They needed to fend off a second-half surge from the Phoenix Suns, but the Denver Nuggets held on Friday in Phoenix for a 119-111 win over one of the top contenders in the West.

Denver (14-6) shot 57% from the field and only turned the ball over nine times to win its fourth consecutive game. Next is the end of a road back-to-back Saturday at ...Read more

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas guard Kevin McCullar released a well-deserved roar on Friday night at Allen Fieldhouse.

As the Jayhawks struggled to score late in the second half vs. UConn, McCullar canned two straight 3-pointers.

After one of McCullar’s 3-pointers, star big man Hunter Dickinson hit a trey to give KU a 61-54 lead over the Huskies....Read more

BOSTON — Jayson Tatum had to be restrained. Even well after he said the magic word that got him ejected for just the second time in his career, Tatum continued barking at referee Bill Kennedy — a rare display of emotion from the Celtics superstar — so much so that he had to be held back by coaches Joe Mazzulla and Charles Lee before he ...Read more

Donte DiVincenzo is the answer at the two.

It’s been the biggest revelation for the Knicks, who have not gotten the production they expected out of Quentin Grimes in the starting lineup at the shooting guard spot this season.

Grimes’ cold shooting streak continued in the Knicks’ 119-106 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday.

The ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — Winners of nine in a row after Friday night’s 130-125 home victory over the Washington Wizards, the Magic are aware there’s still a long season ahead of them.

Nevertheless, coach Jamahl Mosley’s squad is focused on taking things one game at a time.

“Because that’s what brought us here,” Magic big man Moe Wagner ...Read more

Juwan Howard is officially beginning his transition back to the Michigan basketball bench.

According to a program spokesperson, Howard “will be designated as an assistant coach” for Saturday’s game at Oregon as he continues to work his way back from mid-September heart surgery.

There’s no time frame for when Howard, 50, will return to ...Read more

CHICAGO — For Zach LaVine, the last two weeks have been defined by one thing — not the latest round of trade rumors, but an injury to his right foot.

The Chicago Bulls star guard will be sidelined a week with a right foot sprain he incurred during a home game against the Miami Heat on Nov. 20. That means he will likely miss Friday’s game ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — The Los Angeles Clippers avoided a hit to their rotation when Norman Powell played on Thursday night despite suffering a knee contusion only one night earlier in Sacramento.

It was one of few breaks the Clippers received in a 120-114 loss that drops them to 8-10, with a rematch against the Warriors coming Saturday in Los ...Read more

MIAMI – This wasn’t a singular test.

It was contending with the frenetic pace of the Indiana Pacers at the outset.

It was dealing with the 28-point first half of Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.

It was Bam Adebayo checking out with his recurring hip issue in the second period and not returning.

So the Miami Heat did what they seemingly ...Read more

OKLAHOMA CITY — There's the truth and then there's the truth the Lakers believe.

Thursday against the Thunder was the fourth and final game on a trip that lasted less than a week, but the way their bones creaked and their eyelids hung heavy, it felt like much longer.

The 133-110 loss meant the team finished .500 on the trip, the accepted ...Read more

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls are ready for change.

Executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas made that clear this week. The 6-14 start after their 120-113 overtime victory against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday at the United Center is a harsh wake-up call that the roster can’t continue as it stands. The Bulls ...Read more

NEW YORK — The game should have never been this close.

The Knicks entered Thursday night winners of eight of their last 11 games, riding a high after blowing out the Charlotte Hornets to qualify for the In-Season Tournament quarterfinal in Milwaukee.

The Detroit Pistons own the league’s worst record and entered Madison Square Garden on a ...Read more

NEW YORK — Cam Thomas bluntly predicted that he would have little issue regaining his scoring rhythm after missing nine straight games. Against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday at Barclays Center, the third-year guard’s self-estimation was proven to be an overwhelming fact, as he scored a team-high 26 points on 11-of-21 shooting in the Nets...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Timberwolves offense was going to experience a downturn with Anthony Edwards out Thursday night because of a hip pointer. The only question was how much, and would it be enough to cost them in a winnable game against a rebuilding Utah team? After all, the Wolves' offensive rating with Edwards off the floor this season was 99....Read more

NEW YORK — Don’t expect to see LaMelo Ball in uniform for a while.

An MRI confirmed the Charlotte Hornets’ star point guard sustained a sprained right ankle on Sunday in Orlando, Fla., the team announced Thursday night. He will be re-evaluated again in one week, the team said. No specific timetable was given for his return to action and ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — Former San Ysidro High School basketball star Mikey Williams reached a plea agreement in his gun case on Thursday that could result in a misdemeanor conviction and no prison time.

The deal was finalized in El Cajon Superior Court at a readiness hearing ahead of a Dec. 14 jury trial. Williams faced nine felony counts for allegedly ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden left his stamp on college basketball, coaching the Bruins to 10 national championships and four undefeated seasons while inspiring generations with his "Pyramid Of Success" method of coaching.

Soon fans will have an actual stamp to remember him by.

The U.S. Postal Service announced ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Bronny James, the oldest son of LeBron James and a highly touted freshman at USC, has been medically cleared to return to basketball, a mere four months after he suffered sudden cardiac arrest during a training session at USC.

James is expected to return to practice next week after a final evaluation with USC's staff this week. ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Josh Giddey is expected to be in the Oklahoma City Thunder lineup when they host the Lakers on Thursday night, two days after Newport Beach police said they were conducting an investigation of allegations that the NBA player had an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl.

On the day authorities said they had launched ...Read more