Russell Westbrook relished a "great debut" for the Los Angeles Clippers, despite their narrow 176-175 defeat by the Sacramento Kings in an NBA classic.

Westbrook, who signed earlier this week after his departure from the Los Angeles Lakers, scored 17 points on his first Clippers start in a thrilling encounter at United Center, while his 14 assists were the joint-highest in a team debut in franchise history.

The nine-time All-Star and former MVP also registered a team-high seven turnovers before fouling out in the second overtime of what was the second-highest scoring game in NBA history.

Only the Detroit Pistons' 186-184 victory over the Denver Nuggets in 1983 had seen more points in a game, and Westbrook reflected on a chaotic bow.

"It's crazy," he said. "I don't know if I've ever been a part of a game with that many points.

"Overall, it's a great debut, but just didn't get the win. And that's the sad part about it, but taking that out of it, just being able to go out and compete, the support system around this was at an all-time high. So, I'm very appreciative of that.

"[I'm] just trying to find ways to be effective while I'm on the floor, whatever is asked of me - screening, rolling, handling, cutting. [I] just try to do different things to impact the game and using my IQ to be able to make plays for others."

The Clippers were in search of a point guard after trading away Reggie Jackson and John Wall on the deadline earlier this month, with Paul George campaigning for the franchise to secure Westbrook's services.

And the small forward was full of praise for the impact of his former Oklahoma City Thunder team-mate, saying: "The reason why I was high on Russ being a part of this team was because of what he brings, and you saw the flashes of it tonight.

"We needed a point guard. We needed somebody that you saw tonight, somebody to get us in offense, somebody to get us easy baskets and a floor general. That was just a necessity that we needed."

De'Aaron Fox led the Sacramento Kings to victory in the second-highest scoring game of all time but had no interest in repeating the experience.

The Kings beat the Los Angeles Clippers 176-175 in double overtime on Friday, with the two teams combining for 351 points.

Only the Detroit Pistons' 186-184 victory over the Denver Nuggets in 1983 had seen more points in a game.

Indeed, only those Pistons and Nuggets teams had previously reached 175 points as both the Kings and the Clippers did in this encounter.

It was the first game in NBA history to go to overtime after both teams had scored 150 points, with the game then tied at 153-153.

Three players across the two teams had 40-point games, but Fox was the undoubted star.

He had 42 points, along with 12 rebounds and, vitally, five steals – with many of those coming down the stretch as the Kings recovered from 11 points down with three minutes left in regulation.

Fox acknowledged it was the best regular season game he had been a part of but also called it a "grind" before adding to some laughter: "Obviously, we don't want to play in a game like this again.

"I think we have to be more consistent defensively, and we've talked about this, we've talked about this all year. But that is what it is, right there."

Fox, described as "unbelievable" by coach Mike Brown, recognised the standard of the offense, too, though.

"It was very high-level offensive play today from just about everybody who is out there," Fox said before explaining what he thought was the key.

"We were able to win this game because we lasted a bit longer, we're younger, and we just tried to keep the tempo up, even in the fourth, even in both overtimes," he said.

"We wanted to keep the tempo up, keep it up. I felt like we were able to get some easy buckets out of that.

"Once we started causing turnovers and just creating chaos in the game, that's where we were successful."

Russell Westbrook was making his debut for the Clippers, but that was of no concern to Fox, who said: "Is it about Westbrook, or is it about us?

"Because I don't give a f*** who's over there. It doesn't matter.

"You see the talent in this league, there are a lot of talented teams. Obviously we added talent to this team, but we come in and we worry about us."

Clippers coach Ty Lue was at least enthused by what he saw from Westbrook, who finished with 17 points and 14 assists.

"I thought he was great," Lue said. "He's still learning the offense, still learning where guys like the basketball, running the plays and things like that. I thought he did a really good job."

The Sacramento Kings emerged victorious in the second-highest scoring game in NBA history as they defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 176-175 in double overtime on Friday.

With a grand total of 351 points, it eclipsed the previous second-highest score by 14 points, set back in 1982 as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Milwaukee Bucks 171-166. Only the Detroit Pistons' 186-184 victory over the Denver Nuggets in 1983 had more.

In a wild back-and-forth affair, both teams had hit 110 points by three-quarter time, and after the Kings trailed by 11 with three minutes left, the visitors rallied back with a 17-6 run to close regulation and tie it up at 153-153.

All-Star Domantas Sabonis fouled out in the first overtime period with 20 points (eight-of-14 shooting), 10 rebounds and four assists to his name, leaving Malik Monk and De'Aaron Fox to run the show.

A pair of clutch Monk free throws forced a second overtime, where Monk again rose to the occasion with a deep three to cut the Clippers' lead to one with a minute to play, setting up Fox for the go-ahead basket with 36 seconds on the clock.

Monk finished with a career-high 45 points on 15-of-24 shooting, while Fox finished two points shy of his career-high with 42 on 17-of-27 shooting with 12 assists.

Both the Kings and Clippers set new franchise-records for their most points in a single game.

Kawhi Leonard finished one point away from his career-high with 44 points (16-of-22 shooting), three steals and two blocks, and he also tied his career-high for minutes played with 46.

With the win, the Kings strengthened their position sitting third in the Western Conference at 34-25, while the Clippers (33-29) are 2.5 games back in fifth.

Randle ties career-high

New York Knicks All-Star Julius Randle tied his career-high with 46 points during Friday's 115-109 road win against the Washington Wizards.

Randle shot 16-of-29 from the field, including seven-of-14 from deep, making up for an off shooting night by running-mate Jalen Brunson (six-of-20).

In his first game since returning from an injury he suffered on January 18, Mitchell Robinson returned to the Knicks' starting line-up and put together a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double, while finishing with a game-high plus/minus of plus 13.

Klay catches fire

Future Hall of Fame marksman Klay Thompson put on a shooting display against the Houston Rockets as he drilled 12 three-pointers in the Golden State Warriors' 116-101 victory.

All 12 of Thompson's field goals came from long range, finishing 12-of-19 from the field and 12-of-17 from deep for his game-high 42 points.

There have only been eight instances in NBA history of a player hitting 12 threes in a single game. Thompson has three of them – two of which have been this month – and he is the only player to make 14.

Russell Westbrook is relishing another new challenge and is ready to "fit right in" with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Westbrook's Los Angeles Lakers exit was confirmed before the trade deadline and he cleared waivers to join city rivals the Clippers on Wednesday.

The Clippers are fourth in the Western Conference at 33-28 and are set to have Westbrook, 34, available for their first game after the All-Star break when they face the Sacramento Kings on Friday.

Nine-time NBA All-Star Westbrook is in no doubt he still has a lot to offer.

The 2017 NBA MVP said: "For me, it's just finding my way to be able to help other guys. It's something I truly embrace, and that's what I will do – make sure I can make the game easy for all these guys that are here, find out their spots, what they like, what they don't like.

"And that's going to be a process for me, but I'm ready for the challenge and looking forward to it."

Westbrook added: "I think the most important thing is coming in, keeping the pace high, using my speed and ability to get into the paint [and] get those guys easy shots [is] where I think I can help out a lot. Everything else, I'll fit right in and continue what they have going on right now."

Clippers head coach Ty Lue does not want Westbrook to change his game in order to fit in.

"If he's doing too much or not enough, I'll let him know," Lue added. "But we want him to be the player that he is, the MVP, the Hall of Famer, everything he brings every single night.

"We want him to be that person, that player. And then we've just got to make sure that it's in the confines of our team and what we're trying to do team-wise."

Russell Westbrook will stay in California as he has opted to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Westbrook's time with the Los Angeles Lakers came to an end before the trade deadline as he was used as part of a deal with the Utah Jazz.

The 2017 NBA MVP struggled to rediscover his previous form after joining the Lakers in 2021, but has another chance to prove himself in L.A. with the Clippers.

According to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Westbrook's agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports, confirmed his client has chosen the Clippers as his next team, once he and the Jazz have finished negotiations on buying out the remaining $47million owed on his deal.

Westbrook made a name for himself with the Oklahoma City Thunder, including his standout season in 2016-17 when he averaged 31.6 points per game in the regular season from 81 appearances, as well as 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists.

He left Oklahoma in 2019 for one season with the Houston Rockets followed by one at the Washington Wizards before making the move to the Lakers as they looked to surround LeBron James with star power.

It did not work out, with Westbrook struggling in his first campaign, averaging just 18.5 points per game, while he has only started in three of his 52 appearances this season, averaging 15.9 points per game.

Westbrook – who had also talked with the Wizards, the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat – will be reunited with former Thunder team-mate Paul George, who had expressed his desire for the 34-year-old to join him at the Clippers.

They sit fourth in the Western Conference on a record of 33-28.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Clippers leapfrog the Suns into top-four

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

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

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

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

No Giannis, no worries for Lopez and the Bucks

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

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

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

Draymond Green has questioned the Golden State Warriors' "will to defend" after they slipped to 29-29 for the season in their last game before the All-Star break.

The reigning NBA champions were beaten 134-124 by the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, conceding 44 points in the third quarter at Crypto.com Arena.

The Warriors have conceded on average 118.5 points per game this season, with only the Charlotte Hornets (119.1), Detroit Pistons (119.7) and San Antonio Spurs (122.7) faring worse.

That is a significant rise on their average of 105.5 points against per game in the regular season last year, which was the third-best in the league.

"It has to come from within," Green said. "Defense is all about will, a want to defend.

"Defense isn't fun. You've just got to do it if you want to win, and we haven't.

"It's the will to defend, stop and guard your man, and sink, and drop the box and rotate. Defense is just one or two steps extra... that's all will, and we don't have that as a team."

Kawhi Leonard top-scored for the Clippers with 33 points, while Norman Powell recorded 24, getting away 17 field-goal attempts despite only being on court for just over 25 minutes.

"Every guy has to decide to take on that challenge himself," Green added. "That challenge isn't just guarding the ball. The challenge is I'm supposed to be there to help, and that guy has to be able to trust that I'm going to get there. 

"If he doesn't trust that I'm going to get there, then what do you do? You foul. We all know that's been a problem for us.

"I can be better. I'm as much of a culprit as anyone else. I'm not going to point the finger at anyone or point blame. If you're a leader at something and you are failing at it, it's your fault."

Green also acknowledged Golden State's need to improve quickly or risk missing out on the playoffs, as they sit ninth in the Western Conference.

"It's now or never," Green said. "We are .500 at the break. Middle-of-the-pack team with those middle-of-the-pack stats.

"You've got to come out of the break and win and do it at a high level, or you go home at the beginning of April. I wouldn't be happy with that. But that will be the result if we don't get there."

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is looking more like a two-time NBA Finals MVP every day and his shooting renaissance continued in Tuesday's 134-124 home victory against the Golden State Warriors.

Leonard, who missed the entire 2021-22 season after tearing his ACL in the 2021 playoffs, tied his career-high with seven threes as he led the Clippers with 33 points on 12-of-27 shooting (seven-of-nine from deep).

There were fears the former Finals MVP with the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors would be robbed of the remainder of his prime by the injury, averaging just 17.5 points on 47/27/79 shooting splits in his first 15 games this campaign.

But since the new year Leonard has gone up a gear, averaging 27.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.9 steals in 17 games since January 2, while shooting 52.4 per cent from the field, 48.2 per cent from deep and 91.9 per cent at the free throw line.

When asked by the media after the game about how he has managed to get back on track, Leonard said he is never worried about his percentages.

"[My jump shot] felt good," he said. "Like I've said before, it didn't matter what percentage I was at, I was going to keep shooting the basketball.

"That's what I did, kept shooting with confidence. Percentages can't save you, just because I'm shooting 40 (per cent) doesn't mean I'm going to shoot 40 the next game.

"You've just got to keep playing the game and shoot the shots that you practice."

Against the Warriors specifically, Leonard said he just rode a hot start.

"I just made shots early," he said. "Team-mates found me, I got in a rhythm, and just kept going from there.

"I like that [our new additions] stayed aggressive tonight, they didn't defer, and they just played their game.

"The West records are so close together, so every win matters, but we just have to keep getting better ourselves."

The win improves the Clippers' record to 32-28, placing them fifth in the Western Conference, although they are just 1.5 games out of the three seed, and three games ahead of the 12th seed.

Paul George is keen to see the Los Angeles Clippers work out a deal for Russell Westbrook as "we need a point guard".

The Clippers traded Reggie Jackson and John Wall away at Thursday's deadline, while Westbrook ended a difficult spell with the Los Angeles Lakers as he was traded to the Utah Jazz.

Sixth in the Western Conference, the Clippers were beaten 119-106 by the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday to fall to 31-28.

Speaking after the defeat – in which he surpassed 16,000 career points – George outlined his desire to be reunited with Westbrook, who was a team-mate on the Oklahoma City Thunder and could seek a buyout from the Jazz.

"If there's somebody out there, Russell," George said when asked if the Clippers should bring in a point guard. "If it makes sense, and obviously it goes with our team, we're all for it.

"We need a point guard. But [at] the same [time], I think we're good as well. If nothing happened, we got enough in this locker room to be able to make it work.

"But it would definitely improve our team if we had that traditional point guard to get us in things and make the game easy. So, hopefully, Russell sees this, and we figure something out."

Westbrook averaged 15.9 points, 7.5 assists and 6.2 rebounds on the Lakers this season, but Marcus Morris claims he could "play freely" and "be dangerous" at the Clippers.

"I'm campaigning, too, for him then," said Morris.

"He hasn't had an opportunity to play on a team where he could be himself and be able to play freely. Playing with the Lakers, it's like media, media, media.

"And from the outside looking in, like every time something bad went wrong – Russell Westbrook. Nobody else was really getting no blame, and it just kept spiralling down.

"But we accept him [with] open arms. Let him be himself. We need the personality, we need the veteran. He's been in the playoffs a lot of times, been to the championship.

"I want him to come. I think that you can't kill a wounded dog. You give him an opportunity to come back, it could be dangerous."

Gary Payton II is heading back to the Golden State Warriors less than a year after departing the reigning NBA champions, according to ESPN senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.

The guard signed with the Portland Trail Blazers as a free agent during the offseason after helping the Warriors win their fourth championship in the space of eight years.

However, Payton was sidelined for several months after undergoing core muscle surgery and did not make his Blazers debut until their 135-106 win over the Detroit Pistons last month.

But the 30-year-old was reportedly traded back to the Warriors on a hectic trade deadline day, with the Blazers receiving five future second-round picks.

Kevin Knox was also traded to the Warriors as part of a three-team trade with the Pistons, who received James Wiseman in the opposite direction while also trading Saddiq Bey to the Atlanta Hawks.

Wiseman, the second overall pick from the 2020 NBA Draft, had bounced between the Warriors' active roster and their G League affiliate, but he could not justify the luxury tax expenses that would have been associated with retaining him on the roster. According to The Athletic's John Hollinger, the Warriors will save a combined $51million in salary and luxury tax this season, and $85m next season by cutting their losses.

Elsewhere, the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics bolstered their three-point shooting and depth after agreeing a trade with Oklahoma City Thunder for 10-year NBA veteran Mike Muscala.

According to The Athletic, the Thunder will receive Justin Jackson and two future second-round picks as part of the deal.

There has also been activity involving Western Conference leaders, the Denver Nuggets, who have traded youngster Bones Hyland to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for two future second-round picks.

Earlier in the day, Kevin Durant completed a stunning trade to the Phoenix Suns from the Brooklyn Nets, who have lost two All-Star starters in as many days after also trading Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks this week.

According to ESPN, the Suns gave the Nets three players in Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder, plus four unprotected first-round picks and a 2028 pick swap.

Reportedly part of the Durant trade, Jae Crowder is heading to the Milwaukee Bucks with the Nets receiving five second-round picks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Kyrie Irving described his Dallas Mavericks debut as an "incredible" experience after playing a lead role in victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

An NBA champion alongside LeBron James seven years ago with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Irving joined the Mavericks this week after a stint with the Brooklyn Nets.

The Mavs scored a 110-104 road win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday and Irving shot a team-high 24 points.

Asked at courtside how his debut felt, Irving told ESPN: "Incredible. I had natural nerves out here, so I was just trying to play well, but it feels good to get acclimated.

"It's been a long 96 hours to say the least, but I'm just grateful I got to play the game I love with some guys that were selfless out there, and it just feels good."

Luka Doncic is sidelined for now due to a heel problem but is expected back within days, with Dallas now sitting fourth in the Western Conference.

The prospect of linking up with Doncic excites the new arrival, who spoke of what could be expected.

"Just some high-level, high-IQ basketball," Irving said. "It's simple when you play with guys that are selfless and do the little things, and they don't mind other guys being aggressive out there. That's the way the game should be played, a very fast pace, and just doing the little things, details to win.

"We'll take it from day to day. We're trying to get everybody healthy and see where we go from there."

Irving saw lots that pleased him about his new team-mates, saying in a post-game press conference: "I was telling the guys in the locker room I liked how we didn't panic in the last four minutes. We stayed poised. They made their runs, but we made everything tough.

"It just felt good to get this debut out of the way. It's been a long 96 hours, barely any sleep sometimes and just packing my stuff. It was the first time I ever got traded in the middle of the season, so it was new for me.

"But I'm excited that I'm here, and just keep things rolling now."

Tim Hardaway Jr. had 19 points, six assists and five rebounds, and the 30-year-old believes Irving is settling in well.

"It felt like when he came to practice yesterday and came to shoot this morning, you could just tell his energy was great," Hardaway Jr. said.

"He talked to all the guys out there and told us to 'keep doing what you guys are doing, have fun; don't look for me, I'll find a way'.

"He just gave us that confidence. It felt like he'd been here for a while, while he was on the floor with us, so it was great."

Kyrie Irving got off to a winning start as the Dallas Mavericks fought out a 110-104 win at the home of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Fresh from his trade from the Brooklyn Nets, Irving shot a team-high 24 points on debut for Dallas.

The Mavs were without Luka Doncic, but the addition of Irving to their ranks meant they had sufficient firepower to overcome the Clippers and rise to fourth in the Western Conference.

Tim Hardaway Jr. weighed in with 19 points, six assists and five rebounds, and his three-pointer with 26.8 seconds remaining effectively slammed the door shut on the prospect of a late Clippers fightback.

It meant Norman Powell's 24-point game off the bench for the Clippers came in vain.

Celtics sink Sixers but suffer Brown blow

Behind 19-of-35 shooting from three-point range, the injury-hit Boston Celtics had too much for the Philadelphia 76ers, with the Eastern Conference leaders scoring a 106-99 win.

Despite Joel Embiid scoring a game-high 28 points and James Harden weighing in with a 26-point game and 11 assists, the 76ers were sunk by a Boston side who had six players in double figures, led by Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon who both hit 19 points.

Worryingly, Jaylen Brown suffered what the Celtics described as a "facial contusion" when banging into team-mate Jayson Tatum as both went after a rebound in the closing stages of the second quarter.

It forced Brown out of the game and could see him sidelined for an extended spell, with reports claiming he suffered a fracture. That came as a fresh blow to a Celtics side who came into the game without starters Marcus Smart, Al Horford, and Robert Williams.

Brown's injury meant he and Tatum combined for only 16 points. Tatum managed just 12 points but added nine assists and eight rebounds.

It ended the double act's streak of 55 straight regular-season games combining for 40 or more points in games played together. That was the longest streak by a pair of team-mates in the NBA since a 60-game run from the 76ers' Wilt Chamberlain and Hal Greer from 1965 to 1966.

Lillard heroics see Blazers blunt Warriors

Damian Lillard's triple-double helped the Portland Trail Blazers see off the Golden State Warriors, who were again without the injured Stephen Curry.

In Curry's continuing absence, Jordan Poole weighed in with 38 points and Klay Thompson collected a 31-point haul, but reigning NBA champions Golden State went down 125-122 at Moda Center.

Lillard finished with 33 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a game that was locked at 95-95 heading to the fourth quarter.

Brooklyn Nets spark plug Cam Thomas almost outdueled the Los Angeles Clippers' All-Star duo by himself before ultimately going down 124-116 on Monday.

Thomas, 21, set a new career-high on Saturday with 44 points in a win against the Washington Wizards, and he eclipsed that figure with 47 on 15-of-29 shooting against the Clippers.

In doing so, he became the youngest player since LeBron James to reach 40 points in back-to-back games.

The second-year guard hit seven of his 11 three-pointers after going four-of-five against Washington, capitalising on the increased opportunity created by the departure of Kyrie Irving in a trade to the Dallas Mavericks.

Thomas scored more than double his closest team-mate – Edmond Sumner with 23 points – but the combination of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George ended up pulling it out down the stretch.

The Clippers trailed 107-99 with six minutes remaining, before closing the game on a 25-9 run, including nine of Leonard's 24 points. The two-time NBA Finals MVP added six assists and four rebounds while shooting eight-of-17.

George was slightly better with 29 points on 10-of-20 shooting, and center Ivica Zubac was important with 19 points (six-of-nine), 12 rebounds and three steals.

The win was the Clippers' eighth from their past 10 games, improving their record to 31-26 and strengthening their grip on the Western Conference's fourth seed. The Nets sit fourth in the East at 32-21.

Mavericks get a taste of the future

Third-year guard Josh Green and rookie Jaden Hardy appear poised to assume expanded roles after both set new career-highs with 29 points in the Dallas Mavericks' 124-111 road win against the Utah Jazz.

Green, 22, has been on an upward trajectory since being selected 18th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, and with the Mavericks shipping away two players for Irving, there are minutes up for grabs.

He shot 10-of-17 from the field as he blew past his previous career-high of 23 early in the last period, while Hardy also made his case for more playing time as he matched Green's 29 points (eight-of-12) for a new career-high of his own. Green finished with a gaudy plus/minus of plus 39 in 37 minutes, while Hardy was plus 23 in 26 minutes.

It was reported by The Athletic that Green and Hardy were off-limits in the Irving discussions, and they are justifying that stance right away as the keys to Dallas' first win this season without Luka Doncic in the line-up.

Klay winds back the clock

Chase Center fans were treated to a vintage Klay Thompson performance as the Golden State Warriors sharpshooter put together a 27-point first half during a 141-114 demolition of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Thompson shot 10-of-14 from the field and hit seven of his nine three-point attempts in the first half, before going on to finish with 42 points on 15-of-22 shooting, including 12-of-16 from long range.

It was only the seventh time in NBA history that a player has made at least 12 three-pointers in a single game, and Thompson now joins team-mate Stephen Curry as the only players to accomplish it twice. Thompson has hit at least 10 threes on eight occasions, and he owns the single-game record as the only player to make 14.

The Dallas Mavericks are preparing for Kyrie Irving to make his debut for the franchise on Wednesday when they travel to take on the Los Angeles Clippers.

Irving requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, and just two days later the controversial superstar got his wish as the Mavericks sent away Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round draft pick and two second-rounders in exchange for Irving and Markieff Morris.

It is easily the biggest trade of the NBA season so far, and it comes less than two weeks after Irving was named a starter in what will be his eighth All-Star Game appearance.

After sitting out most of the 2021-22 season in protest to New York City's vaccination mandate, Irving had been in the midst of a strong bounce back campaign, averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 48.6 per cent from the field, 37.4 per cent from deep and 88.3 per cent from the free throw line.

He had played in 40 of the Nets' first 51 games this season, before also missing their 52nd with what was labelled "calf soreness" the day after he demanded the trade from Brooklyn, when it was also reported he was willing to sit out until a trade was made.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, that calf soreness has subsided and, pending a physical on Monday, he is expected to suit up in Mavericks colours for the first time on Wednesday.

The Athletic's Shams Charania states the Clippers were one of three other teams serious about trading for Irving – along with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns – and the Clippers will face him the game after they return from their road trip, which wraps up Monday against the now Irving-less Nets.

There are no more scheduled meetings between the Nets and Mavericks for the rest of the campaign, with Dallas having already swept the season series 2-0.

Giannis Antetokounmpo joked he will celebrate with "50 cheeseburgers" after his latest 50-point showing in the Milwaukee Bucks' 106-105 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

The two-time MVP scored 20 of his 54 points in the fourth quarter of Thursday's contest as the Bucks recovered from a 21-point deficit to win for a sixth game in a row.

He has now reached the 50-point mark three times in his last 11 games, having hit a career-high 55 against the Washington Wizards and 50 against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Antetokounmpo was filmed ordering 50 chicken nuggets when the Bucks landed their first title in 50 years in 2021, and he now plans on doing something similar.

"I think I'm going to go to Culver's tomorrow," he said. "I'll go get 50 cheeseburgers and try to eat as many as I can. The rest, I'll have my son eat them or I give them to my dog."

Antetokounmpo also had 18 rebounds against the Clippers as he continued his remarkable form since returning from injury last month.

The 28-year-old has helped the Bucks to a 6-0 record in that period, averaging 40.2 points per game, 14.7 rebounds per game and four assists per game.

He is the first NBA player to average 40/12/4 while going undefeated over a six-game span since Wilt Chamberlain did so in January 1964.

And Antetokounmpo has also joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players in Bucks' history to have at least three 50-point games in a single season.

"It's a great compliment to be up there with Kareem," Antetokounmpo said. "I never thought I was going to score 50 in the NBA when I got drafted. It's an insane, crazy journey."

Antetokounmpo has now averaged 32.3 points per game across 41 appearances this season, a tally bettered only by Luka Doncic (33.4) and Joel Embiid (33.5).

"He's relentless," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said after his side's comeback win over the Clippers. 

"He's going to put himself in position to help us win. Whatever it takes for us to win, he's going to do it. He's fearless and relentless. That's what you saw going down the stretch."