The Golden State Warriors lost to the Los Angeles Clippers in Sunday’s regular-season finale.

Big deal. This team lost all the time this season.

The Dubs were locked into the 10-seed, whether they bothered to show up in Inglewood or not.

So go ahead and ignore the fact that they tried — really tried — until Los Angeles took their lunch ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Maybe it’s better this way.

Nobody has to pretend.

For the first time in more than a decade, the Sixers will enter a postseason expected to lose. Maybe not right away. But shortly thereafter.

Whenever it happens — likely within the next couple of weeks, when the Celtics or Pistons make quick work of them — there will be...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Chris Finch had just been hired as Minnesota Timberwolves coach in February 2021 and was getting ready for his introductory news conference. A team employee gave him a Wolves shirt to hold for the traditional photo opportunity.

“Somebody snatched it out of my hands at the last moment,” Finch recalled.

Apparently, the shirt ...Read more

Just one week after leading UCLA to its first NCAA championship, two-time All-American center Lauren Betts was selected by the Washington Mystics as the fourth overall pick of the 2026 WNBA draft Monday evening.

“I’ve grown so much,” Betts said during ESPN’s live broadcast. “My confidence – I feel like I’ve just finally owned who ...Read more

South Carolina center Madina Okot was selected by the Atlanta Dream with the No. 13 pick in the first round of the WNBA draft on Monday night.

Okot was the second Gamecock selected in the 2026 draft. She is also the program’s first post player to be selected in the first round of the WNBA draft since Kamilla Cardoso in 2024.

Okot played just...Read more

LOS ANGELES — After years of battling cancer, legendary college basketball announcer Dick Vitale said in a statement that he has melanoma in his lung and liver cavity and will be starting immunotherapy soon.

“I plan on winning this battle,” the 86-year-old broadcaster said. “I’ve beaten melanoma. I’ve beaten lymphoma. I’ve beaten ...Read more

NEW YORK — Azzi Fudd made history on Monday night when she was selected by the Dallas Wings with the No. 1 overall pick in 2026 WNBA draft.

Decked out in a custom gold sequined gown designed by Coach at The Shed in Manhattan, Fudd became the second straight UConn women’s basketball player drafted first into the WNBA after Paige Bueckers ...Read more

TCU star guard Olivia Miles was selected by the Minnesota Lynx with the No. 2 pick in the first round of the 2026 WNBA draft Monday in New York City.

It’s the second season that TCU coach Mark Campbell has produced a first-round pick after Hailey Van Lith was selected No. 10 last year by the Chicago Sky.

Miles would’ve been a top-five pick...Read more

The Seattle Storm used the first of their two first-round picks — No. 3 overall — in the WNBA draft Monday to select Awa Fam Thiam, the 19-year-old center from Spain.

Seattle has three additional picks at Nos. 14, 16 and 39.

The Dallas Wings used the No. 1 overall pick on UConn sharpshooter Azzi Fudd and the Minnesota Lynx selected TCU ...Read more

MIAMI — The Miami Heat had one final wish in the final moments of their regular season Sunday night and sat in their locker room watching, and hoping, it happened. But there’s no need for suspense here.

Their wish wouldn’t come true. It’s a familiar story in that regard, like so many larger hopes this season from avoiding the play-in ...Read more

DALLAS — Billy Donovan has a decision to make: Will he stay or will he go?

After Chicago Bulls ownership fired executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas and general manager Marc Eversley last week, this decision will serve as the first domino in a critical period of change. But Donovan won’t make a call until he...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic will be back for the beginning of the Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff run. Just not on the court.

The Lakers’ superstar will rejoin the team by Friday after traveling to Spain to receive specialized treatment on his Grade 2 hamstring strain, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to The Los Angeles Times, but...Read more

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — UNC forward Jarin Stevenson will stay in Chapel Hill for the 2026-27 season, he announced Monday afternoon, giving North Carolina an experienced, versatile role player heading into Year 1 under Michael Malone.

The 6-foot-10 junior from Chapel Hill started 25 games in his first season at North Carolina after transferring ...Read more

The NBA regular season ended Sunday and the first order of business for teams that fell short of making the playoffs was to evaluate their head coach. Hall of Famer Doc Rivers wasn't spared the scrutiny.

He agreed to depart from the Milwaukee Bucks after winning 16 fewer games this season than last. Rivers has one year remaining on the $40-...Read more

CHICAGO — Regime change doesn’t happen often on the Chicago sports scene, where who you know is often more important than what you know.

And the changing of the guard at the top of the Chicago Bulls food chain could be another chapter in a long line of teams “moving on” with familiar faces still in place.

Bulls President and CEO ...Read more

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Golden State Warriors ended their 2025-26 regular season on a high note.

Not because of their result at the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, a 115-110 loss, but because the Warriors finished the ultimately meaningless game with no new injuries, which is all coach Steve Kerr wanted to see.

The Warriors were locked into ...Read more

SAN ANTONIO — Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets sure know how to keep people guessing.

They are officially set to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA playoffs, a fate sealed by their 128-118 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night. But it was how Denver (54-28) got to that endpoint that provided compelling ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — All that mattered to the Los Angeles Lakers was maintaining the right approach during their final game of the NBA regular season on Sunday.

They were still in contention for a higher seed in the Western Conference, but the Lakers were not focused on that. They were facing one of the worst teams in the league in the Utah Jazz, ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Even though the regular-season finale between the Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans didn’t have any meaning, the stands were still packed.

Kevin Garnett made his return to Target Center for the first time in his new role as an official ambassador for the team. Garnett walked out of the tunnel before the game ...Read more