Do the Lakers have a new Big Three?

LeBron James, Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard are putting in their bid to make it so.

They combined for 76 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists to lead the Lakers to a 101-94 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 2 of the Western Conference playoffs.

James had another near triple-double with 28 points, eight ...Read more

BOSTON — Joe Mazzulla had a message for the media when he took a seat behind his pregame podium: Don’t expect Game 2 of Boston Celtics-Philadelphia 76ers to be a repeat of Game 1.

“Today’s going to be a much more difficult challenge,” Boston’s head coach said Tuesday evening. “I expect a better version of the Sixers.”

He got ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — A new NBA-ready arena project proposed for the south Strip aims to be a diamond in the desert.

The Las Vegas Diamond Arena is planned as a 21,212-seat arena, featuring a 100,000-square-foot ground-level plaza and 140,000 square feet of team and broadcast facilities. The venue would feature over 18,000 parking spaces and be within ...Read more

DENVER — It was the picture of disappointment. If hung in the Louvre, there would be a fist on their bellies performing the Heimlich.

The Denver Nuggets collapsed against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Again. They squandered a 19-point second quarter lead. It represented their biggest playoff meltdown since Minnesota erased a 20-point advantage ...Read more

CHICAGO — Billy Donovan is gone after six seasons as the Chicago Bulls coach, and the search for his replacement begins.

But first things first, as Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf are busy sifting through candidates for the next head of basketball operations, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who listed several league executives and one super...Read more

DURHAM, N.C. — Duke has received a commitment from guard John Blackwell, one of the top players available in the NCAA portal and a major addition to the Blue Devils program.

Blackwell, who averaged 19 points a game at Wisconsin last season, visited Duke on Monday, it was reported, and made his commitment Tuesday, announcing it on his ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Lynx star forward Napheesa Collier, who underwent surgeries on both ankles in the WNBA offseason, is on a timeline to resume on-court activities in early June, the Lynx announced Tuesday.

“Collier underwent successful surgery on her left ankle on March 24,” the team’s news release said. “Her rehabilitation is ...Read more

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls will move forward without Billy Donovan.

The coach decided on Tuesday to step away from the team after six seasons following a meeting with Bulls ownership. Donovan did not tip his hand about a potential decision to leave or stay in the final days of the Bulls regular season. He followed through on a promise to ...Read more

MIAMI — For a moment, it appeared the Heat would have a moment to decompress before having to reassess.

And then Agent G started poking around.

The result? Less than a week removed from postseason elimination, speculation season already is back in full force for the Heat, back where it was at February’s trading deadline, back at the ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kon Knueppel had an inaugural season in which he looked very much like the NBA’s Rookie of the Year.

But the Charlotte Hornets wing didn’t look at all like himself in the season’s final two weeks.

For those who followed the 20-year-old Knueppel closely, what happened in those final six games (four in the regular ...Read more

NEW YORK — New York City has a new sports villain.

Atlanta Hawks star C.J. McCollum heard it from a sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden after a tense exchange with Jose Alvarado — the second game in a row that the veteran guard rankled Knicks fans.

McCollum then made three big baskets in the game’s final 2:08 — including a go-ahead ...Read more

NEW YORK — At the conclusion of every regular season, provided the Knicks make the playoffs, the organization redesigns the corridor leading from the home locker room to the Madison Square Garden hardwood floors. On the wall parallel to the exit, the words “10 Weeks of Sacrifice” are printed in big, bold letters, a reminder of what it will...Read more

LOS ANGELES — When the doors opened after Lakers practice on Monday, injured stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were nearby as their teammates took some final shots after the session.

Doncic, who is back with the team after traveling to Spain to receive treatment for his Grade 2 left hamstring strain, sat out the Lakers' Game 1 win over the ...Read more

DETROIT — The NBA announced on Monday evening that San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama has been named the Defensive Player of the Year for the 2025-26 regular season. Wembanyama delivered one of the most dominant performances in league history. He averaged a league-high 3.1 blocks per game with 197 total rejections. Wembanyama also ...Read more

DURHAM, N.C. — Police have charged a 26-year-old man with DWI in a Saturday night crash that killed a 15-year-old boy riding his bike in northwest Durham, court records show.

Joseph Savarino admitted drinking before the crash and faces a misdemeanor charge of driving while impaired, according to court records.

Savarino is the brother of ...Read more

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina senior guard Seth Trimble has entered the NCAA transfer portal with a do-not-contact designation, per multiple reports Monday.

Trimble is continuing to evaluate his professional future and is likely entering the portal as a precautionary move, pending an NCAA rule change or waiver that would allow Trimble ...Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. — The UConn men’s basketball program announced Monday that rising senior guard Solo Ball will undergo wrist surgery and miss the entire 2026-27 season.

Ball will take a medical redshirt year and return to the Huskies in 2027-28, according to the release.

“Solo is a true Husky and a champion who would do anything to be out...Read more

Draymond Green is never short on opinions. As they say, the guy knows how to keep it real.

In his latest edition of The Draymond Green Show, the Warriors star addressed the topic that has been on fans’ minds since coach Steve Kerr pulled in Green and Steph Curry for a group hug near the end of the team’s season-ending loss at Phoenix in a ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers limped painfully into the playoffs Saturday night only to delightfully discover a miracle salve.

An opponent as mangled as they were.

Yes, the Lakers are beginning this tournament seriously hampered by the indefinite absences of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

But — surprise, surprise — the Houston ...Read more