Joel Embiid was the dominant force in the Philadelphia 76ers' 117-94 road win in Minnesota on Tuesday, declaring afterwards "I feel like I'm unguardable".

The seven-foot Cameroonian behemoth was at the peak of his powers against Rudy Gobert, racking up 39 points on 13-of-22 shooting in just 28 minutes. He also added 14 rebounds, four assists and four steals.

Making the feat even more impressive was the fact that it came on the second night of a back-to-back, just 24 hours after piling 42 points (11-of-16 shooting) on defensive ace Myles Turner and the Indiana Pacers.

Following consecutive seasons where he finished runner-up in MVP voting to Nikola Jokic, the 28-year-old has taken his game up another level this time around, sporting career-highs in points (33.2), field goal percentage (53.5) and steals (1.1).

He trails only Luka Doncic (33.4 points per game) in the race for the scoring title, while also leading the league in made free throws per game (10.2).

Speaking to ESPN immediately after improving the 76ers' record to 43-22, Embiid said he feels it will be the same outcome no matter who is guarding him, even three-time Defensive Player of the Year Gobert.

"I take pride every single time I step on the floor, no matter who's guarding, I feel like I'm unguardable," he said. "I want to show them that it’s not that easy to guard me.

"[The Gobert matchup] doesn't necessarily motivate me, but it's the same thing with every big in the league, it doesn't matter who I'm playing, it just feels like I'm going to do my thing regardless. I'm going to dominate. 

"It's no disrespect to any of them, but MVPs, Defensive Player of the Year, that doesn't mean anything to me. I'm still going to be the best player on the floor."

While he said he has bigger things to worry about, Embiid admitted it would be special to receive what he feels is the pinnacle of individual awards when asked who he feels is the MVP favourite.

"I don't know, that's not for me to answer," he said. "I feel like, you know, obviously being in the running the last few years has been 'whatever', and this year I've taken a different approach.

"I'm just trying to focus on the right things, win games, dominate – which I've been doing – and whatever happens, happens.

"Obviously it would mean a lot to win one, that's the best award anyone can get, but like I said I'm just focused on making sure I, first of all stay healthy, win games, and dominate.

"But I'm excited about the playoffs, that's where I feel like – I feel good. I feel good about myself and my team, so I just want to make sure that all of us get there healthy, and we do what we gotta do."

After putting together a 31-10 record since December 9, the 76ers are now just 1.5 games behind the Boston Celtics (45-21) in the race for the Eastern Conference's two seed, with the Milwaukee Bucks (47-18) pulling away out in front.

Josh Giddey's career-high 17 assists proved too much for the Golden State Warriors to overcome in Tuesday's 137-128 home win for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The visitors received a vintage performance from reigning NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry, dropping 40 points on 14-of-23 shooting, including 10-of-16 from deep, while adding seven assists and six rebounds.

It was the most points Curry had scored since Golden State's January 16 victory over the Washington Wizards, where he had 41, and marks a return to his best in his second game back following a month on the sidelines.

Curry has now made at least 10 three-pointers on 23 occasions, while no other player has ever had more than team-mate Klay Thompson's nine.

But the Thunder were too strong as Giddey raced past his previous career-high of 14 assists, while also adding 17 points (six-of-11) and 11 rebounds for his third triple-double of the season, after four in his rookie campaign.

Giddey was supported in style by the league's fifth-leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who came into the game averaging 31.1 points per game and gave that figure a small bump with 33 points on 14-of-24 shooting.

With the win – the Thunder's third in a row – they improved their record to 31-34 to join the logjam of teams tied for the Western Conference's ninth and 10th seeds. 

They are only 2.5 games behind the Warriors (34-32), who are narrowly clear of the Play-In Tournament placings, a half-game clear in sixth.

Embiid gets the better of Gobert

In a clash between arguably the most dominant offensive and defensive centers of their generation, Joel Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers overwhelmed Rudy Gobert's Minnesota Timberwolves in a 117-94 blowout.

Embiid was unstoppable, finishing with 39 points in 28 minutes after shooting 13-of-22 from the field, adding seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal.

With James Harden out following his 20-assist showing in Monday's first leg of their back-to-back, Tyrese Maxey enjoyed a larger role with 27 points (nine-of-16 shooting), five assists and four rebounds, pulling the 76ers (43-22) to within 1.5 games of the second-seeded Boston Celtics (45-21).

Gobert ended up with six points (two-of-six), nine rebounds, two steals and a block.

Kyrie and Luka get back in the winner's list

The mesmerising offensive duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for 62 points in the Dallas Mavericks' close 120-116 home win against the Utah Jazz.

Irving was the more efficient of the two on the offensive end, scoring a team-high 33 points on 10-of-18 shooting (10-of-10 free throws) with eight assists and six rebounds. Doncic was not far behind with 29 points (10-of-23 shooting), 10 rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block.

All-Star Lauri Markkanen kept his terrific season going with 33 points (12-of-20 shooting), but after looking like a potential playoff team early in the campaign, the 31-35 Jazz now sit outside the Play-In Tournament spots.

Trey Lyles gave a damning judgement of the Sacramento Kings' issues as he pointed out the team "can't stop anybody" in the wake of Saturday's defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Sacramento lost 134-138 to see their winning streak snapped at five games.

They sit third in the Western Conference, though they are seven-and-a-half games back from the Denver Nuggets.

The Kings have the best points per game (121.1) in the NBA this season, yet when it comes to defense, they are one of the league's poorest performers.

Only the San Antonio Spurs (122.0) and the Detroit Pistons (119.1) have conceded more points per game on average than the Kings (118.5).

For Lyles, the issues are clear.

"At the end of the day, no matter how tired we were, we were terrible defensively," he said.

"We can outscore anybody, but we can't stop anybody."

Lyles grabbed 15 points and eight rebounds from the bench, as Kevin Huerter led Sacramento with 29 points while Domantas Sabonis had 24 points and 14 rebounds.

Anthony Edwards came to the fore for the Timberwolves with 27 points, four rebounds and eight assists.

However, the key to their victory – at least from Edwards' perspective – was keeping De'Aaron Fox, who had scored 30 or more points in nine of his last 11 games, below that threshold.

"De'Aaron Fox has been playing out of his mind," Edwards said, with Fox having managed 25 points.

"We were happy to hold him under 30 tonight. He still played great though in the fourth."

Minnesota coach Chris Finch reserved special praise for Edwards

He said: "I thought we played great all night long. Especially when they tightened it up at the end, we play a lot in flow.

"A lot of it was Anthony stepping up at the right time."

The Los Angeles Lakers came back from 27 points down on Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks to produce the largest comeback of the season.

Early in the second quarter the Lakers trailed 48-21, before going on to escape with a 111-108 victory for their third win in a row, and their biggest comeback since 2002.

Trade deadline acquisition Malik Beasley announced his arrival with a 25-point outburst in Thursday's win against the Golden State Warriors, and this time around it was Jarred Vanderbilt showing why he has forced his way into the Lakers' starting line-up.

The rangy six-foot-eight defensive menace was everywhere, working as the primary defender on Luka Doncic on his way to 15 points (six-of-eight shooting), 17 rebounds (eight offensive) and four steals in his 27 minutes.

Anthony Davis was the star of the show on the offensive end, scoring a game-high 30 points on 12-of-20 shooting with 15 rebounds and four assists, and the league's active leader for career blocked shots per game swatted away three Maverick attempts.

LeBron James had an injury scare, and while he is still not out of the woods, he stayed in the game and put up 26 points on 10-of-23 shooting with eight rebounds.

For the Mavericks, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving shot a combined 18-of-44 (40 per cent) from the field for 47 points, while the other three members of the starting line-up combined for 18 points.

With the win, the Lakers improved their record to 29-32 and now sit just one game out of the Play-In Tournament placings, while they are also just 2.5 games away from the Mavericks in the sixth seed.

Lillard puts on a show

Damian Lillard matched Donovan Mitchell's season-best 71 points as he scored 13 three-pointers in the Portland Trail Blazers' 131-114 win over the Houston Rockets.

The Blazers guard's 71-point mark was both a franchise and career high, topping his previous record of 61.

Lillard had 41 points with eight triples by half-time, the most points of any player in a half this season. He shot 13-of-22 from beyond the arc for the game, having a perfect 14-of-14 from the line.

Klay stays hot

After 42 points and 12 three-pointers on Friday's win, Klay Thompson led the Golden State Warriors to a 109-104 home win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The future Hall of Fame sharpshooter hit another six threes on his way to a team-high 32 points, shooting 12-of-23 from the field and six-of-14 from deep. Donte DiVincenzo was strong in a supporting role, chipping in 21 points (seven-of-13 shooting), eight rebounds, five assists and four steals.

After shooting a red-hot 43.1 per cent on a gaudy 11.6 three-point attempts per game in the month of January, Thompson has elevated even further this month, getting up 12.1 attempts per game and connecting at 45.9 per cent.

Draymond Green has suffered an injury "setback" forcing him out of a second straight game, according to Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.

Kerr revealed Green's right knee contusion had "flared up", meaning he was a late scratch for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The four-time NBA All-Star had missed Friday's 116-101 win over the Houston Rockets due to the same injury.

"It flared up today," Kerr told reporters pre-game. "He will be more thoroughly checked today by our medical staff.

"It was sort of unexpected, the way he came through treatment yesterday, everything was looking good. He had a setback today, so we'll learn more today and we'll have more for you tomorrow."

Kerr confirmed it was likely Green, who is averaging 7.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists this season, would undergo an MRI on the injury.

The reigning NBA champions are already without two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry due to a leg injury.

Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards recovered from a horrific start to storm back and defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-106 away from home on Thursday.

The Wizards trailed 30-10 in the first quarter, and after trimming the margin to eight points at half-time, the Timberwolves again extended their lead to 87-69 with two minutes remaining in the third period.

Washington put together a 17-2 run over the next four-and-a-half minutes, bringing themselves right back into the contest, and they would end up winning the final period 38-19.

Beal had 15 of his game-high 35 points in the final 5:14, finishing with shooting figures of 14-of-28 from the field and four-of-eight from deep, while adding six rebounds, five assists and three steals.

No other Wizard scored more than 16 points, while Timberwolves young gun Anthony Edwards went toe-to-toe with Beal.

Edwards scored a team-high 34 points on 11-of-26 shooting with three steals, although his six turnovers hurt. Rudy Gobert was also solid for Minnesota, grabbing 19 rebounds to go with his 17 points and three blocks.

The win is the Wizards' fourth from their past five outings, improving to 28-30 to have them sitting ninth in the Eastern Conference, while the Timberwolves dropped to eighth in the West at 31-30.

Clippers leapfrog the Suns into top-four

The Los Angeles Clippers won an enticing Western Conference showdown against the Phoenix Suns 116-107 despite a rough shooting performance from star Kawhi Leonard.

Leonard, who has been boasting blistering shooting splits of 51/45/92 since the beginning of the new year, finished just five-of-18 from the field on the road against the Suns for 16 points, although he salvaged a decent outing with 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal.

Paul George picked up the slack with 26 points (nine-of-19 shooting), six rebounds and five assists, while Terance Mann matched him with 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting.

With the win, the Clippers (33-28) moved up to fourth in the West, taking the place of the Suns (32-28).

No Giannis, no worries for Lopez and the Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks lost their two-time MVP after suffering a game-ending wrist injury, but Brook Lopez did his best Giannis Antetokounmpo impression during a 112-100 road win against the Chicago Bulls.

Antetokounmpo played only nine minutes, scoring two points before crashing into the basket support while attempting a chasedown block, but Lopez responded with a season-high 33 points (13-of-18 shooting), seven rebounds and four blocks.

Jevon Carter also impressed with 22 points (nine-of-13 shooting), six rebounds and six assists, while undrafted rookie A.J. Green hit five three-pointers off the bench.

Kyrie Irving scored 26 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter but it was not enough as the fast-finishing Dallas Mavericks lost 124-121 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.

Irving and Luka Doncic (33 points) combined for 69 points for the Mavs, who trailed 100-82 at three-quarter time and rallied from a 26-point deficit.

The Mavs point guard, however, lost the ball to Taurean Prince with an errant pass on the final possession, denying Dallas getting a shot away to tie the game after a disrupted play where he exchanged passes with Doncic.

Irving's 26-point fourth quarter was the highest scoring quarter of his career, finishing the game on 15-of-23 shooting with four-of-nine from beyond the arc, along with five rebounds and six assists.

Doncic had 12 rebounds and six assists with his 33 points, while Christian Wood added 24 points off the bench.

For the triumphant Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards scored a team-high 32 points with five rebounds, while Rudy Gobert had 21 points and 14 rebounds.

The defeat means the Mavs have lost both games Doncic and Irving have played together since the latter's trade from the Brooklyn Nets last week.

Lillard leads long-range Blazers blitz over Lakers

Damien Lillard scored 40 points as the Portland Trail Blazers hit 23 three-pointers in a 127-115 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, who were missing LeBron James for the third straight game with a sore left ankle.

The Blazers' 23 triples were a season-best, while they broke their first-half franchise record with 17 three-pointers. Lillard led the way from range, making eight-of-14 three-point attempts.

Malik Beasley came off the bench to top score for the Lakers with 22 points, including six three-pointers, while Anthony Davis scored 19 points with 20 rebounds and three blocks.

Mitchell stars as Spurs lose 13th straight

Donovan Mitchell scored 41 points with five three-pointers as the Cleveland Cavaliers condemned the San Antonio Spurs to a joint franchise record 13th straight defeat.

The Cavs won 117-109 led by Mitchell with Jarrett Allen adding 17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks, securing their seventh successive victory to improve their record to 38-22.

The loss leaves San Antonio with a 14-44 record, with their run of defeats marking their worst since the 1988-89 season.

Russell Westbrook's spell with the Los Angeles Lakers is coming to an end as he prepares to join the Utah Jazz ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

According to The Athletic's Shams Charania and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Lakers plan to send Westbrook, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and a 2027 first-round pick to the Jazz; Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley will go the other way.

The Lakers are also reported to be getting D'Angelo Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves, who will receive Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Mike Conley and a second-round pick compensation in return.

Westbrook's Lakers future had been in doubt, with many expecting him to depart before Thursday's deadline.

The Lakers had apparently been keen on using Westbrook in a trade to acquire Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets.

But his move to the Dallas Mavericks went through quickly after he requested a trade last week.

Westbrook, the 2017 NBA MVP, was claimed to have engaged in a heated verbal exchange with Lakers coach Darvin Ham at half-time during Tuesday's game against his former team the Oklahoma City Thunder, in which LeBron James broke the all-time NBA points record.

While ESPN reports they "dapped up" before leaving after the game, it was another hint of things not being quite right for Westbrook in LA.

Despite their being questions about his form this season, Westbrook is still ranked fifth for assists (391) this season – Russell, one of the Lakers' new arrivals, is tenth (334), though he is averaging more points per game (17.9 to 15.9).

Westbrook is set to play on his fifth team in as many years, having spent time with the Thunder, the Houston Rockets, the Washington Wizards and the Lakers since 2018.

LeBron James was the biggest story in sports on Tuesday as he became the NBA's all-time scoring leader, but the Oklahoma City Thunder got the last laugh.

James reached the legendary record late in the third quarter, with a turnaround jump shot from the free throw line bringing up his 36th point of the game, and his 38,388th regular season point overall to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 39-year-old record.

But it was the Thunder leading 104-99 at the time of the basket, and it would be the Thunder coming away with the 133-130 victory.

Oklahoma City were led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who remains one of seven players this season averaging at least 30 points per game (30.8) after scoring an even 30 on nine-of-17 shooting, adding eight assists and two steals.

Rookie wing Jalen Williams was terrific with 25 points (10-of-19 shooting), seven rebounds and six steals, while point guard Josh Giddey added 20 points (10-of-19), six assists and five rebounds.

James ended up scoring a game-high 38 points on 13-of-20 shooting with seven rebounds and three steals, while Russell Westbrook put together one of his better performances this season with 27 points (10-of-19), eight assists and two steals.

With the win, the Thunder improved their record to 26-28 to sit 11th in the Western Conference, although things are so tightly bunched that they are only 2.5 games back from the six seed. 

The Lakers fell to 25-30, and are four games back from the Dallas Mavericks in the six seed.

Thomas makes history as Booker returns for Phoenix

Brooklyn Nets rising star Cam Thomas became the youngest player to ever score 40 points in three consecutive games, but Devin Booker's return lifted the Phoenix Suns to a 116-112 win.

After scoring a career-high 44 points against the Washington Wizards on Saturday, and then following it with another career-high of 47 against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, Thomas dropped 43 against the Suns.

He shot 11-of-23 from the field – his worst shooting performance in this three-game run – but boosted his tally by going 18-of-20 from the free throw line.

But the return of Devin Booker after 21 games and six weeks on the sideline provided a jolt in the arm for the Suns, contributing 19 points on six-of-15 shooting with six assists in 26 minutes, while Deandre Ayton dominated the action with 35 points (14-of-18) and 15 rebounds.

Another Jokic masterclass blows away the Timberwolves

Reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic showed exactly why he is the favourite to make it a three-peat with a dominant performance in the Denver Nuggets' 146-112 blowout of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Jokic had 17 points on eight-of-10 shooting with 10 rebounds and 10 assists by half-time, and he did not attempt a field goal in the second half, finishing with 20 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds.

He has a chance to become the first center in NBA history to average a triple-double if he can maintain his current figures of 24.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 10.2 assists, while Michael Porter Jr carried the scoring load against Minnesota, pouring in 30 on 11-of-15 shooting.

The NBA has handed out bans to Austin Rivers, Mo Bamba and Jalen Suggs for their roles in an on-court brawl during the Orlando Magic's 127-120 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.

Rivers and Bamba became involved in an altercation late in the third quarter, with both men throwing punches before Magic guard Suggs pulled Rivers to the ground.

All three players were ejected in the aftermath of the incident, with Timberwolves duo Jaden McDaniels and Taurean Prince joining them after getting too involved in the melee. 

Bamba will face the most severe punishment after the league said he continued to "engage with Rivers in a hostile manner" outside the locker rooms following the brawl.

The Orlando center will serve a four-game suspension without pay, while Rivers has been given a similar three-game ban.

Bamba's team-mate Suggs will miss one game for escalating the confrontation by grabbing Rivers around the neck, the league said, with that ban to be served when the Magic face the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.

McDaniels, meanwhile, has been fined $20,000 for his actions, which included running into the melee to push Bamba from behind. 

A fight broke out between Austin Rivers and Mo Bamba during Friday's game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Orlando Magic, resulting in five ejections.

The situation occurred late in the third quarter as Rivers took exception to some words from the Magic bench, and while the play continued, Rivers stayed down the other end of the court jawing with Bamba before punches started to fly.

It appeared Rivers and Bamba were the only players to throw punches, before Magic guard Jalen Suggs was also ejected for pulling Rivers to the ground, while the Timberwolves' Jaden McDaniels and Taurean Prince were also given their marching orders for getting too involved.

The Magic went on to win the game 127-120 away from home in a well-balanced performance, with 10 players scoring at least nine points each, led by Cole Anthony with 20 off the bench.

Rivers was still fired up after the contest, posting an Instagram story about Bamba saying "we only know about you from an old rap song" – referencing Sheck Wes' 2018 hit titled Mo Bamba.

His post read: "Buddy I went at you one-on-five! With no backup! You needed your team-mates otherwise you would of been choked out.

"We only know you from an old rap song, not hoops… and Orlando my city, ask around and actually find out. They don't mess with you there… facts!"

He deleted that post after a short period of time, and he explained the situation further when addressing the media afterwards.

"I’m just like, 'Yo, what are you doing?'," Rivers said. "I went up to him and I pressed him, and at that point, it can go one of two ways. 

"I didn’t think we were going to get in a fight, but when you stand up that fast and put your hands up – he threw a punch and missed, thankfully. At that point I've got to protect myself. Ain’t no one worried about him."

Orlando center Moritz Wagner said it is difficult to know what to do when a situation like that breaks out, but he was proud of his team-mates supporting each other.

"You obviously want to have your teammate's back and at the same time, you’ve got to be a professional," he said. "So, that’s a challenge for a young team like us. 

"I think this time around we did a good job compared to last time [when Wagner was ejected against the Detroit Pistons in December]. So, yeah, I don't really know. It's a weird dynamic. 

"You don't really want to be in those situations and it's not really the best look… at the same time, there is something in me that appreciates the team sticking together like that."

The incident comes the night after both Dillon Brooks and Donovan Mitchell were ejected for a skirmish between the Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers, with Brooks receiving a one-game suspension for instigating it.

The Splash Brothers found their range as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 64 points including 10 three-pointers in the Golden State Warriors' 129-117 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday.

Curry top scored with 35 points on 13-of-21 shooting from the field, making four-of-eight from beyond the arc, with seven rebounds, 11 assists and two steals at Chase Center.

Thompson finished with 29 points but nailed six-of-14 three-point attempts, along with eight rebounds.

Donte DiVincenzo made another strong impression off the bench, playing 33 minutes for 12 points with two-of-five three-pointers and 11 assists.

As a team, Golden State shot at 55.6 per cent from the field (50-of-90), while they had 40 assists compared to Toronto's 24.

The win improves the Warriors' home record to 19-6, while they nudge over .500 with a 25-24 overall record to move up seventh in the Western Conference.

Raptors guard Fred VanVleet scored a team-high 28 points on five-of-10 three-point shooting with 10 assists, while Scottie Barnes chipped in with 24 points.

Giannis dominates as Middleton comeback continues

Giannis Antetokounmpo held off another Indiana Pacers' late charge as the Milwaukee Bucks won 141-131 fuelled by the Greek's 41 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.

Antetokounmpo made five-of-eight free-throws in the final four minutes as the Bucks held on. Jrue Holiday contributed 20 points with nine rebounds and nine assists.

Khris Middleton continued his gradual return to full fitness, scoring 17 points in 15 minutes off the bench, while Myles Turner top scored for Indiana with 24 points.

SGA racks them up again for OKC

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded his fourth straight 30-point game as the Oklahoma City Thunder down the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-100 after scores were locked at three-quarter time.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 35 points, with eight assists and five rebounds for OKC, who won for the sixth time in eight games to improve to 24-25.

The Cavs were without Donovan Mitchell due to a groin injury, with Darius Garland starring for them with 31 points and 13 assists.

Meanwhile, Ja Morant recorded his fourth triple-double of the season with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in the Memphis Grizzlies' 111-100 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Brandon Ingram will return for the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves after missing the past 29 games with a left big toe contusion.

Ingram's return comes amid the Pelicans' five-game losing run which has seen them drop to a 26-22 record and fourth in the Western Conference.

The 25-year-old Pels forward has not played since November 25 against the Memphis Grizzlies when he sustained the injury by kicking the back of another player's foot.

Ingram is averaging 20.8 points on 47.2 per cent shooting, 5.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 15 games this season.

"You watch Brandon in his five-on-five games and you realise how his basketball IQ is at a high level," Pelicans coach Willie Green told reporters.

"His skill set is at a high level. He's going to be knocking some rust off when he does come back. That's a part of it, too.

"But he's efficient, elite basketball player. Guys like him and others like him in the NBA is what makes this league special."

Ingram was named the NBA's Most Improved Player for the 2019-20 season, earning his only All-Star selection in the process.

The ascension of Houston Rockets centrepiece Jalen Green continued on Monday as he scored a career-high 42 points in a 119-114 home win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Green, 20, was the second overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and he is living up to the hype as one of the game's most electrifying young scorers.

Against the Timberwolves, Green shot 15-of-25 from the field and six-of-12 from long range for his 42 points, four rebounds, four assists with a steal and a block.

The performance came only two games after he tied his career-high 41 points against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, and he is now averaging a team-high 21.7 points per contest with 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists.

He was not the only young Rockets prospect to show why he is viewed as the future of the franchise, as center Alperen Sengun put together another complete performance in what has been the best month of his career.

Also in his second season after being drafted by the Rockets in 2021, Sengun had 21 points on eight-of-12 shooting while adding seven rebounds and seven assists. It is his playmaking that is the most notable aspect of his growth.

After averaging 2.6 assists per game as a rookie, and no more than 2.8 during the months of October, November and December, he has put together figures of 18.2 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists during his 11 games since the new year began, including a streak of seven consecutive performances with at least six assists.

Despite the win, the Rockets still own the worst record in the NBA at 11-36, and Houston fans will be desperate to add future number one draft pick Victor Wembenyama to their promising young core.

Bucks become fourth team to reach 150 this season

The Milwaukee Bucks had their biggest offensive explosion of the season as they erupted in a 150-130 demolition of the Detroit Pistons.

Despite the Pistons putting up 130 points of their own and the final score appearing competitive, the reality is they were never a chance as the Bucks opened up a 40-12 lead just eight minutes into the game.

Led by two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo's 29 points (eight-of-15 shooting), 12 rebounds and four assists, the Bucks tied for the league's second-highest score this season, trailing only the Sacramento Kings' 153-121 victory over the Brooklyn Nets in November.

Bulls make it three wins in a row

The Chicago Bulls tied their longest winning streak of the season as they defeated the Atlanta Hawks 111-100 for their third in a row.

In a clash between two teams on the Eastern Conference playoff bubble it was DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic rising to the occasion on an inefficient night for the recently red-hot Zach LaVine.

DeRozan scored a game-high 26 points on 11-of-21 shooting, adding six assists and three steals, while Vucevic grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds while also chipping in 14 points and seven assists.

The Bulls are now 22-24, one game behind the Hawks (24-24) in the East's eighth seed.

Evan Mobley scored a career-high 38 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers secured a big win in the Eastern Conference, downing the Milwaukee Bucks 114-102.

The 2021 NBA Draft third overall pick shot 19-of-27 from the field with nine rebounds and three assists for the Cavs, who improved to a 29-19 record to sit fifth in the east, with the Bucks third at 29-17.

Cavs point guard Darius Garland added 21 points, including 10 in the third, with 10 assists.

The Bucks were without Giannis Antetokounmpo who missed his fifth straight game due to knee soreness. Milwaukee are 6-5 on the season when playing without the MVP contender.

Jrue Holiday led the way for Milwaukee with 28 points, four rebounds and 10 assists, while Bobby Portis added 23 points including five three-pointers with 11 rebounds.

In Antetokounmpo's absence, Milwaukee turned to three-point shooting with regularity, but shot 14-of-39 from beyond the arc.

On Antetokounmpo's continued absence, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said: "There's still just things he's working on, I think body-wise, to get to that point where; there's a big difference between practicing and playing a game.

"I know I've said it pretty much every day – we continue to be confident and feel like this is kind of the things we've managed and dealt with for most of his career. So we'll just continue to take it day-by-day. He's getting good work in, good lifts."

Celtics win but pick up injuries

The Boston Celtics won 106-104 over the Toronto Raptors but lost guard Marcus Smart and center Robert Williams to ankle and knee injuries respectively.

Jaylen Brown top scored with 27 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Boston, for whom Jayson Tatum sat out the game with a sore left wrist.

Grant Williams and Malcolm Brogdon played increased minutes, scoring 25 and 23 points respectively off the bench, while Pascal Siakam had 29 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors.

Edwards stars as Rockets sink to new low

Former NBA Draft top overall pick Anthony Edwards scored a season-high 44 points to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves past the struggling Houston Rockets 113-104.

Edwards shot 17-of-29 from the field with eight three-pointers for the Wolves, who improved to a 24-24 record. Edwards also had six rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks, while D'Angelo Russell contributed 23 points.

The defeat condemned the Rockets to their 13th straight loss, which is the longest streak this season. Houston gave up 23 turnovers that led to 30 Wolves points.