SAN FRANCISCO – Steph Curry went back to the locker room in the second half of the Golden State Warriors’ 131-124 loss to the Detroit Pistons and did not return to the floor on Friday night at Chase Center.

Late in the third quarter, shortly after converting on a twisting and-1 layup, Curry limped back to the Warriors locker room at the 4:...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Xfinity Mobile Arena became the home of Unrivaled on Friday night. Fans flooded the arena in their favorite WNBA gear as Philadelphia made history, bringing the world’s top WNBA players to the city for the women’s basketball three-on-three league’s first — and only — tour stop.

The doubleheader, featuring the Breeze, ...Read more

BOSTON — Coming off one of their most lopsided defeats of the season, the Celtics capitalized on an ideal get-right opportunity Friday night.

Boston pummeled a short-handed, lottery-bound Sacramento Kings squad, 112-93, at TD Garden.

With Jaylen Brown sitting out with hamstring and knee injuries, Payton Pritchard spearheaded Boston’s ...Read more

NEW YORK — This is how you show ownership, a front office, and a fan base that you want to stick together. Because the Knicks are quietly making a case that they don’t need Giannis Antetokounmpo after all. That they can play elite-level, selfless, winning basketball with the roster — or at least the core — as currently constructed.

How ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — When the Magic lost to the Raptors by one point on the road on Dec. 29, Orlando squandered a 21-point first-half lead at Toronto.

On Friday night inside Kia Center, it was Toronto that gave up a 14-point lead on the road playing in front of a national TV audience on ESPN.

During a contest that featured 12 lead changes, coach ...Read more

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Dusty May walked down the Breslin Center tunnel and looked around. Boos and jeers rained down on the Michigan basketball coach with vigor, even more than a typical rivalry game. He smiled. Gave a fist bump. Walked to a seat and sat down, arm across the seat next to him and his right led up. Comfortable, even amid the ...Read more

LAWRENCE, Kan. — One of Allen Fieldhouse’s biggest admirers across the national sports-media landscape will fittingly be part of the ESPN “GameDay” crew working Saturday’s Big 12 clash between Kansas and BYU.

KU will be celebrating the 1,000th official men’s basketball game in the history of the 71-year-old building.

Former Duke ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Jeffrey Epstein and Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Josh Harris had an ongoing business relationship that included numerous phone calls and at least one visit to Epstein’s home in Manhattan, according to emails released Friday by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The emails do not contain any indication that Harris was involved ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The “competitive edge” Lakers coach JJ Redick requested from his players showed itself right away in the form of dominance from Luka Doncic, more outstanding play from LeBron James and an impressive outing from center Deandre Ayton.

By the time Doncic, James and Ayton completed their night, they had combined for 85 points and...Read more

NEW YORK — A four-time All-Star and last season’s assists leader at the ripe age of 27 netted just matching salary in a pair of role players on the open market this NBA trade season.

It’s something worth considering as the Knicks remain a central figure — for the umpteenth season in a row — as the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline approaches....Read more

PHILADELPHIA — If I had told you in October, as Joel Embiid recovered from his fourth knee surgery, that the 76ers star would, three months later, have played in 15 of the last 20 games and averaged 28.7 points and 8.1 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game, you’d have been satisfied.

If I had told you in October that Giannis Antetokounmpo would...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kon Knueppel’s head coach already knows what to expect.

Not much seems to faze the Charlotte Hornets rookie, and it’s quickly become evident to Charles Lee in the short time the two have been together.

“He handles everything the same way, which is what I love about him,” the Hornets coach said. “Nothing is too big...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Seeking to evaluate who has “won the breakup” in the professional divorce that tore asunder the basketball union of Kentucky and John Calipari leads to a surprising conclusion.

With the Wildcats set to face their former coach for the second time in his role as Arkansas head man when UK visits Fayetteville on Saturday, it ...Read more

STORRS, Conn. — Aaliyah Edwards boarded a plane in Miami and flew right into the aftermath of a winter storm in Connecticut. “The snowstorm was not my friend,” she told the crowd at Gampel Pavilion. “Not my friend at all.”

Edwards was surrounded by thousands of friends and much of her basketball family on Wednesday night, when she was...Read more

LAWRENCE, Kan. — The story of Darryn Peterson’s one-year Kansas Jayhawks basketball career will forever be intertwined with that of BYU star freshman AJ Dybantsa.

The two are competing with Duke’s Cameron Boozer to be selected No. 1 overall in the 2026 NBA draft.

When it was learned that No. 14 Kansas would face No. 13 BYU on Saturday ...Read more

PHOENIX — The Detroit Pistons had no answer for Dillon Brooks Thursday night inside Mortgage Matchup Center. He scored a career-high 40 points on 13-of-22 shooting with four 3-point field goals, which resulted in the Pistons' 114-96 loss to the Phoenix Suns. With the defeat, the Pistons fell to 34-12 on the season.

Cade Cunningham led the way...Read more

Michael Porter Jr. stepped back into Ball Arena Thursday and played like he’d never left. He scored a season-high 38 points, two shy of his career high, with 10 rebounds and seven 3-pointers, nearly dragging the Nets across the finish line before Brooklyn fell to the Denver Nuggets, 107-103, in the clutch.

The loss was Brooklyn’s seventh ...Read more