Basketball Page 465 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Bucks, Thunder both have playoff goals in sights
The Milwaukee Bucks had a rough stretch in the wake of their dominating win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 24....

Nuggets visit Spurs, look to pull closer to West crown
The Denver Nuggets will look to move closer to securing the top seed in the West when they travel to San Antonio to battle the short-handed Spurs on Friday in the penultimate game of the regular season for both teams....

Lakers face Grizzlies with chance to catch Kings in standings
LeBron James isn't dwelling on the missed opportunities that have the Los Angeles Lakers jockeying for a better seed in the Western Conference play-in tournament....

Heat have slim chance to improve playoff positioning vs. Raptors
The Miami Heat close the regular season with two games against the struggling Toronto Raptors, but that good fortune is unlikely to help them land an automatic playoff spot in the Eastern Conference....

Houston consensus All-American Jamal Shead declares for NBA draft
Houston consensus All-American point guard Jamal Shead said Thursday that he's entering the 2024 NBA Draft....

Joel Embiid ramping up as 76ers clash with Magic
Even though he's still trying to get back up to speed following a 29-game absence, Joel Embiid intends to do everything in his power to guarantee the Philadelphia 76ers a spot in the postseason....

Reports: Tennessee's Jonas Aidoo enters portal, declares for draft
Tennessee big man Jonas Aidoo will enter the transfer portal and declare for the NBA Draft, according to reports on Thursday....

Pacers, Cavaliers clash in key Eastern Conference matchup
Two Central Division rivals face off for the last time in the regular season on Friday when the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Indiana Pacers in a game with major postseason seeding implications....

Hawks F Jalen Johnson (ankle) finished for regular season
Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson's breakout season is over due to a nagging ankle injury....

Reports: Scott Drew spurns Kentucky, will stay at Baylor
Baylor basketball coach Scott Drew passed on the job at Kentucky, choosing to stay in Waco, multiple outlets reported Thursday....

Iowa to retire Caitlin Clark's No. 22
Iowa will retire the No. 22 jersey of Caitlin Clark, college basketball's all-time leading scorer in Division I....

NBA roundup: Nuggets get past Wolves, sit alone atop West
Nikola Jokic scored 24 of his game-high 41 points in the second half as the host Denver Nuggets took sole possession of first place in the Western Conference with a 116-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday....

Devin Booker, Suns pull away from Clippers
Devin Booker scored 16 of his 37 points in the first quarter, Bradley Beal added 26 points and the visiting Phoenix Suns ended a two-game skid with a 124-108 victory over the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday....

Nuggets take control of West race with win over Wolves
Nikola Jokic scored 24 of his game-high 41 points in the second half as the host Denver Nuggets took sole possession of first place in the Western Conference with a 116-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday....

Pelicans try to pull away in crowded West, battle Kings
The New Orleans Pelicans get to sample possible play-in opponents when they wrap up the regular season with three straight games against Western Conference foes, beginning with a visit to Sacramento to take on the Kings on Thursday night....

Warriors out to improve playoff positioning in Portland
The Golden State Warriors are running out of time to qualify for the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game in the Western Conference play-in tournament....

Minus 2 key players, Bucks still handle Magic
Bobby Portis finished with 30 points, nine boards and five steals, and Damian Lillard added 29 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 117-99 win over the visiting Orlando Magic on Wednesday night....

Tara VanDerveer on retirement: 'Just felt I am ready'
Legendary women's basketball coach Tara VanDerveer said Wednesday that her recent retirement announcement wasn't the first time she thought about making that decision....

Thunder crush short-handed Spurs
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points to lead the host Oklahoma City Thunder to a 127-89 blowout win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night....

Dennis Schroder comes up big late as Nets slip past Raptors
Dennis Schroder scored 15 fourth-quarter points to ignite Brooklyn to push past visiting Toronto, 106-102, on Wednesday night....