Basketball Page 167 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Heat pull away from Hawks in OT, secure 6th straight playoff berth
Tyler Herro had a game-high 30 points, Davion Mitchell buried three 3-pointers in overtime and the Miami Heat advanced into the NBA playoffs with a 123-114 road victory over the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference play-in finale Friday night.,The No. 10 Heat, who began the four-team playoff-qual...

Reports: Spurs coach Gregg Popovich resting after medical emergency
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich fainted at a San Antonio steakhouse earlier this week and was taken out of the restaurant on a stretcher and whisked away via ambulance, according to multiple reports.,TMZ first reported on the Tuesday night incident that reportedly occurred around 8:20 p.m CT. TMZ reporte...

Lakers' Luka Doncic gets the 'big games' he covets vs. Wolves
The season series seems to show the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves are even heading into their first-round playoff series although the reality is something much different. ,The teams head into Game 1 of their series at Los Angeles on Saturday having split four games against each other...

After posting identical records, Nuggets, Clippers open 4-5 series
The Denver Nuggets didn't win the NBA Cup in December, but the tournament gave them a chance to secure home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers.,Denver won the extra game scheduled between the teams after both were eliminated -- meaning the Nuggets fi...

Lakers extend GM Rob Pelinka, add president to title
On the eve of the NBA playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers extended the contract of general manager/vice president Rob Pelinka, with a promotion included, just over two months after star Luka Doncic was acquired from the Dallas Mavericks.,Under the new deal, Pelinka now becomes the president of basketba...

Knicks know all about Pistons' rise as Game 1 approaches
On their way to making the playoffs for the third straight season and the fourth time in five seasons, the New York Knicks had multiple up-close encounters with the massively improved Detroit Pistons.,More meetings are ahead in a first-round matchup between the teams starting Saturday when Jalen Bru...

Pacers open quest for first NBA title vs. familiar Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks won the season series and have the greater postseason experience, but the Indiana Pacers hold the home-court advantage when the rivals tip off an Eastern Conference first-round best-of-seven playoff series Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis.,The Pacers earned the No. 4 seed in th...
2025 NBA Playoff Matchups We Want to See Most
From Thunder-Cavs in the NBA Finals to a Clippers-Thunder grudge match, here are the NBA Playoff series that would light up the 2025 postseason....

Israeli PG Ben Saraf declares for NBA draft
Projected first-round pick Ben Saraf of Israel announced Friday he is entering the 2025 NBA Draft.,"This is the right time for me," he told ESPN. "After playing against the highest levels of competition in European basketball, I am ready and excited for the draft.",The 6-foot-6 point guard is ranked...

Kings, GM Monte McNair part ways after play-in loss
The Sacramento Kings and general manager Monte McNair mutually agreed to part ways after the team's play-in loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.,Team owner Vivek Ranadive said in a statement on Thursday, "I want to sincerely thank Monte for his leadership and the invaluable contributions he ma...

Southeast rivals Heat, Hawks to battle for 8th seed in East
The NBA's Southeast Division Invitational continues Friday night when the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks duel in Georgia for the final berth in the Eastern Conference playoffs.,The eighth-seed game in the Eastern play-in tournament features a Heat team coming off a win in an elimination affair against...

Suns owner Mat Ishbia calls season a 'failure'
The Phoenix Suns finished 10 games below .500 this season and missed the postseason despite having probable Hall of Famer Kevin Durant on the roster.,Suns owner Mat Ishbia didn't like his view, either. He saw a team with no passion and lacking an identity.,"Embarrassing season, right?" Ishbia told r...

Grizzlies G Ja Morant (ankle) game-time decision vs. Mavericks
Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant is a game-time decision for Friday night's play-in game against the Dallas Mavericks due to his injured right ankle.,Morant was hurt during Tuesday night's 121-116 road loss against the host Golden State Warriors when he landed on the foot of Golden State...
Damian Lillard’s Remarkable Recovery Comes Just in Time for the Bucks
Damian Lillard has been cleared of blood clots and is ramping up workouts, just three weeks after being ruled out indefinitely....

Bucks' Damian Lillard off medication, but no timeline set for return
Milwaukee Bucks star guard Damian Lillard has been cleared for full basketball activity, the team announced Thursday.,He had been treated for deep vein thrombosis in his right calf and was taking blood-thinning medication, forcing him to sit out the final 14 games of the regular season. The team sai...

Reports: Kings, GM Monte McNair part ways after play-in loss
The Sacramento Kings and general manager Monte McNair mutually agreed to part ways after Wednesday's play-in loss to the Dallas Mavericks, multiple outlets reported Thursday.,McNair just completed his fifth season in the role. He was named the NBA's Executive of the Year after Sacramento ended a lea...
The Real MVP of the NBA Postseason? The Referees
The NBA postseason is turning into a whistle fest — and not in a good way. Defense is winning, but the refs are stealing the show....

Mavs keep comfortable lead, eliminate Kings in play-in
Anthony Davis recorded 27 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots and the Dallas Mavericks kept their playoff bid alive with a convincing 120-106 victory over the host Sacramento Kings in a Western Conference play-in game on Wednesday night.,Klay Thompson scored 23 points, P.J. Washington had ...

Mavs keep comfortable lead, eliminate Kings in play-in game
Anthony Davis recorded 27 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots and the Dallas Mavericks kept their playoff bid alive with a convincing 120-106 victory over the host Sacramento Kings in a Western Conference play-in game on Wednesday night.,Klay Thompson scored 23 points, P.J. Washington had ...

NBA notes officiating errors late in Warriors-Grizzlies game
The NBA acknowledged on Wednesday a number of officiating errors late in the Golden State Warriors' 121-116 win over the Memphis Grizzles in a Western Conference play-in game on Tuesday night in San Francisco.,Notably, with the seventh-place Warriors leading 117-116, the NBA's Last Two Minute Report...