WASHINGTON — Any NCAA Tournament loss is cruel.

Regardless of the score, losing is cruel and can be crushing. A team goes through so much together for months, and then a wonderful season comes to a sudden end in a matter of hours. Time to put away the balls and go home.

That’s what happened to Duke on Sunday. Seconds away from a victory ...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. — Will Wade and the LSU administration did what they could to avoid talking about N.C. State during Wade’s introductory press conference Monday afternoon in Baton Rouge, La.

Neither LSU President Wade Rousse nor Athletic Director Verge Ausberry mentioned Wade’s one-year stop in Raleigh, N.C. They spoke of his first stint at ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The ten seconds that led to the Braylon Mullins’ miracle shot were a series of reflex plays, reactions, the ultimate in instincts taking over, living in the split second, rather than in the moment.

And yet, the seed was sown, the chain of events that placed a teenager from Greenfield, Ind., 35 or so feet from the basket Sunday ...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. — It appears Justin Gainey is coming home for a second time.

N.C. State is closing in on hiring Gainey, a program alumnus and former Tennessee associate head coach, to become its next men’s basketball coach, with an official announcement expected this week, sources told the News & Observer. Gainey would replace Will Wade after...Read more

Boxing great Floyd Mayweather said he’s not sure he’s still interested in being part of an ownership group of a Las Vegas NBA expansion team.

After stating on multiple occasions, as recently as 2022, that he wanted ownership of an NBA team in Las Vegas, the Southern Nevada resident said that is no longer the case.

“In the past, I talked ...Read more

These are the kinds of matchups that expose a team’s flaws. Because the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder have every intention of repeating as NBA Finals winners the second time around.

And there’s a decent chance the Thunder, should they emerge from a Western Conference field featuring Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs, Nikola...Read more

Five takeaways from the Heat’s embarrassing 135-118 loss at Indiana on Sunday evening:

▪ The Heat suffered the indignity of losing to the league’s worst team for the second time in 2 ½ months. What’s more, Miami finished 2-3 against the two teams that began Sunday in the basement of each conference (Indiana and Sacramento).

Miami, ...Read more

It was the kind of ending that was exciting, shocking, coming so suddenly.

Duke had the ball and the lead over Connecticut with time running out Sunday in the NCAA East Region final at Capital One Arena. They were ever-so-close to returning to the Final Four. Maybe one pass away.

Instead, UConn will be going to Indianapolis. The Huskies pulled...Read more

Chicago — When the Wolverines last played at the United Center two weeks ago, it ended in frustration, a missed opportunity to cut down the nets and left a bad taste in their mouths.

They made sure the same thing didn’t happen again on Sunday in the Elite Eight.

Fueled by a game-changing 21-0 run in the first half and another stellar ...Read more

South Carolina and TCU’s Elite Eight matchup on Monday will be highlighted by two of the best point guards in women’s basketball: Raven Johnson and Olivia Miles.

Johnson and Miles have proven to be the cream of the crop in their final season. Both are among the five finalists for the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year award given out ...Read more

The UNLV men’s basketball team could lose top scorer Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, as he plans to enter the transfer portal, according to his agency’s social media accounts Sunday.

Gibbs-Lawhorn, a junior guard, led the Rebels in scoring 20.7 points per game, shooting 41.4 percent from 3-point range. He was named the Mountain West’s newcomer of the ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — You used to root for Bronny James to come into games ironically. Or because you just wanted to see history.

But now I bet you want to see Bronny come into the game to hoop.

That's a pretty cool plot twist.

Especially because LeBron James' son has had to develop his game with the weight of a kingdom on his shoulders, the only ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Somewhere in the multiverse or over the rainbow or simply in a more just world, the spirit of ‘76 — 1976, that is — still would be cherished by Missouri basketball fans.

Willie Smith’s 43-point performance against Michigan, in an Elite Eight game during the NCAA Tournament, would have been more of a foothold than a ...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. — There was no denying Purdue’s effort.

Playing against a team that is loaded with NBA draft prospects, the Boilermakers scrapped for rebounds, dived for loose balls and did all the little things to make up for the talent gap. Their offense got clean looks and the Indiana school even held a lead early in the game.

But on ...Read more

HOUSTON — As Illinois fans screamed and clapped Saturday night at the Toyota Center, the hugging began. Illinois coach Brad Underwood and his assistants on the bench. Keaton Wagler, still holding the ball, and David Mirković. The rest of the Illini players joined in.

With a 71-59 win over Iowa in the South Region final of the NCAA Tournament...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Fans inside Target Center missed out on the chance to see two MVP candidates — Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards — go head-to-head, but what they saw was which key attributes have kept the Detroit Pistons afloat without their star player.

On Saturday evening, a collective offensive and defensive effort led the Pistons to a...Read more