50.2 rebounds, 27.2 assists, 5.5 steals and 6.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 100.7 points per game.

Mavericks: 2-8, averaging 110.0 points, 42.7 rebounds, 23.0 assists, 6.7 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.6 points.

INJURIES: Celtics: Jayson Tatum: day to day (achilles).

Mavericks: Brandon Williams: day to day (quadriceps), Dereck Lively II: out for season (foot), Kyrie Irving: out for season (knee), Marvin Bagley III: day to day (neck).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Philadelphia 76ers (34-28, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Atlanta Hawks (32-31, 10th in the Eastern Conference)

Atlanta; Saturday, 6 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Atlanta hosts Philadelphia aiming to extend its four-game home winning streak.

The Hawks have gone 18-21 against Eastern Conference teams. Atlanta ranks third in the Eastern Conference with 51.8 points per game in the paint led by Jalen Johnson averaging 12.3.

The 76ers are 21-20 against conference opponents. Philadelphia ranks sixth in the Eastern Conference with 16.5 fast break points per game led by Tyrese Maxey averaging 5.6.

The Hawks average 14.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.3 more made shots on average than the 13.2 per game the 76ers give up. The 76ers average 115.8 points per game, 1.5 fewer than the 117.3 the Hawks allow to opponents.

The teams meet for the fourth time this season. The Hawks won 117-107 in the last matchup on Feb. 20.

TOP PERFORMERS: Johnson is shooting 49.1% and averaging 22.7 points for the Hawks. Onyeka Okongwu is averaging 2.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Maxey is averaging 28.9 points, 6.7 assists and two steals for the 76ers. VJ Edgecombe is averaging 15.4 points and 5.5 rebounds over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hawks: 6-4, averaging 118.2 points, 47.8 rebounds, 28.8 assists, 9.9 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.1 points per game.

76ers: 4-6, averaging 111.4 points, 41.6 rebounds, 22.6 assists, 10.3 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 43.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 120.2 points.

INJURIES: Hawks: Jonathan Kuminga: day to day (knee).

76ers: Johni Broome: out (knee), Joel Embiid: out (oblique), VJ Edgecombe: day to day (back), Kelly Oubre Jr.: day to day (illness).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Indiana Pacers (15-47, 15th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (37-25, sixth in the Western Conference)

Los Angeles; Friday, 10:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Lakers -10; over/under is 234.5

BOTTOM LINE: Indiana comes into the matchup against Los Angeles as losers of seven games in a row.

The Lakers are 18-12 on their home court. Los Angeles is fifth in the Western Conference with 51.5 points per game in the paint led by LeBron James averaging 11.2.

The Pacers are 5-25 on the road. Indiana is 6-5 in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Lakers are shooting 49.9% from the field this season, 1.0 percentage point higher than the 48.9% the Pacers allow to opponents. The Pacers' 45.0% shooting percentage from the field this season is 3.5 percentage points lower than the Lakers have given up to their opponents (48.5%).

TOP PERFORMERS: Luka Doncic is averaging 32.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.6 assists for the Lakers. James is averaging 18.0 points over the last 10 games.

Pascal Siakam is averaging 24 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists for the Pacers. Micah Potter is averaging 2.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Lakers: 5-5, averaging 114.5 points, 39.1 rebounds, 27.3 assists, 8.4 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 49.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.2 points per game.

Pacers: 2-8, averaging 114.5 points, 40.1 rebounds, 28.6 assists, 7.2 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 46.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 126.6 points.

INJURIES: Lakers: LeBron James: day to day (elbow), Maxi Kleber: day to day (back), Deandre Ayton: day to day (knee).

Pacers: Pascal Siakam: day to day (wrist), Andrew Nembhard: day to day (back), Johnny Furphy: out for season (knee), Aaron Nesmith: day to day (ankle), Ivica Zubac: out (ankle), Tyrese Haliburton: out for season (achilles).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Orlando Magic (33-28, seventh in the Eastern Conference) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (40-23, third in the Western Conference)

Minneapolis; Saturday, 3 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Minnesota is looking to keep its five-game win streak alive when the Timberwolves take on Orlando.

The Timberwolves are 22-11 on their home court. Minnesota is seventh in the Western Conference with 50.2 points per game in the paint led by Julius Randle averaging 10.3.

The Magic are 13-16 in road games. Orlando is ninth in the Eastern Conference scoring 114.8 points per game and is shooting 46.2%.

The Timberwolves average 14.1 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.5 more made shots on average than the 11.6 per game the Magic give up. The Magic are shooting 46.2% from the field, 0.1% lower than the 46.3% the Timberwolves' opponents have shot this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Randle is averaging 21.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists for the Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards is averaging 3.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Paolo Banchero is scoring 22.0 points per game with 8.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists for the Magic. Desmond Bane is averaging 25.1 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 59.1% over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Timberwolves: 8-2, averaging 116.4 points, 43.4 rebounds, 25.4 assists, 9.7 steals and 5.8 blocks per game while shooting 50.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.0 points per game.

Magic: 6-4, averaging 112.9 points, 42.4 rebounds, 27.0 assists, 9.1 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.2 points.

INJURIES: Timberwolves: Joe Ingles: day to day (personal).

Magic: Franz Wagner: out (ankle), Jonathan Isaac: day to day (knee), Colin Castleton: out (thumb).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.