Basketball Page 253 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

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...

Heat stroll past Bulls, earn crack at Hawks in play-in
Tyler Herro scored 38 points to pace the visiting Miami Heat to a 109-90 wire-to-wire victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday in an Eastern Conference play-in game.,Herro made all eight of his shots in the first half and finished 13-for-19 from the floor, including 3-for-7 from 3-point range. He...

After 3 regular-season losses to Bulls, Heat stop them in play-in
Tyler Herro scored 38 points to pace the visiting Miami Heat to a 109-90 wire-to-wire victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday in an Eastern Conference play-in game.,Herro made all eight of his shots in the first half and finished 13-of-19 from the floor -- including 3-of-7 from 3-point range. He...

Pelicans tab Joe Dumars as EVP of basketball operations
The New Orleans Pelicans announced Hall of Famer Joe Dumars as their executive vice president of basketball operations Wednesday.,Dumars, 61, has been the NBA's executive vice president and head of basketball operations since 2022. He replaces David Griffin, who was fired Monday after a six-year sti...
Play-in Jimmy, Playoff Steph: Golden State Warriors Are Built for This
Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler combined for 75 points to push the Warriors past the Grizzlies and into a first-round showdown with the Rockets....
Why the Denver Nuggets Are About To Get Bounced From NBA Playoffs
Just a few weeks after firing head coach Mike Malone, the Denver Nuggets have a difficult first-round matchup in the NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers....

Warriors hold off Grizzlies, nab West's No. 7 seed
Jimmy Butler III scored 38 points and Stephen Curry added 37 and the Golden State Warriors earned the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs with a 121-116 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in round on Tuesday night at San Francisco.,Curry drained six 3-pointers and hit all 13 of...