Basketball Page 34 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Defense fuels Thunder's Game 1 blowout of Suns
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 119-84 blowout of the visiting Phoenix Suns on Sunday in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series.,Gilgeous-Alexander was just 5 of 18 from the field but went 15 of 17 from the free-throw line. He also finis...

Hawks crave better effort in bid to tie series with Knicks
There was no secret to what the New York Knicks were going to do Saturday night in the opening game of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.,Nor do the Atlanta Hawks expect there to be any mystery Monday night.,The Knicks will look to take a commanding lead in first-round clash Monday night, when th...

Timberwolves look to shake off rust in Game 2 vs. Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets' halftime adjustments in Game 1 on Saturday spurred them to a 116-105 win over Minnesota. Now, it's the visiting Timberwolves' turn to adjust for Game 2 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series on Monday night.,Minnesota missed 14 of its first 16 shots in the third quarter,...

Celtics storm to early lead, roll past 76ers in series opener
Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 26 points and Jayson Tatum added 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Boston Celtics to a 123-91 victory over the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series., ,Sam Hauser made 4 of 6 attempts fro...
Best College Basketball Transfer Portal Players Still Available
A breakdown of the top college basketball players still available in the transfer portal....
Which NBA Playoffs Game 1 Loser Is Most Likely To Win Their Series?
Breaking down NBA teams that still have a chance to win their series after Game 1 losses....

Cavs guard duo out for even more in Game 2 vs. Raptors
The Cleveland Cavaliers' starting backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden lived up to the hype in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first round series against the Toronto Raptors.,Mitchell scored 32 points in 31 minutes, and Harden dissected the defense for 22 points and 10 assists, leading ...

NBA roundup: Luke Kennard's 27 sparks Lakers past Rockets in Game 1
Luke Kennard scored 27 points and LeBron James added 19 points with 13 assists as the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers earned a 107-98 victory over the visiting Houston Rockets on Saturday in Game 1 of a Western Conference first-round playoff series.,Deandre Ayton scored 19 points with 11 rebounds an...

Luke Kennard scores 27, Lakers take Game 1 against Rockets
Luke Kennard scored 27 points and LeBron James added 19 points with 13 assists as the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers earned a 107-98 victory over the visiting Houston Rockets on Saturday in Game 1 of a Western Conference first-round playoff series.,Deandre Ayton scored 19 points with 11 rebounds an...

Rockets open series vs. Lakers without star Kevin Durant (knee)
Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant was ruled out for the playoff series opener against the host Los Angeles Lakers because of a right knee injury, coach Ime Udoka said before the game on Saturday.,"He bumped a knee in practice on Wednesday," Udoka said. "Hopefully, it's a one-game thing, but he tried...

Knicks use third-quarter spurt to down Hawks in Game 1
Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to start the decisive third-quarter run for the host New York Knicks, who pulled away for a 113-102 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series Saturday night.,Game 2 of the best-of-seve...

Nikola Jokic posts triple-double as Nuggets outlast Wolves in Game 1
Nikola Jokic had 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, Jamal Murray scored a game-high 30 points and the host Denver Nuggets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-105 on Saturday to take a 1-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.,Murray was perfect from the line, hitting a car...

Nikola Jokic posts triple-double as Nuggets outlast Timberwolves
Nikola Jokic had 25 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, Jamal Murray scored 30 points, and the host Denver Nuggets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-105 on Saturday to take a 1-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.,Murray was perfect from the line, hitting a career-high 16...

Blazers face Victor Wembanyama, Spurs to open playoffs
The Portland Trail Blazers will get their first look of the season at erstwhile league MVP candidate Victor Wembanyama when they travel to San Antonio to play the Spurs on Sunday in their opening game of the first round playoff series.,The Trail Blazers (42-40) clinched the seventh seed and a meetin...

Donovan Mitchell nets 32 as Cavaliers overpower Raptors
Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points and James Harden added 22 points and 10 assists, powering the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 126-113 victory over the visiting Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first round series Saturday.,Max Strus had 24 points off the bench and Evan Mobley scored 1...

Fresh off play-in win, Suns take on top-seeded Thunder
The Phoenix Suns come into their first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder with some momentum after knocking off the Golden State Warriors in the play-in finale Friday to earn the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.,The Thunder haven't played in a week heading into Sunday's Game 1 of th...

'Underappreciated' Pistons open playoffs against Magic
The Detroit Pistons had the best record in the Eastern Conference for most of the season. They ride into the playoffs as the conference's top seed after winning 60 games.,There's still plenty of doubt whether the Pistons can live up to that status. Boston, with star forward Jayson Tatum back in acti...
Three NBA Playoff Teams Likely to Be Eliminated Early
Breaking down three NBA teams that could be eliminated early in the 2026 playoffs, including the Lakers and 76ers....

Thunder open NBA playoffs as heavy favorites to repeat
The Oklahoma City Thunder are overwhelming favorites to repeat as NBA champions.,Led by reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder are listed at +110 to win the NBA Finals per DraftKings and +115 per BetMGM.,Oklahoma City finished the regular season with an NBA-best 64-18 record.,The Vict...

Celtics, 76ers renew acquaintances in series opener
Although the Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers met four times during the regular season, each team will have a different look Sunday afternoon when they meet in Boston for Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series., ,Boston and Philadelphia split their four games in the regular season, but ...