Russell Westbrook is "so grateful" to be on the Los Angeles Clippers team after he tallied up 25,000 NBA points.

Westbrook became the fourth active player in the NBA, and the 25th player overall, to hit the 25,000 milestone when he nailed a running layup with 2:44 left during Friday's 136-125 win over the Detroit Pistons.

LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Clippers teammate Harden are the other active players to have passed the landmark.

Westbrook, meanwhile, is just the second player in NBA history with 25,000 points, 8,000 rebounds and 8,000 assists, after James.

"I'm so grateful to be on this team," said Westbrook, who finished with 23 points. "I don't take any of this for granted."

"Thanks to God man, for allowing me to play the game I love, and be grateful for that. It's a blessing.

"Grateful to be able to play the game of basketball and use my platform to be able to share, impact and inspire people."

Westbrook's basket sparked jubilant celebrations on the Clippers' bench.

"It's a fun group," he added. "We've got good guys, we all hang out, all have fun.

"To see the love and support here from the coaches and my teammates, I'm super grateful for that."

Jaden led the Pistons with 28 points, and he had nothing but praise for Westbrook.

"I actually got to work out with Russ before the start of my rookie year," Ivey said.

"He gave me a lot of advice. He's just a great, humble dude. He took me under his wing a little bit."

The Clippers trailed by 14 points in the first quarter, but clicked through the gears as the game wore on, with Kawhi Leonard (33 points) leading the way.

They’re a tough young team, especially at home," said Westbrook. "We had to figure out how to play the right way, using our effort and energy to close out the game."

Pistons coach Monty Williams was frustrated with his team's sloppiness, however.

"You can't have turnovers and some of the undisciplined errors we had against a team like that," said Williams.

"It's something that has hurt us all season long. When we take care of [the ball], we have a better chance of success."

The Clippers are third in the Western Conference with a 32-15 record, while the Pistons remain rooted to the bottom of the East with the league's worst record (6-42).

A day after Jurgen Klopp's shock announcement of his impending departure from Liverpool, it was revealed another European heavyweight would need a new coach for next season.

Following a humbling 3-5 defeat to LaLiga strugglers Villarreal on Saturday, Xavi confirmed he would be quitting his post at Barcelona at the end of the campaign.

Xavi's decision came just four months after he agreed to extend his contract with the Blaugrana until 2025.

While Xavi has pointed to media criticism and Barca's financial struggles as the reasons for walking away, his team - the reigning LaLiga champions - have slipped off dramatically this season.

In recent weeks, Barca have been hammered by Real Madrid in the final of the Supercopa de Espana, and lost to Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey, while their hopes of retaining the league title are growing increasingly slim.

But where has it all gone wrong? 

2022-23: Two trophies but European failure

After a second-placed finish in 2021-22, Barca recruited heavily for Xavi's first full season in charge, despite their financial difficulties, as they looked to usher in success in the post-Lionel Messi era.

Robert Lewandowski arrived from Bayern Munich, with Barca spending €45million on a soon-to-be 34-year-old to rejuvenate their attack. Raphinha and Joules Kounde also signed in big-money moves, with Andreas Christensen, Hector Bellerin, Marcos Alonso and Franck Kessie joining on free transfers.

Ultimately, their business paid off. Barca won LaLiga at a canter, finishing 10 points clear of Madrid, while also defeating Los Blancos in the Supercopa de Espana final.

Xavi's success was built on a rock-solid defence: Barca conceded only 20 goals in LaLiga, 13 fewer than any other side, at an average of 0.5 per game. Their expected goals against (xGA) of 33.9 was also the second-lowest in the division, with only Real Sociedad (33.3) managing a lower total. However, that overperformance of 13.9 also suggested that defensive solidity may not have been sustainable.

That being said, Barca only faced 331 shots across 38 league matches – 8.7 per game on average – again, the lowest tally in LaLiga. They faced 56 shots fewer than any other side (Celta Vigo – 387), while they allowed 91 less than Real Madrid (422). The Blaugrana also faced fewer shots on target (109) than any other team in Spain's top tier.

Going the other way, only Madrid (75), scored more goals in LaLiga last season than Barca (70), though Xavi’s team did underperform their xG (77) despite having Lewandowski in fine form. The Poland international netted 23 goals from a non-penalty xG of 23.8, with an impressive shot conversion rate of 17 per cent. 

Yet in Europe, Barca could not get going. They lost three of their six group-stage matches, only managing to win against Viktoria Plzen (home and away), as their inadequacies were shown up by Bayern Munich and Inter. The Blaugrana could not even secure a Europa League place as consolidation, as they lost 4-3 to Manchester United over a two-legged play-off.

2023-24: Misfiring in attack and underperforming at the back

So, where has it gone wrong this season? Well, rather than conceding fewer goals than they should have done, Barca are now conceding more than they ought to have done based on the quality of shots they have faced and opportunities they have given up.

Barca have shipped 29 goals from their 21 LaLiga matches – only seven sides in the competition have conceded more goals so far this term. They are averaging 1.3 goals against per match.

Yet their 23.6 xGA is the third-lowest in LaLiga – essentially, Barca have conceded five goals more than would have been anticipated based on the quality of opportunities their opponents have created.

Barca have only faced 225 shots, which is a total bettered by only Madrid (217) and Valencia (212). However, their average of 10.7 shots conceded per game is already two higher than it was over the entirety of last season.

At the other end, Xavi's side have mustered the highest xG in the top flight (49), yet they have only managed 43 goals. That is still the third-highest total in LaLiga, but it is a clear and sizeable underperformance.

Even the ever-reliable Lewandowski has suffered. Now 35, he has scored six non-penalty goals from a non-penalty xG of 10.3, while his shot conversion rate has dropped to 13.3 per cent.

All in all, it could be far worse, and Barca have also been hit by injuries to the likes of Pedri and Gavi.

Bad fortune and poor finishing are part of the problem, but ultimately, it is a coach's job to fix it. Xavi looks to be running out of ideas, so calling it quits was perhaps inevitable.

Jurgen Klopp will leave Liverpool at the end of the 2023-24 season.

In an emotional announcement, released via Liverpool's media channels on Friday, Klopp confirmed this campaign would be his last at the helm at Anfield.

Klopp, who is under contract at Liverpool until 2026, claimed he is running out of energy, and after nearly nine years in charge, he will be leaving the club as a legend.

While Liverpool will hope to round off the German's time in charge with a second Premier League title, and possibly further trophies – they are already in the EFL Cup final – the Reds will also have to face the daunting prospect of what comes next.

Regardless, Klopp is set to leave as one of the club's most successful managers. 

With the help of Opta data, we break down Klopp's time in charge.

An Anfield giant

Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Kenny Dalglish. Klopp will take pride and place among the list of great managers to have taken charge of one of England's most successful clubs.

Since replacing Brendan Rodgers in October 2015, Klopp has taken charge of 466 matches, winning 283 of those. His win percentage of 60.7 makes him the best Liverpool manager in that metric, at least as far back as Opta's records go.

Klopp has lost just 78 games, while drawing 105. His team have scored 972 goals, an average of 2.1 per match.

Not that it has always been easy. In his first season – 2015-16 – his win rate was 44.2 per cent. However, it has never dropped below 50 per cent in a single campaign since then, with the low mark coming last term (50 per cent).

Klopp is the only Liverpool manager to win each of the top-flight, European Cup/Champions League, FA Cup, and League Cup with the club, while he has five major honours as it stands, which ranks him behind only Dalglish, Paisley (both six) and the great Shankly (13).

His Liverpool side peaked between 2018 and 2020. After reaching the Champions League final in 2017-18, the Reds won their sixth European Cup the following season, before then breaking their Premier League duck in 2019-20, albeit they wrapped up that title behind closed doors. They had also won the Super Cup and Club World Cup earlier that term.

The FA Cup and EFL Cup were both won in 2022 en route to what could have been a historic quadruple.

Liverpool still have four trophies left to play for this season. They sit top of the Premier League as it stands; they will face Chelsea in the EFL Cup final; they are into the knockout stage of the Europa League and they have a home tie against Norwich City in the fourth round of the FA Cup coming up on Sunday.

Klopp's best season based purely on win percentage came in 2021-22, when Liverpool won a remarkable 73 per cent of their games in all competitions, only to fall short of pipping Manchester City to the title on the last day of the Premier League season, before losing to Real Madrid in the Champions League final.

A European master

Klopp started as he meant to go on when it came to European football with Liverpool, leading the Reds to the Europa League final in his first season in charge.

Though they lost to Sevilla on that occasion back in 2016, Liverpool have gone from strength to strength in continental competitions. They were undone by Gareth Bale's magic and Loris Karius' error in Kyiv in 2018, but left all in Europe in their wake when they overcame Tottenham in Madrid a year later, having signed Alisson to ensure they had a top-class goalkeeper between the posts.

Liverpool were back in the showpiece match three years later. Again, it was Madrid they faced, and again Los Blancos came out on top – Vinicius Junior's goal and Thibaut Courtois' heroics enough to deny Klopp his second Champions League crown.

Klopp will not manage Liverpool again in the Champions League, meaning his 61.5 win percentage (40/65) in the competition will be maintained. His Liverpool team have scored an incredible 144 Champions League goals - an average of 2.2 per game.

Unbeaten runs, Guardiola rivalry and dominating the derby

The rivalry between Klopp's Liverpool and Pep Guardiola's Man City has been the lifeblood of the Premier League over recent seasons. 

While Liverpool are not exactly cash-strapped, they do not have the state-backed wealth that City enjoy, yet Klopp has managed to keep the Reds highly competitive – on two occasions, they have finished just one point below City with points tallies that in almost any other circumstance would have surely seen them win the title.

Since Klopp's first Premier League game, Liverpool have taken 671 points, a tally that trails only City (716), while the Reds have a positive goal difference of 367 (675 goals for, 308 goals against).

As it stands, Klopp is the Premier League's third-most successful manager based on points per game, with his 2.12 ranking behind only Alex Ferguson (2.16) and Guardiola (2.34).

His next victory in the top flight will bring up his 200th as Liverpool manager, from what will be his 318th such match in charge.

Only Guardiola (18 with City between August and December 2017) has been on a winning run as long as Klopp has in the Premier League, with Liverpool having rallied off 18 straight wins between October 2019 and February 2020. The Reds had previously gone on a 17-game winning streak between March 2019 and October 2019, a run that was ended by a 1-1 draw with Manchester United. 

Liverpool went on a 44-game unbeaten streak, meanwhile, between January 2019 and February 2020. Arsene Wenger (49 games between May 2003 and October 2004) is the only Premier League manager to have gone more successive matches without defeat.

Klopp has gone up against Guardiola on 24 occasions, making City the team Liverpool have faced the most in his time at the club. He has claimed 10 wins (41.7 per cent), lost six times and drawn eight games.

Of the four other 'big six' clubs, Chelsea rank as Klopp's least favourite, with just a 27.3 per cent win record from 22 matches (six victories). Klopp has faced Manchester United, meanwhile, on 18 occasions, winning seven times (36.8 per cent).

Meanwhile, Klopp has dominant form in the Merseyside derby. From 18 such meetings, Liverpool have lost just once to Everton, with that defeat coming at Anfield, behind closed doors, in 2021. The Reds have beaten the Toffees 11 times under Klopp (61.1 per cent).

Of the current Premier League sides, Klopp has claimed 12 victories over Bournemouth from 15 meetings, with that win percentage (80) his best against any side he has faced over six times.

Superstar Salah, fearsome front threes and flying full-backs

The story goes that Klopp was not initially in favour of signing Mohamed Salah from Roma back in 2017, but his arm was twisted by Liverpool's then-recruitment guru, Michael Edwards. If that is indeed true, then Klopp will no doubt be thrilled he was swayed to bring in the Egyptian.

Salah has scored 204 goals in 332 appearances for Liverpool, 84 goals more than any other player under Klopp (Sadio Mane – 120 goals from 269 appearances).

Only Roberto Firmino (355) has played more times for the Reds in Klopp's tenure than Salah, whose 306 starts puts him out in front. The 31-year-old has totalled up 27,037 minutes, over 2,000 more than next-best Firmino (24,903).

Salah also tops the charts for goal contributions (286), having added 82 assists on top of his strike tally.

Firmino and Mane, Salah's partners in crime in what was arguably the most feared forward line in world football, chipped in with 182 and 157 goal contributions respectively.

Meanwhile, Klopp has given more debuts to teenagers than any manager in Liverpool's history (42). One of those teenagers was Trent Alexander-Arnold, who along with Andrew Robertson, became pivotal to Klopp's heavy metal football.

The flying full-backs have been assist machines: Alexander-Arnold has created 78 goals in 298 appearances, while Robertson has crafted 63 from 275 games.

Just Firmino and Salah have played more minutes under Klopp than Alexander-Arnold (24,323) and Robertson (23,498). 

What's next?

Whoever replaces Klopp has big shoes to fill, and this might well end up being Salah's last season at Anfield too, as Saudi Pro League clubs circle.

Xabi Alonso and Julian Nagelsmann have been some early names touted around, but until the end of May, it will be all about the Kop bidding goodbye to Klopp.

He deserves a hero's farewell.

Victor Wembanyama was delighted to make a "statement" with his first NBA triple-double on Wednesday, having helped the San Antonio Spurs past the Detroit Pistons with a dominant display.

Last year's number one draft pick finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists at Little Caesars Arena as the Spurs ended a five-game losing streak with a 130-108 win over their struggling opponents.

In doing so, Wembanyama – at the age of 20 years and six days – became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double with no turnovers since turnovers were first tracked in 1977-78, surpassing Andre Iguodala, who did so aged 21 years and 54 days in 2005.

Wembanyama's achievement was made all the more impressive by the fact he played just 21 minutes and two seconds overall, the second-fewest minutes needed for a triple-double in the shot-clock era (since 1954-55).

The Frenchman was under a minute away from the outright record, with Russell Westbrook having recorded a triple-double in 20 minutes and 17 seconds for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2014, against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Speaking after the win, Wembanyama said of his landmark performance: "Doing it in a win is everything, of course. I didn't know it was the second-fastest in NBA history. 

"It matters to me. I'm not the type to talk for nothing. This is the kind of statement we want to make as a team, and this is the type of statement I want to make as a player."

The Pistons were one of the teams who had hoped to recruit Wembanyama, with Detroit having failed to secure the first overall draft pick despite finishing with the league's worst record last year.

Asked about Detroit's previous interest in him, Wembanyama said: "It's weird to imagine a different future and what could have been."

Detroit also have the worst record in the NBA this season, sitting at 3-35 after losing six straight games. Their current losing run started after a win over the Toronto Raptors in late December, which itself halted a joint-record 28-game losing streak.

Pistons coach Monty Williams was unimpressed after a poor first quarter set the tone for another disappointing outing, saying: "The focus and discipline wasn't there.

"There's nobody to look at other than me, not having guys ready to play."

Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr both admitted the Golden State Warriors are still searching for an identity after they were beaten by a Luka Doncic-inspired Dallas Mavericks team on Saturday.

The Warriors sit a disappointing 11th in the Western Conference with a 15-17 record after losing their third straight game, with Curry's 25-point haul not enough to prevent a 132-122 defeat.

Doncic was the catalyst for Dallas upon his return to the fold after sitting out Thursday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves due to injury, finishing with 39 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

Golden State have seen their last two losses arrive at Chase Center, having also gone down to a Miami Heat team deprived of Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin two days earlier.

While injuries and suspensions – most notably for forward Draymond Green – have hampered the Warriors' attempts to find consistency this season, Curry knows they need to do so quickly.

"We've experimented a lot, some for forced reasons, sometimes just us searching for an identity," Curry said. "We haven't found it collectively. 

"It's frustrating, for sure, 32 games in. Any team that is a seriously competitive contender, a good team, can usually answer that question. We have to get to that point before it's too late."

Coach Kerr agreed with that assessment, saying: "We haven't found that grit that every good team needs, where you pull together and you just play for the group. We are not there yet, and that's a problem. 

"We have great guys, but until every team connects in a way that is solely dedicated to winning each game, then we are going to be stuck in this place."

The Warriors were the latest team to fail to contain Doncic, who has scored at least 39 points in his last four games, only failing to reach 30 once in 13 outings in December – when he managed 28 against the Los Angeles Clippers.

He is just the second player in NBA history to average at least 35 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists per game across a calendar month (minimum 10 games played), after Oscar Robertson did so for the Cincinnati Royals in December 1960.

While Kerr was disappointed with the Warriors' defensive efforts, he acknowledged they had simply failed to live with one of the foremost contenders for MVP honours.

"We tried to mix it up on him," Kerr said. "We single-covered him, we switched, we hit him. We tried a lot of different things, but he is a brilliant player and he had a phenomenal game. 

"We weren't communicating. We had some good stretches when we were getting stops, and then our communication broke down."

Detroit Pistons coach Monty Williams was "almost in tears" after Saturday's 129-127 win over the Toronto Raptors, which saw his team avoid setting a new record for most consecutive NBA losses.

Detroit matched the longest losing run in NBA history on Thursday, when they blew a 21-point lead against the Boston Celtics to equal the Philadelphia 76ers' record of 28 straight losses covering the end of 2014-15 and the start of 2015-16.

The Pistons – who were on the worst single-season losing streak in league history – could have taken that unwanted record outright when they welcomed Toronto to Little Caesars Arena, but Cade Cunningham starred as they avoided doing so.

The third-year guard had 30 points and 12 assists as the Pistons clinched victory over their short-handed opponents by going 11 for 12 from the free throw line in the final minute.

Asked about the mood in the Detroit camp after the team's first win since October 28, Williams said: "I've been a ton of locker rooms my whole life, and that's a first for me, to have that. 

"It wasn't relief, it was like: 'Thank God'. Guys were screaming. I was almost in tears. I'm just so happy for our guys. I'm happy for everybody.

"Sometimes it just takes a win like that to get things started. I just have so much respect for our team."

Cunningham, who hit back-to-back three-pointers in a crucial fourth-quarter stretch to pull Detroit clear, added: "I feel amazing.

"We just kept battling. It's been a long stretch, all these losses, but I'm just happy to be part of a group of guys who don't quit."

Pascal Siakam scored 35 points and Dennis Schroder added 28 for the 12-20 Raptors, who traded O.G. Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn to the New York Knicks earlier on Saturday and were unable to field new arrivals RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.

They sit 12th in the Eastern Conference after losing five of their last six games, while the last-place Pistons are at 3-29 ahead of a four-game road stretch starting against the Houston Rockets on Monday.

Nikola Jokic registered another triple-double as the Denver Nuggets earned their sixth successive win on Thursday, while Tyrese Haliburton joined him in enjoying a big statistical night for the Indiana Pacers.

Jokic had 26 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in less than three quarters as the Nuggets recorded a 142-105 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, who were without the injured Ja Morant.

It was Jokic's 11th triple-double of the season, and he also shot 11-of-11 from the field and made all three of his free throws before exiting the game near the end of the third period.

Jokic now sits fourth in the NBA's all-time charts for triple-doubles with 116, behind Russell Westbrook (198), Oscar Robertson (181) and Magic Johnson (138).

Denver coach Michael Malone, however, says the Serbian is uninterested in individual accolades and was more concerned with ensuring the Nuggets continued their push at the top of the Western Conference.

"I don't know how many MVPs you could say this about, but Nikola doesn't care about how many shots he's getting," Malone told The Denver Post.

"He was 11-for-11 tonight. He doesn't care about that.  If Jamal [Murray] has got it going, he's clapping for Jamal. 

"He takes more joy in his team-mates' success than his own and that's the true definition of being selfless. He lives it every day."

Jokic himself said: "It's a miss and make game. Of course, sometimes you miss, sometimes you make. Today I made all my shots. There's not going to be a lot of those nights."

He was not the only player to enjoy a memorable outing on Thursday, with Pacers guard Haliburton scoring 21 points and adding a career-high 20 assists in a 120-104 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Having led by as many as 25 points, the Pacers found themselves 93-90 down in the fourth quarter before Haliburton took over, hitting back-to-back three-pointers to put his team ahead.

The 23-year-old then scored or assisted on Indiana's next 16 points as they improved to 16-14 with their second straight win.

Haliburton also avoided committing a single turnover, making him just the second player to record 20 points and 20 assists without a miscue in league history, after Chris Paul in 2016. 

However, he insisted his eye-catching figures were only made possible by his team-mates, saying: "I've done a terrible job taking care of the ball lately, so it was good to see zero turnovers again.

"You don't get 20 assists without guys making shots."

Center Myles Turner heaped praise upon Haliburton's performance, saying: "That's what he's been doing pretty much since he's been here.

"It's been phenomenal to watch, phenomenal to be a part of."

The Detroit Pistons have lost 27 consecutive games and there are few positives to take from the situation, says Cade Cunningham.

Detroit went down 118-112 to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, etching their name into the NBA records books in the process.

The Pistons have now lost more games successively in a single season than any other team in the history of the competition. The Philadelphia 76ers hold the overall record, with 28 straight defeats, though that skid was spread over the 2014-15 and 2015-16 campaigns.

And Cunningham, who had 41 points, says there is nothing positive to glean from the scenario.

"I don't think what I said was positivity, I think it's just being real," Cunningham told reporters after attempting to rally the Pistons troops in the locker room.

"There's nothing positive about this situation right now that we put ourselves in, so that's why we have to dig deep and get ourselves out of it.

"You can't get away from it. It weighs on us every day, I mean everywhere. It weighs on us."

Coach Monty Williams said he shoulders the blame.

"Again, when you look at records, you think of coaches, but I'm sure the players don't want that attached to the name on the jersey," he said.

"Was it heavy? It's been heavy for a while. That's just the nature of this kind of losing streak and it's not gonna change because we're grading the level of it, we've got to do what we've got to do to change it.

"Nobody wants this kind of thing attached to them. I was brought in here to change this thing and it's probably the most on me than anybody. The players are playing their hearts out, I’ve got to put them in a position where they don’t feel tight or heavy but it’s where we are – that’s the reality of the situation.

"I don't think anyone in our locker room has been through this. I don't have a reference point. I've been through tough playoff losses, and this is relative to that. When you lose a playoff game, this kind of feels like that.

"Basketball is a body of work you take a lot of pride in, and you take pride because you want to win. We just haven't done that."

Detroit's fans made their feelings known during the game, chanting "Sell the team!"

It was a chant that did not sit well with the Pistons' Jaden Ivey, who said: "We have the right people in this locker room and most importantly, I just heard the fans talking about sell the team and just in my mind it's like what we talked about, who is with us? Whose really with us?"

"The crowd was amazing, I thought, but there's some that [I'm wondering] who is really with us?

"Chanting 'sell the team,' I thought it was a bit much because we're growing and obviously the record and a lot of people expected us to be better in this upcoming point of the season, but we're gonna continue to row the boat and we're gonna forget what everybody else says, stay together and play for each other."

Next up for the Pistons is a clash with the league-leading Boston Celtics on Thursday.

Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said the team can never take Luka Doncic for granted after he brought up 10,000 career points in their Christmas-Day win over the Phoenix Suns.

Doncic reached the milestone in style, scoring 50 points in a 128-114 road win as he became just the fourth player in league history to post a half-century of points on Christmas Day, after Bernard King, Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry.

Having entered the game 11 points short of bringing up five figures, he has reached 10,000 points in just 358 games. Only Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson and George Gervin have done so in fewer outings.

Doncic's big moment came early on when he hit a 34-foot three-pointer in the first quarter, and Kidd heaped praise upon his talisman after his dominant outing.  

"As I've always said, we can't take him for granted when he's feeling it," Kidd said. "You're just trying to get him the ball as much as possible. 

"You're also trying to figure out how to get him some rest because we weren't going to take him out there in the second half, so we needed to ask him or someone to be able to run the offense.

"I thought he did a great job of letting other guys bring the ball up, but when he's going like that, you've got to get him the ball, and you trust your quarterback's going to do the right thing."

Asked how it felt to reach the landmark, Doncic said: "Always, when this kind of award comes with a win, it's even more fun.

"It was a tough road game, and we won. So, outside of the 10K and 50 points, we won the game. So, I'm really happy.

"I love playing in these environments, especially away. It's fun for me. When you make a shot, the whole gym is quiet, so that's the best feeling in the world."

Doncic's mammoth performance proved Grayson Allen's 32-point haul for the Suns redundant, with Kevin Durant also tacking on 16 for the hosts.

Phoenix are now 14-15 and sit 11th in the Western Conference, having lost five of their last six games including each of their last three in a row.

Star guard Devin Booker said of the Suns' slump: "We just have to get it together. 

"That's on me, that's on coach, that's on KD, all the leaders that we have in here to make sure that we're prepared."

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham said the team cannot keep doing the same things and expect different results after they tied the record for worst single-season losing streak in NBA history.

The Pistons suffered their 26th straight defeat on Saturday, losing 126-115 to the Brooklyn Nets in the first game of a home-and-away double-header either side of Christmas.

That saw them join the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers in losing 26 successive games within a single campaign. 

They are just two defeats away from matching the worst overall losing streak in NBA history, with the Sixers having lost 28 in a row across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.

The Pistons were in the game until the second half, when a 15-0 run from the Nets ended it as a contest. Cunningham, who finished with 22 points, said a new plan may be needed for Detroit to halt their historic slide. 

"Everybody wants to win, everybody hates losing, so it's hard," Cunningham said. "We've got to be realistic as well. 

"We can't just keep saying the same things over and over, like we'll get the next one. There has to be like a plan of action, so we're just trying to figure that out."

The defeat dropped Detroit to 2-27 with three games remaining in 2023. They will round off a miserable year against the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors after Tuesday's rematch against Brooklyn.

Head coach Monty Williams, meanwhile, is trying to remain upbeat, praising his players' resilience and outlining his confidence that an elusive win is not far away.

"Losing is awful in this league and we've had a lot of it," Williams told reporters. "I'm proud of the way they just keep battling every night.

"You have to allow people to be human but the way they come back the next day is something I am blown away at.

"I've been around a lot of teams and not many teams have that type of resiliency. 

"Our guys don't want to be a part of any kind of losing streak whatsoever, but every day they come back with focus and drive and grit trying to win a game."

The Nets improved to 14-15 with Saturday's win, with Mikal Bridges finishing with 29 points as one of seven players in double figures as they snapped their own five-game losing streak.

The Detroit Pistons lost their 26th straight game Saturday, falling 126-115 to the Brooklyn Nets to match the NBA record for longest losing streak in a season.

The Pistons joined the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers to drop to 2-27 in their first season under Monty Williams.

These teams meet again Tuesday in Detroit, with the Pistons nearing the longest overall slide in league history. The 76ers dropped 28 in a row from late in the 2014-15 season through early 2015-16.

Mikal Bridges had 29 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Nets, who had seven players in double figures to snap their five-game skid.

Jaden Ivey scored 23 points and Cade Cunningham had 22 as Detroit remained winless since October 28.

Brooklyn put the game away with a 15-0 run in the third and fourth quarters to open a 21-point lead.

Streaking Bucks handle Knicks

Giannis Antetokoumpo tallied 28 points, seven assists and seven rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to their seventh straight win, 130-111 over the New York Knicks in the opener of a two-game series.

Bobby Portis had 23 points and 11 rebounds, Khris Middleton added 20 points and Damain Lillard contributed 19 points, nine boards and seven assists to help the Bucks win their ninth game in a row against the Knicks.

The teams will meet again on Monday in front of a national TV audience.

Jalen Brunson poured in 36 points for New York after he had 45 points in a loss to Milwaukee on November 3.

The Bucks essentially put the game out of reach with an 11-0 run early in the fourth quarter, turning an 11-point lead into a 114-92 cushion on Portis’ 3-pointer with 6:29 remaining.

Doncic stars in Mavericks’ win as Wembanyama sits

Luka Doncic had 39 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to power the Dallas Mavericks to a 144-119 rout of the San Antonio Spurs, who were without rookie Victor Wembanyama.

Doncic recorded his seventh triple-double of the season and 63rd of his career in just three quarters. It was his 36th triple-double with at least 30 points, one shy of LeBron James for third on the career list.

Wembanyama did not play after the rookie stepped on a ball boy’s foot after taking a few steps following a shot before the game.

The Spurs lost their fourth straight and have dropped 22 of their last 23 games.

The Philadelphia 76ers will monitor Joel Embiid after the reigning NBA MVP suffered an ankle injury in Friday's 121-111 win over the Toronto Raptors, says head coach Nick Nurse.

Embiid finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds as the Sixers improved to 20-8 with their eighth win in the space of nine games, his 13th straight outing with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.

That is the longest such run in the league since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar achieved the feat in 16 successive games for the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971-72, with Elgin Baylor (15 in 1961-62) and Wilt Chamberlain (13 on six occasions) the only other players to do so in at least 13 straight.

All of Embiid's points were scored after he landed awkwardly on his left ankle while trying to block a shot with 5:25 remaining in the first quarter. 

With a four-game road stretch awaiting Philadelphia next week, starting against the Miami Heat on Christmas Day, Nurse says the team will keep a close eye on Embiid's condition. 

"Obviously, he stayed in the game and it didn't change his rotation at all," Nurse said of the injury. "But he played through it and I'm pretty sure he'll be sore tomorrow. 

"We'll have to monitor it over the next couple of days before we get on the plane to Miami."

Asked about the extent of the injury immediately after the win, Embiid said: "I don't know. I'll get it checked out. We'll see."

Embiid has now reached the 30-point mark in each of his last 14 games, the most in a row in the NBA since James Harden did so in 32 successive contests in 2018-19.

The six-time All-Star said staying calm and not forcing things after a slow start was the key to his performance, adding: "I saw that I wasn't being aggressive.

"I didn't force anything. I think I took two shots in the first six or seven minutes, but I just let the game come to me.

"It came to me and then in the third quarter, I just found opportunities and made a few shots."

Damian Lillard recognised the importance of his accomplishment after reaching 20,000 NBA points in the Milwaukee Bucks' 132-119 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Seven-time All-Star Lillard is the eighth active player to reach the milestone, having followed LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan and Chris Paul in achieving the feat.

There have been 51 players in NBA history who have reached 20,000, with Lillard doing so in his 794th game, making him the 17th fastest to do it, on a night in which he scored a season-high 40 points.

Lillard increased his career point total to 20,034 on Tuesday, while there was also a triple-double for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Antetokounmpo had a career-high 16 assists, 14 rebounds and a season-low 11 points for his second triple-double this season, giving the Bucks a fifth straight win and a 14th consecutive triumph at Fiserv Forum.

"I don't want to fake downplay it like it's nothing," Lillard said after the game about hitting 20,000. 

"I know it's a big deal. It's a great accomplishment. It's a rare space to be in.

"I look at what led up to it. All of the things that I think of in high school, in college and the doubt that I faced over the course of my career, before the NBA – what I wasn't supposed to be, what I wasn't supposed to accomplish, and just my mentality through all those things. 

"Sometimes you don't really see the light at the end of the tunnel. You've just got to have that faith in yourself."

Lillard drained seven 3-pointers in a fantastic performance that saw the Bucks improve to 20-7 for the season, second only to the Boston Celtics (20-6) in the Eastern Conference.

"When you look at Dame, obviously he can shoot the ball," added Bucks coach Adrian Griffin.

"He can stretch the floor. He just puts a lot of pressure on your defense. 

"If you bring your bigs up, he can drive around them. He's strong enough and physical enough to finish at the rim. He just has no weaknesses on the offensive end."

The Spurs played without star rookie Victor Wembanyama (ankle) and lost for the 20th time in 21 games.

"I don't think we are expecting it to be long-term or anything," coach Gregg Popovich said about the injury.

Milwaukee is 5-0 on its season-long, six-game homestand that concludes Thursday against Orlando. San Antonio returns to action in Chicago on the same day.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has more records in his sights after he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's rebounds haul.

Antetokounmpo overtook Abdul-Jabbar's rebound record for the Milwaukee Bucks as he grabbed the 7,162nd rebound of his career during Sunday's 128-119 win over the Houston Rockets.

The two-time MVP finished with a double-double of 26 points and 17 rebounds as the Bucks made it four straight wins since their loss to the Indiana Pacers in the NBA's in-season tournament.

With another franchise record in the bag, Antetokounmpo has no plans to slow down in chasing more achievements.

"It's a big honour," said Antetokounmpo, who also holds franchise records for blocks, triple-doubles, games, minutes, free throws made and field goals.

"I don't think anybody assumed the skinny kid from Greece that was drafted and supposed to play in the G-League was going to be in a position to break a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar record.

"I want to keep on playing the game at a high level. I want to keep on taking care of my body and I know if I do that, sometimes you break records.

"But at the end of the day, I'm beyond blessed to be the all-time leader in rebounds, but I got to keep going and keep moving forward."

One team record that has evaded Antetokounmpo so far is for successful 3-pointers. That is held by his teammate Khris Middleton, who has 1,253 to his name.

Middleton has no plans to let that record go, either.

"Hell nah. Hell nah," he chuckled. "Now he's got everything, except for the three-ball."

The Bucks are second in the Eastern Conference, behind the Boston Celtics, whose superb home record continued with a 114-97 win over the Orlando Magic.

Boston are now 14-0 at home. It is their second-best start at home in a season, behind the 1957-58 campaign, in which a Bill Russell-led team opened with 17 straight victories. 

"For a visiting team to come into this building and beat us, it's got to be a special night for them and we totally believe that," said Kristaps Porzingis, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Jaylen Bronw had 31 points, with Jayson Tatum collecting 23.

"I think we're starting to play what I would call Celtic basketball," said coach Joe Mazzulla.

"From a mentality standpoint, from a toughness standpoint, from defensive standpoint and identity."

Steve Kerr was happy that other players stepped up as Stephen Curry's NBA record for successive games with a made 3-pointer ended on Sunday.

The Warriors beat the Portland Trail Blazers 118-114, but Curry was unable to make any shots from distance.

It ended his record run of 268 games with a successful 3-pointer, as the 35-year-old went 0-for-8 from range. It was the first time he failed to make a 3-pointer in a regulation game since November 8, 2018.

Curry had shot 6-of-8 from 3-point range in a win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, and is the all-time leader in that regard, with 3,505 3-pointers across his career.

But coach Kerr knows the Warriors must not be so reliant on the two-time league MVP.

"We can't rely on Steph to bail us out on every single night," Kerr said.

"It was a tough night for him. But that's what a team is supposed to be about, everybody filling in for each other, different guys stepping up each night. 

"That's a great sign, because he's carried us for long enough this year. We need to give him more help."

Curry had just seven points from 31 minutes on the court, but Klay Thompson delivered for the Warriors with 28 points, while Andrew Wiggins contributed 25 from the bench.

Jerami Grant led the game for Portland, with 30 points, while also chipping in with seven rebounds and six assists.

"I feel great, trying to be efficient every night, that’s the goal," Thompson said in an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area.

"Not scoring 50, but just making the most [of chances], taking the shots, and I think I just did well from the last game. Just a great all-round effort."