11:37 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN Even with history looming as it approached a franchise record win streak, Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams said he tried not to bring it up to his team. But after a 114-103 victory Thursday night over the visiting Detroit Pistons set a franchise mark with 18 consecutive wins, Williams allowed
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Dec 2, 2021; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ty Jerome (16) goes to the basket against Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports MLB trade grades: Who won Hunter Renfroe-Jackie Bradley Jr. swap? by Scott Rogust The Oklahoma City Thunder were humbled
In order to help point guard Kevin Porter Jr. record a career-first, the Houston Rockets embarrassed themselves against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets may be at the bottom of Western Conference rankings, but they did get a win yesterday — in more ways than one. The Rockets finished their Nov. 29 game against the
6:23 PM ET LOS ANGELES — LeBron James has been cleared to return to the lineup for the Los Angeles Lakers‘ game against the LA Clippers on Friday after a brief stint in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the league announced Thursday. James has returned eight negative tests since returning to Los Angeles on
Atlanta Hawks star and New York Knicks villain Trae Young received one vote to become New York City’s new mayor during their recent mayoral election. As Knicks fans streamed out of Madison Square Garden on June 3, they espoused their hatred from the man who prevented a potential Knicks title: Atlanta Hawks Trae Young. [embedded
New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas and Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry now share a fascinating statistic unique only to them. What does towering Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas have in common with prolific Warriors shooter Steph Curry? It’s certainly not height. Curry is listed at 6-foot-2, while Valanciunas is oversized at 6-foot-11. It’s
NBA Hall of Fame shooter Ray Allen complimented Golden State Warriors Steph Curry on nearing his all-time 3-point record. For 18 years, Ray Allen dominated the NBA known as the best 3-point shooter in NBA history. Allen surpassed Reggie Miller, another great, on the NBA all-time leaderboard for 3-point makes. From 1996 to 2014, Allen
12:28 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN BOSTON — Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid said “it’s going to take awhile” for him to fully round back into form after an extended bout with COVID-19. Embiid had his second straight rough shooting performance in Wednesday’s 88-87 loss to the Boston Celtics. “I would never use it as an
New York Knicks power forward Julius Randle commented on how a lack of officiating based on his size isn’t fair in the NBA. Beyond the instance of unseen fouls, NBA officiating can be subjective, to say the least. Julius Randle experienced the brunt of that on Tuesday night during a depressingly close loss to their
Nov 28, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) is defended by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) and guard Avery Bradley (20) in the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Lincoln Riley will find immediate success with USC football by Alicia de Artola Los
Detroit Pistons power forward Isaiah Stewart filed a trademark for “Beef Stew”, a reference to the Stewart-James debacle on Nov. 21. There’s a beef stewing between Isaiah Stewart and LeBron James — at least, that’s the brand Isaiah is building. According to trademark attorney Josh Gerben, the 20-year-old Pistons power forward has filed a trademark
1:26 AM ET Jamal Collier MILWAUKEE — As Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo charged toward the basket during the closing seconds of a tie game against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night, he knew he was going to have to get creative to score. So, Antetokounmpo flipped the ball off the bottom of the glass with
The NBA will make the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls forfeit second-round draft picks as penalty for tampering in Lonzo Ball and Kyle Lowry deals. The long-awaited verdict for the tampering trade charges involving Lonzo Ball and Kyle Lowry has finally been released. After a four-month investigation, the NBA has determined that the offending
Denver Nuggets power forward Michael Porter Jr. could be sidelined for the rest of the year with a nerve issue in his back that could require surgery. Michael Porter Jr.’s back issues have been limiting him since he entered the league. Porter Jr. fell from the No.1 overall pick in 2018 to No. 14 solely
Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic had the final say on the Jokic-Morris feud by blaring the Serbian national anthem in a Miami nightclub after the Nov. 29 win. The heated feud between Nikola Jokic and Markieff Morris began on Nov. 8 after Jokic reacted to Morris with a dirty play. The moment caused Jokic, Morris and
3:20 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Miami Heat All-Star center Bam Adebayo will undergo surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb, the team announced Wednesday. Sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that Adebayo is expected to be out for four to six weeks, which would cause him to miss between 15 to
After a brief stint with the Santa Cruz Warriors, NBA veteran Jeremy Lin returns to China to join the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association. At 33 years old, Jeremy Lin has had quite the basketball journey, from Harvard to feverish Knicks “Linsanity” to the resulting seven-year journey involving six different NBA teams. But
12:12 PM ET After a four-month investigation, the NBA has punished the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat with the loss of second-round draft picks because of premature discussions into the free agency of guards Lonzo Ball and Kyle Lowry, the league announced Wednesday. Chicago and Miami will lose their next available second-round pick after the
With Jamal Murray still out and Michael Porter Jr. undergoing back surgery, are the Denver Nuggets watching their championship hopes slip away? As Game 5 of the 2012 NBA Finals came to an end, the broadcast cut to a shot of Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Kevin Durant together on the sideline. The three men
INDEPENDENCE, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 27: Kevin Love #0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses during Cleveland Cavaliers Media Day at Cleveland Clinic Courts on September 27, 2021 in Independence, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the
11:10 PM ET PHOENIX — Devin Booker left the Phoenix Suns‘ big matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night with a left hamstring injury and did not return. He suffered the injury during the second quarter, grabbing his leg after a drive six minutes before halftime. He left the game moments later. Booker
The Houston Rockets haven’t been able to trade John Wall and now he doesn’t want to sit out and wait anymore. Does this make things better or worse? John Wall wants to play again. After sitting out all of the Houston Rockets’ games so far this year, he is now expressing a desire to rejoin
Dwyane Wade #3 of the Chicago Bulls (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) The Chicago Bulls have a long history of championship basketball, which drew some legends to join the team. Which legends had forgettable stints in Chicago? The Chicago Bulls are one of the most iconic franchises in the history of the NBA because of
Nov 27, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (2) drives with the ball as Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. (3) defends during overtime at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports Cubs taking swing at former Yankees outfielder by Thomas Erbe Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball shared his thoughts
6:51 PM ET SACRAMENTO — LeBron James has entered the league’s health and safety protocols and will miss Tuesday’s game against the Kings, the Los Angeles Lakers announced. James has already missed 11 of the Lakers’ 22 games coming into Tuesday because of injuries and a suspension. L.A. is 7-4 with James this season and
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. When talking about the state of competitiveness in the NBA, the discussion generally revolves around two extremes — parity and elitism. Whether you’re talking about the entertainment product, the
2:11 PM ET NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Harris will undergo surgery on his injured left ankle and is expected to miss four to eight weeks, with optimism he can return on the shorter end of that timeline, Harris’ agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Monday. Nets head
Draymond Green, Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors. (Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports) Mets add Max Scherzer to continue titanic free agency haul by Cody Williams Draymond Green took the time to praise his Golden State Warriors teammate Steph Curry’s improved play on the defensive end of the floor. While Steph Curry has been an offensive
Brooklyn Nets head coach and former NBA star Steve Nash had perfect response to hearing that Phoenix Suns’ Chris Paul surpassed his NBA record. When Hall of Fame players enter retirement, it suddenly becomes possible that their hard-won records can be toppled by active players. That’s what happened to Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash on
2:18 AM ET Andrew LopezESPN Jonas Valanciunas wasn’t exactly a marksman when he entered the NBA in 2012. In fact, in his first five seasons in the league, he went 1-of-4 from 3-point range. But those days are long gone. Valanciunas hit his first seven 3-pointers on Monday night — all in the first half