A defiant Andre Drummond suggested the Chicago Bulls can utilise an underdog mentality as his side prepare to face a host of "super teams" in the new NBA season.

The Bulls have missed out on the NBA Playoffs in five of the last six seasons, finishing 40-42 in their last campaign and failing to make the eight-seed position in the Eastern Conference.

Chicago's task in the upcoming season will be no easier, although Drummond believes the Bulls can mix with the best as numerous teams assemble impressive rosters.

"I'm looking to beat every team that we play," the 30-year-old center told Stats Perform.

"That's my mindset, but there are definitely some circles on my calendar for teams that I'm looking forward to playing. Phoenix being one of them. Denver, Boston, the Bucks, the Spurs.

"I'm really looking forward to [facing] these teams that are being formed, like these super teams everybody's talking about.

"I love when the underdog team beats them."

While the Bulls once again failed to make the postseason, Drummond took some comfort in seeing his former teammates win the championship with the Denver Nuggets.

"The Nuggets winning almost feels like I won because it's kind of personal for me," he continued.

"Four of my former teammates play for that team – Ish Smith, Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown – and the fact those guys have done it [makes it feel personal because of] how much work we all put into our games.

"We played for Detroit together, and to see them win it almost felt like I got a piece of that championship to see that success for them."

The Nuggets are tipped as a potential repeat champion, which has happened on just three occasions since 2010, with the talent of Nikola Jokic a key to their success.

In 20 postseason games, Jokic accumulated 600 points, 269 rebounds and 190 assists. Never before in NBA history had a player reached those numbers over a 20-game span.

Jokic also became the first player in NBA history to have 25+ points and 15+ rebounds on 75 per cent shooting in a championship-clinching win after the Game 5 victory over the Miami Heat.

Those record-breaking numbers were no surprise to Drummond, who is preparing to face a new era of NBA stars.

"It is the new age of basketball now with guys like Jokic, Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and the new kid Victor [Wembanyama] who is taking the league by storm right now," he added.

"The game is changing and changes every year, something new happens and it becomes a wave, and everybody wants to follow that trend for that year until the next wave goes on.

"I always say history repeats itself at some point in time, the true center position is going to come back around, which it already kind of has due to everybody getting out-rebounded.

"I just think it's unique man, Jokic is a unique basketball player, the way he sees the floor, he thinks like a guard and plays like a guard, but is 6'11 and almost 300 pounds.

"He's just a really smart, a great decision maker, great basketball player overall and he's very, very fun to watch and play against."

Having started with the Detroit Pistons in 2012, Drummond believes the game has changed – and will continue to evolve – albeit perhaps not for the better.

He said: "I've been a part of a lot of good basketball, and to like where it is now, where it's a little bit softer, you can't touch anybody and everybody is free flowing.

"Everybody's there for the show instead of the game of basketball, I feel like it's a lot easier now because you can't touch anybody, so it makes the game a lot easier for both the offense and defense."

The Milwaukee Bucks and star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo have agreed to a three-year, $186million extension, multiple media outlets reported Monday, keeping him under contract through the 2027-28 season.  

The final year of the deal, when the seven-time All-Star is scheduled to make $66.8million, reportedly carries a player option.

Antetokounmpo, who had previously said that he planned on waiting until next offseason to sign an extension, hinted at the deal earlier Monday with a post on social media that included a picture of him holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy after the 2021 Finals. The caption read: “MILWAUKEEEEEEEEE!! Let’s get it!!!! #BucksInSix #Extended.”

Antetokounmpo’s max extension – along with the offseason acquisition of Damian Lillard – should quiet any rumours of the two-time MVP’s desire to leave Milwaukee.

Antetokounmpo made comments earlier this offseason that were generally supportive of the team’s direction but left open the possibility of future discontent.

“But at the end of the day, I want to be a Milwaukee Buck for the rest of my career, as long as we are winning. It’s as simple as that,” Antetokounmpo said on media day earlier this month. He later added that the Bucks were “definitely” committed to winning another championship.

Antetokounmpo also said during media day that he did not plan to sign a contract extension until next offseason, when he could have secured a larger deal.

“I said that it did not make sense to sign the contract right now because money’s not important – a lot of money is important. So I’m going to sign it next year,” Antetokounmpo said with a laugh. “But, no, at the end of the day, again, it doesn’t make sense. It does not make sense for me to sign it right now. I’ve got to always look at what’s best for me and my family, for my situation.”

Bobby Marks, ESPN front office insider and former assistant GM with the Brooklyn Nets, explained on social media that Antetokounmpo may make more in the long run by signing this extension.

Antetokounmpo, 28, set a career high last season by scoring 31.1 points per game. The Bucks finished first in the East with a 58-24 record but were eliminated by the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs, beginning a crucial offseason for a team just two years removed from an NBA title.

Milwaukee fired coach Mike Budenholzer and hired Adrian Griffin as his replacement. The team was also able to sign Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez to long-term contracts before making the blockbuster trade that brought in Lillard and ended Jrue Holiday’s tenure with the Bucks.

Antetokounmpo has averaged 22.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 719 career games since the Bucks drafted him 15th overall in 2013.

Lillard will make his Bucks debut Thursday when Milwaukee kicks off their 2023-24 season by hosting reigning MVP Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Jaden McDaniels played a big role in the success of the Minnesota Timberwolves last season and is being rewarded.

A day before the start of the NBA season, McDaniels and the Timberwolves agreed to a five-year, $136million extension.

The deal was first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic on Monday.

McDaniels averaged a career-high 12.1 points on 51.7 per cent shooting to go with 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in starting all 79 games he played for Minnesota in 2022-23. Though he doesn't shoot a high volume of 3-pointers, he is a reliable shooter from beyond the arc, connecting on 39.8 per cent from 3-point range.

With averages of 0.96 blocks per game and 0.94 steals, McDaniels is also considered one of the NBA's top wing defenders.

Minnesota went 42-40 in 2022-23, and much of the team's success came down to McDaniels' scoring output.

When McDaniels scored at least 12 points, the Timberwolves went 26-13, but when he scored 11 or fewer, the team went 15-25.

A first-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, McDaniels is entering his fourth pro season - all with Minnesota.

With McDaniels firmly in the fold, the Timberwolves boast a talented core of Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert.

Minnesota has made the playoffs each of the last two seasons and opens this year Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors.

Andre Drummond accepts the legacy of Michael Jordan's legendary exploits with the Chicago Bulls puts additional pressure on the team.

However, ahead of the new NBA season, the two-time All-Star center is relishing being part of the Bulls' attempts to recapture their former glories, saying he and his team-mates have a unique standard to uphold.

All six of Chicago's NBA championships were captured with the help of Hall of Famer Jordan, who helped popularise the league on a global scale by leading the team to two three-peats, the first coming between 1991 and 1993 and the second between 1996 and 1998.

While Jordan helped make the Bulls one of the NBA's most iconic franchises, they have struggled to hit anything close to those heights in recent years.

Chicago has missed the playoffs in five of the last six years, failing to build on an encouraging 2021-22 campaign. Last season they were beaten by the Miami Heat in April's play-in tournament.

With the Bulls hoping to fare better when the new season tips off this week, Drummond needs no reminder of their illustrious history.

"Michael Jordan's name is known everywhere," he told Stats Perform. "No matter where you go, no matter what country you go to, if you say the name Michael Jordan, someone knows who he is.

"You can say the same thing for LeBron [James] too. I feel like LeBron is up there now with one of the most notable people in the world.

"But Michael Jordan, his name rings bells. Not only as a basketball player but just how he was as a person. He has brought a lot of hope to this city, he brought a lot of championships here, and he's brought in a lot of money here, too."

Asked whether Jordan's achievements put a unique level of pressure on Chicago, Drummond said: "I've only been here a year and a half, so I don't really understand the gravity of how much it means. 

"But I feel like this year, I'll feel it more because I have my feet wet, being here and seeing the fanbase and how they really love Chicago basketball.

"Whether we are good or not, they are still coming out every night, so it is starting to set in a little bit.

"As I look around the arena, I'm like, 'some great players have stepped on this floor, man'.

"I feel like you have a standard to uphold as a Chicago Bull, and I feel like that's the pride that we need to walk with.

"Chicago Bulls are one of the most celebrated teams in the world. You go around the country and see people wearing the Bulls attire. 

"You may see some Lakers, you may see some Knicks or Boston maybe, but the Bulls, everybody loves the Bulls. I don't know what it is or why it's like that, I don't know what it is. 

"Even as a kid, I would see people all the way in Connecticut wearing Chicago Bulls gear, and they've never been to Chicago in their life. Everybody just loves the Bulls! 

"I think it's just a very celebrated team and a celebrated city and you have to uphold that standard."

The Bulls begin their 2023-24 campaign with back-to-back home games, facing the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday before the Toronto Raptors visit United Center on Friday.

Days before the start of the 2023-24 NBA season, the Memphis Grizzlies announced Steven Adams will undergo season-ending knee surgery.

In a statement posted Sunday, the Grizzlies said Adams requires surgery on his right posterior cruciate ligament and will not play this season.

The team is hopeful he'll make a full recovery and be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season.

Adams was sidelined for the final 36 games of the 2022-23 season after initially injuring his PCL on January 22.

He was originally only expected to miss four-to-five weeks, but was never able to return.

The hope was he'd be ready to go for the start of this season, but "non-operative rehabilitation did not resolve ongoing knee instability," according to the Grizzlies.

Adams, who was acquired by Memphis prior to the 2021-22 season, averaged 8.6 points, a career-high 11.5 rebounds and 1.10 blocks while starting all 42 games he played prior to his injury in January. The Grizzlies went 28-14 (.667) in games he played and 23-17 (.575) in games he missed. 

Through his career, the 30-year-old Adams has averaged 9.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 0.96 blocks in 706 games over 10 seasons.

The Grizzlies open the season Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans, and won't have Ja Morant available until December 19 because of a 25-game suspension.

The Philadelphia 76ers' wantaway guard James Harden is just "looking to find happiness" after requesting a trade and engaging in a bitter war of words with Sixers president Daryl Morey.

That is the view of Chicago Bulls center and former Sixer Andre Drummond, who hopes Harden joins a team where he feels wanted. 

Former MVP Harden requested a trade after exercising his player option for the 2023-24 season in June, the third time he has asked for a move since leaving the Houston Rockets in January 2021.

Having grown frustrated with Morey's handling of his contract situation during the offseason, Harden labelled the Sixers president a "liar" in August, declaring: "I will never be a part of an organization that he's a part of".

Harden reportedly expected to be offered a long-term deal after Philadelphia were beaten by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season. 

He has since skipped practice on two occasions as the Sixers work towards their NBA season opener, which comes on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.

While some have criticised Harden's conduct, Drummond, who joined the Brooklyn Nets as part of the trade which took Harden to Philadelphia last year, has sympathy for his position.

"I don't really get into the whole gossip aspect of the NBA," Drummond told Stats Perform. "I mean, with James, it's not his first time doing this.

"I think he's just going to try to find a way to make sure that he's happy and he goes into the best situation. I don't really have much else I can say on that.

"He's just looking to find happiness, so hopefully he gets to go where he wants to."

The Sixers' hopes for 2023-24 will be carried by reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid, who recently announced his intention to represent the United States at next year's Olympic Games in France. 

Embiid averaged a career-high 33.1 points to lead the NBA last season, but the 29-year-old is yet to win a championship.

Drummond, who played alongside Embiid while with the Sixers in 2021-22, believes Philadelphia need to give the center a championship-winning team sooner rather than later.

Asked about Philadelphia's title hopes, Drummond said: "I think for Joel, they have to do it now. Now's the time.

"They've waited a long time, a lot of pieces have been added to their team that maybe aren't working out. 

"I hope he does it. I hope he doesn't win against us, but I hope for the best for him. I really want him to win. I've got to play alongside him for a year and he deserves it. He works really hard."

Reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid scored 21 points in his 2023-24 preseason debut to help the Philadelphia 76ers to a 120-106 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.

Embiid shot just 3 of 12 from the field, but went 14 of 15 from the free-throw line in the 76ers' final tune-up prior to Thursday's season opener against the Bucks in Milwaukee. The star center added five rebounds and two blocks in 33 minutes.

Starting in place of the disgruntled James Harden, De'Anthony Melton contributed a game-high 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting to aid in the 76ers' victory. Tyrese Maxey chipped in 12 assists and three steals along with 15 points.

Harden's status for the regular season remains in question after the 2017-18 NBA MVP did not show up for team practices earlier this week. Harden requested a trade in the summer due to his displeasure over not receiving a contract extension.

Trae Young led Atlanta with 19 points and 10 assists but shot just 5 of 16 from the floor. The Hawks open their season on the road against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.

The Bucks will also enter their showdown with the 76ers off a win, as Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points and Damian Lillard had 19 in Milwaukee's 124-116 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Desmond Bane shot 5 of 9 from 3-point range and put up 24 points for Memphis, which begins its season Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans as star guard Ja Morant begins a 25-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the league. 

Elsewhere on the NBA's final night of preseason games, Kyrie Irving posted a 17-point, 11-assist double-double as the Dallas Mavericks earned a 114-104 win over the Detroit Pistons. 

The Mavericks rested Luka Doncic as they prepared for Wednesday's anticipated visit to San Antonio to take on the Spurs in Victor Wembanayama's official NBA debut. Josh Green started in Doncic's place and recorded 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including a 4-of-5 performance from 3-point range. 

In Houston, rookie Amen Thompson compiled 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists to help the Rockets to a 110-104 win over the Miami Heat.

Thompson, the No. 4 pick in this year's draft, will make his regular-season debut Wednesday when the Rockets visit the Orlando Magic.

Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green added 20 points for Houston, which also received 16 points and 12 rebounds from Alperen Sengun.

In Toronto, the Raptors completed a 4-0 preseason with a 134-98 rout of the Washington Wizards behind Scottie Barnes' 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting. 

Pascal Siakam finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists in Toronto's final game before Wednesday's opener against the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves. 

The Chicago Bulls have "unfinished business" after missing out on the NBA Playoffs in five of the last six seasons, according to Andre Drummond.

The Bulls were expected to improve on a promising 2021-22 term this time last year, but they finished 40-42 for the regular season before missing out on the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Chicago were beaten by the Miami Heat in April's play-in tournament, bringing a premature end to an inconsistent campaign in which they never once posted a four-game winning streak.

Their woes were compounded by seeing guard Lonzo Ball sit out the entire season with a knee injury which has now required multiple surgeries. Having last taken to the court in January 2022, Ball will also miss the 2023-24 campaign after being forced to undergo a cartilage transplant.

Despite Ball's absence, Drummond believes Chicago can look forward to a more positive time of things this season, having kept a familiar core intact. 

"It's definitely been one of my better offseasons, I feel like I got a lot done," Drummond told Stats Perform. "I got some good insight into what is expected of me, so that's what I worked on this summer.

"With the Bulls I feel like we have some unfinished business, which is one of the reasons why I ended up coming back here to Chicago, picking up my player option. 

"We started off really good at the beginning of last year, and I feel like we let a lot of things slip, some due to injuries and some due to just not really having any real chemistry yet.

"Losing Lonzo, a lot of our decision-making has been spread out throughout our team, for guys that aren't used to doing it.

"I think with a year under our belts now, we know how each other play and we know each other a little bit better, we will be able to really build that chemistry."

In June, two-time All Star Drummond exercised his $3.36million option to remain with the Bulls, who open their season at home to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.

He will again be teaming up with Nikola Vucevic, who signed a three-year, $60m contract extension with Chicago in June, and Drummond is enjoying working with his fellow center.

"The relationship I have with Vuch is unique because he's somebody I've battled against for almost a decade, just playing against this guy year in, year out," Drummond said.

"Then being team-mates with him now and just seeing him on a day-to-day basis, I just really formed a new respect for him, watching how hard he works and how he prepares for each and every game. 

"Being here with him has been a lot of fun. We have two different games, which is why our games work together on the same team. 

"He's more of the outside shooter and I'm more of the brute force down low that gets all the rebounds and does all the dirty work, so our games clash very well."

Vucevic averaged 17.6 points, 11 rebounds and 3.2 assists while playing in all 82 games throughout 2022-23, also shooting 52 per cent from the field, his highest rate since 2014-15.

Nikola Jokic had his best game of the preseason with 25 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in the Denver Nuggets’ 101-90 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.

The two-time MVP shot 9 of 15 from the field and 3 of 6 from 3-point range.  

Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope each added 13 points for Denver.

Los Angeles’ Bones Hyland had 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists against his former team.

Durant and James match up in Suns’ victory

Kevin Durant scored 21 points and the Phoenix Suns defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 123-100 in a game that put Durant and LeBron James on the court for the first time in almost five years.

James had 19 points and Anthony Davis added 15 for the Lakers.

The last time James and Durant were on the court together was Christmas 2018.

Devin Booker and Bradley Beal both sat out for Phoenix.

Timberwolves finish perfect preaseason

Anthony Edwards scored 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting and the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Chicago Bulls 114-105 to finish 5-0 in the preseason.

Minnesota had six players in double figures and 15 players scored at least one point.

Nikola Vucevic had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Chicago.

Victor Wembanyama overcame a slow start to score 15 points in 21 minutes as the San Antonio Spurs posted a 117-103 preseason victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.

The No. 1 draft pick missed all five of his shots from the field in the first half but made 7 of 8 from the free throw line. He hit 3 of 5 shots in the second half, including a pair of 3-pointers, and finished with six rebounds and two blocks.

Devin Vassell scored 25 points with five 3s and Zach Collins had 11 points, nine rebounds and three assists for San Antonio.

Houston’s Amen Thompson, the fourth overall pick in June’s draft, was limited to five points in 21 minutes.

Curry's late 3 lifts Warriors

Stephen Curry drained a long 3-pointer – his eighth of the game - with 5.5 seconds remaining to cap the Golden State Warriors’ 116-115 comeback win over the Sacramento Kings.

Curry scored 16 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter as the Warriors erased an 18-point deficit.

Jonathan Kuminga had 18 points and Andrew Wiggins added 16 for Golden State, now 4-0 in the preseason.

De’Aaron led the Kings with 25 points and Keegan Murray had 24.

Poole scores 41 in Wizards' win

In New York, Jordan Poole poured in 41 points with six 3-pointers in the Washington Wizards’ 131-106 rout of the New York Knicks.

Poole, entering his first season with Washington after four with Golden State, hit 10 of 19 shots and sank 15 of 16 free throws – in three quarters – as the Wizards improved to 3-0 in the preseason.

Julius Randle led the Knicks with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

The Las Vegas Aces have won back-to-back WNBA titles by beating New York Liberty in four games.

The Aces, the first team to defend the crown since 2002, took the fourth game in New York 70-69 to seal a 3-1 series victory.

With the sides level at 64-64, Jackie Young and Aja Wilson put the Aces six points up with one minute 26 seconds left on the clock.

New York cut that to a single point, but were unable to land the winning basket on the buzzer.

Wilson, who finished with 24 points and 16 rebounds, was named the MVP of the Finals series.

Only the Los Angeles Sparks in 2002 and Houston Comets, who took the title from 1997-2000, have previously managed back-to-back championships.

The Philadelphia 76ers practiced at the team's facility on Wednesday.

James Harden, meanwhile, was reportedly in Houston.

Harden skipped the team's latest training session, and has been away from the 76ers since Sunday, according to ESPN.

He attended a team meeting in New York on Sunday, but was not at Philadelphia's shootaround the next day or at Monday's game against the Brooklyn Nets.

The disgruntled star has been frustrated with 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey for months and has demanded a trade since picking up his $35.6million player option for the 2023-24 season in late June.

Despite his bitterness, Harden has still been attending training camp and practices. He has yet to play in a preseason game, but said last week he could play in the 76ers' final exhibition game on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks.

First-year Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said he didn't know why Harden was a no-show at practice, and was still expecting him to play in Friday's game.

"From the last discussions I've had with him and from everybody, yeah,” Nurse told reporters. "I'm still going on what he said the last time I talked him, that he was going to ramp up and get ready to play Friday. We'll see how it goes."

The 76ers open the regular season Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Harden's disdain for Morey all comes down to his belief that he wasn't offered a long-term max deal that he thought he deserved this past offseason.

The 2017-18 NBA MVP and three-time league scoring champion could have declined the option and become a free agent, but was hoping by exercising his option it would facilitate a trade.

Harden said last week there was no way his fractured relationship with Morey could be repaired.

While attending a promotional event in China in August, Harden eviscerated Morey, calling him a liar.

"Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organisation that he’s a part of," Harden said at the event. "Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organisation that he’s a part of."

Harden's comments were in response to the 76ers telling Harden's agent, Mike Silverman, that Morey was unable to find a trade for the 10-time All-Star and the franchise wouldn't deal him unless it could find a trade that would help the team contend for a championship.

Acquired in a trade with the Nets in February 2022, Harden averaged 21.0 points and a league-leading 10.7 assists in 58 games last season to help the 76ers to the third-best record in the Eastern Conference.

For his career, the 34-year-old Harden has averaged 24.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, seven assists and 1.5 steals in exactly 1,000 regular-season games.

Draymond Green will miss the rest of the preseason but does have a chance of playing in the Golden State Warriors’ regular season opener against the Phoenix Suns.

The Warriors have confirmed the forward will not feature in their final two preseason games against the Sacramento Kings and the San Antonio Spurs this week as he continues to recover from an ankle injury.

Golden State plays its first game of the NBA season at home against the Suns on October 24, with coach Steve Kerr saying his status for that contest is questionable, which is an upgrade to what was previously thought.

Whether the four-time NBA champion is ready to face the Suns or not, Kerr is glad Green is close to a return and will not rush him back prematurely.

"Opening night is questionable," Kerr said to 95.7 The Game.  

"He’s not going to play [in preseason] this week. But he is doing really well and moving much better. He went on the trip with us over the weekend and got in some individual workouts.

"I’m not overly concerned about whether he plays opening night or the second week of the season, whenever it comes.

"It’s a long year. We just want Draymond healthy because obviously, we need him. When he’s out there, we become one of the best defenses in the league.

"I just talked to him and he felt good in his [Tuesday] workout. He's moving around, he's doing some drill work on the court and by the end of the week hopefully he is playing some 3-on-3. We'll reevaluate at that point."

Green played in 73 NBA games last season but regularly battled minor ailments, while he missed a month of the 2021-22 campaign with a back injury.

The 33-year-old agreed to a new four-year, $100 million contract with the Warriors in June.

Zion Williamson scored 10 of his 16 points in the first quarter and Brandon Ingram had 18 to lead the New Orleans Pelicans a 104-92 preseason victory over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night.

Williamson finished the opening quarter with 10 points, four steals, two assists and a rebound and shot 6 of 8 in 16 minutes overall before exiting for good.

Franz Wagner led the Magic with 19 points and brother Moritz Wagner added 16. The brothers combined to shoot 15 of 21 while the rest of the team shot 20 of 63.

Elsewhere in the NBA, Jayson Tatum poured in 28 points with five of his team’s 23 3-pointers and Kristaps Porzingis had 20 points in the Boston Celtics’ 123-110 win over the New York Knicks.

Jaylen Brown scored 17 points for Boston, which connected on 23 of 52 from long range.

Quentin Grimes paced the Knicks with 22 points, including 7 of 12 on 3-pointers. 

In Oklahoma City, Josh Giddey scored 19 points and Chet Holmgren had 18 to propel the hot-shooting Thunder to a 124-101 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Giddey was 9 of 12 from the field and Holmgren was 7 of 8 as part of the Thunder’s 56.5 percent (48 of 85) shooting effort that included 18 of 39 from 3-point range.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 18 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes, while Damian Lillard scored just five points on 2-of-11 shooting in his second game with Milwaukee.

Kevin Porter Jr.'s days with the Houston Rockets are officially over, and he's being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

He won't be playing in any games with his new team, however.

The Thunder are reportedly acquiring two draft picks and the troubled point guard from the Rockets and will immediately waive Porter. Oklahoma City is sending Victor Oladipo and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to Houston to complete the trade.

The Rockets wanted to cut ties with Porter and in order for Oklahoma City to acquire the picks - second-round selections in 2027 and 2028 - the deal had to include him. The Thunder also must pay the $16.9million guaranteed left on his four-year contract.

The trade was reported Tuesday by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Porter was arrested September 11 and charged with assault and strangulation of his girlfriend.

Porter and his girlfriend - former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick - were staying at the Millennium Hotel in New York, and per a police report, she was upset he returned early in the morning and locked him out of the room.

Porter was able to gain access to the room with the help of hotel security, and he then assaulted her, according to the report.

Earlier this month, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said Porter was no longer a part of the organisation.

Porter was second on the Rockets in scoring last season with a career-high average of 19.2 points per game while averaging a team-best 5.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds.

The 2022-23 season was Porter's fourth in the NBA, though his future in the league is in serious doubt following the arrest.

Oladipo just completed his 10th season in the NBA, and was acquired by the Thunder in July after averaging 10.7 points, 3.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 42 games for the Miami Heat in 2022-23.

He has career averages of 16.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

Robinson-Earl averaged 6.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in 43 games for the Thunder in 2022-23, his second professional season.