NBA News

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Nick Davidson scored 17 points, and Clemson nearly allowed an 18-point second-half lead to slip away before holding on to beat No. 19 North Carolina 80-79 on Thursday night in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament quarterfinals. Dillon Hunter had 14 points and went 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the final minute for the Tigers …

Oklahoma Nijel Pack hit four 3-pointers and finished with 20 points, Derrion Reed had 15 points and 10 rebounds,and No. 11 seed Oklahoma beat sixth-seeded Texas A&M 83-63 in the second round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Thursday night to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive. Oklahoma (19-14) plays No. 17 and third-seeded Arkansas — which beat the Sooners …

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 31 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists, Jamal Murray scored 38 points and the Denver Nuggets rallied to beat San Antonio 136-131 on Thursday night, snapping the Spurs’ five-game winning streak as Victor Wembanyama sat out with an injury. San Antonio guard Stephon Castle had 30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for …

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record for consecutive games with 20 points or more, extending his streak to 127 on Thursday night. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard hit two free throws in the third quarter against the Boston Celtics to reach 19 points. With the crowd on its feet, Gilgeous-Alexander pump-faked several times and drilled a …

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Khris Middleton scored 22 of his season-high 35 points in the fourth quarter, Daniel Gafford added a season-best 22 points and the Dallas Mavericks snapped an eight-game losing steak with a 120-112 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night. Max Christie and Cooper Flagg added 13 points apiece for Dallas. Middleton was 10 of 17 …

ATLANTA (AP) — Jalen Johnson had 21 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, Zaccharie Risacher scored 19 points and the Atlanta Hawks extended the NBA’s longest current winning streak to eight games, beating the Brooklyn Nets 108-97 on Thursday night. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 18 points and CJ McCollum had 14 for Atlanta, which began the streak with a win over …

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Sam Reinhart scored 2:20 into overtime to lift the Florida Panthers over the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Thursday night. Sam Bennett also scored for the Panthers. His power-play wrist shot 1:28 into the third period sent the game to overtime. Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves in the win for the Panthers. Advertisement Adam Fantilli scored …

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Devin Booker scored 43 points, Jalen Green had 36 and the Phoenix Suns beat NBA-worst Indiana 123-108 on Thursday night for their fourth straight victory and the Pacers’ 11th loss in a row. Seventh in the Western Conference, the Suns played the second game of a six-game trip they opened Tuesday night with a victory over Milwaukee. …

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews left Thursday night against Anaheim after a knee-on-knee hit from Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas. Trying to make a move around Gudas in the slot in the second period, Matthew stook a direct blow to his left leg and crashed to the ice. The U.S. Olympic captain stayed down before being helped …

CHICAGO (AP) — Braden Smith had 16 assists to climb into second on the NCAA career list, and No. 18 Purdue outmuscled Northwestern for an 81-68 victory on Thursday that moved the Boilermakers into the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Trey Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff each scored 19 points for Purdue (24-8), and Cluff also grabbed 10 rebounds. The …

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wouldn’t rule out re-engaging in trade talks for edge rusher Maxx Crosby while saying he didn’t anticipate such a move since his club is “pretty far down the road” in free agency. The Cowboys were on a short list of suitors when the Baltimore Ravens agreed to send two first-round draft …

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra answered critics of Bam Adebayo’s 83-point effort in Tuesday’s 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards. “I apologize to absolutely no one,” Spoelstra told reporters, via ClutchPoints’ Zachary Weinberger. Advertisement Adebayo scored the second-highest total in a single game in NBA history, second to Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962 and surpassing Kobe Bryant’s 81 …

MIAMI (AP) — Erik Spoelstra had a very clear message to those who didn’t like how the final minutes of Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game played out. Put simply, the Miami Heat coach doesn’t care. Advertisement “I apologize to absolutely no one,” Spoelstra said Thursday. “Period.” Adebayo’s 83-point game — now the No. 2 single-game total in NBA history, 17 behind …

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka held off Victoria Mboko, 7-6 (0), 6-4, in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday, keeping the top-ranked player in women’s tennis in the running for her first title at Indian Wells. After winning every point in the first-set tiebreaker, Sabalenka got the one break she needed to win the second …

Ivica Zubac will make his debut for the Indiana Pacers against the Phoenix Suns, the team announced on Thursday. Zubac, 28, was originally listed as questionable for Thursday’s game; Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters on Tuesday that Zubac was close to returning from a left ankle sprain suffered in December. Zubac was traded to the Pacers along with …

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brayden Burries had 21 points, Tobe Awaka had 12 points and 12 rebounds, and second-ranked Arizona blew most of a big first-half lead before pulling away again for a 81-59 victory over UCF in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday. Koa Peat also had 12 points for the No. 1 seed Wildcats …

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson strained a muscle while slipping on the new glass floor at the Big 12 Tournament, leaving the all-conference player to watch from the bench as No. 7 Iowa State beat the No. 16 Red Raiders 75-53 on Thursday. Anderson was hurt on an inbounds pass when his foot slipped near …

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The decision to leave Tampa Bay wasn’t easy for Mike Evans after he and his family built strong relationships with the Buccaneers and the community over 12 seasons. Picking a new spot once he decided to leave was far easier for the star receiver. Evans dove into possible destinations before the start of free agency …

HOUSTON (AP) — Manager Mark DeRosa says his premature comment about the United States having already punched its ticket to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals before facing Italy was just an “overly confident statement” and reiterated Thursday he knew nothing was guaranteed at that point. DeRosa had made that remark on MLB Network’s “Hot Stove” before the 8-6 loss to …

As Selection Sunday inches closer, men’s college basketball will have at least one less postseason tournament this year. The College Basketball Invitational, more commonly known as the CBI, will not be held this year, with tournament organizers citing “circumstances beyond our control” in a post on social media. Advertisement The post ended on a hopeful note, though, saying “We’ll see …

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Otega Oweh scored 21 points, Denzel Aberdeen added 16, including a key basket with 22.5 seconds remaining, and No. 9 seed Kentucky beat No. 8 seed Missouri 78-72 on Thursday in the second round of the SEC Tournament. Kentucky (21-12) advances to play No. 1 seed and fourth-ranked Florida in the quarterfinals on Friday. Advertisement Kentucky …

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Olin Chamberlain will have the Oklahoma City Thunder game on TV and his phone nearby, just he does any time one of his uncle’s NBA records is getting challenged. The family group chat tends to blow up a bit each time Wilt Chamberlain – that’s “Uncle Dippy” to Olin and others close to the late Hall of …

CHICAGO (AP) — Bruce Thornton had 24 points, John Mobley Jr. scored all 12 of his points in the second half, and No. 8 seed Ohio State held off a late rally by No. 9 seed Iowa for a 72-69 victory Thursday in the third round of the Big Ten Tournament. Ohio State (21-11) advances to play top-seeded and third-ranked …

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — As kids, Para ski racer Meg Gustafson followed the lead of her older brother as they explored the mountains on family vacations. Now, he’s paving the way for a chance at Paralympic medals. As a visually impaired athlete, the 16-year-old Gustafson relies on her sibling, Spenser, to guide her through the course at the Milan …

While the NBA world remains absolutely flummoxed after Bam Adebayo’s 83-point inferno, we’re on the verge of another historic feat that melts the brain. On the eve of Halloween in 2024, the San Antonio Spurs did something that no team has been able to accomplish since. They “held” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to under 20 points. I deliberately put held in quotation …