NBA News

Alright, round four. The first three have just gone so well. With their win over the Orlando Magic in the Play-In tournament, the Sixers’ 2026 playoff position is finally set in stone. They will be the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference and will take on the second-seeded Boston Celtics. Advertisement Now that they officially have a set opponent and …

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyrese Maxey and his 76ers teammates sent feelers out to Joel Embiid about the recovering All-Star center attending the play-in game. Embiid had been absent since his emergency appendectomy last week and the Sixers thought it would lift his spirits if he was part of their playoff push. Unsure of his answer hours ahead of tipoff Wednesday …

The NBA fined Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball $35,000 and assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 on Wednesday, April 15, for the play that injured Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo in the teams’ April 14 Play-In Tournament game. Ball seemingly tripped Adebayo — the league called it “unnecessary and reckless contact” — during the second quarter of Tuesday night’s game, causing …

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Referee Ben Taylor left the play-in tournament game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers with an injury on Wednesday night. Taylor walked stiffly off the court and went up the tunnel behind one basket at Intuit Dome with 8:51 left in the third quarter. He was replaced by alternate referee Sean Corbin …

The worst injury of Wednesday’s NBA play-in tournament game between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers might have been to a ref. Veteran official Ben Taylor exited the game in the third quarter with an apparent injury, limping off the court in some discomfort. Alternate ref Sean Corbin entered the game to replace him after a brief break …

Golden State Warriors fans may be able to breathe a sigh of relief. With 2:39 to play in the first quarter of Golden State’s Play-In Tournament game Wednesday, April 15 against the Los Angeles Clippers, All-Star point guard Stephen Curry went into the locker room with a towel draped over his head. Advertisement Curry has been dealing with lingering injuries …

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points, V.J. Edgecombe added 19 points and 11 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers weathered the absence of Joel Embiid to beat the Orlando Magic 109-97 on Wednesday night and secure the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Sixers moved on to a first-round series that begins Sunday at Boston. Advertisement …

MIAMI (AP) — Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball should have been ejected for an uncalled flagrant foul when he reached out and tugged on the ankle of Miami’s Bam Adebayo, causing a back injury that forced Adebayo out of a play-in tournament game, the NBA said Wednesday. The league said Ball made “unnecessary and reckless contact” with Adebayo on Tuesday night. Ball …

Desmond Bane was keeping the Magic alive Wednesday night in a play-in tournament matchup deciding the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 seed. Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey broke his spell. Bane, who scored a valiant 34 points and accounted for four of Orlando’s seven 3s, fueled a comeback that nearly erased an 11-point Sixers lead. Advertisement Before Bane could complete the …

In honor of the merciful conclusion to the Utah Jazz’s tanking era, let’s take a look back at some of the players who were instrumental in securing better draft odds and the hope of a playoff appearance next season. Referring to these players as tank commanders is not derogatory nor is it meant to degrade the skill-sets they possess, rather, …

The Golden State Warriors play the Los Angeles Clippers tonight in a win-or-go-home play-in game, and Anthony Slater just told us Steve Kerr’s coaching future won’t get resolved in the immediate aftermath of the season. He’s taking time for “bigger picture conversations” before any ultimate choice gets made. So let’s be clear about what we’re watching tonight: This might be …

The Play-In game against the Portland Trail Blazers was a tough loss, but was it unexpected? All of us Suns fans were optimistic going into the game and the Suns definitely could have won. It wasn’t a blowout and came down to the final possession. But the Suns didn’t pull it out in the end, and along the way, they …

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Forward Alex Condon is returning to Florida for his senior season, giving him a final opportunity to boost his 3-point shooting before making the jump to the NBA. His decision that was announced Wednesday should improve the Gators’ chances of winning another national championship. Advertisement Condon, a 6-foot-11 Australian, is the seventh player to re-sign with the …

With the NBA Draft Lottery about three weeks away, fans are talking about two big mysteries: where the team will pick on May 10 and who will rep Brooklyn on the dias in Chicago that night. Last year, when the Nets dropped from the sixth seed to the eighth, it was Jordi Fernandez, the head coach, looking ashen as the …

The Golden State Warriors will play with their season on the line Wednesday night in a first-round Play-In Tournament matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM PT in Los Angeles and can be watched on Prime Video. Previously with the Warriors: The Warriors closed out the regular season with a 115-110 loss to the Clippers …

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA confirmed Wednesday it is exploring a move to an age-based eligibility model that would give athletes a window of five years to compete in Division I starting immediately after their high school graduation or 19th birthday, whichever comes first. The Division I Cabinet discussed the possibility at meetings that concluded Wednesday but did not take …

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards heard the ovation Kevin Garnett was getting from the Minnesota crowd and hustled across the court for a pregame bear hug, as the Hall of Fame forward and Timberwolves icon was soaking in his warm welcome from the fans last week. Edwards found plenty of inspiration from Garnett’s first visit to Target Center in eight …

INDEPENDENCE — The Cleveland Cavaliers had 41 different starting lineups throughout the regular season. That was mostly due to injuries and major trades that shook up the roster at the deadline. But of those 41 different combinations, one has yet to stick out with the playoffs starting on Saturday. As of now, head coach Kenny Atkinson isn’t ready to name …

The last time Deandre Ayton appeared in the playoffs was in 2023, when he was a member of the Phoenix Suns and was viewed in NBA circles as having the potential to be a force as a center in the league. A lot has changed since then for Ayton. Advertisement He’s on his second team since those days in Phoenix …

The Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs starting on Sunday. The Cavs lost all three of their regular-season games to the Raptors, but each came before December. Let’s take a look at what the numbers say about this Raptors team. Overall team efficiency The Raptors have simply been a solid team …

The 2025-26 NBA regular season is officially in the books and it was one that was well-watched. NBC Sports’ NBA coverage began with a record-setting night with “NBA Tip-Off” on Oct. 21, marking the return of the nostalgic broadcast partner. Advertisement The season started with the first opening night double-overtime game in 20 years, a matchup between the Houston Rockets …

The NBA’s Play-In Tournament might be underway, but the regular season is not a wrap. The end-of-season awards have yet to be handed out, and still there are major questions surrounding more than a few of them. Does Victor Wembanyama deserve MVP after leading his team to an unexpected No. 2 seed in the Western Conference while playing some of …

For a guy who is the tallest player in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama doesn’t seem to care much about ceilings. Many doubted Wemby and the San Antonio Spurs’ legitimacy before the season. Vegas projections gave them just the 17th-best odds to win the championship and an over/under win total of 44.5. With Wembanyama leading the way with an impressive MVP …

When the Lakers begin their opening-round playoff series against the Rockets Saturday, they will be without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, both working their way back from injury. Consequently, DraftKings Sportsbook has the Rockets priced as -600 favorites heading into the first round of the postseason. LeBron James and the Lakers are 90:1 to win the Western Conference and 150:1 …

INDEPENDENCE — The Cleveland Cavaliers have struggled to stay healthy all season. This has led to them having 41 different starting lineup combinations and just three players participating in 65 or more games. For context, a team like the Boston Celtics had 23 different starting lineup combinations and nine players available for 65 or more gams. Fortunately for the Cavaliers, …