Damian Lillard poured in 51 points and added seven assists to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 124-121 victory over a Philadelphia 76ers’ squad that lost Joel Embiid to injury on Sunday night near Orlando. Carmelo Anthony recorded 20 points and seven rebou... More »
Gordon Hayward scored 31 points and Jayson Tatum added 29 to lift the Boston Celtics to a 122-119 overtime victory over the Magic on Sunday near Orlando. Jaylen Brown collected 19 points and 12 rebounds for the third-place Celtics (47-23), who saw their slim c... More »
DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points and the San Antonio Spurs kept their playoff hopes alive with a 122-113 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday afternoon near Orlando. The Spurs (31-38) improved to 4-2 during the restart and stayed in the thick of the t... More »
Marc Gasol capped a key third-quarter run with a 3-pointer in his first game against his longtime employer and the Toronto Raptors clinched the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 108-99 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday near Orlando. Gasol ... More »
Russell Westbrook sank four free throws inside the final 28.5 seconds and the Houston Rockets topped the Milwaukee Bucks 120-116 on Sunday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando. Westbrook scored a team-high 31 points while adding eight assists,... More »
Add players’ famed fashion statements when entering the arena to the list of things excluded from the NBA bubble near Orlando. According to an ESPN report Sunday night, players will be required to “be in uniform and warm-ups when they arrive” to the arena for ... More »
League physicians and officials are concerned about the lingering health effects for NBA players who contract the coronavirus, ESPN reported Saturday. “There are unknown effects it has on lung capacity, unknown effects it has on cardiac health,” one general ma... More »
The Milwaukee Bucks closed their practice facility after receiving coronavirus test results, ESPN reported Sunday. It wasn’t immediately clear whether a player — or multiple players — tested positive for COVID-19. ESPN reported the team received the results on... More »
As the NBA begins welcoming teams to ESPN Wide of Sports Complex near Orlando this week for the resumption of the 2019-20 season, the league has reportedly set the protocols for players unable to travel with the rest of their team. Citing a memo sent to teams ... More »
(Reuters) – LA Lakers owner Jeannie Buss said on Friday, the Juneteenth holiday, that she is no longer willing to ignore hate and called on white people to come together and acknowledge the racism that exists in the United States. Juneteenth commemorates the U... More »
Though several NBA players on Friday reportedly voiced their opposition to resuming the season as a protest against racism and social injustice, ESPN reported that the Los Angeles Lakers’ players remain undivided on the resumption of the season. The news came ... More »
GRADISKA, Bosnia (Reuters) – Kobe Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who died in a helicopter crash in January, has been honored with a giant mural commissioned by sports enthusiasts and painted on the side of an elementary school building in northern Bosnia. “K... More »
(Reuters) – California governor Gavin Newsom cleared a path for the potential return of professional sport in the state, saying on Monday that an early June restart was possible under strict guidelines, including no fans. Shuttered for nearly two months by the... More »
The NBA, the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets are collaborating with China’s consul general Huang Ping to donate one million surgical masks to the New York City area, governor Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday. Cuomo announced the news on Twitter, saying, “... More »
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) has denied the struggling Illawarra Hawks club have been sold to teenage NBA prospect LaMelo Ball after the player’s manager said it was a “done deal”. Ball, seen as a potential number one pick... More »
(Reuters) – Beijing-based retired basketball star Stephon Marbury is arranging an urgent shipment of surgical masks from China to New York to fight the coronavirus, he said on social media on Sunday. Marbury, who was born on New York’s Coney Island, said he wa... More »
(Reuters) – Major sports events around the world that have been hit by the coronavirus pandemic: OLYMPICS * The International Olympic Committee and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe concluded the Tokyo 2020 Olympics must be postponed and held no later than the... More »
(Reuters) – The NBA may have been suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak but that has not stopped the league from using its massive online reach to good effect by educating its followers, sharing important information and guidelines related to the pandemic.... More »
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Sydney Kings center Andrew Bogut has slammed Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) for its handling of the coronavirus situation, saying the administration had failed to be proactive and had left players feeling like “pawns”. The N... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Two Los Angeles Lakers players have tested positive for coronavirus, the NBA franchise said on Thursday, and have been quarantined under the care of the basketball team’s doctor. The Lakers did not identify the two infected players but ... More »
Three members of the Philadelphia 76ers organization have tested positive for coronavirus, the team announced Thursday. The 76ers didn’t disclose which individuals tested positive for COVID-19. The team said the individuals are in self-isolation. The club said... More »
The NBA’s season — on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic — could be suspended for at least three months, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Sunday night. Per the report, owners and executives are bracing for the possibility of mid-to-late June — a time when,... More »
(Reuters) – Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert, whose coronavirus diagnosis last Wednesday was the first domino that effectively shut down American sports, regrets not having taken the threat more seriously, he said in a social media post on Sunday. “I’ve been feeli... More »
(Reuters) – The following is a list of international sports events hit by the outbreak of the new coronavirus: ATHLETICS ** The World Athletics Indoor Championships, scheduled for Nanjing from March 13-15, were postponed until next year. World Athletics is wor... More »
LeBron James had a triple-double as the visiting Los Angeles Lakers overcame the absence of All-Star forward Anthony Davis and defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 122-114 on Sunday night. Davis, who averaged 36 points as the Lakers won the first three meetings w... More »
CHICAGO – Anthony Davis made a walk-off free throw and Team LeBron defeated Team Giannis in the 69th NBA All-Star Game on Sunday. Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers’ big man and first pick in the All-Star draft, missed badly off the back iron before sinking the sec... More »
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Team LeBron beat Team Giannis by two points at the 69th NBA All-Star game on Sunday at a packed United Center that fell silent for eight seconds before tip-off as about 21,000 fans joined hands to pay their respects to global sports icon Ko... More »
Bojan Bogdanovic hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Utah Jazz to a 114-113 victory over the host Houston Rockets on Sunday. Bogdanovic had just two field goals and eight points for the night, 13 below his season average. But Utah executed the final inbo... More »
(Reuters) – The following is a list of international sports events affected by the coronavirus that has killed over 900 people and infected more than 40,000 in China after it first emerged in Wuhan, Hubei province, late last year: ATHLETICS * The World Athleti... More »
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – The LPGA Tour, the elite women’s professional golf circuit, said on Monday it was cancelling tournaments in Thailand and Singapore later this month due to the coronavirus outbreak. More than 40,000 people have been infected by the flu-li... More »
(Reuters) – The following is a list of international sports events affected by the coronavirus, which has killed over 300 people and infected more than 14,000 in China after it first emerged in Wuhan, Hubei province, late last year: ATHLETICS * The World Athle... More »
MIAMI (Reuters) – There was a moment of silence in honor of Kobe Bryant at the Super Bowl in Miami on Sunday following the death of the basketball great, his daughter Gianna, and seven other passengers in a helicopter crash in California a week ago. Prior to k... More »
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic led the tennis world in mourning for “mentor” Kobe Bryant on Monday after Melbourne Park awoke to the news that the NBA great had died in a helicopter crash along with his daughter and seven others.... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Teen sensation Billie Eilish swept the Grammy Awards on Sunday, winning all four top prizes – album, song, record of the year and best new artist – in a rare feat at the music industry’s highest honors. Eilish, an 18-year-old newcomer w... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was slain in March of last year, won two posthumous Grammy Awards on Sunday and was remembered at the Awards with a tribute medley that had audience members on their feet, dancing and in tears. Hussle, whose re... More »
Zion Williamson had his first double-double as an NBA player, and the New Orleans Pelicans won for the first time with him in the lineup, 123-108 over the visiting Boston Celtics on Sunday. Williams, the top pick in the 2019 NBA draft, had 21 points and 11 reb... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Musicians and performers at the Grammy Awards paid tribute to Kobe Bryant on Sunday at his former home arena, the Staples Center in Los Angeles, hours after the NBA great was killed some 40 miles (65 km) away in a helicopter crash. Brya... More »
James Harden scored 41 points en route to his second triple-double of the season and the visiting Houston Rockets beat the Atlanta Hawks 122-115 on a historic night Wednesday. The Hawks’ Trae Young finished with 42 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists — the firs... More »
Kyle Lowry scored 20 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter and added 10 assists and eight rebounds as the Toronto Raptors overcame a 30-point third-quarter deficit to post a 110-107 victory over the visiting Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. The 30-point deficit wa... More »
(Reuters) – Washington Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas had just one word to say to the National Basketball Association (NBA) after the organization announced on Sunday that he had been suspended for two games following a confrontation with a couple of fans. “Bulls... More »
Washington Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas has been suspended two games by the NBA for entering the stands to confront two fans, the league announced Sunday. NBA rules state that any player who deliberately enters the spectator stands during a game will be automat... More »
Jermaine Samuels hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 20.5 seconds remaining to lift No. 18 Villanova past No. 1 Kansas 56-55 on Saturday in Philadelphia. Samuels scored 15 points, Collin Gillespie added 12 and the Wildcats improved to 9-2. Villanova made just ... More »
Spencer Dinwiddie scored 24 points as the Brooklyn Nets capitalized on Joel Embiid’s absence and led most of the way in a 109-89 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night in New York. The Nets led for the final 41:54 in the first meeting between the ... More »
Luka Doncic had 27 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, and the visiting Dallas Mavericks snapped the Los Angeles Lakers’ 10-game winning streak with a 114-100 victory on Sunday. Doncic scored 21 of his points in the second half as the Mavericks captured thei... More »
Paul Millsap scored 23 points and hit all nine of his free throws, Will Barton and Jamal Murray added 22 points each, and the host Denver Nuggets beat the Phoenix Suns 116-104 on Sunday night. Mason Plumlee had 14 points, Monte Morris finished with 10 and Niko... More »
Richaun Holmes hit a pair of go-ahead free throws with 13.3 seconds left as the host Sacramento Kings ended the Boston Celtics’ 10-game winning streak with a 100-99 victory Sunday afternoon. Buddy Hield led all scorers with 35 points and hit seven 3-pointers, ... More »
(Reuters) – Electronic Arts Inc launched “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order” on Friday, garnering strong reviews for its flagship action-adventure series that is crucial to its holiday sales, after the videogame publisher shelved “NBA Live” game. The latest title, ... More »
Nikola Jokic hit a 15-foot jumper with 3.3 seconds left in overtime, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 100-98, in Minneapolis on Sunday. Jokic finished with 20 points and hit a last-second game winner for the second consecutive game. Paul... More »
The Miami Heat scored a franchise-record 46 first-quarter points and routed the Houston Rockets 129-100 on Sunday night in Miami. The Heat led by as many as 41 points in the first half. Miami’s 5-1 start is its best since it last won an NBA title in the 2012-2... More »
(Reuters) – LeBron James weighed in on the controversy between China and the NBA on Monday, saying that Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey “wasn’t educated” when he sent a tweet in support of protesters in Hong Kong this month. Morey’s tweet of suppor... More »
(This October 10 story clarifies paragraph 14 on ‘The Martian’) By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – China’s removal of animated comedy “South Park” from online sites just as it dropped U.S. basketball broadcasts highlighted a tension familiar to Hollywood... More »
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – The National Basketball Association (NBA) came under fire on Monday for its response to a tweet by a Houston Rockets official in support of Hong Kong protests for democracy, the latest overseas business to run afoul of political issues in ... More »
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Joseph Tsai, owner of the Brooklyn Nets and co-founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, said that the damage from Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey’s tweet in support of Hong Kong’s protesters “will take a l... More »
(Reuters) – U.S. lawmakers joined a chorus of criticism of the National Basketball Association (NBA) after the organization distanced itself from a tweet by the manager of the Houston Rockets in support of the Hong Kong protests for democracy. Rockets General ... More »
(Reuters) – The general manager of the Houston Rockets basketball team apologized on Monday for a tweet in support of Hong Kong protests, saying he did not intend to offend fans of the NBA team in China. “I was merely voicing one thought, based on one interpre... More »
(Reuters) – The University of Kansas has apologized for a performance by rapper Snoop Dogg that featured drug references and dancers on stripper poles, saying the show fell short of creating a “family atmosphere.” The California rapper, whose songs include “Mu... More »
(Reuters) – Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George will miss the start of the NBA season while recovering from off-season surgery on both shoulders, he told ESPN on Sunday. George said he will be out until “November-ish”, which would see him miss the trainin... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) hopes that Tokyo 2020’s “urban festival”, which will offer fans the chance to try out Olympic sports, will help the governing body remain relevant and increase long-term youth engagement with the Game... More »
The NBA is promoting referee Jason Phillips to lead its replay center as Replay Center Operations Principal. Joe Borgia, the current leader of the replay center, will move into a different role where he will oversee the implementation of coach’s challenges. Th... More »
Minnesota Timberwolves restricted free agent guard Tyus Jones agreed to a three-year, $28 million offer sheet with the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday evening, his agent told ESPN. Per the report, the Grizzlies would use most of their mid-level exception on Jones,... More »
The Brooklyn Nets officially added forward Kevin Durant on Sunday, announcing his arrival as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Golden State Warriors a week after the 10-time All-Star announced his intentions to join Brooklyn. “Kevin is a champion, perenni... More »
(Reuters) – With his decision to join the Brooklyn Nets, Kevin Durant ended an era in Golden State while advancing a trend of the NBA’s elite players forging their own paths with new teams. Durant will now team up with fellow All Star Kyrie Irving, who will de... More »
TORONTO (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and some 2 million other fans cheered the NBA champion Toronto Raptors on Monday in a victory celebration that united the nation, but the party was marred by a shooting that seriously wounded two peopl... More »
Four people sustained non-life-threatening gunshot wounds at Monday’s rally celebrating the Raptors’ championship, Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders said. Three arrests were made, according to Saunders, who added that the investigation was ongoing. A reported... More »
TORONTO (Reuters) – The Golden State Warriors took out a full-page advert in the Toronto Star on Monday to congratulate a Toronto Raptors team that stopped them claiming a third consecutive NBA championship. The ad appeared on the day of the Raptors victory pa... More »
The New Orleans Pelicans picked up the 2020-21 option for head coach Alvin Gentry on Monday, putting him under contract for the next two seasons. “We couldn’t be happier to extend our relationship with Alvin,” executive vice president of basketball operations ... More »
(Reuters) – The Golden State Warriors on Sunday listed All Star Kevin Durant as questionable for their must-win Game Five of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. Head coach Steve Kerr said Durant would train with the team on Sunday for the first time in... More »
Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert was hospitalized early Sunday morning in Detroit after he experienced stroke-like symptoms. Quicken Loans, the company Gilbert founded, announced the news in a statement late Sunday, saying Gilbert “received immediate medi... More »
TORONTO — The Toronto Raptors knew they needed to play tougher than they had in losing the first two games to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals. They played tough and they played long as well, needing two overtimes to outlast the Bucks 118-1... More »
Michigan reportedly will interview former Wolverines star and current Miami Heat assistant coach Juwan Howard in its search for a head coach. Howard, 46, will meet with athletic director Warde Manuel on Tuesday, according to 247Sports.com and The Michigan Insi... More »
Though the Golden State Warriors have won all three games of the Western Conference finals thus far against Portland, the series is taking its toll on both teams. On Sunday, Trail Blazers star guard Damian Lillard confirmed that he is playing with separated ri... More »
PORTLAND, Ore., – The Golden State Warriors will go for their second Western Conference finals sweep in the last three seasons Monday night when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers for Game 4 in the best-of-seven series. Having become the first squad in NBA ... More »
PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) – Portland leading scorer Damian Lillard has had a difficult time with a hovering Golden State defense and, with his team facing elimination from the NBA Western Conference finals, the Trail Blazer All-Star has a decision to make. Sh... More »
CJ McCollum scored 37 points, including a fadeaway jumper with 11.4 seconds left, and the Portland Trail Blazers rallied to beat the host Denver Nuggets 100-96 in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals on Sunday. Damian Lillard was held to 13 points on 3-... More »
Portland Trail Blazers guard Rodney Hood left Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday with a hyperextended left knee and said afterward he was “day-by-day.” Portland won 100-96 and will open the Western Conference finals on Tuesday at the Golden State Warr... More »
Kawhi Leonard hit a buzzer-beating jump shot that bounced up and around the rim before finally dropping through the net, and the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Philadelphia 76ers 92-90 on Sunday night in the seventh and deciding game of their Eastern Co... More »
Kawhi Leonard had 39 points and 14 rebounds and the second-seeded Toronto Raptors defeated the host Philadelphia 76ers 101-96 on Sunday to even the Eastern Conference semifinals at two games apiece. Marc Gasol scored 16 points and Kyle Lowry added 14 points an... More »
Jamal Murray scored 34 points and Nikola Jokic collected 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists as the visiting Denver Nuggets wrested back homecourt advantage with a 116-112 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers Sunday. The Nuggets’ win squared the best-of-s... More »
The Boston Celtics completed a four-game sweep of the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs Sunday afternoon, using key baskets from Marcus Morris and Gordon Hayward to hold on for a 110-106 victory in Indianapolis. The fourth-se... More »
Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks was suspended one game without pay and fined $25,000 on Sunday for entering the officials’ locker room after Saturday’s Game 4 of the first-round series with the Philadelphia 76ers. The announcement by Byron Spruell, pr... More »
Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks has been suspended one game without pay and fined $25,000 for entering the officials’ locker room after Saturday’s Game 4 of the first-round series with the Philadelphia 76ers. Marks will serve the suspension on Tuesday... More »
Stephen Curry returned from a one-game absence to hit five 3-pointers and total a game-high 26 points Sunday night as the Golden State Warriors shook off the embarrassment of a 35-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks one day earlier to turn back the Detroit Pist... More »
Desmond Bane scored 30 points to lead the top-seeded TCU Horned Frogs to an 88-72 victory over the fourth-seeded Nebraska Cornhuskers in a second-round NIT game on Sunday at Fort Worth, Texas. The Horned Frogs (22-13) will play host to the Creighton Bluejays (... More »
LeBron James had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 111-106 win against the visiting Sacramento Kings on Sunday night. Kyle Kuzma also scored 29 points and JaVale McGee overcame early foul trouble to finish with 17 points... More »
Payton Pritchard had 18 points, Kenny Wooten blocked seven shots and 12th-seeded Oregon roared back after a big UC Irvine run en route to a 73-54 victory in a South Region second-round game in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday. Oregon (25-12) will play top-seeded Vi... More »
Sabrina Ionescu had a triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists to lead second-seeded Oregon to a 91-68 victory against 10th-seeded Indiana on Sunday night in the second round of the Women’s NCAA Tournament in Eugene, Ore. The Ducks (31-4) advan... More »
RJ Barrett scored off a rebound with 12 seconds remaining, and Duke made a final defensive stand to pull out a 77-76 victory against Central Florida in the NCAA Tournament’s second round Sunday in Columbia, S.C. Central Florida’s BJ Taylor missed a runner in t... More »
Corey Davis Jr. scored a career-high 31 points as 12th-ranked Houston captured its first outright league championship since the 1983-84 season with an 85-69 victory over host Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon. Nate Hinton and Armoni Brooks each made four 3-pointe... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The National Basketball Association will offer fans in China original programming and an easier way to buy league gear through e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, the league announced on Wednesday. For the first time, NBA China wil... More »
James Harden scored 42 points before fouling out, and the visiting Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to five games with a 115-104 victory over the Boston Celtics on Sunday. Before being whistled for his sixth foul with 1:44 left to play, Harden sta... More »
Joel Embiid has missed the last five games, but the Philadelphia 76ers star expects to return from a left knee injury sometime next week. The All-Star center also said if he had to play now, he could, but the team preferred he take a cautious approach — someth... More »
Paul George hit a season-high eight 3-pointers and scored 36 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 118-112 home win over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. The Thunder have won five consecutive games, sweeping their three-game homestand that also ... More »
Serge Ibaka’s 3-pointer with 15.2 seconds remaining lifted the visiting Toronto Raptors to a 140-138 double-overtime win against the stubborn Washington Wizards on Sunday. Washington rallied from 19 points down in the third quarter to force overtime and took a... More »
Andrew Wiggins scored a season-high 40 points as the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-117 on Tuesday night. It was Minnesota’s first game under interim coach Ryan Saunders, who replaced Tom Thibodeau on the bench. Thibodeau wa... More »
The Portland Trail Blazers stole the ball from Stephen Curry when the Golden State Warriors could have run out the clock, and Damian Lillard nailed a 3-pointer with 5.1 seconds remaining Thursday night for a stunning 110-109 overtime victory in Oakland, Calif.... More »
LeBron James did not travel to Sacramento for the Los Angeles Lakers’ game Thursday night against the Kings. James is officially day-to-day after straining his left groin during the Lakers’ victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. An MRI came b... More »
LeBron James will not travel to Sacramento for the Los Angeles Lakers’ game Thursday night against the Kings. James is officially day-to-day after straining his left groin during the Lakers’ victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. An MRI came ... More »
LeBron James, sick enough earlier in the day that his ability to take the court Friday night was in doubt, nonetheless finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists as the host Los Angeles Lakers turned back the New Orleans Pelicans 112-104 on Friday nig... More »
The Houston Rockets were prepared for the worst after point guard Chris Paul left Thursday’s game with a left hamstring injury, but he apparently will miss just two to three weeks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday, citing league sources. Rockets coach... More »
(Reuters) – Three-time NBA champion Stephen Curry on Tuesday signaled that he is willing to take NASA up on its offer to tour its lunar lab in Houston after his pronouncement this week that he does not believe humans ever walked on the Moon. During the “Wingin... More »
