https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/nba-logos/tor.png

Raptors

This article is from a press release by the NBA
The NBA and the global basketball community are set to mark World Basketball Day on Dec. 21 with a wide-ranging celebration aimed at engaging hundreds of millions of fans and youth across the world, highlighting basketball&rsquo;s roots, reach and enduring social impact.
Now in its third year, World Basketball Day commemorates the date in 1891 when Dr. James Naismith first introduced the game of basketball at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts. Established by the United Nations in 2023, the annual celebration recognizes basketball as a unifying force across cultures and continents&mdash;an idea the NBA is embracing through clinics, community programs, digital campaigns and in-arena activations worldwide.
This year&rsquo;s observance carries added significance as it coincides with the 175th anniversary of the YMCA, widely regarded as the birthplace of the sport. In recognition of that milestone, the NBA and YMCA announced a year-long collaboration focused on youth basketball and community development, extending a long-standing partnership that will support millions of young people and families across the United States.
The initiative will include youth-focused programming and renovations of select YMCA facilities nationwide, directly benefiting the more than six million youth the YMCA serves annually. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver emphasized the historical importance of the moment, noting that World Basketball Day in 2025 serves as both a celebration of the game&rsquo;s origins and a reflection of its global influence more than a century later.
&ldquo;World Basketball Day takes on a special meaning this year as we commemorate the 175th anniversary of the YMCA, where the sport was first invented 134 years ago,&rdquo; Silver said. &ldquo;We are thrilled to join our many friends in the basketball community to celebrate the game&rsquo;s impact and influence around the world.&rdquo;
The NBA&rsquo;s digital footprint will play a central role in the celebration. Across its global and localized social platforms, the league will feature NBA players sharing what World Basketball Day means to them, alongside highlights from events taking place in different regions. Fans are encouraged to participate by tagging @nba, @nbacares and @jrnba on social media using the hashtag #WorldBasketballDay.
On the grassroots level, the Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA programs, along with NBA Basketball School initiatives that reach tens of millions of youth and coaches globally, will gain access to a special playbook containing exclusive training and educational content designed to promote skill development and values such as teamwork and leadership.
World Basketball Day will also intersect with the NBA&rsquo;s competitive calendar. Dec. 21 will serve as a &ldquo;3-for-1 Day&rdquo; in NBA All-Star Voting, allowing fans with an NBA ID to submit one ballot per day via the NBA App or NBA.com, with each vote counting triple toward All-Star selections.
Across the United States, numerous NBA franchises&mdash;including the Lakers, Celtics, Heat, Bucks, Mavericks and Warriors&mdash;will celebrate through localized events and in-arena activities. Several player-led initiatives will headline the festivities, including youth clinics hosted by former and current NBA players such as Taj Gibson and Michael Carter-Williams. In St. Louis, the Gateway Region YMCA recently hosted a youth clinic attended by Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who also announced upcoming YMCA renovations supported by NBA Cares and The Jayson Tatum Foundation.
Internationally, the scope of World Basketball Day underscores the NBA&rsquo;s global reach. FIBA will announce the inductees for its 2026 Hall of Fame class, while NBA Africa and the Basketball Africa League will deploy 19 coaches to conduct clinics across 13 African nations, reaching more than 600 coaches as part of a long-term effort to develop the sport on the continent.
The Philippines, one of the NBA&rsquo;s most passionate international markets, will play a visible role in the celebration. Local basketball players and content creators from the country will be featured across the NBA&rsquo;s localized channels, while NBA Stores in the Philippines will host World Basketball Day scavenger hunts offering fans the chance to win merchandise and exclusive discounts. Beginning on Dec. 21, fans who purchase official NBA merchandise at participating stores will also receive a complimentary World Basketball Day T-shirt while supplies last.
NBA champion Jayson Tatum highlighted the personal significance of the day, pointing to basketball&rsquo;s role in shaping lives beyond the court. &ldquo;World Basketball Day is a chance to celebrate the game and the impact it has on people everywhere,&rdquo; Tatum said. &ldquo;Basketball has had such a positive influence on my life, and I hope I can pass along the joy and skills I&rsquo;ve learned to the next generation.&rdquo;
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert echoed those sentiments, emphasizing the sport&rsquo;s ability to open doors for girls and women worldwide. Leaders from FIBA, USA Basketball, the NCAA, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the NBCA and the NFHS also underscored basketball&rsquo;s educational, cultural and community value, reinforcing the idea that the game&rsquo;s influence stretches far beyond professional leagues.
As basketball continues to grow as the world&rsquo;s fastest-rising sport and the second most popular globally, World Basketball Day stands as both a tribute to its humble beginnings and a celebration of its future. From neighborhood gyms to global arenas, Dec. 21 will once again spotlight how a simple game invented more than a century ago continues to connect communities, inspire youth and bring the world together through a shared love for basketball.

The NBA and the global basketball community are set to mark World Basketball Day on Dec. 21 with a wide-ranging celebration.

NBA, Global Basketball Community Unite for World Basketball Day Celebration

NBA superstar guard Ja Morant capped the Philippines leg of his global Nike &ldquo;Make Them Watch&rdquo; tour with a spectacular visit to Manila, inspiring fans and elevating the city&rsquo;s spirited basketball culture.&nbsp;
His final stop in the Philippines, after going around the world from Atlanta, New York, China, and Japan, was a showcase at The Courtyard in Bonifacio Global City. Morant delivered unforgettable moments for fans, community engagement, and true superstar power like a rock star.
Arriving to cheers from hundreds of fans, Morant interacted with local hoopers, posed for photos, and even broke into his iconic &ldquo;griddy&rdquo; dance. The tour featured an exhibition game featuring Filipino basketball talents like Jeron Teng, Ricci Rivero, Rhenz Abando, CJ Cansino, and Jack Animam.&nbsp;
Morant finished the game with two powerful two-handed dunks, including a crowd-thundering alley delivered by one of his crew.
Beyond game action, Morant signed a lucky youth&rsquo;s gear, as he celebrated his birthday on-court with Morant surprising them with a signed pair of Nike Ja 3s. Filipino hoopers, many sporting Morant jerseys and even tattoos, visualized their dreams in real time.
Reflecting on the visit, Morant said, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been good. Everybody has been very welcoming and loving to me and my family. I am super excited to be here.&rdquo; Filipino fans returned the love, packing the venue and treating the NBA star like a hometown hero.&nbsp;
Morant&rsquo;s Manila stop served as a powerful cultural moment, showcasing basketball&rsquo;s unifying impact in one of Asia&rsquo;s most passionate hoops markets. For Nike, it marked the capstone of an international tour also including stops in the U.S., China, and Japan, underscoring Morant&rsquo;s rising global brand presence.&nbsp;
Ja Morant&rsquo;s Manila engagement was more than a visit &ndash; it was a celebration of hoops culture. From high-flying dunks to giving back, his presence left an indelible mark: a moment Filipino fans, local athletes, and global basketball-watchers won&rsquo;t soon forget.
Check this thread out here for Ja&rsquo;s &ldquo;Make Them Watch&rdquo; Nike tour PH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
MAKE THEM WATCH Ja Morant Nike Tour PH Everything that happened during Ja&rsquo;s visit in Manila, Philippines; a thread // <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@basketbllnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/CZ3fsXd18w">pic.twitter.com/CZ3fsXd18w</a>
&mdash; Mon Anthony Valmoria (@MorvalNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MorvalNBA/status/1951570560959566276?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2025</a>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</blockquote>

NBA superstar guard Ja Morant capped the Philippines leg of his global Nike “Make Them Watch” tour with a visit to Manila.

Ja Morant visits Manila, Philippines in “Make Them Watch” Nike tour finale

After months of scrolling through countless Damian Lillard trade rumors, the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bucks-shock-nba-world-by-acquiring-damian-lillard-in-blockbuster-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news finally broke</a> on Wednesday afternoon that the Portland Trail Blazers' long-time franchise cornerstone was headed to the Milwaukee Bucks. In one of the more surprising blockbuster trades in recent memory, the seven-time All-Star guard will pair with Giannis Antetokounmpo to form one of the best duos in the league.&nbsp;
Now, the new big fish in the trade market is none other than the player Lillard was dealt for: Jrue Holiday. The Blazers' return featured Holiday, former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns second-rounder Toumani Camara, an unprotected Bucks 2029 first-rounder, and 2028 and 2030 first-round pick swaps from Milwaukee. The circumstances of Lillard&rsquo;s trade request and his desire to be dealt specifically to the Miami Heat dampened his trade value, but the Blazers were able to come away with a &ldquo;palatable&rdquo; return.
 However, Holiday is unlikely to stay in Portland for long as he does not fit their rebuilding timeline around core players Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1707100851880259810" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN&rsquo;s Bobby Marks</a> graded Portland&rsquo;s trade return as &ldquo;incomplete&rdquo; pending the potential assets the team receives for Holiday when they flip him.
Many contending teams are reportedly rushing to the phones to make moves in reaction to the Lillard blockbuster, with several expressing serious interest in Holiday. These possible suitors include the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers and Heat. Teams must factor in Holiday's potential free agency next summer and the possibility of signing him to a long-term extension, which he becomes eligible for on Feb. 22. Perhaps the Blazers will have some urgency to deal Holiday prior to Media Day on Oct. 2 in order to avoid questions and logistics about bringing him in for training camp.&nbsp;
For any team over the luxury-tax apron ($171,294,000) to trade for Holiday, they need to trade away at least $33,175,536 (90% of Holiday&rsquo;s 2023-24 salary) in salaries in order to legally execute a trade. The rest of the league will only need to send out $27,646,280 (75% of Holiday&rsquo;s 2023-24 salary) in order to make a deal.&nbsp;
Another important CBA note with any Holiday trade is that his $36,861,707 salary cannot be aggregated with other contracts for two months. While Holiday is still eligible to be immediately rerouted elsewhere, he cannot be traded with other players. For example, just a few months back, Chris Paul was traded to the Washington Wizards and then quickly rerouted in a separate deal to Golden State. Because Paul was the only salary going back to the Warriors, he was legally allowed to be traded. This must be taken into consideration when proposing potential trade ideas.
With Holiday potentially on the move in the coming days, let&rsquo;s take a look at some potential deals for the 33-year-old.
Realistic Trade Destinations
BOSTON CELTICS
Celtics receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: Malcolm Brogdon, Al Horford, Dalano Banton (salary guarantee increased to $1,009,853 to satisfy trade rules), 2024 GSW top-4 protected first-round pick, 2025 BOS first-round pick, 2026 BOS first-round pick swap, 2024 CHI/DAL/NO (most favorable) second-round pick, 2026 MIN/NO/NYK/POR (most favorable) second-round pick
By trading away Marcus Smart this summer, the Celtics lost the key cog to their juggernaut defense. Despite not having a Defensive Player of the Year award, Holiday would probably serve as an upgrade to Smart on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor, helping the Celtics compete against the new-look Bucks in the East. If they wish to enter the Holiday sweepstakes, they would need to trade Malcolm Brogdon ($22,500,000), whom they were close to dealing to the Clippers in July. Along with Brogdon, they would have to sacrifice either Al Horford ($10,000,000) or Robert Williams III ($11,571,429) to make the salaries work. They have all of their own draft picks to trade as well as the Golden State Warriors' pick in 2024, which they got from the Smart trade.
MIAMI HEAT
Heat receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: Kyle Lowry, Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, 2027 MIA first-round pick, 2029 MIA top-14 protected first-round pick, 2028 MIA first-round pick swap, 2024 MIA top-50 protected second-round pick, 2026 LAL second-round pick, 2027 HOU/IND/MIA/OKC/SA (least favorable) second-round pick
Missing out once again in their pursuit of a star third option to pair with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, Miami could use an upgrade like Holiday to their seemingly incomplete roster. Holiday would provide a must-needed scoring punch and would fit seamlessly in Miami&rsquo;s hard-working culture. While their Lillard trade package was highlighted by Tyler Herro, they likely wouldn&rsquo;t use him in any trade for Holiday. Their salary going out in a deal would come from Kyle Lowry&rsquo;s expiring salary ($29,682,540) and some combination of younger players like Jaime Jaquez Jr. ($3,510,533), Nikola Jovic ($2,352,000) and Haywood Highsmith ($1,902,137). While they are somewhat restricted in terms of draft assets, they can offer up to three first-round picks if they amend their 2025 first-round pick they owe the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have three second-rounders to offer as well.&nbsp;
NEW YORK KNICKS
Knicks receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: RJ Barrett, Reggie Bullock, Khem Birch, 2024 DAL top-10 protected first-round pick, 2024 DET top-18 protected first-round pick, 2024 WAS top-12 protected first-round pick
Spurs receive: Evan Fournier, 2026 MEM top-42 protected second-round pick, 2027 NO/POR (less favorable) second-round pick
The Knicks may be holding out for when the next superstar &ndash; i.e. Joel Embiid, Donovan Mitchell or Giannis Antetokounmpo (although maybe not anymore?) &ndash; asks for a trade. While New York may be focused on further down the line, acquiring a player like Holiday could allow them to boost their roster right now without giving up enough capital to harm their future superstar pursuits. A Knicks trade that would not harm their trove of draft assets would have to send out RJ Barrett ($23,883,929), who potentially fits Portland&rsquo;s rebuilding timeline. Jrue could line up as the team&rsquo;s starting shooting guard alongside Jalen Brunson, while Josh Hart would play more minutes at small forward to mitigate the loss of Barrett. Evan Fournier&rsquo;s large salary ($18,857,143) would also have to be in any deal for the Knicks to take in Holiday. Portland wouldn&rsquo;t want to acquire both Fournier and Barrett as that would push them over the luxury tax, therefore they would likely route Fournier to another team (like San Antonio).
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Clippers receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers receive: Marcus Morris Sr., Robert Covington, Amir Coffey, Jason Preston (salary fully guaranteed), 2028 LAC first-round pick, 2030 LAC first-round pick, 2029 LAC first-round pick swap
The Clippers may have been given an olive branch with a player like Jrue Holiday becoming available, as he's an impact player at a price they can afford. It also provides an alternative for the Clippers to land a third star while avoiding the potential drama/issues that could come with acquiring a player like James Harden. The Clippers have a lot of high-salary veterans they could use to get to Holiday&rsquo;s number like Norman Powell ($18,000,000), Marcus Morris Sr. ($17,116,279), Nicolas Batum ($11,710,818) and Robert Covington ($11,692,308). They would probably like to keep Terance Mann, who they seem to not want to include in a potential Harden trade, although his $10,576,923 could be useful. Portland could view their unprotected picks in 2028 and 2030 as some of the best draft assets they could receive due to their aging stars and lack of postseason success.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
76ers receive: Jrue Holiday
Clippers receive: James Harden, 2024 NYK second-round pick, 2029 PHI second-round pick, 2030 PHI second-round pick
Trail Blazers receive: Marcus Morris Sr., Robert Covington, Amir Coffey, Jason Preston (salary fully guaranteed to satisfy trade rules), 2028 LAC first-round pick, 2029 PHI first-round pick, 2029 LAC first-round pick swap
Amidst the James Harden debacle, Daryl Morey has remained steadfast in getting a formidable return if they choose to trade the disgruntled All-Star. A reunion with Jrue Holiday, who played in Philadelphia from 2009 to 2013, certainly should get Morey and the Sixers' attention. Holiday would certainly upgrade their defense while being a good support and influence on Tyrese Maxey. The Trail Blazers would have little interest in taking a direct package from Philadelphia, which would almost certainly be headlined by Harden ($35,640,000). Harden's desired destination, the Clippers, should still be interested in acquiring him, but may be more interested in trading for Holiday directly. Portland would likely get a similar package to what they would receive if they traded directly with the Clippers, potentially leaving Philadelphia out to dry. The Sixers would have to incentivize the Clippers by trading some draft capital to take Harden instead of Holiday.
Honorable Mentions
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
The Warriors are a logical Holiday destination in terms of fit and trade assets. A trade package would have to send the newly acquired Chris Paul back to Portland or a third team along with a young player like Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody or Brandin Podziemski, plus a draft pick. Given that coach Steve Kerr has talked all summer about bringing Paul into the fold, it would be pretty surprising if the team pivoted from the future Hall-of-Famer just before training camp. If the Warriors do choose to jump in the Holiday waters, they could quickly move to the front of the line.&nbsp;
TORONTO RAPTORS
Toronto was considered the favorite to acquire Lillard at one point, with a package that was likely headlined by OG Anunoby and draft assets. In order to acquire Holiday, they would need to use a similar package, albeit with less draft capital involved. It seems as though the Raptors were being coy about potentially dealing Anunoby for Lillard, according to <a href="https://torontosun.com/sports/basketball/nba/toronto-raptors/options-for-raptors-with-damian-lillard-trade-dream-done" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun</a>. If Masai Ujiri was unwilling to include Anunoby in trade discussions before, it&rsquo;s unlikely he will do so for a player like Holiday.&nbsp;
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
Holiday would be a near perfect fit alongside Anthony Edwards in the Wolves' backcourt and would greatly improve their defense. However, Minnesota simply doesn&rsquo;t have the right salaries or draft assets to realistically get to Holiday&rsquo;s number unless they are willing to part ways with Karl-Anthony Towns. Even if Tim Connelly was willing to deal Towns for Holiday, the trade may not be what Portland is looking for with the 2015 No. 1 overall pick&rsquo;s five-year supermax extension beginning next season. The idea of paying supermax money to Towns will likely be a turn off for Blazers GM Joe Cronin.
ORLANDO MAGIC
Orlando is probably the most fun dark-horse destination for Jrue. While Markelle Fultz has been a suitable lead guard when healthy, Holiday would bring a championship-level veteran presence that could be useful for Orlando&rsquo;s young squad. The question with the Magic is whether they would actually pursue a deal that would accelerate their timeline with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, as well as whether they would part with draft capital that they could potentially use down the line in future trades.

With the Blazers looking to flip Jrue Holiday, Blake Stern breaks down several teams that make sense as a trade suitor.

NBA trade rumors: Examining potential destinations for Jrue Holiday

SlamBall co-founder Mason Gordon spoke to Alex Kennedy about the sport's return, the new season on ESPN and much more.

The return of SlamBall: Co-founder Mason Gordon discusses new season

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Aaron Gordon scored 27 points, Nikola Jokic added 23 and the Denver Nuggets moved one win away from their first NBA championship by beating the Miami Heat 108-95 on Friday night to take a 3-1 lead in the title series.
Bruce Brown scored 21 off the bench for the Nuggets, who took both games in Miami to grab complete command. They&rsquo;ll have three chances to win one game for a title, two of those in Denver, the first of them in what&rsquo;s sure to be a raucous atmosphere for Game 5 on Monday night.
Jamal Murray had 15 points and 12 assists &mdash; his fourth consecutive double-digit assist game &mdash; for Denver.
Jimmy Butler scored 25 points for Miami, which has now fallen into 3-1 holes in each of its last three finals appearances &mdash; this one joining 2014 and 2020. Bam Adebayo had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, while Kyle Lowry had 13 points.
The Heat walked off the floor in silence, fully aware of how much trouble they&rsquo;re in now.
The Nuggets were overwhelming favorites to start the series, for obvious reasons. Denver was the Western Conference&rsquo;s No. 1 seed; Miami was the Eastern Conference&rsquo;s No. 8 seed. The Nuggets had won nine of the last 10 regular-season meetings between the teams, and their run of success over the Heat has continued through four games of the finals.
Denver led by 13 going into the fourth, and Miami came out for the final quarter with appropriate desperation. The Heat scored the first eight points, Jokic committed his fifth foul and had to go to the bench with 9:24 left &mdash; and it was down to 86-81 when Butler converted a three-point play with 8:42 remaining.
But the Nuggets &ndash; who fell apart in the fourth quarter of Game 2 for their lone loss of the series &ndash; didn&rsquo;t fold, even with their two-time MVP still out. Murray made a 3-pointer to stop Miami&rsquo;s 8-0 spurt, and Jeff Green made a huge corner 3 from near the Heat bench for a 94-85 edge with 6:21 left.
Jokic checked out with Denver up 10. He came back with the Nuggets up nine.
Miami didn&rsquo;t take advantage of that chance, and now finds itself on the wrong end of history. Teams that take a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals have won 35 out of 36 previous times, and the Heat will have to buck that trend to keep Denver from winning its title.
The Nuggets even survived a scare. Jokic tweaked his right ankle when he landed on the back of Max Strus&rsquo; foot midway through the opening quarter. He remained in the game after it happened, briefly retreated to the Denver locker room before the start of the second quarter and played the rest of the way with no evident issues.
TIP-INS
Nuggets: Murray played with tape protecting the bottom of his left hand, thanks to a nasty floor burn he got in Game 3. &hellip; It was Denver&rsquo;s 25th win on the road this season, tying a franchise record set last season. ... Michael Porter Jr. scored 11 for the Nuggets.
Heat: It was retiring 20-year veteran Udonis Haslem&rsquo;s 43rd birthday and rookie Nikola Jovic&rsquo;s 20th birthday. Jovic was 58 days old when Haslem signed his first Heat contract. &hellip; If it was Miami&rsquo;s home finale this season, then the Heat went 613-299 in its home arena during his career. &hellip; Miami started the playoffs 6-0 at home. The Heat are 0-4 on their home floor since.
SLOW START
Miami led 21-20 after one quarter. The 41 combined points were the fewest in the first quarter of the last 24 finals games; the first quarter of Game 4 of the Toronto-Golden State series in 2019 had 40 points.
CELEB WATCH
Kentucky coach John Calipari was in the crowd, as was Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, two-time WNBA MVP A&rsquo;ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces, Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields and twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder &mdash; who helped the Miami Hurricanes make the Elite Eight in this year&rsquo;s NCAA women&rsquo;s tournament.

The Nuggets moved one win away from their first NBA championship by beating the Heat 108-95 on Friday night to take a 3-1 lead.

Nuggets now in full command of NBA Finals, top Heat 108-95 for 3-1 lead

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Jamal Murray kept imploring the crowd to get louder and louder with each trip down the floor.
As if the Nuggets point guard even needed to. His play was already rocking the arena.
Murray scored 34 points, hitting six of Denver&rsquo;s 16 3-pointers, and the Nuggets sprinted past the Phoenix Suns 125-107 on Saturday night in Game 1 of their second-round series.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a bad man,&rdquo; Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.
Any response to that adulation?
&ldquo;Thanks?&rdquo; Murray said. &ldquo;Appreciate it. ... I&rsquo;m just playing my game. ... I&rsquo;m doing whatever it takes to win.&rdquo;
And maybe show a nation that doesn&rsquo;t always get to watch the Nuggets &mdash; you know, because they&rsquo;re usually on so late &mdash; what the players have known all season: They&rsquo;re talented and worthy of their top seed in the Western Conference. They don&rsquo;t mind if the Suns, as the fourth seed, are the trendy pick to beat them, either.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to keep doing what we&rsquo;re doing, keep proving everybody wrong,&rdquo; Murray said.
Reigning back-to-back NBA MVP Nikola Jokic had 24 points and 19 rebounds, while Aaron Gordon finished with 23 points. But this was the Murray Show, where he went 6 of 10 from 3-point land and frequently exhorted for more noise from the already raucous crowd.
&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s be honest, some of the shots he hit tonight I don&rsquo;t think anybody could have stopped him,&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams said.
Kevin Durant scored 29 points and grabbed 14 boards for the Suns, with Devin Booker adding 27 points and Chris Paul 11. Booker averaged 37.2 points in a first-round series win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
&ldquo;I thought that they were just more physical, played with more force,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to regroup and do a much better job of playing with pace on offense.&rdquo;
Game 2 is Monday night in Denver.
This is a different sort of playoff series than two years ago, when the Suns swept the Nuggets in the second round. Back then, Denver was without Murray after he tore his ACL.
Now healthy, Murray is flashing his 2020 form inside the NBA bubble that helped Denver advance to the Western Conference finals.
&ldquo;Jamal just continues to add to the legend of playoff Jamal,&rdquo; Malone said.
Murray had the play of the night when he stole a pass, split defenders Paul and Durant at top speed and knocked in a layup high off the glass. It brought the capacity crowd to its feet.
The dynamic point guard was far from done energizing the fans, hitting a 3-pointer with just under 7 minutes remaining. He implored them for more noise, even holding a hand to his ear.
Leading 106-95 with 7:40 remaining, the Nuggets went on a 14-0 run to put away the game. Denver led by as much as 25 and improved to 38-7 at home through the regular season and playoffs.
Durant cut off a question about whether he was surprised by the Nuggets.
Because he&rsquo;s not.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re the No. 1 seed for a reason. They got a two-time MVP. They&rsquo;ve got a deep team. I&rsquo;m not surprised,&rdquo; Durant said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got our work cut out for us.&rdquo;
The difference was the 3-point line, where the Nuggets outscored the Suns by a 48-21 margin. That and turnovers, where the Suns had 16, including seven by Durant.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got to be way more careful with the ball,&rdquo; Durant said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve to look to either shoot the ball or make the correct pass. ... I dang got near half our turnovers. We&rsquo;ll be fine. I think we&rsquo;ve just got to play with confidence, shoot with confidence and see what happens next game.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Suns: Williams used his challenge early &mdash; with 55.4 seconds left in the first quarter &mdash; when Booker was called for a charge on a made a basket. It paid off as the call was overturned and Booker awarded a free throw, which he made. ... Deandre Ayton scored 14 points. ... Durant has 4,730 playoff points to move closer to passing Karl Malone (4,761) seventh place on the NBA&rsquo;s postseason points leaderboard.
Nuggets: Malone called a timeout 32 seconds into the second half to settle his team down. Malone said the conversation was simple: &ldquo;Wake up,&rdquo; he recounted. ... Bruce Brown had 14 points.
PAUL PRAISE
As Paul approaches his 38th birthday next week, Malone said the one thing that hasn&rsquo;t changed over the years is Paul&rsquo;s elite competitiveness.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;ll be 55 years old, playing in a rec league back in North Carolina, and he&rsquo;s going to be the same guy,&rdquo; Malone said. &ldquo;The guy hates to lose, ultra-competitive and one of the greatest leaders I&rsquo;ve ever been around. ... No matter what stage of his career, he still finds a way to impact winning at a high level.&rdquo;

Murray scored 34 points, and the Nuggets sprinted past the Suns 125-107 on Saturday night in Game 1 of their second-round series.

Jamal Murray scores 34, Nuggets beat Suns 125-107 in Game 1

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Jimmy Butler took a hard fall.&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/heat-victor-oladipo-injured-068379afcb59938fa5028e85b413d786">Victor Oladipo took a harder one.</a>&nbsp;And the Miami Heat still found a way to knock off the Milwaukee Bucks, reclaiming the lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series.
Butler scored 30 points before leaving with a sore glute, leading the eighth-seeded Heat past the top-seeded Bucks 121-99 on Saturday night for a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
But what should have been a celebratory postgame &mdash; big win, series lead, halfway to upsetting the NBA&rsquo;s top overall seed &mdash; was anything but,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/BallySportWI/status/1649955234616049665?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">after Oladipo left in the fourth quarter</a>&nbsp;after a knee injury that had the Heat fearing very bad news.
&ldquo;I feel probably like how everybody feels,&rdquo; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. &ldquo;It was a great win, but when you see a player go down like that &mdash; especially a player like Vic who&rsquo;s gone through so much in the last three years ... that&rsquo;s definitely not a good feeling.&rdquo;
Injuries have now become the biggest story in this series. The Bucks were without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for a second consecutive game because of a bruised lower back, an injury he suffered in Game 1. The Heat were already without Tyler Herro because of a broken right hand, also from Game 1.
Butler wasn&rsquo;t moving well, and Oladipo&rsquo;s situation &mdash; even without the Heat offering an initial diagnosis yet &mdash; did not seem good, based on the instant reaction of disbelief from teammates and staffers who rushed to his side as he grabbed at the knee.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re all praying for the best,&rdquo; said Heat guard Duncan Robinson, who scored 20 points on his 29th birthday for Miami. Kyle Lowry scored 15 for the Heat.
Khris Middleton scored 23 points, Jrue Holiday added 19 and Grayson Allen scored 14 for Milwaukee.
Game 4 is in Miami on Monday night, when the Heat will aim for a 3-1 lead. Miami took Game 1, Milwaukee took Game 2, Miami won Game 3 and now it&rsquo;ll be the Bucks looking for another bounce-back.
&ldquo;We need to be better,&rdquo; Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. &ldquo;Like I said, give them credit. They played well. We need to be better. We need to deal with a lot of things better. That&rsquo;ll be the challenge going into the next game.&rdquo;
With the win, the Heat are halfway to what would be a stunner &mdash; a No. 8 seed over a No. 1 seed, something that&rsquo;s happened only five times since the NBA went to the 16-team playoff format in 1984.
Those who pulled it off: Denver over Seattle 3-2 in 1994, New York over Miami 3-2 in 1999, Golden State over Dallas 4-2 in 2007, Memphis over San Antonio 4-2 in 2011 and Philadelphia over Chicago 4-2 in 2012.
Butler got hurt midway through the third quarter after trying a shot near the rim and landing on his back. He stayed in the game briefly, departed for a short stint in the locker room and returned with a large wrap on his back &mdash; with the Heat saying he would return.
He didn&rsquo;t, because he didn&rsquo;t have to. The game was in hand, and Miami eventually led by as many as 29.
&ldquo;We still had our chances,&rdquo; Middleton said. &ldquo;Just couldn&rsquo;t get it together.&rdquo;
The first half couldn&rsquo;t have gone better for Miami. Butler had 17 points in the opening quarter, the Heat had a 19-0 run at one point, they set a franchise record by making 12 3&rsquo;s in a half &mdash; and it was still only 66-53 at the break.
The reason, again: Milwaukee was getting 3&rsquo;s, again. The Bucks made 25 of them in their easy Game 2 win and were 10 for 18 from deep in the first half Saturday.
But the Bucks cooled after halftime, shooting only 5 for 21 from 3-point range, and the outcome was never in doubt.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Holiday&rsquo;s first 10 points came in the opening 4:43. He reached 10 points faster in only one other game this season, needing 4:18 to do so against Toronto on Jan. 17. &hellip; Pat Connaughton scored 11 for Milwaukee.
Heat: Kevin Love returned to the Miami starting lineup. &hellip; Robinson had been part of only one other Heat game on his birthday &mdash; it was last year, when Miami lost Game 3 of a first-round series against Atlanta 111-110. Miami was 6-0 all-time in games played on April 22 before that. &hellip; Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel was courtside.

Jimmy Butler took a hard fall. Victor Oladipo took a harder one. And the Miami Heat still found a way to knock off the Milwaukee Bucks.

Butler scores 30, Heat top Giannis-less Bucks 121-99

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &ndash; Kevin Durant scored 35 points and the Phoenix Suns held off the Oklahoma City Thunder 128-118 on Sunday night for their fifth straight victory.
Durant &ndash; once a hero in Oklahoma City after leading the Thunder to the 2012 NBA Finals, but roundly booed nearly every time he touched the ball Sunday &ndash; scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, helping Phoenix hold the lead after Oklahoma City cut a 15-point deficit to three. The Suns are 6-0 with Durant in the lineup.
Devin Booker added 22 points and 10 assists for Phoenix, which shot 56.8% from the field to match its season high. Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Chris Paul had 16 points and eight assists. Phoenix remained fourth in the Western Conference standings.
Oklahoma City, which is battling for a spot in the NBA&rsquo;s play-in tournament, lost for the third time in its last four games despite 39 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder remained in the final play-in spot &ndash; 10th &ndash; a game ahead of the Dallas Mavericks, who lost to the Atlanta Hawks in overtime.
The Thunder led Phoenix seven points in the first quarter and were tied 27-27 entering the second quarter, but Oklahoma City surrendered a 42-point second quarter, matching the highest total by any opponent this season.
A 3-pointer by Isaiah Joe with 5:19 left pulled Oklahoma City to 109-106, but Durant hit a 3-pointer and Ayton followed with a put-back to make it 114-106 with 4:33 left. The Thunder came no closer than five points after that.
HONOR AND GRATITUDE
Phoenix coach Monty Williams was an assistant for the Thunder on Feb. 10, 2016, when his wife, Ingrid, died in a traffic accident in Oklahoma City.
After his pregame news conference Sunday, Williams took time to thank members of the Thunder organization &ndash; including general manager Sam Presti and Ayana Lawson, the team&rsquo;s vice president of community and lifestyle services &ndash; for their continued support.
&ldquo;We lost my wife here, and this city, and in particular, this organization, wrapped their arms around me and my family and they continue to do so, led by Sam Presti, the ownership here and Ayana Lawson,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;Today would have been my wife&rsquo;s birthday and they chose to honor my wife today by not allowing anybody to sit in her seats.
&ldquo;When I found out this morning, it really messed me up because it really speaks to how blessed I am to do what I do and work for the people I work for and other people that I know and how much they care. &hellip; For them to do that today really speaks to this organization and this city.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Suns: Phoenix&rsquo;s Damion Lee is one of 11 finalists for the NBA&rsquo;s Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, which recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.
Thunder: Gilgeous-Alexander, one of the league&rsquo;s top free-throw shooters at 90.6% entering the game, finished 17 of 17. &hellip; Josh Giddey scored 16 points.
UP NEXT
Suns: Host San Antonio on Tuesday night.
Thunder: At Golden State on Tuesday night.

Kevin Durant scored 35 points and the Suns held off the Thunder 128-118 on Sunday night for their fifth straight victory.

Kevin Durant scores 35 points, Suns roll past Thunder

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; LeBron James scored 19 points off the bench in his return from a monthlong injury absence, but Zach LaVine scored 32 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 118-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
DeMar DeRozan added 17 points for the Bulls, who easily overcame James&rsquo; return with an impressive performance in their seventh win in nine games. LaVine hit 11 of his first 14 shots to lead an offensive effort that snapped the Lakers&rsquo; three-game winning streak despite the return of the NBA&rsquo;s career scoring leader.
James sat out 13 games with right foot soreness, missing four weeks during the Lakers&rsquo; run at a playoff berth. The team provided few updates on his recovery, and his return came with little advance warning, the decision made only after a pregame workout.
And for only the second time in his 20-year, 1,958-game NBA career, James wasn&rsquo;t a starter. He came in as a reserve midway through the first quarter, still doing his standard pregame chalk toss while receiving a standing ovation from Lakers fans.
Troy Brown Jr. and Malik Beasley scored 18 points apiece, but Anthony Davis managed just 15 points and nine rebounds as the Lakers (37-38) failed to get above .500 for the first time since Jan. 9, 2022.
The Lakers still were without D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, who missed his second straight game with a right hip injury. Los Angeles went 8-5 in James&rsquo; absence, but his return will force an adjustment of the chemistry built by his teammates in his absence &mdash; and the Bulls took full advantage.
James got his first basket on a drive late in the first quarter, and he finished the first half with eight points. But Chicago largely controlled play, streaking to a 20-point lead in the second quarter. Los Angeles briefly got the lead down to single digits down the stretch, but got no closer.
The Bulls largely controlled Davis even after Nikola Vucevic was ejected in the second quarter with two quick technical fouls when he argued what appeared to be a good call against him.
Patrick Beverley had 10 points and five assists in his first game against the Lakers since they traded him last month. Beverley has been outspoken about his desire to hurt the Lakers&rsquo; playoff hopes during this home-and-home series between the teams, but Davis and the other Lakers smiled at his provocative talk.
When Beverley made a little hook shot with 1:12 left to boost Chicago&rsquo;s lead back to double digits, Beverley slapped the floor and made the dismissive &ldquo;too small&rdquo; gesture sometimes used by NBA players to taunt their opponents, in this case James.
TIP-INS
Bulls: DeRozan sat out Friday&rsquo;s win in Portland with a strained quadriceps ... Alex Caruso played against his former team through foot soreness. ... Javonte Green missed his second straight game with residual soreness in his return from right knee surgery. ... DeRozan will attempt to play in both back-to-back games in Los Angeles, coach Billy Donovan said.
Lakers: Russell has missed eight games with two injuries since joining the Lakers last month. He has played with James only twice. ... Wenyen Gabriel scored two points on his 26th birthday.
UP NEXT
Bulls: At Clippers on Monday.
Lakers: At Chicago on Wednesday.

LeBron James scored 19 points off the bench in his return from a monthlong injury absence, but Zach LaVine scored 32 points.

Bulls spoil LeBron’s return with 118-108 win over Lakers

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) &mdash; The horn sounded and Miami coach Katie Meier turned to start jumping and hugging her staff as players and cheerleaders sprinted past for a meet-at-midcourt celebration. She soon made her way into the crowd to embrace players hollering with delight.
Soon she emerged through the other side to trade hugs and high-fives with a front-row section of Hurricanes fans.
An improbable and emotional ride to the program&rsquo;s first Elite Eight appearance in the women&rsquo;s NCAA Tournament was worth sharing with as many people as she could.
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t believe it,&rdquo; Meier said afterward. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to act cool. This is awesome.&rdquo;
Jasmyne Roberts scored a career-high 26 points &mdash; including a stick-back for the go-ahead, three-point play with 38.8 seconds left &mdash; to help Miami overcome blowing a 21-point lead and beat Villanova 70-65 on Friday, pulling the program to within a win of the Final Four.
Miami had reached the Sweet 16 only once before, in 1992. Now the Hurricanes will play Sunday for the Greenville Region 2 title against third-seeded LSU.
The ninth-seeded Hurricanes (22-12) looked dominant in building a huge lead, wobbly in blowing it. But they hung on down the stretch after Villanova made its push back behind the latest big-scoring effort from Associated Press first-team All-American Maddy Siegrist.
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t even explain the feeling really,&rdquo; guard Haley Cavinder said.
The celebration said plenty. While Meier made her way to the fans, Roberts stayed locked in a firm and emotional embrace with teammate Ja&rsquo;Leah Williams. The sophomore guard picked a perfect time to come through with a huge performance by making 10 of 16 shots and all six of her free throws while pulling down nine rebounds.
&ldquo;Cool Hand Luke is her new nickname. She doesn&rsquo;t even know that movie,&rdquo; Meier said, referencing the Paul Newman movie released more than three decades before Roberts&rsquo; birth.
Siegrist, the nation&rsquo;s scoring leader, had 31 points, 13 rebounds and five steals for fourth-seeded Villanova (30-7). It marked her third 30-point outing in as many tournament games, pushing her to the No. 2 single-season scoring total in Division I history.
Yet it wasn&rsquo;t enough down the stretch, with Siegrist coming up empty in a couple of key moments late. The first came when she posted up Destiny Harden inside, but a quality look on a turnaround hit the backboard before coming off the rim with her team down just 67-65.
Moments later, after a Miami free throw, Siegrist missed from the other side of the lane as Villanova had a chance to extend the game. Instead, Miami secured the rebound, and Roberts hit clinching free throws with 11.1 seconds left for a two-possession lead.
Miami originally appeared to be headed for a much easier finish.
The Hurricanes spent much of the first half using their athleticism and aggressiveness to take control, both in scoring off the dribble and attacking the glass. The Hurricanes led 46-33 by halftime then used a stunning 8-0 burst in the opening minute of the second half, ending when Harden scored on a drive through contact from Siegrist for a three-point play that pushed Miami to a 54-33 lead.
Villanova responded by throwing fullcourt pressure to get back into the game. The Wildcats scored 14 straight points to end the third quarter then took a 60-59 lead on Siegrist&rsquo;s free throws with 5:31 left to cap a 23-2 run, a stretch that had Roberts saying the Hurricanes &ldquo;did kind of lose our composure for a little bit.&rdquo;
That set up a tense finish with neither team leading by more than two until the final 30 seconds. Villanova took its last lead at 65-64 when Lucy Olsen banked in a drive with 49 seconds left before Roberts answered with the and-1.
&ldquo;My mistake,&rdquo; Villanova coach Denise Dillon said. &ldquo;We should have in the first half shown some more of the pressure, the press, but you think just a team that&rsquo;s quick like that can take advantage. But again, just waited a little too late to make that run.&rdquo;
Consider it the latest entry in a wild NCAA novel for the Hurricanes. They first rallied from 17 down to beat Oklahoma State. Then Harden hit the late shot to win at 1-seed Indiana and get them back to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 31 years.
Now they have a chance to play for &mdash; and celebrate &mdash; a whole lot more.
SIEGRIST&rsquo;S FUTURE
An emotional Siegrist fought back tears during her postgame news conference, and offered a hint of finality when asked about plans that could include returning to school or pursuing the WNBA.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got to talk to my parents and stuff like that after,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;But I couldn&rsquo;t be more grateful for the opportunity to have played here. So many good people, and it&rsquo;s really about the people. Take the basketball part out of it, like the memories and the people are something that I&rsquo;m going to cherish forever.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Siegrist closed with 37 straight 20-point games, which the NCAA said is the longest streak by any men&rsquo;s or women&rsquo;s Division I player this century. ... Christina Dalce had 13 points, eight rebounds and five blocks to help Villanova do a better job of battling Miami inside after halftime. ... Harden had 15 points and nine rebounds for Miami, which took a 43-32 rebounding advantage. ... The Wildcats made just 2 of 16 3-pointers.&nbsp;

Miami had reached the Sweet 16 only once before, in 1992. Now the Hurricanes will play Sunday for the Greenville Region 2 title vs. LSU.

Miami women hold on, beat Villanova for first trip to Elite 8

Since the NBA All-Star break, the Philadelphia 76ers have kicked it into an extra gear.&nbsp;
With a record of 8-3 since that point, they have ripped off six straight wins and are only one game back of the Boston Celtics for second place in the Eastern Conference. Despite inconsistent defensive efforts at the beginning of the month, the team has scored at least 112 points in each of its eight March contests.
Translation: The offense is rolling.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
The consistency that this Sixers' offense is operating at right now is truly absurd. This stretch includes the #1 defense, #3 defense, and #6 defense in the league. <a href="https://t.co/y8epwrbUZl">pic.twitter.com/y8epwrbUZl</a>
&mdash; Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/DerekBodnerNBA/status/1636374907050426374?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

Reason No. 1? Joel Embiid.
On Wednesday evening in Cleveland, just before his March 16 birthday, the now-29-year-old fittingly celebrated with yet another commanding performance to continue the downright dominant stretch he&rsquo;s on.
Sure, he might've gotten away with a momentum-shifting charge (that he feels was the correct overturned call), but does that really change the fact that there were no answers for his game?
It&rsquo;s not just the Cavs who felt the hurt (36 points, 18 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 assists to be specific). Typically this writer is not somebody who says check the box scores, but CHECK THE BOX SCORES:
<ul>
<li>March 12 vs. Wizards: 34 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, 4 assists</li>
<li>March 10 vs. Blazers: 39 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks</li>
<li>March 7 at Wolves: 39 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks</li>
<li>March 6 at Pacers: 42 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block</li>
<li>March 4 at Bucks: 31 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds</li>
<li>March 2 at Mavericks: 35 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals</li>
<li>Feb. 27 vs. Heat: 27 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists</li>
<li>Feb. 25 vs. Celtics: 41 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks</li>
<li>Feb. 23 vs. Grizzlies 27 points, 19 rebounds, 6 blocks, 6 assists</li>
</ul>
&ldquo;I've yet to see the scheme that has stopped Joel Embiid, whether it's double teams, triple teams,&rdquo; Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said before Wednesday&rsquo;s loss to Philly.
&ldquo;When he has the ball in his hands, I mean, he's extremely difficult to deal with because of the pressure he can put on individuals, but (also) how crafty he is in playing in small spaces. I think he's shooting close to 14 free throws a game since the All-Star break. And that's because it is so crowded and he does such a great job of maneuvering and moving the ball to create contact and draw fouls.&rdquo;
That&rsquo;s what Embiid does. He imposes his will with brute strength, draws multiple bodies and operates from there. When he isn&rsquo;t getting doubled, he is patient with his dribble and can hurt anybody with the pull-up mid-range game. He can also shoot over the top of your doubles and go with the old-school, back-to-the-basket game to force his way into the paint.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
7'0" 280 LBS &amp; these handles! HBD (MVP?) Joel Embiid <a href="https://t.co/G11IVG8Q52">pic.twitter.com/G11IVG8Q52</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1636359995745763328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

And if that&rsquo;s not enough, there&rsquo;s James Harden &mdash; who&rsquo;s having arguably his cleanest and most efficient season since his Houston days &mdash; working the high pick-and-roll with him in the pocket, where the 7-foot, 280-pound monster of a man can catch the ball and tiptoe around defenders with the gliding finesse of a small guard.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s why he&rsquo;s one of the best bigs to ever play the game. I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;ve seen a big like it &mdash; well, I haven&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Harden told Basketball News after Philly&rsquo;s 118-109 win in Cleveland. &ldquo;He can handle the ball, he can shoot it, he can be powerful when you need him to be.&nbsp;
&ldquo;So I&rsquo;m just grateful he&rsquo;s on my team, that we&rsquo;re on the same team. But just trying to find ways every single game to make his job easier, to make our job easier, and he&rsquo;s doing a great job of leading us."
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bOiJ2DJulg8" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Embiid told Basketball News that it&rsquo;s as simple as being aggressive.
&ldquo;My mindset is always to score first, and there&rsquo;s nothing wrong with that. If I get doubled, I&rsquo;m gonna pass it. It&rsquo;s all about making the right plays,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not so much about just scoring the ball and passing. It&rsquo;s about just making the right plays, and I think that&rsquo;s where the game has really slowed down.&nbsp;
&ldquo;(I&rsquo;m) just trying to take advantage of what&rsquo;s given to me. A couple plays, they hard doubled me, and that&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;ve seen a lot, whether it&rsquo;s Toronto&hellip; a lot of teams try to do the same things, but it&rsquo;s something that I&rsquo;ve figured out and you&rsquo;ve just gotta keep making the right plays.&rdquo;
There&rsquo;s just something about the pairing of Harden and Embiid that clicks. When you have a ball-handler with the former&rsquo;s patience and the latter&rsquo;s ability to toggle between when to use his strength and when to use his touch, there&rsquo;s little opposing squads can do to stop it. Throw in the way the two get to the line, and the task gets taller.
"I was with James for four years in Houston, and he's a master at manipulating the rules, and Joel does the same," Bickerstaff said. "So you have to be extremely disciplined, but even then, they find a way to create that contact and draw a foul."
Harden is enjoying the hottest three-point season of his career at 39.6% from distance, and it&rsquo;s been a consistent shot the whole campaign. (Post-injury, he&rsquo;s been even better.) He&rsquo;s leading the NBA with 10.8 assists per game too, and over his last five contests has dished out almost 13 dimes a night, including a 20-assist performance in Indiana. Engineering one of the hottest offenses in the league on a nightly basis deserves just as much recognition as Embiid.
Correct decisions and impeccable timing have staples of this incredible one-two punch, but what does it look like when both stars are at their best?
&ldquo;Trouble for the other team, &lsquo;cause we&rsquo;re scoring the ball and then you&rsquo;re getting the other guys involved, just dominating the game,&rdquo; said Harden, who vouched for <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/joel-embiid-has-surpassed-nikola-jokic-as-oddson-nba-mvp-favorite" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Embiid as MVP</a> following his game-winner vs. Portland a week ago. &ldquo;And if we can do that as many times each quarter and then each game, then it&rsquo;s gonna be tough for teams to beat us.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;m at my best yet. I think I&rsquo;m trending towards that. I think I&rsquo;ve got a lot more to give,&rdquo; Embiid said. &ldquo;Defensively, I&rsquo;m getting there. I&rsquo;m getting back to myself. Usually, I take another step in the playoffs. The last couple games, (it&rsquo;s) been a huge focus for me, especially since All-Star break. So like I said, I&rsquo;ve got a long way to go, but getting better every single day. And for him, same thing. Try to get better every single day. But it&rsquo;s not about just us, it&rsquo;s about the team. It&rsquo;s about, &lsquo;How do we bring everybody together to make sure everybody&rsquo;s successful?&rsquo;&rdquo;
(Special shout out to Tyrese Maxey, who's been terrific since reentering Philly's starting five. He shows no lack of confidence when receiving the ball in the half-court, speeds down the floor in transition and puts daggers in opposing fans' hearts.)
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
After the win in Cleveland, Philly will remain on the road for six of their next seven games. Embiid and Harden mirrored each other&rsquo;s thoughts regarding how to approach the stretch run toward the postseason: focusing on one game at a time.
&ldquo;Try to find ways to win, what works offensively, what works defensively. We&rsquo;re in a pretty good spot,&rdquo; Embiid said.
&ldquo;Continue to get better. Hitting the peak at the right time,&rdquo; Harden said. &ldquo;We got 14 games left, so every game&rsquo;s gonna be critical for us, whether it&rsquo;s seeding or whether it&rsquo;s just our confidence as a group. (Wednesday) was a good win for us.&rdquo;
The Sixers' dynamic duo recognizes what point of the season this is. If Philly can ride this wave going into mid-April as a team, this group will be a tough out.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s time to go,&rdquo; Embiid. &ldquo;Playoffs are around the corner. We&rsquo;ve still got a lot more games to go. But you want to go to the playoffs with the right mentality, and that&rsquo;s to be great defensively and try to find ways to dominate offensively.&rdquo;

Spencer Davies speaks with the Sixers' duo of Joel Embiid and James Harden about helping Philly find its groove in the stretch run.

For Joel Embiid, James Harden and the 76ers, it's go time

TORONTO (AP) &mdash; Pascal Siakam scored 20 points, Gary Trent Jr. had 19 and the Toronto Raptors beat the Chicago Bulls 104-98 on Tuesday night for their eighth victory in 10 games.
O.G. Anunoby added 17 points and Jakob Poeltl had 14 to help the Raptors win their fourth straight at home, matching their longest streak of the season.
Nikola Vucevic led the Bulls with 23 points and Zach LaVine had 17. DeMar DeRozan scored 13 points against his former team as Chicago fell to 10-21 on the road.
The Bulls had won back-to-back home games after losing six straight before the All-Star break, holding both Brooklyn and Washington below 90 points, but couldn&rsquo;t keep that streak going north of the border.
Toronto had 94 field goal attempts to Chicago&rsquo;s 71 and outrebounded the Bulls 47-35, including a 19-6 advantage on the offensive glass.
&ldquo;They have size everywhere,&rdquo; Bulls coach Billy Donovan said about the Raptors. &ldquo;We did get hurt, no question, on the glass.&rdquo;
The Bulls shot 37 for 71 overall and went 10 for 25 from 3-point range, but had 20 turnovers that led to 21 points for Toronto.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to put up points in a game like that with what we did,&rdquo; Donovan said. &ldquo;I thought we were trying to play the right way and we were trying do the right things. We just didn&rsquo;t execute as well as we needed to.&rdquo;
Vucevic said the Bulls needed to work harder to battle for rebounds.
&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t do a good enough job tonight of boxing them out and grabbing the ball,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;A few of them were 50-50.&rdquo;
Raptors forward Scottie Barnes struggled through the first three quarters, shooting 1 for 8, but scored eight points and had a season-high four blocks in the final period.
&ldquo;The competitive side of him really starts emerging in the fourth,&rdquo; Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. &ldquo;He just starts playing really physical and really tough.&rdquo;
Anunoby said he appreciated Barnes&rsquo; big finish.
&ldquo;He was amazing,&rdquo; Anunoby said. &ldquo;He was everywhere, making blocks, getting the ball and pushing, passing, finishing. He was doing everything.&rdquo;
Barnes finished with 11 points. He had eight rebounds and four assists.
Chicago led 46-44 at the half. LaVine scored 11 points in the third and the Bulls scored the final five points of the quarter to take a 72-70 lead to the fourth.
TIP-INS
Bulls: Ayo Dosunmu scored 10 points and Andre Drummond had 10 rebounds. &hellip; Chicago waived G Goran Dragic, making him a free agent. The 15-year veteran, 36, has missed the past four games because of a sore left knee. &hellip; G Alex Caruso celebrated his 29th birthday.
Raptors: Barnes had a career-high five blocks against Sacramento on Dec. 13, 2021. &hellip; Toronto signed G Will Barton and waived F Juancho Hernangomez. Barton averaged 7.7 points in 40 games with Washington before he was waived Feb. 21. He played four minutes in his Toronto debut Tuesday. &hellip; G Dalano Banton (left thumb) was not available.
FRED&rsquo;S BACK
Toronto guard Fred VanVleet returned after missing the past three games as he spent time at home for the birth of his third child. VanVleet shot 1 for 11, going 1 for 9 from 3-point range and scoring three points, but still made an impact with nine assists and six rebounds.
&ldquo;It makes a big difference having Fred out there,&rdquo; Anunoby said. &ldquo;It definitely helps our team. He&rsquo;s just a steady presence.&rdquo;
GOOD MONTH
Toronto went 8-3 in February, its most victories in any month this season.
UP NEXT
Bulls: At Detroit on Wednesday night.
Raptors: Begin five-game trip at Washington on Thursday night.

Pascal Siakam scored 20 points, and the Raptors beat the Bulls 104-98 on Tuesday night for their eighth victory in 10 games.

Raptors beat Bulls 104-98 for 8th victory in 10 games

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Jayson Tatum put on a record-setting show, and made Giannis Antetokounmpo look like a genius.
Tatum scored an All-Star Game-record 55 points on his way to winning MVP honors, and Team Giannis ended LeBron James&rsquo; hold on All-Star captain supremacy by beating Team LeBron 184-175 in the NBA&rsquo;s annual showcase exhibition on Sunday night.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Jayson Tatum went OFF for an NBA All-Star Game record 27 PTS in Q3 👀 52 PTS, 9 REB, 5 AST, 10 3PM<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAAllStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAAllStar</a> | Live on TNT <a href="https://t.co/iIVsghzRk0">pic.twitter.com/iIVsghzRk0</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1627515481233186816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

Tatum had 27 points in the third quarter, another All-Star Game record for any period. He was the first pick by Antetokounmpo in the starters&rsquo; portion of the All-Star draft, and in the end, that pick proved to be the right one.
&ldquo;It means the world,&rdquo; Tatum said. &ldquo;You think of all the legends and great players that have played this game, and in all honesty, records are made to be broken. I&rsquo;ll hold it for as long as I can, but I&rsquo;m certain someone will come along in a couple years and try to break it.&rdquo;
Tatum broke Anthony Davis&rsquo; All-Star record of 52 points. He was 22 of 31 from the floor, plus had 10 rebounds and six assists.
It was James&rsquo; first loss in six times as captain. Antetokounmpo improved to 1-2 in his All-Star captaincies, and became the first captain to hoist a new trophy presented to the winners of the All-Star Game.
&ldquo;Winner, winner, chicken dinner,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said.
Donovan Mitchell added 40 for Team Giannis, which got 26 points from Damian Lillard &mdash; including the game-winner to push his team past the target score.
Jaylen Brown scored 35 points and had 14 rebounds for Team LeBron, while Kyrie Irving had 32 points and 15 assists and Joel Embiid finished with 32 points.
Lillard, the winner of the 3-point contest on All-Star Saturday Night, made eight 3s &mdash; including a halfcourt pullup in the third quarter.
&ldquo;That was the worst basketball game I&rsquo;ve ever seen,&rdquo; Team LeBron coach Michael Malone said, clearly poking fun at the defense-optional event.
The league had a ceremony before the second half to pay tribute to the three leading scorers in NBA history: No. 3 Karl Malone, No. 2 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James, now the game&rsquo;s career leader after he passed Abdul-Jabbar earlier this month.
Malone and Abdul-Jabbar were brought to the stage, and then Dwyane Wade &mdash; James&rsquo; former teammate in Miami and now a part-owner of the Jazz &mdash; introduced James to bring him onto the platform.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve all been witnesses,&rdquo; Wade said. &ldquo;No matter the challenge, no matter the noise, he was relentless.&rdquo;
With the number 38,388 displayed behind him, James then raised his hand to thank the fans for their ovation, hugged Abdul-Jabbar and Malone. He didn&rsquo;t return to the game, his night ending with a right hand contusion.
He finished with 13 points, and said a chasedown block in the first half led to him getting a finger caught in the rim.
&ldquo;Precautionary reasons,&rdquo; James said.
James played a half. The game&rsquo;s other captain didn&rsquo;t play a half-minute.
Antetokoumpo drafted his team before the game, went through warmups (such as they were) and started the game as planned.
But his right wrist was wrapped, and that was an ominous sign. The injury kept him out of All-Star Saturday&rsquo;s skills event, limited him to 20 seconds in this one. He got an uncontested dunk to open the game, then took a foul and headed to the bench.
&ldquo;Whatever I have, I&rsquo;m going to give,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s who I am. That&rsquo;s never going to change.&rdquo;
As in past years, the teams played for charity, with Team LeBron raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah and Team Giannis for Raise the Future, which connects youth waiting in foster care with stable adults. Each team started with $150,000, with the first three quarters worth another $100,000 apiece and the All-Star Game winner getting another $150,000.
The teams were tied at 46-46 in the first quarter, and Team Giannis took the second quarter 53-46. Team Giannis also won the third quarter 59-49, and the cumulative score to that point &mdash; 158-141, Team Giannis &mdash; meant 182 would be the score to reach in the untimed fourth quarter with a target-score ending.
Team Giannis won $700,000 for its charity, and Team LeBron won $200,000.
TIP-INS
Team Giannis: Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s two points kept him the all-time All-Star scoring average leader. He&rsquo;s now averaging 25.1 points in All-Star Games, just ahead of Kevin Durant (25.0). Without that basket, he&rsquo;d average 24.9. ... Jrue Holiday took Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s spot in the starting lineup for the second half.
Team LeBron: Denver&rsquo;s Nikola Jokic, the two-time reigning MVP, became the first player to start an All-Star Game on his birthday; he turned 28 on Sunday. The only other player to appear in an All-Star Game on his birthday, the NBA said, was Larry Nance Sr. in 1989. ... Halftime lasted 42 minutes. ... Paul George started in place of James for the second half.
214 COUNTRIES
Last year&rsquo;s All-Star Game was broadcast in 215 countries; this year, it was shown in 214 countries. The omission was Russia. The NBA isn&rsquo;t showing its games in Russia and hasn&rsquo;t for nearly a year. The league suspended its business activities with Russia in March 2022, just days after that country invaded Ukraine.
REFEREES
The officiating crew of John Goble, Mark Lindsay and Michael Smith had the game.
UP NEXT
Indianapolis will play host to the next NBA All-Star weekend, set for Feb. 16-18, 2024. The city was supposed to have the 2021 game, but it was moved to Atlanta and considerably scaled down because of the pandemic.

Jayson Tatum scored an All-Star Game-record 55 points on his way to winning MVP, and Team Giannis beat Team LeBron 184-175.

Tatum scores All-Star record 55, wins MVP as Team Giannis wins 184-175

A list of 12 of the top talents in modern NBA history to have never appeared in an All-Star Game.

The 12 best modern-history players to never make an NBA All-Star team

New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado&rsquo;s drifting 3-pointer clinched a 25-20 win for Team Pau (Gasol) over Team Joakim (Noah) in the title game of the Rising Stars event Friday at All-Star weekend.
Alvarado, who was named the Most Valuable Player, had five points in the title game.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
A certified bucket getter. Peep Jose Alvarado's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JordanRisingStars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JordanRisingStars</a> MVP mixtape 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/6SoruJRNsP">pic.twitter.com/6SoruJRNsP</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1626800481539354630?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2023</a></blockquote>

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

The win capped a memorable day for Gasol, who was named a Basketball Hall of Fame finalist earlier Friday.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going out on top. It may be one and done for me,&rdquo; Gasol said of his coaching debut.
New York&rsquo;s Quentin Grimes scored 14 points in the final but was wrapped up &mdash; literally held at times &mdash; by Alvarado down the stretch.
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t know you could do that in the Rising Stars game. I should have alerted the refs to call a technical or something,&rdquo; Grimes said. &ldquo;It was all fun but I was going for the win tonight.&rdquo;
Said Alvarado: &ldquo;It might not have been (legal), but he was doing good.&rdquo;
The four teams, comprised of 21 first- and second-year NBA players along with seven G League players, competed in semifinals games to a target score of 40.
Alvarado&rsquo;s 13 points helped Team Pau top Team Deron (Williams) in the first game 40-27, despite an array of spectacular dunks by Trey Murphy III.
In the second semifinal, Grimes scored 13 points including the winning 3 to power Team Joakim over Team Jason (Terry), composed of the G Leaguers. Mac McClung, who is competing in Saturday&rsquo;s Dunk Contest, nearly stole the show with 10 points in the comeback bid but missed a jam on his last attempt.
CELEBRITY GAME
Team Dwyane rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Team Ryan 81-78 in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday night. Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith and Basketball Hall of Fame finalist Dwyane Wade served as honorary captains of the celebrity teams.
Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf paced Team Dwyane with 20 points and 10 rebounds &mdash; but he&rsquo;ll be best remembered for an array of dunks. Actor Everett Osbourne led Team Ryan with 23 points, 12 rebounds and three assists. Metcalf was named the game&rsquo;s MVP.
Each celebrity team included a WNBA All-Star. Phoenix Mercury guard Diamond DeShields played for Team Ryan. Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale played for Team Dwyane. Other notable athletes participating included former NFL player Calvin Johnson and former MLB player Albert Pujols.
Wade added former NBA player Carlos Boozer to his team in the second half. Smith countered by adding former NBA player Richard Jefferson. Jefferson served as part of the officiating crew during the first half; he also worked as an official for one quarter of a Summer League game in Las Vegas last year.
Between the game, and a 3-point shootout between Smith and Wade, $142,000 was raised for 5 for the Fight, a charitable foundation devoted to funding cancer research.
Smith said the funds raised on Friday would benefit the Huntsman Cancer Institute on the University of Utah campus.
JABARI ON JORDAN
Houston&rsquo;s Jabari Smith Jr. was asked if Michael Jordan &mdash; who turned 60 on Friday &mdash; could compete if they were were to play 1-on-1 now.
Smith was pretty sure Jordan wouldn&rsquo;t be getting buckets.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s not beating me right now. If a 60-year-old is hooping on me, I need to hang it up,&rdquo; Smith said. He then added, &ldquo;Happy Birthday, MJ!&rdquo;
SHORT STUFF
Alvarado is listed at 6 feet, which might be a tiny bit generous.
He doesn&rsquo;t mind.
When told before Friday&rsquo;s Rising Stars event that he was a hero for the undersized, Alvarado had a message for others who consider themselves vertically challenged.
&ldquo;Hey short people, I&rsquo;m just like y&rsquo;all. We got a lot of heart,&rdquo; Alvarado said. &ldquo;I see lots of other little guys tagging me on Instagram. I see your love. Keep being yourself, don&rsquo;t try to be nobody else.&rdquo;
Alvarado admitted that the highlights of him hiding behind bigger players to get steals in the backcourt is making it tougher to surprise opponents.
&ldquo;Everybody seen those clips. Now, so I just got to find another way, but I&rsquo;m crafty,&rdquo; he said.
WELCOME MOMENT
Oklahoma City&rsquo;s Jalen Williams said the season has been like a dream. He used to wear Derrick Rose&rsquo;s shoes constantly when he was younger and then found himself guarding D-Rose in Madison Square Garden.
&ldquo;So wild,&rdquo; Williams said before the Rising Stars games. &ldquo;Going up against people that I watched on TV is definitely kind of surreal.&rdquo;

Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado’s drifting three clinched a 25-20 win for Team Pau over Team Joakim in the Rising Stars title game.

Jose Alvarado wins Rising Stars MVP, leads Team Pau over Team Joakim

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Reserve Jeff Green scored a season-high 24 points, Nikola Jokic notched his 21st triple-double of the season and the Denver Nuggets headed into the All-Star break with a 118-109 victory over the short-handed Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.
Nikola Jokic finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the Western Conference-leading Nuggets, who moved to an NBA-best 27-4 at home this season. Michael Porter Jr. hit five 3-pointers and finished with 22 points.
&ldquo;For us to continue to find ways to win and have different guys step up every night, I think it speaks to our chemistry, our depth,&rdquo; Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a really good team in there.&rdquo;
Luka Doncic had 37 points in leading a banged-up Dallas team that was missing guard Kyrie Irving due to lower-back tightness. Doncic and Irving have played alongside each other in two games since Irving was acquired as part of a deal with Brooklyn on Feb. 6.
The Nuggets led by 21 in the fourth quarter, only to see the Mavericks cut it to 105-95 with 5:50 remaining on Christian Wood&rsquo;s layup. Soon after, Porter blocked a shot on one end, raced back and hit a 3-pointer on the other to gain some breathing room.
<div class="Component-hubPeekEmbed-0-2-66 HubPeek noBorderBottom-0-2-75 compressedEmbed-0-2-76 hubPeekMain" data-card-id="afs:Card:522820401280">
<div class="hubPeekContainerWide-0-2-78" data-key="feed-card-hub-peak">
<div class="title-0-2-79">
Where it really got away from the Mavs, coach Jason Kidd conceded, was in the second, when the Nuggets broke open a one-point game with a 35-19 quarter.
&ldquo;You&rsquo;re sitting in a good place against the best team in the West and so we have to look at doing a better job,&rdquo; Kidd said.
The two teams split their four-game season series.
View Denver as a favorite?
&ldquo;When you have a guy like Jokic on your team, you&rsquo;re the favorite,&rdquo; Doncic said.
Jokic joined some exclusive company by going over 500 assists and 500 rebounds before the All-Star break. The other NBA players to accomplish the feat were Russell Westbrook (three times, &rsquo;16-17, &rsquo;17-18, &rsquo;18-19) and Oscar Robertson (&rsquo;61-62).
Jokic, the two-time reigning MVP, remains on pace to average a triple-double this season.
&ldquo;He makes it look like a walk in the park,&rdquo; recently acquired backup center Thomas Bryant said of Jokic&rsquo;s ease with triple-doubles. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not easy at all.&rdquo;
Doncic&rsquo;s big night was his 65th career game with 35 or more points. Only LeBron James had more (87) before his 24th birthday. Doncic turns 24 on Feb. 28.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: F Justin Holiday was signed Wednesday. He played in 28 games for Atlanta this season and averaged 4.5 points. ... F Davis Bertans (calf), G Tim Hardaway Jr. (hamstring) and F/C Maxi Kleber (hamstring) were inactive.
Nuggets: Denver was without guard Jamal Murray (right knee inflammation) along with forward Aaron Gordon (bruised ribs).
FRIENDLY REMINDER
Malone made sure to remind his team the All-Star break didn&rsquo;t begin until 11 p.m. &mdash; well after their game. They listened.
&ldquo;Times have changed, guys get their private jets running, waiting to go somewhere,&rdquo; cracked Malone, who will coach Team LeBron at the All-Star Game.
COLORADO KID
Backup guard Reggie Jackson jumped at the chance to sign with the Nuggets and play close to home. Jackson, who grew up down the road in Colorado Springs, agreed to a deal with Denver on Tuesday. He wasn&rsquo;t in uniform against Dallas.
The 32-year-old Jackson&rsquo;s favorite player as a kid was Chauncey Billups, the Denver native who went to the University of Colorado before embarking on a long NBA career.
Jackson will wear No. 7 with Denver &mdash; a number Billups wore in 2009 while with the Nuggets.
</div>
</div>
</div>

Reserve Jeff Green scored a season-high 24 points, and the Denver Nuggets beat the short-handed Dallas Mavericks 118-109.

Green helps Nuggets go into break with 118-109 win over Mavs

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; LeBron James took the microphone at center court under a spotlight Thursday night, and all the fans who guessed wrong rose to unleash a mighty roar.
Two days after James became the NBA&rsquo;s scoring king, the achievement was still a thrill to him. In a pregame ceremony, he got to share it with the Lakers faithful who bought tickets one game too late to see it in person.
James paused to gather his thoughts while the three scoreboard ribbons running the circumference of the Lakers&rsquo; downtown arena all rotated the same message: &ldquo;LeBron James &mdash; NBA All-Time Leading Scorer.&rdquo;
&ldquo;As I sit up here and look at this thing going around right now, it&rsquo;s just so surreal to me,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;But the one thing I know for sure is that I&rsquo;ve never cheated the game of basketball. And I would never cheat the game of basketball, because it&rsquo;s given so much to myself. It&rsquo;s given so much to my family.&rdquo;
<div class="Component-dfp-0-2-62 apnews_article_midarticle_1" data-card-id="sovrn-article-midarticle">
Two days after he broke the record, James was still basking in the achievement of a lifetime &mdash; and even the fans who bought tickets for the Lakers&rsquo; meeting with the Milwaukee Bucks instead of their game against Oklahoma City on Tuesday night got a memory for their efforts.
The Lakers held a brief ceremony to recognize James, who was sitting out their first game since the record to rest his sore left foot and ankle.
<div class="Component-hubPeekEmbed-0-2-66 HubPeek noBorderBottom-0-2-75 compressedEmbed-0-2-76 hubPeekMain" data-card-id="afs:Card:522820401280">
<div class="hubPeekContainerWide-0-2-78" data-key="feed-card-hub-peak">
<div class="title-0-2-79">
Moments before James took the court, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar offered his thoughts on James&rsquo; place in the game&rsquo;s history after breaking Abdul-Jabbar&rsquo;s record of 38,387 points, a mark that had stood for nearly 39 years.
&ldquo;The game has had eras, and LeBron, without a doubt, is the greatest player of his era,&rdquo; Abdul-Jabbar said. &ldquo;And that era is right behind that of Shaquille (O&rsquo;Neal), Michael Jordan. There are people that dominated the game, and then there are people that capture everybody&rsquo;s imagination. I think that&rsquo;s what Michael Jordan did. Everybody wanted to be him, to do what he did.&rdquo;
Abdul-Jabbar noted the folly of the so-called G.O.A.T debates, noting that eras in basketball vary wildly.
&ldquo;How many people in here saw Sweetwater Clifton play? I didn&rsquo;t. Most of us didn&rsquo;t,&rdquo; Abdul-Jabbar said. &ldquo;He was awesome, but that was back in the early &rsquo;50s, without the 24-second clock. ... I think the reason they have sports bars with all those TVs is so people can go in there and argue like this, because we&rsquo;re not going to find out.&rdquo;
James&rsquo; place in the game&rsquo;s history is already secure as he attempts to revive the Lakers&rsquo; playoff chances deep in his 20th NBA season. James&rsquo; left ankle has periodically forced him to miss games this season, including six since November.
On court in a sharp suit, James was in a reflective mood: He recalled the Christmas before his fourth birthday in 1988 in Akron, Ohio, as the moment he fell in love permanently with the game when his mother, Gloria, bought him a kiddie hoop and a small basketball.
&ldquo;From that moment on, I knew that orange sphere was something that I always wanted to be a part of my journey,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;Who would have known? Someone said on social media that that was the biggest investment in the history of mankind. A $20 Little Tikes hoop could turn into what it&rsquo;s turned into today. Mom, thank you so much.&rdquo;
James was also in an appreciative mood with his mother in attendance alongside his three children and his wife, Savannah.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s my starting five right there,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;Savannah ... she&rsquo;s the real MVP, if you want to be completely honest. She&rsquo;s the all-time leading scorer, if you want to be completely honest. My boys would say they are the all-time leading scorers, but I don&rsquo;t think Savannah will allow that tonight.&rdquo;
James then addressed the Lakers&rsquo; fans, who have embraced a longtime rival ever since he arrived in 2018. He assumed an exemplary public leadership role for the franchise in the wake of Kobe Bryant&rsquo;s death in 2020 &mdash; and later in the year, he led Los Angeles to its 17th championship.
&ldquo;My family is everything to me, and you guys over the last five years have become family to me as well, so thank you to the Laker faithful,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;You guys are unbelievable, and every night I step on the floor, I truly understand what it means to represent the Los Angeles Lakers.&rdquo;
James&rsquo; absence and the Lakers&rsquo; flurry of trades over the past two days left them with only nine players in uniform when they faced the powerhouse Bucks.
Los Angeles traded away Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley, Thomas Bryant, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Damian Jones while acquiring D&rsquo;Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, Mo Bamba and Davon Reed.
The moves are an attempt to salvage another disappointing year for James and the Lakers, who have foundered at the back of the Western Conference pack all season long with Anthony Davis struggling through his annual injury problems. The 13th-place Lakers fell to 25-30 with their 133-130 loss to Oklahoma City on James&rsquo; historic night.
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Two days after James became the NBA’s scoring king, LeBron James said the achievement was still a thrill to him.

2 days later, LeBron still feels scoring record is ‘surreal’

So much for a quiet NBA trade deadline, right?
The action kicked off with chaos in the early hours of Tuesday morning and concluded with a plethora of moves by the time the 3 p.m. buzzer sounded.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ot3Uedw41a4" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Let's recap how it went down in order, sort out what happened and find out who's going where.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/raptors-acquire-jakob-poeltl-in-trade-with-spurs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Toronto Raptors acquire Jakob Poeltl</a>
<ul>
<li>San Antonio Spurs acquire Khem Birch, a 2024 first-round pick (protected) and 2 future second-round picks</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-breaking-trade-news-kevin-durant-traded-phoenix-suns-brooklyn-nets-blockbuster-move-tj-warren-jae-crowder-mikal-bridges-cam-johnson-mat-ishbia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Phoenix Suns acquire Kevin Durant and TJ Warren</a>
<ul>
<li>Brooklyn Nets acquire Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder*, 4 unprotected first-round picks (2023, 2025, 2027, 2029) and a 2028 pick swap</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
*Crowder was moved in a separate deal.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shams-celtics-acquire-mike-muscala" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston Celtics acquire Mike Muscala</a>
<ul>
<li>Oklahoma City Thunder acquire Justin Jackson, a 2023 second-round pick (worse of Boston's 2 this season) and a 2029 second-round pick</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shams-bucks-acquire-jae-crowder" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Milwaukee Bucks acquire Jae Crowder</a>
<ul>
<li>Brooklyn Nets acquire 5 second-round picks</li>
<li>Indiana Pacers acquire Jordan Nwora, George Hill, Serge Ibaka* and 2 second-round picks (MIL)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
*Ibaka is expected to be waived and hit the open market.
<ul>
<li>Los Angeles Lakers acquire Mo Bamba, Davon Reed and 2 second-round picks (LAC 2024, 2025)
<ul>
<li>Denver Nuggets acquire Thomas Bryant</li>
<li>Los Angeles Clippers acquire Bones Hyland</li>
<li>Orlando Magic acquire Patrick Beverley*, a 2024 second-round pick (DEN) and cash</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
* Beverley is expected to be bought out and hit the open market.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/blazers-hornets-76ers-3way-trade-thybulle-to-portland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Philadelphia 76ers acquire Jalen McDaniels</a>, a 2024 second-round pick (NYK) and 2029 second-round pick (POR)
<ul>
<li>Portland Trail Blazers acquire Matisse Thybulle</li>
<li>Charlotte Hornets acquire Svi Mykhailiuk, a 2023 second-round pick (more favorable between ATL, CHA, BKN) and a 2027 second-round pick (more favorable between POR/NOP)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/woj-hawks-pistons-warriors-agree-to-threeway-blockbuster-trade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit Pistons acquire James Wiseman</a>
<ul>
<li>Atlanta Hawks acquire Saddiq Bey</li>
<li>Golden State Warriors acquire Kevin Knox* and 5 second-round picks (ATL)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
*Knox was moved in a separate deal.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/clippers-acquire-eric-gordon-in-threeway-deal-with-rockets-grizzlies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles Clippers acquire Eric Gordon</a> and 3 second-round picks
<ul>
<li>Memphis Grizzlies acquire Luke Kennard</li>
<li>Houston Rockets acquire Danny Green, John Wall* and right to swap MIL 2023 first-round pick with LAC</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
*Wall is expected to be waived and hit the open market.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shams-pelicans-acquire-josh-richardson-for-devonte-graham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Orleans Pelicans acquire Josh Richardson</a>
<ul>
<li>San Antonio Spurs acquire Devonte Graham and 4 second-round picks</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/woj-clippers-acquire-mason-plumlee-from-hornets-for-reggie-jackson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles Clippers acquire Mason Plumlee</a>
<ul>
<li>Charlotte Hornets acquire Reggie Jackson* and a 2028 second-round pick</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
*Jackson is expected to bought out and hit the open market.
<ul>
<li>Atlanta Hawks acquire Garrison Mathews and Bruno Fernando
<ul>
<li>Houston Rockets acquire Justin Holiday, Frank Kaminski and two second-round picks (OKC 2024 and 2025)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/woj-warriors-acquire-gary-payton-ii-from-trail-blazers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Golden State Warriors acquire Gary Payton II</a>
<ul>
<li>Portland Trail Blazers acquire Kevin Knox and 5 second-round picks</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

Basketball News puts together a detailed recap of a busy 2023 NBA trade deadline on February 9.

2023 NBA trade deadline: Recapping all of the day's moves

The Toronto Raptors are acquiring Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Khem Birch, a protected 2024 first-round draft pick and two future second-round picks, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1623560288170815494" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>.
As the 2023 NBA trade deadline approached, all eyes were on the Raptors. Rival executives weren't sure whether Toronto would be a buyer or seller on Thursday.
After acquiring Poeltl, it seems that Toronto is approaching the deadline as a buyer. Perhaps this means that the Raptors will hold onto Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby and Fred VanVleet through the deadline.
The Raptors selected Poeltl with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and he spent two seasons in Toronto before being sent to San Antonio as part of the Kawhi Leonard trade in July of 2018.
This season, the 27-year-old is averaging 12.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.2 blocks and .8 steals, while shooting 62.3% from the field.
The Raptors are currently 26-30, which is the 10th-best record in the East. Toronto has the NBA's 12th-ranked offense (scoring 112.0 points per 100 possessions) and 20th-ranked defense (allowing 112.5 points per 100 possessions).

The Raptors acquired Jakob Poeltl from the Spurs for Khem Birch, a protected 2024 first-rounder and two future second-rounders.

Raptors acquire Jakob Poeltl in trade with Spurs

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Bam Adebayo has a theory. All these close games that the Miami Heat are playing now, in his mind, are providing valuable lessons to draw upon later this season.
And the fact that they&rsquo;re winning a lot of those games right now is an added bonus.
Jimmy Butler had 29 points, Adebayo added 20 and the Heat rallied again in the fourth quarter to beat the Orlando Magic 110-105 on Friday night. It capped a 3-0 homestand for the Heat, with those wins coming by three, four and five points.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if we just like dogfights,&rdquo; Adebayo said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if we just like to make it interesting.&rdquo;
Max Strus scored 17 points, 15 of them on 3-pointers, for Miami &mdash; which moved a season-high six games over .500 at 28-22. Caleb Martin scored 13 points, Gabe Vincent had 11 and Tyler Herro had 10 for the Heat.
Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Cole Anthony all had 19 points for the Magic, while Wendell Carter Jr. had 16 and Markelle Fultz added 10. Orlando is 14-10 in its last 24 games, after starting the season 5-20.
Turnovers simply doomed the Magic. They had 20, compared to 11 by Miami &mdash; and the Heat turned Orlando&rsquo;s giveaways into 32 points. Orlando scored 13 off Miami&rsquo;s turnovers.
&ldquo;We turned it over,&rdquo; Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. &ldquo;When it comes down to it, you&rsquo;ve got to take care of the basketball. I loved our fight. I loved the fact that we were in it, in a great environment, on the road, against a tough team. But you&rsquo;ve got to take care of the basketball.&rdquo;
Strus&rsquo; 3-pointer with 3:01 left in the third put Miami up 73-69. The rest of the quarter was all Orlando. The Magic closed the third on a 10-0 run, then scored the first basket of the fourth to go up 81-73 on a dunk by Moritz Wagner.
And then the momentum swung right back to Miami. The Heat scored 19 of the next 25 points to go up 92-87, setting up yet another down-to-the-wire finish &mdash; the theme of this now-completed three-game Miami homestand.
The Heat beat New Orleans by four on Sunday, then Boston by three on Tuesday.
&ldquo;Anytime we win, it&rsquo;s a good thing,&rdquo; Butler said.
TIP-INS
Magic: Jonathan Isaac, who returned to the Magic lineup for the first time in 2-1/2 years earlier this week after knee and hamstring injuries, was inactive on the first night of a back-to-back. He played in Orlando&rsquo;s games on Monday and Wednesday. ... Anthony had 17 points by halftime, matching his best first half of the season. He also had 17 by intermission against Atlanta on Oct. 21.
Heat: Rapper and record executive &ndash; and the star of one of Miami&rsquo;s pregame intro videos this season &ndash; Rick Ross was at the game celebrating his birthday. He turns 47 on Saturday. ... It was Miami&rsquo;s 50th game of the season and 37th decided by single digits; the Heat are 21-16 in those games. ... The Heat outscored the Magic 54-32 in the paint.
FIRST OF 4
It was the first of four meetings between the Florida rivals this season. They&rsquo;ll meet again Feb. 11, March 11 and on the season&rsquo;s final day &mdash; April 9.
The Magic have now played all other teams in the league at least once this season. Miami has yet to face New York or Philadelphia.

Jimmy Butler had 29 points, Bam Adebayo added 20 and the Heat rallied again in the fourth quarter to beat the Orlando Magic 110-105.