Steve Kerr was effusive in his praise of Jordan Poole after the 23-year-old led the Golden State Warriors to victory at the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

Poole scored 32 points as the Warriors won 120-114 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, with the defending NBA champions without star players Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins.

Coach Steve Kerr rested them and others after their agonising overtime defeat at the Boston Celtics on Thursday, and was pleased to see Poole step up in their absence.

"He's continuing to grow and he's continuing to get better," Kerr said post-game. "In the last two games, he was fantastic... To play that way tonight without Steph and Klay and Wiggs and Dray, to give us that scoring and that force, he made so many plays out there. He set the tone.

"He's getting better and better. There is still so far to go, which is exciting."

Golden State did not particularly miss Curry as they managed to hit 23 three-pointers, the most they have ever recorded in a game without the eight-time All Star.

Poole acknowledged he and his team-mates had to learn from their mistakes against Boston, where they threw away a lead in the fourth quarter.

The Cavaliers also began eating into a lead that had been as high as 20 points at one stage, but this time the Warriors were able to close it out.

"It was a learning experience yesterday," Poole said. "It was something that we were very aware of. It kind of was a very similar situation, being up with six minutes left and then it became a close game. We knew we needed to lock down, get some stops and make a good run. We needed to close it out and we did. Now we have to build on it.

"Everybody on our team is confident, and shout-out to Coach Kerr for allowing us to play with that confidence. We know what we are capable of. We were spacing the floor and getting good looks. We got laser-focused."

Jayson Tatum grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds during the Boston Celtics' 121-118 overtime victory against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.

It was a gritty all-round performance from Tatum as he also finished with 34 points, six assists and three steals, imposing his will on the game despite shooting an inefficient nine-of-27 from the field and committing seven turnovers.

Like Tatum, his All-Star team-mate Jaylen Brown also shot just 33 per cent from the field (six-of-18), but veteran center Al Horford picked up the slack, scoring 20 points on eight-of-13 shooting while adding 10 rebounds and three blocks.

As was a theme on the night, Warriors superstar Stephen Curry struggled from the field, shooting nine-of-25 for his 29 points, supplementing his outing with seven assists, four steals, four rebounds and two blocks. Klay Thompson (eight-of-16) and Jordan Poole (10-of-25) chipped in 24 points each.

With the win, the Celtics improved their league-leading record to 34-12, while the Warriors fell under .500 at 22-23, including a horrific 5-17 record on the road.

Russell leads late Timberwolves comeback

Minnesota Timberwolves guard D'Angelo Russell nearly scored as many points as the entire Toronto Raptors team in the fourth quarter of a 128-126 comeback win.

Russell had 16 in the last period – including 14 in a row for the Timberwolves – while the Raptors could only muster 17 points, allowing the home side to claw back from what was a 14-point margin with 10 minutes remaining.

The former All-Star finished with 25 points on eight-of-15 shooting, adding six assists and two steals, while role-player Kyle Anderson continued to flourish in his expanded minutes with 20 points (eight-of-nine), 10 rebounds and six assists.

Suns snap losing run with Nets win

In the battle of two short-handed teams, the Phoenix Suns ended their three-game losing streak in a nail-biting 117-112 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

The Suns were up by 24 at one point, but Kyrie Irving got hot in the fourth quarter to finish with 30 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, for the Nets who were without Kevin Durant.

Deandre Ayton stepped up for Phoenix, missing Devin Booker and Chris Paul, with 24 points and 14 rebounds, while Mikal Bridges added 28. Cam Johnson added 19 points on his return from injury.

Jayson Tatum scored a season-high 51 points to propel the Boston Celtics to a 130-118 win against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday.

With fellow Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown out with an injury, Tatum produced the seventh 50-point performance of his career, shooting 15-of-23 from the field, seven-of-12 from deep and 14-of-14 from the free throw line.

In doing so, Tatum set the Celtics' franchise record for most regular season 50-point games with his fifth, and also added nine rebounds and five assists, while Derrick White contributed 19 points (five-of-11 shooting) and eight assists as he filled in for Brown in the starting line-up.

Jalen McDaniels was impressive for the Hornets, scoring a season-high 26 points on nine-of-15 shooting, while LaMelo Ball was inefficient for his 25 points (eight-of-23) and six assists.

With the win, the Celtics improved their streak to seven games and their league-best record to 33-12. They also own the NBA's best road record at 16-7.

Curry heroics deliver rare road win for the Warriors

Golden State Warriors icon Stephen Curry put on a show in his side's 127-118 away victory against the Washington Wizards.

Trailing 106-105 with less than six minutes on the clock, Curry went on to match the Wizards the rest of the way, scoring 12 of his 41 points while the home side could only put up 12 points as a team.

He shot 12-of-28 from the field for 41 points and seven rebounds, while Jordan Poole shot 12-of-20 for 32 points and seven rebounds.

It was a rare good night away from home for the now 22-22 Warriors, who at 5-17 own the second-worst road record in the league, while their 17-5 home record is tied for the fourth-best.

Jazz rookie shines as Rudy Gobert replacement

The Utah Jazz appear to have unearthed another towering defensive presence at center as rookie Walker Kessler dominated in a 126-125 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Kessler, the 22nd pick in the most recent NBA Draft, is already one of the league's best shot-blockers, sitting fourth in blocks at 2.0 per game and fourth in blocks-per-36 minutes at 3.6 per game.

It was only the ninth start from his 43 appearances this season, and he put up 20 points (nine-of-13), 21 rebounds (nine offensive), four assists and two blocks in a comprehensive performance.

Klay Thompson suggested the Golden State Warriors paid the price for thinking "we'd just get the dub" as Stephen Curry returned from injury against the Phoenix Suns.

Curry missed 11 games with a shoulder injury but was back in the lineup on Tuesday alongside Andrew Wiggins, who had returned in the Warriors' previous outing after 15 games on the sideline.

However, the Suns defeated the NBA champions 125-113 after building a big halftime lead.

Complacency was an issue, according to Thompson, whose 29 points led Golden State.

"I think with Steph and [Wiggins] back, we probably relaxed a bit more than we should have," he said.

"We thought with them showing up, we'd just get the dub."

The loss was the Warriors' third in a row after a run of five straight wins appeared to have got their season back on track.

At the halfway mark in the campaign, Golden State are eighth in the West with a losing 20-21 record.

"We've been talking about it for a long time," said Curry. "Eventually, you have to do it or else time runs out.

"We have 41 games to figure it out – or else we won't."

There was at least cause for optimism in the fourth quarter, in which Curry, playing with a shooting sleeve on his left arm, scored 16 of his 24 points.

"It's hit or miss with how much rust you will have and how close you can get to the speed of the game," Curry explained. "The first quarter, it felt good just to be out there, running with our guys.

"I felt like I got stronger as the game went on. In the fourth, the intensity of the game picked up. We were playing very desperately trying to come back and make some plays. I felt like myself again."

Coach Steve Kerr added: "I'm hoping that fourth quarter was the team that I have come to know and love and recognise.

"But we have to show in the first quarter, not in the fourth quarter."

The Golden State Warriors will receive some handy reinforcements on Tuesday as future Hall-of-Famer Stephen Curry prepares to return from an 11-game absence.

Curry has not played since suffering a left shoulder subluxation against the Indiana Pacers on December 14, and after dropping three of the first four games without their two-time MVP, they steadied the ship and went 6-5.

The reigning NBA Finals MVP is averaging 30.0 points, 6.8 assists and a career-high 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting a blistering 43.4 per cent on a gaudy 11.6 three-point attempts per contest.

After starting the season 3-7, the Warriors have recovered to 20-20, and should be at close to full strength when they take on the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday following the return of starting wing Andrew Wiggins on Saturday.

The Warriors currently occupy the seventh seed in the congested Western Conference, only one game behind the fifth-seeded Sacramento Kings (20-18), but also only a half-game ahead of the 10th-seeded Portland Trail Blazers (19-20).

The Golden State Warriors are hopeful that reigning NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry can return next Friday ahead of their six-game road trip.

Curry has been sidelined since suffering a left shoulder subluxation on December 14 against the Indiana Pacers.

Warriors general manager Bob Myers revealed Curry was scheduled to be re-evaluated by medical staff on Saturday, which could pave the way for a playing return soon.

"He's working out on the court, and the two-week mark to re-evaluate him this weekend," Myers told Bay Area radio station 95.7.

"There have been no setbacks, so [Friday] would be a hope. That's what we would be shooting for, something in that range when he could be back.

"He's been, not contact, but out there doing all this stuff. He looks like the same guy. He's got a sleeve on his shoulder and arm."

The reigning champions have had a disjointed 2022-23 season, sitting 20-18 and seventh in the Western Conference, ahead of Wednesday's game against the Detroit Pistons.

Curry's return ahead of their six-game road trip would be a boost for the Warriors, who have the worst road record in the NBA, at 3-16.

Stephen Curry will not return to action in the next two weeks, although the Golden State Warriors say their star man is "making good progress".

Reigning NBA Finals MVP Curry suffered a shoulder subluxation earlier this month and was initially ruled out for "a few weeks".

The four-time champion refused to put a more accurate timeline on his recovery, but Warriors fans now know he will be missing for another fortnight.

An update from the Warriors, published on Christmas Eve, read: "Stephen Curry, who suffered a subluxation of his left shoulder on December 14 at Indiana and has missed the team’s last four games, was recently re-evaluated. 

"The re-evaluation indicated that Stephen is making good progress. He will be re-evaluated again in two weeks."

The Warriors won the title last season but have struggled in 2022-23, with a losing record (15-18) for only the second time in the past 10 years. The other occasion saw Curry play only five games in 2019-20 (15-50).

Golden State are 14-12 with Curry in the team this season but 1-6 without him. Since his rookie season, they are 559-293 with Curry and 68-136 without him.

Despite the Warriors' relatively ordinary record even with Curry on the court this year, he is enjoying a fine individual season statistically.

The 34-year-old is averaging 30.0 points for only the third time in his career, while his 6.8 assists are his most since 2014-15 and his 6.6 rebounds represent a clear career high.

Only in his second MVP season in 2015-16 (50.4 per cent) has Curry shot more efficiently from the floor (50.0 per cent).

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr concedes his side have hit "rock bottom" after conceding a massive 91 first-half points in their 143-113 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.

The Nets' first-half haul was the third largest in NBA history, while the result condemned Golden State to back-to-back 30-point losses for the first time since 2001, having lost to the New York Knicks 132-94 on Tuesday.

The reigning champions were without Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins for the defeat, which leaves the Warriors at 15-18, with an abysmal 3-16 road record, ending their six-game road trip with just one win.

"Our spirit is fine," Kerr told reporters. "Our energy is good. The guys are committed.

"We're just right now at that point that pretty much everybody goes during in an 82-game season, most teams anyway, [where] you hit rock bottom with injuries, schedule, fatigued, whatever it is.

"You take it on the chin, the whole key is how you respond to that. I have no doubt our guys will respond but we've got to clean up the execution. Turnovers are a killer."

The Warriors trailed by as much as 44 points at the Barclays Center, with the Nets leading 91-51 at half-time.

Golden State gave up 21 turnovers for the game, with shooting guard Jordan Poole responsible for seven of those, finishing the game with 13 points on four-of-17 shooting.

"You can't play defense recovering from a turnover so that was the biggest issue to start the game," Kerr said.

"We were just trying too hard to make plays and getting out of control and then they made everything. They were phenomenal in the first half. I think they were 13 from 19 from three."

On Poole, Kerr added: "He forced it tonight. He got in a rush. We're going to live with Jordan's mistakes. He's a young player, he's still learning a ton. He's a great talent.

"Really proud of his development, but the development continues. Part of that development is having the best guy on him with Steph Curry out."

James Wiseman, who was second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, offered a bright point for the Warriors with 30 points from 28 minutes off the bench, having had an indifferent season to date.

"James did a great job tonight," Kerr said. "It was fun to see him let loose and get some minutes and make the most of it. He did a lot of good things offensively… But when you lose by 30, it's small consolation."

Kevin Durant top scored for the Nets with 23 points with seven rebounds, five assists and four steals, while Kyrie Irving was absent with calf tightness. Ben Simmons contributed 10 points with four rebounds and eight assists.

Reigning NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry will plot out a timeline for his return from a left shoulder injury in the new year.

Curry suffered a shoulder subluxation in last Wednesday's 125-119 loss to the Indiana Pacers, with initial reports stating he would miss a "few weeks".

The 34-year-old point guard has avoided surgery and is hopeful of plotting out his return soon.

"This is an interesting one just because I haven’t had an injury like this on the shoulder, so it's a wait and see approach," Curry said on the Warriors' bench during NBA on TNT's coverage of the game with the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

"I'm still in the early healing process, so I'm nowhere near picking up a basketball yet. It'll be a few weeks.

"Maybe we'll get to the new year and I'll start to key in on a timeline from there."

The Warriors are 15-16 overall, sitting 11th in the Western Conference, coming into Tuesday's road game. Golden State have a 3-14 road record this season.

The reigning champions have won two of their past seven games, including managing one win from the two games since Curry's injury.

Curry is leading the NBA this season in three-pointers made, with 5.0 per game. The four-time NBA champion is averaging 30.0 points shooting at 50 per cent with 6.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists this season.

Reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic became just the third player in NBA history with 40 points, 25 rebounds and 10 assists in a game in the Denver Nuggets' 119-115 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.

Jokic finished with 40 points, 27 rebounds and 10 assists for his 81st career triple-double, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor as the only players to achieve the aforementioned stat line.

The Serbian is the first player to reach that mark since Chamberlain in 1968. Chamberlain managed that milestone four times in his decorated career.

The Nuggets center pulled down 20 rebounds before half-time in a dominant display in the paint, leading Denver to an 18-11 overall record. Jokic's 27 rebounds were a career-high, and it was his fifth triple-double of the season.

Jokic received strong support from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with 20 points, four rebounds and five assists while Jamal Murray dished off 11 assists. Aaron Gordon chipped in with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

The Hornets fall to a 7-23 record, with LaMelo Ball scoring 31 points including four triples on 100 per cent three-point shooting in his third game back from injury.

Banchero stars as Magic topple Celtics

This season's top overall NBA Draft pick Paolo Banchero scored 31 points as the Orlando Magic claimed their sixth straight win and toppled the Boston Celtics 95-92.

Banchero produced his third 30-point game, shooting six-of-seven from beyond the arc, while Admiral Schofield contributed 11 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter.

The win means the Magic completed a sweep of consecutive games in Bolton and extended their win streak to their longest since March 2019.

KD leads Nets rally for sixth straight win

Kevin Durant scored 26 of his 43 points in the third quarter to carry a 17-point comeback for the Brooklyn Nets in a 124-121 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Kyrie Irving added 38 points as the Nets secured their sixth straight win.

The Minnesota Timberwolves broke their franchise single-game scoring record in a 150-126 rout over the Chicago Bulls led by Anthony Edwards' season-high 37 points and 11 assists.

The Golden State Warriors won for the first time this season without the injured Stephen Curry (shoulder), with Jordan Poole scoring a career-high 43 points in a 126-110 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

Though the Golden State Warriors will be without Stephen Curry for several weeks, the two-time NBA MVP is relieved the prognosis on his injured left shoulder was not worse.

Curry is expected to be sidelined for around a month with a shoulder subluxation he sustained in the Warriors' loss at the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, according to a report from The Athletic. 

However, the injury will not require surgery that would threaten the star guard's availability for the rest of the season.

"From what I know about shoulder injuries and situations like that, anytime you can avoid anything [involving] surgery, it's great news,” Curry told reporters following Golden State's shootaround for Friday's game with the Philadelphia 76ers.

"That changed the whole dynamic of the conversation, both personally and as a team. 

"It was a matter of making sure I didn't need surgery and that my shoulder will be able to heal on its own, however long that took, because I know the surgeries are four to six months [recovery time]. Nobody wants to be dealing with that right now."

Since Curry has never dealt with shoulder problems over the course of his 14-year NBA career, he said he is hopeful the healing process will be smoother than if he had a recurring injury.

"I'm just trying to stay positive and understand that I'll be back sooner than later, hopefully, and hopefully I won't miss a beat in terms of how I feel and how I've been playing," said Curry, one of seven players currently averaging at least 30 points per game this season.

"My body's in good shape. I feel I can maintain that for the most part while [I'm] injured, then get back there in hoop.”

Curry's injury still comes at an inopportune time for the defending NBA champions, who have lost four of five and are also without starting forward Andrew Wiggins. 

Golden State is in the midst of a challenging six-game road trip and has the second worst winning percentage away from home this season at 2-13.

The Warriors enter Friday's game 10th in the Western Conference, which would place them in the play-in tournament if the season ended today.

"It's just a matter of other guys stepping up," Curry said. "Every team goes through this at some point throughout the year, dealing with injuries, dealing with some of your main guys being out. 

"You've got to figure out how to perform and embrace this challenge. I'm super confident in the guys we have on this team to figure it out. We can talk ourselves into we're still in good shape, but you've got to go out and be a consistent basketball team. I think we can do that."

Steph Curry is expected to miss "a few weeks" following his left shoulder injury sustained during the Golden State Warriors' loss to the Indiana Pacers.

The four-time NBA champion was set for an MRI following his exit from Wednesday's 125-119 defeat, after he was ruled out of the fourth quarter.

Curry had posted 38 points to spark a fightback from a 74-54 half-time deficit, but saw his side struggle and slip to another road loss in his absence.

Reports from ESPN now indicate the 34-year-old will be out for the immediate future and likely into the new year.

Curry injured himself attempting to strip Jalen Smith with just over two minutes left in the third quarter and will be a major loss for the Warriors.

They have picked up zero wins from three games in his absence so far this campaign, during which the point guard has averaged 29.6 points.

The Warriors stay on the road through to the festive period now for a four-game stretch, starting with a trip to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.

They then return to Chase Center to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Christmas Day, before rounding out the year with a further three games at home.

 

Donovan Mitchell scored 34 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers claimed an impressive 105-90 road win over Luka Doncic's Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.

The victory improved the emerging Cavs to an 18-11 record and third spot in the Eastern Conference, while the Mavs slipped to 14-14 and ninth in the west.

Mitchell was in an inspired mood against the side who bundled his former franchise, the Utah Jazz, out of last season's playoffs, shooting 13-of-20 from the field, going six-of-nine from three-point range.

The shooting guard scored 27 of his 34 points in the first half, the most he has had in a half this season. Mitchell had good support from Lamar Stevens with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Evan Mobley added 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Doncic shot nine-of-23 from the field in his 30 points, but gave up five turnovers for the Mavs, who trailed 60-41 at half-time at American Airlines Center, with the Cavs going on a 17-0 run at one point.

The Slovenian helped the Mavs rally within nine points in the fourth quarter before Mitchell hit a clutch three-pointer to thwart their momentum.

The victory ended the Cavs' recent road struggles, having lost eight of their past nine games away from their home court.

Mitchell's performance meant he has the fourth highest points per game average by a player in the first 25 games with a new team in NBA history at 29.2, behind only Wilt Chamberlain (35.4, Golden State Warriors), Elvin Hayes (30.4, Houston Rockets) and Adrian Dantley (29.7, Utah Jazz).

Curry injured as Warriors beaten on road

Stephen Curry scored 38 points but exited with a shoulder injury, while Draymond Green was ejected as the Golden State Warriors' road struggles continued with a 125-119 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

Amid a Warriors rally, after allowing 47 points in the second quarter, which tied the most by them in any quarter under head coach Steve Kerr, Curry clutched at his left shoulder in the third quarter and did not return, having previously shot five-of-10 three-pointers.

Green was tossed out in the final quarter after a second technical foul as Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers to victory with 29 points, with the team draining 16 three-pointers. Golden State are 2-13 on the road this season.

Lillard maintains rare three-point form

Damian Lillard sunk seven three-pointers as he scored 37 points before being benched late as the Portland Trail Blazers crushed the San Antonio Spurs 128-112.

The 32-year-old Blazers point guard is averaging 34.4 points per game in December, including hitting 11 triples in Monday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, amid a form upswing following injury.

Anfernee Simons added 23 points and Jerami Grant had 18, while Keldon Johnson top scored with 25 points and seven rebounds for the Spurs, who had won three in a row after ending an 11-game losing run.

Stephen Curry is in "good spirits" but will undergo an MRI on the left shoulder injury that forced him out of the Golden State Warriors' 125-119 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

Curry sustained the injury with 2:04 left in the third quarter as he attempted to strip Jalen Smith of the ball, immediately clutching his shoulder but continuing to run down the court.

The Warriors called a timeout where Curry was assessed by training staff, later heading into the locker room and being ruled out in the fourth quarter.

"He's going to get an MRI tomorrow," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "He was ruled out midway through the fourth. Training staff told me he wasn’t going to play the rest of the night. We'll see how he is tomorrow."

On the pain Curry was feeling, Kerr added: "I didn’t ask about that. I trust their judgement and they said he's not going back in. I just checked in with him briefly but haven’t had a chance to go into detail."

Kerr said 34-year-old eight-time All-Star Curry seemed upbeat in their brief interaction.

 "Steph is always a guy with a great outlook on life so he was in good spirits," Kerr said. "We'll hope for the best."

The reigning NBA Finals MVP had 38 points on five-of-10 three-point shooting with seven rebounds and seven assists until the injury ended his game.

Golden State, who slumped to 2-13 on the road this season, had fought back from a 74-54 half-time deficit but could not overcome the Pacers without Curry.

"Just stunning," Kerr said about Curry's performance. "He basically put us on his shoulders for the minutes he was out there.

"He was generating so much offense, he was getting to the line, he was getting the ball to other people, he was absolutely brilliant.

"I thought the guys did a great job of fighting throughout the third quarter before he got hurt and then after."

Curry is averaging 29.6 points on 49.7 per cent field-goal shooting and 43.2 per cent three-point shooting with 6.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists this season.

The Boston Celtics survived an almighty fourth-quarter collapse to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 122-118 in overtime on Tuesday.

Boston controlled the first half on the road, building a 65-50 advantage at the long break, but after reaching an 88-74 lead with two minutes remaining in the third quarter, everything began to fall apart for the visitors.

From that point on, the Lakers launched a 32-5 run to take a 106-93 lead with four minutes to play, but then it was the home side's turn to go into their shell, allowing the Celtics to storm back with a 17-4 run.

Anthony Davis had two free throws with 28 seconds on the clock, leading by two, but missed both. Jayson Tatum capitalised and tied the game with a contested mid-range jumper over LeBron James, before the four-time NBA MVP's potential game-winner was way off.

The Lakers had nothing to offer in overtime, scoring only four points in the first four minutes to allow the Celtics to build a game-winning lead.

It was a crucial win for the Celtics to snap a two-game losing skid, improving their league-best record to 22-7 and retaining bragging rights over their long-time rivals.

Tatum was the deciding factor, scoring a game-high 44 points on 15-of-29 shooting with nine rebounds and six assists, while running-mate Jaylen Brown chipped in 25 points (10-of-21) and 15 rebounds.

Both Lakers stars delivered, with Davis' 37 points and 12 rebounds continuing his MVP-calibre season, while James had 33 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.

Portis pulverises the Warriors

All-NBA Milwaukee Bucks duo Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton combined for 50 points, but it was Bobby Portis off the bench producing the best performance in his side's 128-111 win over the Golden State Warriors.

Portis had his best game of the season with 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting and 11 rebounds, while two-time MVP Antetokounmpo had 30 points on poor efficiency (nine-of-26 shooting), 12 rebounds and five assists.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 20 points (six-of-17), but it was not nearly enough to stop his side from taking their third loss from their past four outings, and dropping their road record to 2-12.

The Bucks have now won eight of their past 10 to improve their record to 20-7, and they are 13-3 at home.

Giant-killing Rockets take another scalp

After knocking off the Bucks in their last game, the Houston Rockets collected another big scalp with a 111-97 triumph over the Phoenix Suns.

The Rockets were led by second-year scoring sensation Jalen Green, who had 26 points on seven-of-17 shooting – hitting 11-of-12 free throws – to raise his team-high average to 21.8 per game.

Third overall draft pick Jabari Smith Jr continued to impress, only attempting five total shots, but finishing with 14 points and eight rebounds, hitting all three of his three-pointers. The six-foot-11 wing is hitting a respectable 36.8 per cent of his threes on a healthy 5.8 attempts per game.

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