MIAMI — There was a time when Culture wasn’t a jersey, wasn’t a court design, wasn’t more marketing than meaning.

There was a time when Culture held such touchstone value that it practically stood as corporate secret at 601 Biscayne Boulevard.

It was about the aura, about sacred regard. It made Culture special. It made the Miami Heat ...Read more

DENVER — No matter who plays, the Denver Nuggets look clinical.

Even in their first back-to-back of the season, even without their second- and third-best players, the Nuggets cruised to a 117-100 win over the depleted Indiana Pacers on Saturday. Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon were both out, but Denver (7-2) completed a perfect four-game home ...Read more

ATLANTA — Down by 20 during the third quarter against the Atlanta Hawks, the only sound coming from the Lakers bench was Nick Smith Jr.’s hollow claps of encouragement. The rest of the Lakers players sat silently or loitered in a semicircle waiting for their coaches to join.

There wasn’t much that could be said.

The Lakers’ five-game ...Read more

MIAMI — The NBA’s two fastest teams as measured by pace were off to the races on Saturday night at Kaseya Center in a race that went to the wire.

In many ways, it was as much a series of sprints, in the form of surges by each team, as a race of constant pace, with the Miami Heat entering No. 1 in that category and the Portland Trail Blazers...Read more

EAST LANSING, Mich. — From the opening festivities, Michigan State’s Saturday night bout with Arkansas had the feel of a heavyweight fight. Two ranked foes, the type of matchup seen more often in March than a cold Saturday in November.

It sure felt like March at Breslin Center, where Michigan State won a thriller against Arkansas, 69-66, in...Read more

ATLANTA — JJ Redick was already preaching one type of Japanese philosophy, harping to his team about the concept of "kaizen" to improve each day. Off the court, the head coach found inspiration in another Japanese phrase.

Lakers players and coaches have used PechaKucha presentations to facilitate team bonding this season. The slideshows, ...Read more

NEW YORK — Rick Pitino knew No. 15 Alabama would present a unique early-season litmus test for No. 5 St. John’s.

Behind an unmatched pace of play, Alabama led the country in scoring both of the last two seasons, and it certainly hasn’t slowed down this year.

“They shoot the ball, on average, within 15 seconds,” Pitino said ahead of ...Read more

NEW YORK — Naz Reid wore a pair of purple Kobe Bryant Nike shoes at a Timberwolves practice last month, and was asked if they were in honor of his alma mater, Louisiana State.

They weren’t.

“My sister’s favorite color is purple,” the Timberwolves center said of the late Toraya Reid.

Reid said Monday he knew Toraya would have loved ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Mick Cronin wasn't kidding about taking punitive measures to get his team playing better.

Just 26 seconds into UCLA's game against Pepperdine on Friday night, Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau committed a needless foul. It was enough to make Bilodeau's coach go to his bench, Cronin subbing in Brandon Williams for Bilodeau, who ...Read more

DENVER – With their franchise player sick and stuck at home in the Bay Area, the Golden State Warriors needed to play a nearly-perfect game just to compete with the Nuggets in Denver on Friday night.

They needed timely shotmaking by Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski. Energetic defense from Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green. Crisp passes by...Read more

NEW YORK — After overcoming another subpar first quarter, the Detroit Pistons opened the Emirates NBA Cup with a 125-107 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night at Barclays Center. The win gave the Pistons their first victory of East Group B play to open the in-season tournament. They are also now 7-2 overall, extending their winning ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — If ever there was a get-right game for the Timberwolves, it was Friday night against Utah.

The Wolves made quick work of the Jazz in a 137-97 victory. The Wolves won their first game of the NBA Cup, the league’s in-season tournament. Margin of victory can matter as a tiebreaker for a team to advance out of the group stage and ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky’s new point guard made his debut for the Wildcats on Friday night.

The game was basically decided before he got on the court.

Jaland Lowe returned from injury to play his first game in a UK uniform, making his debut off the bench in the ninth-ranked Cats’ 107-59 victory over Valparaiso in Rupp Arena.

Lowe ...Read more

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The last time these two storied programs met — the first game of the first home-and-home series between Kansas and UNC, at around this time last year — Hubert Davis got pretty animated at halftime. He was fiery and loud as he delivered a clear message to his team, which had fallen behind the Jayhawks: “We’ve got to ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — Facing the franchise that eliminated them from the first round of the NBA playoffs last season, the Magic didn’t need to find any extra motivation against the Celtics at Kia Center on Friday night.

And just in case they did, the matchup between the Eastern Conference foes was also a part of the group stage for the NBA Cup, ...Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. — Dan Hurley turned around and gestured for an ovation from the crowd at PeoplesBank Arena less than four minutes into the UConn men’s basketball team’s 110-47 blowout of lowly UMass Lowell for its second win of the season.

Tarris Reed Jr., the Huskies center who made his season debut Friday night, was coming out after his...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — There are a few words that have been tossed around when discussing the Sixers’ start to the season — whether it’s complimenting their “box office” backcourt, or discussing the team’s early “resiliency” through their first eightgames.

However, the word that seems to define the team most this season is nostalgia. ...Read more

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s 7-foot-9 Olivier Rioux made his long-awaited, hard-earned debut to become the tallest player in college basketball history on Thursday night.

With the No. 3 Gators’ 104-64 win against North Florida well in hand, many among a raucous crowd of 10,065 began to chant, “Oli, Oli, Oli,” — the nickname given ...Read more