BASKETTBALL

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NBA superstar LeBron James celebrates his 40th birthday on Monday, the milestone carrying him to yet another first in a league in which he has starred for more than two decades - with the clock still running. The Los Angeles Lakers great will become the first NBA player ever to play in his teens, 20s, 30s and 40s.

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Philadelphia's Joel Embiid (30) was ejected after confronting a female referee in the 76ers' 111-106 victory over San Antonio in a wild Monday of NBA action. An expected big-man showdown between Cameroonian Embiid and France's Victor Wembanyama ended late in the first half, leaving Tyrese Maxey to produce 32 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in sparking the win. "It's big time," Maxey said of getting the win for Embiid. "We're learning to play without him... We've got to change the game, come a little faster, play a little harder and gain rebounds."

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Mikal Bridges and the New York Knicks edged Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs 117-114 in a thriller at Madison Square Garden. French star Wembanyama put up 42 points with 18 rebounds and four blocks for the Spurs but Bridges took the glory with a brilliant 15-point fourth-quarter display that left him with a season-high 41 points and the win.

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The NBA Cup came to an end in midweek with a heavyweight final, Milwaukee Bucks vs Oklahoma City Thunder, but in the end it was a game of defences with no team exceeding 100 points - something that has 'only' happened 12 times since the start of the regular season. But OKC, with their dreadful 5/32 record from three-pointers, were never going to be able to fight off a team that had been hungry for a trophy since they were crowned champions in 2021.

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LeBron James (39) and Steph Curry (36) served up a Christmas Day feast as their rivalry delivered another classic with the Los Angeles Lakers edging the Golden State Warriors 115-113 on Wednesday.

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Injuries will sideline Atlanta Hawks guard Kobe Bufkin for the remainder of the NBA season and centre Onyeka Okongwu for at least a week, the team announced on Wednesday. Bufkin will undergo right shoulder surgery on January 7 while Okongwu will sit out with an inflamed left knee for a week before being reevaluated, missing four games.

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Denver's NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic shook off a slow start to post a 27-point triple-double Sunday as the Nuggets rallied to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 132-129 in overtime.