Basketball Page 30 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Lakers' vets paving way for series sweep over Rockets
The two elder statesmen of the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James and Marcus Smart, had shouldered the load of a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback against the Houston Rockets in Game 3 of that first-round series, performing with the ideal blend of poise and desperation., ,In the aftermath of the Lakers...
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pours in 42 points as Thunder beats Suns
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a playoff career-high 42 points to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 121-109 road win over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday.,The reigning Most Valuable Player finished 15 of 18 from the floor with eight assists to give the Thunder a commanding 3-0 lead in their first-rou...
Magic withstand Pistons’ rally to gain 2-1 series lead
Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane scored 25 points apiece as the Orlando Magic withstood a fourth-quarter rally to beat the visiting Detroit Pistons 113-105 on Saturday in Game 3 of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series., ,Detroit trailed 96-79 with 8:34 remaining before Cade Cunningham'...
Magic withstand Pistons’ rally to gain series lead
Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane scored 25 points apiece as the Orlando Magic withstood a fourth-quarter rally to beat the visiting Detroit Pistons 113-105 on Saturday in Game 3 of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series., ,Detroit trailed 96-79 with 8:34 remaining before Cade Cunningham'...
Backcourt play re-energizes Spurs against Blazers heading into Game 4
Guards Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper helped the San Antonio Spurs overcome the absence of Victor Wembanyama and regain the upper hand in their Western Conference first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers.,The young duo may face the tall task of playing without the 7-foot-4 superstar on...
Raptors 'expect the unexpected' from Cavaliers in Game 4
The Toronto Raptors understand they must be ready for anything Sunday afternoon when they attempt to even their Eastern Conference first-round series with the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers.,The Cavaliers hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series after the Raptors' 126-104 home victory in Game 3 on ...
What the NBA Draft Should Learn From the 2026 NFL Draft
Breaking down what went wrong with the NFL Draft telecast and how the NBA can avoid similar mistakes....
NBA roundup: Lakers rally for OT win, 3-0 lead on Rockets
LeBron James and Marcus Smart recorded double-doubles as the Los Angeles Lakers took a stranglehold on their first-round playoff series against the host Houston Rockets with a 112-108 overtime victory in Game 3 on Friday.,After James (29 points, 13 rebounds) forced OT with a 3-pointer, Smart scored ...
Stephon Castle, Wemby-less Spurs snag series edge against Blazers
Stephon Castle hit for 33 points and rookie reserve Dylan Harper added career bests of 27 points and 10 boards as the visiting San Antonio Spurs roared back to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 120-108 on Friday in Game 3 of a first-round Western Conference playoff series.,San Antonio erased a 15-poin...
Lakers pull out OT win over Rockets, move to verge of sweep
LeBron James and Marcus Smart recorded double-doubles as the Los Angeles Lakers took a stranglehold on their first-round playoff series against the host Houston Rockets with a 112-108 overtime victory in Game 3 on Friday.,After James (29 points, 13 rebounds) forced OT with a 3-pointer, Smart scored ...
Spurs C Victor Wembanyama (concussion) out for Game 3 vs. Portland
Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama will miss Game 3 of San Antonio's first-round playoff series against the host Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night as he remains in concussion protocol.,Wembanyama sustained a concussion in the second quarter of Tuesday's second game of the series. He did not re...
Celtics eke out Game 3 win vs. Sixers, regain series lead
Jayson Tatum scored 11 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter as the visiting Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 108-100 on Friday in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series., ,Jaylen Brown matched Tatum with 25 points, while Payton Pritchard added 15 points for the second-seeded Celt...
Duke F Cameron Boozer declares for NBA Draft
Standout Duke freshman Cameron Boozer, the 2025-26 Naismith National Player of the Year, declared for the 2026 NBA Draft Friday night.,He announced the news on his Instagram account with the caption, "Thank you for everything @dukeuniversity. Duke Blue forever.",The son of former Duke star Carlos Bo...
Hawks' Nickeil Alexander-Walker named Most Improved Player
Nickeil Alexander-Walker became the second straight Atlanta Hawks player to be named the NBA's Most Improved Player when he was announced as the winner on Friday.,Alexander-Walker, 27, is just the third player in league history to win the award in his seventh season or later, joining Julius Randle (...
Nuggets feel 'urgency' down 2-1 in series against Timberwolves
Nikola Jokic has played in enough best-of-seven showdowns in the playoffs to know that he and his teammates can overcome a 2-1 series deficit.,But they better respond quickly, he said.,"The next one is a really important game for us," Jokic said. "We've got to get out there with urgency and play muc...
Rockets star Kevin Durant (ankle) ruled out for Game 3 vs. Lakers
Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant is set to miss his second game of the Western Conference first-round playoff series against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.,Less than 90 minutes before tipoff of Game 3 on Friday night in Houston, the Rockets ruled out Durant due to a left ankle sprain. He ...
Thunder must adjust without Jalen Williams in Game 3 vs. Suns
After being without him for much of the regular season, the Oklahoma City Thunder will once again have to adjust to playing without Jalen Williams.,One of the Thunder's primary ballhandlers, Williams suffered a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in Wednesday's Game 2 win over the Phoenix Suns in their We...
Arizona F Koa Peat to pursue dream, declares for NBA draft
Arizona forward Koa Peat announced on Instagram Friday that he has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft.,"Playing in the NBA has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid," Peat wrote. "With that being said, after a lot of thought and conversations with the people closest to me, I'm excited to announ...
Pistons look to carry momentum into Game 3 vs. Magic
The Detroit Pistons almost were unrecognizable for the first six quarters of their first-round series against the Orlando Magic, but that all changed in the span of about eight minutes.,The top-seeded Pistons appear to have finally settled in as they head into Game 3 against the eighth-seeded Magic ...
Report: North Carolina C Henri Veesaar to enter NBA draft
North Carolina center Henri Veesaar is entering the NBA Draft, CBS Sports reported on Friday.,The Raleigh News & Observer reported that Veesaar informed new head coach Michael Malone and his staff on Thursday evening that he would not return for his senior season.,Veesaar, who is projected to be a l...