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• Kyrie speaks out against Morant's 'overload of judgement from the court of public opinion'

  Dallas Mavericks' All-Star Kyrie Irving took the opportunity in his post-game media appearance to share support for recently suspended Memphis Grizzlies franchise player Ja Morant.

  The comments came after Monday's 112-108 road loss in Memphis, where Irving and Morant were seen embracing after the final whistle.

  Morant had missed his ninth game in a row following an incident at a Colorado nightclub where he was seen on an Instagram live video flashing a gun to the camera.

  An investigation by the NBA found the Grizzlies star guilty of bringing the league into disrepute by "holding a firearm in an intoxicated state", but there was no evidence the weapon belonged to him, or that he brought it onto the team plane, or any NBA facilities.

  He was suspended for eight games, and missed Monday's contest also as he works his way back into game shape.

  Irving said he understands what Morant is going through, and that he feels the public and media have treated him unfairly.

  "I believe any hardship in life builds character," Irving told reporters. "When you’re dealing with particular hardships in the public eye, especially with the media being attracted to just keeping up with what we’re doing, or what’s the next kind of grab or story.

  "I don’t want to assume anything by every media member, but that’s just the way it seems for me and my perspective, which is there was an overload of judgement on Ja. 

  "There was an overload of judgement on what I had going on, and there’s usually an overload of judgement from the public court of opinion."

  He went on to discuss the "initial shock" Morant must have faced "dealing with the public opinion and all of the extra hoopla that comes with it".

  "But then there’s a real human being dealing with emotion," he said. "I care about that aspect. That’s where I’m putting my energy. 

  "I wished his family well wishes, I wished him well wishes, and I just pray for his peace of mind.

  "I was happy to see him out there today, and I just want him to make it through. He has a long career ahead of him. I don’t think anybody should be controlling but him."

  Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks shared that he feels Morant has nothing to prove to the rest of the group when he returns to action, saying "hell no" to the thought of the All-NBA talent coming off the bench as he works his way back.

  "He's proved everything from the jump," he said. "Love him as a brother. He’s the one who really put this city on the map. 

  "We were a low-market team, just roaming around the NBA. Now we're one of the most talked about teams in the NBA. We have a pride in the sense of a chip on our shoulder every single game.

  "He doesn't have to prove anything to us. We have his back and he has our back."

  Irving ended up leaving the arena in a walking boot, which he called "precautionary" to protect his previously injured and now swollen toe after Brooks fell on it in the third quarter.

  "I just gotta make it back home to Dallas and start my recovery work and do everything I can to prepare for the next day and a half," he said. "Take time, rest and exhaust all my options to be ready to play the next game. 

  "I was really worried about my ankle being sprained, but once we came back here. It wasn't, it was just a re-aggravation of that same spot on the top of my right foot... It went in a position where I could only re-aggravate my big toe. Again, unfortunate, but just looking forward to the next 48 hours."

• 'Shame to waste that performance' - Knicks rue loss as Randle makes franchise history in 57-point haul

  New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau says it was a "shame to waste" Julius Randle's 57-point performance in Monday's 140-134 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

  Randle produced a career-best scoring performance, shooting 19-of-29 from the field with eight-of-14 from three-point range, becoming the 13th different player this NBA season to surpass 50 points.

  The power forward scored 26 points in the third quarter, making franchise history for the most points ever by a Knicks player in any single quarter.

  Randle also became the first player Knicks since Carmelo Anthony in 2014 to reach 50 points, which was the longest active drought by any franchise, except the Orlando Magic dating back to Tracy McGrady in 2004.

  Only two players have scored more points in a single game in Knicks history, led by Anthony with 62 in 2014 against the Charlotte Bobcats and Bernard King with 60 in 1984 against the New Jersey Nets. Randle's 57 points was tied for third highest in Knicks history.

  Despite all that, the Timberwolves edged the Knicks, aided by 58.3 per cent three-point shooting.

  "It's a shame to waste a performance like that," Thibodeau told reporters.

  Randle had 52 points at three-quarter time and was on pace to surpass both Anthony and King's marks but he was humbled to be close to their company.

  "Those are legends in this game," Randle said. "And pioneers, specifically for this organisation, who laid the groundwork and led the way for players like myself to come behind them, be able to play the game I love. Be able to grind, put on that Knicks jersey with pride."

  Randle was left to lament fumbling a rebound at 137-134 in the dying seconds, allowing Taurean Prince to make a lay-up to ice the game.

  "Hopefully I will be able to [enjoy the 57-point performance]," Randle said. "But tonight, probably not.

  "Jalen [Brunson] got a defensive stop, we're down three, it's my job to come up with that rebound, 14 seconds left. If we do that, we have a chance to win the game - or not win the game, but at least tie the game, so I didn't get the job done."

• Thompson, Kerr and the Warriors breathe sigh of relief after snapping 11-game road losing streak

  Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson was relieved to finally snap a streak of 11 consecutive road losses after beating the Houston Rockets 121-108 on Monday.

  The Warriors came into the clash against their once-heated rivals with the third-worst away record in the NBA at 7-29, having not won away from Chase Center since January 30.

  It was far from smooth sailing against the 18-54 Rockets, as the home side pulled in front late in the third quarter, but the 'Splash Brothers' combination of Thompson and Stephen Curry refused to let another one slip.

  They combined for 21 points in the final period, and 59 for the game as they each finished with five made three-pointers.

  When asked after the win about Golden State's recent trouble on the road, Thompson said: "I think trouble would be an understatement – it's been a rollercoaster on the road this year.

  "You'll take any win you can get, especially at this point of the season. We're fighting for our playoff lives and we responded well after a beatdown in Memphis."

  While the current Rockets team is a far cry from the juggernaut that pushed the Kevin Durant-led Warriors to a seven-game series back in 2018, Thompson said he still uses those memories as motivation when he heads to Houston.

  "We didn't look at their record," he said. "I actually told myself I was pretending we were playing the 2018 Rockets, where it was a battle every time we used to play those guys,

  "They're still young, they're talented, and you can't take anybody lightly. Every win we get is just a huge win, so I think we all understood that going into the game, and although it was close there I think we did a good job in the second half of playing our brand of ball.

  "[We need] extreme urgency, we've got to take every game so seriously. You always do – 82 games, it's tough to be great all of them – but nine left, we have to treat these like a playoff buffer, and I know we will."

  Head coach Steve Kerr told reporters he could not even remember their last away victory, and believed his team got away with a mediocre performance.

  "It's been a long time," he said. "I don't remember the last road game we won – it's been a while.

  "January 30th? Thanks, that doesn't make me feel any better. But we needed it, obviously.

  "I actually felt like we played decently in the first three games of this trip – lost all three, but had our chances in all three. I liked our effort, I liked a lot of our execution.

  "Ironically, I thought this was the worst of the four games we've played on this trip, but obviously we were playing a different calibre of team. 

  "The first three we were battling against those teams for the playoffs – Memphis have won of the best records in the league – and Houston have had a rough season. 

  "We had to come in tonight with a focus that was unfortunately not there – that was the issue with the first half – but eventually we got there."

  The win, combined with the Dallas Mavericks' loss, meant the Warriors leapfrogged them out of the play-in tournament placings and up into the sixth seed, where they have a half-game buffer on the chasing pack.