The Clippers returned home from a four-game trip with a 2-2 record, and for all of the hard work it took to earn those results, they had to face one of the NBA’s best talents in Denver’s otherworldly center Nikola Jokic.

So, the challenge for coach Tyronn Lue on Sunday night and his team’s stingy defense was figuring out a way to deal ...Read more

In their first game at the brand-new Intuit Dome, the Nuggets lost 126-122 to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, falling to 10-8 this season with the Golden State Warriors coming to Denver on Tuesday to wrap up NBA Cup play.

Aaron Gordon returns as backup center

Cleared to play for the first time since Nov. 4, when he walked off the court ...Read more

SALT LAKE CITY — The clock ticked down and the ball, like it has for most of the last two decades of professional basketball, was in LeBron James' hands.

Throughout the fourth, he was relentless in trying to find ways to score, the mismatch always in his favor, and largely, the ball just not going in. On one crucial possession in the fourth,...Read more

Down two of their top three scorers, the Boston Celtics were unable to reclaim first place in the Eastern Conference on Sunday, falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-111.

Boston squandered a 12-point fourth-quarter lead while starters Jaylen Brown and Derrick White sat out due to illness and injury, respectively.

In Brown and White’s ...Read more

NEW YORK — This is how contenders handle shorthanded opponents: by taking them to the woodshed and delivering a thorough beating.

The New York Knicks extended their impressive streak to seven wins in their last nine games with a 118-85 blowout victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.

The Pelicans (4-17), limping into Madison Square ...Read more

TORONTO — What you want when the next four are against the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers is some sort of cushion.

The Miami Heat squandered the opportunity Sunday night with a 119-116 loss at Scotiabank Arena to the lowly Toronto Raptors, a loss that dropped them to 9-9.

On this night, even ...Read more

NEW YORK — Before the Orlando Magic met the Brooklyn Nets for the third time this season Sunday at Barclays Center, Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley was asked what his message to his team would be to make sure they’re focused on the game at hand.

His straightforward answer repeated the question.

“Focus on the game tonight,” Mosley said ...Read more

TORONTO — As the NBA season reaches its quarter pole, it no longer is too early to say it is too early. Which leads to the question of: What exactly are we fighting for?

While much has been made about the parity (which in this case is a convenient code word for mediocrity) in the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff race, has a harsh ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Atlanta Hawks held off the Hornets on Saturday night, winning 107-104 at the Spectrum Center to pick up their third straight win.

Here are five observations:

1. The Hawks struggled to put the Hornets away over the course of 48 minutes and Charlotte sophomore forward Brandon Miller kept his team in the game after hitting...Read more

PHOENIX — Putting together full, 48-minute performances is starting to become an issue for the Golden State Warriors, and it certainly was in their fourth straight loss.

Against the Suns at the Footprint Center, the Warriors fell behind early because of poor defense and, despite a furious effort, couldn’t dig out of the hole.

Steph Curry ...Read more

DETROIT — It was the Paul George return game.

The 76ers forward was back in action Saturday night against Detroit at Little Caesars Arena. And that was a good thing for his struggling team.

His presence and playmaking ability helped the Sixers post a much-needed 111-96 victory over the Pistons.

The win snapped a two-game skid and improved ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Considering everything the Charlotte Hornets have gone through over the season’s initial five weeks, two words probably creep into their mind as they ponder their wild ride on the injury roller coaster.

Why us?

“I love that you said, ‘Why us?’ ” coach Charles Lee said Saturday, “because a couple of weeks ago we ...Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. — The UConn men’s basketball team was in need of a decisive, blowout victory after its winless trip to the Maui Invitational earlier this week. Meeting Maryland Eastern Shore at the XL Center on Saturday, two days after their return flight, the Huskies cruised to a 99-45 victory without leading scorer, Alex Karaban.

In a ...Read more

LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Kansas men’s basketball team didn’t hit a single 3-pointer in the first half vs. Furman on Saturday night.

It also didn’t matter. That’s how good these Jayhawks look.

KU’s many offensive options — and stellar defense — were on full display against a previously unbeaten Furman squad. The Jayhawks, who led by...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Not long into the news conference Tuesday morning at which he introduced Eric Roedl as Villanova’s new athletic director, the Rev. Peter Donohue, the university’s president, began to list Roedl’s responsibilities in his previous job. As the University of Oregon’s deputy AD, Roedl was in charge of the school’s football,...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The logic inside some corners of the Los Angeles Lakers locker room a season ago was that the best path to the NBA Finals wouldn't run through Denver, but instead through Oklahoma City — the team tied with the Nuggets for the West's best record.

Denver was too big, too physical and had, the logic said, dominated the Lakers. ...Read more

NEW YORK — What a week it was for Nets coach Jordi Fernandez. Injuries began to pile up on Sunday in Sacramento, but his group remained confident in the healthy players it did have. Brooklyn responded with three straight victories over the Kings, Warriors and Suns to end their latest West Coast swing on a shockingly high note.

While the ...Read more