SALT LAKE CITY — When Brice Sensabaugh drilled a wide-open 3-pointer in the third quarter, Lakers coach JJ Redick quickly called a timeout and began to gesture with both hands toward his players, clearly showing his displeasure with their defense.

The Lakers responded.

They especially picked up their defensive intensity for an important ...Read more

DALLAS — At the first team meeting leading into training camp, Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff made it clear to the team that controlling the chaos would be the theme of the season. By living up to their motto, the Detroit Pistons overcame a ton of frustration Thursday night against the Dallas Mavericks, erasing an 18-point deficit.

It took an...Read more

Two seasons ago, the Magic traveled to Denver with only nine players available because of various injuries to key players.

At the time, it took a 32-point triple-double from Paolo Banchero and help from reserves off the bench in order for Orlando to pull off the unthinkable: Capture a 2-point win over MVP Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.

Jamahl ...Read more

NEW YORK — Little has been easy for the Miami Heat lately and little will be easy for the remaining two games of this trip, on Friday night against the Boston Celtics and Sunday night against the New York Knicks.

So if there was a moment for Erik Spoelstra’s team to make things right, to snap a season-worst five-game losing streak, this ...Read more

The Knicks don’t need another backup point guard. Their solution has been hiding in plain sight all along.

It’s the biggest takeaway from the Knicks’ 114-113 comeback victory over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, less than 48 hours after they defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup on Tuesday.

Yes, Jalen Brunson is Captain Clutch, ...Read more

NEW YORK — The WNBA‘s latest collective bargaining agreement proposal includes maximum salaries growing to nearly $2 million over the life of the agreement, a source with knowledge of the matter told the New York Daily News on Thursday.

The proposal detailed a raise to maximum salaries — currently at $249,000 — above $1.3 million before...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Kevin Garnett is a member of the Timberwolves once again.

After nearly a decade of estrangement from the franchise over disputes with former owner Glen Taylor, Garnett has rejoined the organization that drafted him, one for which he played in 14 of his 21 NBA seasons.

His official title is Team Ambassador.

The mending of ...Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. — Things had gotten off to a sluggish start at People’s Bank Arena, Butler off to a seven-point lead at the first timeout, four minutes in.

The huddle was heated, even by Dan Hurley standards, apparently.

“That was just total BS, I mean, a total joke,” Hurley said, after UConn’s 79-60 victory Tuesday night, “to ...Read more

NEW YORK — With NBA All-Star voting now underway, fans have a chance to help the Nets do something they haven’t done since 2023: send one of their own to the league’s marquee weekend.

Ballots, which are weighted across fan, player and media votes for starters and then handed to coaches to select the reserves, will run daily through Jan. ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Timberwolves have been able to find a way to win in recent weeks both with key personnel out and while not playing their best basketball.

Even though Memphis was more shorthanded coming into Target Center, the Wolves and Grizzlies were in a rock fight, with neither team shooting particularly well.

In a game the Wolves would...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic was back at it again, this time surprising the Lakers and staff members with more than 100 e-bikes for Christmas gifts.

Doncic, who took his teammates to a Porsche Driving Experience in October as a way to bond, gave the gifts away Tuesday after practice.

"I just wanted to give everybody something," he said. "...Read more

NEW YORK — Victor Wembanyama played in the NBA Cup final against the Knicks with a heavy heart.

The San Antonio Spurs star was moved to tears during his postgame press conference because of a loss in his personal life.

“Sorry, I just lost somebody today,” Wembanyama said from the podium at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Wembanyama learned...Read more

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr says he isn’t doing a good job.

I’m inclined to believe him.

Because right now, the Dubs aren’t a basketball team. They are a desperation experiment. It’s no longer “Strength in Numbers,” it’s “Throw Spaghetti at the Wall and Pray it Looks Like Art.”

Spoiler alert: It doesn’t. It ...Read more

This is what it could all feel like one day.

On one side, complete euphoria, adulation, celebration and relief. The feeling of a job, at long last, well done. On the other, disappointment, anguish, embarrassment and resentment. The feeling that a lot more was left on the table than was taken home at the end of the day.

The Knicks just got ...Read more

LAWRENCE, Kan. — No Darryn Peterson, no problem for the Kansas men’s basketball team.

At least in Tuesday’s game, a dominant wire-to-wire victory over Towson.

No. 17 KU defeated Towson, 73-49, in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks improved to 9-3. They are 4-0 all time against the Tigers.

Fans learned about two hours before the game that ...Read more

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — It took the Tar Heels a little while to get there, but North Carolina looked like a team that took last week’s lessons to heart.

Behind a renewed defensive effort late in the first half and a hot start to the second, No. 12 UNC rolled past East Tennessee State on Tuesday night at the Dean E. Smith Center, 77-58. The Tar ...Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. — The UConn men’s basketball team beat Butler, 79-60, in a slugfest to open Big East play at PeoplesBank Arena Tuesday night.

Solo Ball led the way with a career-high 26 points on an efficient 8-for-14 shooting from the field and his junior classmate Jayden Ross brought the fireworks with 13 points and eight rebounds, half ...Read more