The NBA has thrown the kitchen sink at its tanking problem over the years.

They flattened the lottery odds. They invented a tournament to incentivize regular-season games. They’ve levied fines, tried public shaming and probably discussed relegation in a dark room in Secaucus, N.J. (OK, maybe not that last one, but they should.)

None of it ...Read more

He mentioned the noise on the morning after. He mentioned the sound the University of Miami basketball arena made, as if it still echoed in his heart and mind, as if it was a soundtrack he’d like to replay over and over on basketball nights over the coming weeks — and years.

“That crowd — they helped us,’’ Miami’s Jai Lucas said ...Read more

Freshman Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball star Darryn Peterson needed just five minutes of game time to assert his will against Oklahoma State.

Peterson scored 13 of KU’s first 17 points on Wednesday at Gallagher-Iba Arena to give Kansas a 17-6 lead. And that provided the Jayhawks the opening burst they needed to take complete control and ...Read more

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Roller coaster doesn't even begin to describe it.

Missouri men's basketball nearly blew a 21-point lead but managed to squeak past No. 19 Vanderbilt, 81-80, on Wednesday night, turning what looked like it was going to be a statement upset into a narrow — but still important — win.

Mizzou (18-8, 8-5 Southeastern Conference...Read more

LOS ANGELES — It was the look on Steven Jamerson II's face.

That was the toughest thing to watch. That was what seared into the mind. That's what made you want to fire Mick Cronin on the spot.

It was a look of embarrassment. It was a look of confusion. It was the look of a young man who had just been cruelly pushed around by someone with ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — I was on a Louisville sports radio chat show last week when the host asked my opinion of what it would take from the 2025-26 Kentucky men’s basketball season to leave the Big Blue Nation satisfied with Mark Pope’s second year as the Wildcats head coach.

After UK (17-9, 8-5 SEC) absorbed a horrid 86-78 home-court loss ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors will not be at full strength for their first game out of the All-Star break.

During his media availability after Wednesday’s practice, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said that Steph Curry did not participate in the session and will not play against the Celtics on Thursday.

Curry missed the final five games before ...Read more

STORRS, Conn. — There was a big-game atmosphere in Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday night, but the UConn men’s basketball team had fans streaming out of the building with time still on the game clock as its regressing defense had it facing a double-figure deficit against Creighton, a team it beat by 27 points on the road less than three weeks ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings returned from the NBA All-Star break with injury updates on a number of players as they reconvened at their Golden 1 Center practice facility Wednesday.

The biggest news concerned three-time All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis, who underwent season-ending surgery Wednesday morning to repair a torn ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball got into a minor collision on Wednesday afternoon in uptown Charlotte. Ball is fine and wasn’t injured, a league source told The Charlotte Observer.

Charlotte police have not released information. The crash happened at Trade and Tryon streets. The Hornets declined to comment.

MEDIC said ...Read more

NEW YORK — Changes could be in store for the Madison Square Garden Sports Corp., which on Wednesday announced it is considering splitting the Knicks and Rangers into separate entities.

The board of directors gave its unanimous approval for MSG to explore turning the Knicks and Rangers into two distinct publicly traded companies, the ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — Jordan Burks wasn’t happy with how UCF had let a 14-point, second-half lead slip away in a loss to West Virginia on Saturday.

Instead of wallowing in frustration, Burks took things into his own hands, tying a career-high with 23 points in helping the Knights to an 82-71 win over visiting TCU on Tuesday night.

UCF (18-7, 7-6...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Home in Lexington and hoping to get back in the winning column, the Kentucky Wildcats let an opportunity slip away Tuesday night.

In one of the few games remaining on the schedule that they were supposed to win, the Cats turned in a lackluster performance against the Georgia Bulldogs, falling 86-78 in Rupp Arena for their ...Read more

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — After talking the talk and viewing themselves as the top college basketball team in the nation, it was time for the Wolverines to walk the walk.

In their first game with a consensus No. 1 national ranking, they did just that in a top-10 tilt against the preseason No. 1 team at a place that’s been a house of horrors in...Read more

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Tom Izzo asked fans to trust him to get his Michigan State basketball team in order after a recent skid put the Spartans outside of the Big Ten championship picture. His team backed up those words Tuesday night in one of the most thorough performances of the Big Ten season.

Fueled by a radiant first half and a season-...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. — N.C. State coach Will Wade called his team “soft” on Saturday after losing its second straight game and blowing a lead in the final minute of play.

He didn’t know what to expect coming into the matchup against North Carolina. The Wolfpack hadn’t lost three straight games this season, but it has struggled at home in ACC...Read more

DENVER — Doug Moe, who became one of the winningest coaches in Nuggets history by orchestrating a high-speed, high-scoring style of basketball that was ahead of its time in the 1980s, died on Tuesday. He was 87.

In 10 full seasons as head coach, Moe led the Nuggets to 432 wins, a number immortalized today in the rafters of Ball Arena and a ...Read more

DURHAM, N.C. — In a lot of games for Duke, it’s just a matter of time.

The Blue Devils start a little slowly, their opponent staying close, almost to the point of building some confidence. Then, Duke ignites. And if the game is at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the building rumbles.

So it was Monday as the No. 3 Blue Devils rolled past Syracuse ...Read more