NBA News

Eighty-one seconds into the fourth quarter of Game 4, Jayson Tatum dribbled passed midcourt and with the help of a Neemias Queta screen, walked into a three-pointer. Kelly Oubre walked into his landing space for an and-1. With that, the lead ballooned to 30 points and statistically, it was proof positive of Boston’s priorities this season: limiting turnovers, attacking the …

One of the biggest reasons people didn’t believe in the Celtics coming into the season was because of their centers and how little they had proven entering the season. As the season went on, it became clear that Neemias Queta is a quality starting center and that Luka Garza and trade deadline addition Nikola Vucevic were good enough depth. However, …

The vibes weren’t great when the Spurs last left San Antonio. With the series tied 1-1 and Victor Wembanyama in concussion protocol, things looked bleak for the Silver and Black. Now, heading back home, the Spurs find themselves up 3-1 in their first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers, with Wembanyama fully healthy. San Antonio is coming off two …

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The Orlando Magic are one win away from knocking off a No. 1 seed and winning their first playoff series in 16 years. They’re not celebrating yet. Desmond Bane scored 22 points, Franz Wagner had 19 in three quarters and the Magic beat the Detroit Pistons 94-88 Monday night to take a 3-1 series lead, putting …

The question of this game was bound to come down to one thing and one thing only: could the Minnesota Timberwolves survive the loss of not just their starting point guard but also the superstar leader of their team? The answer: a resounding no. Unfortunately for Wolves fans, it got even worse. There are now even more questions that have …

Nikola Jokic scored a triple-double to keep the Denver Nuggets’ play-off hopes alive with a 125-113 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Serbia’s Jokic, 31, was the joint top scorer with 27 points but also chipped in with 12 rebounds and 16 assists. Advertisement The Nuggets trailed 3-1 as they welcomed Minnesota to Ball Arena, Colorado, and defeat would have seen …

DENVER (AP) — Jaden McDaniels got more pushback from the Denver Nuggets and their fans as he heard constant boos from the crowd all evening. All it did was embolden McDaniels, the antagonistic Minnesota Timberwolves forward who’s worked his way under the skin of Nuggets Nation through his words and his actions. Advertisement Following a 125-113 loss to Nikola Jokic …

PHOENIX (AP) — Oklahoma City’s first-round dominance in the NBA playoffs continues. The road should get at least a little tougher in the coming weeks — but there’s little doubt the defending champions are well-equipped to defend their title. Advertisement The Thunder finished off a four-game sweep of the Phoenix Suns on Monday night, winning 131-122 after pulling away in …

DENVER — With the season on the line, Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman said pregame that Game 5 Monday night would be “all hands on deck.” It wasn’t a smokescreen. Playing down a man thanks to Aaron Gordon’s ailing calf, the Nuggets looked early and often to players whose previous roles in this series have varied from inconsistent to …

Through the first four games of this series, Rudy Gobert was the best player on the floor. Not for his stats — 8.3 points per game is not exactly world beating — but for his defense on Nikola Jokic. Left on an island, Gobert was making the three-time MVP work for every inch of ground, every shot, which allowed Jaden …

Houston Rockets (52-30, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (53-29, fourth in the Western Conference) Los Angeles; Wednesday, 10 p.m. EDT LINE: Lakers -2.5; over/under is 208.5 WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Lakers lead series 3-1 Advertisement BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Lakers look to clinch the Western Conference first round over the Houston Rockets in game five. …

The Minnesota Timberwolves raced out to a 3-1 lead, but it might have cost them everything. Yes, Game 5 on Monday, April 27, when the Denver Nuggets outpaced Minnesota, 125-113, in the first round of the NBA playoffs, was just one game. But it also served as an indicator of just how much Minnesota is missing without Anthony Edwards and …

The Oklahoma City Thunder are moving on in the NBA playoffs, completing a first-round sweep of the Phoenix Suns with a definitive 131-122 win in Game 4. Although the Suns fought to keep their season alive, Phoenix was unable to provide a real answer for Oklahoma City’s offense. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team with 31 points behind a number of …

Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets aren’t done just yet. The Nuggets picked up a commanding 125-113 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of their opening-round playoff series on Monday night to keep their postseason hopes alive. Advertisement While they can’t lose the rest of the way and trail 3-2 headed into Game 6 later this week on …

PHOENIX (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, Chet Holmgren added 24 and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Phoenix Suns 131-122 on Monday night, capping a four-game sweep in the first-round series. The Thunder — who have a 12-0 record in the first round over the last three seasons — will face the winner of the Los Angeles Lakers-Houston …

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Those 60 wins in the regular season and that No. 1 seed don’t mean much for the Detroit Pistons right now. They’re one loss away from a rare elimination. Only six No. 8 seeds have defeated a No. 1 in a playoff series in NBA history. It’s happened only four times since the postseason was expanded …

The Oklahoma City Thunder are moving on, completing a sweep of the Phoenix Suns with a definitive 131-122 win in Game 4. Although the Suns fought to keep their season alive, Phoenix was unable to provide a real answer for Oklahoma City’s offense. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team with 31 points behind a number of wild, tough finishes in the …

At the trade deadline last February, the Detroit Pistons mostly stayed quiet. Trajan Langdon and the front office made a conscious decision not to make a big move; they wanted to see what this group — which finished with the No. 1 seed in the East — could do in the cauldron of the playoffs. They chose not to add …

Can we just talk about Orlando Magic forward Jamal Cain’s dunk on Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren? I mean, seriously, look: Do we even care about the game? Like, who actually won? I genuinely don’t remember. Advertisement That is one of the nastiest throw-downs ever and not just in a playoff context. Cain kept climbing and dunked on Duren, a …

Jamal Cain has a serious claim for Dunk of the Postseason, and we’re only in the first round of the playoffs. The Orlando Magic forward, after bringing the ball up the court himself in the fourth quarter of their Game 4 matchup with the Detroit Pistons, threw down an absolutely violent one-handed dunk at the Kia Center. Advertisement Jalen Duren, …

Entering the season, Cooper Flagg was projected to run away with Rookie of the Year. He was the No. 1 pick and on a team that entered the season expecting to be playing in postseason games right now. “This season turned out a lot different than I expected…” Flagg said on NBA Showtime on Peacock on Monday. “Being thrown into …

DENVER — The Denver Nuggets will be without a key piece while facing elimination Monday night. Aaron Gordon has been ruled out for Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves with calf tightness. The Nuggets announced his status after pregame warmups. Gordon was previously listed as questionable and ended up as a true game-time decision. Advertisement Gordon sustained the injury in …

The Cleveland Cavaliers had chances to take a decisive 3-1 lead over the Toronto Raptors in Game 4. They had an eight-point advantage with five minutes to play, but squandered the lead with a combination of bad defense, reckless decisions, and missed point-blank shots. This all added up to a 93-89 loss with the series tied at two games apiece. …

The NBA and FIBA are in the process of going through bids from those seeking franchises for a new league in Europe, with multiple potential ownership groups from all 12 of the league’s targeted cities expressing interest. NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, speaking at an Associated Press Sports Editors meeting on Monday, said the NBA and FIBA “were very, very …

DALLAS, TEXAS – JANUARY 29: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks and Kon Knueppel #7 of the Charlotte Hornets talk after the game at American Airlines Center on January 29, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of …