Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum admitted he is still battling with the after-effects of coronavirus despite returning to NBA action three weeks ago.

Speaking ahead of Boston's 112-99 win over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, where Tatum contributed 21 points, six rebounds and eight assists, the All-Star revealed he was still experiencing respiratory issues during games.

Tatum tested positive for COVID-19 in early January, alongside some team-mates, forcing three Boston games to be postponed.

"I think it messes with your breathing a little bit," Tatum told reporters.

"I have experienced some games where, I don't want to say struggling to breathe, but you get fatigued a lot quicker than normal. Just running up and down the court a few times, it's easier to get out of breath or tired a lot faster; I've noticed that since I've had COVID.

"It's just something I'm working on. It's gotten better since the first game I played, but I still deal with it from time to time."

The Celtics have a 7-10 record since then, slipping to third in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference, behind the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.

After a period of quarantine, Tatum returned to the court with 24 points against the Chicago Bulls on January 25.

Tatum has not missed any of Boston's 12 matches since returning, top scoring for the Celtics on seven occasions, insisting the issues have not affected his performances or output.

"It's gotten better obviously from the first game I came back and played, but I guess it's just a long process," he said.

"I've talked to other guys that have had it and they say they experienced the same thing and it kind of just gets better over time. But as much as we play, I guess it takes a little bit longer.

"You've got to take it on the chin when things aren't going great and you're not playing how you should be."

Ben Simmons believes his potential is "scary" after scoring a career-high 42 points against the Utah Jazz.

Playing at center in the absence of Joel Embiid for the Philadelphia 76ers, Simmons converted 15 of his 26 field goals, adding 12 assists and nine rebounds in a fantastic performance.

Utah still won the game 134-123 to make it 19 wins from 20.

Despite playing in a third straight loss, Simmons believes the record night shows he has made huge strides over recent weeks.

"I feel like I'm figuring it out," Simmons said after the game.

"Obviously, my scoring has been a lot higher the past five, six games.

"As long as I can keep doing that and stay locked in and keep working on my mental [game], I think it's scary.

"You have got to keep your foot down. Keep pushing forward offensively with me. Stay dominant - I know what I'm capable of.

"It felt good that I was able to dominate offensively. Defensively I did okay, not great. Offensively, I definitely had to pick up the slack especially if Joel is out. So yes [it was probably my most aggressive game].

"I loved when I saw Rudy [Gobert] was guarding me. I love being able to go at somebody like that. I felt like it was a little bit disrespectful to put him on me, but it is what it is.

"Honestly, I've just been working on my mentality and mental [game] a lot these past few weeks.

"It's not easy to do that. Your mindset will change the way you play or certain things in the game that come natural for certain people. It is all mental.

"People don't realise your mentality is a huge part of the game. For me I continue to work on that. I'm just trying to get better and progress my game and get to that next level.

"But we wanted to get this win bad. We didn't get it, so we've got to move on."

Getting Simmons matched up with Gobert was exactly what coach Doc Rivers had in mind, while he also praised Tobias Harris for a 36-point display.

Rivers said: "I didn't know we were going to get the 42 points out of him! But he did everything - he guarded, did a good job. Played with pace.

"We anticipated once Joel scratched that the lineup that we put on the floor, we were trying to create a lineup where Gobert would guard Ben and that happened.

"The key for us was getting stops and getting it to Ben and getting up the floor. We just felt like there was no way anybody was going to stay with Ben, especially a center.

"Tobias [Harris] was phenomenal as well. Look at those two guys, man!

"Harris has to be straight line, aggressive and powerful. When he plays like that, he's hard to deal with. He played a very decisive game and had very few indecisive plays.

"He is really keeping the game simple, playing with great force, scoring from the three[-point line], off the dribble and the post. He's doing exactly what we believe he can do.

"[Embiid] was just a late scratch. They came to me and told me his back is still stiff. So I don't think this is a long term issue or anything like that. It's just a game missed."

The Sixers are still top of the Eastern Conference at 18-10 and host the Houston Rockets next on Wednesday.

Jordan Clarkson scored 40 points off the bench for the impressive Jazz, who lead the Western Conference with an NBA-best record of 23-5.

Draymond Green fumed at how NBA players are being treated by teams and the league after Andre Drummond was pulled out of the Cleveland Cavaliers' game with the Golden State Warriors.

The Warriors cruised to a 129-98 win on Monday with Green registering 16 assists, tying his career high, and Steph Curry going off for 36 points.

But after the game Green talked little about the impressive outing and instead focused on the treatment of players.

The Cavs made a late call to sit center Drummond, who watched the game in street clothes, while they attempt to trade him.

Blake Griffin is in the same situation with the Detroit Pistons, with the team looking at moving him or buying him out.

Green was seen speaking to Drummond before tip-off and was frustrated when he faced the media after the game, also referencing a host of other players including James Harden.

"I would like to talk about something that's really bothering me," Green said. "And it's the treatment of players in this league.

"To watch Andre Drummond, before the game, sit on the sidelines, then go to the back, and to come out in street clothes because a team is going to trade him, it's b*******.

"Because when James Harden asked for a trade, and essentially dogged it, no one's going to fight back that James was dogging it his last days in Houston, but he was castrated for wanting to go to a different team.

"Everybody destroyed that man. Yet a team can come out and say, 'Oh, we want to trade a guy', and then that guy has to go sit, and if he doesn't stay professional, then he's a cancer and he's not good in someone's locker room, and he's the issue.

"We're seeing situations of Harrison Barnes getting pulled off the bench or DeMarcus Cousins finding out he's traded in an interview after the All-Star Game, and we continue to let this happen."

In previous seasons, Green was fined for giving his opinion that Devin Booker should leave the Phoenix Suns while Anthony Davis was punished for publicly requesting a trade.

He added: "I got fined for stating my opinion on what I thought should happen with another player, but teams can come out and continue to say, 'Oh, we're trading guys, we're not playing you.' Yet we're to stay professional.

"We talk all of this stuff about: 'You can't do this, you can't say this publicly.' Anthony Davis got fined I think $100,000 for demanding a trade, but you can say Andre Drummond's getting traded publicly and we're looking to trade him publicly, and he's to stay professional and just deal with it?

"And then when Kyrie Irving says, 'Oh, my mental health is off,' everybody goes crazy about that too. Do you not think that affects someone mentally?

"As much as we put into this game to be great, to come out here and be in shape, to produce for fans every single night, and most importantly, to help your team win, do you think that doesn't affect someone mentally?

"At some point, the players must be respected in these situations, and it's ridiculous, and I'm sick of seeing it."

Green and the 15-13 Warriors are at home against the Miami Heat on Wednesday.

Jordan Clarkson and Ben Simmons were drawn into a high-scoring shoot-out as the NBA-leading Utah Jazz powered past the Philadelphia 76ers 134-123 in a mouth-watering showdown.

In a battle pitting the Western Conference-leading Jazz against Eastern Conference pacesetters, the Jazz came out on top thanks to Clarkson's 40 points.

Utah's Clarkson nailed a stunning eight three-pointers as he became first player to come off the bench and score 40 points in less than 30 minutes since 1991.

In response, 76ers All-Star Simmons fired up for a career-high 42 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, and Tobias Harris put up a 36-point, 10-rebound double-double, but the 76ers could not keep up with the Jazz.

Simmons opened with a career-best quarter of 19 points to give the 76ers a seven-point lead at the first buzzer before Utah took over and claimed an eighth straight win, and a 19th win in 20 games.

Missing Joel Embiid to a back injury, the 76ers' third straight loss opened the door for the Brooklyn Nets to close the gap in the east and they obliged, posting a franchise-record 25 three-pointers in a 132-121 win over the Sacramento Kings.

Kyrie Irving put up 40 points and former MVP James Harden added a triple-double (29 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds) to lead the Nets to a third consecutive victory as the struggling Kings fell to a fourth straight defeat.

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis has been cleared of a suspected rupture of his right Achilles tendon following an MRI scan.

Davis, who left Sunday's 122-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets after suffering an Achilles strain, will miss Tuesday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves and will be further evaluated by the NBA champions upon his return to Los Angeles.

The seven-time All-Star missed two games against the Oklahoma City Thunder with tendonosis in his right heel before returning in a win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.

After posting 35 points against the Grizzlies, Davis only lasted 14 minutes – finishing with 15 points – as the Lakers went down to the Nuggets.

Blake Griffin's tenure with the Detroit Pistons appears to be over. 

The Pistons have agreed to hold Griffin out of the lineup while the franchise considers either trading the six-time All-Star or possibly buying out his contract, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. 

"After extensive conversation with Blake's representatives, it has been determined that we will begin working to facilitate a resolution regarding his future with the team that maximizes the interests of both parties," Pistons general manager Troy Weaver told ESPN on Monday.

"We respect all the effort Blake has put forth in Detroit and his career and will work to achieve a positive outcome for all involved." 

The trade deadline is March 25 but finding a team willing to take on Griffin's hefty contract could be tricky, considering he is owed a remaining $36.6million this season, in addition to $39m in 2021-22. 

"I am grateful to the Pistons for understanding what I want to accomplish in my career and for working together on the best path forward," Griffin told ESPN in a statement. 

The Pistons have the NBA's fourth-youngest roster age at 24 years, 342 days. The team is looking to rebuild and give more minutes to its younger players, including 21-year-old rookie Saddiq Bey – the 19th pick of the 2020 draft.  

Griffin was the first overall selection in the 2009 draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, and was named the 2010-11 NBA Rookie of the Year, while averaging 22.5 points and a career-high 12.1 rebounds. His 63 double-doubles as a rookie trail only the 68 amassed by Shaquille O'Neal for the Orlando Magic in 1992-93 for the most by a first-year player in the last 35 seasons. 

Traded to Detroit during the 2017-18 season – just 33 games after signing a five-year, $171m max deal with Los Angeles – Griffin's Pistons career got off to a promising start.  

He averaged a career-high 24.5 points and was named an All-Star in his first full season in Detroit in 2018-19 while helping the Pistons reach the playoffs. Injuries, however, have plagued him in the past few seasons and his production has declined dramatically. 

He appeared in just 18 games in 2019-20, averaging 15.5 points and a career-low 4.7 rebounds, while averaging a personal-low 12.3 points and 5.2 boards in 20 games this season. 

In his last game for the Pistons on Friday, Griffin finished with 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting with six assists and four rebounds in 35 minutes in a 108-102 win over the Boston Celtics. 

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis said he felt "completely fine" before aggravating an Achilles injury in the NBA champions' defeat to the Denver Nuggets as he awaits the results of an MRI scan.

Davis, who posted 15 points in 14 minutes, suffered an Achilles strain in the Lakers' 122-105 loss to the Nuggets on Sunday.

The seven-time All-Star was held out of the second half as the Lakers saw their seven-game winning streak snapped.

Davis, who returned from a two-game absence caused by Achilles tendonitis on Friday, will undergo a scan on Monday.

"Just driving, I think that last step kind of re-aggravated the injury I already had," he said. "Now, it feels like an Achilles sprain. 

"Got an MRI tomorrow and try to figure out the next steps to get on the floor."

Davis – who insisted he and the Lakers followed all the right steps for his initial return – added: "Today was the first day that it felt completely fine. I didn't feel it at all this morning, afternoon, pre-game. I felt like I was heading in the right direction. 

"The treatment and rehab side. Another setback but it's part of the game. More so frustrated that I couldn't go out there and play, but you don't want to mess around with this type of injury. Trying to figure out the best steps.

"I felt great coming back the first time against Memphis [Grizzlies]. I'll do the same thing, the same steps to get it back right. Be smarter with it, I was smart the first time, but even smarter this time. Up the treatment more to get it back where it used to be to help the team."

Superstar Lakers team-mate LeBron James, who led the Lakers with 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, added: "Just want him to be healthy and get back to full strength. All I care is about his health.

"It's definitely deflating anytime you lose a big player – a big guy on your team.

"We have a lot of things that's built in around AD and a lot of other players. When he goes down, you have to switch up. That hurt us."

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant will miss at least two games due to a mild left hamstring strain.

The Nets confirmed the injury on Sunday, a day after Durant returned from the NBA's health and safety protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic to help Brooklyn past the Golden State Warriors 134-117.

Durant, who posted 20 points against former team the Warriors in his first game back in the Bay Area, will sit out Monday's clash with the Sacramento Kings and Tuesday's game against the Phoenix Suns.

Former NBA MVP and two-time champion Durant is averaging 29.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game for the Nets this season.

Durant, who sat out his first season in Brooklyn due to an Achilles injury sustained in the 2019 NBA Finals during his time with the Warriors, has missed nine of 28 games in 2020-21.

The star-studded Nets (16-12) are third in the Eastern Conference following back-to-back wins.

The Denver Nuggets ended the Los Angeles Lakers' winning streak in the NBA, while the Milwaukee Bucks slipped to another loss.

Inspired by a Nikola Jokic triple-double of 23 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists, the Nuggets snapped the Lakers' seven-game winning streak with a 122-105 victory on Sunday.

Jamal Murray had a game-high 25 points for the Nuggets (15-11).

LeBron James managed 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Lakers, who saw Anthony Davis (15 points in 14 minutes) suffer an Achilles strain.

The Bucks' losing run continued with a 114-109 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with a triple-double of 24 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists, but the Bucks were beaten.

Antetokounmpo has 100 points, 43 rebounds and 21 assists over the past three games, yet Milwaukee have lost all three.

He joined Russell Westbrook (November 2016) as the only players in the past 30 years to have 100-40-20 over a three-game span but lose all three.

Lillard lifts Trail Blazers, Towns shines

Damian Lillard scored 34 points and had 11 assists to see the Portland Trail Blazers end the Dallas Mavericks' four-game winning streak with a 121-118 success.

Luka Doncic led the Mavs with 44 points and nine assists, but he missed a jump shot that would have brough Dallas level with five seconds remaining.

Karl-Anthony Towns' double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds helped the Minnesota Timberwolves overcome the Toronto Raptors 116-112.

The Washington Wizards upset the Boston Celtics 104-91 on the back of 35 points from Bradley Beal.

Lou Williams posted 30 points and 10 assists in the Los Angeles Clippers' 128-111 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Celtics' slump continues

The loss marked Boston's 10th in their past 15 games. Star Jayson Tatum in particular struggled, going three-of-14 from the field for six points in 23 minutes.

Dynamic Doncic

Doncic hit an incredible three-pointer in the Mavericks' loss. He was five-of-eight from three-point range.

Sunday's results

Washington Wizards 104-91 Boston Celtics
Detroit Pistons 123-112 New Orleans Pelicans
Minnesota Timberwolves 116-112 Toronto Raptors
San Antonio Spurs 122-110 Charlotte Hornets
Portland Trail Blazers 121-118 Dallas Mavericks
Oklahoma City Thunder 114-109 Milwaukee Bucks
Phoenix Suns 109-90 Orlando Magic
Memphis Grizzlies 124-110 Sacramento Kings
Los Angeles Clippers 128-111 Cleveland Cavaliers
Denver Nuggets 122-105 Los Angeles Lakers

76ers at Jazz

The teams leading their respective conferences meet on Monday. The Utah Jazz (22-5) are on a seven-game winning streak ahead of hosting the Philadelphia 76ers (18-9).

Kemba Walker is confident the Boston Celtics will overcome their form slump after falling to another loss on Sunday.

The Celtics suffered their 10th loss in their past 15 games with a 104-91 defeat to the Washington Wizards.

Walker, who posted 25 points in the loss, was upbeat about the Celtics' chances of turning their season around.

"We've got to change some things, and we will. We will," Walker said.

"I'm very confident that we will change things and we will continue to get better. It'll change because it's not a great feeling the way we're playing. It can't get no worse than this. We're going to fix it."

Jaylen Brown also posted 25 points, but Jayson Tatum struggled, going three-of-14 from the field for just six points in 23 minutes.

Walker said the Celtics, who are now 13-13, would work together, with their next outing coming against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.

"Teams go through adversity every single year at some point in the season," he said.

"It's all about how you overcome it. The only way you can overcome adversity is by doing it as a whole, doing it together. And that we will do."

Kevin Durant was grateful for the warm reception and tribute video upon his first return to the Golden State Warriors as he led the Brooklyn Nets to a 134-117 win on Saturday.

Durant spent three seasons with the Warriors, winning two NBA Championships and was named Finals MVP twice.

He was absent last season after undergoing surgery on a torn Achilles tendon in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, and then opted to leave as a free agent in July that year.

Saturday's contest was his first return to face the Warriors after sitting out 2019-20, and he went on to play an important role with 20 points, second only to Kyrie Irving (23) on the Nets' side.

Durant was impressed with the focus the Nets displayed, but he went on to revel in the tribute and reception afforded to him by his former team.

"We came out and played a great game," Durant said afterwards. "We were focused from this morning in shootaround, and it was a good vibe all day.

"The tribute video was cool. I think about those moments daily. Every single moment that I have had in this league, I think about it and try to analyse it and get better.

"My time here in Golden State was so much fun. It was such a big learning experience, especially learning basketball in a different philosophy. I'm going take to that with me for the rest of my life."

Warriors coach Steve Kerr was in charge throughout Durant's three-year spell in the Bay Area and felt the tribute video was the least they could do, and a similar acknowledgement will take place once fans are allowed back in attendance.

"This is something that is such a no-brainer," Kerr said. "When Kevin came here and gave us three years of just incredible basketball, the least we could do is welcome him back with open arms.

"He's a guy that gave everything to us for three years then left with a devastating injury. There should be a lot of love, he did so much for us.''

Victory leaves the Nets third in the Eastern Conference.

James Harden has apologised for the "drama" surrounding his exit from the Houston Rockets and wishes his trade to the Brookyln Nets could have been a smoother process.

Former NBA MVP Harden was moved to the Nets one month ago after playing more than eight seasons with Houston.

He joined Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in a star-studded roster, having played eight games early in the season with the Rockets.

Harden's desire to seek a trade had been public knowledge since the offseason but a drawn-out process followed until the 31-year-old was traded after a 17-point loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

After that game Harden called the situation "crazy" and "something that I don't think can be fixed".

Harden was happy the Rockets ultimately granted his wish to move to Brooklyn, but regrets the acrimonious nature of his departure.

"Apologise for how it went down, but I guess I had to do what I had to do in order to get to where I wanted to go," Harden said to ESPN.

"And credit to Houston, they didn't necessarily have to trade me to Brooklyn. They could have traded me anywhere, but those are some stand-up guys over there. 

"And it ended up the right way, but just didn't like how that month or two played out."

Harden insists the circumstances of the weeks leading up to his Rockets exit did not provide a fair reflection of his character.

He added: "I don't like it at all because that's not who I am. The drama, the extra whatever you want to call it, the negativity for me. 

"I don't really like negative energy. That's draining. So I don't like how it necessarily happened.

"The front office knew where I stood and what I wanted. I feel like it could have happened a lot smoother, a lot easier, but it is what it is."

The Nets are 15-12, third in the Eastern Conference, ahead of Saturday's big game at the Golden State Warriors (14-12).

Harden leads the league with 11.0 assists per game in 2020-21, though his scoring average sits at 23.9 points, lower than what he recorded in any of his full seasons with the Rockets.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was full of admiration for the Utah Jazz after his Milwaukee Bucks were on the end of a 129-115 loss to the Western Conference leaders. 

The Jazz improved to 21-5 as four players racked up 25 points or more for the first time in franchise history, with Rudy Gobert (27 points), Joe Ingles (27), Donovan Mitchell (26) and Jordan Clarkson (25) all hitting the mark. 

It represents a sixth win on the bounce for the impressive Jazz, whose 26-game record is the best in their history. 

For his part, Antetokounmpo contributed 29 points and 15 rebounds, but Milwaukee (16-10) slipped to back-to-back defeats. 

However, the 26-year-old insisted there was no shame in losing to the best team in the Western Conference, showering his opponents with praise in the process.

"It's okay, it's nothing to be upset about. It will be hard, especially when you play the best team in the West," Antetokounmpo said. 

"They're moving the ball, they're fighting, they play for one another, they know their role. 

"Whatever they do, they are doing it hard. 

"It just looks fun. Like when I watch them play, it looks fun, it looks easy, it looks simple. 

"For sure, they look like us last year, and man, when you're at that point and you're playing with that confidence, you're hard to beat for sure."

Kevin Durant will make a long-awaited return to the Bay Area on Saturday as the Brooklyn Nets visit the Golden State Warriors in a mouth-watering NBA clash at Chase Center.

It is a game that pits the league's newest 'big three' (Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden) against a Warriors team led by Stephen Curry, whose incredible performances this season merit MVP votes.

But more significantly it is Durant's first road game against the Warriors since leaving them to join the Nets after the 2018-19 season that ended with Golden State losing the NBA Finals to the Toronto Raptors in a series that saw the 2014 MVP suffer an Achilles injury.

Having missed the last three games because of coronavirus contact tracing protocols, Durant has been cleared and will face the team with whom he won two NBA titles and two Finals MVPs, though Curry does not expect his former team-mate to treat the contest any differently.

Reflecting on Durant's time with the Warriors, Curry told a media conference: "Two championships, an unfortunate ending with injuries and not getting it done in the 2019 Finals, but it was some of the best basketball the world has ever seen.

"The ability to put that much talent and experience together and make it work, there was no guarantee it was going to work, and we figured it out and it was an amazing run."

Asked about the emotions of his return, Curry added: "Honestly, I don't know how special it'll be because it's not at Oracle [Arena] and there's no fans, so it's kind of weird that whole vibe.

"We've got a tribute video which he deserves, and hopefully it'll be a moment that he'll appreciate. But outside of that it is kind of weird to be honest, in terms of all the things that have changed since 18-19.

"If you ask him how he feels he'll probably say it's another game and I'm sure that's how it will be once the ball drops on Saturday."

TOP PERFORMERS

Stephen Curry - Golden State Warriors

Curry has bounced back from a 2019-20 season lost to injury in utterly remarkable form.

He is averaging 30 points a game, the only other season in which he has done so was in 2015-16, when he was named the league MVP in a unanimous vote.

Curry is shooting 43.5 per cent from beyond the arc, having made 10 threes in Thursday's win over the Orlando Magic, which he finished with 40 points.

That his tally against the Magic was not close to his season-high is indicative of the level at which he is playing.

The six-time All-Star has a 62-point game and a 57-point game this season, and has topped 30 points on 10 other occasions. Curry is back, and he's back to his best.

James Harden - Brooklyn Nets

Harden may not be scoring at the same level as Curry but his impact this season is undoubted.

The former Houston Rockets star is sixth in the NBA in PAR (Points + Assists + Rebounds) per game with 41.8, so far justifying the Nets' blockbuster trade for his services.

He started the month with his fourth triple-double of the season against the Los Angeles Clippers and has four successive double-doubles since.

Whether it's as a scorer, facilitator or rebounder, the Warriors will have to do all they can to limit Harden's influence.

KEY BATTLE: CAN DRAYMOND STOP DURANT?

With the Warriors still without rookie center James Wiseman because of a wrist injury and DeAndre Jordan out for the Nets, Durant may have to matchup with Draymond Green at center.

In the absence of Wiseman, the Warriors have had to turn to small ball and play Green at the five, and his clash with Durant promises to be a feisty one, given they weren't afraid to get in each other's faces as team-mates.

One of Green's tasks will be to stop Durant from getting into the paint consistently. That is no easy feat, but the Warriors have had success stopping teams in that regard this season.

Their 43.5 points in the paint allowed per game are the sixth-fewest in the NBA. If Green and the Warriors can limit Durant's opportunities to get to the hoop, they will have a much better shot of pulling off the upset.

HEAD TO HEAD

Durant and Irving inspired the Nets to a blowout win over the Warriors to start the new season.

The Nets emerged 125-99 victors, Durant scoring 22 points and leading Brooklyn with a plus-minus rating of plus 26.

That game was illustrative of the massive changes both teams have undergone. It was Brooklyn's second successive win over the Warriors but they had lost their previous eight meetings with one of most dominant teams in NBA history.