Basketball Page 16 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Deni Avdija, Blazers eager to go again, starting with Nuggets
The Portland Trail Blazers are taking pride that they are in the running for postseason play after the All-Star break, as they haven't participated in the playoffs since the 2020-21 season.,The Trail Blazers resume play with a tough home test on Friday night against the Denver Nuggets.,A 27-29 recor...
Bennedict Mathurin (38) lifts Clippers to tight win over Nuggets
Bennedict Mathurin scored a season-high 38 points in his home debut for the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard added 23 in a 115-114 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday at Inglewood, Calif.,Derrick Jones Jr. produced 22 points and John Collins had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippe...
Ready or not, banged-up Thunder open stretch run vs. Nets
The Oklahoma City Thunder could have used a longer break.,With the All-Star break over, the reigning NBA champions remain without three key players as they take the court Friday at home against the Brooklyn Nets.,Oklahoma City announced Thursday that stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams,...
Battling Hawks amid playoff race, Heat may get Tyler Herro back
The Miami Heat hope to get a boost to their playoff hopes when Tyler Herro returns to the lineup, possibly as soon as Friday when they visit the Atlanta Hawks for their first game after the All-Star break.,Herro has missed 45 games because of assorted injuries -- the first 17 with an offseason ankle...
Young players take center stage as Pacers face Wizards again
The injury report could be miles long when the Washington Wizards face the visiting Indiana Pacers for the second time in as many days on Friday.,With so many players sidelined, both teams are giving their young players extended playing time. Indiana forward Jarace Walker, for one, appears determine...
Can Hornets rediscover mojo against white-hot Cavs?
The Charlotte Hornets had been on a special run before the All-Star break. But not as special as the one the Cleveland Cavaliers are putting together.,The Cavaliers will show up in Charlotte for Friday night's game riding a season-high six-game winning streak and winners of 11 of their last 12 games...
Magic set 3-pointer mark, send Kings to record 15th straight loss
Paolo Banchero scored 30 points and the Orlando Magic set a franchise record with 27 3-pointers while routing the host Sacramento Kings 131-94 on Thursday night.,Sacramento set a franchise record with its 15th consecutive loss. The former Cincinnati Royals twice had 14-game skids -- in the 1959-60 a...
Jaylen Brown, Celtics run host Warriors off the floor in rout
Jaylen Brown collected 23 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists to lead the visiting Boston Celtics to a 121-110 triumph over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night in San Francisco.,It was Brown's third triple-double of the season and the sixth of his career.,Payton Pritchard came off the bench t...
NBA roundup: Pistons dominate Knicks to cap season sweep
Cade Cunningham totaled 42 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds as the Detroit Pistons pulled away in the second half and completed a season sweep of the host New York Knicks with a 126-111 victory on Thursday.,Detroit won the three meetings by a combined 84 points, improving its regular-season win...
Spurs pick on short-handed Suns, earn 7th straight win
Stephon Castle scored 20 points as the San Antonio Spurs owned the middle two quarters and dominated the short-handed Phoenix Suns 121-94 on Thursday in Austin, Texas, to win their seventh straight game.,San Antonio led by a dozen points at halftime before all but putting away the game by outscoring...
Spurs capitalize on Suns' shortcomings, win 7th straight
Stephon Castle scored 20 points as the San Antonio Spurs owned the middle two periods and dominated the short-handed Phoenix Suns 121-94 on Thursday in Austin, Texas, to win their seventh straight game., ,San Antonio led by a dozen points at halftime before all but putting away the game by outscorin...
Brandon Ingram scores 31 as Raptors take down Bulls again
Brandon Ingram scored 31 points to fuel the visiting Toronto Raptors to a 110-101 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.,Ingram added eight rebounds and six assists to help the Raptors defeat the Bulls for the second time this month. He scored 33 points in Toronto's 123-107 home victory over Ch...
Behind Cade Cunningham's 42, Pistons complete season sweep of Knicks
Cade Cunningham totaled 42 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds as the Detroit Pistons pulled away in the second half and completed a season sweep of the host New York Knicks with a 126-111 victory on Thursday.,Detroit won the three meetings by a combined 84 points, improving its winning streak vs....
Suns star Devin Booker (hip) exits game vs. Spurs
Phoenix All-Star guard Devin Booker left Thursday's game against the San Antonio Spurs in Austin, Texas, in the second quarter with right hip soreness, per a Suns spokesman.,Booker was replaced with 2:35 remaining in the first half by Isaiah Livers. Before exiting, he scored five points on 2-for-6 s...
Jalen Johnson puts up 32 as Hawks power past 76ers
Jalen Johnson recorded 32 points, 10 rebounds and five assists as the Atlanta Hawks posted a 117-107 road win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.,In both teams' first game following the All-Star break, Atlanta snapped a three-game skid despite 43.2% shooting from the field and a 10-of-32 showin...
Seven double-figure scorers enable Wizards to edge Pacers
Bub Carrington, Jaden Hardy, Anthony Gill and Kadary Richmond each scored 13 points as the Washington Wizards beat the visiting Indiana Pacers 112-105 on Thursday.,Bilal Coulibaly and Tristan Vukcevic added 12 points apiece and Tre Johnson had 10 for Washington, which snapped a three-game losing str...
Big shots late lift Rockets, who cool off Hornets
Kevin Durant poured in 35 points on 14-for-20 shooting as the Houston Rockets fended off the host Charlotte Hornets for a 105-101 victory in the first game after the All-Star break Thursday night.,Jabari Smith Jr. added 15 points and Alperen Sengun and Reed Sheppard both scored 13 points for the Roc...
Cavaliers thrash Nets for sixth straight win
Donovan Mitchell scored 17 points and James Harden had 16 points and nine assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the visiting Brooklyn Nets 112-84 on Thursday night, extending their winning streak to six.,Jarrett Allen posted 15 points and 10 rebounds for Cleveland, which led from wire to wire...
Reports: NBA plans to add anti-tanking rules next season
In response to the persistence and increase in NBA teams allegedly tanking to ensure better draft-lottery odds, commissioner Adam Silver told all 30 general managers that the league will make rule changes to combat the practice starting next season, multiple media outlets reported on Thursday.,The l...
JJ Redick expects Lakers to have Luka Doncic, others back vs. Clippers
When the Los Angeles Lakers return from the All-Star break on Friday, they expect to have their full complement of players for a change.,Head coach JJ Redick said Thursday all players would be available for the Lakers' contest against the rival Clippers, including Luka Doncic.,The NBA scoring leader...