LeBron James said that the Los Angeles Lakers are still trying to figure out ways to cope with the absence of key players after a 134-132 defeat to the Atlanta Hawks. 

James led the Lakers with 39 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, but that didn't stop his side from falling to their seventh defeat in nine games. 

Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes were among the players who were unavailable for the Lakers in their narrow defeat to the Hawks. 

"Mismatching with line-ups, we're trying to figure out ways, obviously," James said. 

"So it's very challenging. We don't have much room for error. It's big, big, big, big pieces.

"I don't know as far as what will get us over the hump. We just got to just not drown. Don't drown and we'll be all right."

Anthony Davis scored 38 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Lakers, while Dalton Knecht bagged 14 points. 

Gabe Vincent's three-pointer had given the Lakers a 130-127 lead with 1:44 left in overtime, but Dyson Daniels and Davis then scored baskets for their sides before Jalen Johnson cut the gap to one for the Hawks.

It was Trae Young who then hit the three-pointer with 7.4 seconds left in overtime that gave the Hawks the last-gasp victory. 

Young ended the game as the Hawks' top scorer with 31 points and 20 assists, while De'Andre Hunter bagged 26 off the bench as Atlanta won their sixth game in a row. 

"There's no cavalry. No one feels sorry for us. We can't feel sorry for ourselves," said Davis of the Lakers after the game. 

"We just got to continue to put our head down and grind and work. Try to get back in the win column on Sunday against Portland [Trail Blazers]. No game's going to be easy for us, so we got to go take the win."

Jayson Tatum had 34 points and 10 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics held on to beat the Bucks 111-105 on Friday night in Khris Middleton's season debut for Milwaukee.

Jaylen Brown added 25 points as the Celtics made 17 3-pointers to earn their 10th victory in 11 games overall and third in as many meetings this season against the Bucks.

Damian Lillard finished with 31 points for Milwaukee, which has lost two straight since winning a season-best seven in a row. Giannis Antetokounmpo added 30 points and 11 rebounds on his 30th birthday.

Middleton had 11 points and five assists in 23 minutes after missing the Bucks’ first 21 games while recovering from offseason ankle surgeries.

Boston led 107-102 after a floater by Jrue Holiday when Brown was whistled for a foul on a 3-point attempt by Middleton, who hit all three free throws.

Two free throws by Holiday put Boston ahead 109-105. Antetokounmpo then turned it over, leading to a layup by Al Horford.

Young’s late 3 in OT keeps Hawks hot

Trae Young drilled a 3-pointer with 7.4 seconds left in overtime and the Atlanta Hawks held on for their sixth straight win, beating the slumping Los Angeles Lakers 134-132.

Young scored 31 points to offset a huge night by the Lakers' Big Two. LeBron James had 39 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds and Anthony Davis added 38 points, 10 boards and eight assists, but it wasn't enough to prevent Los Angeles from taking its third straight loss and seventh in nine games.

James had a chance to win it for the Lakers, but his long 3-pointer wasn’t close.  

With the score tied at 119, the Hawks had the final possession of regulation. Young’s 3-pointer was blocked by Max Christie and James collided with Davis going for the loose ball, sending the 39-year-old to a knee in pain.

After hobbling to the bench, James was back on the court for overtime.

Led by De’Andre Hunter with 26 points and Bogdan Bogdanović with 20, Atlanta's reserves outscored their Lakers' counterparts 65-17.

Edwards lifts Wolves over Warriors

Anthony Edwards had 30 points and nine assists and the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Golden State Warriors 107-90 the first of two games between the teams this weekend.

Stephen Curry returned for Golden State after sitting out a victory over Houston a night earlier resting his sore knees. He scored 23 points.

Curry's 3-pointer with 10:38 remaining cut it to 80-77, but the Warriors again struggled to take care of the ball and make key stops.

Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the T-Wolves, who stay in town to play again Sunday at Chase Center.

Draymond Green also played after missing Thursday because of tightness in his left calf. Green had 10 points, nine rebounds and six assists and picked up his seventh technical this season.

Minnesota has won the last five in the series and four straight at Chase Center since ending a 12-game losing streak on the Warriors' home floor.

Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers is keen to see Khris Middleton return from injury soon after describing his players as "dead-legged" in Wednesday's defeat to the Atlanta Hawks.

The Bucks had responded to a dire start to the season by stringing together a run of seven straight victories, but that streak came crashing to a halt as they lost 119-104 at Fiserv Forum.

In a fine all-round showing from Atlanta, Jalen Johnson had 23 points and 13 rebounds while De’Andre Hunter scored 20 points, Trae Young had 17 and Bogdan Bogdanovic 15.

The exertions of Milwaukee's recent run showed as Atlanta's bench outscored that of their hosts by 50 points to 31, leaving Rivers to blame the result on tiredness.

"I thought we were dead-legged most of the game. We didn't think well, which is a direct sign of fatigue," Rivers told The Athletic. 

"We didn't execute very well. Our passes were really late."

The Bucks have been without veteran forward Middleton for their last 21 games, with the 33-year-old recovering from offseason surgery on both ankles.

Middleton took part in practice drills ahead of Wednesday's game but was again held back, and Rivers says he is now desperate to get out on the court.

"Anybody who wants to play, and Khris is one of those guys, they're frustrated," Rivers said. "That's mentally challenging. 

"You see your team playing and although we're playing well right now, I imagine when we were really struggling and he wasn't playing that had to be really hard for him.

"You want to help your team, and he knows he can.

"If it felt right, he'd be playing, obviously. There's no answer. He's working his butt off and doing all the stuff he's supposed to do. 

"He's just yet to get on the floor. We feel like that's coming soon, and you've heard that before. We're just hopeful it's really soon."

Willie Green revealed his New Orleans Pelicans' side are feeling the pressure after slumping to a ninth consecutive defeat against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. 

Trae Young starred for the Hawks in their 124-112 triumph, scoring 12 points and 15 assists for his 15th double-double of the season to lead his side to a fourth-straight victory. 

De'Andre Hunter scored a team-high 22 off the bench for the Hawks, while Jalen Johnson added 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

The Pelicans were led by CJ McCollum's 29 points, one shy of his season best, with Yves Missi adding 23 points and 12 rebounds in another disappointing defeat.

Dejounte Murray played his first game against his former team after being traded to the Pelicans this offseason, but struggled on his return, scoring just seven points. 

The depleted Pelicans (4-18) have lost nine in a row overall, and 11 of 12 on the road this season, with head coach Green saying his players are frustrated by their form. 

"They're competitors, and they do feel that pressure," Green said. "They walk into every arena believing they have a chance to win and that's what we want. 

"We want guys that have a good game plan and discipline and to go out and fall in love with the competition of the game. 

"It's there, but there's frustration and there is supposed to be when you're losing games. You want to do everything you can to help your team win."

New Orleans played Monday's game without Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, both nursing lower-body injuries, but did start strongly, leading 28-26 after the first quarter. 

The Pelicans' point total matched the number they scored in the entire first half on Sunday in a 118-85 defeat against the New York Knicks.

However, Green said their impressive start mattered little after throwing away their advantage, bemoaning his side's inability to keep a consistent level throughout the game. 

"I give our guys credit," Green said. "They went out with the right intentions, played hard, competed their tails off.

"But once again just coming up short and not being able to finish four quarters and finish the game with a win."

The Pelicans return home on Thursday night to face the Phoenix Suns.

Jayson Tatum scored 35 points and had 14 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics to their seventh straight win, 138-129 over the Chicago Bulls in Friday night’s NBA Cup pool game.

Reserve Payton Pritchard added a season-best 29 points, including 11 straight during a fourth quarter run that gave the Celtics the lead for good.

Nikola Vucevic scored a season-high 32 points and had 11 rebounds for Chicago, which could have secured a spot in the Cup quarterfinals with a victory. Atlanta, which defeated Cleveland earlier in the day, secured the Group C berth and will advance to the knockout round.

Boston still has a shot at the wild-card berth, but it depends on the outcome of Tuesday’s games.

Zach LaVine added 29 points for the Bulls, including four 3-pointers to become the franchise's career leader in made 3s.

Tied at 108, Pritchard made 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to start an 11-4 run that gave Boston some breathing room. Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porziņģis each added 21 points.

Magic roll past Nets to stay hot

Franz Wagner scored 29 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 19 and the Orlando Magic cruised to a 123-100 victory over the Brooklyn Nets in an NBA Cup game.

Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr. each had 12 points for the Magic, who improved to 3-0 in Group A play and moved into a tie with New York. Orlando plays the Knicks, who are also 3-0 in the East's Group A, in an NBA Cup game on Tuesday with the winner advancing as group champion.

The Magic have won their last five games and 11 of their last 12 following a five-game losing streak, all of which came on the road.

Shake Milton scored 22 points off the bench, Keon Johnson also had 15 off the bench and Cam Johnson added 14 for the Nets, who had their three-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 1-3 in the in-season tournament.

Hawks beat league-leading Cavs again

De'Andre Hunter scored 23 points off Atlanta's bench and the Hawks defeated Cleveland 117-101 in the NBA Cup, handing the Cavaliers a loss for the second time in three days.

The Cavaliers (17-3) still boast the NBA's best record, but they once again couldn't match the Hawks' scoring depth. Trae Young had 21 points and 11 assists, and Jalen Johnson added 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as Atlanta finished with six scorers in double figures.

Atlanta’s reserves outscored Cleveland’s 50-28.

Darius Garland led Cleveland with 29 points and Evan Mobley added 24 points, including seven dunks. Donovan Mitchell had 12 points on 5-of-23 shooting with 11 rebounds.

Atlanta won 135-124 at Cleveland on Wednesday night as Young set a career high with 22 assists. Young leads the NBA in assists at 12.5 per game.

The Hawks clinched East Group C in the NBA Cup when Chicago lost to visiting Boston later Friday.

Atlanta Hawks coach Quin Snyder hailed Trae Young's remarkable display against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Young tallied up a career-best 22 assists, the most of any player in a single NBA game this season, and finished with 20 points as the Hawks beat Cleveland 135-124 on Wednesday.

The Hawks, propelled by Young, came back from an early 19-point deficit to inflict just a second defeat of the season on the Cavs.

Young also nailed a 39-foot 3-pointer in the final two minutes, with Atlanta ending a three-game losing streak.

"He threw himself into the game," Snyder said of Young.

"The biggest thing is he just moved the ball, and he forced guys to run. He gave guys opportunities in the open court, and he trusted his teammates.

"I really liked the way we and he reacted to being down.

"Just keeping his poise, that's always been a point of emphasis with Trae."

Young leads the NBA with 225 assists this season, 52 more than any other player and an average of 12.5 per game.

It was not a perfect performance from Young, whose giveaway led to the Cavs pulling within four points at one stage in the fourth, though he made amends with his long-range 3-pointer.

"I couldn't let my team down twice in a row, so I had to make the play," Young said.

"I think when I got the ball back I still had 10 seconds left, so I had a little time to make a play and that's what happened."

Anthony Davis scored 35 points, Austin Reaves added 26 and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied to beat the Phoenix Suns 123-116 on Friday night for their first 2-0 start since 2010-11.

LeBron James had 17 of his 21 points in the second half for the Lakers, who trailed by 22 points in the second quarter.

Davis is the 3rd Lakers player with consecutive 35-point games to start a season in franchise history, joining Elgin Baylor in 1962 and Jerry West in 1969.

Kevin Durant led Phoenix (1-1) with 30 points and Devin Booker had 23.

The Lakers were down 61-52 at halftime, then outscored Phoenix 35-24 in the third quarter to take the lead as Davis and James each scored 11 in the period.

Phoenix made 21 of its first 30 shots, including nine straight 3-pointers, before going 21 of 52 the rest of the game. Phoenix was 24 of 39 from the field in the first half, but 9 of 27 in the third quarter.

The Lakers trailed 81-74 with three minutes left in the third before scoring nine straight points to grab the lead. That was part of a 20-6 run during a nearly five-minute span from late in the third to early in the fourth.

Young lifts Hawks over Ball, Hornets

Trae Young scored 38 points and the Atlanta Hawks overcame LaMelo Ball's 34 points and career-best nine 3-pointers to beat the Charlotte Hornets 125-120.

Ball made 9 of 14 3-pointers, surpassing his previous career high of eight.

De'Andre Hunter added 24 points and Dyson Daniels scored 18 for Atlanta, which has won its first two games.

Ball scored 34 points in the Hornets' 110-105 win at Houston on Wednesday to open the regular season. He matched that total with his ninth 3 with 7:31 remaining.

The Hornets were without two starters, including guard Brandon Miller. The team said Miller will be out at least a week because of a strained left glute. Center Mark Williams was held out with a strained tendon in his left foot.

Despite missing two starters, Charlotte showed depth with four players in double figures. Miles Bridges scored 27 points, Tre Mann had 17 and Nick Richards tallied 12 points and 13 rebounds.

With the game tied at 90, Young's 3 gave the lead back to Atlanta. Following a tying 3 by Charlotte's Josh Green, Young answered with a short jumper.

Bulls sink 21 3-pointers to beat Bucks

Coby White scored 35 points, and the hot-shooting Chicago Bulls spoiled Milwaukee’s home opener with a 133-122 victory over the Bucks.

Zach LaVine added 25 points, Nikola Vucevic had 22 and Josh Giddey scored 17 for the Bulls, who shot 21 of 47 from 3-point range.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 38 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Damian Lillard had 28 points, but only went 3 of 12 from deep.

After the first three minutes of the third quarter featured five lead changes, the Bulls broke a 72-all tie and pulled ahead for good by scoring seven straight points.

After Milwaukee's A.J. Green made a pair of 3s in the first minute of the fourth quarter to cut Chicago's lead to 102-101, Patrick Williams answered with a 3 of his own. Williams' basket ignited a 13-1 run, and the Bucks never seriously threatened again.

The New Orleans Pelicans are acquiring star guard Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks for forward Larry Nance Jr, guard Dyson Daniels and two first-round picks, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday.

The move comes two days after the Hawks selected French prospect Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft on Wednesday.

According to sources, the picks the Pelicans are sending Atlanta are a 2025 first round pick via the Lakers and a 2027 first round pick, which is the least favorable between Milwaukee and New Orleans.

Murray, 27, spent two seasons with the Hawks after he was acquired from San Antonio in July 2022 for three first-round picks. He averaged 21.5 points across 152 games with Atlanta, but the team struggled to a 77-87 record and failed to make the playoffs this past season with a 36-46 mark.

Murray – a 2022 NBA All-Star - averaged a career-high 22.5 points last season to go with 5.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists. He shot 45.9 percent from the field and made a career-high 201 3-pointers.

He joins a loaded Pelicans team that went 49-33 last season and already has Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum.

Atlanta gets multiple first round picks in the deal along with a young player (Daniels) and a veteran role player (Nance Jr.).

Daniels was the eighth overall pick in 2022 and averaged 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds last season. Nance is a nine-year veteran that averaged 5.7 points and 5 rebounds in 61 games last season for New Orleans.

The Atlanta Hawks are turning to a 19-year-old French phenom with the hopes he can revive their scuffling franchise.

Ditto for the Washington Wizards.

The Hawks selected Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick of Wednesday’s NBA draft, and the Wizards followed by taking fellow Frenchman Alexandre Sarr with the No. 2 pick.

Risacher, Sarr and two-time defending American collegiate national champion Donovan Clingan were all mentioned as possibilities to be picked first, but ultimately the Hawks settled on Risacher.

The decision had been somewhat speculated for days after Sarr had recently worked out and met with the Wizards while declining an invitation from the Hawks, but Atlanta was keeping all options open.

Risacher worked out for Atlanta last week, and ownership evidently liked what it saw from the 6-foot-8 wing, making him the franchise's first No. 1 pick since 1975, when it selected David Thompson.

After another Frenchman, Victor Wembanyama, was picked first overall last year by the San Antonio Spurs, this marks the first time in NBA history consecutive No. 1 picks didn’t play collegiately in the United States.

Considered to have the biggest upside of anyone in this draft class, Risacher is not only a catch-and-shoot 3-point specialist, but also an exceptional defender, thanks to his length.

Not even on the draft radar a year ago, Risacher first started appearing on a lot of mock drafts with his sensational start to the LNB Pro A season in France. He then entered the conversation as a potential top pick with his stellar play at the EuroCup.

He now joins a Hawks team that is in search of a spark after being stuck in mediocrity the past few seasons.

After reaching the Eastern Conference finals in 2021, it totalled three play-off wins in being ousted in the first round in 2022 and ’23 and missed the post-season entirely this past season after finishing 10th in the East.

With Atlanta, Risacher will have an opportunity to hone his game and add some weight to his lanky frame as he makes the transition to the NBA.

Atlanta’s offence revolves around the guard play of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, so Risacher won’t be asked to do too much too soon.

Risacher is far from being a finished product, but the Hawks believe he has the tools to develop into being a core member of the team for years to come.

Atlanta’s decision to draft Risacher, made Washington’s choice at No. 2 a no-brainer, especially after Sarr decided not to meet with the Hawks.

Sarr reportedly viewed Washington as a favourable landing spot over Atlanta, and the Wizards didn’t hesitate in snatching up someone who for a long time was considered the top prospect in the draft class.

The French-born Sarr, who spent the last season playing for Perth in the Australian Basketball League, is an athletic two-way player. He is effective as a finisher near the hoop off the pick-and-roll and is an elite rim protector on the defensive end.

With a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Sarr gives the Wizards interior length and should provide an upgrade on the defensive end considering Washington allowed a league-worst 123 points per game last season.

The Wizards are coming off their worst season in franchise history, going 15-67, and have missed the play-offs each of the last three seasons with only one play-off appearance in the last six.

Sarr is now the centrepiece of Washington’s rebuild.

At 6-foot-11, he has the size of a centre, but possesses the ball-handling ability of a wing, able to dribble through traffic or deliver an accurate pass to an open team-mate.

Sarr needs to add bulk – and a mid-range and 3-point shot – but has enough strengths to his game that he should be able to step right in and help the Wizards on both ends of the court.

The Atlanta Hawks surprisingly won the NBA Draft lottery for the first time Sunday, giving the franchise the top overall selection for the first time in 49 years.

Atlanta had just a three per cent chance to win the lottery after going 36-46 this season and finishing in 10th place in the Eastern Conference.

The Hawks’ campaign ended with a 131-116 road loss to the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Play-In Tournament on April 17.

“It’s a significant part of any team building strategies, so this is exciting,” Atlanta general manager Landry Field said Sunday.

Atlanta had never won the Draft lottery and will be picking first for the first time since selecting David Thompson in 1975.

Thompson, however, went on to sign with the Denver Nuggets when they were part of the American Basketball Association.

“It’s been a while,” Fields said. “That turned out a little differently than hopefully what we’ll be expecting here for the future.

“But excited about this (draft) class, excited about continuing to build what we got going in Atlanta.”

The Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards each had the best odds to win the lottery at 14 per cent, followed by the Charlotte Hornets (13.3), Portland Trial Blazers (13.2) and San Antonio Spurs (10.5).

Washington will instead pick at No. 2 followed by Houston, San Antonio and Detroit.

The Spurs selected NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick last June.

This year’s draft will be held June 26-27 in Brooklyn.

Dejounte Murray declared "the sky's the limit" for Coby White after his career-best performance guided the Chicago Bulls past the Atlanta Hawks in the Play-In Tournament on Wednesday.

The Bulls clinched a 131-116 win over Atlanta at a sold-out United Center in their first Play-In game, teeing up a rematch with the Miami Heat – who eliminated them from last year's Play-In Tournament – for Friday.

White had a career-high 42 points, the second-best tally ever recorded in a Play-In contest, after Jayson Tatum's 50 against the Washington Wizards in 2021, and went 15-of-21 from the field.

His stunning performance meant Murray's own 30-point showing counted for nothing, with Atlanta always fighting an uphill battle after going 18 points down in the first quarter.

Asked about White after the game, Murray said: "I root for guys that work hard and are great people.

"[Bulls forward] DeMar DeRozan's a brother to me and he speaks highly of him. He says he works hard, he's a great guy, he's handled his business, he's a professional on and off the floor. 

"When I hear those things, I root for guys around the league just to have success. 

"I think he's always been good. He never really got the opportunity to showcase what he's showcasing now, and the sky's the limit."

It was something of a breakout performance for White, who averaged just 8.4 points per game in his only previous playoff series, a 4-1 first-round defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2022.

He was also part of the Chicago team beaten by the Heat in last year's Play-In Tournament, and they will get a chance to avenge that loss when they go to Kaseya Center on Friday.

"I'm just grateful to be where I'm at. That first playoff series I ever had in my career didn't go how I wanted it to go," White said. 

"Then last year, I played better in the Play-In, but this year, I didn't come into the game saying I was going to put the team on my back. 

"I just wanted to be aggressive and take what the defense gave me and try to lead."

DeRozan is glad to have the opportunity to banish the ghosts of last year's loss in Miami, saying: "I remember that plane ride back home vividly, everybody was just frustrated.

"That feeling sucked. I know for me that was one thing that was on my mind once I realised we were going back to Miami, not to have that same feeling."

The Atlanta Hawks' path to reaching the NBA play-offs has become much more difficult.

The Hawks will be without forward Jalen Johnson and centre Onyeka Okongwu for several weeks, meaning they'll miss next week's Play-In Tournament.

Johnson exited Tuesday's loss to the Miami Heat with a right ankle injury, and the Hawks announced Thursday that an MRI revealed a Grade 2 lateral sprain. He'll be re-evaluated in approximately three weeks.

Okongwu, who last played March 21 due to a left big toe sprain, underwent a non-surgical procedure on Tuesday to address inflammation. His recovery time is approximately four weeks.

Atlanta is guaranteed a spot in the Play-In Tournament, and entered play Thursday in 10th place in the Eastern Conference - 1 /2 games behind the Chicago Bulls. The two teams will meet in the Play-In Tournament, with the winner facing the loser of the game between the 7 and 8 seeds for a spot in the play-offs.

Both Johnson and Okongwu have played big parts for the Hawks this season.

Johnson started 52 of the 56 games he played in, averaging career highs of 16.0 points and 8.7 rebounds - the second highest on Atlanta behind Clint Capela's average of 10.6 boards.

Okongwu has appeared in 55 games, with averages of 10.2 points and 6.8 rebounds. In eight starts, he had averages of 16.1 points and 8.5 boards.

One bit of good news for the Hawks is Trae Young returned in Wednesday's 115-114 loss to the Charlotte Hornets after missing 23 games with a torn ligament in his left pinkie.

The three-time All-Star point guard made all five of his field-goal attempts, finishing with 14 points and 11 assists in 21 minutes in his first game since February 23.

Devin Booker racked up 52 points with a prolific shooting display that carried the Phoenix Suns to a 124-111 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday to tighten the Western Conference play-off race.

The win moved Phoenix within one game of New Orleans in the battle for the important No. 6 seed in the West. The top six teams in each conference are guaranteed a spot in the quarter-final round of the post-season, while teams seven through 10 will be forced to compete in the play-in tournament.

Phoenix was able to narrow the gap primarily behind Booker, who finished 19 of 28 from the field and 8 of 16 from 3-point range while adding nine assists.

The Suns also received 19 points and 19 rebounds from Jusuf Nurkic, while Kevin Durant had 20 points to help send the Pelicans to a second straight loss.

Both Booker and the Suns got off to sizzling starts, as the All-Star guard tallied 24 first-quarter points on 8-of-10 shooting during a dominant opening quarter. Seventeen of those points came during a 30-7 run that staked Phoenix to a 44-20 lead with under two minutes to go in the period.

Phoenix ended the first quarter up 46-28 and carried a 74-54 advantage into half-time with Booker amassing 37 points on 14-of-18 shooting over the first two quarters.

The Pelicans trailed by as many as 27 points in the second half but did make a belated push to get back in it, as Zion Williamson sparked an 8-0 run that CJ McCollum capped with a 3-pointer to pull New Orleans within 115-108 with 2:46 left.

That was as close as the Pelicans would get, however, as Booker scored his final two points on a layup with 1:34 to go that gave Phoenix a 119-110 lead.

Williamson paced New Orleans with 30 points and Trey Murphy recorded 21 in the loss. 

Krejci's perfect shooting night helps Hawks down Bulls

Vit Krejci went 6 of 6 from 3-point range for a career-high 18 points to help the surging Atlanta Hawks to a 113-101 win over the Chicago Bulls in a matchup of potential Eastern Conference play-in teams.

Krejci's flawless shooting, along with 20 points and six assists from Bogdan Bogdanović, powered the Hawks to a fifth win in six games and moved them within a half-game of ninth-place Chicago in the East standings. Dejounte Murray added 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Atlanta.

The Bulls got 31 points from DeMar DeRozan but failed to match Atlanta's accuracy from the perimeter, as they shot just 25 per cent (7 of 28) from 3-point range compared to 47.5 per cent (19 of 40) for the Hawks.

Krejci scored 15 points in the first half as Atlanta took a 61-53 lead into the break before extending the margin in the third quarter.

A DeAndre Hunter 3-pointer followed by Clint Capela's alley-oop dunk increased the Hawks' advantage to 75-62 five minutes into the third quarter, and Atlanta built a 90-74 lead entering the fourth after Garrison Mathews knocked down a triple in the final seconds of the third.

Coby White added 22 points for Chicago, which lost for the fifth time in seven games, while Andre Drummond accumulated 13 points and 18 rebounds off the bench.

Tatum, Hauser key Celtics' win over Hornets

Jayson Tatum and Sam Hauser had 25 points each as the East-leading Boston Celtics stayed hot with a 118-104 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

Tatum added 10 rebounds and Hauser went 7 of 11 on 3-point attempts as the Celtics posted their 11th win in their last 13 games. Boston, which has already clinched the East's No. 1 play-off seed, also received 20 points from Kristaps Porzingis and 19 from Derrick White.

Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges each had 14 first-half points to keep the underdog Hornets close for much of the first two quarters. The teams were tied at  53-53 with under two minutes to go until half-time before the Celtics closed out the second quarter with six straight points to forge ahead.

Boston then got further separation by outscoring Charlotte by a 36-26 margin in the third quarter, which Hauser capped with a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 95-79. Porzingis recorded 11 of his points during the period.

Bridges ended with 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in Charlotte's eighth loss in its past nine games. Miller finished with 19 points and Grant Williams had 23 along with seven rebounds for the Hornets.

Giannis Antetokounmpo's greatness may be taken for granted by the Milwaukee Bucks, according to coach Doc Rivers, whose side overcame the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.

The Bucks snapped Atlanta's four-game winning streak with a 122-113 triumph as Antetokounmpo managed 36 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists.

Antetokounmpo also made 12 of 16 free throws, with Rivers suggesting Milwaukee may overlook how much they rely on their star man.

"As I said, we take him for granted," Rivers said. "I thought he played as clean a game as he can play."

"I was really happy with the way we played overall because they did what they do, come out and make 3s."

Patrick Beverley scored 18 points as the fill-in starting point guard, despite concerns over his availability due to a wrist injury.

"He wanted to protect me, as a coach should," Beverley said of Rivers after playing 36 minutes and having five assists with no turnovers.

Hawks coach Quin Snyder acknowledged his team struggled to stop Antetokounmpo.

That plight was not aided by the fact Atlanta were missing Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson.

"It really does require multiple players to limit his ability to get to the rim," Snyder said.

Dejounte Murray said the late Kobe Bryant would have been proud of his efforts after scoring a career-high 44 points to lead the Atalanta Hawks to another dramatic win over the Boston Celtics.

The Hawks recovered from 30 points down to clinch a memorable 120-118 win over the league-leading Celtics on Monday, and they made it a double with Thursday's last-gasp overtime success.

Murray sank 44 points, including the go-ahead jumper in the final second of overtime, to guide Atlanta to a 123-122 win – their fourth victory in as many games.

Murray's 44 points came off 44 shots, which led him to recall how Los Angeles Lakers legend Bryant scored 41 points with 47 attempts against the Celtics back in 2002.

The 27-year-old was not too concerned by his wastefulness after stepping up in the big moments, though.

"I still feel like I played awful," Murray told reporters after the game. "I don't want to take that many shots. But I know Kobe would be proud of me!

"I'm just built for those moments. I'm a confident guy."

Occupying the final Play-In spot in the Eastern Conference with a 34-39 record, the Hawks are now within one game of the ninth seed, the Chicago Bulls.

Murray knows the scale of the statement they have made by beating the Celtics twice in four days, adding: "That's the best team in the league, and we competed.

"We're not tanking, we're not trying to lose. We're trying to win games and see how high we can get."

While the Celtics will surely be sick of the sight of Atlanta, they could yet be reunited with them in the first round of the playoffs, should the Hawks make the Play-In Tournament and progress. 

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla knows his team won't be able to switch off if they face the Hawks again, saying: "That's a really good team."