NBA News

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. The first round of the playoffs can be somewhat of a formality, regardless of the sport. The NBA Playoffs, however, have provided a little spice early on in recent postseasons. Advertisement We’ve recently watched lower-seeded squads burn their opening round opponents and make …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. The Orlando Magic face the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Play-In Tournament on Wednesday night. Superstar center Joel Embiid is once again sidelined for Philadelphia, and that factors into my NBA picks in the player props markets. Advertisement See why my Magic vs. …

The NBA returned to NBC Sports this year, and it felt like the pinnacle of the league again in more ways than one — record numbers of fans were tuning in for games. More than 170 million people in the United States tuned in and watched regular-season NBA games this season across their partners — ABC/ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, NBC/Peacock …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. It’s a true coin-flip game when the Orlando Magic visit the Philadelphia 76ers tonight in NBA Play-In Tournament action. Advertisement Our Magic vs. 76ers predictions and free NBA picks will tell you what the best bets for this matchup are, and how you …

While there is no shame losing to a highly competent offensive team like Charlotte in the play-in tournament, you can forgive every single Heat fan on Earth if they feel slighted today. LaMelo Ball grabbing the ankle of Bam Adebayo, while the latter was airborne, causing the All-Star big man to fall to the floor on his backside and miss …

Another season, another late-year issue for Joel Embiid. The center was recently diagnosed with an appendicitis, continuing an unfortunate trend of him running into medical issues or injuries leading into the postseason, where this time the Philadelphia 76ers play host to the Orlando Magic in the play-in tournament Wednesday night (7:30 p.m. ET, Prime). Advertisement It’s not fair to Embiid …

The Charlotte Hornets swinging a trade-deadline deal with the Chicago Bulls to bring Coby White back to his home state was immediately both an obviously great basketball move and a feel-good story, doubly so for those of us who are UNC fans. White, who of course spent one memorable year at UNC in 2019, added the kind of backup ballhandler …

LaMelo Ball, guard for the Charlotte Hornets, apologized after a play that caused Miami Heat captain Bam Adebayo to lose his balance and fall during the second quarter. “I apologize on that one,” Ball told reporters after the game. “I got hit in the head and didn’t really know where I was, but I’m going to check in on him …

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — LaMelo Ball was so excited after delivering a knockout blow to the Miami Heat in Tuesday night’s electric 127-126 play-in tournament win that he carried it over to his victory celebration, delivering two right-hand jabs to the oversized head of Hugo, the Charlotte Hornets’ mascot. In a wild sequence, Ball avenged two critical mistakes just seconds …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. There is no indication Steph Curry is about to retire, but each postseason that passes lessens his chances of another dramatic playoff run, the kind every basketball fan should hope for. Advertisement The Golden State Warriors know those are the stakes, hence emphasizing …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. I bet the Orlando Magic wish the “Back to the Future” ride was still running at Universal Studios. That would be their best chance to reverse time and erase the embarrassment of last Sunday, while avoiding this road matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers in …

The long-awaited NBA postseason is here, beginning with the win-or-go home NBA Play-In Tournament. The Golden State Warriors go on the road, just under 400 miles down Intestate 5, to face the Los Angeles Clippers in an elimination game at Intuit Dome on April 15. Both teams enter this do-or-die game battered and bruised after a long, 82-game season. The …

The Cleveland Cavaliers finished the season 52-30 and have a first-round date with the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. Before we look ahead, let’s reflect on the regular season and hand out some report cards. Advertisement All grades are based on our expectations for each player before the season began. Donovan Mitchell 27.9 points, 5.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals It’s …

The Lakers started their week of preparation leading up to Saturday’s Game 1 meeting with the Rockets with the question on everyone’s mind. When will Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves return? Head coach JJ Redick fielded that question for the first of what will be many times on Tuesday and had a definitive, if not unclear, response. Advertisement “They’re out …

The Charlotte Hornets are in the NBA Play-In Tournament and still alive, having beaten Miami in a thriller Tuesday night. Kon Knueppel didn’t play especially well, shooting just 2-12 and 0-6 on his three-point attempts, and finishing with just 6. Sion James didn’t have a big game offensively either, scoring just 2 points. Advertisement It’s been a while since a …

PHOENIX — Deni Avdija showed he’s got a little bit of the clutch gene in his initial foray into postseason basketball. The first-time All-Star followed a breakout regular season with a fantastic all-around performance in Tuesday’s NBA play-in tournament, scoring 41 points to lead the Portland TrailBlazers over the Phoenix Suns for a 114-110 win to clinch the No. 7 …

Rebounding was not a strength of the Lakers over the course of the regular season. Rebounding was a strength of the Houston Rockets during the 2025-26 campaign. So, on their first day of practice Tuesday for Game 1 of the first round Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers worked diligently on rebounding drills, knowing full well that will be one …

Lakers coach JJ Redick publicly acknowledged feeling like his team wasn’t physically ready for the start of last year’s first round playoff series against the Timberwolves, which ended in a five-game defeat for the Lakers. And the role his preparations from the week leading into Game 1 of the matchup played into that. Redick made it clear that won’t be …

Okay, the most important game of the season is here folks. No more dress rehearsals, no more what ifs. It’s time to lock in for some Play-In tournament basketball! After a 37-win season, somehow someway the Golden State Warriors still have a chance to fight for an NBA title. Let the games begin (again)! Golden State Warriors (37-45) at Los …

The Heat lost big man Bam Adebayo in the second quarter of their play-in tournament game against the Hornets after Charlotte guard LaMelo Ball seemed to trip him. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a lower-back injury by the Heat before they fell 127-126 in an overtime heartbreaker. Advertisement The injury occurred with 11:10 left …

We don’t know if the Golden State Warriors season will extend beyond Wednesday. The Dubs face an uphill battle in the first round of the play-in tournament, as they have to go on the road to beat an LA Clippers team that has been finding a groove late in the season. But if the Warriors do win that game, which …

The Golden State Warriors face the LA Clippers on Wednesday night, in the first round of the play-in tournament. For the Dubs, the stakes are simple: win and advance, or lose and go home. Golden State is not the favorite to win, and you can point to any number of reasons why. They were the worse team this year, finishing …

Just what kind of challenge do the Knicks have on their hands? The Hawks are one of the NBA’s hottest teams, surging in the second half of the regular season. The consensus is the Knicks ended up with a harder first-round opponent with them instead of the Raptors. After the All-Star break, the Hawks’ winning percentage (.769) was third best …

The Phoenix Suns lost to the Portland Trailblazers 114-110 Tuesday night in the 7/8 play-in game. The Suns were down as much as 14, but stormed back to take an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter, but allowed Deni Avdija and company to close it late. Avdija led all scorers with 41. Jalen Green led the Suns with 35. After …

After committing a blunder on the previous possession, LaMelo Ball more than made up for it by converting a leaning lay-in with seconds to go, and Miles Bridges swatted away Davion Mitchell’s floater at the other end. The unbelievable game-winning sequence came after Tyler Herro executed a personal 6-0 run in the waning seconds to secure what Miami must have …