INSIDER
Karl-Anthony Towns scores 44 points, Knicks rally in 2nd half to beat Heat 116-107
Read full article: Karl-Anthony Towns scores 44 points, Knicks rally in 2nd half to beat Heat 116-107Karl-Anthony Towns had 44 points and 13 rebounds, Jalen Brunson scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half and the New York Knicks rallied to beat the Miami Heat 116-107 on Wednesday night.
Durant returns to practice with US basketball team, 1 week before Paris Olympics
Read full article: Durant returns to practice with US basketball team, 1 week before Paris OlympicsKevin Durant practiced with the U.S. Olympic basketball team on Friday, a major step toward getting him back on track for the Paris Games that open next week.
Kevin Durant has calf strain, USA Basketball considers him day-to-day at Olympic camp
Read full article: Kevin Durant has calf strain, USA Basketball considers him day-to-day at Olympic campKevin Durant is dealing with calf soreness that has kept him from being a full participant in USA Basketball’s training camp for the Paris Olympics, though he has assured team officials that he does not expect the issue to be a major one.
Wembanyama has 40 points, 20 rebounds, Spurs overcome Brunson's 61 points to edge Knicks in OT
Read full article: Wembanyama has 40 points, 20 rebounds, Spurs overcome Brunson's 61 points to edge Knicks in OTVictor Wembanyama had a career-high 40 points and added 20 rebounds and seven assists, and the San Antonio Spurs overcame Jalen Brunson’s career-high 61 points to beat the New York Knicks 130-126 in overtime on Friday night.
USA Basketball learns its groupings for the Paris Olympics. Tough draws await the men and women
Read full article: USA Basketball learns its groupings for the Paris Olympics. Tough draws await the men and womenUSA Basketball’s men’s team will see Serbia and South Sudan in two of its three group-stage games at the Paris Olympics, while the U.S. women will open their schedule in a gold-medal-game rematch against Japan in France.
Brunson becomes fourth Knicks player with consecutive 40-point games, leads New York past Kings
Read full article: Brunson becomes fourth Knicks player with consecutive 40-point games, leads New York past KingsJalen Brunson scored 42 points, becoming the fourth player in franchise history with 40 or more in consecutive games, and the New York Knicks beat the Sacramento Kings 98-91 on Saturday night.
Things to know about the NBA season: Lots of money, lots of talent, lots of stats
Read full article: Things to know about the NBA season: Lots of money, lots of talent, lots of statsNBA teams currently have about $4.8 billion in salary committed to players for this season, meaning the average per team is around $160 million.
BTS' Jung Kook to join Global Citizen Festival lineup to make one of his first US solo appearances
Read full article: BTS' Jung Kook to join Global Citizen Festival lineup to make one of his first US solo appearancesJung Kook of BTS will join the Global Citizen Festival lineup, making one of his first live solo appearances at the Sept. 23 benefit concert in New York’s Central Park.
So far in the Basketball World Cup, the US has shown off tons of depth
Read full article: So far in the Basketball World Cup, the US has shown off tons of depthThrough two games of this FIBA World Cup, the players who lead USA Basketball team in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocked shots all share something in common.
Nuggets make Denver a hoops town with first trip to NBA Finals in 47 years
Read full article: Nuggets make Denver a hoops town with first trip to NBA Finals in 47 yearsIt took 3,787 regular-season games and 29 trips to the playoffs, countless ripoffs of rainbow uniforms and even more ‘yeah, buts’ than any city should have to stomach.
Carmelo Anthony retires from NBA, after 19-year career, NCAA title, 3 Olympic gold medals
Read full article: Carmelo Anthony retires from NBA, after 19-year career, NCAA title, 3 Olympic gold medalsCarmelo Anthony, the star forward who led Syracuse to an NCAA championship in his lone college season and went on to spend 19 years in the NBA, announced his retirement on Monday.
Gilgeous-Alexander leads Thunder rebuild after stars exodus
Read full article: Gilgeous-Alexander leads Thunder rebuild after stars exodusShai Gilgeous-Alexander is doing his best to fasttrack the re-building schedule for the Oklahoma City Thunder after the NBA franchise lost Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Chris Paul to trades in the past seven years.
US savors World Cup berth; Carmelo Anthony named ambassador
Read full article: US savors World Cup berth; Carmelo Anthony named ambassadorUSA Basketball put together different rosters for all six World Cup qualifying windows, and coach Jim Boylen noticed the same two things with each of those groups.
LeBron James, Wade produce doc on 2008 Olympic 'Redeem Team'
Read full article: LeBron James, Wade produce doc on 2008 Olympic 'Redeem Team'A documentary on the 2008 U.S. men’s basketball team known as the “Redeem Team,” with executive producers including LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, will premiere on Netflix this fall.
Booker scores 32, Suns eliminate Lakers from playoff race
Read full article: Booker scores 32, Suns eliminate Lakers from playoff raceDevin Booker scored 32 points and the Phoenix Suns won their franchise-record 63rd game of the season, beating a Lakers team minus LeBron James 121-110 to eliminate Los Angeles from the playoff race.
Clippers edge Lakers 105-102 for 6th straight rivalry win
Read full article: Clippers edge Lakers 105-102 for 6th straight rivalry winTerance Mann had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Amir Coffey added 12 of his 14 in the fourth quarter and the Los Angeles Clippers returned from the All-Star break with a 105-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
James fuels Lakers' 4th-quarter rally over Jazz, 106-101
Read full article: James fuels Lakers' 4th-quarter rally over Jazz, 106-101LeBron James scored 15 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter as the Los Angeles Lakers rallied for a 14-point second half deficit to defeat the Utah Jazz 106-101 Wednesday night.
LeBron returns with triple-double, Lakers beat Knicks in OT
Read full article: LeBron returns with triple-double, Lakers beat Knicks in OTLeBron James returned from a five-game absence due to injury and had a triple-double of 29 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from a 21-point, second-quarter deficit, beating the New York Knicks 122-115 in overtime Saturday night.
Bridges, Hornets hold off short-handed Lakers, 117-114
Read full article: Bridges, Hornets hold off short-handed Lakers, 117-114Miles Bridges had 26 points, Ish Smith provided a huge boost off the bench with 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting and the Charlotte Hornets held off the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers 117-114 on Friday night.
James has 33, Lakers beat Nets 106-96 in Davis' return
Read full article: James has 33, Lakers beat Nets 106-96 in Davis' returnLeBron James welcomed Anthony Davis back with a lob pass for the game’s first basket, then turned to this own offense to score 33 points in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 106-96 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
James scores 34 but Lakers stumble, fall to Kings 125-116
Read full article: James scores 34 but Lakers stumble, fall to Kings 125-116De’Aaron Fox scored 29 points, Chimezie Metu made a clutch 3-pointer with 46.7 seconds remaining and the Sacramento Kings ended their longest losing streak of the season by beating the Los Angeles Lakers 125-116.
James scores season-high 43, Lakers beat Trail Blazers
Read full article: James scores season-high 43, Lakers beat Trail BlazersLeBron James scored a season-high 43 points and extended his streak of 30-point games to seven in the Los Angeles Lakers' 139-106 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.
James, Westbrook have triple-doubles, Lakers' skid ends at 5
Read full article: James, Westbrook have triple-doubles, Lakers' skid ends at 5LeBron James and Russell Westbrook both had triple-doubles as the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a season-high,five-game skid with a 132-123 win over the Houston Rockets.
DeRozan leads Bulls over Lakers 115-110 in team's return
Read full article: DeRozan leads Bulls over Lakers 115-110 in team's returnDeMar DeRozan scored 38 points after missing two weeks in the NBA’s health and safety protocols to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 115-110 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Fox, Hield lead Kings over Lakers 141-137 in triple OT
Read full article: Fox, Hield lead Kings over Lakers 141-137 in triple OTDe’Aaron Fox scored 34 points, Buddy Hield had 13 of his 25 points after regulation and the Sacramento Kings defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 141-137 in triple overtime Friday night.
James rallies Lakers past Pacers 124-116 after suspension
Read full article: James rallies Lakers past Pacers 124-116 after suspensionLeBron James made the tiebreaking 3-pointer in overtime and followed with a back-breaking 3 in his return from the first suspension of his career to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat Indiana 124-116 on Wednesday night.
Knicks recover to beat Lakers team missing suspended James
Read full article: Knicks recover to beat Lakers team missing suspended JamesEvan Fournier scored 26 points, Immanuel Quickley had 12 of his 14 in the fourth quarter after New York had blown a 25-point lead, and the Knicks beat a Los Angeles Lakers team missing suspended star LeBron James 106-100.
LeBron ejected after bloodying Stewart, Lakers beat Pistons
Read full article: LeBron ejected after bloodying Stewart, Lakers beat PistonsLeBron James was ejected early in the third quarter after drawing blood by hitting Isaiah Stewart in the face, leaving Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook to rally the Los Angeles Lakers to a 121-116 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
Antetokounmpo, Middleton help Bucks defeat Lakers 109-102
Read full article: Antetokounmpo, Middleton help Bucks defeat Lakers 109-102Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 47 points and Khris Middleton tied Milwaukee’s franchise record for career 3-pointers in the Bucks’ 109-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
Lakers overcome Morant's 40-points, beat Grizzlies 121-118
Read full article: Lakers overcome Morant's 40-points, beat Grizzlies 121-118Carmelo Anthony scored 28 points, Anthony Davis had 22 points and four blocks and LeBron James scored 19 points as the Los Angeles Lakers overcame Ja Morant’s 40-point game and beat the Memphis Grizzlies 121-118 Sunday night for their first win of the season.
CP3 hits milestone, leads Suns past shaky Lakers, 115-105
Read full article: CP3 hits milestone, leads Suns past shaky Lakers, 115-105Chris Paul scored his 20,000th career point on the way to 23 points and 14 assists, and Devin Booker added 22 points in the Phoenix Suns’ 115-105 victory over the winless Los Angeles Lakers.
Curry, Warriors stun James, Lakers 121-114 in opener
Read full article: Curry, Warriors stun James, Lakers 121-114 in openerStephen Curry had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Golden State Warriors, who rallied from 10 points down to stun Lebron James, Anthony Davis and the new-look Los Angeles Lakers 121-114 in a season opener.
AP source: Harden commits to US Olympic men's team for Tokyo
Read full article: AP source: Harden commits to US Olympic men's team for TokyoBrooklyn's James Harden has committed to playing for U.S. men's national basketball team that will play in the Olympics that begin next month, says a person familiar with the situation.
Trail Blazers beat Nuggets 115-95 in Game 4 to tie series
Read full article: Trail Blazers beat Nuggets 115-95 in Game 4 to tie seriesNorman Powell matched his career playoff high with 29 points and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Denver Nuggets 115-95 on Saturday in Game 4 to even the first-round series.
Jokic scores 38, Nuggets beat Blazers 128-109 to even series
Read full article: Jokic scores 38, Nuggets beat Blazers 128-109 to even seriesNikola Jokic scored 38 points to overcome a 3-point shooting barrage from Damian Lillard and the Denver Nuggets evened the first-round series by beating the Portland Trail Blazers 128-109 in a chippy Game 2.
Lillard leads 3-point barrage, Blazers beat Nuggets 123-109
Read full article: Lillard leads 3-point barrage, Blazers beat Nuggets 123-109Damian Lillard scored 34 points and led Portland’s 3-point barrage that sparked the Trail Blazers’ 123-109 win over the Denver Nuggets in the opener of their first-round playoff series Saturday night.
Double take: Florida teen twins 1st to sign in pro hoops prep league
Read full article: Double take: Florida teen twins 1st to sign in pro hoops prep leagueTeenage twins from Florida are skipping college basketball to become the first to sign with a new hoops league created for standout high school players.
No. 4 Oklahoma State survives No. 13 Liberty 69-60 in NCAA
Read full article: No. 4 Oklahoma State survives No. 13 Liberty 69-60 in NCAA(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)INDIANAPOLIS – Cade Cunningham vowed to lead Oklahoma State to a strong run through the NCAA Tournament. 4 seed Oklahoma State to its first NCAA Tournament win since 2009. Elijah Cuffee had 16 points and Darius McGhee 12 for Atlantic Sun champion Liberty, which had won its previous 12 games. Liberty was seeking another NCAA upset two years after bouncing Mississippi State in the first round. McGhee's long-range shooting gave teammates the confidence to contribute and keep Oklahoma State honest defensively.
Devin Booker scores 35 points, Suns beat Blazers 127-121
Read full article: Devin Booker scores 35 points, Suns beat Blazers 127-121(AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)Devin Booker returned from the knee injury that kept him out of the All-Star Game to score 35 points and the Phoenix Suns beat the Portland Trail Blazers 127-121 on Thursday night for their fifth straight victory. Chris Paul added 19 points for Phoenix, and Mikal Bridges scored 16 of his 18 points in the first half. “I think we had some good energy going into the fourth quarter,” Booker said. The Blazers won 127-117. AdTrail Blazers: The Blazers wore their gray and black Nike “earned” jerseys for the first time.
Lillard's late 3 gives Blazers 108-106 win over Warriors
Read full article: Lillard's late 3 gives Blazers 108-106 win over WarriorsPortland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard shoots a 3-point basket over Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, March 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)PORTLAND, Ore. – Played tough by the Warriors all game, Damian Lillard needed to make something happen. Lillard hit a deep 3-pointer with 13.7 seconds left to give the Portland Trail Blazers a hard-fought 108-106 victory over Golden State on Wednesday night. His 3-pointer gave Golden State a 101-96 lead with 3:57 remaining. He took a charge from Green, which prompted an unsuccessful challenge by Golden State, and Portland won its second straight after a four-game losing streak.
Lillard, Blazers top Mavs 121-118 as Doncic heats up again
Read full article: Lillard, Blazers top Mavs 121-118 as Doncic heats up againPortland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) goes for a layup in front of Dallas Mavericks center Kristaps Porzingis (6) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. Lillard hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer in the final minute after a big Dallas rally, and the Trail Blazers held off Doncic and the Mavericks for a 121-118 victory Sunday night. Lillard connected on the go-ahead 3 after Doncic assisted on a tying 3-pointer from Dorian Finney-Smith after the Mavericks trailed by 13 midway through the fourth quarter. Mavericks: Doncic shared the previous club record of 13 straight games with at least 25 points with Mark Aguirre (1983-84) and Dirk Nowitzki (2005-06). The Mavericks and Pistons met just once during the coronavirus-interrupted season, with Dallas winning in Mexico City behind 41 points from Doncic.
Lillard scores 30 as Blazers down 76ers 118-114
Read full article: Lillard scores 30 as Blazers down 76ers 118-114Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, left, is fouled by Philadelphia 76ers guard Furkan Korkmaz during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)PORTLAND, Ore. – Damian Lillard had 30 points and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 118-114 on Thursday night. The Eastern Conference-leading Sixers had won six of seven, with the only defeat during that span coming a week ago to the Trail Blazers, 121-105. Lillard was third in the league, averaging 29.4 points a game with 13 of 30 or more points this season. The Trail Blazers host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
ABC News to air newsmagazine on the Black experience
Read full article: ABC News to air newsmagazine on the Black experienceThis combination photo shows, from left, Carmelo Anthony, Nick Cannon, David Alan Grier, John Ridley and Danny Glover who will be featured on "Soul of a Nation," an ABC newsmagazine focused on Black life in America. (AP Photo)NEW YORK – ABC News says that next month it will begin airing “Soul of a Nation,” which the network believes is the first prime-time broadcast newsmagazine focused on Black life in America. The network has committed to six episodes that will air on consecutive Tuesday nights. It illustrates the opportunity to both speak to a Black audience and educate others about what is going on in the community. ___This story has been corrected to show that the name of the series creator is Marie Nelson, not Marie Roberts.
Trent, Anthony lead undermanned Portland past 76ers 121-105
Read full article: Trent, Anthony lead undermanned Portland past 76ers 121-105Portland Trail Blazers' Rodney Hood, left, tries to dribble past Philadelphia 76ers' Seth Curry during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021, in Philadelphia. Gary Trent Jr. scored 24 points and Enes Kanter had 17 points and 18 rebounds to lead the undermanned Trail Blazers to a 121-105 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night. Carmelo Anthony had 22 points and a Trail Blazers team with four starters missing led by as many as 29 points against the top team in the East. “But on both ends of the floor, the other guys did an amazing job today.”Joel Embiid scored 37 points for the Sixers. Throw in four players already out with injuries -- including Jusuf Nurkic (wrist) and McCollum (left foot) -- and the Trail Blazers were down to nine players.
Lillard, Trent shoot Blazers past champion Lakers, 115-107
Read full article: Lillard, Trent shoot Blazers past champion Lakers, 115-107Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, right, fouls Los Angeles Lakers guard Dennis Schroeder (17) during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Monday, Dec. 28, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)LOS ANGELES – Damian Lillard scored 21 of his 31 points in the second half, and CJ McCollum had 20 points and 11 assists in the Portland Trail Blazers' 115-107 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night. Gary Trent Jr. matched his career high with seven 3-pointers while scoring 28 points in the Blazers' second straight win over the Lakers at Staples Center. Dennis Schröder added 24 points, but the Lakers' streak of 59 straight victories when taking a lead into the fourth quarter was snapped. ... Los Angeles got just 23 bench points, led by Montrezl Harrell's nine.
Nuggets crash LA party, will face Lakers in West finals
Read full article: Nuggets crash LA party, will face Lakers in West finalsBehind Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets advanced to the conference finals for the first time since 2009. They will face LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers starting Friday in Game 1. The Nuggets fell behind 3-1 in their first-round series against Utah before bouncing back with three straight victories. “We love it.”The last time the Nuggets were in the conference finals they faced the Lakers as well, losing in six games. The Lakers were led by the late Kobe Bryant and would go on to win the NBA title over Orlando.
James and Lakers advance with 131-122 win over Trail Blazers
Read full article: James and Lakers advance with 131-122 win over Trail BlazersWe got better throughout the course of the series, James said. The Lakers hadn't won a playoff series since 2012. James has never lost a first-round playoff series, going 14-0. CJ McCollum had 36 points for the surprisingly scrappy Trail Blazers, who played without injured All-Star guard Damian Lillard. His personality and energy were unmatched, and his contributions on the court were unmistakable, helping the Trail Blazers into the playoffs each of his eight seasons with the team, the Blazers said in a statement.
Blazers make playoffs, oust Grizzlies with 126-122 victory
Read full article: Blazers make playoffs, oust Grizzlies with 126-122 victoryPortland finished eighth in the West, Memphis was ninth, and the Grizzlies needed to sweep a two-game matchup to advance. They had a chance, up eight in the final quarter, before Portland did what Portland does in the bubble find a way at the end. The Grizzlies' 42-point third quarter matched the second-highest scoring period of the season for Memphis and was the second-highest scoring third quarter in franchise history. LOOKING AHEADThe Lakers went 2-1 against the Blazers this season, with the road team winning all three games. Anthony Davis (32.0 ppg) and LeBron James (24.7 ppg) led the Lakers; Lillard (36.0 ppg) and Whiteside (22.0 ppg) led the Blazers.
Lillard, Blazers escape Nets, advance to play-in series
Read full article: Lillard, Blazers escape Nets, advance to play-in seriesThe Trail Blazers secured the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference only after Brooklyn's Caris LeVert, who scored 37 points, missed a jumper just before time expired. The winner of the play-in series gets the final spot in the West and a first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. Had the Blazers lost, the Suns would have inched ahead of them into ninth. LeVert came back with a three-point play and had a chance to win it after Carmelo Anthony missed a 3-pointer, but his jumper was off.
Lillard pours in 61 to lift Blazers past Mavs, 134-131
Read full article: Lillard pours in 61 to lift Blazers past Mavs, 134-131Kristaps Porzingis scored 36 points and Luka Doncic had 25 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for the Mavericks, who will finish No. Lillard then drew a double-team and dished to Haasan Whiteside for a dunk to put the Blazers up by two. The game featured the two leading scorers since the NBA restart, with Doncic entering averaging 33.4 points and Lillard 33. Lillard was hot from the start, scoring 25 in the first half as the Blazers took a 66-58 lead. Mavericks: Play Suns on Thursday.
Lillard drops 51 as Trail Blazers top 76ers; Embiid injured
Read full article: Lillard drops 51 as Trail Blazers top 76ers; Embiid injuredOn Saturday, he missed a pair of free throws with 18.6 seconds to go and a 3-pointer with 9.5 seconds left in a 122-117 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Trail Blazers increased their chances of qualifying for the play-in series, which will start Saturday. Richardson missed a 3-pointer for Philadelphia, and the 76ers couldn't get another shot off after a scramble for the rebound. Trail Blazers: Lillard scored a basket in the first quarter when he drove to the hoop and his pass bounced off Philadelphia's Tobias Harris, off the backboard and into the basket. Trail Blazers: Play the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.
McGruder's late 3 helps Clippers edge Trail Blazers 122-120
Read full article: McGruder's late 3 helps Clippers edge Trail Blazers 122-120Portland led by as much as 10 in the first quarter and was up 37-34 at the end of the quarter. They also outshot the Trail Blazers outside the arc hitting 15 of 34 (44.1%) compared to 17 of 43 (39.5%). Trail Blazers: Outscored Los Angeles 46-38 in the paint. HEY YOUThe Trail Blazers had some regional support with Blitz the Seahawk, mascot for the NFLs Seattle Seahawks, sitting in the virtual seats, for the early afternoon game. Trail Blazers: Play Philadelphia on Sunday.
Tatum has 34 as Celtics beat Trail Blazers 128-124
Read full article: Tatum has 34 as Celtics beat Trail Blazers 128-124That was a playoff-level energy that we had to play with at the end of the game, Boston coach Brad Stevens said. Jaylen was open and those were the right reads.Damian Lillard had 30 points and 16 assists for Portland. Jusuf Nurkic added 30 points in his second official game back after breaking his leg in March 2019. UP NEXTTrail Blazers: Play Houston on Tuesday night. Celtics: Play the Heat on Tuesday night.
McCollum, Lillard help Blazers get past Memphis in OT
Read full article: McCollum, Lillard help Blazers get past Memphis in OTLillard finished with 29 points and nine assists as the Trail Blazers boosted their hopes for a seventh consecutive playoff appearance. Carmelo Anthony added 21 points as Portland moved within 2 1/2 games of the Grizzlies for the No. Everybody knew how important that game was," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. Jaren Jackson Jr. had 33 points and rookie Ja Morant added 22 points and 11 assists for Memphis. It was a weird game," McCollum said.