PHILADELPHIA — Andre Drummond was in the Philadelphia 76ers’ locker room after shootaround on Tuesday when a couple of his younger teammates approached the center about his recent shoe deal news.

“All the young guys are already asking me for shoes like, ‘Yo, you signing guys?’” Drummond said with a laugh during a video call with The...Read more

NEW YORK — The Oklahoma City Thunder were without their star second option — Jalen Williams — for the ninth straight game.

But another one of the team’s stars made up for it. And he looked like he could fill the No. 2 role full-time for Mark Daigneault’s squad if needed.

Chet Holmgren entered Madison Square Garden with a shooting ...Read more

NEW YORK — Ahead of tipoff against the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the second leg of a road-home back-to-back on Wednesday, Knicks head coach Mike Brown laid out his team’s keys to victory.

The Thunder are well-coached under Mark Daigneault. They are led by reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They have a complementary ...Read more

Depending on how the Eastern Conference standings shake out over the final six weeks of the regular season, the Celtics could see Charlotte in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The Hornets? The franchise that won 19 games a year ago, hasn’t reached the postseason since 2016 and hasn’t won a series since before Kon Knueppel was born? They...Read more

NEW YORK — The WNBPA’s executive committee affirmed it remains “united” on delivering a “transformational” collective bargaining agreement, the union said in a statement Wednesday.

“In every CBA negotiation, the goal of the league and teams is to divide the players,” the union said in the statement. The statement comes less than...Read more

ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith hurled criticism at the New Orleans Pelicans organization and rattled off many of his own accomplishments during a monologue that lasted more than nine minutes on Wednesday's episode of "First Take."

It occurred a day after Smith called New Orleans star Zion Williamson a "food addict" on air and the Pelicans ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — There’s no shame in losing a basketball game.

This is doubly true when the two highest-paid players in the history of the franchise are either hurt (again), suspended (seriously?), or, when they are available, less than fully whole.

Sometimes, there’s even no shame in losing by 40.

However, there is great shame in losing ...Read more

NEW YORK — The players are trying to fight a good fight, seeking a massive improvement to their unimaginably one-sided collective bargaining agreement. Public sentiment is largely on their side.

But with the WNBA holding firm and time running out, it sounds like the players are folding — and that could mean another disappointing deal that�...Read more

TEMPE, Ariz. — Kansas coach Bill Self was ejected from Tuesday’s game against Arizona State with his Jayhawks trailing late in the first half. The No. 14 Jayhawks eventually lost, 70-60.

Self argued an offensive foul called on freshman guard Darryn Peterson. He argued with the official about the call and was quickly given a first technical....Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — Nobody said getting to the NCAA Tournament would be easy.

UCF is finding that out the hard way as the Knights dropped a heartbreaker to Oklahoma State in overtime, 111-104, on Tuesday night. It was the second consecutive loss for the Knights, who still remain in the hunt for an elusive berth in the NCAA Tournament.

On ...Read more

MIAMI — The subset of the standings has begun for the Miami Heat — also known as the fighting chance provided by the NBA.

Over these final six weeks of the season, as the Heat fight to avoid the play-in round for a fourth consecutive season, Erik Spoelstra’s team has been provided with two games against the Brooklyn Nets and three against...Read more

TCU men’s basketball no longer has to wonder about whether it will make the NCAA tournament.

After upsetting No. 10 Texas Tech 73-65 (22-8, 12-5) in Lubbock, Texas, on Tuesday, the question the Horned Frogs (20-10, 10-7) have to wonder about now is how high will their seed be on Selection Sunday on March 15?

The Horned Frogs have now won ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kon Knueppel was just as bummed as everyone else.

With Cooper Flagg still nursing a left midfoot sprain that’s sidelined the Dallas Mavericks’ young star since Feb. 10, that meant no rookie showdown between the Charlotte Hornets’ prized pick and his buddy and close friend from Duke.

“Yeah, I think you just want to ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Timberwolves were able to win all three games on their recent road trip without Julius Randle playing his best basketball.

But if the Wolves are going to make a serious run in the playoffs again, they need the version of Randle who looked so comfortable in Minnesota last season to re-emerge over the last six weeks ...Read more

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The North Carolina Tar Heels may have been down by three points at the break Tuesday against Clemson, but the Smith Center crowd was soon brought to its feet by a former player who walked out to midcourt wearing a Canadian tuxedo.

The UNC men’s basketball program honored RJ Davis — the last player of the Roy Williams ...Read more

NEW YORK — St. John’s is one win away from at least a share of the Big East regular-season championship.

It took a furious second-half comeback — and a little late luck — for the Red Storm to eke out a 72-69 win over last-place Georgetown on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden and avoid a catastrophic upset.

But with the dramatic ...Read more

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — With tough buckets and timely shots, Clemson men’s basketball showed up at the Smith Center and tried its hardest to hand UNC its first home loss of the season.

Luka Bogavac and Derek Dixon had other plans.

Bogavac, the junior guard from Montenegro’s had an up-and-down first season with the Tar Heels, but he was on ...Read more