No. 1 Arizona enters its game at No. 11 Kansas on Monday with the best start in program and Big 12 history, topping the Jayhawks’ performance in 1996-97.

Arizona (23-0, 10-0 Big 12) also has achieved the longest winning streak in its history. Its nine straight weeks ranked No. 1 is also a program record.

The Jayhawks (18-5, 8-2) have won seven consecutive games entering the “Big Monday” showdown at Lawrence, Kan.

“Big game; let’s go,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said after his team routed visiting Oklahoma State 84-47 on Saturday. “I’m sure the preparations have already started with the staff. Like I said, I wish we were playing it (Sunday), we’ll come in and we’ll prepare, and then we’ll jump on the plane and let’s see what we got.”

Arizona is among the nation’s leaders in average scoring margin (fifth at 21.0), rebounding (third at 43.4), field-goal percentage (51.6%), points per game (11th at 89.5) and assists per game (18.2).

“They’re men; they dominate people 12 feet and in,” Kansas coach Bill Self said of Arizona. “We’ve got to play bigger. We’ve got to play tougher. We’ve got to play stronger. We’ve got to play smarter.

“And then, they guard, so we got to give them something to defend on the other end. It’ll be a fun game. It’ll be a fun atmosphere. Only one day to prep, but hopefully we can figure something out to at least slow them down.”

Kansas is 38-0 at Allen Fieldhouse in Big Monday games under Self, but the Jayhawks have never defeated an Associated Press No. 1-ranked team in their current arena. They are 0-5 in such games.

The most recent game Kansas hosted a No. 1 team was in 2003, when Arizona was the opponent. The Jayhawks were outscored 52-22 in the second half, squandering a double-digit lead, and lost 91-74.

Kansas has also lost to top-ranked Oklahoma (1989), Kentucky (1977), Notre Dame (1974), and Cincinnati (1962) at Allen Fieldhouse.

“We played there last year,” Lloyd said, referring to Arizona’s 83-76 loss. “I came away thinking, ‘All right, it is different.’ I have a feeling those Jayhawk fans are going to be out for blood.”

Kansas will counter Arizona’s offensive efficiency with a defense that allows just 67.3 points per game and a home record of 11-1 this season.

The Jayhawks’ success hinges on their shooting accuracy (47.9%) and the emergence of freshman standout Darryn Peterson, who is averaging 20.5 points in 13 games. Peterson has been plagued by cramping.

Arizona’s young talent includes freshmen Brayden Burries (team-leading 15.3 points per game) and Koa Peat (14.6 points and 5.6 rebounds a game).

The Wildcats’ presence inside includes Tobe Awaka (9.9 rebounds a game) and Motiejus Krivas (8.3 boards).

Self will rely on Flory Bidunga (14.6 points and 8.9 rebounds a game) to offset some of Arizona’s inside strength.

“To me, there’s not a better defender, regardless of position anywhere,” Self said of Bidunga. “He’s learning how to not gamble and make somebody score over his length.”

Tre White, a guard, is second on the team in rebounds with 7.1 a game. He also averages 14.6 points.

A key matchup will be on the perimeter between Kansas’ Peterson, White and Melvin Council Jr. (13.7 points and 5.1 assists per game) and Arizona’s Burries, Jaden Bradley (13.8 points and 4.5 assists) and Ivan Kharchenkov (9.4 points and 50.9% field-goal shooting).

–Field Level Media

James Harden celebrated his Cleveland Cavaliers debut with a win at Sacramento on Saturday night, but he and his new team will have a tougher challenge when Cleveland visits the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.

Harden had 23 points and eight assists in the Cavaliers’ 132-126 win over the Kings despite not getting a chance to practice first. The veteran guard is learning on the fly, but he has no concerns about it.

“I just got to figure out where I fit in,” Harden said after beating Sacramento. “That won’t be hard at all. I told the guys just do what you all do and I’ll figure it out. I’m good enough to figure it out and insert myself in.”

Cleveland acquired Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers before the trade deadline last week to improve its chances in the Eastern Conference, where it sits fourth, two games behind New York and Boston for second place.

Harden bolsters the Cavaliers’ backcourt and his combined 25.4 points a game this season adds to the guard scoring punch. Darius Garland, who went to Los Angeles in the deal, was averaging 18 points a game but has been out since Jan. 14 with a toe injury.

Donovan Mitchell leads Cleveland with a 28.9 average and combined with Harden they average 14 assists per game. Evan Mobley is third in scoring at 17.9 points a game and leads the Cavaliers with 8.8 rebounds, but he has not played since Jan. 26 due to a calf strain.

He has been ruled out against Denver, which has suffered its share of injuries as well. The Nuggets, already without power forward Aaron Gordon to a right hamstring injury, saw his replacement, Peyton Watson, go down with the same injury.

Watson was hurt in a double-overtime loss at New York on Wednesday night and will miss a month. Denver did get a boost in Saturday night’s win at Chicago with the return of Cameron Johnson from a right knee bruise. Johnson scored 14 points in his first game since Dec. 23 and is averaging 11.8 points for the season.

The Nuggets got another scare in the 136-120 win when Jamal Murray left late in the game in apparent discomfort. Head coach David Adelman said after the game that it was a hip issue.

“He seemed confident that he was OK,” Adelman said.

Murray helped carry the team when Nikola Jokic missed 16 games with a left knee injury. Murray is averaging career-highs in points (26) and assists (7.5) and has 14 double-doubles this season after finishing with 28 points and 11 assists against the Bulls.

Jokic reached another milestone on Saturday night with the 182nd triple-double of his career. That broke a tie for second with Oscar Robertson, behind only former teammate Russell Westbrook, who has 207.

Jokic has not shown any rust after missing a month. In the five games since his return, he is averaging 24.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists; he is averaging a triple-double for the season — 28.9 points, 12.2 rebounds and 10.7 assists.

–Field Level Media

The Oklahoma City Thunder again will be without star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as they try to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season in a visit to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.

Gilgeous-Alexander has missed two games with an abdominal injury as the Thunder lost to the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets. In Saturday’s 112-106 home loss against Houston, Cason Wallace had 23 points for Oklahoma City, while Isaiah Joe had 21 off the bench.

Not only is Gilgeous-Alexander out through next weekend’s All-Star break, the Thunder have been without guards Jalen Williams (hamstring) and Ajay Mitchell (abdomen). Gilgeous-Alexander was selected as an All-Star, while Mitchell was chosen for the Rising Stars competition.

Oklahoma City did see Jared McCain make his team debut Saturday and he scored five points in 14 minutes after his trade from the Philadelphia 76ers.

Without Gilgeous-Alexander running the offense, the Thunder committed 17 turnovers, their most in a game since Nov. 17 — 18 in a 126-109 win at New Orleans. The Rockets turned the miscues into 27 points.

“Obviously, this is a different group than we’re used to playing with, but we had enough resources on both ends of the floor to win,” Oklahoma City head coach Mark Diagneault said. “… I didn’t think the loss was because of who we were missing.”

The Thunder already have a victory over the Lakers, 121-92 in Oklahoma City on Nov. 12 when Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 30 points and nine assists.

LeBron James, who had not yet made his season debut when the Lakers last played the Thunder, scored 20 points with 10 assists as Los Angeles earned a 105-99 home victory over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.

The Lakers were without star guard Luka Doncic (hamstring), while Rui Hachimura moved back into the starting lineup and had 18 points. Austin Reaves, in his third game since returning from a calf injury, had 16 points with eight assists.

“It wasn’t pretty, but at the end of the day, the win’s all, all that matters,” Reaves said. “I wouldn’t say we played good but played good enough.”

Both teams struggled on offense in the first half, with the Lakers breaking free with a 38-point third quarter. Los Angeles ended up shooting 50.7% from the floor and overcame 23 turnovers, including seven from James.

Luke Kennard, who was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday, scored 10 points with two made 3-pointers in his Lakers debut.

“A lot of people kind of harp on his shooting, obviously, because he shoots the ball so elite,” James said of Kennard. “But his playmaking ability (is solid) as well. He is able to crack the defense when they run him off the (3-point) line.”

Doncic’s hamstring injury, that occurred in a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, has been deemed mild, though he was ruled out for Monday. The injury happened in Reaves’ second game back from missing 19 games because of his calf issue.

James is averaging 21.8 points with 6.8 assists and 5.7 rebounds in 34 games of his record 23rd NBA season. His 15 total turnovers in back-to-back victories are his most in consecutive games this season.

–Field Level Media