PHOENIX – After LJ Cryer buried a 3-pointer from the top of the arc, the second-year guard meandered to the bench as the Phoenix Suns called a timeout with three minutes remaining in Saturday’s game at Mortgage Matchup Center.

The first man to greet him off the bench? Steph Curry, decked out in a gray hoodie and green striped pants. Next to...Read more

DENVER — Flash back to Jan. 27, 2026, in Ball Arena. That night against the Detroit Pistons, Jamal Murray missed two consecutive free throws after drawing a foul with 0.7 seconds left, with the Denver Nuggets down by two.

On Saturday night, in front of an anxious crowd aching for a win over the New Orleans Pelicans in the home opener, Murray ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid collected the ball off the offensive rebound and dished it to Jaylen Brown for the 3-pointer from the right wing.

It gave Embiid his 10th assist to accumulate his 11th career triple-double. The former NBA All-Star finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and those 10 helpers. And it helped clinch the 76ers’ 127-116 ...Read more

It took a 22-point deficit and nearly 40 minutes for the Nets to offer their first glimpse of what the future might look like.

With 8:18 remaining in the fourth quarter Saturday night, Egor Dëmin checked into the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mikel Brown Jr. was already on the floor. For the first time in their NBA careers, Brooklyn’...Read more

Say what you will about the Golden State Valkyries, but you can’t say they don’t have a pulse.

Saturday’s Game 4 of the WNBA Finals wasn’t, strictly by the book, an elimination game.

But did the Valks ever treat it like one.

Lose, and you’re down 3-1, packing your emotional bags and listening as Atlanta talks about parade routes. ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — What could go wrong did go wrong in a disastrous final stretch of the Golden State Warriors’ 111-108 defeat to the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.

The Warriors led by 12 with 3:47 left in the game, the Chase Center was rocking in the team’s home opener against the young Grizzlies. All the Warriors had to do ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers appeared to be on their way to almost being whole Friday night when guard Collin Sexton returned to play for the first time this season. Then word came that key role player Jake LaRavia was out because of an ankle injury.

Still, the Lakers pressed on in their second game, a game against the crosstown rival...Read more

BOSTON — Jayson Tatum knew he didn’t play to his standard in Tuesday’s season-opening Celtics loss.

He atoned for that Friday against the reigning NBA champions, leading Boston to a 107-103 win over the Knicks in its home opener at TD Garden.

After going an ugly 6 for 23 from the field against the Detroit Pistons, Tatum poured in 36 ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Booed off the court at halftime and handing out live-ball turnovers like they were free lollipops at the bank, the Charlotte Hornets got crushed in their home opener, 128-81, by the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

This was exactly the opposite of what the Hornets wanted. Playing a real game in Spectrum Center for the first ...Read more

MIAMI — Based on how the season opened with Wednesday night’s 25-point home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, this was the rare second game of a season that had a must-win feel.

Instead, it will be the Heat’s third game of the season, on Saturday night against the Charlotte Hornets, that now will carry such weight.

Blown out for the ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — After falling to the Hawks on opening night, the Magic believed the mistakes they made Wednesday night — too many turnovers, missed free throws and inaccurate 3-point shooting — were correctable heading into Friday’s game against the Timberwolves.

Orlando, however, struggled in all three areas for the second game in a ...Read more

MILWAUKEE — Early in the fourth quarter of Friday’s 132-125 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls guard Buddy Hield leaped to his feet to roar at rookie Caleb Wilson.

The kid wasn’t getting back on defense. Bucks center Myles Turner had just cleaned his clock on the low block, smacking away a weak shot attempt to get his team ...Read more

SEATTLE — Perhaps the losing groups in the bidding for an NBA expansion franchise in Las Vegas won’t pivot their attention to Seattle once the league decides on the winning bid in Sin City.

That was the tone from a report in Sports Business Journal on Friday after the publication reported that the group led by Canadian billionaire Steve ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — One problem with analytics, or the application of them, is that they treat things that cannot be quantified as things that do not exist. That’s not a criticism of the science. More so, it’s a criticism of the manner in which the science is frequently applied. Any time there is gap between a player’s perceived performance ...Read more

Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn’t the problem for the Heat on Wednesday as they were obliterated by the Timberwolves 131-106.

Pretty much everyone else on his team was the problem. Which underscores the problem with trading for Giannis.

And quite possibly makes the Wolves thankful that they didn’t end up trading for him eight months ago, even ...Read more

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Denver Nuggets got smacked in the face with a litmus test right out of the gate.

An Oklahoma City Thunder squad thirsty for vengeance on the world after a disappointing playoff exit. In Oklahoma City.

“They’re definitely a challenge for every team in the NBA,” Nikola Jokic said before Denver’s season opener, “so...Read more