LEXINGTON, Ky. — Still less than two weeks removed from a Rupp Arena coronation that caught the attention of the entire college basketball world, Mark Pope has been a busy man.

Meeting with recruits and their families. Showing potential transfers around Keeneland. Spreading the gospel of Kentucky basketball on national TV shows. Driving to ...Read more

About the time Boston fans began leaving quietly into the night with less than a minute left, the small smile of accomplishment began flickering on Miami Heat players. Tyler Herro, at the free-throw-line, offered a quick grin to Bam Adebayo, who offered one back before finishing their night’s work.

Caleb Martin, as the clock ticked toward ...Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. — UConn men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley feels a responsibility to embrace his position as one of the main characters in this new age of college basketball.

The power in the sport has shifted with legends like Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, Roy Williams and Jay Wright all retiring from coaching within the last three years, ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The climb is mountainous, trouble lurking at every step.

One bad dribble, and Denver runs the other direction, creating an open three. One missed assignment, and Aaron Gordon cuts baseline for a dunk. One whiffed box out and the Nuggets get a second, and sometimes, a third chance.

One missed shot, and the margins get tighter, ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid had already splashed four shots from beyond the arc. In the third quarter.

But then he baited New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein into a his fifth foul with more than seven minutes to play in Thursday’s final period, then sank all three foul shots to re-extend the 76ers’ Game 3 advantage.

Embiid set a new...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — The slogan on Jalen Suggs‘ shirt said it all Thursday.

“Seek discomfort.”

The Cavaliers experienced plenty.

Trailing 0-2 in the first-round series between the Nos. 4 and 5 seeds in the East entering, Orlando looked anything but uncomfortable from start to finish in its first home playoff game since 2019 inside an ...Read more

Stephen Curry has another trophy to add to his mantel.

The 36-year-old Curry was named the 2023-24 Clutch Player of the Year. He finished with 45 of 99 first-place votes, edging out DeMar DeRozan at the ballot box.

Curry is the second winner of the award, which was won by Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox in its inaugural year last season.

Curry ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s already making the rounds.

Long before the Charlotte Hornets’ season wrapped up, triggering the next phase of the team’s seemingly yearly reconstruction, the jokes were flowing on social media and via word of mouth. With the 2024 NBA draft class being widely labeled as one of the worst in recent memory — and the...Read more

ATLANTA — It came time Friday for the Hawks to recount their versions of the 2023-24 season. When it was Clint Capela’s turn at the end-of-season news conference at the team’s training complex, his comments were unsparing.

In the perspective of the veteran center, selfishness and a lack of commitment undid a team that aimed to build on ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Their offense looked disjointed.

Doesn't matter.

The Clippers had to play Kawhi Leonard.

Their first-round playoff series is now level at one game apiece, as the Dallas Mavericks stole a 96-93 victory at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night.

Doesn't matter.

The Clippers had to play Kawhi Leonard.

Because the Clippers aren't ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Chris Finch is one of the coolest dudes we've ever had around here as the head coach of a high-profile men's athletic team in the Twin Cities. This is based on his back story, him being straightforward, giving good answers to good questions, making quick work of bad ones, and never working hard to shine the light on himself, even...Read more

LOS ANGELES — As the Lakers were rolling through the final third of the NBA season, their identity complete with Rui Hachimura in the starting lineup and their offense humming, a trend was quietly developing.

The Lakers, over those 32 games with Hachimura cemented as a starter, were the second-best offense in the NBA in the first half, ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Fellow LSU star Shaquille O'Neal opened the sealed envelope Wednesday and read the NBA's 2024 Sixth Man of the Year winner on national television: Timberwolves forward Naz Reid.

He's the first player in Wolves history to win the award and only the third player undrafted — out of LSU, via New Jersey — to win it, joining only ...Read more

SEATTLE — Sue Bird is joining the Storm ownership group, the team announced Wednesday.

“As a player, I poured my heart into every game for the Seattle Storm, and now, as part of the ownership group, I am thrilled to continue contributing to the growth of the game,” Bird said in a statement released by the Storm. “Investing in women’s ...Read more

CHICAGO — Angel Reese doesn’t want to take any part of her rookie season with the Chicago Sky for granted.

It doesn’t matter that she was the No. 7 pick in this year’s WNBA draft a year after winning a national championship with LSU. Or that she’s one of the most famous women’s basketball players in the world, garnering three ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Patience is a virtue, they say. It’s also a saying worth remembering as Mark Pope embarks on the great adventure of being the new Kentucky men’s basketball coach.

As of Tuesday morning, Pope’s UK roster for 2024-25 consisted of three players — Collin Chandler, the former BYU signee who is returning from a mission; ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Timberwolves All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns didn't play the entire second quarter of Tuesday's Game 2 playoff series against Phoenix because of second-quarter foul trouble.

"I was pretty motivated," he said after a 105-92 victory at Target Center. "Pretty motivated."

He followed that second quarter idled by three first-...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Timberwolves are headed to Phoenix with a 2-0 series lead, and they leaned on No. 3 to get there.

The best player on the floor Tuesday night at Target Center was Wolves forward Jaden McDaniels, who scored a game-high 25 points and played terrific defense on Suns star Kevin Durant.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven, first-round ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — All of the transformations experienced by the 76ers this season were overshadowed by one massive makeover.

It delighted the fans, put the NBA on notice, and silenced critics who had long since hardened their opinions. It was a young point guard who stepped in and filled James Harden’s shoes without any problem.

You know ...Read more