SAN FRANCISCO – The entire focus of Thursday’s pregame news conference and warmups at Chase Center was the status of one Steph Curry, who has missed the past 27 games with a sore knee.

While their superstar’s return is still at least a few days away, Warriors received a host of reinforcements after having only nine healthy bodies the day ...Read more

OKLAHOMA CITY — The score wasn’t the only thing that made this the Lakers’ worst loss of the season.

Even more concerning than the Lakers’ 139-96 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday was superstar guard Luka Doncic’s health after the 27-year-old hobbled off the court with a left hamstring injury in the third quarter. ...Read more

DETROIT — It took the Detroit Pistons some time to find their rhythm, but by the middle of the fourth quarter, they finally played at their best. After trailing the Minnesota Timberwolves 89-85 with 8:18 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Pistons went on an 11-0 run.

Although the Timberwolves kept things interesting throughout the rest of ...Read more

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas Jayhawks sophomore center Flory Bidunga had decided to declare for the 2026 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility.

Bidunga will also enter the transfer portal, a source confirmed to The Kansas City Star on Thursday evening. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was first to report the news.

Bidunga is the first player ...Read more

PHOENIX — WNBA players will earn a lot more money this upcoming season, and it’s possible that no team owner is more excited about that idea than Mark Davis.

Since purchasing the Las Vegas Aces from MGM in 2021, Davis has been at the forefront advocating for WNBA players to be treated like valued professionals. Davis has also been outspoken...Read more

INDIANAPOLIS — Dan Hurley thinks he and his staff have figured out a tactical adjustment that will help the UConn men turn around their shooting struggles at the Final Four.

The Huskies saw only five of their 25 attempts (20%) fall from beyond the arc in the first round of the tournament against Furman, then got up to 33% with eight makes on ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — A decision on Steph Curry’s possible return could be made as soon as Friday.

During his pregame press conference before facing the Cavaliers on Thursday, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said that Curry participated in a scrimmage earlier in the day, his second scrimmage in three days.

“He’s pretty good,” Kerr said when ...Read more

When Illinois coach Brad Underwood looks back on his team’s game against Connecticut on Black Friday, he almost doesn’t recognize the Illini.

UConn’s 74-61 win over Illinois on Nov. 28 was a reality check for Underwood’s team. The Illini entered the season with big goals and split games with ranked Texas Tech and Alabama teams in the ...Read more

The Washington Wizards attempted to pull off an April Fools’ Day skit. It wasn’t received as they hoped, causing the team to apologize on Thursday.

The Wizards set up a mid-game promotion during Wednesday’s 153-131 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in which a “fan” would attempt a blindfolded shot from halfcourt, with a reward of $10,000...Read more

INDIANAPOLIS — Michigan point guard Elliot Cadeau said he’s feeling fine after a nut allergy scare delayed his arrival to the Final Four.

As the men’s basketball team was getting ready to bus to the airport Wednesday during a celebratory sendoff outside of Crisler Center, Cadeau required medical attention for a slight allergic reaction.

...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Rick Pitino raised eyebrows last week with comments about the status of traditional blue blood programs in the current landscape of men’s college basketball.

Essentially, Pitino suggested the “blue bloods” are almost as passé as compact discs.

“The blue bloods no longer control basketball any longer,” the St. John...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO – Draymond Green has made a Hall of Fame career out of playing taller than his 6-foot-7 frame for the Warriors.

Reserve teammate Nate Williams may stand just 6-5, but he has carved out a spot in the NBA by playing with a similar level of verve and energy.

Their heart, that desire, collective fearlessness was never in doubt on ...Read more

The Nuggets had already clinched an eighth consecutive playoff berth by the time they tipped off Wednesday in Utah, thanks to Phoenix’s latest loss. That means the results from now on are all about seeding in the Western Conference bracket, where they’ll finish somewhere between third and sixth.

They remained in fourth with a 130-117 ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — The long-awaited return of Franz Wagner provided the Magic with a boost both emotionally and on the court Wednesday night, but it wasn’t nearly enough in a 130-101 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Playing on the second night of a back-to-back at Kia Center after taking down the Suns less than 24 hours earlier, the Magic were ...Read more

The Celtics’ superstar duo showed out Wednesday night in Miami.

Jayson Tatum recorded his first triple-double (25 points, 18 rebounds, 11 assists, two steals) since his return from Achilles surgery less than a month earlier, and Jaylen Brown poured in 43 points on 17-of-29 shooting as Boston blew out the Heat, 147-129, at the Kaseya Center.

...Read more

With one second left in the third quarter of Wednesday’s road matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Knicks ran an after-timeout (ATO) inbounds play that in many ways encapsulated their entire season under coach Mike Brown: Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns cut to the same place outside the 3-point line, Tyler Kolek was a second late ...Read more

Tom Izzo has been a Michigan State Spartan his entire head coaching career, but a year ago he nearly went pro.

On the Dan Patrick Show, Izzo said Wednesday that he “talked seriously” about taking a job as head coach for the Phoenix Suns last season, the same NBA team owned by former player and MSU donor Mat Ishbia. He turned it down and ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic, with the eyes of five defenders fixed on him in the paint, faked a lob pass. He threatened to wrap a pass around Cleveland center Thomas Bryant's back. Instead, the Lakers superstar pulled up straight over the top of Bryant's outstretched arm, dropping a fadeaway jumper softly through the net.

Doncic smiled toward ...Read more

HOUSTON — David Mirković could feel himself on the edge of tears as Illinois began to inch away from Iowa in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight on Saturday night.

He fought it until the final moments, when Keaton Wagler dribbled slowly down the court, raising his right arm up and down to the cheers of the orange-clad fans at the Toyota Center. ...Read more

STORRS, Conn. — Tarris Reed Jr. needed the fire and intensity that comes with playing for a coach like Dan Hurley and a program like UConn.

And the Huskies, never more than during this NCAA Tournament run, needed Tarris Reed Jr. at his best.

The elephant in the room — addressed numerous times down the stretch of this season — was that ...Read more