Kyrie Irving is focusing on maximising his on-court efficiency after returning from injury in style for the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.

Irving had been absent from the Mavs' previous three games due to soreness on his right foot, the team winning only one of those outings.

But his importance to the Mavs was clear to see as he returned to the court for the 111-110 win away to the Los Angeles Lakers, posting a game-high 38 points, plus six rebounds and six assists.

It was one of those assists that proved decisive at the end, as Irving lured two Lakers players before spotting Maxi Kleber wide open, and he ultimately drained the buzzer-beating three-pointer.

"I'm just grateful I was able to have my head on a swivel," he said post-game.

"I thought for a second about forcing that two up to tie the game, but I saw Maxi open and AD [the Lakers' Anthony Davis] helping a little too much, so I tried to get into his shot pocket, and I'm glad I got it to [Kleber] with enough time to at least get the shot off.

"I could easily be sitting in this position with a loss. It was just that kind of game, but I'm glad we were resilient.

"We got really lucky and fortunate at the end of the regulation, so I'm glad it worked out for us."

Certainly, Irving's inspirational impact showed few signs of any lingering issues with his foot.

But he hinted afterwards that he did play through the pain barrier a little, meaning he felt the need to think extra carefully about how he operated on court.

"It would feel better if my wife rubbed on it when I get home... Watch it," he said with a grin.

"I just need to take care of it. Again, I said a few days ago it's a little worse than I thought, but I've just got to manage it, and I'm not going to sit up here and make any excuses."

On his efficiency, Irving added: "I don't think it's any extra science or anything like that, but it comes down to being intentional about my reps.

"I could sit at home or be on the court and be like, 'I wish my foot felt as great as it has all season', but it's just not the reality.

"Just taking my reps out there on the floor and being efficient in the opportunities I have.

"It's not the first time I've played with an injury or anything like that. Just keep pushing and keep getting rehab and recovery to put myself in the best position."

The Mavs are sixth in the West with a 36-35 record after beating the Lakers, who are 10th on 34-37.

The Chicago Bulls rode DeMar DeRozan's best game of the season to a thrilling 139-131 double-overtime home victory on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

DeRozan scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-tying basket to force overtime with 20 seconds remaining. He added nine more in the overtime periods, giving him a season-high 49 points on 15-of-25 shooting, including 17-of-18 from the free throw line.

The six-time All-Star logged 52 minutes of action – the third-most of any player this season (Immanuel Quickley 55; Luka Doncic 53) – while chipping in 14 rebounds, four assists, three steals and only one turnover.

His partner-in-crime Zach LaVine was playing a supporting role through three quarters, but he rose to the occasion from that point on, helping the Bulls claw back from a 10-point deficit with 10 minutes remaining.

LaVine had 12 in the fourth quarter, made the shot to force a second overtime, and kept it going with the Bulls' first five points of the final period. He ended up with 39 on identical shooting to DeRozan (15-of-25 from the field), continuing his excellent form since the All-Star break.

He came into Friday's contest averaging 30.7 points while shooting 54.8 per cent from the field, 47.5 per cent from deep and 91.5 per cent from the free throw line in the nine games since the break.

For the Timberwolves, Kyle Anderson put up his second triple-double from the past three games with 11 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, while Rudy Gobert posted 21 points (eight-of-14) and 19 rebounds.

But the big story out of Minnesota will be the health of franchise player Anthony Edwards, after he went down with what looked like a serious ankle injury in the first half.

The win keeps the Bulls (32-37) just a half-game inside the play-in tournament placings.

Kyrie puts away the Lakers

The Dallas Mavericks have won back-to-back games for the first time in over a month after a buzzer-beating 111-110 road win against the Los Angeles Lakers.

They were buoyed by the return of Kyrie Irving after a three-game injury absence, and he dominated the contest with a game-high 38 points on 14-of-23 shooting, with six rebounds and six assists.

Anthony Davis was strong for the Lakers with a team-high 26 points (nine-of-14), but a missed free throw with six seconds remaining meant his side only led by two instead of three. That proved to be the difference as Irving found Maxi Kleber for the game-winning three-pointer.

A win would have pulled the Lakers up into a tie for eighth, and left them just one game out of the six seed, but instead they fell to 34-37 and are in a tie for the 10th seed.

Tatum and Brown deliver another Celtics win

All-Star Boston Celtics duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 61 points as they overcame the Portland Trail Blazers 126-112 on the road.

The Celtics had to deal with another big Damian Lillard outburst as he piled on a game-high 41 points (12-of-23 shooting), although his seven turnovers hurt the Blazers.

Tatum shot eight-of-20 and 16-of-18 from the free throw line for his team-high 34 points and 12 rebounds, while Brown was 12-of-23 for 27 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Veteran center Al Horford finished one assist shy of his career-high with 10.

The win is the Celtics' fourth from their past five games, pulling them to within 1.5 games of the Eastern Conference leading Milwaukee Bucks.

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham was not happy with the application of his team in their 114-110 defeat at the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.

Going up against the team bottom of the Western Conference and on a run of four wins from their previous five, the Lakers had been hoping to give their playoff hunt another boost in Houston.

However, with a depleted side, they were unable to do so, allowing seven Rockets players to end the game with double figures at Toyota Center.

"We've talked about it and I've said it before games, after games, non-game days: energy, effort and urgency," Ham said after the loss. "And I thought coming out of the gates that kind of was non-existent.

"It's a product of us not being good on the ball. That individual pride it takes to keep the ball in front and guys behind you knowing that the paint is the priority. This team lives in the paint. The Houston Rockets live in the paint... And we preached that to them before the game."

The Lakers were without LeBron James (foot), Anthony Davis (foot) and Mo Bamba (ankle), with recent recruit from the Washington Wizards Rui Hachimura starting.

Ham was mostly critical of his defense, saying: "When you struggle defensively and you're playing against a set defense, the offense is going to struggle. You're not going to be able to be in a good rhythm."

He added: "I mean, it's the NBA. If you're not cut out for this, you're in the wrong business. I love it, personally. Would I rather have a sound and secure spot in the postseason? Yeah. Who wouldn't? But our circumstances are what they are."

The Lakers sit 10th in the Western Conference, just inside the play-in places on 34-36.

D'Angelo Russell, who scored 18 points with seven assists, pointed to the lack of star power available to them, recalling the days of Kobe Bryant.

"I mean, I'm not going to go against [the] coach. He obviously sees that as well. I agree," Russell said. "But when LeBron is playing, we're a different offensive team. When [Davis] is playing, we're a different offensive team. I compare it to with Kobe [Bryant].

"He was on his way out and he didn't practice a lot and we had a practice group in there at practice and ran the plays and did all that. But when Kobe would play, everything we practiced on kind of went down the drain. We kind of had to adjust. So, it's similar to that."

Darvin Ham confirmed the Los Angeles Lakers will not risk Anthony Davis against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.

Davis starred in a 123-108 win over his former team the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, scoring 35 points while adding 17 rebounds and one assist.

The 30-year-old is enjoying a strong season, with his 26.1 points per game his best average since the 2019-20 campaign – his first in Los Angeles.

Davis has also stepped up in LeBron James' absence. In the eight games Lakers' talisman has missed since February 26, Davis has played seven, scoring 30 or more points on four occasions.

The Lakers are above the play-in line in the Western Conference, but they will have to face the Rockets without Davis, who Ham explained will not be risked in back-to-back games.

"He's not going to play," Ham said of Davis, who missed a large chunk of this campaign due to a stress fracture in his right foot.

"He hasn't been cleared. Even though he's been playing pain-free, we made an organisational decision, starting with our team doctors, to hold him out of back-to-backs.

"It's just one of those things where even though he's playing pain-free, it's still an active injury.

"So we have to monitor it and stick to the plan, as we always have done. And just go out there with our other guys and try to get a W and finish the trip the right way."

With a comfortable 75-40 half-time lead over the Pelicans, Ham would have ideally liked to hand Davis a rest, yet New Orleans fought back to reduce the deficit to 13 in the final quarter.

"It definitely was a thought, but obviously, that's a hell of a ballclub over there that has a lot of pride and they made their push, so having to reinsert him into the game kind of nixed any delusions of grandeur," Ham said.

While frustrated that he will be watching on from the sidelines in Houston, Davis knows it is likely for the best.

He said: "It's tough, especially because each game you want to go out and play.

"But before I even came back, it's something the doctors and the organisation discussed that they thought it would be best for me not to play back-to-backs. 

"It's still a stress reaction, and we're doing all the right things to make sure that I'm ready to go and I still need that day break. Obviously it sucks."

Despite their win, the Lakers dropped from ninth to 10th in the West, due to the Oklahoma City Thunder's win over the Brooklyn Nets.

The Milwaukee Bucks underlined their NBA title favouritism as they reached 50 wins for the season with a commanding 116-104 road victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

Giannis Antetokounmpo backed up Monday's 40-point return against the Sacramento Kings with 36 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists at the Footprint Center.

The Bucks have won 20 of their past 22 games, including a 15-game winning streak during that stretch, while the Suns have now lost three consecutive games.

Milwaukee's record is 50-19, pulling clear of the Boston Celtics (47-22) in second in the Eastern Conference, while the 37-31 Suns remain among the mayhem in the tight Western Conference playoffs race.

The Suns had rallied from a 57-48 half-time deficit to take the lead in the fourth quarter but the Bucks steadied, with Antetokounmpo's block on Devin Booker's two-point attempt among the highlights.

Bucks center Brook Lopez added 21 points with 10 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday chipped in with 12 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Booker top scored for the Suns, still missing Kevin Durant due to an ankle injury, with 30 points on 13-of-27 shooting, while Chris Paul added 11 points with eight assists. Phoenix only made eight three-pointers for the game.

Nuggets fall to fourth straight defeat

The Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets slumped to their fourth straight defeat despite a third-quarter rally, going down 125-110 to the Toronto Raptors.

Fred VanVleet scored 36 points on 13-of-22 shooting including eight triples as the Raptors flew out of the blocks with a franchise-record 49-point first quarter, improving their record to 33-26.

The Nuggets fall to 46-23 amid their slump, with Nikola Jokic scoring 28 points with eight rebounds and seven assists, while Michael Porter Jr added 23 points with five three-pointers.

Lakers hit franchise record in key win over Pels

Anthony Davis produced a bounce-back display after his "terrible" showing two nights ago with 35 points and 17 rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers won 123-108 over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Malik Beasley added 24 points, shooting seven-of-12 from beyond the arc, as the Lakers moved closer to .500 with a 34-35 record to boost their playoffs hopes.

Beasley's three-point shooting helped the Lakers achieve a franchise record for threes made in a half, with 15 as a team before half-time.

Anthony Davis labelled his own performance "terrible" as he blamed himself for the Los Angeles Lakers' 112-108 loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday.

The Lakers missed the chance to get back .500, with the narrow defeat leaving them 33-35 in the battle for playoffs spot in the West.

In LeBron James' absence, Davis was critical of his own ability to lead the side, managing 17 points and 16 rebounds but shooting one-of-five from the free-throw line.

Davis also had four assists, two steals and a block, but his eight-of-18 field shooting left a lot to be desired, with the power forward stating "my play" was the reason for the loss.

"I played terrible," Davis told reporters. "Couldn't find my shot: free throws, layups, everything. The guys did their job. I didn't do my job."

Davis had little impact down the stretch with the game up for grabs, shooting one-of-four from the field.

"I just missed a lot of shots," he said. "I don't think they did anything special. A lot of times one-on-one, they doubled a couple of times."

The Lakers' three-game winning streak may have been halted, but there was some good news with James, who was out of a walking boot and rejoined the team.

The four-time MVP has not played since February 26 and will be re-evaluated next week, potentially offering the Lakers a major boost in their push for the playoffs if they can stay in contention in the meantime.

"It's also good for him to unplug a little bit," Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said about James' break. "Not be detached necessarily, but just mentally get a little bit of a calming to everything that's transpired over the year.

"It's not just about him getting healthy, it's about him being in a good place mentally and spiritually, so we get the best version of him when he returns."

The Lakers (33-35) are 11th in the Western Conference, which is tightly contested from the fourth-placed Phoenix Suns (37-30) down to the 12th-placed New Orleans Pelicans (33-35).

Austin Reaves saluted the "super talented" D'Angelo Russell following his successful return in the Los Angeles Lakers' 122-112 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

After missing six games with a sprained ankle, the guard scored 28 points as the Lakers notched up their seventh win in nine outings.

Russell, who had nine assists and five rebounds, was five-for-five shooting in the fourth quarter, racking up 16 points for the Lakers, who are only a game-and-a-half behind the fifth-placed Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference.

"He's just super talented," said Reaves, who also contributed 18 points. "The shots he was hitting in the fourth, it was ridiculous.

"You've only got a handful of guys that take those shots in that situation. So, shout-out to him. [It's] good to have him back. We're looking to keep it rolling."

"I was just flowing, honestly," Russell added. "Obviously, this is my first game back and just itching to get back on the floor.

"So, to get back out there and perform and be back out there with those guys - they were playing at a high level - and to be able to contribute to that was just fun. I couldn't help but smile."

After missing six games with a sprained ankle Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell will return Friday at home against the Toronto Raptors.

The Lakers, who have won six of their past eight games, face a crucial final 16 fixtures of the regular season, sitting right in the thick of the Western Conference play-in tournament race.

At 32-34 Los Angeles are ninth, but just two games adrift of the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers (35-33), and only one game clear of the 13th-ranked Portland Trail Blazers (31-35).

Speaking ahead of Friday's game, head coach Darvin Ham said Russell would be "pretty much a full go", implying that he will play somewhere near the 30 minutes per game he was averaging in his three appearances for the Lakers prior to his injury.

In those games, he averaged 17.3 points and 5.6 assists, and the Lakers went 2-1.

Backup guard Austin Reaves had picked up the slack in an expanded role, averaging 14.5 points and 5.5 assists while shooting 50 per cent from the field and 45.5 per cent from deep during his four games this month.

Los Angeles Lakers trade deadline acquisition Mo Bamba will miss at least four weeks after the team announced Thursday he had suffered a high ankle sprain.

Bamba, 24, was the sixth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, but after four-and-a-half disappointing seasons with the Orlando Magic he was traded to the Lakers in exchange for Patrick Beverley.

In seven games for his new club, including one start, Bamba averaged 4.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 11.6 minutes, highlighted by a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double in a win against the Golden State Warriors.

His absence will likely result in an expanded role for fellow new arrival Jarred Vanderbilt, who has impressed since coming over from the Utah Jazz in the Russell Westbrook trade.

Vanderbilt, 23, has put together a couple of game-winning efforts in a Lakers jersey already, but despite earning a spot in the starting line-up, he has only been playing an average of 24.2 minutes per game.

With Anthony Davis the only other elite defender on the roster – and already being pushed to the limit during LeBron James' absence – Vanderbilt is the prime candidate to pick up more minutes as a small-ball center, while Wenyen Gabriel will also figure back into the rotation.

Anthony Davis says he will be fine after shaking off a bloodied nose to record 30 points with a season-high 22 rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Lakers past the Memphis Grizzlies 112-103 on Tuesday.

In the absence of the injured LeBron James, Davis was crucial for the Lakers who moved up to ninth – among the Play-In Tournament spots - in the Western Conference with the win, improving their record to 32-34.

Davis was floored and left clutching his bloodied nose with 6:43 remaining in the second quarter after copping an errant hand from David Roddy when securing a rebound.

The All-Star power forward was patched up and returned with a dominant performance, shooting 11-of-17 from the field with seven-of-nine from the free-throw line, with 22 rebounds including four offensive boards.

"It's still bleeding but we've got to win basketball games," Davis told ESPN during his on-court post-game interview.

"I do all I can to come out and compete every night and help this team get victories. The nose will be alright. We've got two days to recuperate and make sure it's still in place. I'll be alright."

Davis hailed the Lakers' defense for the win, coming two days after knocking off another Western Conference rival, the Golden State Warriors, 113-105 on Sunday.

The race for playoffs spots in the Western Conference is tight, with the Lakers only a few games behind the fifth-placed Dallas Mavericks and Warriors (both 34-32).

"It's a must-win," Davis said. "Every game we play from now is a must-win for us. Nothing changed tonight.

"Our ball club did a great job competing on both ends of the floor, little carryover from the game before against Golden State.

"We feel we owe this team one, we let one slip away in Memphis. Ja [Morant] was a big part of that. We wanted to come out and compete. All our guys stepped up tonight."

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to honour two-time champion and six-time All-Star Pau Gasol by retiring his number 16 jersey during half-time of Tuesday's home game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Gasol, who retired from the NBA following the 2018-19 campaign, spent seven of his 18 seasons with the Lakers after being acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies in a trade at the 2008 deadline.

Having been named the 2002 Rookie of the Year, the seven-foot Spaniard made his first All-Star team in 2006 after averaging 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, but he would not make another until arriving in LA.

After Gasol's arrival, the Lakers went from a first-round exit in 2007 all the way to the NBA Finals, falling short against historic rivals the Boston Celtics in six games.

With a training camp under their belt and in his first full season alongside Kobe Bryant, Gasol helped the Lakers win their 15th championship, and Bryant's fourth. He averaged 40.5 minutes and shot 58 per cent from the field for his 18.3 points and 10.8 rebounds in 23 playoff games.

The Lakers then went back-to-back in the 2009-10 season, when Gasol was the most valuable player on the floor during their Game 7 victory against the Celtics, finishing with 19 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks in a game where Bryant had 23 points and 15 rebounds, but shot six-of-24 from the field.

He was named an All-Star in both championship seasons, and again in 2010-11, and then spent three more years with the Lakers until heading to the Chicago Bulls, where he would make two more All-Star Games.

Prior to the ceremony, Gasol spoke to the media about the honour of having his number go up in the rafters alongside Bryant.

"I think I’ve done as good as I could to really embrace it and savour it, but tonight really exceeds any dream or expectation that I’ve had," he said. "Obviously with Kobe up there, it just adds something meaningful, and powerful, and sad, and happy, and painful, and joyful. It’s a lot of things.

"The excitement, the anticipation, the honour received, it’s just so big that it's been hard to really take it in.

"I have to keep reminding myself that it’s a celebration. It's great. It's lovely. It's just great that you can experience this in your life."

Gasol was also an incredibly decorated international competitor, finishing as the highest scoring player at the 2004 Olympics, before guiding Spain to their first ever FIBA World Championship in 2006, where he was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

He is also the all-time leading scorer in EuroBasket competition, overtaking Dirk Nowitzki and Tony Parker with 1,183 points scored in 58 games at an average of 20.4.

Two-time MVP Stephen Curry felt he "got stronger as the game went on" as he returned after 11 games out from a leg injury in the Golden State Warriors' 113-105 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Curry, playing for the first time since February 4, scored 27 points on eight-of-20 shooting from the field, making five of 13 from three-point range. The reigning NBA Finals MVP also had two rebounds and six assists.

The Warriors guard was inconsistent throughout the game, failing to score in either the first or third quarters, but he did add 19 fourth-quarter points to lead Golden State's charge down the stretch against their Western Conference rivals.

"I felt like I got stronger as the game went on," Curry told reporters.

"I felt great. I missed the first two wide-open ones. I felt like I was in rhythm for the most part. Hopefully I continue to get better as we go forth from here."

The battle for playoff spots in the Western Conference remains wide open, with the Warriors fifth with a 34-31 record, while the Lakers are 11th with a 31-34 record.

Golden State put together a late-season charge to propel them on to win the title around this time last year, but Curry does not see too many parallels.

"The biggest difference is we didn’t start out 18-2 [last season]," Curry said.

"We're still fifth. We have an outside shot at trying to get home-court advantage. It feels weird to say it, but we're trying to win a championship but also trying to stay out of the play-in, too."

Curry's return coincided with the Warriors' five-game winning streak coming to a halt, when many expected him to help their momentum. He said the team would need to adjust to having him back in the line-up.

"The way the guys have been playing over the last five games and the stretch that we had at home, it's a tough transition for everybody," Curry said.

"It's just guys trying to keep their rhythm, keep their confidence. That's our challenge as a team.

"We have to maintain trust in each other because we are all aiming for the same goal – to win at the highest level. I understand everybody has to be a part of that. It's not just about me coming back."

The New York Knicks secured their ninth straight victory with an epic 131-129 double over-time win over the Boston Celtics as Immanuel Quickley scored a career-high 38 points.

Quickley stepped into the Knicks starting line-up in the absence of Jalen Brunson (left foot injury), playing a career-high 55 minutes, and scoring their first seven of 10 points overall in the second over-time period.

The Knicks shooting guard scored 27 of his 38 points in the second half including OT. He made 15-of-28 attempts from the field, including five-of-12 from beyond the arc, with eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

But the Celtics almost snatched victory, with Al Horford's three-point attempt on the buzzer rimming out after a pass from Jayson Tatum.

Tatum also spurned a chance to win it in the first over-time period, missing a two-point attempt after Jaylen Brown kept the ball for too long with the clock ticking down, putting his team-mate under pressure for a tough look.

Brown had sent the game to OT with a three-point play after a foul from Quentin Grimes at the end of regulation squared it up.

Tatum finished with 40 points on 12-of-30 shooting with six-of-17 from three-point range, 11 rebounds and six assists. Brown added 29 points, while Horford had 20 points, making six-of-10 three-point attempts, but not the crucial last one.

Randle offered excellent support to Quickley with 31 points, nine rebounds and four assists, draining five triples. The win improved the Knicks' record to 39-27, sitting fifth in the east.

AD leads Lakers past GSW in Curry's return

Stephen Curry scored 27 points on his return from injury, but it was not enough as Anthony Davis led the Los Angeles Lakers past the Golden State Warriors 113-105 in a big Western Conference clash.

Davis scored 39 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers home, improving their record to 31-34 as he continues to shine in LeBron James' absence with a foot injury.

The result snapped the Warriors' five-game winning streak even with Curry back in action after a left leg injury. The Golden State guard added 19 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, shooting five-of-13 from three-point range.

Booker and Doncic square off as Suns win

Kevin Durant landed a fadeaway jumper with 11 seconds left to earn the Phoenix Suns a 130-126 victory over Kyrie Irving's Dallas Mavericks in another huge clash in the West.

Devin Booker and Luka Doncic squared off face to face after the Mavs guard missed a two-point shot at 128-126 with 3.5 seconds remaining, earning them both technical fouls. That square-off was a flashback to the tense Mavs-Suns Conference Semi-Finals last season, when Dallas eliminated Phoenix in a Game 7 blowout.

Durant finished with 37 points and seven rebounds in his first match-up against his former Nets team-mate Irving, since both left Brooklyn. Booker added 36 points with 10 assists for Phoenix, while Doncic finished with 34 points and nine rebounds and Irving had 30 points.

The Golden State Warriors are hoping to get Stephen Curry back in their lineup as soon as Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Curry, who suffered an injury to his left lower leg on February 4, has participated in multiple team scrimmages, including one Thursday morning.

After Thursday's shootaround, reporters asked Warriors coach Steve Kerr if Curry could be available Sunday in Los Angeles.

"I suppose," Kerr replied.

Curry has already been ruled out for Golden State’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.

Entering play Thursday, the Warriors are 12-12 this season without the two-time league MVP, but his return will be welcome news for a team in the thick of the jumbled Western Conference playoff picture.

Before Thursday’s games against the Los Angeles Clippers, the defending champion Warriors sat in fifth place in the West at 32-30, just 2.5 games up on the 11th-place Lakers.

Despite dealing with shoulder and leg injuries in his 14th NBA season, Curry is having one of his best individual campaigns, scoring 29.4 points per game on 42.7-percent shooting from beyond the arc.

The Warriors' season has been a rocky one – especially given the team's 7-23 road record – but they remain contenders when healthy.

One development of note has been the reemergence of Curry's 'Splash Brothers' running-mate Klay Thompson, who has averaged 26.2 points in 21 games since January 2.

LeBron James' foot injury will be reassessed in three weeks, the Los Angeles Lakers have confirmed.

The 38-year-old sustained the injury in the third quarter of Sunday's victory over the Dallas Mavericks and subsequently missed the defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies and the victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Reports on Thursday stated that James would not require surgery and, although not confirmed by the team, the Lakers have said it is a right foot tendon injury.

A team statement said: "LeBron James has been evaluated by Lakers team physicians and medical staff, and it has been determined that he has sustained a right foot tendon injury.

"James will be reevaluated in approximately three weeks."

There is just over a month remaining of the regular season, with the Lakers facing a battle to secure a spot in the playoffs, sitting 11th in the Western Conference on a record of 30-33.