NBA News

LeBron James and the Lakers pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NBA Playoffs history in the first round, defeating the Houston Rockets despite missing the services of MVP candidate Luka Doncic. But for King James’ record 23rd NBA season to continue, he’d have to pull off a miracle by dethroning the reigning champs, the Oklahoma City Thunder. And …

The NBA Draft Combine is approaching, and three Illini players were invited to participate in Chicago. The combine will run from May 10-17 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis. Players will compete in five-on-five scrimmages, skill drills, measurements, medical examinations, and interview sessions. A total of 73 players were invited, including Illini standouts Keaton Wagler, Kylan Boswell, and Andrej …

At this point in the calendar, there is a lot to be determined regarding the next season in fantasy basketball. Between free agency, the draft and injuries, there are going to be a lot of changes to NBA rosters by the time that fantasy drafts are held in the fall. With that in mind, Rotoworld staffers Raphielle Johnson and Noah …

Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell has a knack for getting off to a hot start in the playoffs. Coming into Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, Mitchell had scored 30-plus points in nine straight playoff-series openers. But that streak ended during a 111-101 loss vs. the Pistons on Tuesday. Mitchell led the Cavaliers in points with 23, but fell short …

Congratulations, Lakers! You held Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to fewer than 20 points for the first time since Game 3 of the Western Conference finals last May 24. You forced him into a season-high seven turnovers. And — get this, this part is really wild — you afforded the man who basically lives at the charity stripe only …

The fate of some of the top college basketball players in the country will be decided by this year’s NBA Draft, but before player selections can be made, the NBA Draft Lottery has to take place to determine the order of selection. The three teams with the worst records during the 2025-2026 NBA season, the Washington Wizards, the Indiana Pacers, …

The answer to the Lakers’ slumping offense sat hunched in a chair in the corner of the visitors’ locker room at Paycom Center. Luka Doncic, dressed in a black T-shirt and pants, scrolled on his phone, cornered off by a wall of reporters who all faced LeBron James looking for reasons behind a postseason dry spell. “We have a guy …

The University of Kentucky is mourning the loss of a true legend. Adrian ‘Odie’ Smith, a cornerstone of Kentucky’s storied history and a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, passed away on April 28. He was 89 years old. The university released a statement Monday announcing the passing. Smith leaves behind a legacy that stretches from the bluegrass of Lexington …

A rough offensive night for the Lakers left them struggling to find enough scoring to keep up with the Thunder in Game 1 as they fell to OKC, 108-90. After a fast start to the contest, LA trailed OKC for the final three quarters. However, the lead would ebb and flow as the purple and gold had brief runs that …

The New York Knicks steamrolled the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1, 137-98, behind 35 points from Jalen Brunson (27 in the first half). New York has won four straight playoff games by 16, 29, 51, and 39 points. Philadelphia played a Game 7 in Boston on Saturday, then had a day off before playing Game 1 in New York on …

Detroit won Game 1, 111-101, versus Cleveland to give the Pistons four-straight wins overall and at home in the playoffs. Unlike the first round, Detroit is up 1-0 in the semifinals behind an all-around team effort. Six different players scored 11 or more points for the Pistons in Game 1, with all five starters doing so. Detroit forced 19 turnovers …

James Harden wasn’t concerned about the turnover issues when asked about the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 19 giveaways that led to their 111-110 Game 1 loss to the Detroit Pistons. “You look at my turnovers, a lot of them were just on me and nothing they did,” Harden said afterward. “That’s the game right there. … I gotta be better and will …

Pressure? Mike Brown scoffed at the notion. Even if owner James Dolan said in January he felt the Knicks “absolutely” had to reach the NBA Finals and “should” win them, the first-year coach had that mindset all along after taking the job. Advertisement “People have talked about a mandate — like I’m coaching to win,” Brown said Tuesday. “It doesn’t …

Even with Anthony Edwards on a minutes restriction, the Minnesota Timberwolves were able to come into the Frost Bank Center and steal both Game 1 and home court advantage from the Spurs. The style of play on display in that game was what was expected of the series from the outset: hard-fought, physical games that would likely need to be …

The New York Knicks took the lead in their second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, racking up a 137-98 win on their home court at Madison Square Garden. Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6, at 7 p.m. ET, and you can catch all the action on ESPN. You can take an in-depth look …

A nasty injury for Jarred Vanderbilt may have not just ruled him out for the game, but for an extended time. In the second quarter of Tuesday’s Game 1, Vando tried to block a fastbreak dunk attempt by Chet Holmgren and, in the process, smacked the backboard with his hand. He immediately doubled over in very obvious pain and exited …

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Lakers were far from perfect with their game plan execution during Tuesday’s 108-90 Game 1 loss to the Thunder at Paycom Center. But they did enough to hang around against the defending NBA champions. Advertisement They disrupted Thunder star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s offensive rhythm with aggressive defensive coverages. They took care of the ball in the …

According to Michael Grange, the Utah Jazz outbid the Toronto Raptors for Jaren Jackson Jr. during the trade deadline. From Grange: leading up to trade deadline in February, the Raptors were working hard to try and make a deal that would land them Jaren Jackson Jr. from the Memphis Grizzlies before he was ultimately traded to the Utah Jazz in …

Well, that wasn’t a particularly encouraging loss. Despite facing a Thunder team coming off a week of rest, the Lakers were the ones who looked out of sorts for most of Tuesday’s Game 1 loss. While they didn’t trail by 30 at halftime — an improvement over the last two trips to Oklahoma City — it never really felt like …

Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Detroit Pistons (60-22, first in the Eastern Conference) Detroit; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT LINE: Pistons -3.5; over/under is 216 EASTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND: Pistons lead series 1-0 Advertisement BOTTOM LINE: The Detroit Pistons host the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference second round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The …

OKLAHOMA CITY — Lakers head coach JJ Redick could only look toward the sky midway through the third quarter, uttering a slew of words not suitable for a national broadcast as he watched his defense momentarily break down, resulting in a wide-open Lu Dort triple and a Cason Wallace point-blank layup. A deficit that had been as small as four …

The Oklahoma City Thunder proved too strong for the Los Angeles Lakers to take a 1-0 lead in the NBA’s Conference semi-finals. The defending champions are the Western Conference’s top seed and made a strong start to the best-of-seven series with a 108-90 win at home on Tuesday. Advertisement The Thunder produced a balanced offensive performance while their defence restricted …

Los Angeles Lakers (53-29, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18, first in the Western Conference) Oklahoma City; Thursday, 9:30 p.m. EDT LINE: Thunder -15.5; over/under is 209.5 Advertisement WESTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND: Thunder lead series 1-0 BOTTOM LINE: The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference second round with a 1-0 …

In the playoffs, rotations shrink, but perhaps Lakers head coach JJ Redick will have to open his up a bit. The Lakers had only eight players who logged at least 10 minutes and with so many subpar performances, someone else needed to be called upon. The Thunder had 10 players play more than 10 minutes and they got great production …

Right before Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder tipped off on Tuesday, May 5, Lakers head coach JJ Redick took a seat on the bench, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He’s going to need to take a few more throughout this series. Advertisement Because even though the Lakers led for …