CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Charlotte Hornets lost a starter for Sunday and perhaps beyond, after the team announced Saturday that rookie forward P.J. Washington broke a finger.

Washington has a fracture on the fifth finger (pinkie) on his right hand. The Hornets announced Washington is out for Sunday's 5 p.m. road game against the Indiana Pacers. ...Read more

DETROIT -- Make it 18-0.

No. 16 Michigan State used an interior advantage and its deep rotation to craft big scoring runs while relying on its defense to knock out Oakland, 72-49, on Saturday in front of 18,145 fans at Little Caesars Arena.

Twelve Spartans scored, including six of them netting between seven and 10 points each, led by Aaron ...Read more

DALLAS -- The Miami Heat may have been two missed calls away from a different fate in their 113-110 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Per the NBA's last 2-minute report, the Lakers committed two fouls against Jimmy Butler that weren't called on the Heat's final possession of the game.

The first foul occurred ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS -- On the same night a Los Angeles Clippers duo put on a stunning offensive display, their team barely avoided a defeat of equal measure.

Paul George finished with 46 points and Kawhi Leonard scored 42 at Target Center, the 21st time in NBA history that teammates had each scored 40 or more in the same game, the first time Clippers ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Less than a month removed from college basketball's early signing period, Kentucky's 2020 recruiting board has already gone through quite a transformation.

Coming out of that early period -- when UK signed six top-50 players for next season -- it appeared that five-star power forward Greg Brown and four-star center Cliff ...Read more

SALT LAKE CITY -- Warriors center Marquese Chriss grimaced as he grabbed his leg, but he and the Warriors did not want an opportunity to earn rare win slip away because of a banged knee.

A collision with Jazz guard Emmanuel Mudiay sent Chriss limping to the locker room with a left knee contusion. Shortly after, Chriss checked back into the game...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox has been sidelined for five weeks with a severely sprained ankle, but he thinks he will be back in the lineup soon -- very soon.

Fox said he expects to return sometime next week, perhaps as early as Tuesday when the Kings visit the Charlotte Hornets. He believes he will be back before the ...Read more

CHICAGO -- Something about the Hornets gives the Bulls problems. That held true Friday night at the United Center.

When it wasn't Bismack Biyombo and P.J. Washington having their way down low with rebounds and short-range shots, it was the speedy Devonte Graham drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line.

The Bulls went on a 14-5 run ...Read more

CHICAGO -- Thaddeus Young surveyed the reporters gathered to talk with him after the Bulls' morning shootaround Friday -- a day after he expressed his unhappiness with his limited role in a couple of published reports -- and he knew what was he in for.

"Can't tell me I didn't know this was coming," he laughed.

Young, 31, is averaging 21.6 ...Read more

MIAMI -- In the wake of Dion Waiters' third suspension of the season by the Miami Heat the question is whether team president Pat Riley has reached his limit.

Or whether a nuclear option remains.

With the Heat for the third time this season withholding pay from Waiters, this time a six-game sanction for what the team termed in a statement, "...Read more

BOSTON -- The 76ers ended Boston's homecourt dominance with Thursday's 115-109 win over the Celtics at TD Bank Garden. It was Boston's first home loss of the season.

Here are some takeaways from the game.

Embiid's all-around dominance

This was by far Joel Embiid's best game of the year.

The Celtics weakness is their interior defense and ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Here's something you've probably not thought of: President John Calipari. To be clear, that's ... president ... of ... the ... United ... States.

Josh Pastner, who will lead Georgia Tech against Kentucky on Saturday in Rupp Arena, worked for Calipari as an assistant coach one season at Memphis. He said he could see Calipari ...Read more

CHICAGO -- Other players who have had bad breakups with their former teams, like Jabari Parker had with the Bulls, may shy away from revenge talk, but Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce knew otherwise.

"Yeah, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't" important to Parker, Pierce said before the Hawks' 136-102 loss to the Bulls on Wednesday night. "We go to ...Read more

TORONTO -- Encrusted with more than 640 diamonds, the Toronto Raptors' title ring is said to be the most expensive ever produced for an NBA champion. Inside is a maple leaf featuring a ruby. On top is a diamond-studded Toronto skyline.

Standing at midcourt inside Scotiabank Arena during a pregame ceremony welcoming last season's NBA Finals MVP ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS -- Jarrett Culver only saw part of it. But he heard all about it.

There are three Culver brothers. Jarrett, the Wolves rookie guard, is 20. J.J. is 21 and Trey is 23.

Jarrett was in the gym working out Tuesday when he started getting texts from Trey about J.J., who is a star for Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas, which...Read more