LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Anthony Davis scored 39 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers held on for a 113-105 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday despite Stephen Curry&rsquo;s 27 points in his return to the lineup.
The Lakers led most of the game but a 3-pointer by Golden State&rsquo;s Anthony Lamb tied it at 91 with 5:37 remaining in the game. Los Angeles ran off seven straight points and would go up 103-95 before 3-pointers by Klay Thompson and Curry made it a two-point game with 1:46 remaining.
That would be as close as the Warriors would get though as they missed three straight from beyond the arc and the Lakers converted at the foul line.
Austin Reaves scored 16 points and Troy Brown Jr. 14 for the Lakers, who have split their four games with LeBron James out of the lineup due to a foot tendon injury.
Curry, who missed 11 games due to a left leg injury, was 3 of 11 from the field with eight points after three quarters but scored 19 in the final 12 minutes.
&nbsp;

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Anthony Davis scored 39 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers held on for a 113-105 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday despite Stephen Curry&rsquo;s 27 points in his return to the lineup.
The Lakers led most of the game but a 3-pointer by Golden State&rsquo;s Anthony Lamb tied it at 91 with 5:37 remaining in the game. Los Angeles ran off seven straight points and would go up 103-95 before 3-pointers by Klay Thompson and Curry made it a two-point game with 1:46 remaining.
That would be as close as the Warriors would get though as they missed three straight from beyond the arc and the Lakers converted at the foul line.
Austin Reaves scored 16 points and Troy Brown Jr. 14 for the Lakers, who have split their four games with LeBron James out of the lineup due to a foot tendon injury.
Curry, who missed 11 games due to a left leg injury, was 3 of 11 from the field with eight points after three quarters but scored 19 in the final 12 minutes.
Thompson added 22 points as the Warriors had their five-game winning streak snapped.
Los Angeles took three of the four meetings against the defending NBA champions.
The Lakers jumped out to a 32-12 lead with 3:43 remaining in the first quarter on the strength of a 28-5 run that included 12 points by Davis.
&nbsp;

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Anthony Davis scored 39 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers held on for a 113-105 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday despite Stephen Curry&rsquo;s 27 points in his return to the lineup.
The Lakers led most of the game but a 3-pointer by Golden State&rsquo;s Anthony Lamb tied it at 91 with 5:37 remaining in the game. Los Angeles ran off seven straight points and would go up 103-95 before 3-pointers by Klay Thompson and Curry made it a two-point game with 1:46 remaining.
That would be as close as the Warriors would get though as they missed three straight from beyond the arc and the Lakers converted at the foul line.
Austin Reaves scored 16 points and Troy Brown Jr. 14 for the Lakers, who have split their four games with LeBron James out of the lineup due to a foot tendon injury.
Curry, who missed 11 games due to a left leg injury, was 3 of 11 from the field with eight points after three quarters but scored 19 in the final 12 minutes.
Thompson added 22 points as the Warriors had their five-game winning streak snapped.
Los Angeles took three of the four meetings against the defending NBA champions.
The Lakers jumped out to a 32-12 lead with 3:43 remaining in the first quarter on the strength of a 28-5 run that included 12 points by Davis.
The Warriors countered with a 28-9 rally that was keyed by six 3-pointers. Curry had eight straight points during the run while Donte DiVincenzo and Jordan Poole scored six apiece.
A 3-pointer by DiVincenzo tied it at 57 early in the third quarter before the Lakers scored 10 straight points. Los Angeles had a 78-72 lead at the end of the third quarter.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Draymond Green had 15 points and nine rebounds. .... Thompson scored the first nine points before Poole hit a free throw with 6:43 remaining in the first.
Lakers: Mo Bamba sprained his left ankle during the first quarter and did not return.
UP NEXT
Warriors: Travel to Oklahoma City on Tuesday.
Lakers: Host Memphis on Tuesday.

Anthony Davis scored 39 points, including 12 in the fourth, and the Lakers held on for a 113-105 victory over the Warriors on Sunday.

Anthony Davis leads Lakers past Warriors in Steph Curry’s return

The following is a press release via the Oklahoma City Thunder:
OKLAHOMA CITY, March 2, 2023 &ndash; The Oklahoma City Thunder announced today that guard/forward Kenrich Williams suffered a scapholunate ligament rupture in his left wrist during Tuesday&rsquo;s game against the Sacramento Kings. &nbsp;The injury will require surgery and he is expected to miss the remainder of the 2022-23 season. &nbsp;
Williams has appeared in 53 games (10 starts) this season and averaged 8.0 points on 51.7% shooting from the field, 4.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 22.8 minutes per game. &nbsp;His 26 charges drawn lead the NBA. &nbsp;
Williams is expected to make a full recovery, and further updates will be provided as appropriate.

Williams has appeared in 53 games this season and averaged 8.0 points on 51.7% shooting and leads the NBA in charges drawn.

Thunder: Kenrich Williams needs surgery on left wrist, out for season

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Jimmy Butler hit an&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1630393261381541889" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">acrobatic reverse layup in the final minutes</a>, and his 23 points led five Miami players in double figures as the Heat edged the Philadelphia 76ers 101-99 on Monday night.
Butler was an assist shy of a triple-double, adding 11 rebounds and nine assists. He also had four steals. His spinning move and finishing layup while driving between the Sixers&rsquo; Joel Embiid and P.J. Tucker gave the Heat a 100-99 lead with 1:28 to play after Philadelphia rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. He added a free throw with 8.1 seconds left.
&ldquo;I work on that kind of stuff every day,&rdquo; Butler said of his highlight-reel basket. &ldquo;I love to play this game and I love to compete, but it&rsquo;s always much more fun when we win.&rdquo;
James Harden had a chance to win the game for the 76ers, but his 3-point try at the buzzer bounced off the back of the rim.
&ldquo;You have to expect things to be a little bit gnarly on the road,&rdquo; Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;You have to weather a bunch of different storms. &hellip; Sometimes you just need the ball to bounce the right way. Harden had a window there and was open, but we contested so many shots tonight that sometimes when you do get an open shot you don&rsquo;t have a great rhythm.&rdquo;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Jimmy Butler hit an&nbsp;acrobatic reverse layup in the final minutes, and his 23 points led five Miami players in double figures as the Heat edged the Philadelphia 76ers 101-99 on Monday night.
Butler was an assist shy of a triple-double, adding 11 rebounds and nine assists. He also had four steals. His spinning move and finishing layup while driving between the Sixers&rsquo; Joel Embiid and P.J. Tucker gave the Heat a 100-99 lead with 1:28 to play after Philadelphia rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. He added a free throw with 8.1 seconds left.
&ldquo;I work on that kind of stuff every day,&rdquo; Butler said of his highlight-reel basket. &ldquo;I love to play this game and I love to compete, but it&rsquo;s always much more fun when we win.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
James Harden had a chance to win the game for the 76ers, but his 3-point try at the buzzer bounced off the back of the rim.
&ldquo;You have to expect things to be a little bit gnarly on the road,&rdquo; Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;You have to weather a bunch of different storms. &hellip; Sometimes you just need the ball to bounce the right way. Harden had a window there and was open, but we contested so many shots tonight that sometimes when you do get an open shot you don&rsquo;t have a great rhythm.&rdquo;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Jimmy Butler hit an&nbsp;acrobatic reverse layup in the final minutes, and his 23 points led five Miami players in double figures as the Heat edged the Philadelphia 76ers 101-99 on Monday night.
Butler was an assist shy of a triple-double, adding 11 rebounds and nine assists. He also had four steals. His spinning move and finishing layup while driving between the Sixers&rsquo; Joel Embiid and P.J. Tucker gave the Heat a 100-99 lead with 1:28 to play after Philadelphia rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. He added a free throw with 8.1 seconds left.
&ldquo;I work on that kind of stuff every day,&rdquo; Butler said of his highlight-reel basket. &ldquo;I love to play this game and I love to compete, but it&rsquo;s always much more fun when we win.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
How, Jimmy? 🤯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CenterCourt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CenterCourt</a> <a href="https://t.co/5UXBZuMGsY">pic.twitter.com/5UXBZuMGsY</a>
&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1630393261381541889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

James Harden had a chance to win the game for the 76ers, but his 3-point try at the buzzer bounced off the back of the rim.
&ldquo;You have to expect things to be a little bit gnarly on the road,&rdquo; Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;You have to weather a bunch of different storms. &hellip; Sometimes you just need the ball to bounce the right way. Harden had a window there and was open, but we contested so many shots tonight that sometimes when you do get an open shot you don&rsquo;t have a great rhythm.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Jimmy Butler hit an&nbsp;acrobatic reverse layup in the final minutes, and his 23 points led five Miami players in double figures as the Heat edged the Philadelphia 76ers 101-99 on Monday night.
Butler was an assist shy of a triple-double, adding 11 rebounds and nine assists. He also had four steals. His spinning move and finishing layup while driving between the Sixers&rsquo; Joel Embiid and P.J. Tucker gave the Heat a 100-99 lead with 1:28 to play after Philadelphia rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. He added a free throw with 8.1 seconds left.
&ldquo;I work on that kind of stuff every day,&rdquo; Butler said of his highlight-reel basket. &ldquo;I love to play this game and I love to compete, but it&rsquo;s always much more fun when we win.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
How, Jimmy? 🤯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CenterCourt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CenterCourt</a> <a href="https://t.co/5UXBZuMGsY">pic.twitter.com/5UXBZuMGsY</a>
&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1630393261381541889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

James Harden had a chance to win the game for the 76ers, but his 3-point try at the buzzer bounced off the back of the rim.
&ldquo;You have to expect things to be a little bit gnarly on the road,&rdquo; Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;You have to weather a bunch of different storms. &hellip; Sometimes you just need the ball to bounce the right way. Harden had a window there and was open, but we contested so many shots tonight that sometimes when you do get an open shot you don&rsquo;t have a great rhythm.&rdquo;
Gabe Vincent scored 14 points and Bam Adebayo added 13 as the Heat snapped a four-game losing streak.
Embiid led all scorers with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Harden finished with 20 points and 12 assists.
Max Struss hit a pair of free throws with 7:10 to play in the fourth quarter, giving the Heat an 11-point lead. But the 76ers mounted a furious rally, erasing the deficit and taking the lead on a pair of Harden free throws.
The Sixers rally was keyed by Tyrese Maxey, who scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half before fouling out with 3:21 to play.
The Heat did a nice job on Philadelphia defensively, forcing 18 turnovers. However, the 76ers also missed several layups, especially in the second half.
&ldquo;I just think we were really sloppy tonight, sluggish,&rdquo; Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;It happens, but you still have to find a way to win the game. Tonight, we didn&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
Miami also got help from the bench as Struss scored 13 points and Victor Oladipo added 11.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Jimmy Butler hit an&nbsp;acrobatic reverse layup in the final minutes, and his 23 points led five Miami players in double figures as the Heat edged the Philadelphia 76ers 101-99 on Monday night.
Butler was an assist shy of a triple-double, adding 11 rebounds and nine assists. He also had four steals. His spinning move and finishing layup while driving between the Sixers&rsquo; Joel Embiid and P.J. Tucker gave the Heat a 100-99 lead with 1:28 to play after Philadelphia rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. He added a free throw with 8.1 seconds left.
&ldquo;I work on that kind of stuff every day,&rdquo; Butler said of his highlight-reel basket. &ldquo;I love to play this game and I love to compete, but it&rsquo;s always much more fun when we win.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
How, Jimmy? 🤯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CenterCourt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CenterCourt</a> <a href="https://t.co/5UXBZuMGsY">pic.twitter.com/5UXBZuMGsY</a>
&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1630393261381541889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

James Harden had a chance to win the game for the 76ers, but his 3-point try at the buzzer bounced off the back of the rim.
&ldquo;You have to expect things to be a little bit gnarly on the road,&rdquo; Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;You have to weather a bunch of different storms. &hellip; Sometimes you just need the ball to bounce the right way. Harden had a window there and was open, but we contested so many shots tonight that sometimes when you do get an open shot you don&rsquo;t have a great rhythm.&rdquo;
Gabe Vincent scored 14 points and Bam Adebayo added 13 as the Heat snapped a four-game losing streak.
Embiid led all scorers with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Harden finished with 20 points and 12 assists.
Max Struss hit a pair of free throws with 7:10 to play in the fourth quarter, giving the Heat an 11-point lead. But the 76ers mounted a furious rally, erasing the deficit and taking the lead on a pair of Harden free throws.
The Sixers rally was keyed by Tyrese Maxey, who scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half before fouling out with 3:21 to play.
The Heat did a nice job on Philadelphia defensively, forcing 18 turnovers. However, the 76ers also missed several layups, especially in the second half.
&ldquo;I just think we were really sloppy tonight, sluggish,&rdquo; Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;It happens, but you still have to find a way to win the game. Tonight, we didn&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
Miami also got help from the bench as Struss scored 13 points and Victor Oladipo added 11.
The 76ers have lost back-to-back games. Philadelphia hasn&rsquo;t lost three in a row since the first week of December. They look to avoid the skid in a rematch with the Heat on Wednesday in Miami.
TIP-INS
Heat: There was a thought that G Kyle Lowry would return to the lineup Monday after he was upgraded on the injury report to questionable on Sunday. However, the Heat downgraded Lowry just as quickly on Monday and he missed his ninth straight game with knee soreness. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said there&rsquo;s no timetable for his return, but that he was making progress. ... G Tyler Herro was also listed as questionable Sunday with a rib contusion, but he was in the starting lineup.
76ers: Philadelphia played its final home game before heading out on a five-game trip. More than that, it is facing an incredibly daunting March schedule. The 76ers will play 17 games in 31 days and 12 of the first 15 will be on the road. If that weren&rsquo;t enough, the Sixers will play four sets of games on consecutive nights, with all eight contests on the road in eight different cities.
&nbsp;

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Jimmy Butler hit an&nbsp;acrobatic reverse layup in the final minutes, and his 23 points led five Miami players in double figures as the Heat edged the Philadelphia 76ers 101-99 on Monday night.
Butler was an assist shy of a triple-double, adding 11 rebounds and nine assists. He also had four steals. His spinning move and finishing layup while driving between the Sixers&rsquo; Joel Embiid and P.J. Tucker gave the Heat a 100-99 lead with 1:28 to play after Philadelphia rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. He added a free throw with 8.1 seconds left.
&ldquo;I work on that kind of stuff every day,&rdquo; Butler said of his highlight-reel basket. &ldquo;I love to play this game and I love to compete, but it&rsquo;s always much more fun when we win.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
How, Jimmy? 🤯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CenterCourt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CenterCourt</a> <a href="https://t.co/5UXBZuMGsY">pic.twitter.com/5UXBZuMGsY</a>
&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1630393261381541889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

James Harden had a chance to win the game for the 76ers, but his 3-point try at the buzzer bounced off the back of the rim.
&ldquo;You have to expect things to be a little bit gnarly on the road,&rdquo; Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;You have to weather a bunch of different storms. &hellip; Sometimes you just need the ball to bounce the right way. Harden had a window there and was open, but we contested so many shots tonight that sometimes when you do get an open shot you don&rsquo;t have a great rhythm.&rdquo;
Gabe Vincent scored 14 points and Bam Adebayo added 13 as the Heat snapped a four-game losing streak.
Embiid led all scorers with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Harden finished with 20 points and 12 assists.
Max Struss hit a pair of free throws with 7:10 to play in the fourth quarter, giving the Heat an 11-point lead. But the 76ers mounted a furious rally, erasing the deficit and taking the lead on a pair of Harden free throws.
The Sixers rally was keyed by Tyrese Maxey, who scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half before fouling out with 3:21 to play.
The Heat did a nice job on Philadelphia defensively, forcing 18 turnovers. However, the 76ers also missed several layups, especially in the second half.
&ldquo;I just think we were really sloppy tonight, sluggish,&rdquo; Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;It happens, but you still have to find a way to win the game. Tonight, we didn&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
Miami also got help from the bench as Struss scored 13 points and Victor Oladipo added 11.
The 76ers have lost back-to-back games. Philadelphia hasn&rsquo;t lost three in a row since the first week of December. They look to avoid the skid in a rematch with the Heat on Wednesday in Miami.
TIP-INS
Heat: There was a thought that G Kyle Lowry would return to the lineup Monday after he was upgraded on the injury report to questionable on Sunday. However, the Heat downgraded Lowry just as quickly on Monday and he missed his ninth straight game with knee soreness. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said there&rsquo;s no timetable for his return, but that he was making progress. ... G Tyler Herro was also listed as questionable Sunday with a rib contusion, but he was in the starting lineup.
76ers: Philadelphia played its final home game before heading out on a five-game trip. More than that, it is facing an incredibly daunting March schedule. The 76ers will play 17 games in 31 days and 12 of the first 15 will be on the road. If that weren&rsquo;t enough, the Sixers will play four sets of games on consecutive nights, with all eight contests on the road in eight different cities.
HAMLIN CELEBRATED&nbsp;
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1630375205490008066" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin was in attendanc</a>&nbsp;e, sitting with 76ers owner Joshua Harris and Fanatics owner Michael Rubin. He was wearing a No. 3 Sixers jersey and received a nice ovation from the sellout crowd when introduced during a second quarter timeout.
UP NEXT
The teams play again at Miami on Wednesday night.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) &mdash; Jimmy Butler hit an&nbsp;acrobatic reverse layup in the final minutes, and his 23 points led five Miami players in double figures as the Heat edged the Philadelphia 76ers 101-99 on Monday night.
Butler was an assist shy of a triple-double, adding 11 rebounds and nine assists. He also had four steals. His spinning move and finishing layup while driving between the Sixers&rsquo; Joel Embiid and P.J. Tucker gave the Heat a 100-99 lead with 1:28 to play after Philadelphia rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. He added a free throw with 8.1 seconds left.
&ldquo;I work on that kind of stuff every day,&rdquo; Butler said of his highlight-reel basket. &ldquo;I love to play this game and I love to compete, but it&rsquo;s always much more fun when we win.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
How, Jimmy? 🤯<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CenterCourt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CenterCourt</a> <a href="https://t.co/5UXBZuMGsY">pic.twitter.com/5UXBZuMGsY</a>
&mdash; NBA TV (@NBATV) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1630393261381541889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

James Harden had a chance to win the game for the 76ers, but his 3-point try at the buzzer bounced off the back of the rim.
&ldquo;You have to expect things to be a little bit gnarly on the road,&rdquo; Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;You have to weather a bunch of different storms. &hellip; Sometimes you just need the ball to bounce the right way. Harden had a window there and was open, but we contested so many shots tonight that sometimes when you do get an open shot you don&rsquo;t have a great rhythm.&rdquo;
Gabe Vincent scored 14 points and Bam Adebayo added 13 as the Heat snapped a four-game losing streak.
Embiid led all scorers with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Harden finished with 20 points and 12 assists.
Max Struss hit a pair of free throws with 7:10 to play in the fourth quarter, giving the Heat an 11-point lead. But the 76ers mounted a furious rally, erasing the deficit and taking the lead on a pair of Harden free throws.
The Sixers rally was keyed by Tyrese Maxey, who scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half before fouling out with 3:21 to play.
The Heat did a nice job on Philadelphia defensively, forcing 18 turnovers. However, the 76ers also missed several layups, especially in the second half.
&ldquo;I just think we were really sloppy tonight, sluggish,&rdquo; Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said. &ldquo;It happens, but you still have to find a way to win the game. Tonight, we didn&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
Miami also got help from the bench as Struss scored 13 points and Victor Oladipo added 11.
The 76ers have lost back-to-back games. Philadelphia hasn&rsquo;t lost three in a row since the first week of December. They look to avoid the skid in a rematch with the Heat on Wednesday in Miami.
TIP-INS
Heat: There was a thought that G Kyle Lowry would return to the lineup Monday after he was upgraded on the injury report to questionable on Sunday. However, the Heat downgraded Lowry just as quickly on Monday and he missed his ninth straight game with knee soreness. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said there&rsquo;s no timetable for his return, but that he was making progress. ... G Tyler Herro was also listed as questionable Sunday with a rib contusion, but he was in the starting lineup.
76ers: Philadelphia played its final home game before heading out on a five-game trip. More than that, it is facing an incredibly daunting March schedule. The 76ers will play 17 games in 31 days and 12 of the first 15 will be on the road. If that weren&rsquo;t enough, the Sixers will play four sets of games on consecutive nights, with all eight contests on the road in eight different cities.
HAMLIN CELEBRATED&nbsp;
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1630375205490008066" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin was in attendance</a>, sitting with 76ers owner Joshua Harris and Fanatics owner Michael Rubin. He was wearing a No. 3 Sixers jersey and received a nice ovation from the sellout crowd when introduced during a second quarter timeout.
UP NEXT
The teams play again at Miami on Wednesday night.

Jimmy Butler hit an acrobatic reverse layup in the final minutes, as the Miami Heat edged the Philadelphia 76ers 101-99 on Monday.

Jimmy Butler’s acrobatic layup, 23 points lead Heat past 76ers

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; De&rsquo;Aaron Fox had 33 points and eight assists and the Sacramento Kings defeated the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder 124-115 on Sunday night.
Keegan Murray scored 20 points and Domantas Sabonis added 14 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for the Kings, who won their third straight.
Sacramento&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-clippers-sacramento-kings-nba-sports-malik-monk-4047cea9a226d5fd135de97c65d0d054">defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 176-175 in two overtimes</a>&nbsp;Friday night in the second highest-scoring game in NBA history. The Kings followed it by shooting 52.9% from the field against the Thunder.
Isaiah Joe scored 24 points and Lu Dort and Josh Giddey each added 18 for Oklahoma City. The Thunder have lost all three of their games since the All-Star break.
Oklahoma City&rsquo;s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sat out with right ankle soreness and an abdominal strain. The All-Star leads the Thunder with 31 points per game &mdash; fifth-most in the league heading into the night.
Fox scored 14 points in the first half to help the Kings take a 58-50 lead. He got loose for a windmill dunk on a fast break to give the Kings a 74-59 lead in the third quarter.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; De&rsquo;Aaron Fox had 33 points and eight assists and the Sacramento Kings defeated the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder 124-115 on Sunday night.
Keegan Murray scored 20 points and Domantas Sabonis added 14 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for the Kings, who won their third straight.
Sacramento&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-clippers-sacramento-kings-nba-sports-malik-monk-4047cea9a226d5fd135de97c65d0d054" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 176-175 in two overtimes</a>&nbsp;Friday night in the second highest-scoring game in NBA history. The Kings followed it by shooting 52.9% from the field against the Thunder.
Isaiah Joe scored 24 points and Lu Dort and Josh Giddey each added 18 for Oklahoma City. The Thunder have lost all three of their games since the All-Star break.
Oklahoma City&rsquo;s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sat out with right ankle soreness and an abdominal strain. The All-Star leads the Thunder with 31 points per game &mdash; fifth-most in the league heading into the night.
Fox scored 14 points in the first half to help the Kings take a 58-50 lead. He got loose for a windmill dunk on a fast break to give the Kings a 74-59 lead in the third quarter.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; De&rsquo;Aaron Fox had 33 points and eight assists and the Sacramento Kings defeated the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder 124-115 on Sunday night.
Keegan Murray scored 20 points and Domantas Sabonis added 14 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for the Kings, who won their third straight.
Sacramento&nbsp;defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 176-175 in two overtimes&nbsp;Friday night in the second highest-scoring game in NBA history. The Kings followed it by shooting 52.9% from the field against the Thunder.
Isaiah Joe scored 24 points and Lu Dort and Josh Giddey each added 18 for Oklahoma City. The Thunder have lost all three of their games since the All-Star break.
Oklahoma City&rsquo;s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sat out with right ankle soreness and an abdominal strain. The All-Star leads the Thunder with 31 points per game &mdash; fifth-most in the league heading into the night.
Fox scored 14 points in the first half to help the Kings take a 58-50 lead. He got loose for a windmill dunk on a fast break to give the Kings a 74-59 lead in the third quarter.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; De&rsquo;Aaron Fox had 33 points and eight assists and the Sacramento Kings defeated the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder 124-115 on Sunday night.
Keegan Murray scored 20 points and Domantas Sabonis added 14 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for the Kings, who won their third straight.
Sacramento&nbsp;defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 176-175 in two overtimes&nbsp;Friday night in the second highest-scoring game in NBA history. The Kings followed it by shooting 52.9% from the field against the Thunder.
Isaiah Joe scored 24 points and Lu Dort and Josh Giddey each added 18 for Oklahoma City. The Thunder have lost all three of their games since the All-Star break.
Oklahoma City&rsquo;s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sat out with right ankle soreness and an abdominal strain. The All-Star leads the Thunder with 31 points per game &mdash; fifth-most in the league heading into the night.
Fox scored 14 points in the first half to help the Kings take a 58-50 lead. He got loose for a windmill dunk on a fast break to give the Kings a 74-59 lead in the third quarter.
The Thunder got hot later in the period. Joe scored 11 points in the final 3:50 of the third quarter to trim Sacramento&rsquo;s lead to 94-90 heading into the fourth.
&nbsp;

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; De&rsquo;Aaron Fox had 33 points and eight assists and the Sacramento Kings defeated the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder 124-115 on Sunday night.
Keegan Murray scored 20 points and Domantas Sabonis added 14 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for the Kings, who won their third straight.
Sacramento&nbsp;defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 176-175 in two overtimes&nbsp;Friday night in the second highest-scoring game in NBA history. The Kings followed it by shooting 52.9% from the field against the Thunder.
Isaiah Joe scored 24 points and Lu Dort and Josh Giddey each added 18 for Oklahoma City. The Thunder have lost all three of their games since the All-Star break.
Oklahoma City&rsquo;s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sat out with right ankle soreness and an abdominal strain. The All-Star leads the Thunder with 31 points per game &mdash; fifth-most in the league heading into the night.
Fox scored 14 points in the first half to help the Kings take a 58-50 lead. He got loose for a windmill dunk on a fast break to give the Kings a 74-59 lead in the third quarter.
The Thunder got hot later in the period. Joe scored 11 points in the final 3:50 of the third quarter to trim Sacramento&rsquo;s lead to 94-90 heading into the fourth.
The Kings threatened to run away with the game before Joe made a 3-pointer, was fouled and made the free throw with 5:19 remaining to trim Sacramento&rsquo;s lead to 113-104, but the Thunder never made another surge.
TIP-INS
Kings: Sabonis, who was drafted by Orlando in 2016 and traded to Oklahoma City that same night, had nine points, five rebounds and five assists in the first quarter to help Sacramento take a 36-26 lead. ... Trey Lyles scored 16 points.
Thunder: Joe got the start in place of Gilgeous-Alexander. ... Jalen Williams scored 15 points and Lindy Waters III added 12.
UP NEXT
The teams play again Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

De’Aaron Fox had 33 points and 8 assists and the Sacramento Kings beat the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder 124-115 on Sunday

De'Aaron Fox scores 33 as Kings beat Thunder for 3rd straight win

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points and Jarrett Allen had 23 points and 11 rebounds, sending the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 118-93 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night.
Mitchell made eight 3-pointers &mdash; one shy of his career high &mdash; and had six rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes as the Cavaliers snapped their three-game losing streak and remained fourth in the Eastern Conference. He scored 13 points in both the second and third quarters.
Darius Garland added 18 points and 11 assists, and Evan Mobley had 18 points and nine rebounds for Cleveland, which built a 110-80 lead in the fourth quarter and improved to 26-7 at home this season.
Pascal Siakam paced Toronto with 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Jakob Poeltl had 13 points and nine boards. Starting point guard Fred VanVleet missed his third straight game for personal reasons.
The Raptors had won a season-high four in a row and are 7-2 since Feb. 3, moving into ninth in the East. They failed to reach .500 for the first time since Dec. 9 with the 25-point loss, shooting 38.7% from the field.
&nbsp;

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points and Jarrett Allen had 23 points and 11 rebounds, sending the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 118-93 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night.
Mitchell made eight 3-pointers &mdash; one shy of his career high &mdash; and had six rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes as the Cavaliers snapped their three-game losing streak and remained fourth in the Eastern Conference. He scored 13 points in both the second and third quarters.
Darius Garland added 18 points and 11 assists, and Evan Mobley had 18 points and nine rebounds for Cleveland, which built a 110-80 lead in the fourth quarter and improved to 26-7 at home this season.
Pascal Siakam paced Toronto with 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Jakob Poeltl had 13 points and nine boards. Starting point guard Fred VanVleet missed his third straight game for personal reasons.
The Raptors had won a season-high four in a row and are 7-2 since Feb. 3, moving into ninth in the East. They failed to reach .500 for the first time since Dec. 9 with the 25-point loss, shooting 38.7% from the field.
Veteran swingman Danny Green, who signed with the Cavaliers earlier this month, converted a four-point play in the fourth. It was his first appearance in a home game for Cleveland.
&nbsp;

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points and Jarrett Allen had 23 points and 11 rebounds, sending the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 118-93 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night.
Mitchell made eight 3-pointers &mdash; one shy of his career high &mdash; and had six rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes as the Cavaliers snapped their three-game losing streak and remained fourth in the Eastern Conference. He scored 13 points in both the second and third quarters.
Darius Garland added 18 points and 11 assists, and Evan Mobley had 18 points and nine rebounds for Cleveland, which built a 110-80 lead in the fourth quarter and improved to 26-7 at home this season.
Pascal Siakam paced Toronto with 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Jakob Poeltl had 13 points and nine boards. Starting point guard Fred VanVleet missed his third straight game for personal reasons.
The Raptors had won a season-high four in a row and are 7-2 since Feb. 3, moving into ninth in the East. They failed to reach .500 for the first time since Dec. 9 with the 25-point loss, shooting 38.7% from the field.
Veteran swingman Danny Green, who signed with the Cavaliers earlier this month, converted a four-point play in the fourth. It was his first appearance in a home game for Cleveland.
Mitchell and Garland combined to make their first seven 3-point attempts and Allen made his first seven shots, staking Cleveland to a 64-52 halftime advantage. Mobley grabbed seven rebounds in the second quarter.
Toronto is in the midst of an eight-game stretch that only includes one at home. The span began with a 95-91 victory at Detroit on Saturday afternoon.
DOUBLE WHAMMY
Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff challenged an offensive foul by Mitchell in the third quarter. Not only did the officials uphold Mitchell&rsquo;s push-off under the basket against Poeltl, they upgraded it to a flagrant-1 foul for being an unnatural basketball play. &ldquo;I felt like I didn&rsquo;t foul him,&rdquo; Mitchell said.
TIP-INS
Raptors: G Scottie Barnes has overcome a rough start to his second season. The reigning Rookie of the Year is averaging 17 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists since the beginning of January. &ldquo;Scottie is back to playing with super joy and enthusiasm, just like he did in his rookie season,&rdquo; coach Nick Nurse said. &hellip; Nurse and Barnes were both called for technical fouls in the first eight minutes.
&nbsp;

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points and Jarrett Allen had 23 points and 11 rebounds, sending the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 118-93 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night.
Mitchell made eight 3-pointers &mdash; one shy of his career high &mdash; and had six rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes as the Cavaliers snapped their three-game losing streak and remained fourth in the Eastern Conference. He scored 13 points in both the second and third quarters.
Darius Garland added 18 points and 11 assists, and Evan Mobley had 18 points and nine rebounds for Cleveland, which built a 110-80 lead in the fourth quarter and improved to 26-7 at home this season.
Pascal Siakam paced Toronto with 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Jakob Poeltl had 13 points and nine boards. Starting point guard Fred VanVleet missed his third straight game for personal reasons.
The Raptors had won a season-high four in a row and are 7-2 since Feb. 3, moving into ninth in the East. They failed to reach .500 for the first time since Dec. 9 with the 25-point loss, shooting 38.7% from the field.
Veteran swingman Danny Green, who signed with the Cavaliers earlier this month, converted a four-point play in the fourth. It was his first appearance in a home game for Cleveland.
Mitchell and Garland combined to make their first seven 3-point attempts and Allen made his first seven shots, staking Cleveland to a 64-52 halftime advantage. Mobley grabbed seven rebounds in the second quarter.
Toronto is in the midst of an eight-game stretch that only includes one at home. The span began with a 95-91 victory at Detroit on Saturday afternoon.
DOUBLE WHAMMY
Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff challenged an offensive foul by Mitchell in the third quarter. Not only did the officials uphold Mitchell&rsquo;s push-off under the basket against Poeltl, they upgraded it to a flagrant-1 foul for being an unnatural basketball play. &ldquo;I felt like I didn&rsquo;t foul him,&rdquo; Mitchell said.
TIP-INS
Raptors: G Scottie Barnes has overcome a rough start to his second season. The reigning Rookie of the Year is averaging 17 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists since the beginning of January. &ldquo;Scottie is back to playing with super joy and enthusiasm, just like he did in his rookie season,&rdquo; coach Nick Nurse said. &hellip; Nurse and Barnes were both called for technical fouls in the first eight minutes.
Cavaliers: G Dylan Windler, a first-round draft pick in 2019, is averaging 5.3 points through three games on a G League assignment with the Cleveland Charge. He missed the first four months with a sprained right ankle and has not logged a minute in the NBA since April 10, 2022. &hellip; The Cavaliers have one open roster spot following the release of five-time All-Star F Kevin Love.
UP NEXT
Raptors: Host the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night.
Cavaliers: Visit the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.

Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points, sending the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 118-93 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

Donovan Mitchell scores 35 points, Cavaliers rout Raptors 118-93

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Lauri Markkanen scored 27 points and recent signee Kris Dunn added 15 as the Utah Jazz rallied from a 14-point deficit and beat the struggling San Antonio Spurs 118-102 on Saturday night.
Markkanen sealed the game with 14 points in the fourth quarter, and Walker Kessler recorded four of his five blocks in the final minutes.
&ldquo;We finally had our spacing right and got good looks after that,&rdquo; Markkanen said. &ldquo;But it was defense that was the difference maker, just getting out in transition and running to get into a good rhythm.&rdquo;
Kessler, who added 12 rebounds and nine points, was off the court when the Jazz made their first game-changing run and wanted to establish himself to help his team finish strong.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I do. I don&rsquo;t like people scoring in my paint,&rdquo; Kessler said.
Dunn, playing his second game on a 10-day contract with the Jazz, was signed for his defense. He ended up being a playmaker and late-game scorer when the rest of his teammates were struggling.
&nbsp;

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Lauri Markkanen scored 27 points and recent signee Kris Dunn added 15 as the Utah Jazz rallied from a 14-point deficit and beat the struggling San Antonio Spurs 118-102 on Saturday night.
Markkanen sealed the game with 14 points in the fourth quarter, and Walker Kessler recorded four of his five blocks in the final minutes.
&ldquo;We finally had our spacing right and got good looks after that,&rdquo; Markkanen said. &ldquo;But it was defense that was the difference maker, just getting out in transition and running to get into a good rhythm.&rdquo;
Kessler, who added 12 rebounds and nine points, was off the court when the Jazz made their first game-changing run and wanted to establish himself to help his team finish strong.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I do. I don&rsquo;t like people scoring in my paint,&rdquo; Kessler said.
Dunn, playing his second game on a 10-day contract with the Jazz, was signed for his defense. He ended up being a playmaker and late-game scorer when the rest of his teammates were struggling.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m an energy player. I was trying to direct the team on the offensive end and try and push the pace and get my guys easy looks,&rdquo; Dunn said.
Jeremy Sochan scored 22 points, Keldon Johnson had 18 and Zach Collins added 15 for the Spurs, who lost their 16th straight game.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Lauri Markkanen scored 27 points and recent signee Kris Dunn added 15 as the Utah Jazz rallied from a 14-point deficit and beat the struggling San Antonio Spurs 118-102 on Saturday night.
Markkanen sealed the game with 14 points in the fourth quarter, and Walker Kessler recorded four of his five blocks in the final minutes.
&ldquo;We finally had our spacing right and got good looks after that,&rdquo; Markkanen said. &ldquo;But it was defense that was the difference maker, just getting out in transition and running to get into a good rhythm.&rdquo;
Kessler, who added 12 rebounds and nine points, was off the court when the Jazz made their first game-changing run and wanted to establish himself to help his team finish strong.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I do. I don&rsquo;t like people scoring in my paint,&rdquo; Kessler said.
Dunn, playing his second game on a 10-day contract with the Jazz, was signed for his defense. He ended up being a playmaker and late-game scorer when the rest of his teammates were struggling.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m an energy player. I was trying to direct the team on the offensive end and try and push the pace and get my guys easy looks,&rdquo; Dunn said.
Jeremy Sochan scored 22 points, Keldon Johnson had 18 and Zach Collins added 15 for the Spurs, who lost their 16th straight game.
&nbsp;

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Lauri Markkanen scored 27 points and recent signee Kris Dunn added 15 as the Utah Jazz rallied from a 14-point deficit and beat the struggling San Antonio Spurs 118-102 on Saturday night.
Markkanen sealed the game with 14 points in the fourth quarter, and Walker Kessler recorded four of his five blocks in the final minutes.
&ldquo;We finally had our spacing right and got good looks after that,&rdquo; Markkanen said. &ldquo;But it was defense that was the difference maker, just getting out in transition and running to get into a good rhythm.&rdquo;
Kessler, who added 12 rebounds and nine points, was off the court when the Jazz made their first game-changing run and wanted to establish himself to help his team finish strong.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I do. I don&rsquo;t like people scoring in my paint,&rdquo; Kessler said.
Dunn, playing his second game on a 10-day contract with the Jazz, was signed for his defense. He ended up being a playmaker and late-game scorer when the rest of his teammates were struggling.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m an energy player. I was trying to direct the team on the offensive end and try and push the pace and get my guys easy looks,&rdquo; Dunn said.
Jeremy Sochan scored 22 points, Keldon Johnson had 18 and Zach Collins added 15 for the Spurs, who lost their 16th straight game.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re obviously not a 48-minute team,&rdquo; San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. &ldquo;Just not mature enough to understand you got to keep it up. It&rsquo;s a game of consistency and execution, keeping your competitiveness up.&rdquo;
In 23 minutes, Dunn went 7 for 13 from the field and had game-high eight assists and seven rebounds, all along with strong defensive play.
&ldquo;The guys don&rsquo;t really know me. I&rsquo;ve only been here for a couple days, so playing hard and being vocal out there make it look like I know what I&rsquo;m doing,&rdquo; Dunn said.
Dunn hadn&rsquo;t scored 15 points since Jan. 20, 2020, against Milwaukee, when he was playing with Chicago. But, he now has 26 points in two games with the Jazz, who have won three of their last four.
Utah is back at .500 (31-31) and among a logjam of teams in Western Conference playoff contention.
After a hapless first half for the Jazz, the third quarter was pivotal as Utah outscored San Antonio 30-14. The 14 points was season low for the Spurs and the lowest point total allowed by the Jazz in the quarter.
&nbsp;

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Lauri Markkanen scored 27 points and recent signee Kris Dunn added 15 as the Utah Jazz rallied from a 14-point deficit and beat the struggling San Antonio Spurs 118-102 on Saturday night.
Markkanen sealed the game with 14 points in the fourth quarter, and Walker Kessler recorded four of his five blocks in the final minutes.
&ldquo;We finally had our spacing right and got good looks after that,&rdquo; Markkanen said. &ldquo;But it was defense that was the difference maker, just getting out in transition and running to get into a good rhythm.&rdquo;
Kessler, who added 12 rebounds and nine points, was off the court when the Jazz made their first game-changing run and wanted to establish himself to help his team finish strong.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I do. I don&rsquo;t like people scoring in my paint,&rdquo; Kessler said.
Dunn, playing his second game on a 10-day contract with the Jazz, was signed for his defense. He ended up being a playmaker and late-game scorer when the rest of his teammates were struggling.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m an energy player. I was trying to direct the team on the offensive end and try and push the pace and get my guys easy looks,&rdquo; Dunn said.
Jeremy Sochan scored 22 points, Keldon Johnson had 18 and Zach Collins added 15 for the Spurs, who lost their 16th straight game.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re obviously not a 48-minute team,&rdquo; San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. &ldquo;Just not mature enough to understand you got to keep it up. It&rsquo;s a game of consistency and execution, keeping your competitiveness up.&rdquo;
In 23 minutes, Dunn went 7 for 13 from the field and had game-high eight assists and seven rebounds, all along with strong defensive play.
&ldquo;The guys don&rsquo;t really know me. I&rsquo;ve only been here for a couple days, so playing hard and being vocal out there make it look like I know what I&rsquo;m doing,&rdquo; Dunn said.
Dunn hadn&rsquo;t scored 15 points since Jan. 20, 2020, against Milwaukee, when he was playing with Chicago. But, he now has 26 points in two games with the Jazz, who have won three of their last four.
Utah is back at .500 (31-31) and among a logjam of teams in Western Conference playoff contention.
After a hapless first half for the Jazz, the third quarter was pivotal as Utah outscored San Antonio 30-14. The 14 points was season low for the Spurs and the lowest point total allowed by the Jazz in the quarter.
The Jazz used a 19-4 run in the third quarter to grab their first lead of the game. Jordan Clarkson made a layup with 3:30 left in the period to cap the surge and make it 78-75 in favor of Utah.
Simone Fontecchio hit a 3-pointer just before the horn and the Jazz led 85-79 entering the final period. That was bad news for the Spurs, who are 0-42 when trailing after three quarters.
The Spurs led by 14 points in the first half, at 46-32, when Johnson hit a pair of acrobatic shots around the basket.
KIND WORDS FROM THE MASTER
&nbsp;

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Lauri Markkanen scored 27 points and recent signee Kris Dunn added 15 as the Utah Jazz rallied from a 14-point deficit and beat the struggling San Antonio Spurs 118-102 on Saturday night.
Markkanen sealed the game with 14 points in the fourth quarter, and Walker Kessler recorded four of his five blocks in the final minutes.
&ldquo;We finally had our spacing right and got good looks after that,&rdquo; Markkanen said. &ldquo;But it was defense that was the difference maker, just getting out in transition and running to get into a good rhythm.&rdquo;
Kessler, who added 12 rebounds and nine points, was off the court when the Jazz made their first game-changing run and wanted to establish himself to help his team finish strong.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I do. I don&rsquo;t like people scoring in my paint,&rdquo; Kessler said.
Dunn, playing his second game on a 10-day contract with the Jazz, was signed for his defense. He ended up being a playmaker and late-game scorer when the rest of his teammates were struggling.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m an energy player. I was trying to direct the team on the offensive end and try and push the pace and get my guys easy looks,&rdquo; Dunn said.
Jeremy Sochan scored 22 points, Keldon Johnson had 18 and Zach Collins added 15 for the Spurs, who lost their 16th straight game.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re obviously not a 48-minute team,&rdquo; San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. &ldquo;Just not mature enough to understand you got to keep it up. It&rsquo;s a game of consistency and execution, keeping your competitiveness up.&rdquo;
In 23 minutes, Dunn went 7 for 13 from the field and had game-high eight assists and seven rebounds, all along with strong defensive play.
&ldquo;The guys don&rsquo;t really know me. I&rsquo;ve only been here for a couple days, so playing hard and being vocal out there make it look like I know what I&rsquo;m doing,&rdquo; Dunn said.
Dunn hadn&rsquo;t scored 15 points since Jan. 20, 2020, against Milwaukee, when he was playing with Chicago. But, he now has 26 points in two games with the Jazz, who have won three of their last four.
Utah is back at .500 (31-31) and among a logjam of teams in Western Conference playoff contention.
After a hapless first half for the Jazz, the third quarter was pivotal as Utah outscored San Antonio 30-14. The 14 points was season low for the Spurs and the lowest point total allowed by the Jazz in the quarter.
The Jazz used a 19-4 run in the third quarter to grab their first lead of the game. Jordan Clarkson made a layup with 3:30 left in the period to cap the surge and make it 78-75 in favor of Utah.
Simone Fontecchio hit a 3-pointer just before the horn and the Jazz led 85-79 entering the final period. That was bad news for the Spurs, who are 0-42 when trailing after three quarters.
The Spurs led by 14 points in the first half, at 46-32, when Johnson hit a pair of acrobatic shots around the basket.
KIND WORDS FROM THE MASTER
Utah coach Will Hardy learned the coaching profession in the Spurs organization from 2010-2019.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s ridiculously intelligent and he&rsquo;s a hard worker. He started out at the bottom in the film room and it was pretty apparent very quickly that he understood everything that we coaches wanted,&rdquo; Popovich said.
&nbsp;

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Lauri Markkanen scored 27 points and recent signee Kris Dunn added 15 as the Utah Jazz rallied from a 14-point deficit and beat the struggling San Antonio Spurs 118-102 on Saturday night.
Markkanen sealed the game with 14 points in the fourth quarter, and Walker Kessler recorded four of his five blocks in the final minutes.
&ldquo;We finally had our spacing right and got good looks after that,&rdquo; Markkanen said. &ldquo;But it was defense that was the difference maker, just getting out in transition and running to get into a good rhythm.&rdquo;
Kessler, who added 12 rebounds and nine points, was off the court when the Jazz made their first game-changing run and wanted to establish himself to help his team finish strong.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s what I do. I don&rsquo;t like people scoring in my paint,&rdquo; Kessler said.
Dunn, playing his second game on a 10-day contract with the Jazz, was signed for his defense. He ended up being a playmaker and late-game scorer when the rest of his teammates were struggling.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m an energy player. I was trying to direct the team on the offensive end and try and push the pace and get my guys easy looks,&rdquo; Dunn said.
Jeremy Sochan scored 22 points, Keldon Johnson had 18 and Zach Collins added 15 for the Spurs, who lost their 16th straight game.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re obviously not a 48-minute team,&rdquo; San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. &ldquo;Just not mature enough to understand you got to keep it up. It&rsquo;s a game of consistency and execution, keeping your competitiveness up.&rdquo;
In 23 minutes, Dunn went 7 for 13 from the field and had game-high eight assists and seven rebounds, all along with strong defensive play.
&ldquo;The guys don&rsquo;t really know me. I&rsquo;ve only been here for a couple days, so playing hard and being vocal out there make it look like I know what I&rsquo;m doing,&rdquo; Dunn said.
Dunn hadn&rsquo;t scored 15 points since Jan. 20, 2020, against Milwaukee, when he was playing with Chicago. But, he now has 26 points in two games with the Jazz, who have won three of their last four.
Utah is back at .500 (31-31) and among a logjam of teams in Western Conference playoff contention.
After a hapless first half for the Jazz, the third quarter was pivotal as Utah outscored San Antonio 30-14. The 14 points was season low for the Spurs and the lowest point total allowed by the Jazz in the quarter.
The Jazz used a 19-4 run in the third quarter to grab their first lead of the game. Jordan Clarkson made a layup with 3:30 left in the period to cap the surge and make it 78-75 in favor of Utah.
Simone Fontecchio hit a 3-pointer just before the horn and the Jazz led 85-79 entering the final period. That was bad news for the Spurs, who are 0-42 when trailing after three quarters.
The Spurs led by 14 points in the first half, at 46-32, when Johnson hit a pair of acrobatic shots around the basket.
KIND WORDS FROM THE MASTER
Utah coach Will Hardy learned the coaching profession in the Spurs organization from 2010-2019.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s ridiculously intelligent and he&rsquo;s a hard worker. He started out at the bottom in the film room and it was pretty apparent very quickly that he understood everything that we coaches wanted,&rdquo; Popovich said.
So, the mentor is not the least surprised at Hardy&rsquo;s early success with the the Jazz, who were widely predicted to be one of the league&rsquo;s worst teams this year.
TIP-INS
Spurs: The Spurs were missing a host of injured players, including Devin Vassell (knee) and Tre Jones (foot).
Jazz: Utah averages more than 14 3-pointers per game, but didn&rsquo;t record their first 3 until Dunn made one with 4:16 left until halftime.
UP NEXT
Spurs and Jazz: The teams meet again in Salt Lake City on Tuesday.

Lauri Markkanen scored 27 points as the Jazz rallied from a 14-point deficit and beat the struggling Spurs 118-102 on Saturday night.

Jazz rally late, send reeling Spurs to 16th straight loss

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Julius Randle scored 28 points to lead New York to a 128-106 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night as the Knicks celebrated the golden anniversary of their 1972-73 NBA championship team.
Six players scored in double figures for New York, which won its fifth straight. R.J. Barrett had 25 points and a season-high seven assists. Jalen Brunson added 20 points, Josh Hart scored 15 points, Immanuel Quickley added 13, and Mitchell Robinson finished with a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a team, any given night it&rsquo;s going to be different,&rdquo; Barrett said, when asked if the 2022-23 Knicks were emulating their 1972-73 predecessors by playing unselfish basketball. &ldquo;We did a great job sharing the ball. Everybody kind of had a great game.&rdquo;
Brandon Ingram scored 19 points for the Pelicans, who lost their third straight and fourth in five games overall. Josh Richardson added 16 points, C.J. McCollum finished with 13 and Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Trey Murphy III scored 11 off the bench.
&nbsp;

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Julius Randle scored 28 points to lead New York to a 128-106 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night as the Knicks celebrated the golden anniversary of their 1972-73 NBA championship team.
Six players scored in double figures for New York, which won its fifth straight. R.J. Barrett had 25 points and a season-high seven assists. Jalen Brunson added 20 points, Josh Hart scored 15 points, Immanuel Quickley added 13, and Mitchell Robinson finished with a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a team, any given night it&rsquo;s going to be different,&rdquo; Barrett said, when asked if the 2022-23 Knicks were emulating their 1972-73 predecessors by playing unselfish basketball. &ldquo;We did a great job sharing the ball. Everybody kind of had a great game.&rdquo;
Brandon Ingram scored 19 points for the Pelicans, who lost their third straight and fourth in five games overall. Josh Richardson added 16 points, C.J. McCollum finished with 13 and Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Trey Murphy III scored 11 off the bench.
&ldquo;We have to be better and I (have to) hold our guys more accountable,&rdquo; Pelicans coach Willie Green said. &ldquo;That standard in which we played with tonight is not us.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Julius Randle scored 28 points to lead New York to a 128-106 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night as the Knicks celebrated the golden anniversary of their 1972-73 NBA championship team.
Six players scored in double figures for New York, which won its fifth straight. R.J. Barrett had 25 points and a season-high seven assists. Jalen Brunson added 20 points, Josh Hart scored 15 points, Immanuel Quickley added 13, and Mitchell Robinson finished with a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a team, any given night it&rsquo;s going to be different,&rdquo; Barrett said, when asked if the 2022-23 Knicks were emulating their 1972-73 predecessors by playing unselfish basketball. &ldquo;We did a great job sharing the ball. Everybody kind of had a great game.&rdquo;
Brandon Ingram scored 19 points for the Pelicans, who lost their third straight and fourth in five games overall. Josh Richardson added 16 points, C.J. McCollum finished with 13 and Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Trey Murphy III scored 11 off the bench.
&ldquo;We have to be better and I (have to) hold our guys more accountable,&rdquo; Pelicans coach Willie Green said. &ldquo;That standard in which we played with tonight is not us.&rdquo;
New York was playing the second half of a back-to-back, coming off a 115-109 win over the Wizards a night earlier in Washington. Meanwhile the Pelicans last played Thursday, falling 115-110 loss to the Raptors in Toronto.
The Knicks came out looking like the fresher team, building a 42-26 advantage after the first quarter, and extending the lead to 73-52 at halftime.
Randle (19), Barrett (13), and Brunson (12) combined for 44 points as New York shot 54.3% from the field (25 for 46) and 50% from 3-point distance (13 for 26). New York&rsquo;s 13 3-pointers in the first half matched a season high.
&ldquo;Got off to a good start,&rdquo; said Randle, &ldquo;and sustained it.&rdquo;
The Pelicans trailed by as many as 27 points midway through the third. Despite going on a 19-12 run to close out the period, New Orleans trailed 102-82 entering the fourth.
New York opened the fourth with a 12-8 spurt, highlighted by Robinson&rsquo;s one-handed alley-oop dunk. And Randle&rsquo;s two-handed dunk off of Quickley&rsquo;s off-the-backboard-pass all but ended any hopes of a comeback by the Pelicans.
&nbsp;

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Julius Randle scored 28 points to lead New York to a 128-106 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night as the Knicks celebrated the golden anniversary of their 1972-73 NBA championship team.
Six players scored in double figures for New York, which won its fifth straight. R.J. Barrett had 25 points and a season-high seven assists. Jalen Brunson added 20 points, Josh Hart scored 15 points, Immanuel Quickley added 13, and Mitchell Robinson finished with a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a team, any given night it&rsquo;s going to be different,&rdquo; Barrett said, when asked if the 2022-23 Knicks were emulating their 1972-73 predecessors by playing unselfish basketball. &ldquo;We did a great job sharing the ball. Everybody kind of had a great game.&rdquo;
Brandon Ingram scored 19 points for the Pelicans, who lost their third straight and fourth in five games overall. Josh Richardson added 16 points, C.J. McCollum finished with 13 and Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Trey Murphy III scored 11 off the bench.
&ldquo;We have to be better and I (have to) hold our guys more accountable,&rdquo; Pelicans coach Willie Green said. &ldquo;That standard in which we played with tonight is not us.&rdquo;
New York was playing the second half of a back-to-back, coming off a 115-109 win over the Wizards a night earlier in Washington. Meanwhile the Pelicans last played Thursday, falling 115-110 loss to the Raptors in Toronto.
The Knicks came out looking like the fresher team, building a 42-26 advantage after the first quarter, and extending the lead to 73-52 at halftime.
Randle (19), Barrett (13), and Brunson (12) combined for 44 points as New York shot 54.3% from the field (25 for 46) and 50% from 3-point distance (13 for 26). New York&rsquo;s 13 3-pointers in the first half matched a season high.
&ldquo;Got off to a good start,&rdquo; said Randle, &ldquo;and sustained it.&rdquo;
The Pelicans trailed by as many as 27 points midway through the third. Despite going on a 19-12 run to close out the period, New Orleans trailed 102-82 entering the fourth.
New York opened the fourth with a 12-8 spurt, highlighted by Robinson&rsquo;s one-handed alley-oop dunk. And Randle&rsquo;s two-handed dunk off of Quickley&rsquo;s off-the-backboard-pass all but ended any hopes of a comeback by the Pelicans.
New Orleans lost reserve forward Larry Nance Jr. in the second quarter with a sprained left ankle. He did not return. Nance was defending Quickley and landed awkwardly while attempting to contest a layup. Nance was down on the court for a few minutes and had to be helped to the locker room.
TIP-INS:
Pelicans: Here is what Green knows: He and his team will have star Zion Williamson return from a right hamstring injury at some point this season. Green and his team suspect Williamson&rsquo;s return will happen before the playoffs begin. What is unknown is how Williamson will be reintroduced to the roster. &ldquo;Once (we know) he&rsquo;s ready it&rsquo;s something that (Executive Vice-President of Basketball Operations David Griffin and) our performance team and medical (staff) and coaches sit down and talk about what&rsquo;s the best plan,&rdquo; Green said. Entering the game, the Pelicans had lost 17 of 24 games played in 2023 without Williamson in the lineup.
&nbsp;

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Julius Randle scored 28 points to lead New York to a 128-106 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night as the Knicks celebrated the golden anniversary of their 1972-73 NBA championship team.
Six players scored in double figures for New York, which won its fifth straight. R.J. Barrett had 25 points and a season-high seven assists. Jalen Brunson added 20 points, Josh Hart scored 15 points, Immanuel Quickley added 13, and Mitchell Robinson finished with a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a team, any given night it&rsquo;s going to be different,&rdquo; Barrett said, when asked if the 2022-23 Knicks were emulating their 1972-73 predecessors by playing unselfish basketball. &ldquo;We did a great job sharing the ball. Everybody kind of had a great game.&rdquo;
Brandon Ingram scored 19 points for the Pelicans, who lost their third straight and fourth in five games overall. Josh Richardson added 16 points, C.J. McCollum finished with 13 and Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Trey Murphy III scored 11 off the bench.
&ldquo;We have to be better and I (have to) hold our guys more accountable,&rdquo; Pelicans coach Willie Green said. &ldquo;That standard in which we played with tonight is not us.&rdquo;
New York was playing the second half of a back-to-back, coming off a 115-109 win over the Wizards a night earlier in Washington. Meanwhile the Pelicans last played Thursday, falling 115-110 loss to the Raptors in Toronto.
The Knicks came out looking like the fresher team, building a 42-26 advantage after the first quarter, and extending the lead to 73-52 at halftime.
Randle (19), Barrett (13), and Brunson (12) combined for 44 points as New York shot 54.3% from the field (25 for 46) and 50% from 3-point distance (13 for 26). New York&rsquo;s 13 3-pointers in the first half matched a season high.
&ldquo;Got off to a good start,&rdquo; said Randle, &ldquo;and sustained it.&rdquo;
The Pelicans trailed by as many as 27 points midway through the third. Despite going on a 19-12 run to close out the period, New Orleans trailed 102-82 entering the fourth.
New York opened the fourth with a 12-8 spurt, highlighted by Robinson&rsquo;s one-handed alley-oop dunk. And Randle&rsquo;s two-handed dunk off of Quickley&rsquo;s off-the-backboard-pass all but ended any hopes of a comeback by the Pelicans.
New Orleans lost reserve forward Larry Nance Jr. in the second quarter with a sprained left ankle. He did not return. Nance was defending Quickley and landed awkwardly while attempting to contest a layup. Nance was down on the court for a few minutes and had to be helped to the locker room.
TIP-INS:
Pelicans: Here is what Green knows: He and his team will have star Zion Williamson return from a right hamstring injury at some point this season. Green and his team suspect Williamson&rsquo;s return will happen before the playoffs begin. What is unknown is how Williamson will be reintroduced to the roster. &ldquo;Once (we know) he&rsquo;s ready it&rsquo;s something that (Executive Vice-President of Basketball Operations David Griffin and) our performance team and medical (staff) and coaches sit down and talk about what&rsquo;s the best plan,&rdquo; Green said. Entering the game, the Pelicans had lost 17 of 24 games played in 2023 without Williamson in the lineup.
Knicks: Throughout the game, the Knicks paid homage to their 1972-73 championship team with video testimonials and a halftime ceremony. And perhaps no person in Madison Square Garden could better appreciate that team more than Tom Thibodeau, who grew up in Connecticut rooting for the Knicks. &ldquo;That was such a great team,&rdquo; Thibodeau said during his pregame press conference. &ldquo;They were so unselfish. They played great defense. &hellip; That was such a fun team but it&rsquo;s what they embodied and how they played for each other. I think it resonated with the city.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Pelicans: Host Orlando on Monday.
Knicks: Host Boston on Monday.

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Julius Randle scored 28 points to lead New York to a 128-106 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night as the Knicks celebrated the golden anniversary of their 1972-73 NBA championship team.
Six players scored in double figures for New York, which won its fifth straight. R.J. Barrett had 25 points and a season-high seven assists. Jalen Brunson added 20 points, Josh Hart scored 15 points, Immanuel Quickley added 13, and Mitchell Robinson finished with a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a team, any given night it&rsquo;s going to be different,&rdquo; Barrett said, when asked if the 2022-23 Knicks were emulating their 1972-73 predecessors by playing unselfish basketball. &ldquo;We did a great job sharing the ball. Everybody kind of had a great game.&rdquo;
Brandon Ingram scored 19 points for the Pelicans, who lost their third straight and fourth in five games overall. Josh Richardson added 16 points, C.J. McCollum finished with 13 and Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Trey Murphy III scored 11 off the bench.
&ldquo;We have to be better and I (have to) hold our guys more accountable,&rdquo; Pelicans coach Willie Green said. &ldquo;That standard in which we played with tonight is not us.&rdquo;
New York was playing the second half of a back-to-back, coming off a 115-109 win over the Wizards a night earlier in Washington. Meanwhile the Pelicans last played Thursday, falling 115-110 loss to the Raptors in Toronto.
The Knicks came out looking like the fresher team, building a 42-26 advantage after the first quarter, and extending the lead to 73-52 at halftime.
Randle (19), Barrett (13), and Brunson (12) combined for 44 points as New York shot 54.3% from the field (25 for 46) and 50% from 3-point distance (13 for 26). New York&rsquo;s 13 3-pointers in the first half matched a season high.
&ldquo;Got off to a good start,&rdquo; said Randle, &ldquo;and sustained it.&rdquo;
The Pelicans trailed by as many as 27 points midway through the third. Despite going on a 19-12 run to close out the period, New Orleans trailed 102-82 entering the fourth.
New York opened the fourth with a 12-8 spurt, highlighted by Robinson&rsquo;s one-handed alley-oop dunk. And Randle&rsquo;s two-handed dunk off of Quickley&rsquo;s off-the-backboard-pass all but ended any hopes of a comeback by the Pelicans.
New Orleans lost reserve forward Larry Nance Jr. in the second quarter with a sprained left ankle. He did not return. Nance was defending Quickley and landed awkwardly while attempting to contest a layup. Nance was down on the court for a few minutes and had to be helped to the locker room.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Here is what Green knows: He and his team will have star Zion Williamson return from a right hamstring injury at some point this season. Green and his team suspect Williamson&rsquo;s return will happen before the playoffs begin. What is unknown is how Williamson will be reintroduced to the roster. &ldquo;Once (we know) he&rsquo;s ready it&rsquo;s something that (Executive Vice-President of Basketball Operations David Griffin and) our performance team and medical (staff) and coaches sit down and talk about what&rsquo;s the best plan,&rdquo; Green said. Entering the game, the Pelicans had lost 17 of 24 games played in 2023 without Williamson in the lineup.
Knicks: Throughout the game, the Knicks paid homage to their 1972-73 championship team with video testimonials and a halftime ceremony. And perhaps no person in Madison Square Garden could better appreciate that team more than Tom Thibodeau, who grew up in Connecticut rooting for the Knicks. &ldquo;That was such a great team,&rdquo; Thibodeau said during his pregame press conference. &ldquo;They were so unselfish. They played great defense. &hellip; That was such a fun team but it&rsquo;s what they embodied and how they played for each other. I think it resonated with the city.&rdquo;
UP NEXT
Pelicans: Host Orlando on Monday.
Knicks: Host Boston on Monday.

New York defeated the Pelicans 128-106, as the Knicks celebrated the golden anniversary of their 1972-73 NBA championship team.

Knicks rout Pelicans while honoring 1973 championship squad

It's been an important season for Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole who signed a four-year rookie extension last summer that is worth up to $140 million with incentives. Through 58 games for the Warriors, the guard is averaging career highs of 20.9 points and 4.5 assists, to go with 2.8 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game.&nbsp;
Poole spoke with <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/qa-jordan-poole-warriors-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Medina of NBA.com</a> about a variety of things including his increased role with the team this season which he enjoys whether starting or coming off the bench.&nbsp;
"It&rsquo;s cool," said Poole. "I try to do anything I can to try to help the team win. Whenever we&rsquo;re winning games, I feel like I&rsquo;m playing better. I&rsquo;m able to be versatile and play in different situations. I start sometimes. Or I come off the bench and play the 1 or 2. Playing with different lineups adds to my versatility. I&rsquo;m a big believer in trying to find ways to get better every day, whether it&rsquo;s watching film, working on something in the gym or asking questions. I always think I&rsquo;ll find ways to get better, whether I&rsquo;m playing good or bad.&rdquo;
There is definitely more on his plate this season
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The Warriors are currently 29-29 and hold the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Warriors&nbsp;reserve guard&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/poolejo01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-02-23_bbr" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jordan Poole</a>&nbsp;recently spoke with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nba.com/news/qa-jordan-poole-warriors-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Medina of NBA.com</a>&nbsp;about how he feels he has been performing since&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2022/10/warriors-jordan-poole-finalizing-four-year-extension.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inking</a>&nbsp;his four-year rookie contract extension last summer, worth up to $140MM with incentives.

It's been an important season for Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole who signed a four-year rookie extension last summer that is worth up to $140 million with incentives. Through 58 games for the Warriors, the guard is averaging career highs of 20.9 points and 4.5 assists, to go with 2.8 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game.&nbsp;
Poole spoke with <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/qa-jordan-poole-warriors-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Medina of NBA.com</a> about a variety of things including his increased role with the team this season which he enjoys whether starting or coming off the bench.&nbsp;
"It&rsquo;s cool," said Poole. "I try to do anything I can to try to help the team win. Whenever we&rsquo;re winning games, I feel like I&rsquo;m playing better. I&rsquo;m able to be versatile and play in different situations. I start sometimes. Or I come off the bench and play the 1 or 2. Playing with different lineups adds to my versatility. I&rsquo;m a big believer in trying to find ways to get better every day, whether it&rsquo;s watching film, working on something in the gym or asking questions. I always think I&rsquo;ll find ways to get better, whether I&rsquo;m playing good or bad.&rdquo;
There is definitely more on his plate this season for a Warriors team that is currently 29-29 and hold the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Warriors&nbsp;reserve guard&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/poolejo01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-02-23_bbr" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jordan Poole</a>&nbsp;recently spoke with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nba.com/news/qa-jordan-poole-warriors-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Medina of NBA.com</a>&nbsp;about how he feels he has been performing since&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2022/10/warriors-jordan-poole-finalizing-four-year-extension.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inking</a>&nbsp;his four-year rookie contract extension last summer, worth up to $140MM with incentives.

It's been an important season for Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole who signed a four-year rookie extension last summer that is worth up to $140 million with incentives. Through 58 games for the Warriors, the guard is averaging career highs of 20.9 points and 4.5 assists, to go with 2.8 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game.&nbsp;
Poole spoke with <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/qa-jordan-poole-warriors-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Medina of NBA.com</a> about a variety of things including his increased role with the team this season which he enjoys whether starting or coming off the bench.&nbsp;
"It&rsquo;s cool," said Poole. "I try to do anything I can to try to help the team win. Whenever we&rsquo;re winning games, I feel like I&rsquo;m playing better. I&rsquo;m able to be versatile and play in different situations. I start sometimes. Or I come off the bench and play the 1 or 2. Playing with different lineups adds to my versatility. I&rsquo;m a big believer in trying to find ways to get better every day, whether it&rsquo;s watching film, working on something in the gym or asking questions. I always think I&rsquo;ll find ways to get better, whether I&rsquo;m playing good or bad.&rdquo;
There is definitely more on his plate this season for a Warriors team that is currently 29-29 and hold the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference. Plus, more is expected with him inking that big extension during the offseason.
&nbsp;
Warriors&nbsp;reserve guard&nbsp;<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/poolejo01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-02-23_bbr" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Jordan Poole</a>&nbsp;recently spoke with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nba.com/news/qa-jordan-poole-warriors-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Medina of NBA.com</a>&nbsp;about how he feels he has been performing since&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2022/10/warriors-jordan-poole-finalizing-four-year-extension.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inking</a>&nbsp;his four-year rookie contract extension last summer, worth up to $140MM with incentives.

It's been an important season for Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole who signed a four-year rookie extension last summer that is worth up to $140 million with incentives. Through 58 games for the Warriors, the guard is averaging career highs of 20.9 points and 4.5 assists, to go with 2.8 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game.&nbsp;
Poole spoke with <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/qa-jordan-poole-warriors-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Medina of NBA.com</a> about a variety of things including his increased role with the team this season which he enjoys whether starting or coming off the bench.&nbsp;
"It&rsquo;s cool," said Poole. "I try to do anything I can to try to help the team win. Whenever we&rsquo;re winning games, I feel like I&rsquo;m playing better. I&rsquo;m able to be versatile and play in different situations. I start sometimes. Or I come off the bench and play the 1 or 2. Playing with different lineups adds to my versatility. I&rsquo;m a big believer in trying to find ways to get better every day, whether it&rsquo;s watching film, working on something in the gym or asking questions. I always think I&rsquo;ll find ways to get better, whether I&rsquo;m playing good or bad.&rdquo;
There is definitely more on his plate this season for a Warriors team that is currently 29-29 and hold the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference. Plus, more is expected with him inking that big extension before the season.
&ldquo;In order for [Golden State&rsquo;s front office and ownership] to make a decision like that and for me to make a decision like that, they obviously thought I deserved it,&rdquo;&nbsp;Poole said.&nbsp;&ldquo;They like the character that I have, the way I can lead a team and everything else I bring on and off the court. With being able to be me in an organization like this, I try to bring positive energy. I&rsquo;m grateful and appreciative.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t necessarily say there&rsquo;s pressure. If anything, it&rsquo;s more exciting to know I&rsquo;m locked into the Bay for the next five (years),&rdquo;&nbsp;Poole noted.&nbsp;&ldquo;We can go through the highs and lows of whatever it is. I embrace that. At 23 years old, it&rsquo;s a pretty cool challenge.&rdquo;

It's been an important season for Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole who signed a four-year rookie extension last summer that is worth up to $140 million with incentives. Through 58 games for the Warriors, the guard is averaging career highs of 20.9 points and 4.5 assists, to go with 2.8 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game.&nbsp;
Poole spoke with <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/qa-jordan-poole-warriors-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Medina of NBA.com</a> about a variety of things including his increased role with the team this season which he enjoys whether starting or coming off the bench.&nbsp;
"It&rsquo;s cool," said Poole. "I try to do anything I can to try to help the team win. Whenever we&rsquo;re winning games, I feel like I&rsquo;m playing better. I&rsquo;m able to be versatile and play in different situations. I start sometimes. Or I come off the bench and play the 1 or 2. Playing with different lineups adds to my versatility. I&rsquo;m a big believer in trying to find ways to get better every day, whether it&rsquo;s watching film, working on something in the gym or asking questions. I always think I&rsquo;ll find ways to get better, whether I&rsquo;m playing good or bad.&rdquo;
There is definitely more on his plate this season for a Warriors team that is currently 29-29 and hold the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference. Plus, more is expected with him inking that big extension before the season.
&ldquo;In order for [Golden State&rsquo;s front office and ownership] to make a decision like that and for me to make a decision like that, they obviously thought I deserved it,&rdquo;&nbsp;Poole said.&nbsp;&ldquo;They like the character that I have, the way I can lead a team and everything else I bring on and off the court. With being able to be me in an organization like this, I try to bring positive energy. I&rsquo;m grateful and appreciative.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t necessarily say there&rsquo;s pressure. If anything, it&rsquo;s more exciting to know I&rsquo;m locked into the Bay for the next five (years),&rdquo;&nbsp;Poole noted.&nbsp;&ldquo;We can go through the highs and lows of whatever it is. I embrace that. At 23 years old, it&rsquo;s a pretty cool challenge.&rdquo;

It's been an important season for Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole who signed a four-year rookie extension last summer that is worth up to $140 million with incentives. Through 58 games for the Warriors, the guard is averaging career highs of 20.9 points and 4.5 assists, to go with 2.8 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game.&nbsp;
Poole spoke with <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/qa-jordan-poole-warriors-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Medina of NBA.com</a> about a variety of things including his increased role with the team this season which he enjoys whether starting or coming off the bench.&nbsp;
"It&rsquo;s cool," said Poole. "I try to do anything I can to try to help the team win. Whenever we&rsquo;re winning games, I feel like I&rsquo;m playing better. I&rsquo;m able to be versatile and play in different situations. I start sometimes. Or I come off the bench and play the 1 or 2. Playing with different lineups adds to my versatility. I&rsquo;m a big believer in trying to find ways to get better every day, whether it&rsquo;s watching film, working on something in the gym or asking questions. I always think I&rsquo;ll find ways to get better, whether I&rsquo;m playing good or bad.&rdquo;
There is definitely more on his plate this season for a Warriors team that is currently 29-29 and hold the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference. Plus, more is expected with him inking that big extension before the season.
&ldquo;In order for [Golden State&rsquo;s front office and ownership] to make a decision like that and for me to make a decision like that, they obviously thought I deserved it,&rdquo;&nbsp;Poole said.&nbsp;&ldquo;They like the character that I have, the way I can lead a team and everything else I bring on and off the court. With being able to be me in an organization like this, I try to bring positive energy. I&rsquo;m grateful and appreciative.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t necessarily say there&rsquo;s pressure. If anything, it&rsquo;s more exciting to know I&rsquo;m locked into the Bay for the next five (years),&rdquo;&nbsp;Poole noted.&nbsp;&ldquo;We can go through the highs and lows of whatever it is. I embrace that. At 23 years old, it&rsquo;s a pretty cool challenge.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

It's been an important season for Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole who signed a four-year rookie extension last summer that is worth up to $140 million with incentives. Through 58 games for the Warriors, the guard is averaging career highs of 20.9 points and 4.5 assists, to go with 2.8 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game.&nbsp;
Poole spoke with <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/qa-jordan-poole-warriors-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Medina of NBA.com</a> about a variety of things including his increased role with the team this season which he enjoys whether starting or coming off the bench.&nbsp;
"It&rsquo;s cool," said Poole. "I try to do anything I can to try to help the team win. Whenever we&rsquo;re winning games, I feel like I&rsquo;m playing better. I&rsquo;m able to be versatile and play in different situations. I start sometimes. Or I come off the bench and play the 1 or 2. Playing with different lineups adds to my versatility. I&rsquo;m a big believer in trying to find ways to get better every day, whether it&rsquo;s watching film, working on something in the gym or asking questions. I always think I&rsquo;ll find ways to get better, whether I&rsquo;m playing good or bad.&rdquo;
There is definitely more on his plate this season for a Warriors team that is currently 29-29 and hold the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference. Plus, more is expected with him inking that big extension before the season.
&ldquo;In order for [Golden State&rsquo;s front office and ownership] to make a decision like that and for me to make a decision like that, they obviously thought I deserved it,&rdquo;&nbsp;Poole said.&nbsp;&ldquo;They like the character that I have, the way I can lead a team and everything else I bring on and off the court. With being able to be me in an organization like this, I try to bring positive energy. I&rsquo;m grateful and appreciative.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t necessarily say there&rsquo;s pressure. If anything, it&rsquo;s more exciting to know I&rsquo;m locked into the Bay for the next five (years),&rdquo;&nbsp;Poole noted.&nbsp;&ldquo;We can go through the highs and lows of whatever it is. I embrace that. At 23 years old, it&rsquo;s a pretty cool challenge.&rdquo;
You can read the entire conversation with Poole at NBA.com.

It's been an important season for Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole who signed a four-year rookie extension last summer that is worth up to $140 million with incentives. Through 58 games for the Warriors, the guard is averaging career highs of 20.9 points and 4.5 assists, to go with 2.8 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game.&nbsp;
Poole spoke with <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/qa-jordan-poole-warriors-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Medina of NBA.com</a> about a variety of things including his increased role with the team this season which he enjoys whether starting or coming off the bench.&nbsp;
"It&rsquo;s cool," said Poole. "I try to do anything I can to try to help the team win. Whenever we&rsquo;re winning games, I feel like I&rsquo;m playing better. I&rsquo;m able to be versatile and play in different situations. I start sometimes. Or I come off the bench and play the 1 or 2. Playing with different lineups adds to my versatility. I&rsquo;m a big believer in trying to find ways to get better every day, whether it&rsquo;s watching film, working on something in the gym or asking questions. I always think I&rsquo;ll find ways to get better, whether I&rsquo;m playing good or bad.&rdquo;
There is definitely more on his plate this season for a Warriors team that is currently 29-29 and hold the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference. Plus, more is expected with him inking that big extension before the season.
&ldquo;In order for [Golden State&rsquo;s front office and ownership] to make a decision like that and for me to make a decision like that, they obviously thought I deserved it,&rdquo;&nbsp;Poole said.&nbsp;&ldquo;They like the character that I have, the way I can lead a team and everything else I bring on and off the court. With being able to be me in an organization like this, I try to bring positive energy. I&rsquo;m grateful and appreciative.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t necessarily say there&rsquo;s pressure. If anything, it&rsquo;s more exciting to know I&rsquo;m locked into the Bay for the next five (years),&rdquo;&nbsp;Poole noted.&nbsp;&ldquo;We can go through the highs and lows of whatever it is. I embrace that. At 23 years old, it&rsquo;s a pretty cool challenge.&rdquo;
You can read the entire conversation with Poole at <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/qa-jordan-poole-warriors-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA.com</a>.

It's been an important season for Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole, who signed a four-year rookie extension last summer that is worth up to $140 million with incentives. Through 58 games for the Warriors, the guard is averaging career highs of 20.9 points and 4.5 assists, to go with 2.8 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game.&nbsp;
Poole spoke with <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/qa-jordan-poole-warriors-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Medina of NBA.com</a> about a variety of things including his increased role with the team this season which he enjoys whether starting or coming off the bench.&nbsp;
"It&rsquo;s cool," said Poole. "I try to do anything I can to try to help the team win. Whenever we&rsquo;re winning games, I feel like I&rsquo;m playing better. I&rsquo;m able to be versatile and play in different situations. I start sometimes. Or I come off the bench and play the 1 or 2. Playing with different lineups adds to my versatility. I&rsquo;m a big believer in trying to find ways to get better every day, whether it&rsquo;s watching film, working on something in the gym or asking questions. I always think I&rsquo;ll find ways to get better, whether I&rsquo;m playing good or bad.&rdquo;
There is definitely more on his plate this season for a Warriors team that is currently 29-29 and hold the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference. Plus, more is expected with him inking that big extension before the season.
&ldquo;In order for [Golden State&rsquo;s front office and ownership] to make a decision like that and for me to make a decision like that, they obviously thought I deserved it,&rdquo;&nbsp;Poole said.&nbsp;&ldquo;They like the character that I have, the way I can lead a team and everything else I bring on and off the court. With being able to be me in an organization like this, I try to bring positive energy. I&rsquo;m grateful and appreciative.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t necessarily say there&rsquo;s pressure. If anything, it&rsquo;s more exciting to know I&rsquo;m locked into the Bay for the next five (years),&rdquo;&nbsp;Poole noted.&nbsp;&ldquo;We can go through the highs and lows of whatever it is. I embrace that. At 23 years old, it&rsquo;s a pretty cool challenge.&rdquo;
You can read the entire conversation with Poole at <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/qa-jordan-poole-warriors-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA.com</a>.

It's been an important season for Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole, who signed a four-year rookie extension last summer that is worth up to $140 million with incentives. Through 58 games for the Warriors, the guard is averaging career highs of 20.9 points and 4.5 assists, to go with 2.8 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game.&nbsp;
Poole spoke with <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/qa-jordan-poole-warriors-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Medina of NBA.com</a> about a variety of things including his increased role with the team this season, which he enjoys whether starting or coming off the bench.&nbsp;
"It&rsquo;s cool," said Poole. "I try to do anything I can to try to help the team win. Whenever we&rsquo;re winning games, I feel like I&rsquo;m playing better. I&rsquo;m able to be versatile and play in different situations. I start sometimes. Or I come off the bench and play the 1 or 2. Playing with different lineups adds to my versatility. I&rsquo;m a big believer in trying to find ways to get better every day, whether it&rsquo;s watching film, working on something in the gym or asking questions. I always think I&rsquo;ll find ways to get better, whether I&rsquo;m playing good or bad.&rdquo;
There is definitely more on his plate this season for a Warriors team that is currently 29-29 and hold the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference. Plus, more is expected with him inking that big extension before the season.
&ldquo;In order for [Golden State&rsquo;s front office and ownership] to make a decision like that and for me to make a decision like that, they obviously thought I deserved it,&rdquo;&nbsp;Poole said.&nbsp;&ldquo;They like the character that I have, the way I can lead a team and everything else I bring on and off the court. With being able to be me in an organization like this, I try to bring positive energy. I&rsquo;m grateful and appreciative.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t necessarily say there&rsquo;s pressure. If anything, it&rsquo;s more exciting to know I&rsquo;m locked into the Bay for the next five (years),&rdquo;&nbsp;Poole noted.&nbsp;&ldquo;We can go through the highs and lows of whatever it is. I embrace that. At 23 years old, it&rsquo;s a pretty cool challenge.&rdquo;
You can read the entire conversation with Poole at <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/qa-jordan-poole-warriors-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA.com</a>.

Golden State Warriors Jordan Poole opens up about his bigger role with the team coming off his big extension before the season.

Jordan Poole talks about his role with the Warriors, coming off bench

The Miami Heat have agreed to a trade sending center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Miami Heat are trading center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

It's a cost-cutting move for the Heat&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The Heat go from $192,895 below the luxury tax to $4.9M below. They now have more flexibility in trades and to convert Orlando Robinson to a standard contract now. They also generate a $4.7M trade exception.
&nbsp;
Dedmon has fallen out ot the Heat's rotation, having only once played in their last ten games. In the 30 games he played in this season for Miami, he averaged 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds.
&nbsp;

The Miami Heat have agreed to a trade sending center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Miami Heat are trading center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

It's a cost-cutting move for the Heat with Y
&nbsp;
The Heat go from $192,895 below the luxury tax to $4.9M below. They now have more flexibility in trades and to convert Orlando Robinson to a standard contract now. They also generate a $4.7M trade exception.
&nbsp;
Dedmon has fallen out ot the Heat's rotation, having only once played in their last ten games. In the 30 games he played in this season for Miami, he averaged 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds.
&nbsp;

The Miami Heat have agreed to a trade sending center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Miami Heat are trading center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

It's a cost-cutting move for the Heat with HoopsHype's Yossi Goslan pointing out that the Heat&nbsp;go from $192,895 below the luxury tax to $4.9M below. They now have more flexibility in trades and to convert Orlando Robinson to a standard contract now. They also generate a $4.7M trade exception.
&nbsp;
Dedmon has fallen out ot the Heat's rotation, having only once played in their last ten games. In the 30 games he played in this season for Miami, he averaged 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds.
&nbsp;

The Miami Heat have agreed to a trade sending center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Miami Heat are trading center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

It's a cost-cutting move for the Heat with HoopsHype's Yossi Goslan pointing out that the Heat&nbsp;go from $192,895 below the luxury tax to $4.9M below while also generating a $4.7M trade exception.
Dedmon has fallen out ot the Heat's rotation, having only once played in their last ten games. In the 30 games he played in this season for Miami, he averaged 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds.
&nbsp;

The Miami Heat have agreed to a trade sending center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Miami Heat are trading center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

It's a cost-cutting move for the Heat with <a href="https://twitter.com/YossiGozlan/status/1622995685032480768" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype's Yossi Goslan pointing out</a> that the Heat&nbsp;go from $192,895 below the luxury tax to $4.9M below while also generating a $4.7M trade exception.
Dedmon has fallen out ot the Heat's rotation, having only once played in their last ten games. In the 30 games he played in this season for Miami, he averaged 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds.
&nbsp;

The Miami Heat have agreed to a trade sending center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Miami Heat are trading center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

It's a cost-cutting move for the Heat, with <a href="https://twitter.com/YossiGozlan/status/1622995685032480768" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype's Yossi Goslan pointing out</a> that the Heat&nbsp;go from $192,895 below the luxury tax to $4.9M below while also generating a $4.7M trade exception.
Dedmon has fallen out ot the Heat's rotation, having only once played in their last ten games. In the 30 games he played in this season for Miami, he averaged 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds.
&nbsp;

The Miami Heat have agreed to a trade sending center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Miami Heat are trading center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

It's a cost-cutting move for the Heat, with <a href="https://twitter.com/YossiGozlan/status/1622995685032480768" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype's Yossi Goslan pointing out</a> that the Heat go from $192,895 below the luxury tax to $4.9 million below while also generating a $4.7M trade exception.
Dedmon has fallen out ot the Heat's rotation, having only once played in their last ten games. In the 30 games he played in this season for Miami, he averaged 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds.
&nbsp;

The Miami Heat have agreed to a trade sending center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Miami Heat are trading center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

It's a cost-cutting move for the Heat, with <a href="https://twitter.com/YossiGozlan/status/1622995685032480768" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype's Yossi Goslan pointing out</a> that the Heat go from $192,895 below the luxury tax to $4.9 million below, while also generating a $4.7 million trade exception.
Dedmon has fallen out ot the Heat's rotation, having only once played in their last ten games. In the 30 games he played in this season for Miami, he averaged 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds.
&nbsp;

The Miami Heat have agreed to a trade sending center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Miami Heat are trading center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

It's a cost-cutting move for the Heat, with <a href="https://twitter.com/YossiGozlan/status/1622995685032480768" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype's Yossi Goslan pointing out</a> that the Heat go from $192,895 below the luxury tax to $4.9 million below, while also generating a $4.7 million trade exception.
Dedmon has fallen out ot the Heat's rotation, having only played once in their last 10 games. In the 30 games he's played in this season for Miami, he averaged 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds.
&nbsp;

The Miami Heat have agreed to a trade sending center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The Miami Heat are trading center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622994343052161027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

It's a cost-cutting move for the Heat, with <a href="https://twitter.com/YossiGozlan/status/1622995685032480768" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype's Yossi Goslan pointing out</a> that the Heat go from $192,895 below the luxury tax to $4.9 million below, while also generating a $4.7 million trade exception.
Dedmon has fallen out ot the Heat's rotation, having only played once in their last 10 games. In the 30 games he's played in this season for Miami, he has averaged 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds.
&nbsp;

The Heat are trading backup center Dewayne Dedmon and a second-round pick to the Spurs.

Heat trade center Dewayne Dedmon to Spurs

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Alabama coach Nate Oats has agreed to a new six-year, $30 million contract amid the program&rsquo;s best regular season in decades.
Oats will average $5 million plus incentives over the deal running through the 2028-29 season under a deal approved Friday by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees Compensation Committee.
It makes him the fourth-highest paid basketball coach in the Southeastern Conference and among the Top 10 nationally, athletic director Greg Byrne said.
Oats, who is in his fourth season, will make $4.5 million for the first year with $200,000 annual raises. The fourth-ranked Crimson Tide (19-3, 9-0 SEC) has the team&rsquo;s highest ranking this deep into a season since 1976-77.
&ldquo;I am honored and humbled to receive a contract extension from the University of Alabama,&rdquo; Oats said in a statement. &ldquo;As I have said many times, my family and I love this community, the city of Tuscaloosa and the university.
&ldquo;I am incredibly proud of what we have been able to build during our time at UA which is a direct reflection of the student-athletes, coaches and staff who have all played a big part in our success. I am excited for what&rsquo;s happening in the future of our program and the direction we are heading.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Alabama coach Nate Oats has agreed to a new six-year, $30 million contract amid the program&rsquo;s best regular season in decades.
Oats will average $5 million plus incentives over the deal running through the 2028-29 season under a deal approved Friday by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees Compensation Committee.
It makes him the fourth-highest paid basketball coach in the Southeastern Conference and among the Top 10 nationally, athletic director Greg Byrne said.
Oats, who is in his fourth season, will make $4.5 million for the first year with $200,000 annual raises. The fourth-ranked Crimson Tide (19-3, 9-0 SEC) has the team&rsquo;s highest ranking this deep into a season since 1976-77.
&ldquo;I am honored and humbled to receive a contract extension from the University of Alabama,&rdquo; Oats said in a statement. &ldquo;As I have said many times, my family and I love this community, the city of Tuscaloosa and the university.
&ldquo;I am incredibly proud of what we have been able to build during our time at UA which is a direct reflection of the student-athletes, coaches and staff who have all played a big part in our success. I am excited for what&rsquo;s happening in the future of our program and the direction we are heading.&rdquo;
Alabama has gone 80-39 under Oats, winning the 2021 SEC regular season and tournament championships.
&ldquo;Coach Oats has done an outstanding job leading our men&rsquo;s basketball program, and we want him to continue doing so for many years to come,&rdquo; Byrne said in a statement. &ldquo;He and his staff have lifted the program back to national prominence and built a product that is exciting to be a part of for our team and for our fans.
&ldquo;We were confident Nate was going to be an outstanding coach for us when we hired him, and he is not only that, but also a great leader of our young men.&rdquo;
The new contract comes nearly three weeks after Alabama basketball player Darius Miles and another man were charged with capital murder following a fatal shooting near campus. Miles, a reserve forward, was removed from the team and suspended from the university following his arrest.&nbsp;

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Alabama coach Nate Oats has agreed to a new six-year, $30 million contract amid the program&rsquo;s best regular season in decades.
Oats will average $5 million plus incentives over the deal running through the 2028-29 season under a deal approved Friday by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees Compensation Committee.
It makes him the fourth-highest paid basketball coach in the Southeastern Conference and among the Top 10 nationally, athletic director Greg Byrne said.
Oats, who is in his fourth season, will make $4.5 million for the first year with $200,000 annual raises. The fourth-ranked Crimson Tide (19-3, 9-0 SEC) has the team&rsquo;s highest ranking this deep into a season since 1976-77.
&ldquo;I am honored and humbled to receive a contract extension from the University of Alabama,&rdquo; Oats said in a statement. &ldquo;As I have said many times, my family and I love this community, the city of Tuscaloosa and the university.
&ldquo;I am incredibly proud of what we have been able to build during our time at UA which is a direct reflection of the student-athletes, coaches and staff who have all played a big part in our success. I am excited for what&rsquo;s happening in the future of our program and the direction we are heading.&rdquo;
Alabama has gone 80-39 under Oats, winning the 2021 SEC regular season and tournament championships.
&ldquo;Coach Oats has done an outstanding job leading our men&rsquo;s basketball program, and we want him to continue doing so for many years to come,&rdquo; Byrne said in a statement. &ldquo;He and his staff have lifted the program back to national prominence and built a product that is exciting to be a part of for our team and for our fans.
&ldquo;We were confident Nate was going to be an outstanding coach for us when we hired him, and he is not only that, but also a great leader of our young men.&rdquo;
The new contract comes nearly three weeks after Alabama basketball player Darius Miles and another man were charged with capital murder following a fatal shooting near campus. Miles, a reserve forward, was removed from the team and suspended from the university following his arrest.&nbsp;

Nate Oats is now the fourth-highest-paid basketball coach in the Southeastern Conference and among the top 10 nationally.

Alabama coach Nate Oats gets new 6-year, $30 million deal

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Devin Booker wore a hockey toque to deal with the sub-zero temperatures in Boston and pulled out a baseball metaphor to describe his possible return to the basketball court.
&ldquo;Rounding third,&rdquo; Booker said after watching from the bench as his Phoenix Suns teammates beat the Celtics 106-94 on Friday night.
Mikal Bridges scored 25 points and Dario Saric had 14 with 13 rebounds Friday night to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 106-94 victory over Boston and send the NBA-leading Celtics to their fourth loss in six games.
Chris Paul added 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Phoenix, which had a 20-point, second-quarter lead trimmed to one by the end of the third. The Suns opened the fourth with eight straight points to turn back Boston&rsquo;s rally.
Booker, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, wore a Detroit Red Wings knit cap as he sat on the bench in the same building where he scored 70 points in 2017. He hasn&rsquo;t played since sustaining a groin injury on Christmas; it was just the second time he has joined the team on a road trip since.
&nbsp;

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Devin Booker wore a hockey toque to deal with the sub-zero temperatures in Boston and pulled out a baseball metaphor to describe his possible return to the basketball court.
&ldquo;Rounding third,&rdquo; Booker said after watching from the bench as his Phoenix Suns teammates beat the Celtics 106-94 on Friday night.
Mikal Bridges scored 25 points and Dario Saric had 14 with 13 rebounds Friday night to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 106-94 victory over Boston and send the NBA-leading Celtics to their fourth loss in six games.
Chris Paul added 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Phoenix, which had a 20-point, second-quarter lead trimmed to one by the end of the third. The Suns opened the fourth with eight straight points to turn back Boston&rsquo;s rally.
Booker, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, wore a Detroit Red Wings knit cap as he sat on the bench in the same building where he scored 70 points in 2017. He hasn&rsquo;t played since sustaining a groin injury on Christmas; it was just the second time he has joined the team on a road trip since.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m mindful of what I say because I don&rsquo;t want to get everybody excited about it, or depress everybody, either. It&rsquo;s just where he is,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said before the game. &ldquo;We do feel like he&rsquo;s getting closer and closer to coming back.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Devin Booker wore a hockey toque to deal with the sub-zero temperatures in Boston and pulled out a baseball metaphor to describe his possible return to the basketball court.
&ldquo;Rounding third,&rdquo; Booker said after watching from the bench as his Phoenix Suns teammates beat the Celtics 106-94 on Friday night.
Mikal Bridges scored 25 points and Dario Saric had 14 with 13 rebounds Friday night to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 106-94 victory over Boston and send the NBA-leading Celtics to their fourth loss in six games.
Chris Paul added 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Phoenix, which had a 20-point, second-quarter lead trimmed to one by the end of the third. The Suns opened the fourth with eight straight points to turn back Boston&rsquo;s rally.
Booker, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, wore a Detroit Red Wings knit cap as he sat on the bench in the same building where he scored 70 points in 2017. He hasn&rsquo;t played since sustaining a groin injury on Christmas; it was just the second time he has joined the team on a road trip since.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m mindful of what I say because I don&rsquo;t want to get everybody excited about it, or depress everybody, either. It&rsquo;s just where he is,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said before the game. &ldquo;We do feel like he&rsquo;s getting closer and closer to coming back.&rdquo;
The Suns lost nine of their first 11 games after the three-time All-Star went out, but have won seven of the last nine while they wait for his return, which could come during current the five-game road trip.
&ldquo;For us to win it without Book is big for everyone&rsquo;s confidence, because he will be back shortly,&rdquo; center Jock Landale said. &ldquo;We would have liked to win a few more games, but now that we&rsquo;re winning a lot of games and he&rsquo;s on the verge of coming back, it&rsquo;s big for us.&rdquo;
Jaylen Brown scored 27 points and Jayson Tatum had 20 for the Celtics, who beat the Brooklyn Nets by 43 points on Wednesday and beat the Suns by 27 in December. But the two Boston All-Stars shot a combined 12 for 36 from the floor and 6 for 22 from 3-point range.
The Suns led 74-73 to start the fourth quarter before running off the next eight points, prompting Boston coach Joe Mazzulla to call a timeout. Derrick White drove for a layup to snap the slump, but Damion Lee and Saric hit back-to-back 3s, and the Celtics never got closer than six from there.
&nbsp;

BOSTON (AP) &mdash; Devin Booker wore a hockey toque to deal with the sub-zero temperatures in Boston and pulled out a baseball metaphor to describe his possible return to the basketball court.
&ldquo;Rounding third,&rdquo; Booker said after watching from the bench as his Phoenix Suns teammates beat the Celtics 106-94 on Friday night.
Mikal Bridges scored 25 points and Dario Saric had 14 with 13 rebounds Friday night to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 106-94 victory over Boston and send the NBA-leading Celtics to their fourth loss in six games.
Chris Paul added 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Phoenix, which had a 20-point, second-quarter lead trimmed to one by the end of the third. The Suns opened the fourth with eight straight points to turn back Boston&rsquo;s rally.
Booker, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, wore a Detroit Red Wings knit cap as he sat on the bench in the same building where he scored 70 points in 2017. He hasn&rsquo;t played since sustaining a groin injury on Christmas; it was just the second time he has joined the team on a road trip since.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m mindful of what I say because I don&rsquo;t want to get everybody excited about it, or depress everybody, either. It&rsquo;s just where he is,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said before the game. &ldquo;We do feel like he&rsquo;s getting closer and closer to coming back.&rdquo;
The Suns lost nine of their first 11 games after the three-time All-Star went out, but have won seven of the last nine while they wait for his return, which could come during current the five-game road trip.
&ldquo;For us to win it without Book is big for everyone&rsquo;s confidence, because he will be back shortly,&rdquo; center Jock Landale said. &ldquo;We would have liked to win a few more games, but now that we&rsquo;re winning a lot of games and he&rsquo;s on the verge of coming back, it&rsquo;s big for us.&rdquo;
Jaylen Brown scored 27 points and Jayson Tatum had 20 for the Celtics, who beat the Brooklyn Nets by 43 points on Wednesday and beat the Suns by 27 in December. But the two Boston All-Stars shot a combined 12 for 36 from the floor and 6 for 22 from 3-point range.
The Suns led 74-73 to start the fourth quarter before running off the next eight points, prompting Boston coach Joe Mazzulla to call a timeout. Derrick White drove for a layup to snap the slump, but Damion Lee and Saric hit back-to-back 3s, and the Celtics never got closer than six from there.
The Celtics scored the first seven points of the game, but quickly gave it all back. Phoenix scored the next 12, with Ayton putting in three straight baskets to start the run.
The Suns started the second quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers by Ish Wainright and Lee &mdash; sparking another 8-0 run that helped them open a 32-20 lead. It was up to 20 points with four minutes left in the second before Tatum hit his first basket of the game &mdash; a 3-pointer &mdash; as Boston scored 11 in a row before going into the half trailing 57-44.
TIP-INS
Tatum missed his first six shots. ... Wainright sank a full-court shot, but it was just after the buzzer to end the third quarter. ... Boston&rsquo;s Luke Kornet left early in the fourth and limped to the locker room. ... The Celtics took the court on Jan. 23 with a 35-12 record and a nine-game winning streak.
UP NEXT
Suns: At Detroit on Saturday.
Celtics: At Detroit on Monday night.

Mikal Bridges scored 25 points to lead the Suns to a 106-94 victory over the Celtics — Boston's fourth loss in six games.

Mikal Bridges scores 25, leads Suns to 106-94 win over Celtics

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Jamal Murray is locked in right now &mdash; with his shot, with his swagger and especially with his confidence in his team.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s fun to play basketball,&rdquo; the Denver point guard said. &ldquo;But we still have room to improve. We&rsquo;re not satisfied with where we&rsquo;re at.&rdquo;
Murray scored 32 points, Nikola Jokic got his 16th triple-double of the season and the Western Conference-leading Nuggets held off the reeling New Orleans Pelicans 122-113 on Tuesday night.
Murray made a season-high seven 3-pointers to give him 771 for his career and move him past J.R. Smith for second place on the franchise list. He&rsquo;s just 33 away from matching Will Barton for the top spot.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll get that in three games,&rdquo; cracked Murray.
See, swagger.
His smooth jumper was so in rhythm early in the game Tuesday that Nuggets coach Michael Malone didn&rsquo;t want to take him out. Malone didn&rsquo;t, either, until later than usual.
&nbsp;

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Jamal Murray is locked in right now &mdash; with his shot, with his swagger and especially with his confidence in his team.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s fun to play basketball,&rdquo; the Denver point guard said. &ldquo;But we still have room to improve. We&rsquo;re not satisfied with where we&rsquo;re at.&rdquo;
Murray scored 32 points, Nikola Jokic got his 16th triple-double of the season and the Western Conference-leading Nuggets held off the reeling New Orleans Pelicans 122-113 on Tuesday night.
Murray made a season-high seven 3-pointers to give him 771 for his career and move him past J.R. Smith for second place on the franchise list. He&rsquo;s just 33 away from matching Will Barton for the top spot.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll get that in three games,&rdquo; cracked Murray.
See, swagger.
His smooth jumper was so in rhythm early in the game Tuesday that Nuggets coach Michael Malone didn&rsquo;t want to take him out. Malone didn&rsquo;t, either, until later than usual.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to be the guy that puts the fire out,&rdquo; said Malone, whose team trailed by 12 in the second quarter before closing the gap to 60-57 at halftime and taking control in the third. &ldquo;Jamal was really, really good in all areas of the game tonight.&rdquo;
Ditto for Jokic, who finished with 26 points, 18 rebounds and 15 assists as the Nuggets improved to 16-0 when he has a triple-double.
&nbsp;

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Jamal Murray is locked in right now &mdash; with his shot, with his swagger and especially with his confidence in his team.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s fun to play basketball,&rdquo; the Denver point guard said. &ldquo;But we still have room to improve. We&rsquo;re not satisfied with where we&rsquo;re at.&rdquo;
Murray scored 32 points, Nikola Jokic got his 16th triple-double of the season and the Western Conference-leading Nuggets held off the reeling New Orleans Pelicans 122-113 on Tuesday night.
Murray made a season-high seven 3-pointers to give him 771 for his career and move him past J.R. Smith for second place on the franchise list. He&rsquo;s just 33 away from matching Will Barton for the top spot.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll get that in three games,&rdquo; cracked Murray.
See, swagger.
His smooth jumper was so in rhythm early in the game Tuesday that Nuggets coach Michael Malone didn&rsquo;t want to take him out. Malone didn&rsquo;t, either, until later than usual.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to be the guy that puts the fire out,&rdquo; said Malone, whose team trailed by 12 in the second quarter before closing the gap to 60-57 at halftime and taking control in the third. &ldquo;Jamal was really, really good in all areas of the game tonight.&rdquo;
Ditto for Jokic, who finished with 26 points, 18 rebounds and 15 assists as the Nuggets improved to 16-0 when he has a triple-double.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy as long as we are winning games and the players are happy around me,&rdquo; Jokic said.
CJ McCollum and Herbert Jones both scored 21 points for the Pelicans, who have dropped nine straight games. They finished 3-13 in January.
Part of the reason for the slide has been the absence of standout Zion Williamson, who has missed 15 games in a row with a hamstring injury.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to keep our heads down and keep working,&rdquo; coach Willie Green said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to win in the NBA. We&rsquo;re seeing that. There was some beauty in what I saw tonight. ... We&rsquo;re right there, but we have to sustain it for 48 minutes.&rdquo;
The Nuggets led by 13 early in the fourth quarter only to see the Pelicans cut it to five on several occasions, including a layup by Jones with less than a minute remaining. Murray and Jokic each converted a pair of free throws down the stretch to help Denver fend off New Orleans and move to 23-4 at home.
Jokic, who&rsquo;s been dealing with tightness in his left hamstring, had another efficient shooting performance in going 10 of 14 from the floor. It was the 92nd triple-double of his career.
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-521 apnews_article_midarticle_2" data-card-id="sovrn-article-midarticle">&nbsp;</div>

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Jamal Murray is locked in right now &mdash; with his shot, with his swagger and especially with his confidence in his team.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s fun to play basketball,&rdquo; the Denver point guard said. &ldquo;But we still have room to improve. We&rsquo;re not satisfied with where we&rsquo;re at.&rdquo;
Murray scored 32 points, Nikola Jokic got his 16th triple-double of the season and the Western Conference-leading Nuggets held off the reeling New Orleans Pelicans 122-113 on Tuesday night.
Murray made a season-high seven 3-pointers to give him 771 for his career and move him past J.R. Smith for second place on the franchise list. He&rsquo;s just 33 away from matching Will Barton for the top spot.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll get that in three games,&rdquo; cracked Murray.
See, swagger.
His smooth jumper was so in rhythm early in the game Tuesday that Nuggets coach Michael Malone didn&rsquo;t want to take him out. Malone didn&rsquo;t, either, until later than usual.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to be the guy that puts the fire out,&rdquo; said Malone, whose team trailed by 12 in the second quarter before closing the gap to 60-57 at halftime and taking control in the third. &ldquo;Jamal was really, really good in all areas of the game tonight.&rdquo;
Ditto for Jokic, who finished with 26 points, 18 rebounds and 15 assists as the Nuggets improved to 16-0 when he has a triple-double.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy as long as we are winning games and the players are happy around me,&rdquo; Jokic said.
CJ McCollum and Herbert Jones both scored 21 points for the Pelicans, who have dropped nine straight games. They finished 3-13 in January.
Part of the reason for the slide has been the absence of standout Zion Williamson, who has missed 15 games in a row with a hamstring injury.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to keep our heads down and keep working,&rdquo; coach Willie Green said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to win in the NBA. We&rsquo;re seeing that. There was some beauty in what I saw tonight. ... We&rsquo;re right there, but we have to sustain it for 48 minutes.&rdquo;
The Nuggets led by 13 early in the fourth quarter only to see the Pelicans cut it to five on several occasions, including a layup by Jones with less than a minute remaining. Murray and Jokic each converted a pair of free throws down the stretch to help Denver fend off New Orleans and move to 23-4 at home.
Jokic, who&rsquo;s been dealing with tightness in his left hamstring, had another efficient shooting performance in going 10 of 14 from the floor. It was the 92nd triple-double of his career.
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-521 apnews_article_midarticle_2" data-card-id="sovrn-article-midarticle">
&ldquo;He was pretty dominant across the board,&rdquo; Green said.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Williamson is steadily progressing from a strained hamstring, according to Green. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s something we don&rsquo;t want to rush, but we&rsquo;re definitely excited to see him on the floor,&rdquo; he said. ... Brandon Ingram finished with 16 points and nine assists. ... Larry Nance Jr. scored 11 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter.
Nuggets: Rookie guard Collin Gillespie (broken right leg) has been cleared for shooting and light running. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not putting any pressure or a rush on him,&rdquo; Malone said. ... Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Aaron Gordon each had 15 points.
</div>

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Jamal Murray is locked in right now &mdash; with his shot, with his swagger and especially with his confidence in his team.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s fun to play basketball,&rdquo; the Denver point guard said. &ldquo;But we still have room to improve. We&rsquo;re not satisfied with where we&rsquo;re at.&rdquo;
Murray scored 32 points, Nikola Jokic got his 16th triple-double of the season and the Western Conference-leading Nuggets held off the reeling New Orleans Pelicans 122-113 on Tuesday night.
Murray made a season-high seven 3-pointers to give him 771 for his career and move him past J.R. Smith for second place on the franchise list. He&rsquo;s just 33 away from matching Will Barton for the top spot.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll get that in three games,&rdquo; cracked Murray.
See, swagger.
His smooth jumper was so in rhythm early in the game Tuesday that Nuggets coach Michael Malone didn&rsquo;t want to take him out. Malone didn&rsquo;t, either, until later than usual.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to be the guy that puts the fire out,&rdquo; said Malone, whose team trailed by 12 in the second quarter before closing the gap to 60-57 at halftime and taking control in the third. &ldquo;Jamal was really, really good in all areas of the game tonight.&rdquo;
Ditto for Jokic, who finished with 26 points, 18 rebounds and 15 assists as the Nuggets improved to 16-0 when he has a triple-double.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy as long as we are winning games and the players are happy around me,&rdquo; Jokic said.
CJ McCollum and Herbert Jones both scored 21 points for the Pelicans, who have dropped nine straight games. They finished 3-13 in January.
Part of the reason for the slide has been the absence of standout Zion Williamson, who has missed 15 games in a row with a hamstring injury.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to keep our heads down and keep working,&rdquo; coach Willie Green said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to win in the NBA. We&rsquo;re seeing that. There was some beauty in what I saw tonight. ... We&rsquo;re right there, but we have to sustain it for 48 minutes.&rdquo;
The Nuggets led by 13 early in the fourth quarter only to see the Pelicans cut it to five on several occasions, including a layup by Jones with less than a minute remaining. Murray and Jokic each converted a pair of free throws down the stretch to help Denver fend off New Orleans and move to 23-4 at home.
Jokic, who&rsquo;s been dealing with tightness in his left hamstring, had another efficient shooting performance in going 10 of 14 from the floor. It was the 92nd triple-double of his career.
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-521 apnews_article_midarticle_2" data-card-id="sovrn-article-midarticle">
&ldquo;He was pretty dominant across the board,&rdquo; Green said.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: Williamson is steadily progressing from a strained hamstring, according to Green. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s something we don&rsquo;t want to rush, but we&rsquo;re definitely excited to see him on the floor,&rdquo; he said. ... Brandon Ingram finished with 16 points and nine assists. ... Larry Nance Jr. scored 11 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter.
Nuggets: Rookie guard Collin Gillespie (broken right leg) has been cleared for shooting and light running. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re not putting any pressure or a rush on him,&rdquo; Malone said. ... Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Aaron Gordon each had 15 points.
TRADE TALK
Nuggets guard Bones Hyland was limited to 4:43 and scored two points. His name has been mentioned in trade speculation.
Asked where he stands with Hyland, Malone responded: &ldquo;I stand with Bones. Bones is on our team.&rdquo;
RISING STARS
Hyland was selected to the NBA&rsquo;s Jordan Rising Stars Challenge. So were Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado and forward Trey Murphy III. The mini-tournament will take place on Feb. 17 in Salt Lake City as part of All-Star weekend.
</div>

Jamal Murray scored 32 points, Nikola Jokic got his 16th triple-double of the season and the Nuggets held off the Pelicans 122-113.