Basketball

Houston Rockets Last season: 22-60. Coach: Ime Udoka (first season with Rockets, 2nd season overall, 51-31).

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER Last season: 40-42, reached play-in tournament. Coach: Mark Daigneault (4th season, 86-150). What to expect: With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way, the young Thunder should reach the playoffs.

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 21 points and the Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Lakers 123-100 on Thursday night in a game that put Durant and LeBron James on the court for the first time in almost five years.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans have exercised a fourth-year option on wing player Trey Murphy and a third-year option on guard Dyson Daniels, securing both former first-round draft choices through the 2024-25 season.

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden skipped practice Thursday for the second straight day, with the team officially saying the disgruntled player is away because of a personal matter.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Former NBA head coach Terry Stotts’ return to the league as a Milwaukee Bucks assistant has reached a sudden conclusion a week before the start of the season.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James is already the defining figure of this basketball era with his strength, skills, smarts and relentless will to win.

TORONTO — In his first ever NBA pre-season, forward Gradey Dick promised himself to put in long hours at the Toronto Raptors' training facilities and do whatever his coaches asked of him.

LeBron James was the youngest player on the floor when he made his NBA debut 20 years ago. He’s now the oldest player in the league.

BOSTON (AP) — Early in his NBA career, Jaylen Brown was largely viewed as a player who would be a component of the Boston Celtics’ long-term success, rather than a pillar of its foundation.