NBA News

Teenage rookie Cooper Flagg continued his superb run of form by scoring 45 points as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Los Angeles Lakers 134-128 on Sunday. The 19-year-old had made history on Saturday when he became the first teenager to score 50 points in an NBA game – finishing with 51 points, including 24 in the fourth quarter, in a …

This one will actually be fairly brief, as it’s very late for me. It almost got very late for the Rockets, too. Despite having a double digit lead in the 4th quarter, the Rockets almost (but didn’t!) lost it late. If you’ve ever seen most games where the Rockets play Golden State in San Francisco, with Steph Curry playing, you …

Minnesota Timberwolves (46-32, sixth in the Western Conference) vs. Indiana Pacers (18-60, 14th in the Eastern Conference) Indianapolis; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Minnesota comes into the matchup against Indiana after losing three games in a row. Advertisement The Pacers are 11-27 on their home court. Indiana averages 13.7 turnovers per game and is 13-25 when it wins the …

Miami Heat (41-37, 10th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Toronto Raptors (43-35, seventh in the Eastern Conference) Toronto; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Raptors -2.5; over/under is 238.5 Advertisement BOTTOM LINE: Miami plays Toronto in Eastern Conference action Tuesday. The Raptors are 30-18 in Eastern Conference games. Toronto ranks second in the Eastern Conference with 29.5 assists per …

Milwaukee Bucks (31-47, 11th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Brooklyn Nets (19-59, 13th in the Eastern Conference) New York; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Milwaukee visits Brooklyn looking to stop its three-game road losing streak. Advertisement The Nets are 13-34 in Eastern Conference games. Brooklyn is 2-4 in games decided by less than 4 points. The Bucks are 20-28 …

Oklahoma City Thunder (62-16, first in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (50-28, third in the Western Conference) Los Angeles; Tuesday, 10:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Thunder -13; over/under is 226.5 Advertisement BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles will try to keep its 10-game home win streak alive when the Lakers take on Oklahoma City. The Lakers are 30-18 in …

Chicago Bulls (29-49, 12th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Washington Wizards (17-61, 15th in the Eastern Conference) Washington; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Chicago is looking to break its seven-game losing streak with a victory against Washington. Advertisement The Wizards have gone 11-37 against Eastern Conference teams. Washington has a 4-40 record against opponents over .500. The Bulls are …

Sacramento Kings (21-58, 14th in the Western Conference) vs. Golden State Warriors (36-42, 10th in the Western Conference) San Francisco; Tuesday, 10 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Golden State enters the matchup against Sacramento after losing four straight games. Advertisement The Warriors are 6-6 in division games. Golden State is eighth in the Western Conference scoring 114.8 points while shooting 46.1% …

Stephen Curry appears to be back to normal. After missing 27 games with a lingering knee injury, Curry made his return on Sunday night and immediately looked back to his old self. It just wasn’t quite enough to lift the Golden State Warriors past the Houston Rockets. Advertisement The Rockets, after letting Golden State back in front in the final …

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic was ruled out for the final five games of the NBA regular season on April 3. Despite the news, Doncic and the Lakers are hopeful that he can be ready in time for a postseason run. Advertisement Doncic suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain in the Lakers’ loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder …

Luka Doncic is headed to Europe for specialized treatment on his Grade 2 hamstring strain in hopes of a more rapid return to the court, reports Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin of ESPN. This came in consultation with the Lakers’ team doctors, according to the report. Doncic suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain against the Thunder on Thursday night, and …

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Alperen Sengun made the go-ahead layup with 11 seconds left on a pass from Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets held off Stephen Curry in his return after being sidelined more than two months for a 117-116 victory Sunday night. Curry missed a long, straightaway 3-pointer in the final seconds. Advertisement Gary Payton II scored the …

DALLAS (AP) — Cooper Flagg scored 45 points and the Dallas Mavericks ended their longest home losing streak in 32 years at 14 games with a 134-128 victory over the depleted Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night. LeBron James had 30 points and 15 assists for the playoff-bound Lakers, who led for just 13 seconds in the opening minutes of …

The Lakers are as shorthanded as they can be, their dynamic starting backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves out with injuries at a pivotal time of the season. They’re the offensive engines for a Lakers team battling for the No. 3 playoff seeding in a competitive Western Conference. Advertisement The 41-year-old LeBron James is now driving the Lakers, and …

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points and the Los Angeles Clippers snapped a two-game skid by beating the Sacramento Kings 138-109 on Sunday night to improve their playoff positioning. Leonard scored 13 points in the first quarter as the Clippers raced out to a double-digit lead and coasted against a Kings team playing out the string of …

Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg recorded his second consecutive impressive game and made history in the process. Flagg scored 45 points in a 134-128 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center on Sunday, April 5, becoming the first rookie to score 40 points in a game against LeBron James. Advertisement Flagg got off to a fast start, …

Luka Dončić is trying to speed up his return for the Los Angeles Lakers. Dončić is going to seek specialized medical treatment in Europe on his left hamstring strain “in an attempt to expedite his return to play,” his agent told ESPN on Sunday night. It’s unclear where Dončić will go in Europe specifically, or what kind of treatment he …

CLEVELAND — It wasn’t pretty, but the Cleveland Cavaliers did enough to escape with a 117-108 win over the Indiana Pacers. Thomas Bryant said something in the locker room before Sunday’s game that presumably got the team fired up. Although neither he, James Harden, nor Donovan Mitchell would reveal what that was. Advertisement “I’m not saying that.” Whatever it was, …

He didn’t get to 50 again. But Cooper Flagg surpassed 40 points for a second consecutive game on Sunday to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 134-128 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. In total Flagg tallied 45 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steal in another remarkable entry to his rookie campaign. On the …

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Chet Holmgren scored 21 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 20 and the Oklahoma City Thunder had a season-high point total to rout the Utah Jazz 146-111 on Sunday night. Gilgeous-Alexander sat out the fourth quarter with the Thunder in firm control. He extended his record streak of games with at least 20 points to 138. Advertisement Cason …

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — LaMelo Ball scored 35 points and Miles Bridges added 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the surging Charlotte Hornets in a 122-108 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. Coby White had 17 points for the Hornets (43-36), who shot 48.9% from the floor (45 for 92) on the way to their fourth straight win. …

Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 38 points and James Harden poured in 28 as the Cleveland Cavaliers let their star-studded backcourt carry the team past the Indiana Pacers 117-108. Obi Toppin and Micah Potter led the way for Indiana with 21 points each. In what has become a tradition for the Cavs this season, they lallygagged their way through …

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Indiana Pacers on Easter Sunday. All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player. Donovan Mitchell 38 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 steal This was the Donovan Mitchell show. He set the tone immediately by attacking the paint on every other possession. Mitchell ended the game with a career-high 28 points in …

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 23 of his 38 points in the second half, James Harden had 28 points and seven assists and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the injury-plagued Indiana Pacers 117-108 on Sunday night. Thomas Bryant added 14 points and 10 rebounds in his first start of the season for Cleveland, which didn’t take its initial lead until …

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 26 points, Jayson Tatum had 23 points and 13 rebounds and the Boston Celtics beat the Toronto Raptors 115-101 on Sunday. Neemias Queta had 18 points and seven rebounds, and Payton Pritchard scored 17 points for the Celtics, who won their third straight to move closer to clinching second place in the Eastern Conference. …