MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Luka Doncic didn’t celebrate when he sank his first half-court heave during warmups. He didn’t gloat when coaches dutifully dropped to the court to pay the pushup price.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar just makes greatness feel expected.

Doncic’s 44 points, 12 rebounds and six assists led the Lakers to a 117-112 win ...Read more

Deja vu? Not this time.

For the second time in two meetings, the Celtics squandered a double-digit second-half lead against the 76ers on Friday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. But unlike in Philadelphia’s season-opening road win at TD Garden, Boston was able to survive in a thriller.

The Sixers rallied from 24 points down to tie the game ...Read more

CHICAGO — On paper, the Knicks are the better team.

They have two perennial All-Stars to the Bulls’ none, a pair of three-and-D wings who’d fit on any roster, a monster defensive anchor, the league’s most productive bench scorer over the past five seasons, and at least three others who could start or close games for playoff contenders. ...Read more

DENVER — Four games into an 82-game season, an 8-minute, 27-second stretch means little.

Then again, what the Nuggets’ bench did in the second quarter of a 122-88 cruiser over the Pelicans on Wednesday night at Ball Arena portends good things. The Nuggets, off to a 3-1 start, play at Portland on Friday night.

After playing the entire first...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. — After expecting to play again in North Carolina, DJ Burns will not take the court for the Greensboro Swarm.

The franchise, the NBA G League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets, announced on Friday that Burns was one of three players waived ahead of the season opener. Jairu Hamilton and Olisa Akonobi were also waived. Burns was ...Read more

SAN ANTONIO – At some point, you just need more.

Because against quality, even when playing at pace, the absence of the scoring of Norman Powell and Tyler Herro becomes too much to overcome.

The long and the short of the Miami Heat’s 107-101 loss Thursday night to the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center was the Spurs had 7-foot-5 Victor...Read more

MILWAUKEE – A substantial number of the Milwaukee faithful attended Thursday night’s game at Fiserv Forum dressed in colorful Halloween costumes.

But nothing in the stands was as frightening as Milwaukee’s offense in the Warriors' 120-110 loss. Even without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, a late scratch with a left knee injury, the Bucks...Read more

LAS VEGAS — It’s unlikely that the WNBA will have a new collective bargaining agreement in place before the deal expires Friday.

That doesn’t mean a lockout is imminent. The WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association have ratified new CBAs with the help of an extension before.

The league has requested a 30-day ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Playing their fifth game in seven days, the Magic couldn’t afford another loss.

After dropping their fourth in a row less than 24 hours earlier at Detroit, Orlando bounced back in a major way to end their losing streak, 123-107, against the Hornets at Spectrum Center on Thursday night.

Five players scored in double ...Read more

INDIANAPOLIS — Hawks guard Trae Young will definitely miss the first NBA Cup game of the season. The team ruled out Young on Thursday evening ahead of its matchup against the Pacers on Friday night.

The Hawks have not yet provided an official injury update on Young. But after Wednesday’s game, Hawks coach Quin Snyder said that Young would ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Jake LaRavia is not a household name.

A first-round pick out of Wake Forest in 2022, the Lakers forward has played for three NBA teams without garnering too much attention — at least not until Wednesday night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Starting in his second straight game for injury-depleted L.A., which has ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The NBA board of governors unanimously approved Mark Walter's bid to buy a majority stake in the Lakers on Thursday, the league announced, marking a major shift for one of L.A.'s most significant sports teams.

The Lakers had been a family-run team since Dr. Jerry Buss bought the franchise in 1979. When he died in 2013, control ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — Aces president Nikki Fargas has known nothing but winning since she arrived in Las Vegas in May 2021.

It’s not just about winning three WNBA championships in four years. The Aces have reached the semifinals every year since.

“Each championship represents a special group of young individuals who came together, who found a way ...Read more

The Nuggets’ offense might be the best carnival ride in Denver.

Already averaging 130 points through three games, Nikola Jokic and company eviscerated the Pelicans with ball movement Wednesday night, piling on a 29-2 run to start the third quarter en route to a 122-88 win at Ball Arena. The rest was an encore.

Jokic went for 21 points, 12 ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — At some point, the Lakers will get stars Luca Doncic and LeBron James back in the fold. But exactly when they will return to play from their injuries is still unknown.

James has been out all season with right sciatica and Doncic has been out since last Sunday with a left finger sprain and a lower left leg contusion.

Before the...Read more

DENVER — The Denver Nuggets’ offense might be the best carnival ride in Denver.

Already averaging 130 points through three games, Nikola Jokic and company eviscerated the Pelicans with ball movement Wednesday night, piling on a 29-2 run to start the third quarter en route to a 122-88 win at Ball Arena. The rest was an encore.

Jokic went ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Nets fell to 0-5 after a 117-112 loss to the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday at Barclays Center. Once again, an encouraging start faded quickly as defensive breakdowns and poor execution kept Brooklyn from securing its first win of the season.

Nic Claxton scored seven of Brooklyn’s first 12 points and Cam Thomas added five as they ...Read more

The entire thing was a joke — a business-school buzzphrase applied to a sports dynasty clinging to galaxy-brained ideas in the hopes of maintaining previously unparalleled relevance.

The Two-Timeline Plan.

With it, the Golden State Warriors were trying to do what no one in the modern NBA has ever truly done: compete for a title with a core ...Read more

SAN ANTONIO — Less than a week after Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested as part of an FBI gambling probe, developments continue to emerge from the ongoing case.

On Wednesday, the South Florida Sun Sentinel confirmed through multiple NBA sources that Rozier’s $26.6 million salary for the coming season, the final season on his ...Read more

DETROIT — Despite another slow start, the Detroit Pistons (3-2) delivered an impressive 135-116 win over the Orlando Magic at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday night.

After a lackluster performance 48 hours earlier against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cade Cunningham bounced back with a team-high 30 points on 11-of-21 shooting, 10 assists, six ...Read more