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The San Antonio Spurs had a tough time in Portland, dealing with physicality and athleticism, but they dug deep for their most impressive win of the season without the mighty Victor Wembanyama. They mucked up the Trail Blazers offensive sets and held them to 111.5 points per 100 possessions, which is good enough for the 37th percentile, per Cleaning the …

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Stephon Castle had 33 points and the San Antonio Spurs overcame the absence of Victor Wembanyama to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 120-108 on Friday night for a 2-1 series lead. Dylan Harper added 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who trailed by 15 points in the third quarter. Game 4 of the first-round …

LeBron James made a three-pointer to force overtime before the Los Angeles Lakers moved to the brink of a series victory in the NBA play-offs. The NBA’s four-time Most Valuable Player levelled the score with 13 seconds left against the Houston Rockets and almost clinched victory as he hit the rim with a three-pointer on the buzzer. Advertisement But the …

After defending their home court in the first two games, the Lakers headed to Houston knowing they would receive the Rockets’ best punch in Game 3. And that they did. With the news they would be without Kevin Durant for the second time in the series, the Rockets played every bit like a team whose back was against the wall. …

Los Angeles Lakers (53-29, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. Houston Rockets (52-30, fifth in the Western Conference) Houston; Sunday, 9:30 p.m. EDT LINE: Rockets -5.5; over/under is 207 WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Lakers lead series 3-0 Advertisement BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Lakers look to clinch the series over the Houston Rockets in game four of the Western Conference …

Boston Celtics (56-26, second in the Eastern Conference) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (45-37, seventh in the Eastern Conference) Philadelphia; Sunday, 7 p.m. EDT LINE: Celtics -7.5; over/under is 213.5 EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Celtics lead series 2-1 Advertisement BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Celtics visit the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference first round with a 2-1 lead in the series. The …

With 4:48 left in the third quarter, Portland took a 15-point lead on a Jerami Grant free throw. The Trail Blazers appeared in control of Game 3 against a shorthanded Spurs team without Victor Wembanyama. That control was an illusion. Advertisement San Antonio stormed back behind the play of rookie Dylan Harper — by the end of the third quarter, …

With the series tied 1-1 and their Defensive Player of the Year and MVP candidate Victor Wembanyama sidelined in concussion protocol, the San Antonio Spurs took Game 3 on the road, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 120-108. Here are three key takeaways from Game 3: Advertisement Rookie takeover Dylan Harper had just 5 points at halftime. He scored 22 in …

San Antonio Spurs (62-20, second in the Western Conference) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (42-40, eighth in the Western Conference) Portland, Oregon; Sunday, 3:30 p.m. EDT LINE: Spurs -5.5; over/under is 219 Advertisement WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Spurs lead series 2-1 BOTTOM LINE: The San Antonio Spurs visit the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference first round with a 2-1 …

Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Toronto Raptors (46-36, fifth in the Eastern Conference) Toronto; Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT LINE: Cavaliers -3.5; over/under is 220.5 EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Cavaliers lead series 2-1 Advertisement BOTTOM LINE: The Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference first round with a 2-1 lead in the series. The …

Jayson Tatum continued to shine in his return from injury with 25 points and Jaylen Brown also scored 25 to help the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-100 on Friday night and take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference first-round series. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia. Advertisement Tatum was 5 of 9 on 3-pointers in just his …

HOUSTON — Technically, the Lakers had not gotten across the finish line yet — 35 seconds and a five-point lead still flashed on the overtime clock hovering over Toyota Center  — but the teary-eyed look of defeat across every member in red as they trudged back on the floor told a painful, regretful tale. The white flag had already fallen …

Deni Avdija had insult added to injury during the Portland Trail Blazers’ Game 3 against the San Antonio Spurs. The Blazers star got an elbow to the teeth from Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox late in the second quarter, knocking out part of his incisor. Fox was called for an offensive foul for the elbow, which left Avdija with a hockey …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. Even with a banged-up Anthony Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves have found their playoff gear — and they’ve got Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on the ropes heading into Game 4. Advertisement While Minnesota’s smothering defense got the headlines after limiting Denver to …

The Eagles were busy handling business on Friday night as they navigated Day 2 of the NFL Draft, but the real action was at the Sixers game. Not only was first-round pick Makai Lemon inaugurated into Philly sports culture by ringing the bell ahead of the Sixers-Celtics game, but he took in the game court-side next to DeVonta Smith. Tank …

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jayson Tatum let his final 3-pointer fly — a dagger, in NBA parlance — and the rip of the net could be heard on the other side of the court. Tatum pounded his chest in a pure adrenaline rush moment for the big bucket that quieted the crowd, crushed the hopes of a 76ers’ late run, and …

HOUSTON — LeBron James scored 29 points, including a tying 3-pointer with 13 seconds left in regulation, Marcus Smart had eight points in overtime and the Los Angeles Lakers took advantage of a Houston Rockets team missing Kevin Durant for a 112-108 win Friday night to take a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference first-round series. The Lakers rallied from …

For three straight games, Bronny James has received some minutes at the start of the second quarter for the Los Angeles Lakers in their first-round series against the Houston Rockets. He made them count in Game 3, with some help from his father. Advertisement The eldest son of LeBron James scored his first career playoff points with a pull-up 3-pointer …

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jaden McDaniels pushed himself into the spotlight in the first round of the NBA playoffs with his declaration following Minnesota’s comeback victory in Game 2 that the key to offensive success in this series was driving to the basket and directly attacking a Denver team he said was filled with “bad defenders.” The external consensus was that …

For the second year in a row, an Atlanta Hawk is the Most Improved Player in the NBA. Last season, it was Dyson Daniels. This season, Nickeil Alexander-Walker earned the honor. “Nickeil’s dedication, continual work on his craft, and the ensuing results this season make him incredibly deserving of this award,” said Hawks coach Quin Snyder. “He has a tireless …

After one season at Duke, Cameron Boozer has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft. He made the announcement on his Instagram account on Friday. “Thank you for everything @dukeuniversity,” Boozer wrote on the post. “Duke Blue forever 💙💙” Advertisement Boozer averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals in 38 games for the Blue Devils this past season. …

Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been named as the NBA’s Most Improved Player for the 2025-26 season. Alexander-Walker had a career year, starting in 71 of the 78 games he played in this season. The 27-year-old guard averaged 20.8 points, 3.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game – all personal career highs. Walker also set the Hawks …

HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant won’t play in Game 3 of Houston’s first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night because of a sprained left ankle. Durant also missed the opener of the series because of a bruised right knee. He returned for Game 2 and scored 23 points in 41 minutes of the 101-94 loss that …

Nickeil Alexander-Walker is the NBA’s 2026 Most Improved Player, taking home the honor in his first year with the Atlanta Hawks. Alexander-Walker beat out the Detroit Pistons’ Jalen Duren and the Portland Trail Blazers’ Deni Avdija for the honor. After time spent on three other NBA teams, Alexander-Walker found his groove with the Hawks as a starting shooting guard, putting …

TORONTO (AP) — Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley aggravated his strained right hamstring while working his way back from the injury and will not be available during Toronto’s first-round playoff series against Cleveland, the team said Friday. Quickley averaged 16.4 points, a career-high 5.9 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 70 games in the regular season. He scored at least 20 points …