A sign of the ugliness to come for the Knicks, Tom Thibodeau picked up a technical foul just 28 seconds after the opening tip.

He was fuming over the early calls — including two against RJ Barrett — but his passionate pleas for whistles were never going save the Knicks on Wednesday night, not in their Denver hellhole and not against the ...Read more

HOUSTON — What’s a 76ers’ game without the opposing team being undermanned?

Wednesday’s contest against the Houston Rockets was the Sixers’ sixth consecutive game against a team missing numerous key players. And Philly was victorious against the Rockets just like in the previous five games. This time, it was a 135-115 decision at the ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Apart from which team won — for the Wolves it didn't really matter — what transpired at Target Center Wednesday was some impressive entertainment.

Starring: Wolves rookie of the year candidate Anthony Edwards vs. reigning ROY Ja Morant of Memphis.

Back and forth, all night. Morant primarily driving, attacking. Edwards ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic didn’t have enough firepower to keep up with Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics.

Walker matched his season-high with 32 points and Tatum scored 27 as the Celtics rolled to a 132-96 victory over the Magic on Wednesday at Amway Center.

Dwayne Bacon and Moritz Wagner each scored 20 points while...Read more

This is what retirement looked like for former North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams on Wednesday:

A sun-drenched day at the Wells Fargo Championship Pro-Am in Charlotte, with his son Scott caddying for him, his good friend Mack Brown as one of his playing partners and his wife Wanda and several of their grandchildren walking outside the...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford has experience watching his teams from afar.

While coaching in Charlotte, N.C., during the 2017-18 season, he missed 21 games due to severe headaches brought on by sleep deprivation.

So when Clifford missed the Magic’s past six games while in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, he had...Read more

NEW YORK — The Knicks are bringing aboard an Argentine prospect.

The team agreed to a four-year, $13.6 million deal with playmaker Luca Vildoza, a source confirmed, with the final three years non-guaranteed.

Vildoza, 25, will join the Knicks after clearing immigration and COVID-19 protocols, according to a source. Typically, the protocol ...Read more

CHICAGO — To pass the time while quarantining in his basement after testing positive for COVID-19, Zach LaVine watched a lot of movies. He played video games. He got tired of playing games. He worked on his golf swing. He played phone games with his fiancee. He played more video games.

And he watched a once-promising Chicago Bulls season all ...Read more

Even after the playing time was limited to scant appearances, Udonis Haslem never waited this long.

Last season, when the Miami Heat captain played only 44 minutes over four appearances, there was game action in November.

In 2018-19, when he played 74 minutes, he was on the clock by October.

And in 2017-18, a season that left him with just 72...Read more

The Hawks finished 30th among 30 NBA teams in 3-point percentage last season. They acquired Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari over the offseason, spending $133.5 million for two players who haven’t been All-Stars. The Hawks rank 12th in 3-point shooting this season. They’re also good again. Cause and effect, you’d have to say.

You ...Read more

How anticlimactic.

Instead of taking on the world, LeBron James and Anthony Davis will head gently into that good night.

Instead of defying the odds, the Lakers will spend the coming weeks wondering how they were relegated from favorites to non-contenders.

A postseason that marked the greatest challenge of James’ career is shaping into a ...Read more

Five takeaways from the Miami Heat’s 127-113 loss to the Dallas Mavericks (37-28) on Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena, which put an end to the Heat’s three-game winning streak:

With the Heat (35-31) missing three of its primary scoring options, it just could not keep up with superstar Luka Doncic and the Mavericks’ high-powered ...Read more

Two plays best sum up the Nets’ 124-118 loss to the Bucks on Tuesday, and those plays sum up Brooklyn’s odds should they meet in a playoff series against Milwaukee down the line.

Back-to-back missed shots from Kevin Durant, and an offensive rebound by Milwaukee’s Donte DiVincenzo encapsulate what could be a nightmare matchup in the ...Read more

The Hawks finished 30th among 30 NBA teams in 3-point percentage last season. They acquired Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari over the offseason, spending $133.5 million for two players who haven’t been All-Stars. The Hawks rank 12th in 3-point shooting this season. They’re also good again. Cause and effect, you’d have to say.

You ...Read more

As the Knicks keep busting through ceilings and expectations, the possibilities grow for Julius Randle’s trophy case.

All-Star? Done.

All-NBA? Gonna happen.

Most Improved? Decent chance.

MVP? No, buuuuuutttt. ….

Randle has elbowed his way into a conversation muddied by this COVID-condensed season. For the media voters who prioritize ...Read more