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When the Celtics shoot somewhere in the neighborhood of 44 percent from the floor and 27 percent from 3-point range, as they did Sunday against the Magic, that is often an indicator that perhaps it simply isn’t their night. In this particular game, though, those numbers didn’t tell the whole story. Boston made crucial hustle plays, extra passes and played …

For people in the Triangle, it may come as a big surprise that people in the NBA didn’t know that Spud Webb could jump. People in the Triangle knew. We heard the stories first, that this 5-7 kid from Midland Junior College could really get up off the ground, but no one understood that his vertical might be as high …

The Knicks could be getting a needed injury boost. Jose Alvarado is listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Nets at Madison Square Garden. He missed the last four games with an ankle sprain. Advertisement Alvarado was able to go through practice on Sunday, coach Mike Brown said, though he didn’t have much of an update otherwise. Tyler Kolek …

Any team that rosters Luka Dončić is going to have to learn how to adjust to defenses blitzing ball screens. Few players in the league, if any, are as dangerous in the pick and roll as Luka. The easiest way for opponents to keep him from doing damage is to stop him before it can really start. That typically manifests …

The questions the Lakers had to face as they returned to Southern California after a one-game trip to the Bay Area revolved around how this new group would respond to early-season adversity. The answer: Pretty well, for the most part. Advertisement Less than 48 hours after blowing a 25-point lead that resulted in a 17-point loss to the Warriors, the …

INDIANAPOLIS — The Nets got their first win but won’t have long to savor it. They’ll face the champion Knicks Monday in the Garden, which has become their own house of horrors. The Nets crossed the East River twice last season, losing the first 134-98 on Nov. 9 and then an even worse loss Jan. 21, 120-66. Advertisement That second …

LOS ANGELES — Luka Dončić has heard it all. He can’t play defense. He’s a showman, a front runner, a whiny shot-chucker whose game isn’t conducive to winning. He can average all the stats he wants. It won’t translate to anything. Advertisement Sunday night, in the Lakers’ 131-125 win over the Toronto Raptors, he proved that he’s more than what …

The Lakers having a bounceback outing in itself was encouraging on Sunday. That it started on the defensive end, though, is perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the performance. In the opening quarter, they set a defensive tone, turning the Raptors over nine times with seven steals and 14 points off turnovers. While Luka had his typical strong first quarter, …

The Lakers (5-2) will welcome the Miami Heat (2-4) to town on Monday for their first meeting of the season. Both teams enter this matchup coming off wins. Start time and TV schedule Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat Advertisement When: 7 p.m. PT, Nov. 2 Where: Crypto.com Arena Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet In case you didn’t know, the Lakers …

The Washington Wizards announced Sunday they have picked up the fourth-year team options for Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George and picked up the third-year team options for Tre Johnson and Will Riley. Washington’s entire 2024 draft class is now under contract through the 2027-28 season: Sarr: $15.6 million; Carrington: $7.3 million; George: $5.4 million. Advertisement On July 1, …

It can be deadly on a hike. It’s costly for a basketball team. Chemistry must be rebuilt. No steps can be skipped, regardless of how long a team has played together. “You’re starting all over,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said after practice Sunday. “It’s like climbing a mountain. We’re climbing a mountain as a team and we conquer the mountain, …

Sometimes, a loss is a miserable situation that gets called a learning experience to save face. But watching this game against the Lakers, I was, at times, genuinely heartened by the product that I saw on the floor. The result? Less heartening, that is for sure, but there’s a lot to learn from this November 1st 131-125 game. For one: …

Tonight, the Houston Rockets get their first schedule advantage game of the season. The Boston Celtics played yesterday, but it was a matinee so they probably arrived in Houston before it got late. This is a matchup of a 6-1 team against a 5-1 team. Both teams came into the season with…lower expectations than what they’ve achieved so far. Boston …

The season is by no means lost, but the Jazz need a win in the worst way right now. That said, the Jazz hit the road to Texas to face the reigning Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama… Everything but an easy win for a struggling Jazz squad. While the early-season homestand was not kind to the …

Another night of brilliance from Luka Dončić led the Lakers to a bounceback win on Sunday as they knocked off the Raptors, 131-125. Coming off a loss to the Warriors, LA rode Luka’s back to another win as he put up another 40-point game. The team struggled mightily in the minutes without him, but still did enough to hang onto …

The Dallas Mavericks (4-2) will look to extend the first winning streak of the 2026-27 season on Monday when they host the Sacramento Kings (0-6), who are searching for any semblance of balance or defensive identity, at American Airlines Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Mavericks have won three in a row, including impressive showings against the Oklahoma …

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night 124-112, improving to 4-3 on the season. It is the first time the Dubs have had a winning record since March 8th (when they were 32-31 last season). Despite sitting Steph Curry and Draymond Green on the first half of a back-to-back, Dubs rookie Yaxel Lendeborg continued showing …

INDIANAPOLIS — For much of Sunday night, the Nets couldn’t buy a basket. By the end, they were no longer winless. The Nets ground their way past the short-handed Pacers 98-90 before a sellout crowd of 17,274 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It wasn’t perfect or even easy, but it was enough. Advertisement “It wasn’t a pretty win, but it’s a win …

The Spurs have rallied after losing their first two games of the season, rattling off four wins in a row. They are starting to round into form while still having room for growth, looking like the contender their talent suggests they can be, through ups and downs. Among the areas that still need improvement is the play of the second …

With nine new players on the roster still working on maximizing their on-court chemistry, the Lakers are taking a patient approach to the start of the NBA season. For now, it looks as if they’re fine with following Luka Doncic’s lead. Advertisement The Lakers’ star had another sensational performance, finishing with 45 points in a 131-125 victory over the Toronto …

The Knicks (2-4) head into the first full week of November with a mixed slate that starts soft and gets progressively harder. Two home dates against basement-dwellers offer a chance to build momentum and pad the win column, but the road finale against an Eastern Conference rival looms as the team’s next measuring stick. How New York fares will say …

Golden State Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg managed to bounce back in a big way on Sunday, Nov. 1. The rookie led the Warriors in a 124-112 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Advertisement It was a follow-up to his performance against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. A game that Lendeborg called the …

The Los Angeles Lakers are up big on the Toronto Raptors, thanks in no small part to Luka Dončić’s monster first half. Coming off a disappointing loss to the Golden State Warriors on Friday, Oct. 30, in which they faded after a fast start, the Lakers returned to Crypto.com Arena Sunday, Nov. 1 and have kept their foot on the …

The NBA has suspended Atlanta Hawks point guard Kingston Flemings, the league announced on Sunday, Nov. 1. Flemings will sit out one game without pay after the league ruled that he intentionally elbowed New Orleans Pelicans guard Bryce McGowens in the head during their matchup on Saturday, Oct. 31. Advertisement The rookie made contact with McGowens in back-to-back plays in …

The Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers both played in their ABA-inspired uniforms tonight. Their offensive performances looked like they were straight out of the 60s and 70s, but so was Brooklyn’s defense, and it got them their first win of the season. So, if you ask us, old is gold. Advertisement The Nets were led by their two high-scoring vets, …