NBA News

DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray scored 30 points, going 16 of 16 from the free-throw line, and Nikola Jokic had a triple-double as the Denver Nuggets shook off a sluggish start to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-105 on Saturday in the opener of their first-round playoff series. Jokic had 25 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists and a bloody nose in …

Fun fact: Jesse Itzler, who wrote “Go New York Go” is both a Knicks fan and a minority co-owner of the Hawks. Mr. Itzler must have felt some conflicted feelings as he sat down to watch the Knickerbockers host Atlanta in Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round. And it must have been a special kind of sting to …

The NBA playoffs has begun and as expected, the favorites are winning Game 1 at home. Well, Sunday’s action should be no different. The Celtics, Thunder, and Spurs are all in play for big wins and when looking at the series, I think there is value on all three to sweep and go Under 5.5 games played. Thunder (-3000) vs …

It was often an overlooked part of New York’s playoff resume: The Knicks evolved into a good defensive team. Since the calendar flipped to Jan. 1, the Knicks have had the sixth-best defense in the NBA. The Atlanta Hawks found out about that. For the first 19 minutes of the second half, the Hawks scored just 32 points (14 fewer …

DENVER — Ten minutes into Saturday’s playoff opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Denver Nuggets were in a bad spot. Minnesota had controlled the first quarter on the road, forcing tough shots and miscues while limiting three-time MVP Nikola Jokić to three points and three turnovers. And Aaron Gordon — the 6-foot-8 spark plug who was a difference-maker in Denver’s …

The NBA’s top overall seed, the Oklahoma City Thunder open the defense of their title Sunday at Paycom Center against a battle-tested but potentially fatigued Phoenix Suns squad. Less than 48 hours ago, the Suns eliminated the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament while OKC sat at home. Sure, the Suns arrive with momentum and a “nothing to lose” …

CLEVELAND — White dress shirt, white sports jacket, white bowtie, white three-quarter-length dress shorts, white socks, and a pair of his own signature basketball shoes. Whether or not they were the same pair James Harden wore 45 minutes earlier during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 126-113 Game 1 win over the Toronto Raptors is unknown. What we do know is that it …

The Knicks stepped up on defense in the second half and held on to beat the Atlanta Hawks, 113-102, in Game 1 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Here are the takeaways… — Jalen Brunson started the game on fire with 15 of New York’s first 22 points, making all six shots he took, including three three-pointers. …

The Orlando Magic (45-37) travel to Detroit to take on the No. 1 seeded Pistons (60-22). The two teams split the season series 2-2. Detroit clinched the No. 1 seed and is one of three teams to reach 60 wins this season (Spurs, Thunder). The Pistons lost in the first round over six games to the Knicks last season, but …

The Philadelphia 76ers (45-37) travel to TD Garden for a first round series against the Boston Celtics (56-26). The regular season series is tied 2-2. Boston ended the regular season with a 6-1 record over the last seven games and the fourth-best record overall in the NBA. The Celtics under Joe Mazzula have gone 50-33 in the playoffs, including a …

With speculation on whether Giannis Antetokounmpo’s time as a Milwaukee Buck is coming to an end, the Miami Heat have emerged as a potential landing spot for the two-time NBA MVP. And, as it turns out, Antetokounmpo isn’t against the destination. On an episode of the podcast “Gogi’s Garage,” hosted by retired NBA player Goran Dragić, Antetokounmpo didn’t do much …

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kevin Durant was scheduled to miss the Houston Rockets’ playoff opener against the Los Angeles Lakers with a knee injury, leaving both teams without their top scorer to begin the first-round series. Durant was ruled out for Game 1 on Saturday night by coach Ime Udoka, but the Rockets seem confident Durant’s bruised right knee isn’t …

UConn guard Braylon Mullins is returning to school for his sophomore season, he announced via Instagram on Saturday, April 18, which happens to also be his birthday. Mullins, a projected lottery pick in USA TODAY’s latest NBA mock draft, averaged 12 points per game for the Huskies as a true freshman in 2025-26, starting 29 games and playing a key …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. Fresh off a blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets, the Orlando Magic find themselves in a 1 vs. 8 matchup with the Detroit Pistons. Advertisement Unfortunately for Orlando, what’s been a breakout year for the Pistons will have Little Caesars Arena rocking on …

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell has more support on the Cleveland Cavaliers roster going into this year’s postseason run. But even with the deeper roster, Mitchell still has the mentality of delivering the statement in the first game of a series. Advertisement The All-Star guard did that again Saturday afternoon with a game-high 32 points in the Cavaliers’ 126-113 victory …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. The Orlando Magic survived the play-in gauntlet, but there are bigger battles ahead as they start their first-round series against the relentless Detroit Pistons. Advertisement Orlando is back in action less than 48 hours after clinching the No. 8 seed, and my Magic …

The 2026 NBA playoffs have officially tipped off. The best NBA players showcase their skills and talent through an 82-game regular season, but the playoffs are where legacies are made – or tainted. The postseason is where performance determines who is the star of stars; who will rise to the occasion and who shrinks when the lights are brightest. Advertisement …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. There are head-to-head battles that never go out of style. King Kong vs. Godzilla. Coke vs. Pepsi. Me vs. Mushrooms. Advertisement And Kevin Durant versus LeBron James. These two future Hall of Famers face off in Round 1 of the Western Conference playoffs. …

The last time the Toronto Raptors and the Cleveland Cavaliers met in the NBA playoffs was 2018, and the history between them is about as lopsided as it gets. Cleveland holds a 12-2 all-time playoff record against Toronto, winning all three previous series, including back-to-back sweeps in 2017 and 2018. The Raptors came in having swept the regular-season series 3-0, …

The Cleveland Cavaliers defended their home floor in Game 1 of their first round series against the Toronto Raptors. Let’s go over today’s winners, because there were no losers. WINNER – Pace Controlling the tempo was a point of emphasis for the Cavaliers entering this series. Toronto is one of the deadlier transition teams in the league, while Cleveland was …

The Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business in a blowout win to start the 2026 NBA Playoffs. All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player. Donovan Mitchell 32 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals Advertisement Mark another special start to the playoffs for a guy who is one of the league’s most prolific postseason scorers ever. …

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business in Game 1 against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday afternoon on the strength of a strong third quarter. They controlled the pace of the game and executed at a high level in the half-court thanks to superstar performances from their guards Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. This added up to a …

The NBA season has wrapped up and the playoffs have begun. As someone who also writes for Detroit Bad Boys, I highly encourage you to watch the #1 seed Detroit Pistons who look to have some postseason success for the first time in 15+ years. Or, if you’re looking for some more postseason basketball now that March Madness is over, …

Oscar Schmidt authored a 46-point performance in the final of the 1987 Pan American Games, leading Brazil to a historic victory over the United States in a game that partly precipitated the formation of the “Dream Team.” Schmidt, a 6-foot-9 forward with a 3-point stroke that was ahead of its time, earned the nickname of the “Holy Hand,” or “Mão …

DENVER — Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been cleared to play in Saturday’s Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets. Head coach Chris Finch didn’t have any news on his status pregame after he’d previously been listed as questionable with right knee injury maintenance. But he participated in warmups, and the Timberwolves announced pregame that he was available to play. …