NBA News

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams each scored 17 points and No. 6 LSU beat Arkansas 92-70 on Thursday night for its sixth straight Southeastern Conference win. The Tigers (20-2, 6-2) led by just three points at halftime against the Razorbacks (11-11, 0-7), who have lost all their league games by double-digit margins. Advertisement Johnson, Williams …

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Payton Verhulst scored 16 points and Aaliyah Chavez added 14 to help No. 10 Oklahoma defeat Texas A&M 85-58 on Thursday night. Raegan Beers and Sahara Williams each added 12 points for the Sooners (17-4, 5-3 Southeastern Conference), who made 12 of 23 3-pointers and had assists on 25 of their 30 field goals. Advertisement It …

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Brooks Koepka felt nerves he had not experienced in years. The swagger that was such a hallmark of his five major championships was replaced by concern about the reception he would get upon his return to the PGA Tour after nearly four years on Saudi-funded LIV Golf. Koepka didn’t make a birdie until his final hole …

An Arizona rookie will be participating in the NBA’s All-Star Weekend, just not the one most people would have expected with how this season has gone. Ex-Wildcat Carter Bryant has accepted an invitation to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The competition is scheduled for Feb. 14 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Advertisement …

Dallas Mavericks rookie phenom Cooper Flagg will return to the lineup Thursday night to face the Charlotte Hornets. Flagg will return against a familiar face on the opposing side, with former Duke Blue Devil teammate Kon Knueppel (18.6 ppg on 42.1% 3-point shooting) starring for the Hornets. The former college teammates currently lead all rookies in scoring. The Mavs held …

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Nasa Hataoka of Japan shot 6-under 66 and had a one-shot lead over LPGA player of the year Jeeno Thitikul, Chanettee Wannasaen, Lottie Woad and Linn Grant following the first round of the season-opening Tournament of Champions. Hataoka played the back nine at chilly Lake Nona Golf & Country in 4 under to pick up where …

Giannis Antetokounmpo is reportedly ready for a new home. But where? With the Bucks reportedly willing to listen to offers, our writers weigh in on the best landing spot for the 10-time All-Star and what the future holds in Milwaukee. What’s the best landing spot for Giannis? Ben Rohrbach: The New York Knicks. They are his preferred destination, or they …

Onyeka Okongwu suffered a dental fracture when he was elbowed in the mouth in Atlanta’s last game, and will be out at least for the Hawks’ matchup with the Houston Rockets on Thursday night. Okongwu was elbowed by Celtics guard Jaylen Brown as Brown possessed the ball in the fourth quarter of a 117-106 Hawks’ win on Wednesday night. Brown …

LeBron James is scheduled to play what could be his final game at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks on Sunday. If you want a seat there to watch, it’s not going to be cheap. The average ticket price for the Lakers-Knicks game as of Thursday morning was $900, according to Gametime — the most for an NBA …

Kevin O’Connor & Tom Haberstroh dive deep into the unfolding Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga ahead of the February 5th deadline. The pair give an extensive breakdown of the teams—Warriors, Timberwolves, Hawks, Heat, Knicks and more—positioned to make big moves for the Bucks superstar. Advertisement They also debate which teams stand to benefit most from their lottery odds in a loaded …

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has announced new dates for four games as a result of the winter storm’s impact on the Memphis and Dallas areas. Poor weather last weekend forced the postponement of two scheduled Sunday games: Dallas at Milwaukee and Detroit at Memphis. Advertisement The Nuggets-Grizzlies game has been rescheduled for March 18, while the Mavericks-Bucks game …

Tensions escalated at the buzzer on Tuesday night in Paycom Center, where Oklahoma City Thunder guard Lu Dort and New Orleans Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears had to be separated immediately after the Thunder’s 104-95 win. The NBA fined Dort and Fears $25,000 each, the league announced .Thursday. Advertisement “After time expired, Dort shoved Fears in the chest, and both players …

Welcome to the Fantasy Basketball Minutes Report. Every week, I will review each team’s updated minutes per game to see which players are seeing the court more or less than in previous weeks. With this information in hand, I’ll try to discuss any relevant fantasy risers or fallers; players who we should be adding off waivers or removing from our …

DENVER (AP) — Benita Fitzgerald Mosley has stood at the top of the podium at the Olympics. She’s been part of fix-it projects and start-ups in that world, as well. None of those roles have presented the challenges she’ll face in her new job — CEO of the U.S. Center for SafeSport. It’s a post she officially takes over Sunday …

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Professional boxer Gervonta “Tank” Davis remained in a Miami jail on Thursday following his arrest on charges of attempted kidnapping, false imprisonment and battery, court records showed. A fugitive task force took Davis into custody on Wednesday in Miami’s Design District, according to a social media post by Miami Gardens police. Advertisement Police said the …

Two teams inside the Eastern Conference Play-In group collide when the Miami Heat visit the Chicago Bulls tonight. Both teams lost games on Wednesday as they will play the second half of back-to-backs. Advertisement Miami is one of the better teams playing on consecutive nights, so my Heat vs Bulls predictions and NBA picks side with the visitors to the …

Stephen Curry is now 19th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. With a stepback three against Utah, he passed Paul Pierce, finishing the night at 26,398 career points and still climbing. Another name checked off. Another Hall of Famer in the rearview. On paper, it’s just another milestone in a career already stuffed with them. In practice, this one hits …

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Six direct places in the Europa League round of 16 are up for grabs and 11 teams remain in contention for the five last spots in the knockout stage in the final round of the opening phase on Thursday. Only leader Lyon and second-placed Aston Villa have already qualified for the last 16. They are tied …

CLEVELAND — The Lakers avoided a potential disaster when star guard Luka Dončić returned to Wednesday night’s matchup against the Cavaliers late in the first quarter after taking a scary fall into the stands just a few minutes into the game. But what they didn’t avoid was another double-digit loss in LeBron James’ return to northeast Ohio, with uncertainty about his NBA …

Happy birthday to Andre Iguodala, the man who helped the Golden State Warriors unlock a dynasty. On his special day, with the Warriors scrambling to replace Jimmy Butler and contemplating trading Jonathan Kuminga possibly back to Miami for Andrew Wiggins, there’s no better moment to recognize what we lost when Iguodala retired. Because the truth is simple: the Warriors have …

Portland Trail Blazers (23-25, ninth in the Western Conference) vs. New York Knicks (29-18, second in the Eastern Conference) New York; Friday, 7:30 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: New York will try to continue its four-game win streak with a victory over Portland. Advertisement The Knicks have gone 18-6 in home games. New York leads the Eastern Conference in rebounding, averaging …

Charlotte Hornets (20-28, 11th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Dallas Mavericks (19-28, 11th in the Western Conference) Dallas; Thursday, 8:30 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Hornets -4.5; over/under is 228.5 Advertisement BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte is looking to keep its four-game win streak intact when the Hornets take on Dallas. The Mavericks are 14-13 on their home court. Dallas has a …

Toronto Raptors (29-20, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (24-22, seventh in the Eastern Conference) Orlando, Florida; Friday, 7:30 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Toronto will try to keep its four-game road win streak alive when the Raptors face Orlando. Advertisement The Magic have gone 16-17 against Eastern Conference teams. Orlando ranks eighth in the Eastern Conference in rebounding …

Memphis Grizzlies (18-27, 12th in the Western Conference) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (12-37, 15th in the Western Conference) New Orleans; Friday, 7:30 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Memphis hits the road against New Orleans looking to end its five-game road skid. Advertisement The Pelicans are 6-26 against Western Conference opponents. New Orleans is seventh in the Western Conference in rebounding averaging …

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Tyler Bilodeau had 18 points, Eric Daily Jr. had his second double-double this season, and UCLA beat short-handed Oregon 73-57 on Wednesday night to extend the Ducks’ losing streak to seven games. Dailey finished with 14 points and a career-high tying 11 rebounds. Donovan Dent scored 11 of his 15 in the second half for UCLA …