NBA News

There were plenty of factors that went into the Knicks completely outplaying the Hawks from beginning to end in their massive Game 5 win on Tuesday night at MSG. One of the biggest was New York’s domination on the boards. Advertisement Atlanta was one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the league all season, but the Knicks did a …

There was no need for a comeback on Tuesday, the Spurs showed up ready to take care of business. In Games 3 and 4 of this series, Portland was the more aggressive team early and took big leads (15 and 19), forcing Spurs comebacks that became the bigger story. Portland never had the lead on Tuesday. Advertisement It was the …

BOSTON (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 33 points, Tyrese Maxey had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers avoided elimination, beating the Boston Celtics 113-97 in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night. Paul George had 16 points and nine rebounds for the seventh-seeded Sixers, who lost Games 3 and 4 at home to fall …

Victor Wembanyama scored 17 points in the San Antonio Spurs’ 114-95 victory in Game 5 on April 28, clinching a first-round NBA playoff series win over the Portland Trail Blazers. The Spurs earned their first playoff series win since 2017, and will face the winner of the Denver Nuggets-Minnesota Timberwolves series in the Western Conference semifinals. Advertisement Wembanyama had a …

Jalen Brunson struggled over the first four games of the Knicks’ first round series with the Hawks. The All-Star continued to get things done as a playmaker for New York’s offense, but he was missing some open looks he’s usually able to knock down with ease. Advertisement Heading into Thursday night’s crucial Game 5 matchup at the Garden, Brunson was …

In a pivotal Game 5, in front of an array of celebrities and former New York Knicks legends, the Knicks put their best forward to ensure that Madison Square Garden was rocking. In what felt like their most complete team effort, the Knicks had the right mindset to control this game from start to finish on both ends, winning 126-97. …

On Tuesday night, the Knicks and Hawks returned to Madison Square Garden for the first time since Atlanta’s stunning comeback win in Game 2 of the series. This time, it seemed like the Knicks had learned from their previous mistakes. Riding a strong defensive performance, a tremendous all-around game from Karl Anthony Towns, and a vintage Jalen Brunson shooting game, …

The Knicks defeated the Hawks 126-97 in Game 5 of their first round matchup on Tuesday night at MSG. New York reestablishes a 3-2 series advantage. Here are some takeaways… – Mike Brown gave Karl-Anthony Towns credit pregame for the work he’s put in on both ends of the floor over the first four games of the series, and the …

The NBA has proposed an anti-tanking lottery system called “the 3-2-1 lottery.” In this new concept, the lottery would expand from 14 to 16 teams, flatten chances at the top overall pick, and feature all 16 picks chosen in the lottery. Here is how lottery balls would be distributed in tiers with the odds at the top pick: # of …

Kevin Durant won’t be with the Houston Rockets for Game 5. The Rockets ruled Durant out for Wednesday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers due to his left ankle injury, which has kept him out for nearly all of the playoffs. Advertisement Durant missed Game 1 of the series with the Lakers due to a knee injury, though he returned …

BOSTON — Joel Embiid scored 33 points, Tyrese Maxey had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers avoided elimination, beating the Boston Celtics 113-97 in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night. Paul George had 16 points and nine rebounds for the seventh-seeded Sixers, who lost Games 3 and 4 at home to fall behind …

The season is not over for the Philadelphia 76ers. Joel Embiid stepped up for a dominant second half to lead the 76ers to a 113-97 win in Game 5 Tuesday night to extend the series and Philadelphia’s season. The series will extend to Game 6 in Philadelphia Thursday night with Boston holding a 3-2 lead. Advertisement The Celtics led by …

The NBA teams with the worst records would no longer have the best chances of getting the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft as part of a potential, dramatic draft lottery reform, longtime NBA writer Mark Stein and others have reported. In an apparent effort to discourage tanking, the teams with the fourth-worst through 10th-worst records each would have …

NEW YORK — This is, for both the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks, the most pivotal game of the season. Granted, every postseason game is paramount, but Game 5s in the NBA playoffs when both teams enter tied at two games apiece are particularly crucial. Historically, the winner of Game 5s when tied at 2-2 go on to win …

Kevin Durant won’t be with the Houston Rockets for Game 5. The Rockets ruled Durant out for Wednesday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers due to his left ankle injury, which has kept him out for nearly all of the playoffs. Advertisement Durant missed Game 1 of the series with the Lakers due to a knee injury, though he returned …

Former Lakers assistant coach Damon Jones became the first among 34 defendants to plead guilty Tuesday in an expansive gambling indictment that also ensnared Hall of Fame player Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat star Terry Rozier and organized crime figures. Jones was a Lakers coach in 2022 and 2023, long after he retired from an 11-year NBA playing career with 11 …

March Madness is about to get bigger. The men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments are on the cusp of expanding to 76 teams, ESPN reported, in the final stages of a move that has long been rumored. It is set to take place for the 2027 tournament. Advertisement The outlet said the expansion is on track to be formalized in …

Never say that Anthony Davis doesn’t have layers. The Washington Wizards star — who still has yet to play a game for the Wizards — appeared on the “Glass Half Full” podcast with Craig Melvin of “Today” in an episode released Tuesday and was asked if he has a hobby “that would surprise most people.” Advertisement His answer: “I love …

Adam Silver and the NBA’s quixotic quest to end tanking reached a new level of complexity on Tuesday when the league unveiled a new plan to the 30 league GMs on a conference call. This new “3-2-1” system — named after how many ping pong balls each team would get, depending upon their finish — would expand the lottery to …

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers were underdogs going into their first-round playoff series. Both teams will be looking to close things out on Wednesday night in their respective Game 5s. Orlando looks to become the seventh No. 8 seed to advance when it plays at top-seeded Detroit. Advertisement The fourth-seeded Lakers, who are without …

This technically isn’t a must-win game, but it comes about as close to being one as possible for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland was in firm control of their opening-round series through the first two games. They were getting whatever they wanted offensively with their star backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden leading the charge. This added up to a …

The NBA moved closer to a slightly expanded 16-team lottery Tuesday, one that will flatten odds of winning the No. 1 pick and try to deter tanking by drastically lowering the chances of winning for the teams that finish with the three worst records. The “3-2-1 Lottery” proposal, which was reviewed by the league’s general managers, will be further discussed …

Last offseason, Brad Stevens had to make cuts — the team that had won the title just more than a year before was about to get far too expensive. It was not pain free. Gone were three key pieces of the 2024 championship puzzle: Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford. Combine that with Jayson Tatum being expected to miss …

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Austin Reaves and the Los Angeles Lakers will wait until game time Wednesday night to determine whether he is ready to return from nearly four weeks on the sidelines with a strained oblique muscle. Reaves expressed cautious optimism Tuesday when he spoke to reporters for the first time since getting hurt April 2 at Oklahoma …

The NBA playoffs are not known for upsets. We’re used to seeing the mega superstars competing in the latest rounds. Major upsets, storybook performances from underappreciated players seem so rare that one such experience in a postseason makes for some of the most unforgettable moments in recent memory. Whether it was Tyrese Haliburton leading the No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers …