Basketball Page 343 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Luka Doncic fuels Mavs past Clippers for 2-1 series lead
Luka Doncic had 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to help the Dallas Mavericks beat the visiting Los Angeles Clippers 101-90 in Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series Friday night....

Tyrese Haliburton lifts Pacers over Bucks for 2-1 series edge
Tyrese Haliburton converted a three-point play with 1.6 seconds left in overtime, lifting the Indiana Pacers to a 121-118 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series in Indianapolis....

Five-star freshman Liam McNeeley commits to UConn
Five-star wing Liam McNeeley, one of the best available high school prospects in the Class of 2024, announced Friday he will join two-time defending champion UConn....

Reports: San Diego State G Lamont Butler transferring to Kentucky
Lamont Butler, who starred for San Diego State in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, will play his final year of college basketball at Kentucky, multiple reports said Friday....

Nuggets on verge of sweeping Lakers for second straight season
The Denver Nuggets can wipe away one more step on their way to potential back-to-back championships when they stay on the road to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night....

Report: Juwan Howard joining Nets as assistant coach
The Brooklyn Nets are hiring Juwan Howard as an assistant coach, ESPN reported Friday....

Reports: Amazon set to become a new TV partner for NBA
The NBA television rights landscape is changing, with The Athletic reporting Friday that Amazon Prime Video has the "framework of a deal" in place with the league....

Hunter Dickinson returning to Kansas for final season
All-American center Hunter Dickinson is returning to Kansas for his final season of college eligibility in 2024-25....

Upstart Pelicans bid to make stand in Game 3 vs. Thunder
The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder had to battle to the buzzer to win their Western Conference first-round series opener against the New Orleans Pelicans....

Back in comfort zone, Magic look to even series with Cavs
The Orlando Magic hope for more home-court dominance in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of the best-of-seven set Saturday afternoon....

Bucks rule out Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) for Game 3
Milwaukee is taking the floor in Indianapolis on Friday night without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was ruled out for the sixth consecutive game with a strained left calf....

Celtics hoping to return to early form in Game 3 vs. Heat
All eyes will be on the 3-point line on Saturday when the Miami Heat host the top-seeded Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their first-round NBA playoff series....

Report: 5-star recruit Billy Richmond follows John Calipari to Arkansas
Five-star recruit Billy Richmond is following coach John Calipari to Arkansas, The Athletic reported Friday....

Alabama transfer Rylan Griffen commits to Kansas
One of the best shooters in the portal has decided to become a Jayhawk....

NBA roundup: Sixers trip Knicks behind Joel Embiid's 50
Joel Embiid set a playoff career high with 50 points to lift host Philadelphia past the New York Knicks 125-114 on Thursday, cutting the 76ers' deficit in the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series to 2-1....

Nuggets race past Lakers for 3-0 series edge
Nikola Jokic compiled 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists as the visiting Denver Nuggets moved one win away from the Western Conference semifinals with a 112-105 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday....

Joel Embiid plays through Bell's palsy: 'Pretty annoying'
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid produced his best-ever postseason performance on Thursday despite dealing with the facial condition Bell's palsy....

Joel Embiid's 50 points power 76ers to Game 3 win vs. Knicks
Joel Embiid set a playoff career-high with 50 points to lift the host Philadelphia 76ers past the New York Knicks 125-114 to cut the Eastern Conference first round series deficit in half on Thursday....

Magic crush Cavaliers to halve series deficit to 2-1
Paolo Banchero collected 31 points and 14 rebounds to fuel the host Orlando Magic to a convincing 121-83 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series....

Suns return home in critical situation against series-leading Wolves
Fans in Minneapolis made it clear that they don't expect to see the Phoenix Suns in town again until sometime next season....