NEW YORK — As Adam Silver recalled the events, it was one of the first meetings he took after becoming NBA commissioner in 2014.

His visitor that day was a minority owner of the Boston Celtics. But he wasn’t in town to talk about arguably the most storied franchise in NBA history, of which he held a small share.

There was another topic on ...Read more

CHICAGO — Dusty May and Nate Oats go way back. All the way back to the early stages of their coaching careers that crossed paths in Michigan.

Twenty years ago, when May got his start as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan in 2005-06, he would make the 20-minute drive over to Romulus High School to watch Oats lead 6 a.m. workouts.

“I was...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Steve Kerr flashed an approving smile on the SAP Center video boards Thursday night.

The Golden State Warriors’ coach was sitting behind his alma mater Arizona’s bench. The Wildcats were pulling away like a clear-cut No. 1-seed in a Sweet 16 showcase. They were heading for a season-high 109 points.

One more win and ...Read more

HOUSTON — As Illinois freshman guard Keaton Wagler dribbled out the final seconds Thursday night at the Toyota Center, Tomislav Ivišić walked down the court with his arms raised in triumph at making it through the heavyweight fight.

The No. 3 seed Illini survived a gritty defensive battle in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament to top No. 2 ...Read more

DETROIT — When the Detroit Pistons acquired Kevin Huerter in a trade with the Chicago Bulls, coach J.B. Bickerstaff was very transparent with him about the limited playing time he would receive on the team.

This conversation was not due to a lack of faith in Huerter's abilities to contribute to the team's success, but rather stemmed from the ...Read more

ORLANDO — Defense. Defense. Defense.

Consistent success for the Magic all starts on the defensive end of the floor.

That was the message Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley drilled into his players ahead of Thursday’s game against the Kings at Kia Center amidst a season-long six-game losing streak.

The Magic, however, lacked defensive intensity ...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. — In an arena built for hockey, it was a deflection that sent Purdue to the Elite Eight.

The second-seeded Boilermakers survived a late charge from No. 11 Texas to win 79-77 on Thursday afternoon at SAP Center in San Jose. Trey Kaufman-Renn tipped in a missed layup by Braden Smith with 0.7 seconds remaining to power Purdue ...Read more

Who needs the Detroit Pistons when you have the Charlotte Hornets? The Knicks, in pursuit of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999, would be better suited avoiding both.

The proof in the pudding was on display at the Spectrum Center, where the Hornets snapped the Knicks’ seven-game winning streak — against losing teams plus the ...Read more

Will Wade made a lot of promises a year ago, when N.C. State introduced him as its new head men’s basketball coach.

The Wolfpack would finish in the top half of the ACC, he said. The Pack would make the NCAA Tournament, and improve on last season’s results. He promised a model of consistency, stability and loyalty for years to come.

He ...Read more

As North Carolina’s coaching search unfolds in the wake of Hubert Davis’ departure on Tuesday night, the noise has quickly spread beyond Chapel Hill. With the Sweet 16 tipping off later this week, multiple high-profile coaches — both in college and the NBA — have already been asked about their potential interest in one of the sport’s ...Read more

The résumés of St. John’s star Zuby Ejiofor and Duke phenom Cameron Boozer read quite similarly.

Both lead their teams in scoring, rebounding and assists.

Both won Player of the Year in their respective conferences.

They are two of only four players to be named a semifinalist for both Naismith Player of the Year and Naismith Defensive ...Read more

SEATTLE — The real story would have been if the vote went the other way, but this still feels like progress you can touch.

The NBA’s board of governors did what was expected Wednesday, but a lack of surprise doesn’t mean a lack of elation.

All 30 of the league’s owners voted in favor of exploring expansion in Seattle and Las Vegas. The...Read more

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — When Bill Belichick was introduced as North Carolina’s football coach in December 2024, athletic director Bubba Cunningham opened his news conference remarks with a brief quip.

“Over the last four or five years, anytime there’s been a search anywhere in the country, they thought the first two people you should call ...Read more

The Timberwolves are a volatile team, but never in a season filled with ups and downs have they had as many highs and lows as they had in Wednesday’s 110-108 victory over Houston.

They were winning by nine late in the fourth at Target Center, then lost the lead and Jaden McDaniels to injury.

Rudy Gobert fouled out in regulation and Naz Reid ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors, injured and depleted and undermanned as any team in the league, are now guaranteed a spot in the postseason.

All it took was Memphis losing to the Spurs Wednesday night, rendering Golden State’s 109-106 win over the Nets irrelevant.

That said, the Warriors’ first home game since returning from a six-game ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — With Paul George and Joel Embiid back in the lineup, the Sixers dominated the Chicago Bulls in a 157-137 win, the most points they’ve scored in a game since 1970.

Here are three things we learned from the Sixers’ healthiest lineup in a long time:

George starts slow in return

Before Wednesday’s game, George said he ...Read more

CLEVELAND – Considering the torment of the five-game losing streak the Miami Heat carried into the night – from the buzzer-beating loss in Houston, the Luka Doncic 60 for the Los Angeles Lakers to the fourth-quarter blitz by the Charlotte Hornets – there likely was going to be no easy way out for Erik Spoelstra’s team.

So what had stood...Read more

BOSTON — The Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics are the betting favorites to meet in the 2026 NBA Finals.

If that comes to fruition, the league is in for one heck of a series.

Two weeks after its dramatic two-point loss in Oklahoma City, Boston took down the defending champions in another thriller Wednesday night, winning 119-109 at TD...Read more

DETROIT — With every fan inside Little Caesars Arena on their feet, the Detroit Pistons trailed the Atlanta Hawks 121-119 with just 13.1 seconds remaining. After a timeout, Coach JB Bickerstaff called a play for Tobias Harris, who made a mid-range jumper to tie the game at 121.

The Hawks held the offensive possession with 9.5 seconds left in ...Read more