Basketball Page 350 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Donovan Mitchell helps Cavaliers outclass Magic in opener
Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, Jarrett Allen posted a 16-point, 18-rebound double-double, and the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers led wire-to-wire to take Game 1 of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series at home against the Orlando Magic, 97-83, on Saturday....

North Carolina F Harrison Ingram declares for NBA draft
North Carolina forward Harrison Ingram announced Saturday that he is entering the NBA draft....

Heat look to set tone in opener of series vs. Celtics
The eighth-seeded Miami Heat will be in a familiar position when they go on the road to open their Eastern Conference first-round series against the top-seeded Boston Celtics on Sunday afternoon....

Western Conference betting primer: SGA, OKC look AOK
If someone says they know what will happen in the wild West during the NBA playoffs, they're lying. The stacked Western Conference playoff field can't help but offer value because the honest odds provide for a real handicapping challenge....

Pelicans cruise past Kings, claim West's No. 8 seed
Brandon Ingram recorded 24 points, six rebounds and six assists and the New Orleans Pelicans clinched the Western Conference's final playoff berth with a solid 105-98 victory over the visiting Sacramento Kings on Friday night....

Justin Pippen, son of Scottie Pippen, commits to Michigan
Justin Pippen, the youngest son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen, announced on Friday his commitment to play for Michigan....

Eastern Conference betting primer: Don't overthink on Celtics
There isn't nearly much as drama in the NBA's Eastern Conference when compared to the parity in the West, and the Boston Celtics are a deserving odds-on favorite to reach the Finals....

Heat dispose of Bulls, claim East playoff berth
Tyler Herro recorded 24 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists and the host Miami Heat punched their ticket to the playoffs with a convincing 112-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night....

Nikola Jokic, Nuggets face Lakers as quest for repeat begins
In 1985, the only thing standing between Denver and the NBA Finals were the Los Angeles Lakers. Same thing in 2009 and 2020, and each time Los Angeles ended the Nuggets' season....

Ex-Auburn guard K.D. Johnson transfers to George Mason
Former Auburn guard K.D. Johnson announced Friday on his Instagram page that he will transfer to George Mason....

Knicks set to test mettle vs. Joel Embiid, 76ers in Game 1
The best New York Knicks team in a decade was built with a Philadelphia flavor....

Timberwolves not sweating recent woes against Suns
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert isn't putting a lot of stock in his team's regular-season performance against the Phoenix Suns....

NBA Play-In: Bulls-Heat Preview, Props & Prediction
Instead of counting on Jimmy Butler to lead the team into the postseason, the Miami Heat will be in full collective-effort mode when they host the Chicago Bulls on Friday night in the loser-goes-home play-in game....

Magic-Cavaliers series features clash of similar, stingy styles
The chase for the Larry O'Brien Trophy begins in the Eastern Conference on Saturday when the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers host the No. 5 seed Orlando Magic in Game 1 of their opening-round series....

Xavier G Desmond Claude enters transfer portal
Big East Most Improved Player Desmond Claude entered the transfer portal after averaging 16.6 points at Xavier as a sophomore last season....

Duke transfer Mark Mitchell commits to Missouri
Former Duke forward Mark Mitchell is transferring to Missouri, he confirmed to 247 Sports on Friday....

ESPN ratings up for Eastern Conference play-in games
The two Eastern Conference games in the first round of the NBA play-in tournament drew record viewership, ESPN said Friday....

Report: UConn G Stephon Castle declares for NBA draft
UConn freshman Stephon Castle, who dazzled on the national stage in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament, has thrown his name into the 2024 NBA Draft, he told ESPN on Friday....

UConn F Alex Karaban to test draft, maintain eligibility
Forward Alex Karaban, a key member of UConn's back-to-back national championship teams, will test the NBA draft waters but keep his eligibility....

Reports: Ex-Georgetown G/F Dontrez Styles picks NC State
Former Georgetown guard/forward Dontrez Styles committed to transfer to North Carolina State, multiple media outlets reported on Thursday....