NBA

LOS ANGELES: LeBron James made a successful return from injury as the Los Angeles Lakers kept alive their hopes of an automatic NBA playoff spot with a 122-115 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday (May 15). James finished with 24 points while Anthony Davis led the scoring with 28 as the Lakers served notice that they have no intention of surrendering their NBA crown without a fight as the postseason approaches. Saturday's victory means that the Lakers can still secure the sixth

The NBA is set to announce on Thursday a new award that will recognize a current player for pursuing social justice and upholding the league's values of equality, respect and inclusion. Named after one of the most accomplished players in NBA history, the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award winner will select an organization to receive a $100,000 contribution on his behalf, according to an NBA statement reviewed by Reuters. The other four finalists will each select an organization to receive a $25,000

The Los Angeles Lakers could receive a jolt of energy this week with the return of the team’s best player. According to The Athletic, LeBron James is targeting Tuesday's home contest against the New York Knicks for his return to the floor. James suffered a right, high-ankle sprain against the Atlanta Hawks on March 20, forcing him to miss 20 games in a row. James returned from the injury six weeks later at the end of April. He played in two games against

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a season-high 49 points Sunday afternoon and outdueled Kevin Durant as the host Milwaukee Bucks edged the Brooklyn Nets, 117-114. Antetokounmpo, who missed Friday's game against the Chicago Bulls with an ankle injury, delivered the dunk that put the Bucks ahead for good with 7:57 left. The 49 points were the third-most of his career and his most since he scored 50 points against the Utah Jazz on Nov. 25, 2019. Khris Middleton had 26 points and 11 rebounds as

LOS ANGELES: Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a season-high 49 points in his return from an injury as the Milwaukee Bucks overcame Kevin Durant's 42-point performance to beat the Brooklyn Nets 117-114 on Sunday (May 2). Two-time reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Antetokounmpo, who had been dealing with a sprained right ankle, outdueled Durant in the Eastern Conference clash between the two highest-scoring teams in the league. Antetokounmpo finished just three points short of his career high, which he set two years ago against Philadelphia.

Jaylen Brown scored 40 points and grabbed nine rebounds as the Boston Celtics closed out a perfect road trip with a 121-113 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Brown finished 17 of 20 from the field and at one point made 11 straight shots. The Celtics, who ended 3-0 on the trek and earned their fifth straight win overall, never trailed. Marcus Smart and Payton Pritchard each scored 15 points. Getting the start in place of Andre Drummond (bruised right big

The NBA expects to have arenas packed full of fans when the 2021-22 season begins, with the chances of it happening increased by a deal with a COVID-19 screening company, ESPN reported. With vaccine distribution in full swing, the NBA will look toward the airport screening company Clear to provide COVID-19 screening technology at home venues around the league. Each team will be allowed to determine how the screening technology will best serve its fan base. The league will not require teams to

Stephen Curry scored 41 points, including 30 in the second half, and the Golden State Warriors rallied late to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 122-121 on Tuesday in San Francisco. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 19 points and Kent Bazemore added 18 as the Warriors ended a three-game losing streak in the opener of a stretch of four home games. Oubre gave the Warriors the lead on two free throws with 7.7 seconds remaining. Golden State had lost seven of its previous eight games. Jrue

Kyrie Irving scored 40 points, including a critical 3-pointer in the final minute, and Jeff Green made a pair of free throws with 3.7 seconds left to seal the host Brooklyn Nets’ 114-112 comeback win over the New York Knicks on Monday. The Nets, playing the second leg of a back-to-back, carried over some of the struggles from their 115-107 loss Sunday in Chicago. Brooklyn fell behind by 10 points at halftime and lost James Harden after just four minutes due to hamstring

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has his eyes set on a Super Bowl victory after signing a new mega deal with the franchise. The 27-year-old, who suffered a compound ankle fracture and dislocation which forced him to miss much of last season, says he wants to forget the past and guide his team to new levels. "That's my plan, to get a parade in Dallas," he said in a press conference on Wednesday as the deal was officially confirmed. "As a competitor, you

The perfect shooting was an oddity. The dimes were more than what you would expect from a backup point guard. But the steals, the steals were what made T.J. McConnell's triple-double Wednesday night shocking. McConnell had nine steals in the first half and 10 for the game, to go with 16 points (8 for 8 from the floor) and 13 assists in the Pacers' 114-111 win over the Cavaliers. To show just how eye-popping this feat was, here are some historical notes: The

Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving isn't letting go of his idea for the National Basketball Association to incorporate a silhouette of Kobe Bryant on its logo. The current distinctive logo was introduced in 1969 and features the silhouette of LA Lakers great Jerry West dribbling a ball, but Irving says it should be replaced in honor of Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash alongside his daughter and seven others on January 26 last year. Bryant is considered one of the sport's greatest

Many of the NBA's top players are expressing apprehension about accepting invitations to participate in league-sponsored public service announcements to bolster broader acceptance of the coronavirus vaccine, sources told. The NBA's outreach to the agents of many of the league's elite players -- with hopes of getting stars to participate in PSAs to promote the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine -- has been met with a tepid response, sources said. Player apprehensions about receiving the vaccine are consistent with those that also

James Harden says there’s no bad blood between him and the Houston Rockets after a whirlwind start to the season that resulted in his trade to the Brooklyn Nets last month. Harden apologized in a recent interview with ESPN for the drama that unfolded in Houston as reports of his wanting out reached a climax. "I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful," Harden said. "I wasn’t trying to be selfish. I feel like the front office knew where I stood, and what I wanted.

Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry is happy to let his game do the talking as it pertains to the MVP race this season. Curry, 32, is in the midst of one of the best stretches of his career, averaging 35.3 points per game and shooting 53-for-101 from beyond the arc over his past eight contests. After scoring 40 points in a 111-105 win over the Orlando Magic on Thursday night, the former two-time MVP spoke with the type of confidence that

LeBron James’ bubble room hilariously revealed by Austin Rivers, as he takes a dig at the living conditions of NBA players in the Orlando Bubble. The NBA has been under constant scrutiny for several reasons.The plan to restart the league has been a polarizing decision. With players violating the protocols to constant complaints about living conditions to rumors of snitching, the league has had a rough start in Orlando. Now Rockets’ guard Austin takes a shot at LeBron on his Instagram live while

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about the faction of NBA players who are against resuming the 2019-20 season. Some players are understandably worried that restarting play will shift attention away from the Black Lives Matter movement (in addition to their concerns about COVID-19, the injury risk and the “bubble” restrictions). There’s also some concern in NBA circles about the alarming number of new coronavirus cases popping up in Florida, according to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes and Zach Lowe. Hypothetically speaking, what

The NBA's board of governors intends to approve a league proposal on a 22-team format to restart the season in Orlando, Florida, sources told ESPN. The conference call and vote is set for 12:30 p.m. ET Thursday, sources said. Commissioner Adam Silver and the league's advisory/finance committee have shared the broad details of a plan with teams to play at the Walt Disney World Resort, sources said. The plan includes 13 Western Conference teams and nine Eastern Conference teams, eight regular-season games, a

One of the most memorable postseason battles in Western Conference history could be in store when the NBA resumes after the coronavirus-related work stoppage ends. The type of rivalry that NBA fans crave evolved in the off-season as the Los Angeles Lakers added coveted forward Anthony Davis to team with LeBron James and pursue another title for the storied franchise. The cross-town Los Angeles Clippers did the same, as they landed prized free agent Kawhi Leonard after he led the Toronto Raptors to

The NBA suspended its operations on March 11 due to the coronavirus outbreak.The league and team executives are now planning how to bring the season back if the outbreak settles down.They are now considering a restart of the season in Las Vegas, with a special tournament schedule leading into the NBA Finals. The National Basketball Association is already thinking about how it could rescue its season, and a revised tournament in Las Vegas leading to the finals could be its answer, assuming it’s