Basketball Page 306 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

'Job's not finished': Liberty near first title, face Lynx in Game 4
MINNEAPOLIS -- Breanna Stewart understands the stakes. So do all of her teammates.,The New York Liberty are one win away from clinching their first WNBA championship. They will try to bring it home when they tip off against the Minnesota Lynx on Friday night in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals.,"Just knowi...

Report: Clippers' Kawhi Leonard (knee) out indefinitely
Kawhi Leonard continues to be bothered by inflammation in his right knee and will be sidelined indefinitely by the Los Angeles Clippers, ESPN reported Thursday.,The Clippers announced earlier this week that Leonard would miss the remainder of the preseason because of the lingering knee issue. Now, h...

Bulls G Lonzo Ball back at practice after emotional return
Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball participated in a light team practice Thursday, one day after he took the court for the first time in 2 1/2 years when he played in a preseason game.,Ball played 15 minutes off the bench against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, scoring 10 points on 4-of-6 shoot...

76ers rookie Jared McCain hospitalized overnight
Philadelphia 76ers rookie guard Jared McCain was hospitalized overnight after taking a hard fall in Wednesday night's preseason game against the Brooklyn Nets.,The team released a statement Thursday saying that McCain was discharged early that morning and was at home resting. ,"He will be further ev...

Thunder C Isaiah Hartenstein (hand) out at least 5-6 weeks
Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein sustained a small, non-displaced fracture in his left hand and will be re-evaluated in five-to-six weeks, the team announced Thursday.,The left-handed Hartenstein was injured during Oklahoma City's 124-94 preseason victory over the host Denver Nuggets ...
Three Things We Learned During 2024 NBA Preseason
It's hard to have too many takeaways from the NBA preseason, where starters only play a few quarters of basketball. But these three things can come with us into the regular season....
Three Teams That Could Land NBA's No. 1 Pick: Where Will Cooper Flagg Be Drafted?
Cooper Flagg is widely expected to be the 2025 NBA Draft No. 1 overall pick, and these three teams will battle to tank hard enough to land the talented youngster out of Duke....

Sabrina Ionescu's late 3 gives Liberty 2-1 Finals lead vs. Lynx
MINNEAPOLIS -- Sabrina Ionescu sank a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds remaining, lifting the New York Liberty to an 80-77 win over the Minnesota Lynx in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Wednesday night.,Ionescu's shot from 28 feet, a few steps in front of the Lynx logo at midcourt, gave New York ...

Caitlin Clark named All-WNBA first team
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark was named to the All-WNBA first team on Wednesday, becoming the first rookie in 16 years to earn the honor. ,Clark joined Napheesa Collier, league MVP A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces, Breanna Stewart and Alyssa Thomas on the first team. Wilson and Collier, the 202...

Report: Kings sign F Doug McDermott to one-year deal
The Sacramento Kings signed free agent sharpshooter Doug McDermott to a one-year deal on Wednesday, ESPN reported. ,McDermott, 32, takes the roster spot that opened up when the Kings traded Jalen McDaniels on Monday. The Kings are McDermott's seventh NBA team. ,McDermott averaged 5.5 points and 14.1...

Luka Doncic joins Mavericks in first practice since Oct. 2
Luka Doncic participated in his first practice in two weeks on Wednesday, but the forward is unlikely to play when the Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks meet in a preseason game on Thursday. ,Head coach Jason Kidd said Wednesday afternoon that Doncic did "really, really well" and is rebounding fr...

WNBA Finals Game 3: Liberty-Lynx Preview, Odds & Prediction
The Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty will battle for a 2-1 edge in the WNBA Finals when they tip off in Game 3 on Wednesday night. The teams will remain in Minneapolis for Game 4.,The Lynx erased an 18-point deficit on their way to posting a 95-93 overtime win in Game 1. The Liberty bounced back ...
2024 NBA Western Conference Predictions: Denver Nuggets No. 1 Seed, Dallas Mavericks Regress
These are our official 2024 NBA Western Conference predictions, with the Denver Nuggets finishing as the top seed, and several teams, including the Mavericks, regressing....

Breanna Stewart's wife receives anti-gay death threat
The wife of Liberty star Breanna Stewart was the target of "homophobic death threats" last week, the New York forward said Tuesday.,Marta Xargay Casademont, who married Stewart in 2021, received the threats in her personal email account. Included in one of the messages was, "I hope someone shoots yo...

Sixers star Paul George has bone bruise in left knee
Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George's worrisome left knee "checked out OK" on Tuesday, coach Nick Nurse said. ,Nurse added that the veteran forward "is OK for now" but is still awaiting further imaging results.,George was injured during the second quarter of the 76ers' 104-89 preseason victory over ...

G Scotty Pippen Jr. signs multi-year deal with Grizzlies
Guard Scotty Pippen Jr. signed a multi-year deal with the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday. ,The exact length and financial terms of the contract were not released. ,Pippen, 23, was on a two-way contract with Memphis last season, averaging 12.9 points, 4.7 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 21 games (16 starts...

With Finals tied 1-1, Lynx determined not to return to New York
MINNEAPOLIS -- Courtney Williams and her Minnesota Lynx teammates split their first two games on the road against the New York Liberty in the best-of-five WNBA Finals.,On the whole, they enjoyed the trip. They appreciated playing in New York.,But they would love it if they did not return.,The Lynx a...

Sixers coach: Paul George's knee 'checked out OK'
Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George's worrisome left knee "checked out OK" on Tuesday, coach Nick Nurse said. ,Nurse added that the veteran forward "is OK for now" but is still awaiting further imaging results.,George was injured during the second quarter of the 76ers' 104-89 preseason victory over ...
2024 NBA Eastern Conference Predictions: Boston Celtics No. 1 Seed, Detroit Pistons Make Noise
These are our official NBA Eastern Conference predictions for where each team will finish in 2024, with the Boston Celtics reclaiming the No. 1 seed in the East....

76ers star Paul George hyperextends knee in preseason game
Philadelphia star forward Paul George hyperextended his left knee during the second quarter of the 76ers' 104-89 preseason victory over the host Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.,George was on defense, matching up with Atlanta forward Jalen Johnson, when his left leg bent. He subbed out with 8:09 remai...