Patty Mills has again exhibited his value to NBA title contenders Brooklyn, while Utah's Joe Ingles was ejected for the third time this season in their loss to Cleveland.

Coming off the bench, Mills drained six of eight attempts from long range for 21 points as the Nets powered past eastern conference leaders Chicago 138-112.

It was the Australian guard's best performance since his career-high 34-point haul on Boxing Day.

Kevin Durant scored 27 points while James Harden added 25 points and a season-high 16 assists as Brooklyn came away from Chicago with the win, with all three of their superstars in the line-up for just the second time.

In just his third game this season, Kyrie Irving managed nine points as the unvaccinated seven-time All-Star continues to play only away games since his return to the court.

Ingles was ejected for the third time this season as the Jazz went down 111-91 to Cleveland.

The Australian veteran received his second technical foul midway through the second quarter for remonstrating with match officials over a non-call in his return to the court, after missing five games due to testing positive for COVID-19.

"We got hung up in some individual confrontations with referees that I thought distracted us," Utah coach Quin Snyder said after his side's fourth successive loss.

"Regardless of whether the call is right or wrong - we can't have that in a game like this because your margin for error is so small."

Ingles, who started for the depleted Jazz, had two points in 13 minutes.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia surrendered two impressive winning streaks in a 109-98 home loss to the Charlotte Hornets, as the Ben Simmons saga rumbles on.

The Hornets hadn't beaten the Sixers since November 2, 2016, the longest active losing streak in the NBA.

But Gordon Hayward led the way, making his first nine shots and scoring 30 points as the Hornets (23-19) ended that sorry run, which stretched for 16 games against their eastern conference rivals.

Joel Embiid scored 31 points for the fifth game in a row as the Sixers' seven-game winning streak was snapped.

Superstar centre Embiid's recent stretch is one of the best in team history, joining Allen Iverson and Wilt Chamberlain as the only Sixers to score 30-plus points in eight straight games.

Philadelphia (23-17) are fifth in the eastern conference despite being without unsettled Australian Simmons, who has not played at all this season after he sought a trade.

Simmons' agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, sat courtside after reportedly meeting with key 76ers hierarchy as the NBA trade deadline looms next month.

Coach Doc Rivers said Simmons continues to visit the Sixers' training facility in New Jersey and he hopes for "an answer, sooner or later" on any potential trade for the three-time All-Star point guard.

Despite 34 points from LeBron James, the Sacramento Kings ended their longest losing streak of the season by beating the Los Angeles Lakers 125-116.

Elsewhere, the New York Knicks snapped the Dallas Mavericks' six-game winning streak 108-85, the Boston Celtics scored a 119-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers, the Miami Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks 115-91, the Houston Rockets overcame the San Antonio Spurs 128-124 and the Washington Wizards' 112-106 success against Orlando was the 10th loss in a row for the rock-bottom Magic.

with AP