Basketball Page 226 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Cavaliers plan to regroup vs. NBA-worst Wizards
The Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves at home rather than spending a weekend in Las Vegas when they begin the post-NBA Cup portion of their schedule Friday night against the Washington Wizards.,The Cavaliers have won 21 of their first 25 games, giving them the best record in the NBA. But two of th...

Lakers not expecting LeBron James to play Friday
Taking an eight-day break to rest his sore left foot is the apparent plan for LeBron James with a return to the Lakers this weekend. ,ESPN reported James, who turns 40 on Dec. 30, is unlikely to play Friday against the Timberwolves. ,He started 22 games this season before missing his first game of t...

Rockets grab late lead vs. Warriors, reach NBA Cup semifinal
Jalen Green sank two free throws with 3.5 seconds left to help the Houston Rockets pull out a 91-90 victory over the visiting Golden State Warriors on Wednesday in an NBA Cup quarterfinal.,The Rockets snapped a 15-game series skid to the Warriors and advanced to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas, ...

High-scoring Kings, hot from long range, face skidding Pelicans
The Sacramento Kings have averaged 140.5 points in their past two games and 127.2 points over their past five games.,The New Orleans Pelicans have allowed an average of 122 points in their past four games.,The potential for lighting up the scoreboard will be high when the Kings visit the Pelicans on...

Trae Young, Hawks charge past Knicks, into NBA Cup semifinal
Trae Young scored 12 of his 22 points during a decisive third-quarter run as the Atlanta Hawks overcame a double-digit deficit to beat the host New York Knicks 108-100 in an NBA Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday night.,The Hawks trailed throughout the first half but outscored the Knicks 61-46 in the fin...

As speculation swirls, Jimmy Butler reportedly interested in four teams
Jimmy Butler's name is trending in trade rumors and the six-time NBA All-Star is just with it.,As the Miami Heat consider trading Butler, he reportedly has four destinations in mind, according to ESPN. They are the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns.,"I actuall...

Raptors hope to end road woes with visit to Heat
For the third time in less than two weeks, the Toronto Raptors will play the Miami Heat.,So far, each team has won on its home court, which may bode well for Miami as it plays host Thursday.,The Raptors, who have lost three straight games overall, are just 1-11 on the road. Their only road win was a...
LeBron James “Taking Some Time” Away From Los Angeles Lakers, Should Be Traded
LeBron James is taking some time away from the Los Angeles Lakers, and he should spend this time identifying trade scenarios to get him away from the 8th seed in the West....

Celtics host Pistons looking to avoid first back-to-back losses
The Boston Celtics will be looking to avoid losing back-to-back games for the first time this season when they face the visiting Detroit Pistons on Thursday.,The Celtics haven't played since they dropped a 127-121 decision to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday at home. Boston overcame a 14-point seco...

Cavaliers F Max Strus (ankle) to make season debut Friday
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Max Strus is expected to make his season debut on Friday after battling an ankle injury, RG first reported Tuesday. ,The Cavaliers, 21-4 without Strus, host the Washington Wizards on Friday. Strus will play barring any setbacks, ESPN added Wednesday.,Strus injured the ank...

Rockets owner up for Trump appointment; eyeing NFL's Saints
Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta reportedly is in line to become the next U.S. ambassador to Italy.,President-elect Donald Trump is expected to appoint the 67-year-old billionaire businessman to the post, according to a CBS News report on Tuesday.,If he is nominated by Trump and confirmed by th...

Raptors F Scottie Barnes (ankle) out at least one week
Toronto Raptors swingman Scottie Barnes will be sidelined at least one week with a sprained right ankle, the team confirmed Wednesday.,Barnes, 23, sustained the injury midway through the third quarter in Monday night's 113-108 home loss to the New York Knicks. X-rays were negative and further imagin...
AJ Dybantsa to BYU Shows NIL Is Out of Control in College Sports
Projected 2026 NBA Draft No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa signed with the BYU Cougars on First Take, proving that NIL is out of control in the landscape of college sports....
Awards, Not Cups, Only Motivation for NBA Stars
NBA superstars care about winning awards, such as MVP, much more than they care about winning the Emirates NBA Cup banner for their team....

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder oust Mavs in NBA Cup
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 118-104 win over the visiting Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the NBA Cup.,Oklahoma City will play the Warriors or Rockets in Las Vegas on Saturday, with the winner advancing ...

Defense guides Thunder to NBA Cup win over Mavs
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 118-104 win over the visiting Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the NBA Cup. ,Oklahoma City will play the Warriors or Rockets in Las Vegas on Saturday, with the winner advancing...

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks edge Magic, advance in NBA Cup
Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 37 points to lead Milwaukee to a 114-109 win over the visiting Orlando Magic on Tuesday, advancing the Bucks to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas.,Damian Lillard tied the game at 106 a piece with a step-back 3-pointer with 52.2 seconds to go, then gave Milwaukee the l...

Rockets hope to have Fred VanVleet vs. Warriors in NBA Cup quarterfinals
The Rockets are well aware of what veteran guard Fred VanVleet provides, particularly his ability to score and distribute the basketball without committing turnovers.,When VanVleet is unavailable, the Rockets remain a work in progress. But Houston took a step forward on Sunday when VanVleet was side...

Garden enemy Trae Young out to shoot Hawks past Knicks in NBA Cup
No current member of the New York Knicks was with the team in 2021, when the Knicks suffered a five-game loss to the Atlanta Hawks in an Eastern Conference first-round series.,But Trae Young is still with the Hawks, which should be more than enough to ensure Wednesday's NBA Cup quarterfinal clash be...

Karl-Anthony Towns takes over late, Knicks top Raptors
Karl-Anthony Towns scored the go-ahead layup in the final minute and had 24 points and 15 rebounds as the visiting New York Knicks defeated the Toronto Raptors 113-108 on Monday night.,Towns followed his key basket with a 3-pointer to clinch New York's fifth win in its past six games.,Mikal Bridges ...