Basketball Page 21 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Jalen Brunson puts up 33 as Knicks move to verge of sweeping Sixers
Jalen Brunson scored 33 points as the visiting New York Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 108-94 on Friday to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference second-round playoff series.,Mikal Bridges notched 23 points and Landry Shamet chipped in with 15 on 5-of-6 shooting for New York,...

Breanna Stewart, depleted Liberty rout Sun in season opener
Breanna Stewart totaled 31 points and 10 rebounds as the New York Liberty easily survived the absence of Sabrina Ionescu and rolled to a 106-75 rout of the Connecticut Sun Friday night in New York.,Stewart began her fourth season in New York by shooting 10-of-17 from the floor. Stewart also made 11 ...

Lakers return home desperate to remedy 2-0 hole vs. Thunder
Consecutive 18-point losses haven't zapped the Los Angeles Lakers of their belief they can recover to make it a series with the Oklahoma City Thunder.,But a third straight setback would undoubtedly feel like a near-knockout punch.,The Lakers look to get off the mat on Saturday night and back into th...

76ers' Joel Embiid back for Game 3; Knicks' OG Anunoby out
Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid returned to action for Friday's Game 3 against the visiting New York Knicks after sitting out Game 2 of the Eastern Conference second-round series with right hip and right ankle injuries.,Embiid fueled Philadelphia's first-round comeback over the Boston Cel...

Pressure on Cavs in Game 3 for first win of series vs. Pistons
All-Star guard Cade Cunningham and the top-seeded Detroit Pistons have the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers on the ropes, holding a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.,The series shifts to Cleveland for Game 3 on Saturday afternoon, when all of the pressure will be on the home te...

Aces, Mercury open schedules in rematch of WNBA Finals
In a rematch of last season's WNBA Finals, the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces play host to the Phoenix Mercury in a matinee Saturday to open the season for both teams.,Las Vegas heads into the 2026 campaign fresh off its third WNBA championship in four seasons led by A'ja Wilson, who is coming off...

Young stars collide as Fever, Wings meet in must-see season opener
The WNBA's last four No. 1 overall picks will be on the court together Saturday afternoon when the Indiana Fever face the Dallas Wings in a highly anticipated season opener in Indianapolis., ,The Fever built their foundation with consecutive top draft picks of Aliyah Boston in 2023 and Caitlin Clark...

Lakers' JJ Redick, Austin Reaves rip refs after Game 2 loss
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick didn't mince words about the officiating after a 125-107 setback to the Oklahoma Thunder on Thursday in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals.,Redick took issue with star LeBron James enduring what he feels to be consistent physical play from the Thunder...

Darryn Peterson: Creatine led to cramping at Kansas
Top NBA draft prospect Darryn Peterson says high doses of creatine led to his repeated cramping issues at Kansas.,The 19-year-old guard told ESPN this week that doctors diagnosed the cause after a round of bloodwork.,Peterson, a potential No. 1 pick in June's draft, missed 11 of the Jayhawks' 35 gam...
Why Victor Wembanyama Needs an NBA Enforcer to Reach His Full Potential
Victor Wembanyama’s incredible talent is undeniable, but the Spurs may need to rethink how they’re building around their franchise superstar....
Cavaliers Need Major Changes After Falling Behind 2-0 to Pistons
The Detroit Pistons took a 2-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers as James Harden and the Cavs struggled badly in another ugly playoff loss....

Thunder pull away from Lakers, maintain perfect playoff mark
Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points each, lifting the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 125-107 home win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday and a 2-0 advantage in a Western Conference second-round playoff series.,The Thunder remain undefeated in this year's playoffs as the best-...

Cade Cunningham propels Pistons past Cavs for 2-0 edge
Cade Cunningham scored 25 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, and had 10 assists on Thursday, leading the Detroit Pistons to a 107-97 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers and a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.,Tobias Harris added 21 points, Duncan Robinson put up 17 poi...

Valkyries to begin sophomore season vs. revamped Storm
The expansion Golden State Valkyries took the WNBA by surprise last year, finishing with a record above .500 and making the playoffs.,Their second season, which begins Friday at the Seattle Storm, is off to a head-scratching start.,On draft night, the Valkyries sent the rights to the No. 8 pick, LSU...

Improvement required for Wolves as Spurs series pivots home
Forget the Alamo.,That is the Minnesota Timberwolves' mindset as they return home from San Antonio. After a narrow win in Game 1 and a lopsided loss in Game 2, they will tip off against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series Friday night in Minneapolis.,The winn...

Tempo's veteran squad set for WNBA debut vs. young Mystics
When the Toronto Tempo make their WNBA debut by hosting the Washington Mystics on Friday night, it might be difficult to tell which team is the expansion group.,The Tempo have several proven WNBA players (and a two-time WNBA champion head coach in Sandy Brondello), and the Mystics are one of the you...

Liberty to navigate season opener vs. Sun without Ionescu
Chris DeMarco's first major challenge in coaching the New York Liberty is figuring out how to compensate for Sabrina Ionescu's absence for a few weeks.,DeMarco's coaching debut occurs Friday when the Liberty host the Connecticut Sun in New York, and Ionescu will be watching from the bench after inju...

OG Anunoby's presence in jeopardy as Knicks seek 3-0 edge over 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers played short-handed in Game 2 of their second-round playoff series.,Now it appears the New York Knicks might face similar adversity when the teams meet Friday in Game 3 in Philadelphia.,The Knicks lead the series 2-0, but they could be without second-leading scorer OG Anunoby,...

Tyrese Haliburton a 'full go' for Pacers summer camp
Less than one year after undergoing surgery for an Achilles tear, Tyrese Haliburton will be a full participant at Indiana Pacers summer camp later this month.,Haliburton has experienced a rough calendar year after he came away with his Achilles injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last year on June 22...

Hornets sign Charles Lee to extension after 25-win improvement
Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee signed a contract extension on Thursday.,Terms of the deal were not announced by the team.,Lee, 41, enjoyed a 25-win improvement in his second season with the Hornets. Charlotte won 28 of its last 38 games to finish the 2025-26 season with a 44-38 record. The...