HARTFORD, Conn. — The UConn men’s basketball staff contacted Liam McNeeley shortly after he decommitted from Indiana on March 7. The Huskies finished their regular season with a win at Providence two days later, then won the Big East Tournament and earned the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, which they won for the second consecutive ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The NBA has its share of downsides when judging North America's major sports. You can start with the excessive influence of officiating, which can produce 25% of the points put on the scoreboard through free throws.

There is also the willingness of select players to miss games with the slightest of irritations, or teams to hold ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James, in the Lakers’ white uniform, stood at the scorer’s table, filled his hands with chalk and tossed it into the evening air — the same as always.

Yet Saturday, even if it was like the previous 11 meetings with the Denver Nuggets, was always going to be different.

Before Saturday, a loss didn’t mean the ...Read more

MIAMI — The Boston Celtics offered a reminder Saturday night at Kaseya Center of why they finished the season with the NBA’s best record and entered this opening-round Eastern Conference playoff series against the Miami Heat as overwhelming favorites.

While there won’t be a sweep after the Heat’s shocking Game 2 victory Wednesday night ...Read more

PHOENIX — There's a fiery nature inside Timberwolves coach Chris Finch that he can often suppress when he speaks to the media before and after games. Players say it can come out in practices, but in public, Finch usually doles out praise and criticism of his team in the same even-keeled, mild manner.

But that fire came out a bit after the ...Read more

PHOENIX – After two dominant games at home, the question for the Minnesota Timberwolves entering Game 3 was if they could keep the same effort on the road.

The Wolves answered that with a resounding yes as they defeated the Phoenix Suns 126-109 on Friday night to take a 3-0 lead with a chance to win their first playoff series since 2004 on ...Read more

DALLAS — In a game that became testy in the fourth quarter, the health of Kawhi Leonard was paramount for the Clippers.

Leonard was listed as questionable with right knee inflammation for Game 3, and though he started Friday night, he rarely looked sharp during the Clippers’ 101-90 loss to the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center.

...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Lakers, in what could be their final off day of the season, watched film and tried to avoid the mistakes of the past while remaining hopeful for the future.

Easier said than done.

After leading by double digits in each of the first three games of their first-round Western Conference playoff series against the Denver Nuggets...Read more

NEW YORK — The Nets continued a busy offseason with another addition to its coaching staff.

Former Michigan coach Juwan Howard agreed to a deal to become an assistant on newly-appointed Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez’s staff, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Michigan fired Howard last month after five seasons with the Wolverines....Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. — The UConn men are one step closer to a three-peat.

Liam McNeeley, a five-star recruit in the Class of 2024 and one of the best high school recruits still available, committed to the Huskies on Friday evening. The news was first reported by ESPN’s NBA draft insider Jonathan Givony.

“It felt like a perfect fit,” ...Read more

Hunter Dickinson, a 7-foot-2 senior center who earned first-team all-Big 12 honors during the 2023-24 season at Kansas, has decided to remain at KU for his fifth and final season of college basketball.

Dickinson on Friday announced on social media site X that he’s decided to put the NBA draft on hold another year and play for the Jayhawks. He...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The chant began in the final minutes of another lost season, the blame thundering down from furious Laker fans in four sharp syllables.

"Fi-re Dar-vin … Fi-re Dar-vin … Fi-re Dar-vin."

The Lakers are on the precipice of a second consecutive playoff disaster, and it's becoming clear who could take the fall.

In the wake of ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Still less than two weeks removed from a Rupp Arena coronation that caught the attention of the entire college basketball world, Mark Pope has been a busy man.

Meeting with recruits and their families. Showing potential transfers around Keeneland. Spreading the gospel of Kentucky basketball on national TV shows. Driving to ...Read more

About the time Boston fans began leaving quietly into the night with less than a minute left, the small smile of accomplishment began flickering on Miami Heat players. Tyler Herro, at the free-throw-line, offered a quick grin to Bam Adebayo, who offered one back before finishing their night’s work.

Caleb Martin, as the clock ticked toward ...Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. — UConn men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley feels a responsibility to embrace his position as one of the main characters in this new age of college basketball.

The power in the sport has shifted with legends like Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, Roy Williams and Jay Wright all retiring from coaching within the last three years, ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The climb is mountainous, trouble lurking at every step.

One bad dribble, and Denver runs the other direction, creating an open three. One missed assignment, and Aaron Gordon cuts baseline for a dunk. One whiffed box out and the Nuggets get a second, and sometimes, a third chance.

One missed shot, and the margins get tighter, ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid had already splashed four shots from beyond the arc. In the third quarter.

But then he baited New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein into a his fifth foul with more than seven minutes to play in Thursday’s final period, then sank all three foul shots to re-extend the 76ers’ Game 3 advantage.

Embiid set a new...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — The slogan on Jalen Suggs‘ shirt said it all Thursday.

“Seek discomfort.”

The Cavaliers experienced plenty.

Trailing 0-2 in the first-round series between the Nos. 4 and 5 seeds in the East entering, Orlando looked anything but uncomfortable from start to finish in its first home playoff game since 2019 inside an ...Read more

Stephen Curry has another trophy to add to his mantel.

The 36-year-old Curry was named the 2023-24 Clutch Player of the Year. He finished with 45 of 99 first-place votes, edging out DeMar DeRozan at the ballot box.

Curry is the second winner of the award, which was won by Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox in its inaugural year last season.

Curry ...Read more