NEW YORK — The NBA’s push to curb tanking shifted from theory to urgency Thursday, a change that feels especially relevant for the Nets.

Commissioner Adam Silver informed the league’s 30 general managers that the NBA intends to implement anti-tanking rule changes as soon as next season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The message ...Read more

DENVER — The Nuggets began the season with eyes on the Thunder. They should have been on Victor.

Victor Wembanyama is no longer the future. The San Antonio Spurs center is the present. And he is not going anywhere.

This is getting ridiculous. It is getting old.

The top superstars keep getting younger. And the Nuggets keep getting injured.

...Read more

NEW YORK — For the first time all season, No. 17 St. John’s is in the driver’s seat for a Big East championship.

The Red Storm enter Saturday afternoon’s home game against Creighton in sole possession of first place in the conference, having pulled ahead of No. 5 UConn by a half-game this week.

But with five games remaining on its ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — UCLA coach Mick Cronin apologized Friday for a pair of outbursts from earlier in the week and assured that he's still "a good fit" for the Bruins.

"I know I'm not bigger than the brand," Cronin said. "The brand matters, the school matters. The last thing I want to do is bring negative publicity to our school. And sometimes — ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kendall Phills saw the video of the LaMelo Ball car crash Wednesday, and it all came flooding back.

A high-profile Charlotte Hornet, involved in a high-profile wreck in a high-performance car.

Twisted metal. Scattered debris. Police cars. Gathering crowds.

The difference, of course, was quite literally the difference ...Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. — There was a time when a coach calling on fans to show up and be loud for the next big game was considered, you know, a coach calling on fans to show up and be louder.

Pretty standard fare. At UConn, this old concept went viral with a few unusual twists this week. An opposing coach, Georgetown’s always-unpredictable Ed ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — The Kristaps Porzingis era in Golden State is off to an inauspicious start.

In their first game since acquiring the towering stretch five, the Warriors fell behind by as many as 34 points and trailed by double-digits the entire second half of a 121-110 loss to the Boston Celtics. And, for the most part, the deficit was accrued...Read more

BOSTON — The City of Beverly Hills on Thursday issued a formal apology to Jaylen Brown for shutting down an event of his because of what it called “inaccurate information.”

The Celtics star thanked the city for the apology but criticized the Beverly Hills Police Department for its handling of the incident. Officers told Brown at the time ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Upon hearing star point guard LaMelo Ball had been involved in a two-car accident in uptown, Charles Lee was as curious as everybody else.

“The first thing when you hear about any type of accident is you hope all parties involved are OK, and they’re healthy and they’re safe,” the Charlotte Hornets coach said. “He ...Read more

NEW YORK — After the All-Star break, the Detroit Pistons continued their strong performance, demonstrating why they hold the best winning percentage in the league.

Inside Madison Square Garden, the Pistons won their seventh game in eight tries, a 126-111 victory over the New York Knicks on Thursday night.

Cade Cunningham delivered an MVP-...Read more

Cleveland offered the benchmark Thursday night, and the Nets quickly saw the difference.

Brooklyn fell, 112-84, to the Cavaliers at Rocket Arena, dropping to 15-38 and snapping the brief momentum created by back-to-back wins before the All-Star break. The Nets never led, and what unfolded felt less like a competitive game and more like a ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors received some mildly encouraging news on an otherwise concerning injury situation surrounding their ailing superstar.

Golden State announced in a press release on Thursday evening that Steph Curry underwent an MRI on his right knee, and that results came back negative for any sort of structural damage. However, he...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Lakers had just completed practice Thursday with a full and healthy squad when Luka Doncic strolled over to speak with the media.

Doncic had played only five minutes Sunday for Team World in the All-Star Game because of a lingering left hamstring strain. He missed the previous four Lakers games.

With the Lakers' season ...Read more

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