Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was emotional following his side's 144-113 drubbing of the San Antonio Spurs in front of a record crowd.

Officially 68,323 people packed into the Alamodome for the special occasion to break the NBA attendance record, previously set at 62,046 when Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls played against the Atlanta Hawks at the Georgia Dome in 1998.

The Warriors had eight players score in double-figures, led by Jordan Poole with 25 points on eight-of-16 shooting with six assists, while Stephen Curry had 15 points in his first win with the team since December 10.

It was an even more special night for Kerr, who was a member of the Spurs' championship teams in 1999 and 2003, with the home side airing a video package dedicated to him before tip-off.

"First of all I want to say thank you to the Spurs for the incredible night," he said. "Just the presentation of the game was spectacular.

"For me, it was a little bit of a trip down memory lane. I got emotional before the game when they played the video and introduced me – to get an ovation from 68,000 fans gives you chills. This was a really special night, and the Spurs made it special. 

"I think the reason I was feeling the way I did, is I know how fortunate that I was to be a part of the Spurs, and to meet 'Pop', and [general manager] R.C [Buford], and play with Timmy [Duncan], and Manu [Ginobli], and David Robinson, and Avery [Johnson] and Sean [Elliot] – the whole group.

"Just to be part of this team, and this community here for five years of my life, and to be embraced by the fans, and my family to be embraced here – my kids spent a good chunk of their childhood here. 

"This is a special place, and tonight was a great display of how special the Spurs are, and how special San Antonio is."

Draymond Green compared the atmosphere to college basketball's Final Four, which is usually played in a similar sort of stadium.

"It was very fun," he said. "It was funny, I was saying to somebody at the beginning of the game that it feels like you're playing in the Final Four all over again. 

"To have that experience – you never think you're going to be able to experience that again. 

"I think this is a great thing that the Spurs organisation has done, and I'm happy that we were the game and the team that could be part of it."

MVP candidate Jayson Tatum revealed he is dealing with several ongoing injuries but the Boston Celtics small forward is not making any plans to take a rest.

Tatum has played 41 of the Celtics' 43 games this season and led the way with a double-double in Thursday's 109-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

But the 24-year-old shot several airballs, finishing with seven-of-22 shooting from the field, making only two-of-10 from beyond the arc, leading to questions about whether injuries played a part and if he needs a rest.

"If you look at my hand, I've got tape on my wrist, tape on my thumb," Tatum told reporters.

"Tonight I had to tape my middle finger and ring finger together... I love to play too much to sit out.

"I had some bad misses, but I would rather be out there trying to help my team win than not.

"It'll be alright. But I did airball three or four times. But it's good when you can laugh it off. We still won, so it made the night better."

When asked if he needed a rest, Tatum quipped: "Something me and [Celtics general manager] Brad [Stevens] will fight about, so when it gets to that point, maybe you'll see me sit out, maybe not."

Only four players in the NBA have averaged more minutes per game this season than Tatum, who revealed he tweaked the wrist injury in Boston's opening game of the campaign against the Philadelphia 76ers, having dealt with a similar issue during last season's NBA Finals. The thumb and finger issues, however, are newer.

"One game into the season, I remember I hurt it against Philly and I've been taping it ever since," he said.

"I've had issues with my thumb and recently my ring finger. But we're just going to keep figure out ways to tape it and wrap it up."

Tatum is averaging 30.8 points per game on 47.1 per cent shooting from the field and 35.2 per cent shooting from three-point range for the season.

Spencer Dinwiddie got the credit from Luka Doncic after the Dallas Mavericks beat the Los Angeles Lakers in double overtime.

Doncic helped himself to a 10th triple-double of the season – only Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets has more – as the Mavs triumphed 119-115 on Thursday at the Crypto.com Arena.

The 23-year-old top scored with 35 points and added 14 rebounds and 13 assists, ensuring the efforts of LeBron James – 24 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists – and Russell Westbrook, who grabbed 28 points off the bench, were not enough for the Lakers.

However, Doncic said it was Dinwiddie, who had six points in the second period of OT to pave the way for Reggie Bullock's game-winning free throw, who was responsible for the victory.

"He's an amazing player," Doncic said of Dinwiddie, who is averaging 16.1 points per game this season.

"He can dunk, he can score. He's really a great player, he helped us a lot. He won the game tonight."

Doncic forced both overtimes with clutch three-pointers, while Chris Wood delivered with a double-double of 24 points and 14 rebounds.

"I get to my step-back, that's it. We were down by three, so I was going to attack with a three," Doncic explained to TNT.

"It was very physical. Two overtimes, a lot of minutes. We had to stay focused, but we came through. A win is a win."

While the Mavs are fourth in the Western Conference with a 24-19 record on the season, the Lakers sit 13th with a sub-500 win percentage.

Matters could have been different had a foul been called when Tim Hardaway Jr appeared to have made contact with the shooting hand of Lakers small forward Troy Brown Jr during a three-point attempt with the scores tied at 101-101.

"It is what it is," Brown Jr told reporters. "At the end of the day, that's where I stand on it. I'm not deciding. At the end of the day, they're human.

"I thought there was contact, they don't call it. It is what it is. It's not my job to ref."

The Mavs were also unhappy with the officiating, with their owner Mark Cuban tweeting it had been the "worst officiated game". 

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton will miss at least a fortnight after suffering a left elbow sprain and mild left knee bone contusion.

The Pacers confirmed the injuries on Thursday, having left Wednesday's 119-113 loss to the New York Knicks on crutches after falling awkwardly in the third quarter.

"He underwent an MRI this afternoon on his elbow and knee in Indianapolis and the team is awaiting additional opinion on the results of those scans," the Pacers announced.

"Haliburton will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks and updates will be provided as appropriate."

The 22-year-old has been enjoying an All-Star level season, leading the league in assists with 10.2 per game. He is also averaging 20.2 points per game while flirting with 50/40/90 efficiency, currently shooting 48 per cent from the field, 39.9 per cent from deep and 88 per cent from the free throw line.

Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown will miss "a week or two" after suffering an adductor strain during Wednesday's win against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Brown, who scored 41 points in that win, told reporters after the game that he had tweaked his groin, but he was not officially ruled out of Thursday's road game against the Brooklyn Nets until 90 minutes before the contest.

The 26-year-old is enjoying a career-best season, setting new personal bests in points per game (27.2), rebounds (7.1), field goal percentage (49.8) and free throw percentage (79.5) – all while playing in 40 of the Celtics' first 42 games.

Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla said Brown had tried to warm-up in preparation for the Nets, but was unable.

"I anticipate [his absence] being pretty short – probably a week or two," he told reporters. "I'm not sure what the timeline is.

"I know he tried to give it a go today, and wasn't able to do it. We'll know more in the next couple days, see how he responds."

Celtics center Robert Williams III has a chance to eclipse 25 minutes for the first time this season in the absence of both Brown and starting big Al Horford (lower back stiffness), while the Nets will also be without Kevin Durant as he recovers from a knee injury.

The Celtics entered Thursday's game with the best record in the NBA at 30-12, while the Nets are two games back at 27-13.

Bradley Beal is nearing his return for the Washington Wizards after being cleared for full basketball activities.

Beal has not played since suffering a left hamstring strain on January 3, but received a positive update during Thursday's re-evaluation.

The Wizards are scheduled to host the New York Knicks on Friday, but it is unclear if Beal will suit up for that contest, with the team announcing "his return to play will be based on his progression".

The 29-year-old is averaging a team-high 22.9 points, and while that is his lowest figure since the 2017-18 season, he has reached a new level of efficiency this campaign.

Having never posted a field goal percentage greater than 48.5 per cent during his 10-year career, Beal is sitting at a career-high 52.5 per cent this season.

He has done so by being more particular about the kind of shots he takes, with his usage rate of 27.8 also a five-year low.

The Wizards have lost three of their past four games since Beal's injury, relegating their record to 18-24, placing them 12th in the Eastern Conference.

Nick Kyrgios has poured a chunk of his tennis fortune into Australian basketball team South East Melbourne Phoenix, already planning for a future beyond his tennis career.

The 27-year-old, who was runner-up to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon last year, said he could even get involved on the playing side with the Phoenix if he feels able.

That might be wishful thinking on behalf of the long-time basketball fan, who still has ambitions left in tennis, including the hope he will be a serious trophy contender at the Australian Open over the coming fortnight. 

Kyrgios joins Los Angeles Clippers star John Wall and a string of former NBA players in investing in the Phoenix, and he said on Thursday: "This is a big opportunity. Everyone knows my basketball roots, so to be a part of the NBL, it's a massive move for me in my career.

"I feel I've got some great relationships within that team already. I'm one of the tennis players that doesn't travel as often. I'm looking forward to being in Australia a bit more."

He said he would be "quite hands on", and it remains to be seen whether he does travel less in tennis, cutting down his tour commitments further. Of players ranked in the ATP top 25 – Kyrgios is number 21 – nobody has played fewer tournaments in the last year than the 14 events Kyrgios has entered.

"I've got a lot of things happening at the moment and this is one of the biggest," Kyrgios added. "My tennis career's not going to last forever. I've been on tour now for nine, 10 years and I feel I'm building that platform to have these experiences and relationships, so I've got to use it while I can.

"I'll do anything for the team. I'd get out there, rebound, play with them. If my body's up to it, I'll get out there, 100 per cent."

Last January saw Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis roar to doubles glory in Melbourne, but this time around Kyrgios is making the singles a clear priority.

He will face Russian Roman Safiullin in round one, after the draw was revealed on Thursday. Novak Djokovic is a potential quarter-final opponent.

"I'm one of the best players in the world, so I'm definitely going into the Australian Open, or any tournament, with confidence," Kyrgios said. "I've proven I can go deep in a grand slam, and with the support of the Phoenix and my team, and Australia on my back, hopefully it's going to be a good couple of weeks.

"It's a bit different for me, being one of the favourites. Usually I'm a dark horse.

"This is the first time I've gone into a slam feeling I'm one of the guys that can really take the trophy and knock on the door. Usually I've got a nothing-to-lose [attitude], just putting on a show, but I've got to really find that balance in the next two weeks.

"Obviously I'm capable, but there's so many more players in the draw who are capable as well."

Ja Morant "felt terrible" and knew he needed to act after a young Memphis Grizzlies fan had her signed basketball stolen.

Morant came good on Wednesday when he presented 11-year-old Ellie Hughes with a signed shirt and as of yet unreleased Nike Ja 1 shoes, saying he hoped it offset the pain she felt after the "unacceptable" swiping of her ball.

Youngster Hughes, who reports said has not missed a Grizzlies home game in six years, had been collecting signatures on a team ball.

It was taken during Monday's win over the San Antonio Spurs, which prompted Morant to act, knowing he could make the situation better.

He said: "Obviously I feel like I come from a good home with great parents, and it's pretty much something I love to do.

"You've touched a mighty heart like that, a big fan of the Grizzlies for years. It's moments like that, that mean the most to them, something they'll never forget, something they'll remember the rest of their life.

"It's not a lot of people who've got a game-worn signed Ja jersey and there's definitely not a lot of people who have signed Ja 1s.

"After seeing what happened to them on social media, I just felt terrible. Obviously it's been years she had that ball, and had the opportunity to get autographs of great players, and to have that taken away from her, I feel it was unacceptable.

"I tried to get in contact with the family, I reached out and offered them two of my courtside seats and told them after the game I would give them my jersey and shoes, so definitely a good feeling to have them there supporting us and see the smile on their face out there."

Morant was on top form as the Grizzlies toppled the Spurs again on Wednesday, scoring 38 points in a 135-129 win.

The Grizzlies are flying high, sitting second in the Western Conference with the same 28-13 record as leaders the Denver Nuggets.

Despite their strong season, Morant says there remains room for improvement, pointing to occasional "mental lapses" and saying Memphis "need to be a little more locked in and paying attention to detail".

"Fatigue can play a part," the 23-year-old added, demanding constant focus. "I feel like if we want to be a great team, no matter what, we have to do that day in and day out, for 48 minutes.

"That's pretty much really just the area I think we can get better."

Bones Hyland spoke of building "championship habits" and hailed the latest Nikola Jokic masterclass after the Denver Nuggets savaged the Phoenix Suns at Ball Arena.

A 12th straight home victory for Denver, and a fourth successive win overall, kept the team top of the Western Conference, with the 126-97 margin reflecting a strong night's work.

Jokic fell just short of a 12th triple-double of the season, finishing with 21 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists.

Jamal Murray added 16 points, with Hyland contributing 21 for the Nuggets.

Hyland said of Jokic, who is making a strong case for a third MVP in a row: "Everybody in the world knows when he gets the ball and you go for a rebound, he's the greatest passer in the world, so when he gets the ball we just run.

"Ninety per cent of the time he's gonna make the right pass so when he's got it we run."

Hyland added after Wednesday's rout, according to the Denver Post: "I was really just feeling it. The basket felt like it was really wide. It was like shooting a rock into the ocean."

Speaking to Altitude TV in an on-court interview, Hyland said: "It's a night when we're playing our game.

"We've got a lot of dynamic players on our team, a lot of good shooters, so it's proving it in the season. We've got to focus on what we've got to focus on, build championship habits and just come out here and get a win."

Guard Murray suffered a left ankle problem late in the game, but coach Michael Malone does not expect him to miss any games.

Malone was impressed with the team's efforts and called for them to sustain a high level.

"Your home court has to have an advantage," Malone said. "Our fans have been terrific, and I just love how we’re playing. Once again, a good defensive performance that leads to our offense.

"We had 24 fast break points tonight to their six, we had 30 assists to only 11 turnovers. But the beginning of that is when we defend, and everything just flows from there.

"So hopefully we can continue to protect this home court at a high level through the regular season and into the playoffs."

The Miami Heat suspended Dewayne Dedmon for one game without pay after the outburst where he swatted a massage gun on to the court in Tuesday's 112-111 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Dedmon reacted angrily after being subbed out of the game, exchanging words with coaches, before storming off and flinging a massage gun back on to the court during play. The reserve center was ejected by officials for that act.

The Heat announced on Wednesday that in consultation with the NBA they had decided Dedmon would be banned for one game for "conduct detrimental to the team".

Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra had labelled the outburst as "unacceptable" after Tuesday's game.

"It's the Miami Heat. We're all a bunch of gnarly personalities," Spoelstra said.

"That part was unfortunate. Everything before that, that's the Miami Heat. That part was unacceptable."

Jaylen Brown scored a season-high 41 points and Jayson Tatum added 31 as the Boston Celtics claimed their fourth successive win with a 125-114 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.

Brown recorded his first double-double in a half in his career with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while he added another 18 points in the third quarter.

The Celtics guard shot 15-of-21 from the field with three-of-six from three-point range along with 12 rebounds for the game.

Tatum went 10-of-22 from the field with 10 rebounds and four assists, with Malcolm Brogdon adding 20 points off the bench.

The game marked the seventh time this season that Brown and Tatum have scored at least 30 points each, which is joint for the most before February by two players from the same team in the last 40 seasons.

The other duos to have managed that are Golden State's Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant in 2018-19 and Denver's Alex English and Kiki Vandeweghe in 1983-84.

The result improves the Celtics to 30-12 overall and 17-5 at the TD Garden, while the Pelicans lose ground on the top two in the west, falling to 25-17.

C.J. McCollum scored 38 points for the Pels, marking the first time in his career he had 20-plus points in a first half in consecutive games.

Jokic falls short of triple-double as Nuggets triumph

Nikola Jokic fell one assist short of a 12th triple-double of the season as the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets claimed their fourth straight win, 126-97 over the Phoenix Suns.

The reigning back-to-back NBA MVP Jokic finished with 21 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists, including a brilliant first-quarter look-away fling to Aaron Gordon.

Jamal Murray added 16 points, although he picked up an ankle complaint, while Bones Hyland contributed 21 for the Nuggets, who have claimed 11 wins in a row at home, along with winning 14 of their past 17.

Grizzlies secure eighth straight win

Ja Morant led the way as the Memphis Grizzlies secured an eighth consecutive victory to keep pressure on the Nuggets at the top of the west with a 135-129 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Morant scored 21 points in the first half, finishing the game with 38 along with five rebounds and four assists.

The Grizzlies guard also produced a big dunk over Jakob Poeltl in the third quarter, while his put-back with 24.1 seconds left in the fourth sealed the victory.

Kevin Durant's absence cannot be used as an excuse by the Brooklyn Nets, insists head coach Jacque Vaughn.

Durant sprained the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee in the third quarter of the Nets' 102-101 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday, with reports suggesting he could be sidelined for around a month.

Brooklyn confirmed the result of scans a day later, saying the 12-time NBA All-Star would be "reevaluated in two weeks."

Durant is averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists this season.

Vaughn does not want his players to dwell on being without their star player, though, as they look to build on a fine record of 27-13, including a run of 18 wins from their last 20 games that sees them sit second in the Eastern Conference.

"That's the biggest thing. I'm not giving this group a chance to make excuses," he said on Wednesday.

"Here to play. Here to win. Here to compete. It doesn't change. Love them."

Brooklyn host the only team in the league with a better record than them, the Boston Celtics, on Thursday.

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."

Jimmy Butler had "no idea" the Miami Heat had broken the NBA record for the most free throws in a game without a miss.

The Heat edged out the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-111 on Tuesday, with Butler scoring a game-leading 35 points and going 23-of-23 from the free-throw line.

That means Butler was just one short of James Harden's league record of 24-of-24 free throws, set in December 2019, for the most in one game without a miss.

Butler was not the only Heat player on top form from the line, with the rest of the team shooting 17-of-17, breaking the team record of 39-for-39 made by the Utah Jazz against the Portland Trail Blazers in 1982.

Yet Butler had no clue the Heat were setting a record, with his sole focus on Miami's fightback - they trailed 111-106 heading into the final minute but came out on top in the closing seconds.

"I had no idea," Butler told reporters about the 40 free-throw feat. "I'm more excited that we won this game by one point."

"We won. A complete team effort. I'm proud of my guys. We always talk about finding a way to win. This is a good start to that. Whatever it takes to win."

It was a similar story for Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who said: "We've been a very good free-throw shooting team all year, but that's crazy.

"I didn't realise we hadn't missed a free throw.

"It's just a normal Tuesday night for the Miami Heat. I think this is when we feel most alive, when everything just happens and when all of our competitive juices get out there.

"That's the team we all can relate to. That's the team I like."

Miami are now 22-20 for the season and sit eighth in the Eastern Conference.

Donovan Mitchell was thankful for the "phenomenal" reception he received on his return to the Utah Jazz, though was left to rue Jordan Clarkson's form in a tight defeat.

Mitchell spent five seasons with the Jazz before he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers last year.

Lauri Markkanen was part of that trade and had a double-double of 25 points and 16 rebounds against his former team as he became the second-fastest player in franchise history to reach 1,000 points. Likewise, Mitchell showed just why the Cavs signed him with a game-leading 46-point haul.

Mitchell has broken the 40-point mark in a career-high five games this season, but it was not enough to down his old employers, who triumphed 116-114 after Clarkson came to the fore, netting nine of his 32 points in the final quarter.

The Jazz paid tribute to three-time All-Star Mitchell before Tuesday's game by showing a highlights reel of his time in Utah, while the home crowd gave him an ovation.

"I was really comfortable," Mitchell told the media.

"It wasn't weird. It was just like playing as I have here for the last five years. The reception was phenomenal, and I'm appreciative of it."

Mitchell was handed a rest in the third quarter, though that was when Clarkson began to swing the momentum Utah's way.

"He had that look in his eye, and I was just like, damn, it's going to be one of those back-and-forth nights," Mitchell said.

Clarkson explained: "I was just being aggressive in those moments. Throughout the game, I saw what they were doing defensively and just started being aggressive in the fourth."

Walker Kessler was tasked with marking Mitchell and had nothing but praise for his former team-mate.

"He's an unbelievable guy, man," said 21-year-old Kessler, who joined the Jazz three months before Mitchell left.

"I mean, obviously, I haven't known him too long, but even [when we played] at Cleveland, he came up to me and was super, super encouraging.

"It was really cool to see the Utah fan base get so excited for him. Great player, great guy."

The Cavs have lost two of their last three games but are still well placed in the Eastern Conference with a 26-15 record, while the Jazz are just above the play-in line in the West.