BOSTON — Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey appears to have avoided a serious injury after exiting Monday’s win over the Toronto Raptors with an ankle sprain.

In the third quarter of the 122-121 victory, Giddey launched himself at Raptors wing Gradey Dick in an attempt to block a 3-pointer and landed awkwardly on his right foot. Giddey was ...Read more

ATLANTA — Hawks guard Trae Young knows he hasn’t had the best shooting percentages this season. But that’s not where his priorities are focused now.

This season, he’s made 38.9% of his overall field goals and 31.5% of his 3-point shots. But the 26-year-old guard is more focused on his overall impact on the game than on a high shooting ...Read more

DETROIT — Yes, of course, he’s a better player now.

Cade Cunningham won’t be the first person to tell you that. That’s not really his nature. But he won’t deny it, either.

What he will tell you next, though, says a bit more about this star turn — an All-Star turn, perhaps — that we’re seeing from the Pistons’ floor leader in ...Read more

CHICAGO — Chicago Bulls fans can look forward to seeing a lot more of Lonzo Ball in the coming weeks.

After a years-long recovery process and countless setbacks, Ball is back in the closing rotation for the Bulls. He played at least 19 minutes in four of the last seven games. And Ball’s impact as a creative playmaker has returned to full ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The bet the Lakers made on Bronny James always carried a tremendous amount of baggage, their second-round draft pick impossible to separate from the team's star who made no secret about wanting to play with his son.

Bronny James' first NBA appearance happened on opening night, long before he was ready. His first points, in ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte loves its Tar Heels.

But No. 7 Florida came to spoil the party.

North Carolina, the home team in the first game of the third-annual Jumpman Invitational, muscled back from a 17-point first-half deficit only to fall just short to the visiting Florida Gators, 90-84 — the team’s 9-0 run to start the second half ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Soon to be 6 years old, Dennis Schroder Jr. is old enough now to understand what it meant when his dad got a phone call this week informing him that he had been traded to the Golden State Warriors. In his young life it will be the seventh different jersey his dad has worn.

“We’re lucky, now it’s a good team, at least,”...Read more

DETROIT — As Oakland’s Greg Kampe and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo rocked Grinch-themed ugly sweaters to Tuesday’s neutral site men’s basketball game at Little Caesars Arena, the wardrobe choice was a foreshadow to what the game would become.

Shaking off a sloppy start with turnovers, No. 20 Michigan State (9-2) finished with a 77-58 ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Max Christie reclined in his locker while a recent Memphis Grizzlies game played on the Lakers' locker-room television. He looked relaxed and ready to go.

However, he was, in fact, sick.

"I sound kinda crazy," he said with his sinuses turning him into an extended relative of Kermit the Frog.

Hours later, he'd walk back into ...Read more

In a season that has already been overstuffed with theatrics, the Nuggets saved perhaps their most dramatic finish yet for the most dedicated viewers, escaping Sacramento after dark with a 130-129 win.

Denver blew a 23-point lead and then overcame a 10-point deficit in the last 4:10. There were seven lead changes in the last 75 seconds, ...Read more

NEW YORK — Life is unfair for most in the NBA. It is tough to get a gig, and even tougher to stick around.

The Nets completed their trade with the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, a deal that sent Dennis Schröder and a 2025 second-round pick to the Bay Area in exchange for De’Anthony Melton and two-way guard Reece Beekman, along with three...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Nick Nurse had a concerned look on his face, and with just cause.

But he was able to exhale in large part due to the Philadelphia 76ers All-Star duo of Tyrese Maxey and Paul George along with Kelly Oubre Jr.’s contributions. They combined to score 92 points to lead the Sixers to a 121-108 victory over the Charlotte Hornets...Read more

DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons recorded a thrilling 125-124 overtime victory over the Miami Heat Monday night at Little Caesars Arena. They surrendered a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter, where the Heat outscored them, 33-17.

Late in the fourth quarter, Tyler Herro connected on a huge 3-point field goal to cut Miami's deficit to three. On ...Read more

NEW YORK — Ben Simmons, stepping back into the Brooklyn Nets‘ starting lineup at point guard following Sunday’s Dennis Schröder trade, got off to a promising start on Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Barclays Center.

Moments after the opening tip, the 6-10 guard jumped Darius Garland’s passing lane, stole the ball, then threw ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — On the eve of the first time Mark Pope would coach his college alma mater against its intrastate archrival, the new Kentucky head man decided to do a little historical research.

Along with his wife, Lee Anne, Pope looked up the box score from his first game against Louisville as a UK player.

“You guys know, I have a ...Read more

NEW YORK — Liam McNeeley stepped out onto the floor at Madison Square Garden, where the lights are always brighter, the roar always louder, the spotlight a little more intense. On Saturday night, many of the 19,000 were fueled with the spirit(s) of SantaCon NYC as well as a marquee matchup, so things were even a little more intense than usual....Read more

The Lakers were, again, the Lakers — the version from early this season that made optimism seem nothing like foolishness.

For two-and-a-half quarters Sunday night against Memphis, they completely shed the baggage of the past two weeks. The long road miles, the stagnant offense, the physical bruises from losses to bigger, tougher teams all ...Read more

The New York Knicks better get used to winning games like this — especially if physicality becomes the blueprint for opposing teams and officiating stays as lenient as it’s been.

They faced such a challenge on Sunday against the Orlando Magic, a scrappy team determined to avenge a blowout loss at Madison Square Garden nearly two weeks prior...Read more

Sunday night in San Antonio the Minnesota Timberwolves played very good defense for all but one quarter.

Turns out three out of four was more than enough.

Up 18 early in the third, up just three late in that same quarter, the Timberwolves put the game away in the fourth quarter, taking a 106-92 victory over the Spurs.

Minnesota (14-11) has ...Read more