NEW YORK — Darko Rajakovic allowed himself to break character, to laugh at the task at hand before reverting back to his stoic, hardcore persona as Toronto Raptors head coach.

The try topic at hand? The Knicks: the team his Raptors had next on the schedule, a team they could very well see as a first-round opponent in the Eastern Conference ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Aces are keeping their core intact amid a wild WNBA free-agency period.

Point guard Chelsea Gray is finalizing a three-year, multi-million dollar deal to return to the Aces, sources told the Review-Journal on Friday. The deal, which is worth around $3 million over its course, is fully guaranteed.

Guard Jewell Loyd ...Read more

Plenty was missing Friday night at Capital One Arena, including several Miami Heat mainstays, and any semblance of competition. But at least hope remains, still with an outside chance of moving up in the standings.

To their credit, even while short-handed, the Heat seized the moment, rolling to a 140-117 victory over the league-worst Washington...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Detroit Pistons understand the motivation that comes when sustaining a heartbreaking loss. For the Hornets, their moment came on Dec. 20 when they suffered a 112-86 loss to the Pistons.

Hornets coach Charles Lee said that upon leaving Little Caesars Arena, they vowed never to let a team embarrass them that way again. ...Read more

After months of listing Terry Rozier as “not with team,” that became permanent Friday, with the Miami Heat waiving the guard who has been on NBA leave since his October arrest in an FBI gambling investigation.

The move came at the league’s deadline for such a transaction to clear a roster spot. Rozier, 31, will become an unrestricted free...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid was discharged from a Houston hospital on Friday and is returning to Philadelphia following his appendectomy, the Sixers announced.

Embiid, a former NBA Most Valuable Player, was diagnosed with appendicitis Thursday and underwent the surgery later that day. The Sixers said Embiid’s recovery will be managed by team...Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. — The UConn men’s basketball program will be in the big man market this spring.

It was announced Friday afternoon that 7-foot-1 freshman center Eric Reibe, a former McDonald’s High School All-American, has entered the transfer portal. News came out earlier on Friday that Rrezon Elezaj, the 7-2 practice player from Kosovo, ...Read more

INDIANAPOLIS — Terry Mills knew he had a front-row seat to watch history being made Monday night.

But he also had an invitation earlier in the day to share some of his own history, as Dusty May invited one of the stars from Michigan’s 1989 national championship team to speak to the current squad hours before they faced Connecticut in the ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Fans from New Zealand and Australia held signs toward the camera. They had traveled thousands of miles to watch Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry play.

One sign crossed out “play” and replaced it with a frowning face.

They were instead treated to a steady performance from LeBron James, who led the Los Angeles ...Read more

If there was any doubt that Elliot Cadeau wasn’t going to return to Michigan for another season, it was officially put to rest.

Shortly after ESPN reported Thursday that Cadeau has agreed to a new deal for the 2026-27 season, the point guard shared the news on Instagram with a short message: “(Let’s) do it again.”

Several Michigan ...Read more

NEW YORK — Jaylen Brown wants all the smoke. The Knicks have it, and more, for the Boston Celtics.

It’s been roughly 11 months since the Knicks and Celtics met in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last season, a series ending in disaster for the Celtics, who were favored to beat the Knicks before blowing consecutive 20-...Read more

TORONTO — The math keeps growing more complex for the Miami Heat.

Tuesday night’s loss to the Toronto Raptors at the start of this two-game set at Scotiabank Arena locked Erik Spoelstra’s team into a fourth consecutive trip to the play-in round, the NBA’s battleground of postseason mediocrity.

Thursday the Heat awoke to the reality ...Read more

NEW YORK — If the injury report didn’t say it, the first half did.

The Nets closed their 2025-26 home schedule Thursday night at Barclays Center with a 123-94 loss to the Indiana Pacers, a game that looked and felt like two teams protecting lottery position. Brooklyn trailed by 26 points at halftime, and that was pretty much it.

Both teams...Read more

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Aces are finalizing an agreement to re-sign guard Jackie Young, ESPN reported Thursday.

Young, a four-time All-Star and the WNBA’s Most Improved Player in 2022, will reportedly return on a one-year deal for the regular max which increased to $1.19 million under the new CBA.

Sources told the Review-Journal that ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Barely a week ago, a charmed Lakers season screamed three words.

Deep playoff run.

Today, a jinxed Lakers season soberly whispers three very different words.

Shut it down.

With less than a month of games remaining, the Lakers season is done, finished, kaput.

Twisted and torn by the sudden same-day injuries to their two best ...Read more

It didn’t take long for Michigan basketball to make its first addition out of the transfer portal.

Tennessee transfer J.P. Estrella shared news of his commitment to the Wolverines on his Instagram account Thursday, which comes just three days after Michigan’s season ended and two days after the portal window opened.

Estrella, a 6-foot-11 ...Read more

HOUSTON — Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with appendicitis and will undergo surgery on Thursday in Houston, per the 76ers.

This is another ill-timed health issue for Embiid, and for the Sixers’ postseason outlook. It typically takes multiple weeks to return to exercise following an appendectomy, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

The ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Whether it’s conventional wisdom or wishful thinking, the prevailing narrative at the opening of the college basketball transfer portal Tuesday morning was a simple one: Mark Pope will need to land some studs this offseason.

But is that really the case?

As more players declare their intentions to transfer between now and ...Read more