HOUSTON — A strong first half wasn’t enough for the Sacramento Kings to overcome one of the best teams in the Western Conference.

A one-point halftime lead turned into a 26-point loss at the Toyota Center on Wednesday night, as the Houston Rockets were led by three 20-point scorers while the Kings were doomed by another lackluster third ...Read more

For the first time all season, the Brooklyn Nets are stacking wins. Behind another explosive start from Michael Porter Jr. and one of their sharpest defensive halves of the season, Brooklyn held off the Chicago Bulls 113-103 Wednesday night at United Center to secure their second straight victory and their first back-to-back wins of the year.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Jamal Murray’s ankle is fine.

He couldn’t play through the pain 48 hours earlier. It might’ve been contagious to the rest of the Denver Nuggets. “I think he felt like he was hurting us more than he was helping us,” coach David Adelman reflected Wednesday night. But the absence of Murray proved just as painful during a...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — Before the Orlando Magic battled the Spurs Wednesday night, San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson was asked what time his team made it to their hotel room in Orlando after hosting the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.

His answer?

Around 3 o’clock in the morning.

Although Jamahl Mosley‘s squad held a rest advantage entering the ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Knicks keep building big leads. They also keep coughing them up.

It’s become the defining — and increasingly troubling — pattern for a team that beat the Charlotte Hornets, 119-104, on the second night of a back-to-back on Wednesday.

New York has now won five of its last six, the lone loss coming in Boston on Tuesday.

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MILWAUKEE — The Detroit Pistons once held an 18-point lead (27-9) over the Milwaukee Bucks with 3:02 left in the first quarter.

At the time, it appeared that the Pistons were on the verge of a blowout victory, especially given that the Bucks lost Giannis Antetokounmpo three minutes into the game. However, the Pistons were unable to maintain ...Read more

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s time in Milwaukee could be nearing an end.

Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks have begun discussing whether it makes sense for the two-time NBA MVP to continue his career somewhere else, according to ESPN.

The sides are reportedly expected to decide in the coming weeks whether Antetokounmpo’s future is in ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — When Kentucky big man Brandon Garrison sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 13:08 remaining in Tuesday night’s ACC/SEC Challenge showdown with North Carolina, it was notable because it was the first Wildcats made trey of the game.

What was not known as Garrison’s jumper nestled through the net was that the 20,029...Read more

LOS ANGELES — At about the one-quarter mark of their season, the Lakers sit second in the Western Conference with a 15-5 record. The 61-win pace would be the team's best year since 2008-09, but the Lakers aren't satisfied yet.

"There's a lot of slices of pizza left in the box that we can still get after," coach JJ Redick said.

Here are four ...Read more

Chris Paul’s second stint with the Los Angeles Clippers ended abruptly in the middle of the night.

The 40-year-old point guard is no longer a member of the Clippers, he announced at about 3 a.m. ET Wednesday, marking an unceremonious exit for one of the franchise’s forever faces.

“Just found out I’m being sent home,” Paul wrote in a ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Knicks could use another playmaker. And one of the greatest table-setters the sport has ever seen just hit the open market.

Yes, it’s Chris Paul — the first-ballot Hall of Famer whose Clippers reunion barely lasted 16 games.

Los Angeles essentially cut ties with Paul late Tuesday night, citing that he had been too vocal in...Read more

LAWRENCE, Kan. — As Kansas coach Bill Self assessed what went awry in 21st-ranked KU’s 61-56 loss to No. 5 Connecticut on Tuesday night at Allen Fieldhouse, he had plenty of material to work with.

The Jayhawks couldn’t convert a chance to tie it down three in the final 25 seconds, couldn’t get vital stops down the stretch and were ...Read more

The Golden State Warriors have been waiting for this moment for half a decade, if not longer:

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are heading for a divorce. He is likely to be traded in the coming weeks or, at the very latest, this upcoming offseason.

Folks, it’s on.

And the Dubs… can’t get him.

Unless the Greek Freak ...Read more

In their first big game of the season inside Rupp Arena, the Kentucky Wildcats fell short against yet another marquee opponent.

The No. 18 Cats lost 67-64 to 16th-ranked North Carolina in Lexington on Tuesday night, falling to 5-3 on the season.

Coach Mark Pope’s team was in desperate need of big-time victory after dropping its first two ...Read more

NEW ORLEANS – Before Tuesday’s game, Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said one of the reasons his team had a slow start to the season on defense is because they began the year “bored.” It was a candid admission from Finch as the team has worked through its defensive issues to start the season.

If Tuesday’s performance was any ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Paul George continues to show why Nick Nurse raves over his defense.

Jared McCain continues to round into shape.

Tyrese Maxey only trails Hall of Famers Allen Iverson and Wilt Chamberlain when it comes to the highest point total through 20 games in franchise history.

And the Washington Wizards are tough to watch.

Those ...Read more

LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Allen Fieldhouse pressure cooker was no match for UConn's Braylon Mullins on Tuesday night.

The freshman, playing in just his second college game, was comfortable amid the chaos. WIth UConn leading by three with 10 seconds to play, he grabbed the rebound off a missed Kansas layup, drew the intentional foul and sunk two ...Read more

DURHAM, N.C. — Boogie Fland brought No. 15 Florida back from a double-digit deficit at No. 4 Duke on Tuesday night.

With the game on the line, though, Duke found a defensive answer.

His team trailing by a point, Fland dribbled into a double team with four seconds left. Duke’s Caleb Foster stole the ball, allowing the Blue Devils to finish ...Read more