LeBron James stepped onto the Crypto.com Arena court about an hour before the Lakers were getting ready to play the Utah Jazz to start his pre-game routine, the buzz building from his every movement, everyone anticipating him playing in his first game of the season.

And so it began for James, the start of his NBA-record 23rd season, the right ...Read more

NEW YORK — There were Duke players who had literally never seen anything like this. The big, strong, tough, swarming defense Kansas plays, annually, regardless of changing names and faces, was not only a significant step up in competition five games into some very young careers, it was an awakening.

For Cameron and Cayden Boozer, for Dame ...Read more

NEW YORK — About 25 minutes before Kansas basketball tipped off against Duke, a decades-long KU fan, Dave Roberts, took his seat perhaps a dozen rows behind the basket at Madison Square Garden.

He was decked out in KU gear, intently watching warmups — even without the Jayhawks’ best player and No. 1 draft prospect on the court. He said he...Read more

The Brooklyn Nets made the Boston Celtics sweat Tuesday night at the Barclays Center.

Boston committed a season-high 20 turnovers — including eight by Jaylen Brown and another seven from Derrick White and Payton Pritchard — and trailed the Nets early in the fourth quarter.

But Brooklyn’s upset bid fell short, with the Celtics seizing ...Read more

ATLANTA — The Detroit Pistons fended off multiple rallies from the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night, ultimately securing a 120-112 victory at State Farm Arena. The Pistons extended their winning streak to 11, while improving their overall record to 13-2.

The Pistons had a commanding 19-point lead midway through the second quarter, but the Hawks...Read more

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — A good portion of the Navy bench was already standing and applauding before 5-foot-11 Austin Benigni drilled a 3-pointer to cut the Midshipmen’s deficit to single digits entering halftime at North Carolina. Two more Navy buckets to start the second half made it an even closer affair.

But a Jarin Stevenson dunk soon ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James will make his his season debut Tuesday when the Lakers host the Utah Jazz, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity, after sciatica kept him sidelined for the Lakers' first 14 games.

James is "trending in the right direction," coach JJ Redick said before Tuesday's ...Read more

Not even another magical Steph Curry performance at Orlando’s Kia Center was enough to propel the Golden State Warriors to a fourth consecutive victory.

After putting 56 points on the Magic in his last visit to Orlando in February, Steph Curry scored 22 of his 34 points in the first half. It moved him to No. 22 on the all-time scoring list, ...Read more

DENVER — Cam Johnson’s shooting funk wasn’t a case of the yips. It was a waste of his dips.

“(There) was a little bit of a momentum transfer that I was working on the last couple days,” the Nuggets forward explained to me after a 19-point breakout night against the Chicago Bulls. “Momentum transfer and just a little bit more of a ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Former NBA player Patrick Beverley was arrested after being accused by his teenage sister of grabbing her by the neck with a tight grip and punching her in the eye during an incident early Friday morning at their mother's home in Fort Bend County, Texas.

Beverley, 37, is being charged with the third-degree felony of assault of a...Read more

ATLANTA — The outlook for Atlanta Hawks second-year forward Zaccharie Risacher appears on the more positive side. After a scary fall during the team’s comeback win over the Suns on Sunday, Risacher appears to have avoided a more serious injury, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Risacher is now considered to be day-to-day.

...Read more

Draymond Green addressed his confrontation with a fan in New Orleans that earned him a warning from the NBA in the latest episode of his podcast.

Green had a verbal altercation with a courtside fan during the second quarter of Sunday’s game in New Orleans. In the postgame locker room, Green said that the man had called him “a woman’s name...Read more

DENVER — In a tactic he’s tried dozens of times, Peyton Watson paused during a break in the action and broke the fourth wall, amping up an arena of fans who’ve grown greedy with their team’s start to the season.

They didn’t need the jolt as much as the Denver Nuggets did.

Down as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter, Denver ...Read more

MIAMI — Erik Spoelstra recognized the meaning of the night even before the clock started.

“At the end of the day,” the Miami Heat coach said in his pregame comments, “the No. 1 thing that we have to do is just figure out how to win a game at the end.”

That they did.

Somehow.

Barely.

With the Heat playing in the injury absences of ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — When asked recently what he made of his team’s good record against bad teams and bad record against good teams, Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said the team could only face who was in front of them.

Well, Monday was another of those nights. In front of them was a depleted Dallas squad, and the Wolves did as they ...Read more