NBA Page 14 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Clippers, Trail Blazers duke it out for No. 8 seed
Jockeying for positioning in the Western Conference play-in round hits the home stretch on Friday when the Portland Trail Blazers welcome the Los Angeles Clippers for a crucial showdown.,Los Angeles (41-39) heads into its final two games of the regular season with a one-game lead over Portland (40-4...

Josh Hart's clutch shooting lifts Knicks over Celtics
Josh Hart had 26 points and Jalen Brunson added 25 points and 10 assists as the New York Knicks extended their home winning streak to six games by beating the visiting Boston Celtics 112-106 Thursday night.,Boston (54-26) was within three points, 109-106, after a Nikola Vucevic basket with 35.6 seco...

Obi Toppin's big game guides Pacers past Nets in also-ran matchup
Reserve Obi Toppin collected a season-high 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds as the Indiana Pacers seized control in the first quarter and rolled to an 123-94 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday in New York.,The game featured teams with the NBA's second- and third-worst records.,The Pacers ...

Brandon Ingram nets 38 as Raptors sweep four games from Heat
Brandon Ingram scored 23 of his 38 points in the first half Thursday night and the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Miami Heat 128-114.,The Raptors (45-35) swept the four-game season series with the Heat (41-39) and moved one-half game ahead of Orlando and into sixth place in the Eastern Confer...

Tre Jones helps Bulls beat Wizards for second time in 3 days
Tre Jones scored 31 points, Collin Sexton had 27 and Leonard Miller recorded a career-high 26, fueling the visiting Chicago Bulls to a 119-108 victory over the Washington Wizards on Thursday.,Jones sank 9 of 14 shots from the floor and all 12 of his attempts from the free-throw line for the Bulls (3...

Grizzlies offer chance for slumping Jazz to play different tune
The Utah Jazz have shown flashes of potential and competitiveness during its current 10-game losing streak. But the lows have outnumbered the highs heading into a showdown with the Memphis Grizzlies in Salt Lake City on Friday night.,Utah hit one of those lows in a 156-137 loss to New Orleans on Tue...

Nuggets take aim at No. 3 seed in the West against Thunder
Oklahoma City wrapped up the No. 1 overall seed with a win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, making the final two games inconsequential for the reigning NBA champions.,The Denver Nuggets, on the other hand, have something to play for when they host the Thunder on Friday night.,Denver...

Spurs look to continue torrid stretch against feisty Mavericks
The San Antonio Spurs look to keep their momentum growing in preparation for the upcoming playoffs when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday in the penultimate game of the regular season for the Lone Star State rivals.,The Spurs (61-19) have won 13 of their past 14 games and have gone 29-3 since...

Hawks face pivotal clash in rematch with Cavaliers
Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley made quite a statement in the first part of the Cleveland Cavaliers' home-and-home set with the Atlanta Hawks, combining for 53 points and 26 rebounds Wednesday in a 122-116 victory.,It's now the Hawks' turn to host. And there is significantly more pressure on them a...

After February brawl, Hornets and Pistons set for late-season rematch
The Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets face each other Friday for the first time in more than two months in a game that will likely draw the attention of both teams.,It will mark the first time the teams meet since a brawl that resulted in four player ejections and a later ejection of Charlotte c...

NBA clears Kings, says coach made mistake vs. Warriors
The NBA announced Thursday that Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie made an honest mistake in his team's loss to the Golden State Warriors.,The league was investigating Christie after he instructed forward Doug McDermott to intentionally foul Warriors guard Seth Curry with his team leading by ...

76ers C Joel Embiid (appendicitis) out vs. Rockets
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with appendicitis and will undergo surgery on Thursday afternoon in Houston, the team announced.,Embiid initially was ruled out for the game against the Rockets on Thursday night due to an illness.,The eighth-place 76ers (43-36) remain in a ti...

NBA fines Magic $25K for violating injury reporting rules
The Orlando Magic were fined $25,000 by the NBA on Thursday for violating the league's injury reporting rules.,Per the NBA, the Magic failed to disclose the game availability status of guard Anthony Black prior to Monday's contest against the Detroit Pistons. Black was listed as "out" in the initial...

Lakers add big-ticket courtside seats for playoffs
The Los Angeles Lakers are making room for more movers and shakers -- and celebrities -- this playoff season.,The team announced Thursday the availability of additional floor seats, where Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington, Will Ferrell, Ice Cube, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian and fellow celebrit...

76ers C Joel Embiid (illness) out vs. Rockets
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the host Houston Rockets due to an illness.,The eighth-place 76ers (43-36) remain in a tight battle with several teams in the Eastern Conference, attempting to avoid the postseason play-in tournament. They are one f...

Rockets fight to keep win streak going, face 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...

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...
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...