The Detroit Pistons put an end to their NBA record-tying 28-game losing streak on Saturday, defeating the Toronto Raptors 129-127 behind Cade Cunningham’s 30 points and 12 assists.

It was the first victory since Oct. 28 for the Pistons, who matched the Philadelphia 76ers’ record of 28, split over the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. They finished one shy of the record for the four major American and Canadian leagues, set by the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals during World War II.

Jalen Duran had 18 points and a season high-tying 17 rebounds for Detroit, which clinched the win by going 11 for 12 from the free throw line in the final minute.

Pascal Siakam scored 35 points and Dennis Schröder added 28 for the last-place Raptors, who have lost five of six.

Toronto traded OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn to the Knicks earlier in the day for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.

Haliburton’s big game lifts Pacers past Knicks

Tyrese Haliburton had 22 points and a franchise record-tying 23 assists and Myles Turner added 28 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 140-126 win over the New York Knicks.

Haliburton became just the third player in NBA history with consecutive 20–20 games. He tied Jamaal Tinsley’s franchise assists record, set against Washington on Nov. 22, 2001.

Magic Johnson (Dec. 18-19, 1984) and John Stockton (March 1 and 3, 1990) are the only other players with two straight games of at least 20 points and 20 assists.

Donte DiVincenzo scored a career-high 38 points and Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle each added 28 for the Knicks, who lost their season-high third straight.

Doncic lifts Mavericks in return

Luka Doncic scored 25 of his 39 points in the second half in his return to the lineup to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 132-122 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

Doncic added 10 assists and eight rebounds after sitting out Thursday’s loss at Minnesota due to soreness in his left quadriceps.

Stephen Curry had 25 points and Chris Paul scored a season-high 24 to become the 37th player in NBA history to accumulate 22,000 career points.

Golden State lost its third straight to fall two games under .500.

The Detroit Pistons have won for the first time in 29 matches after matching the NBA’s longest losing streak.

The Pistons ended their losing run after 28 matches as they beat the Toronto Raptors 129-127 at home – their first win since the third game of the season on October 28.

Trailing by eight points at half-time, they fought back to lead by four heading into the fourth quarter.

They stretched that advantage to 11 points with less than six minutes on the clock, but the Raptors pulled it back to 126-122 with 17 seconds remaining but the Pistons held on end their losing run.

Cade Cunningham scored 30 points for the Pistons, Jalen Duren adding 18 points and 17 rebounds.

The win means the Pistons’ losing run equals the NBA’s longest by the Philadelphia 76ers across two seasons in 2015 while their 3-29 record leaves them two wins behind the San Antonio Spurs for the worst record this season.

The New York Knicks made a splash Saturday, acquiring forward O.G. Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors for forward RJ Barrett and guard Immanuel Quickley, according to multiple media reports.

The Knicks will also receive forward Precious Achiuwa and guard Malachi Flynn in the deal, while the Raptors will also be getting the Detroit Pistons’ 2024 second-round draft pick.

The move is a major shakeup in the Eastern Conference, where the Knicks are hoping to compete with top teams like the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers.

Anunoby, 26, has been mentioned in trade speculation for the last two years. He is in the third season of a four-year, $72million contract but has a player option for next season. ESPN reported Saturday that the Knicks are “determined” to sign Anunoby to a new contract next offseason.

One of the best and most versatile defenders in the NBA, Anunoby is averaging 15.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists this season.

Anunoby was placed on the trade block because of his expiring contract and his positional and size redundancy with fellow forwards Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam.

Quickley, who finished second in last season’s Sixth Man of the Year voting, could move into a starting role and fill the void at point guard that Fred Van Vleet left when he signed with the Houston Rockets over the summer.

The Raptors also get a former third overall pick in Barrett, who scored 20 points per game just two seasons ago but has struggled with efficiency.

Barrett, 23, is averaging 18.2 points and 4.3 rebounds this season, while Quickley is averaging 15 points and 2.5 assists.

The Oklahoma City Thunder condemned the Denver Nuggets to their heaviest defeat of the season but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still says the defending NBA champions are "the level that you want to get to".

The Nuggets fell to their second defeat by Thunder in the space of two weeks and ended their six-match winning streak after a 119-93 defeat in Denver.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points – his fifth 40-plus game this season and four shy of his career-best set last season – for the Thunder and Chet Holmgren added 24.

A pair of defeats to Oklahoma are Denver's only two in their last 11 games, although Gilgeous-Alexander was quick to credit the Nuggets.

"It's not a fluke they won the championship," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "They're a really good team and we know that every night we play them.

"You get out of bed to play against teams like that knowing they're at the level that you want to get to."

Gilgeous-Alexander also went 14 of 20 from the field and made all 10 of his free-throw attempts.

"He was just cruising. He let the game come to him," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "It never seemed like he was forcing. Played the right way throughout, made the right passes, and kept them honest.

"It's kind of routine at this point but he played a great game."

Holmgren scored the Thunder's first 10 points of the game and finished with 24, hitting all four attempts from three-point range, and had two blocks.

"He's a threat on the court in so many ways and him drawing that attention only makes it easier for the guys around him, including myself," Gilgeous-Alexander said of his Oklahoma teammate.

Nikola Jokic had 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Nuggets, who were without Aaron Gordon for a second straight game due to hand and facial injuries sustained from dog bites.

Yet Jokic also committed seven turnovers, two shy of his career high.

"You've got to be clean with the ball, you can't play in a crowd," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said of the turnovers.

"It's something they do to most teams, but you're not going to give yourself a chance to win when you allow them to play to their strength."

San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama would play every week if the choice was his but respects the minutes restriction imposed as coach Gregg Popovich continues to be cautious.

Number one draft pick Wembanyama suffered a "freak" ankle injury in an incident involving a ballboy in a pre-game warm-up before the 144-119 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks last week.

The 19-year-old stepped on a ballboy's foot after a driving layup, subsequently rolling his injured right ankle, but returned to action on Thursday before sitting out of Friday's loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

San Antonio listed Wembanyama as out due to resting, despite the priority being protecting his ankle, as the Trail Blazers triumphed 134-128.

"He's got a minutes restriction and he can't play back-to-backs for a couple of weeks until they take another picture and check out his foot again," Spurs coach Popovich said.

"When we sat him in Dallas, he wasn't happy, but I'm glad he wasn't happy.

"He's a competitor. All these guys at this level, they didn't get here by being noncompetitive. So, he'd rather be playing. It frustrates him more than anything."

Wembanyama had 30 points, six rebounds, six assists and seven blocks in 24 minutes on Thursday against Portland, becoming the third rookie with 30 points, five assists and five blocks in a game and joining Spurs Hall of Famers David Robinson and Tim Duncan.

The future NBA star remains content to respect the medical staff's mandated advice, despite his wishes to feature on the court every game.

"We communicate a lot with the medical staff and I've made it clear that I want them to sit me out," Wembanyama said.

"I'm going to trust them if they want me to sit out, but only if I really need to.

"If they force me pretty much. If it was up to me, I'd play every game. But I respect my role. They're professionals. I'm a professional. I try to do my job the best I can."

Devin Booker labelled the fit-again Bradley Beal's return as a "game-changer" as the full-strength Phoenix Suns put the Charlotte Hornets to the sword on Friday.

Beal returned to the court after a five-game absence due to an ankle injury, collecting seven assists as the Suns condemned the Hornets to a 10th straight NBA loss with a 133-119 victory.

Booker racked up 35 points, while Kevin Durant had 21 and 11 assists to go with another free-scoring showing, although the former credited Phoenix's roster for a resounding triumph over the struggling Charlotte.

"It's a game-changer, being at full strength," Booker said. "The offense was moving, the ball was hopping around and we were getting the best available shot."

Beal also managed six points and three rebounds in a 30-minute performance, while Jusuf Nurkic had 24 and 16 rebounds, Eric Gordon scored 21 and Grayson Allen posted 16.

"It's just good to be back on the floor," Beal said. "We got the win and finish the game, that's all I cared about tonight."

On the well-rounded scoring, Beal added: "That's what we want, that's the beauty of it.

"There's a lot of threats out there, guys who are very versatile. We can shoot the ball really well."

Phoenix went back-to-back with NBA victories for the first time since a seven-game run that ended on November 29, much to the delight of coach Frank Vogel, who also hailed Beal.

"I loved his floor game tonight," Vogel said about his returning player. "A lot of times [in returning from injury] guys will have a tendency to force, but he let the game come to him.

"We have a team that is selfless. We have a chance to be special."

The Hornets were again without the injured LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward, though Terry Rozier led the way with 42 points on 14-of-21 shooting.

Charlotte coach Steve Clifford conceded the Hornets "just couldn't stop" the Suns before adding: "With that effort, that approach, really not a good second half [Thursday] night, getting in here late, guys playing big minutes last night. I was proud of them."

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 of his 40 points in the second half to help the surging Oklahoma City Thunder pull away for an impressive 119-93 road win over the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Friday.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished 14 of 20 from the field and a perfect 10 for 10 from the free-throw line to lead the upstart Thunder to their sixth win in seven games.

Oklahoma City, which last reached the playoffs in the 2019-20 season, is now 21-9 and percentage points ahead of Denver for second place in the Northwest Division.

Chet Holmgren added 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting for the Thunder, who outscored Denver by a 34-20 margin in the third quarter to turn a six-point half-time lead into a commanding 88-68 advantage.

The Nuggets had a six-game winning streak halted despite another efficient outing from Nikola Jokić, who made 9 of 10 field goal attempts while compiling 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. 

Jokic's primary teammates were off the mark, however. Jamal Murray missed 11 of 15 field goal attempts while being held to nine points, while Michael Porter Jr. was 4 of 12 and ended with 12 points.

Antetokounmpo, Lillard rally Bucks past Cavaliers

The Milwaukee Bucks got 34 points and 16 rebounds from Giannis Antetokounmpo and a big second half from Damian Lillard to rally for a 119-111 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in a clash of the Central Division's top teams.

Lillard scored 24 of his 31 points after half-time to help Milwaukee overcome an early 15-point deficit and post its ninth win in 10 games. The Bucks extended their lead on second-place Cleveland to six games in the division.

The Cavaliers had won five of six coming in and got top scorer Donovan Mitchell back from a four-game absence, with the four-time All-Star registering 34 points and nine assists in his return. Cleveland also got a big effort from Jarrett Allen in defeat, as the centre amassed a career-high 30 points, 12 rebounds and six assists while finishing 15 of 17 from the field.

Cleveland owned a 50-35 lead midway through the second quarter before the Bucks closed the gap to 59-52 at the break. Milwaukee then opened the third quarter on a 12-2 run, then later put together an 11-0 spurt to claim an 88-73 advantage with under three minutes remaining in the period.

Both Antetokounmpo and Lillard had 14 points in the pivotal third quarter.

The Cavs were able to cut Milwaukee's lead to 115-111 inside the final minute, but didn't make a shot the rest of the way and the Bucks sealed the game with four late free throws.

Milwaukee finished 25 of 28 from the foul line, while Cleveland attempted just nine free throws on the night.

Wagner, Banchero lead Magic over Knicks

Franz Wagner had 32 points and Paolo Banchero added 29 as the Orlando Magic got back on track with a 117-108 victory over the New York Knicks.

Orlando bounced back from Wednesday's 20-point home loss to the Philadelphia 76ers behind strong performances from its two young stars. Wagner finished 11 of 19 from the field to go along with nine rebounds, while Banchero had 10 boards and scored 15 points in the second half.

Jalen Suggs contributed 21 points for the Magic, who never trailed after stringing together a 14-1 run in the second quarter that turned a 33-33 tie into a comfortable 47-34 lead.

The Knicks battled back behind Julius Randle, who finished with 38 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, but could only get their deficit down to five points in the game's late stages.

Wagner helped Orlando hold on by recording 10 of his points in the fourth quarter.

Jalen Brunson had 20 points for New York, which has now lost two straight, but was held to 4-of-15 shooting from the field.

Anthony Davis lauded the Los Angeles Lakers for "playing the right way" after condemning the Charlotte Hornets to yet another defeat on Thursday.

Davis had 26 points and eight rebounds as the Lakers cruised to a 133-112 victory, moving the 17-time NBA champions up to 17-15 on the season and giving their playoff hopes a much-needed boost.

Davis was thrilled with his team's display on Thursday, telling reporters: "Guys were playing for each other, playing the right way.

"I'm able to bank some minutes, especially going into a tough back-to-back in Minnesota and New Orleans, it helps us as a team."

Two days before he turns 39-years-old, LeBron James had 17 points and 11 assists in helping the Lakers to the win, and Davis hailed the impact the four-time MVP continues to have, saying: "It's always good things that happen when the ball is in his hands.

"He makes great reads. He's a student of the game. He's seen every coverage and made a lot of great reads throughout his career, so every time we can get the ball in his hands, it's good for us."

The Hornets, meanwhile, lost for the ninth consecutive game, their longest losing run since 2014. The defeat dropped Charlotte to 7-22 on the season.

Head coach Steve Clifford lamented injuries to the likes of Gordon Hayward and Mark Williams, as well as the continued absence of LaMelo Ball, that have hampered the team on their six-game road trip.

"Our guys have worked hard, [but] they know we're short-handed," Clifford said. "This is a tough trip. A lot of times in this league, it's not just how many injuries you have, but when they come. Unfortunately for us, we've had more than our share of injuries, and this is not the time to be short-handed.

"But we played 41 good minutes the other night [against the Los Angeles Clippers]. We were right there. We've just got to defend."

Nikola Jokic registered another triple-double as the Denver Nuggets earned their sixth successive win on Thursday, while Tyrese Haliburton joined him in enjoying a big statistical night for the Indiana Pacers.

Jokic had 26 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in less than three quarters as the Nuggets recorded a 142-105 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, who were without the injured Ja Morant.

It was Jokic's 11th triple-double of the season, and he also shot 11-of-11 from the field and made all three of his free throws before exiting the game near the end of the third period.

Jokic now sits fourth in the NBA's all-time charts for triple-doubles with 116, behind Russell Westbrook (198), Oscar Robertson (181) and Magic Johnson (138).

Denver coach Michael Malone, however, says the Serbian is uninterested in individual accolades and was more concerned with ensuring the Nuggets continued their push at the top of the Western Conference.

"I don't know how many MVPs you could say this about, but Nikola doesn't care about how many shots he's getting," Malone told The Denver Post.

"He was 11-for-11 tonight. He doesn't care about that.  If Jamal [Murray] has got it going, he's clapping for Jamal. 

"He takes more joy in his team-mates' success than his own and that's the true definition of being selfless. He lives it every day."

Jokic himself said: "It's a miss and make game. Of course, sometimes you miss, sometimes you make. Today I made all my shots. There's not going to be a lot of those nights."

He was not the only player to enjoy a memorable outing on Thursday, with Pacers guard Haliburton scoring 21 points and adding a career-high 20 assists in a 120-104 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Having led by as many as 25 points, the Pacers found themselves 93-90 down in the fourth quarter before Haliburton took over, hitting back-to-back three-pointers to put his team ahead.

The 23-year-old then scored or assisted on Indiana's next 16 points as they improved to 16-14 with their second straight win.

Haliburton also avoided committing a single turnover, making him just the second player to record 20 points and 20 assists without a miscue in league history, after Chris Paul in 2016. 

However, he insisted his eye-catching figures were only made possible by his team-mates, saying: "I've done a terrible job taking care of the ball lately, so it was good to see zero turnovers again.

"You don't get 20 assists without guys making shots."

Center Myles Turner heaped praise upon Haliburton's performance, saying: "That's what he's been doing pretty much since he's been here.

"It's been phenomenal to watch, phenomenal to be a part of."

Coach Monty Williams was bullish about the Detroit Pistons' future despite the team matching the longest losing streak in NBA history on Thursday, when an improved performance was not enough to get them over the line against the Boston Celtics. 

The Pistons opened a 21-point lead in the first half as they went in search of a first win since October 28, but Jayson Tatum had 31 points for Boston as they turned things around to lead in the fourth quarter.

Bojan Bogdanovic made a putback with 4.6 seconds left to force overtime, but it was not to be for Detroit as Derrick White scored 10 of his 23 points in the extra period, helping the Celtics to a 128-122 success. 

Detroit have now lost their last 28 games, matching the Philadelphia 76ers' record losing run across the end of the 2014-15 season and the start of 2015-16.

They could take that unwanted record outright when they face the Toronto Raptors next time out, but an improved showing against the league's best side offered Williams encouragement.

"I'm unbelievably proud of the group, the way they bring it," Williams said after seeing his team slip to 2-29.

"They've heard all the stuff about our team and they just keep bringing it. I know it's going to pay off.

"As bad as they hurt right now, I hurt for them. But I told them; if we bring that kind of toughness and execution — minus the turnovers — we're not just going to win one game. 

"We're going to put something together."

Guard Cade Cunningham finished with 31 points, 22 of which came in the first half, though he missed a potential game-winning three-pointer with seven seconds remaining in regulation.

Like his coach, Cunningham said Detroit were not interested in winning purely to stop the rot, but as a platform for a lasting improvement.

"I'm not interested in just winning one more game this year to stop this, you know what I mean? That would be soft in my opinion," Cunningham said.

"Our goals are a lot higher than that. We have what it takes to win a game, that's nothing. 

"But to put games together, to find our system, find what's clicking and allow us to sustain winning…. That's all we're looking for.

"We're on the same level as all these teams we're playing against. There's no team that I've ever come across in the NBA where I felt like I was going into a slaughterhouse. I’ve never felt like that in my life, going into a basketball game.

"Every game, we should be able to fight teams and impose our will on them. We did that early on. 

"We let go of the rope a little bit in the third quarter. But there's a lot of growth, something we can learn from and definitely take to the next game."

The Detroit Pistons matched the longest losing streak in NBA history Thursday, blowing a 21-point lead before falling to the Boston Celtics 128-122 in overtime for their 28th straight loss.

The Pistons tied the Philadelphia 76ers, who lost 28 in a row starting in 2014-15 and into the 2015-16 season.

Detroit’s next chance to record its first win since Oct. 28 is Saturday against Toronto.

The Pistons opened a 21-point lead in the first half but trailed 106-100 in the final two minutes of regulation. Jaden Ivey scored six straight points to erase the deficit, then Bojan Bogdanovic made a putback with 4.6 seconds left to force OT.

Derrick White scored 10 of his 23 points in the extra period and Kristaps Porzingis added six to finish with 35.

Jayson Tatum had 31 points and 10 assists for league-leading Boston, which has won four straight and nine of its last 10 games.

Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 31 points and nine assists, while Ivey finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Jokic has another triple-double

Nikola Jokić registered 26 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in less than three quarters to lead the Denver Nuggets to their sixth consecutive win, 142-105 over the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies.

Jokic was 11 of 11 from the field and hit all three free throws before going to the bench with 1:31 left in the third quarter. He notched his 11th triple-double of the season and 116th of his career, which ranks fourth in NBA history.

Desmond Bane had 23 points and Marcus Smart added 17 for the Grizzlies, who were without star guard Ja Morant. Memphis had a four-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 6-20 when Morant is out of the lineup.

Edwards leads Timberwolves past Mavericks

Anthony Edwards poured in a season-high 44 points and Rudy Gobert added 20 with 11 rebounds to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 118-110 win over the Dallas Mavericks, who were without Luka Dončić.

Jaden McDaniels chipped in 12 points for Minnesota, which improved the Western Conference’s best record to 23-7.

With Doncic out on the second night of back-to-back games, Dallas lost its fifth in seven games. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 32 points off the bench and Jaden Hardy added 17 points.

The Detroit Pistons equalled the longest losing run in NBA history as they went down 128-122 to the Boston Celtics.

The Pistons, who broke the single-season record on Tuesday against Brooklyn Nets, forced overtime before going down to their 28th consecutive loss.

Defeat to the team with the league’s best record equals the record of the Philadelphia 76ers across two seasons in 2015.

Detroit did lead by 21 points in the first half, but needed a score from Bojan Bogdanovic to send the game into the first overtime of the losing streak.

Derrick White scored 10 points in the extra period as the Celtics pulled away. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 31 points.

Toronto are next up for Detroit on Saturday as they look to avoid taking sole ownership of the record.

Kevin Durant was relieved to play a leading role in ending the Phoenix Suns' three-game losing streak against the Houston Rockets.

He registered a career-high 16 assists to go with 27 points and 10 rebounds in his 18th career triple-double on Wednesday, giving the Suns a 129-113 win.

Durant shot 9 of 16 from the field and 3 of 7 from 3-point range as Phoenix snapped a three-game losing run with its first road victory since Nov. 26.

Eric Gordon also scored 27 points in his first game back in Houston since being traded in February. He had 17 points in the Suns' 43-point second quarter.

The Suns are back in action against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday and Durant is thrilled to go into a six-game homestand – their longest of the season – with a key road win behind them.

"It was amazing to get back on the winning side," he said.

"It sucks losing. Having a tough stretch in the NBA is one of the worst feelings you can have, regardless of how many games we play in a season."

Phoenix is 15-15 after winning just three of their last 10 games, putting them 10th in the Western Conference.

"Kevin just got into an aggressive mode to score or pass," added Suns coach Frank Vogel.

"Taking the ball in the backcourt, running a high volume of pick and rolls and just being aggressive. He really led us."

Devin Booker had 20 points for the Suns and there were 16 points from Grayson Allen.

Alperen Sengun had 24 points and Jalen Green added 23 for the Rockets, who have lost four of six following a five-game winning streak.

The Rockets fell to 15-14 after Gordon made his mark on his return to Houston, sinking seven 3-pointers.

"It was great to be back here – I had a lot of good memories and a lot of fun here and it was a major turning point in my career, coming to Houston," said Gordon.

Kevin Durant registered a career-high 16 assists to go with 27 points and 10 rebounds in his 18th career triple-double on Wednesday, leading the Phoenix Suns to a 129-113 win over the Houston Rockets.

Durant shot 9 of 16 from the field and 3 of 7 from 3-point range as Phoenix snapped a three-game losing streak with it first road victory since Nov. 26.

Eric Gordon also scored 27 points in his first game back in Houston since being traded in February. He had 17 points in the Suns’ 43-point second quarter.

Alperen Sengun had 24 points and Jalen Green added 23 for the Rockets, who have lost four of six following a five-game winning streak.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams help Thunder win

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams scored 36 points apiece and Williams sank a pair of key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 129-120 victory over the New York Knicks.

Chet Holmgren added 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting as the Thunder followed Tuesday’s triumph over Western Conference-leading Minnesota with their fifth win in six games.

Williams scored 17 points on 6 of 7 from the field in the fourth quarter, including eight points and two 3s during a 10-2 run after the Knicks cut their deficit to five with 4:37 remaining.

Julius Randle had 25 points and Jalen Brunson added 24 for New York, which had won three of four.

Antetokounmpo, Bucks handle undermanned Nets

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists and the Milwaukee Bucks pulled away for a 144-122 win over the short-handed Brooklyn Nets.

Khris Middleton added 27 points and 10 boards and Cameron Payne and Malik Beasley each hit five 3-pointers as the Bucks improved to 10-2 this month.

Milwaukee shot 23 of 51 from 3-point range and 58.4 percent (52 for 89) overall to bounce back from a Christmas Day loss to the Knicks.

The Nets rested three starters (Spencer Dinwiddie, Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson) and barely played two others one night after a victory in Detroit extended the Pistons’ losing streak an NBA-record 27.

Ja Morant says the Memphis Grizzlies are well aware of their own potential after claiming a fourth straight win.

The Grizzlies beat the New Orleans Pelicans 116-115 in overtime on Tuesday, and they are now 4-0 since Morant returned from his suspension.

Morant finished with 31 points, while Desmond Bane scored 27 as Memphis fought back from a double-digit deficit.

For Morant, it was merely more evidence that the Grizzlies know how good they can be.

"We know what we're capable of," Morant said.

"We told ourselves, we've been here before. We were very confident.

"Being able to come back and win four games now and continue to take this momentum to the next game, and the next day, is big time for us."

Morant had been named the Western Conference's Player of the Week prior to tip-off against the Pelicans, having averaged 28.8 points since his return to action.

"A lot of credit to my teammates," Morant added.

"Obviously, without them on the floor, I won't have the gaps I have, the lanes I have and them always telling me to be aggressive allows me to go out and deliver for us."

It was another damaging defeat for the Pelicans, who have lost three of their last four games after going on a four-game winning run.

"For three-and-a-half quarters, our game-plan discipline was at a high level," said Pelicans coach Willie Green.

"As the game started to get a little close, we get tired, and we started to turn the ball over, not execute as well and we let them right back into the game.

"This crap hurts, losing games like this. But it's a part of it and we have to learn from these moments."