Basketball Page 43 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Jalen Brunson, Knicks stand between Celtics, No. 2 seed
The Boston Celtics can clinch the No. 2 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs when they visit the New York Knicks on Thursday night.,Boston (54-25) will secure the No. 2 seed with one more victory or any New York (51-28) loss. The Knicks can finish as high as second but are also battling with Cle...
Celtics rule out star G Jaylen Brown vs. Knicks
The Boston Celtics will be without star guard Jaylen Brown on Thursday as they vie to clinch the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference against the host New York Knicks.,Brown, 29, has been ruled out for the contest due to left Achilles tendonitis, the team announced.,He boasts career-best averages in...
Report: Sky, Sparks discuss Ariel Atkins-Rickea Jackson trade
The Chicago Sky are in talks to trade two-time All-Star guard Ariel Atkins to the Los Angeles Sparks for forward Rickea Jackson, Front Office Sports reported Thursday.,Nothing has been finalized but an announcement is expected on Saturday, per the report.,Atkins, 29, averaged 13.1 points, 3.6 assist...
Why None of These NBA Play-In Teams Are True Contenders
The NBA Play-In Tournament features star power and fun matchups, but none of these teams are real contenders for a deep playoff run....
NBA roundup: Thunder again clinch top seed with win over Clippers
Chet Holmgren scored 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 20 points with 11 assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched the best record in the NBA with a 128-110 victory Wednesday over the Los Angeles Clippers in Inglewood, Calif.,Isaiah Joe scored 21 points off th...
Thunder top Clippers, clinch No. 1 seed in playoffs
Chet Holmgren scored 30 points and grabbed14 rebounds while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 20 points with 11 assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched the best record in the NBA with a 128-110 victory Wednesday over the Los Angeles Clippers in Inglewood, Calif.,Isaiah Joe scored 21 points off the...
Suns secure No. 7 seed in West with win over Mavs
Devin Booker had 37 points and nine assists, Dillon Brooks scored 28 points and made a late layup and the host Phoenix Suns held off the Dallas Mavericks 112-107 on Wednesday to clinch the seventh seed in the West playoffs.,Royce O'Neale scored 14 points and fellow reserve Collin Gillespie had 13 fo...
Bench helps Spurs top Blazers, clinch West's No. 2 seed
De'Aaron Fox poured in 25 points and San Antonio's reserves contributed 48 points as the host Spurs defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 112-101 on Wednesday.,San Antonio played without Victor Wembanyama (left rib contusion) and Stephon Castle (right knee soreness) but still had enough to outlast the...
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets overtake Grizzlies for 10th straight win
Jamal Murray scored 26 points, Nikola Jokic finished with 14 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists for his 34th triple-double of the season, and the host Denver Nuggets won their 10th in a row, 136-119, over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.,Denver (52-28) has its first double-digit winning str...
Injury-plagued Lakers look to regroup vs. Warriors
The foundation is crumbling fast around the Los Angeles Lakers, who looked like championship contenders after going 15-2 last month.,The Lakers (50-29) now find themselves pressed to find enough healthy players for their next matchup against the host Golden State Warriors (37-42) on Thursday night.,...
Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers keep Hawks from clinching playoff bid
Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points and Evan Mobley had 22 points and a career-high-tying 19 rebounds, powering the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 122-116 win over the visiting Atlanta Hawks in a potential Eastern Conference playoff preview Wednesday night.,James Harden put up 21 points on 6-of-23 field-goa...
Jalen Duren, Pistons cruise past Bucks
Jalen Duren scored 21 points with nine rebounds to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 137-111 win over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.,Detroit (58-22), already the owner of the top seed in the Eastern Conference, bounced back from a loss against Orlando on Monday and won its fourth game ...
Magic continue playoff push with win over Timberwolves
Paolo Banchero had 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Orlando Magic beat the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves 132-120 on Wednesday for their fourth consecutive victory.,Desmond Bane scored 18 points and Franz Wagner added 17 for Orlando (44-36), which moved into seventh place in the tig...
Rockets fight to keep win streak going, next take on inconsistent 76ers
In the blink of an eye, all the Houston Rockets gained during their six-game winning streak entering Tuesday seemed lost when the Phoenix Suns assertively seized momentum early with a 24-0 surge.,The Rockets had climbed to within range of the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and carved out a dec...
Young guns trying to impress as Pacers, Nets compete for lottery balls
A game between the Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets can be viewed as a race to obtain better draft lottery odds.,It can also be viewed as two teams with young players trying to make favorable impressions on teams to stay in the NBA.,Both things are factors Thursday night when the Pacers visit the Ne...
Wizards looking to snap 7-game skid, avenge recent defeat vs. Bulls
The Chicago Bulls snapped a seven-game losing streak at the expense of the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.,Losers of seven in a row themselves, the NBA-worst Wizards will love nothing more than to return the favor Thursday when the teams reconvene in Washington, D.C.,Rob Dillingham scored a career-hi...
Raptors hope to tighten hold on playoff spot with sweep of Heat
The Toronto Raptors aim to tighten their hold on a playoff spot Thursday night when they go for a sweep of the season series against the visiting Miami Heat.,Toronto earned a 121-95 home victory Tuesday in the first of back-to-back games with the Heat.,That left the Raptors (44-35) in the sixth play...
Spurs without Victor Wembanyama with Trail Blazers in town
The San Antonio Spurs will be without star center Victor Wembanyama as they look to keep alive their slim shot at home-court advantage throughout the playoffs when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday in a game with postseason implications on both sides.,The Spurs (60-19) are guaranteed...
Spurs' Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle out vs. Blazers
Spurs stars Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle were ruled out for Wednesday's home game against the Portland Trail Blazers.,Both had been listed as doubtful. Wembanyama has a left rib contusion from a collision with Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George that caused him to miss the second half of ...
Bucks coach Doc Rivers hints at potential retirement
Asked before Tuesday's game against Brooklyn about how much longer he plans to stay in coaching, Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers gave a seemingly pointed answer to his near future.,"I won't answer that, but I have grandkids that I want to see," Rivers. "I'll put it that way. And so, I'll let you fi...