DENVER — Nikola Jokic has made so many pretty passes that by the end of Saturday night, he didn’t need to look.

He swung a no-look dime to Aaron Gordon midway through the fourth quarter to notch his NBA-leading 18th triple-double, and the Nuggets won, again, this time knocking off the visiting Atlanta Hawks, 128-108 for their third win in a...Read more

LOS ANGELES — It was a get-well card to themselves, complete with hearts and smiley faces.

Everyone signed it. Personal touches were everywhere.

Adem Bona flexed in satisfaction as he sat along the baseline Saturday evening, the UCLA freshman center having blocked three shots in less than three minutes. Jaime Jaquez Jr. slapped hands in ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry is scheduled to get an MRI on his left leg after he exited Saturday’s 119-113 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Curry was guarding a driving McKinley Wright IV when the two appeared to bang knees at the 2:01 mark of the third quarter. Curry, who was whistled for the foul, hobbled away from McKinley. The Warriors ...Read more

DETROIT — Early in the third quarter, Chris Paul threaded a pass between Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren to find DeAndre Ayton for an easy dunk.

It was a common theme of defensive miscues as the Pistons suffered a 116-100 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night.

The defeat marked Detroit’s second loss to the Suns this season. They ...Read more

NEW YORK — Jalen Brunson put his team on his back on Saturday night. However, his performance is merely a footnote in the Knicks' 134-128 loss to the Clippers.

Clippers forward Nic Batum drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game and send it to overtime where the Knicks could not capitalize on their valiant effort.

Brunson racked up ...Read more

NEW YORK — The pass from Paul George found Clippers wing Nicolas Batum in the right corner with 1.7 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

The 3-point shot left his hand six-tenths of a second later.

Just as fast, the groans were heard inside Madison Square Garden.

Batum’s shot ripped through the net, forcing overtime and staving off ...Read more

This was not a road trip that soured at the finish, with Saturday night’s 123-115 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks closing out a weeklong 1-3 excursion.

This was a Miami Heat trip that soured at the start, with last Sunday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets upping the ante and the Heat able to meet the remaining challenges only in the victory over ...Read more

NEW YORK — What was supposed to be a blowout victory for the Washington Wizards became a come-from-behind win for the Nets on Saturday.

The Nets entered Saturday embroiled in yet another Kyrie Irving controversy, this time the star guard getting fed up and requesting a trade over the lack of a fully-guaranteed contract extension during a ...Read more

NEW YORK — Michigan State found itself in a familiar position Saturday afternoon, and unfortunately for the Spartans, the end result was once again laced with disappointment and frustration.

Often over the last few weeks, Michigan State has been in position to win multiple games, only to falter down the stretch and end up with a loss. There ...Read more

DURHAM, N.C. — Duke’s hard-nosed defense, led by a freshman, and key late baskets by its most experienced player earned the Blue Devils a thrilling win over rival North Carolina on Saturday.

Dereck Lively recorded eight of Duke’s season-high 11 blocked shots and Jeremy Roach scored eight points over the game’s final 5:45 as the Blue ...Read more

NEW ORLEANS — One mistake sent the Lakers into a freefall Saturday, zapping their positive momentum and ending their five-game road trip on a sour note.

After leading for all but one possession through three quarters, a Lakers turnover triggered the Pelicans and led New Orleans to a 131-126 win.

The Lakers controlled the game until a ...Read more

MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Kansas State men’s basketball team was unable to protect a double-digit lead and lost an important conference game against Texas, 69-66, on Saturday inside Bramlage Coliseum.

Keyontae Johnson led the Wildcats (18-5, 6-4 Big 12) with 16 points, but offense was otherwise difficult to come by. Sir’Jabari Rice and ...Read more

NEW YORK — One day after requesting a trade from Brooklyn, Nets star Kyrie Irving — listed as out with right calf soreness for Saturday’s matchup against the Washington Wizards — skipped the team’s pregame walkthrough.

Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said hours ahead of tipoff he was unsure whether or not Irving would sit on the bench ...Read more

AMES, Iowa — Kansas coach Bill Self looked exasperated.

Self sat on his chair at Hilton Coliseum, clasped his hands over his head and stared at the court.

KU guard Kevin McCullar had just committed an offensive foul late in the second half of KU’s 68-53 loss to Iowa State. It was the Jayhawks’ 14th turnover of the night.

Self’s face ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — The head student manager for the San Diego State men’s basketball team is Nihilo Ibarra, a nice, mild-mannered kid who comes to practice every day and dutifully does his job.

He got a technical foul Friday night at Viejas Arena.

Boise State had just called timeout with 5:47 left in the first half after Adam Seiko drained a 3-...Read more

SAN ANTONIO — James Harden practically pushed Joel Embiid off the floor and to the 76ers’ bench after the big man had fallen to the floor attempting to save an offensive rebound and his team up by a comfortable margin in the waning minutes.

Embiid had done more than enough, tallying 33 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists to lead the ...Read more

DETROIT — The Pistons had less than 24 hours to shake off any leftover jet-lag or mental fatigue from their five-day layover in Dallas due to inclement weather before it was time to host the Charlotte Hornets.

It would’ve been expected if the team came out flat or with a lack of energy. That was the lingering question entering the Pistons�...Read more

SAN ANTONIO — 76ers coach Doc Rivers said he is “shocked” that James Harden was not named an All-Star reserve Thursday night, and has called for coaches’ votes for those spots to be made public.

“I don’t get involved in that stuff a lot,” Rivers told The Philadelphia Inquirer following the 76ers’ shootaround in San Antonio, a ...Read more