Basketball Page 81 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Joel Embiid shines in return as 76ers maul Bulls
Joel Embiid scored 35 points and Paul George added 28 in their returns to the lineup as the Philadelphia 76ers rolled past the visiting Chicago Bulls 157-137 on Wednesday night.,Philadelphia welcomed back Embiid (oblique), who had missed the previous 13 games, and George (suspension), who had sat ou...

Luka Doncic, Lakers start fast, cruise past Pacers
Luka Doncic scored 28 of his 43 points in the first half as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers 137-130 on Wednesday in Indianapolis.,Doncic also had seven assists and six rebounds for Los Angeles (47-26), while Austin Reaves paired 25 points with eight assists.,LeBron James flirted w...

Magic hope to shake slump and beat up on woeful Kings again
With key games against the Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks looming, the Orlando Magic hope to gain some momentum at the expense of the visiting Sacramento Kings on Thursday night.,The Magic (38-34) find themselves in the thick of a six-team battle for the final two guaranteed playoff positions in ...

Sizzling Hornets, Knicks still have work to do for playoff seeding
Ahead of their meeting on Thursday night, the Charlotte Hornets and visiting New York Knicks are playing as well as any teams in the Eastern Conference. Still, both sides have ground to make up in the congested playoff picture.,Charlotte (38-34) has continued its remarkable run as the league's bigge...

Dream to move five 2026 games into larger Hawks arena
The Atlanta Dream will move five games of the upcoming WNBA season into the Atlanta Hawks' State Farm Arena in anticipation of high ticket demand.,The Dream play most of their home games at the intimate 3,500-seat Gateway Center Arena in nearby College Park. The Hawks' home arena has a capacity of 1...
Why NBA Expansion Might Not Be the Best Look for the League Right Now
Reports suggest NBA expansion is likely, with Seattle and Las Vegas as top candidates. But is adding new teams the right move for the league amid tanking and declining ratings?...
Why the 2026 NBA Awards Could Be Vulnerable to Gambling Influence
A provocative look at the NBA Rookie of the Year race and how gambling concerns could raise questions about awards voting....

NBA gets OK to explore Las Vegas, Seattle expansion
The NBA Board of Governors gave the league approval to begin exploring bids for potential expansion teams in Las Vegas and Seattle on Wednesday.,The bidding process is expected to generate offers in the $7 billion to $10 billion range for each franchise, ESPN reported.,"Today's vote reflects our Boa...

Grizzlies G Ja Morant (elbow) out for season
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has been ruled out for the remainder of the season because of an ulnar collateral ligament sprain in his left elbow.,Morant appeared in just 20 games this season for the Grizzlies, who made the announcement on Tuesday night. The two-time All-Star sustained the injur...

Spiraling Mavericks face tall order vs. Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
The Dallas Mavericks have fallen on tough times, and their season likely won't get any easier when they visit the surging Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.,Dallas (23-49) has lost four games in a row and 23 of its last 27 to plummet firmly into a lottery position with three weeks left in the season...

Called out for leaky defense, Cavaliers take aim at Heat
The Cleveland Cavaliers have won four games in a row and sit in firm possession of fourth place in the Eastern Conference.,Still, Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson was in a foul mood Tuesday following the team's 136-131 victory over the Orlando Magic.,Cleveland will attempt to extend its winning streak...

NBA roundup: Nikola Jokic's triple-double, late shot lift Nuggets
Nikola Jokic scored 23 points in his second consecutive triple-double, and his jumper with 11.5 seconds remaining broke a tie and pushed the Denver Nuggets to a 125-123 victory over the host Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.,Jokic added 17 rebounds and tied a season high with 17 assists for his 29th triple-d...

Nikola Jokic's late hoop lifts Nuggets past Suns
Nikola Jokic scored 23 points in his second consecutive triple-double, and his jumper with 11.5 seconds remaining broke a tie and pushed the Denver Nuggets to a 125-123 victory over the host Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.,Jokic added 17 rebounds and tied a season high with 17 assists for his 29th triple-d...

NBA roundup: Hornets sink 26 treys, pummel Kings
Charlotte matched a franchise record by making 26 3-pointers, including Coby White's 6-for-8 performance off the bench, and the red-hot Hornets blasted the visiting Sacramento Kings 134-90 on Tuesday.,The Hornets earned its fourth consecutive win -- all of which have come by double digits -- and the...

Donovan Mitchell puts up 42 as Cavaliers best Magic
Donovan Mitchell scored 16 of his 42 points in the third quarter and James Harden had 26 points and seven assists, lifting the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 136-131 victory over the visiting Orlando Magic on Tuesday night.,Evan Mobley made all eight of his field-goal attempts and finished with 19 points,...

Jalen Brunson, Knicks push past Pelicans for 7th straight win
Jalen Brunson scored 32 points, Karl-Anthony Towns produced a double-double and the New York Knicks won their seventh consecutive game, defeating the visiting New Orleans Pelicans 121-116 on Tuesday night.,Towns finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks (48-25). OG Anunoby also scored 2...

Wolves, winning without Anthony Edwards, take on Rockets next
Bones Hyland is stepping up at the perfect time for the Minnesota Timberwolves.,Hyland will aim to maintain his hot shooting when Minnesota tips off against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night in Minneapolis. The teams are separated by a half-game in the Western Conference standings as the playof...

Hornets tie franchise record with 26 3s, crush Kings
Charlotte matched a franchise record by making 26 3-pointers, including Coby White's 6-for-8 performance off the bench, and the red-hot Hornets blasted the visiting Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, 134-90.,Charlotte (38-34) earned its fourth consecutive win -- all of which have come by double digits -- ...

Blazers' Toumani Camara gushes over career night; Bucks gashed by NBPA for tanking
Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara put on the greatest shooting exhibition in his career Monday night and described it as an out-of-body experience.,"I was feeling like Damian Lillard," Camara said of the injured Portland star known for his long-range shooting.,Only it really was Camara establishi...

Contending Raptors, Clippers out to boost playoff positioning
The Toronto Raptors close out a pivotal, five-game road trip on Wednesday against a Los Angeles Clippers team jockeying for positioning in the Western Conference postseason race. ,Toronto (40-31) can finish on the right side of .500 to conclude its swing, coming into Los Angeles off a 143-127 win on...