Basketball Page 308 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
76ers spoil Celtics' Christmas with 118-114 win
Tyrese Maxey collected 33 points and 12 assists to lead the visiting Philadelphia 76ers to a 118-114 victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.,The 76ers received 27 points and nine rebounds from Joel Embiid and 23 points from Caleb Martin, who made 7 of 9 3-point attempts.,The Celtics, who trail...
Rockets getting lift from different players while Pelicans seek spark
The Houston Rockets have won three straight games and five of their last six.,The New Orleans Pelicans have lost seven games in a row and have just five victories this season.,The team with the second-best record in the Western Conference will visit the team with the worst record in the conference o...
Feeling a holiday snub, Bucks to face Nets next
After having Christmas Day off for the first time in seven seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks will face the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.,Milwaukee players expressed surprise after the Bucks were not selected to play on the holiday. After all, the Bucks were the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference ...
Wizards host Hornets in a matchup of win-starved teams
The NBA highlighted its marquee teams over a five-game Christmas television slate on Wednesday.,Not among those teams were the Washington Wizards or the Charlotte Hornets, who have 11 wins between them. Instead, the bottom two teams in the Southeast Division will meet Thursday night in Washington.,C...
Raptors well aware of challenge Morant, Grizzlies pose
Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic knows firsthand the impact Ja Morant has on the Memphis Grizzlies.,When the visiting Raptors play the Grizzlies on Thursday night, Rajakovic will return to the arena he called home for three seasons as a Memphis assistant coach.,After a league suspension and inj...
Wolves withstand furious comeback to beat Mavericks
Anthony Edwards scored 26 points and the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves beat Dallas 105-99 on Wednesday, with the Mavericks playing the second half without star Luka Doncic after he sustained a left calf strain late in the second quarter.,Doncic suffered the non-contact injury with 2:31 left in the...
Streaking Thunder intent to show worth in clash vs. Pacers
Not getting to play on Christmas has the Oklahoma City Thunder feeling like they have something to prove when they head to Indianapolis for a meeting with the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night.,A 57-25 finish to the 2023-24 campaign that resulted in the No. 1 seed in the West wasn't enough to get Okl...
Mavs G Luka Doncic (calf) won't return against Wolves
Dallas star Luka Doncic exited the Mavericks' game against the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday in the second quarter with a left calf injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest.,Doncic came away with the non-contact injury with 2:31 remaining in the second quarter and wen...
Heat looking to avenge recent setback against Magic
After coughing up a 25-point lead to the Orlando Magic on Saturday, the Miami Heat get a shot at redemption Thursday when they hit the road.,"We owe them one," Miami guard Tyler Herro said after the Heat's 110-95 home win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.,Saturday's matchup saw Orlando lose an...
Mikal Bridges helps Knicks hold off Spurs 117-114
Mikal Bridges outdueled Victor Wembanyama in the fourth quarter Wednesday afternoon, when Bridges scored 15 points in the period to lead the host New York Knicks to a 117-114 comeback win over Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.,Bridges and Wembanyama combined to score 26 points in a fast-paced fo...
Stephen Curry says 'end is near' for career
NBA great Stephen Curry said he is appreciating his 16th season, knowing he is closing in on the end of his record-setting career.,"It's OK to accept and acknowledge that the end is near," Curry said in a clip of an interview posted to the NBA on ESPN's account on X. "But only because it allows you ...
Hawks hoping to reverse recent history with Bulls
The Atlanta Hawks will try to reverse their losing trend against Chicago on Thursday when they host the Bulls for their third meeting of the season.,The Bulls have won the first two meetings against the Hawks this season -- 125-113 in Atlanta on Nov. 9 and 136-122 in Chicago on Nov. 22. The Bulls ha...
Report: Jimmy Butler 'ready for exit' from Miami
Six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler is "ready for his exit" and prefers that the Miami Heat trade him before the Feb. 6 deadline, ESPN reported Wednesday.,Reports have been swirling for weeks regarding the 35-year-old veteran's future in Miami, where he has played since the 2019-20 season.,ESPN previousl...
Ranking 2024 NBA on Christmas Day Matchups
Adam Silver and the NBA always try to go all out on Christmas Day, so we decided to rank 2024's NBA on Christmas Day slate of matchups....
Nuggets expect tougher rematch after routing Suns to start week
The Denver Nuggets drubbed the Phoenix Suns by 27 points on Monday night.,Denver now bids to complete a sweep of a two-game set when the Nuggets and Suns reconvene on Christmas night in Phoenix.,Nuggets coach Michael Malone isn't expecting another blowout victory on Wednesday night.,"We know playing...
Lakers, Warriors enter spotlight chasing bounce-back efforts
LeBron James and Stephen Curry share the national spotlight on Christmas Day for perhaps the final time when the visiting Los Angeles Lakers square off with the Golden State Warriors in the holiday primetime showcase Wednesday night at San Francisco.,Two teams currently sitting in play-in positions ...
Pelicans' Zion Williamson (hamstring) to practice next week
New Orleans Pelicans star center Zion Williamson has started the conditioning phase of his rehab from a left hamstring strain and is expected to return to practice next week, the team announced Tuesday.,Williamson, who is considered week-to-week, has been sidelined since Nov. 6.,The two-time All-Sta...
Struggling Wolves in search of offense vs. Mavericks
The Minnesota Timberwolves could probably benefit from a holiday break to address the many issues that have led to the team's disappointing 14-14 start.,Instead, the Wolves are set to play in front of a national TV audience when they visit the surging Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.,Minnesota dropped...
Knicks look to stand tall vs. Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
The New York Knicks are no strangers to playing on Christmas Day.,But few of their holiday games have come with the anticipation that accompanies Wednesday's clash against the San Antonio Spurs.,The Knicks will look to remain hot, while second-year Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama will play at Madi...
Heat G Dru Smith (Achilles tendon) out for season
Miami Heat guard Dru Smith will miss the remainder of the season after sustaining a torn Achilles tendon.,Smith was injured on a non-contact play during Miami's 110-95 victory against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday and needed assistance to leave the court.,Smith had worked his way back into the lineup ...