Basketball Page 260 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Magic clinch No. 7 seed with easy win over shorthanded Celtics
Franz Wager scored 23 points and Cole Anthony finished with 18 as the Orlando Magic extended their winning streak to four games by earning a 96-76 home victory against the undermanned Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.,Wagner has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 12 games. Anthony and Wa...

Playoff positioning stakes remain sky-high as Grizzlies host Timberwolves
If the Memphis Grizzlies want to avoid falling into the NBA's postseason play-in tournament -- for those teams finishing seventh through 10th in the Western Conference -- the instructions are clear cut.,Close the season with three consecutive wins.,The Grizzlies (47-32) play visiting Minnesota (46-3...

Nuggets begin post-Malone era trying not to fall apart vs. Kings
Following Tuesday's stunning removal of head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth, the Denver Nuggets are on the road Wednesday to face the Sacramento Kings with interim coach David Adelman overseeing the final three games of their regular season.,A four-game losing streak dropped D...

Report: Kings G Malik Monk (calf) out at least 2 weeks
The Sacramento Kings will be without guard Malik Monk for the remaining three games of the regular season and into the postseason because of a left calf strain, ESPN reported on Wednesday evening.,Monk, 27, will be re-evaluated in two weeks, per the report, which covers the Kings' entry into the pla...

NBA rescinds second technical on Luka Doncic against Thunder
The NBA on Wednesday rescinded the second technical which led to Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic's ejection in a road loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.,The foul, which came at 7:40 of the fourth quarter and the Lakers leading 108-107, was "rescinded upon league office review," ...

76ers G Tyrese Maxey (finger) to miss rest of season
Philadelphia star guard Tyrese Maxey will miss the remainder of the season after reinjuring his sprained right finger, causing pain and swelling, the 76ers announced Wednesday.,A recent MRI confirmed the extent of the injury that occurred as Maxey was ramping up an attempt to return to play before t...

Surging, energized Bucks host floundering Pelicans
The Milwaukee Bucks are playing some of their basketball of the season as the start of the postseason looms.,The Bucks have won five games in a row as they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night. It matches their longest win streak since a season-best seven-game streak from mid-November unt...

With 3 games left, Cavaliers and Pacers still have goals to reach
The red-hot Indiana Pacers are searching for their fifth consecutive win Thursday, hosting a Cleveland Cavaliers team that has been the dominant force in the Eastern Conference all season.,The Cavaliers (63-16) clinched the No. 1 seed in the East by beating the Chicago Bulls 135-113 on Tuesday. If C...

Grizzlies’ Jaylen Wells discharged from hospital
Memphis Grizzlies rookie forward Jaylen Wells has been discharged from a Charlotte-area hospital after being stretchered off the floor following a hard fall in Tuesday night's game, his agent told ESPN on Wednesday. ,Wells also suffered a broken wrist that will end his season, postseason included. ,...

Hawks looking to get defensive against Nets
Piling up points is not necessarily the problem for the Atlanta Hawks. Stopping their opponents is another story.,While the Hawks are securely into one of the four play-in spots in the Eastern Conference, they would like to show some kind of improvement on the defensive end when they visit the Brook...

LeBron James enters Barbie's world with new doll
Watch out, Ken. LeBron James is moving into the Barbie universe as Mattel prepares to launch a new doll in the likeness of the NBA great.,James was chosen as the brand's first "Kenbassador" due to his "positive impact on culture, style and community" for the last two decades, the company said Wednes...

Knicks visit slumping Pistons, look to clinch No. 3 seed
The New York Knicks visit Detroit on Thursday to face the Pistons. Chances are, the Knicks will be making a return trip very soon.,The two Eastern Conference teams likely are to face each other in the first round of the playoffs. ,The Knicks (50-29) currently hold the third seed by two games over In...

Dream G Holly Winterburn to miss season due to injury
Atlanta Dream guard Holly Winterburn will miss the entire 2025 WNBA season due to an unspecified injury, the team announced this week.,The Great Britain native signed a training camp contract with Atlanta in early February and currently is playing with Besiktas JK in Turkey's Super League.,The Dream...

With postseason hopes fading, Suns look to end skid vs. Thunder
The Phoenix Suns' backs are against the wall.,Reaching the Western Conference play-in tournament is a long shot, but now the Suns' margin for error is gone.,Phoenix enters Wednesday night's home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder three games behind the Dallas Mavericks for the No. 10 spot in the...

Playoff implications abound as Clippers host Rockets
With hopes of finishing as high as fourth place in the Western Conference and earning home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, the Los Angeles Clippers will take one more step toward that goal when they host the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. ,The Clippers (47-32) have won 15 of their...

Warriors battling for playoff position; Spurs heading toward lottery
The Golden State Warriors finally will catch a break in the schedule, and at an opportune time, when they host the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night in San Francisco.,The Warriors (47-32) climbed into a four-way tie for fourth place in the Western Conference with a 133-95 shellacking of the Phoen...

Heat, Bulls tangle in Chicago with play-in seeding a focus
The Miami Heat have ended the Chicago Bulls' past two seasons with victories in the final round of the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.,As the play-in-bound rivals jockey for seeding during Wednesday night's matchup in Chicago, they realize their meeting could precede a rematch next week.,"Thi...

Lakers' Luka Doncic expects emotional evening in his return to Dallas
The eyes of the basketball world will be on Dallas on Wednesday night when Luka Doncic visits for the first time since the Mavericks and Lakers pulled off a blockbuster trade on Feb. 2 to send the superstar guard to Los Angeles.,Anthony Davis, the other centerpiece of the trade, will make his Maveri...

Raptors close home schedule vs. Hornets, feel optimistic about future
The Toronto Raptors are out of the playoff picture, but there is a feeling of optimism about the future as they complete their home schedule Wednesday night against the Charlotte Hornets.,Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said he is impressed by the players' approach and energy in what has been a learni...

Woeful Wizards, 76ers hope to end season on positive notes
Give Lonnie Walker IV credit for repeatedly looking for a positive in an otherwise negative season for the Philadelphia 76ers.,With losses in 12 games in a row and in 27 of their past 30, the 76ers (23-56) will attempt to stop the skid on Wednesday night when they visit the Wizards (17-62) in Washin...