Basketball Page 253 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

After rare road slip-up, Rockets try to regain form vs. Blazers
The Houston Rockets will seek to start a new road winning streak when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night.,Houston won seven straight in visiting venues before succumbing 132-127 to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday.,It also was the end of a five-game overall winning streak for th...

Thunder, without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, fall to Mavs
Kyrie Irving scored 25 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 106-98 home win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.,The Mavericks snapped a three-game losing streak, while the Thunder lost for just the second time in their past 21 games.,Oklahoma City, which came into the game having won four ...

LaMelo Ball, Hornets hand reeling Bulls another loss
LaMelo Ball had 26 points and nine assists and Mark Williams notched a double-double of 19 points and 19 rebounds to lift the visiting Charlotte Hornets to a 125-123 victory over the slumping Chicago Bulls on Friday.,Charlotte opened the fourth quarter on a 21-2 run before holding on to win consecut...

Pelicans set multiple season highs in win over Jazz
CJ McCollum scored 26 points, Zion Williamson had a double-double and the host New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Utah Jazz 136-123 on Friday night., ,Williamson finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds, Trey Murphy III and Jose Alvarado scored 19 each, Daniel Theis had a season-high 18 and Jordan Haw...

Giannis Antetokounmpo (35 points) propels Bucks past Raptors
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 35 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 130-112 win over the visiting Toronto Raptors on Friday night.,Damian Lillard added 26 points as the Bucks earned their sixth win in seven games. Bobby Portis contributed 15 off the bench while seve...

Nikola Jokic's triple-double helps Nuggets hammer Heat
Nikola Jokic posted his league-leading 17th triple-double of the season, bundling 24 points with 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the Denver Nuggets' 133-113 road win over the Miami Heat on Friday night.,Jamal Murray led all scorers with 30 points for Denver, which won for the fifth time in six games a...

Disgruntled Heat star Jimmy Butler returns in loss to Nuggets
Jimmy Butler, his seven-game suspension completed, returned to score 18 points for the Miami Heat in a 133-113 loss to the visiting Denver Nuggets on Friday night.,Less than two hours before tip-off, Butler said "I'm back" in a statement his agent Bernie O. Lee released on social media. The statemen...

Unrivaled debuts with healthy mix of WNBA stars, rule tweaks
The first game in Unrivaled history featured Skylar Diggins-Smith making the decisive shot -- even though her team was already in the lead.,That aspect is one of the many differences between the 3-on-3 women's league and traditional 5-on-5 play.,There was a swift pace to both games played during Fri...

Wolves ride Anthony Edwards' big night to big win
Anthony Edwards posted his second double-double of the season Friday night for the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves, who rode a red-hot outside shooting performance to a 116-99 win over the New York Knicks.,Edwards was 8 of 13 from 3-point land while Naz Reid drained all six of his 3-point attempts f...

Jayson Tatum, Celtics crush undermanned Magic
Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 30 points and Kristaps Porzingis finished with 23 to lead the Boston Celtics to a 121-94 victory over the visiting Orlando Magic on Friday night., ,Tatum was 12 of 21 from the field. He also had six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Porzingis was 7 of 10 on fie...

Wizards on a skid as Jordan Poole makes return to Golden State
On a quest to make his first All-Star team, Jordan Poole prepares to face his former team when the Washington Wizards visit the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night in San Francisco.,The club's first-round pick in 2019, Poole played his first four seasons for Golden State, averaging a full-season...

Disgruntled Heat star Jimmy Butler back in action vs. Nuggets
Jimmy Butler has finished a seven-game suspension and will suit up for the Miami Heat's game against the visiting Denver Nuggets on Friday night.,Less than two hours before tip-off, Butler said "I'm back" in a statement his agent Bernie O. Lee released on social media. The statement indicated it was...

Another setback for Joel Embiid as 76ers visit hot Pacers
Around the midway point of the season, the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers are clearly trending in opposite directions.,The Pacers eye their eighth win in nine games Saturday in Indianapolis when they host the scuffling Sixers, who will continue to take the court without their best player.,Phi...

Suns ready to unleash new look in test vs. Pistons
The Phoenix Suns' newest addition could make his team debut on the road against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday afternoon.,Center Nick Richards, acquired in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, is expected to suit up as the Suns continue their five-game road swing. They have won four of ...

Sixers C Joel Embiid (knee) out another 7-10 days
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will be sidelined at least another seven to 10 days with swelling in his left knee, the team announced Friday.,The former league MVP missed the past six contests with a left foot sprain and will not make the three-game road trip to Indiana (Saturday), Milwaukee ...
It Might Finally Be Time to Move on From the NBA Dunk Contest
The NBA Dunk Contest needs a major shakeup due to repetitive dunks and lackluster participants, the event has completely lost its star power in recent years and it needs changed....

Thunder look to keep pressure on vs. Mavericks
The Oklahoma City Thunder put forth a supreme effort on the front end of a back-to-back set, and they will look to play just as well on the second side when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.,Oklahoma City dismantled the visiting Cavaliers 134-114 on Thursday night and now shares the b...

Knicks C Karl-Anthony Towns questionable to face Wolves
Karl-Anthony Towns' first game in Minnesota as an opposing player reminded the Timberwolves how valuable he was during his nine seasons there.,On Friday night, the New York Knicks might join the Timberwolves in realizing just how tough it can be to win without the four-time All-Star.,New York hopes ...

Hoping to get past tumult, Lakers host hurting Nets
The Los Angeles Lakers insist they are getting their bearings again, and their next chance to show it comes with Friday's visit from the Brooklyn Nets.,Not only are the Lakers continuing to get in sync with coach JJ Redick, they still are getting settled after a tumultuous time in their city followi...

Clippers claim another easy win, blast Blazers
Norman Powell scored 23 points to help the Los Angeles Clippers complete a perfect back-to-back set with a convincing 118-89 win over the host Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.,James Harden added 19 points and six assists for Los Angeles before being rested for the entire fourth quarter for ...