INDIANAPOLIS — Veteran Heat big man Kevin Love could see this coming, this dominant start by the Cleveland Cavaliers, because he was part of how it came together — the part that required patience, perspective and pain,

Rising from the ashes of a LeBron James departure can be one of the most daunting challenges in sports. Of that, the ...Read more

ATLANTA — Georgia Tech retired Dennis Scott’s No. 4 jersey on Friday night at McCamish Pavilion. He played for the Yellow Jackets back when they were a national power with coach Bobby Cremins. They’ve never reached the same heights. Arch-rival Georgia came town and showed that Tech still has a long way to go.

The Bulldogs beat the Jackets...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — De’Aaron Fox wouldn’t let the Sacramento Kings lose a second straight game and three of their last four.

The star point guard put together a second virtuoso scoring performance in 24 hours, finishing with 49 while the Kings staved off the Utah Jazz, 121-117, and came back from a double-digit deficit in the second half...Read more

NEW ORLEANS — It’s one of the great mysteries in the NBA, why a team like the Lakers can look so competitive one night and so lost 24 hours later.

“Play harder” can be the core of every coaching message, the desire of every player and, for some reason, it doesn’t matter.

Some nights, and especially on the ones like Saturday in New ...Read more

South Carolina had the opportunity to make a statement by defeating its first ranked opponent of the season on the road.

The Gamecocks were unable to follow through on that goal and fell, 87-71, on the road to No. 16 Indiana at Assembly Hall.

The Hoosiers (3-0) missed their first four shots before making their next seven en route to a 17-1 run...Read more

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas guard Zeke Mayo is a magician.

At the very least, he appeared like one for a singular play midway through the second half against Oakland.

Mayo dribbled behind his back, took the ball coast-to-coast, crossed over a defender and swooped in for a windmill layup finish. The crowd roared as Mayo produced one of the few ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Josh Green’s front-row view of LaMelo Ball’s late-game heroics is coming into focus, and the Charlotte Hornets’ swingman remains enamored with how the team’s star point guard doesn’t get flustered when the light shines brightest.

“I think he’s No. 1 in the league in fourth-quarter points right now, which is ...Read more

SEATTLE — The Seattle Storm coaching staff is under investigation after allegations of player mistreatment during the 2024 season.

A Storm spokesperson said the team was aware of the investigation when reached Friday but would not comment further. The allegations were reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.

A WNBA spokesperson said they were ...Read more

DURHAM, N.C. — Coming off a tough loss, and with games against top-10 opponents looming in three of the next four games, No. 6 Duke needed a get-right game.

Wofford provided the perfect fodder Saturday.

While the Terriers struggled and struggled and struggled some more to score, the Blue Devils led by 37 points at halftime and rolled to an ...Read more

NEW YORK — The New York Knicks were already thin at center when they arrived at Madison Square Garden for Friday night’s interborough meeting with the Brooklyn Nets.

But their frontcourt took its biggest hit yet about 30 minutes before tip-off, when leading scorer and rebounder Karl-Anthony Towns was ruled out with a left knee injury.

The ...Read more

No problem, right?

The Timberwolves broke a three-game losing streak Friday night at Sacramento, 130-126. Sounds simple?

No. Not with De’Aaron Fox going off for 60 points.

Up 20 at one point in the third quarter, up 19 late in the quarter and up 16 entering the fourth, the Wolves went ice cold, ceding that lead and finding themselves down ...Read more

NEW ORLEANS — The upper deck of Smoothie King Center was almost as sparse as the Denver Nuggets’ and New Orleans Pelicans’ active rosters for their first NBA Cup game.

New Orleans was missing six players to injuries, including star forward Zion Williamson. Denver was fending for the first time this season without Nikola Jokic, who didn’...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Early in the second quarter, Brandin Podziemski sprint to a loose ball in front of the Golden State Warriors’ bench, caught up with it just in time and flung a behind-the-back pass up the court.

Somehow, the blind pass found a streaking Jonathan Kuminga, who started the play with a deflection in the paint, for a dunk.

...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — Joel Embiid got off to a dominant start, but clearly ran out of gas. Paul George never found an offensive groove. And Jared McCain could not maintain his blistering scoring pace before fouling out.

That all led to the 76ers’ eighth loss in their first 10 games to continue their disastrous start to a much-anticipated season, ...Read more

After a heartbreaking defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, the Detroit Pistons (6-8) bounced back with a 99-95 victory over the Toronto Raptors (2-11) at Scotiabank Arena on Friday night.

The Pistons are now 2-0 during the NBA's in-season tournament for East Group B, having won two of their last three games.

The first half was a back-...Read more

SAN ANTONIO — The dance music blared as the crowd took turns roaring their way through a fourth-quarter timeout, Lakers coach JJ Redick frustrated after another clean look for the Spurs allowed them to get within a point.

To that point, the game had delivered.

With the NBA Cup raising the stakes, Anthony Davis and Victor Wembanyama dueled. ...Read more

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — If the first three games of the men’s college basketball season were preludes to the first real test, then Maryland let a prime opportunity slip away.

The Terps could not protect a four-point lead at halftime and did not have much of a solution for containing Kam Jones as No. 15 Marquette rallied for a 78-74 victory ...Read more

INDIANAPOLIS — This time it didn’t matter whether Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had a timeout left at the end (he did).

In need of a bounceback after Tuesday night’s horrendous overtime loss in Detroit — decided on a technical foul for Spoelstra calling a timeout he did not have — the Heat got exactly that with a 124-111 victory ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — All-Star Weekend is a time for NBA fans and players to take a break from the regular season. It's a time to watch your favorite players participate in dunk contests, three-point shootouts, and, of course, the All-Star Game. But this year could feature a different flavor as talks about a new tournament emerge ahead of the 2025 ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Former Lynx player Sylvia Fowles has become the latest player from the franchise to be named to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. The 2025 class was announced Friday.

“I am immensely proud that Syl is being recognized,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said in a statement from the team. “Syl is the most dominant center ever to...Read more