LOS ANGELES -- Anthony Davis ran toward the basket, went left and then completed a superstar rite of passage for the Los Angeles Lakers.

He scored 50 points for the first time this season, joining LeBron James and Kobe Bryant as the only Lakers with 50-point games this decade.

Davis proved nearly unstoppable and led the Lakers to a 142-125 win...Read more

WASHINGTON -- Gradually the Los Angeles Clippers pulled away in the final quarter behind a show from extraordinaire reserve Montrezl Harrell, the steadiness of Kawhi Leonard and the energy from seldom-used reserve Derrick Walton Jr.

After the Clippers had defeated the Washington Wizards 135-119 on Sunday at Capital One Arena, some of the ...Read more

SEATTLE -- The jam-packed Alaska Airlines Arena, which was crammed to the rafters with Huskies fans Sunday night, waited all night for a reason to explode and unleash years worth of frustration.

At times it felt as if the building might erupt when No. 22 Washington came within striking distance of surging past No. 9 Gonzaga.

However, the 48th ...Read more

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Rutgers has made Michigan State basketball earn every win between the teams over the past two seasons.

Sunday night's Big Ten opener was no different. And neither was the final outcome.

The 12th-ranked Spartans shuffled their lineup and struggled at times. To find consistency, to know where each other would be, to score ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- The 76ers passed their first test of the pivotal stretch.

They defeated the Toronto Raptors, 110-104, in Sunday's much-anticipated matchup at the Wells Fargo Center.

This was the Sixers' first of 13 games against a team with a winning record in an 18-game stretch. Ten of the games are against squads ranked in the top five of ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Charlotte Hornets learned Sunday how thoroughly they depend on their backcourt for scoring, getting thumped by the Atlanta Hawks 122-107 at Spectrum Center.

Guards Devonte Graham and Terry Rozier combined to make just seven of 30 shots for the Hornets, who fell to 9-16. Graham and Rozier combined for 20 points, about 17 ...Read more

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- North Carolina coach Roy Williams was "99.9999"% certain on Friday that freshman forward Armando Bacot was not going to play against Virginia Sunday.

After all, he saw his ankle and it didn't look good. It was swollen after Bacot sprained it trying to tip in a miss in UNC's game against Ohio State earlier that week.

But...Read more

MIAMI -- Something strange will happen Monday for the Miami Heat: They won't go anywhere.

For the first time this season, the Heat will actually get to be at AmericanAirlines Arena for a third consecutive home game, when they face the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night.

Then, they will stay at home to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

...Read more

LOS ANGELES--Given his doggedness on defense and the energy with which he plays, it was no surprise that when the Los Angeles Lakers lost guard Avery Bradley to injury, their defense suffered.

It also was no surprise that his teammates and coaches weren't just willing to slump on that end of the floor.

So after a few sub-par defensive ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA--The Philadelphia 76ers sprinted out early to an early lead and never allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to get into the game in a 141-94 romp at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday night. Here are takeaways from the game.

--Simmons sets tone with aggressiveness

Ben Simmons looked to go to the basket early and often. There are times ...Read more

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Kansas basketball fans cheered former Jayhawk guard/current Colorado coach Tad Boyle during pre-game introductions before Saturday's KU-Colorado game in Allen Fieldhouse.

Any lovefest between Boyle -- who played at KU from 1981-85 -- and the 16,300 spectators ended after Boyle's warm wave and acknowledgment with the words "...Read more

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Anthony Cowan Jr. has long played his career in the shadow of former Maryland star Melo Trimble, especially when it came to late-game heroics. As a sophomore, Cowan led the Terps to a late comeback victory in overtime at Illinois, scoring a then-career-high 28 points.

Cowan did it again Saturday, and again it came at the ...Read more

MILWAUKEE -- Doc Rivers eased his way among reporters, stood with his back against a wall and blurted this out after his team's beat-down at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks:

"I was hoping you guys didn't show up -- like us," the Los Angeles Clippers coach said Friday.

Rivers and his players were blunt in their assessment, holding nothing back...Read more

PORTLAND, Ore. -- NBA road trips can present grueling, hostile situations for some teams.

For these Los Angeles Lakers they are mostly fun and games.

On Friday night, the Lakers continued their stampede through the Northwest Division on Friday night with a 136-111 win in Portland. They finished 3-0 on their road trip with wins over the Denver ...Read more

SAN ANTONIO -- With time waning, the Kings had plenty of chances to pull out an ugly win Friday night. Instead, it was the San Antonio Spurs who found just enough offense to pull out a 105-104 win.

After Dejounte Murray gave the Spurs a one-point margin with 29 seconds left, the Kings fired off four straight shots, thanks to a trio of offensive...Read more