NBA Page 40 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
After dominant regular season, Thunder big favorite to hold onto NBA crown
Oddsmakers really like Oklahoma City Thunder to continue their reign over the NBA and successfully defend their championship.,The Thunder, who concluded the regular season on Sunday with the league's best record at 64-18 (.780), are the clear favorite to keep the Larry O'Brien Trophy at a range of +...
NBA roundup: Raptors top Nets to earn first postseason spot since 2022
Scottie Barnes had 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists Sunday, and the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Brooklyn Nets 136-101 to clinch their first playoff spot since 2022.,In recording his third triple-double of the season and the ninth of his career, Barnes helped the Raptors (46-36) secure...
Timberwolves' reserves take spotlight in final game, beating Pelicans
Rookie big man Joan Beringer scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves held on for a 132-126 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night in Minneapolis.,Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 26 points for Minnesota (49-33), which relied on young players and reserves in its...
Ryan Nembhard totals 23 assists as Mavericks roll past Bulls
Ryan Nembhard notched the second-most assists in a game in Dallas history as the Mavericks defeated the visiting Chicago Bulls 149-128 on Sunday.,Nembhard fell narrowly short of a triple-double in the season-ending clash, chalking up 15 points, nine rebounds and 23 assists.,Only current Dallas coach...
Clippers turn back Warriors in play-in game preview
The Los Angeles Clippers sent a message to their play-in opponent Sunday night, riding Bennedict Mathurin's 20 points and a stingy defense to a 115-110 home win over the Golden State Warriors in what turned out to be an otherwise meaningless regular-season finale.,The victory allowed the Clippers (4...
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets beat Spurs for 12th straight victory
Denver's Nikola Jokic scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 18-plus minutes of court time -- all in the first half -- as the visiting Nuggets rolled to a 128-118 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday in the regular-season finale for both playoff-bound teams.,The Nuggets (54-28) clinched ...
Trail Blazers lock up No. 8 seed in West by beating Kings
Deni Avdija recorded 25 points, 10 assists and six rebounds and the Portland Trail Blazers secured the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with a 122-110 victory over the visiting Sacramento Kings in the regular-season finale for both teams.,Jrue Holiday added 23 points and seven rebounds for Portl...
Lakers empty the bench in lopsided win over lowly Jazz
Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton each posted 22-point, 10-rebound double-doubles on Sunday to help the Los Angeles Lakers earn a 131-107 victory over the visiting Utah Jazz in the regular-season finale.,LeBron James completed his 23rd regular season, finishing with 18 points in 17 minutes for the Lak...
Suns rout Thunder as reserves take center stage in finale
Jamaree Bouyea scored a career-high 27 points to help the Phoenix Suns close the regular season with a 135-103 road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.,With their playoff positions secure going into the game, both teams sat the majority of their starters and major rotational players.,The T...
Rockets rest starters, rout short-handed Grizzlies
Clint Capela produced a double-double in his third start of the season while Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard combined for 39 points as the host Houston Rockets closed the regular season with a 132-101 victory over the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.,The Rockets (52-30) concluded the schedule ...
Report: Doc Rivers out after three years as Bucks head coach
Doc Rivers is out as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, according to a Sunday night ESPN report.,Rivers has one year remaining on his $40 million contract, and the Bucks will pay the remainder of that contract. The club and Rivers and discussing a possible move to the front office for 2026-27, a...
Baylor Scheierman, Celtics top Magic, enter playoffs on winning note
Baylor Scheierman tossed in a career-high 30 points to lead the Boston Celtics to a 113-108 victory over the visiting Orlando Magic on Sunday in the final regular-season game for each team.,The Celtics (56-26), who had already secured the No. 2 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs, rested eight ...
Pistons reach 60-win plateau by racing past Pacers
The Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons closed out just the third 60-win regular season in franchise history on Sunday, leading wire-to-wire in a 133-121 defeat of the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.,With the East's No. 1 seed in the upcoming NBA Playoffs also secured, Detroit (60-22) limited...
Cavaliers rest core players, deal another defeat to Wizards
Nae'Qwan Tomlin scored a career-high 26 points and rookie Tyrese Proctor collected 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as the playoff-bound Cleveland Cavaliers beat the visiting Washington Wizards 130-117 on Sunday afternoon.,Jaylon Tyson had 18 points and rookie Tristan Enaruna had a season-be...
Raptors secure No. 5 seed with win over Nets
Scottie Barnes had 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists Sunday, and the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Brooklyn Nets 136-101 to clinch their first playoff spot since 2022.,In recording his third triple-double of the season and the ninth of his career, Barnes helped the Raptors (46-36) clinc...
76ers close regular season with 126-106 win over Bucks
Tyrese Maxey scored 16 of his team-high 21 points in the third quarter as the host Philadelphia 76ers pulled away from the Milwaukee Bucks in the second half to win 126-106 on Sunday.,Quentin Grimes had four 3-pointers and scored 20 points for Philadelphia (45-37), which won its second straight and ...
Hornets knock off Knicks to secure East’s ninth seed
Brandon Miller, LaMelo Ball and Coby White each scored 19 points as the visiting Charlotte Hornets earned the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament with a 110-96 win over the New York Knicks on Sunday.,Ball made five 3-pointers and added seven rebounds and six assists for Charlotte...
Heat rout Hawks in regular-season finale, on to Charlotte for play-in game
Bam Adebayo produced 25 points and 10 rebounds, leading the host Miami Heat to a 143-117 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night in the regular-season finale for both teams.,Miami (43-39) also got 26 points and five assists from Jaime Jaquez Jr. and 25 points from Norman Powell, who returned from...
Reports: Kings retaining coach Doug Christie for 2nd full season
Doug Christie is expected to return as head coach of the Sacramento Kings for the 2026-27 season, according to multiple media reports Sunday.,On Sunday, Christie closes out the first season of a three-year contract he signed with Sacramento on May 1. The Kings (22-59) enter the final day of the regu...
Trail Blazers can clinch No. 8 seed with win vs. Kings
The Portland Trail Blazers look to secure the No. 8 position in the Western Conference when they host the woeful Sacramento Kings on Sunday in the regular-season finale for both clubs.,The Trail Blazers put themselves in position to nab a spot in the key 7 vs. 8 play-in contest by routing the visiti...