3:09 AM ET Kendra AndrewsESPN SAN FRANCISCO — As the Golden State Warriors go through the final games of the 2022-23 regular season, they are operating with one clear goal in mind: Finish in the top six in the Western Conference. “We definitely want to stay out of the play-in tournament,” Stephen Curry said following
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Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports Cardinals reward new ace with contract extension before Opening Day by Mark Powell The Portland Trail Blazers are almost out of the mix for the pay-in tournament in the Western Conference, sitting 3.5 games back of the No. 10 seed with just nine
1:39 AM ET DALLAS — The home crowd loudly booed at the American Airlines Center during a timeout midway through the third quarter Friday night, when the Dallas Mavericks trailed the Charlotte Hornets by 18 points. “We probably should have been booed in the first quarter,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said after a 117-109 loss
It’s been a rough week for my NBA best bets, so I’m looking to get back on track with three plays for Friday’s NBA slate. I have a “get-right” moneyline parlay, a total and a prop play for Damian Lillard that makes a lot more sense once you break it down. Let’s jump into it:
2:52 PM ET DALLAS — Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic has been fined $35,000 for “directing an inappropriate and unprofessional gesture toward a game official,” the NBA announced Friday. Doncic rubbed his fingers together, in an apparent reference to money, while staring down a referee with 1.7 seconds remaining in Wednesday’s 127-125 loss to the Golden
The Phoenix Suns got some good news regarding star Kevin Durant, who is now on pace to return before the playoffs. The Phoenix Suns made the big splash ahead of the trade deadline by acquiring superstar Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets. Durant had played just three game with the Suns following his return from
Feb 2, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George (13) reacts in the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports Injury updates for Paul George and Gary Payton II dominate the NBA news today, along with the passing of Knicks legend, Willis Reed. As
7:25 AM ET ANTHONY DAVIS SAT in the corner of his bedroom closet, overwhelmed. It was a couple days after another injury threatened to derail yet another season for him, and the Los Angeles Lakers big man was at his breaking point. “I’m like, shaking,” Davis told ESPN last week, jittering his hand to illustrate
Mar 5, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Boban Marjanovic (51) leaves the court following the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports The Houston Rockets may need to reset their rebuild after a disappointing season painfully short on growth. Here are three big changes they
11:02 PM ET LOS ANGELES — LA Clippers star Paul George avoided torn ligaments in his sprained right knee and is not expected to require surgery. While George will miss the remainder of the regular season and will not be reassessed for two to three weeks, the Clippers breathed a sigh of relief that he
After a strong weekend performance, the beginning of this week hasn’t been as strong as I would have liked in these NBA plays, especially after a 1-3 day on Wednesday night. Nothing changes in the strategy, as I’m going to trust the same methods that have gotten us to +16 units on the season. Two
5:25 PM ET Michigan freshman guard Jett Howard will declare for the 2023 NBA draft, he told ESPN on Thursday. “This was a great learning year for me,” Howard told ESPN. “It’s what I needed. It taught me how to play within a pro-style offense and be effective, to get out of my comfort zone,
Shams Charania shared an injury update for LeBron James. A few minutes later, LeBron corrected the record with his own announcement. Shams Charania is one of the NBA’s most well-known news breakers but lately, he’s received as much attention for typos and rephrasing press releases to sounds like sourced reports as he has for earth-shattering
Nov 2, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) moves the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports UNC basketball rumors: 3 transfer targets Tar Heels need with Armando Bacot returning by Cody Williams
Big men are dominating the Defensive Player of the Year race and our latest NBA Power Rankings take a look at who is on top. For years, Defensive Player of the Year was the exclusive domain of big men. Marcus Smart won last year, making him just the second guard to win (along with Gary
2:10 PM ET Dave McMenamin Close Dave McMenamin ESPN Staff Writer Lakers and NBA reporter for ESPN. Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09. Adrian Wojnarowski Close Adrian Wojnarowski Senior NBA Insider Host of The Woj Pod Joined ESPN in
The Los Angeles Clippers can breathe a sigh of relief, as superstar Paul George won’t be lost for the remainder of the 2022-23 season. George suffered a sprained right knee and will be re-evaluated in two-to-three weeks, which could allow him to return for the postseason for Los Angeles. George is expected to be out
Feb 18, 2023; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Jordan Hawkins (24) drives to the basket against the Seton Hall Pirates in the first half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports It’s March and the nation’s best teams are dancing. The tournament could have a pronounced effect on the
1:00 AM ET In the NBA’s Western Conference, where just three games separate the No. 4 and No. 12 seeds, every game counts. For the Dallas Mavericks — and team governor Mark Cuban — make that every bucket. The Mavs fell to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night 127-125 in a game that pushed
The referees for the Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors game on Wednesday were criticized for their ruling on a controversial bucket. The NBA had a gigantic game on Wednesday night, as the Dallas Mavericks hosted the Golden State Warriors. Not to mention that this was Mavericks star Luka Doncic returning from a thigh injury
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant was placed on suspension by the NBA after he was seen holding a handgun during a live stream. Here’s when he can return. Back on March 4, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant went viral for a live stream in which he was intoxicated and held up a handgun at a
Ja Morant returns from his suspension on Wednesday night against the Rockets, but it comes with a big caveat about his role for the Grizzlies. It’s been since a fateful March 3 loss in Denver to the Nuggets since the Memphis Grizzlies have had star guard Ja Morant on the floor. After an Instagram Live
6:35 PM ET MEMPHIS, Tenn. — All-Star point guard Ja Morant will come off the bench for the first time in his career Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets, a situation he suggested to the Memphis Grizzlies‘ coaching staff as he returns from an eight-game suspension. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said Morant, who sat out
The Warriors and Mavs square off tonight for the third time this year, with both teams needing a win to maintain playoff positioning in the final weeks of the regular season. Steph Curry and Luka Dončić both had huge games in the first meeting, though I’m expecting a step back from at least one of these
The Lakers are still tweaking their roster, looking to find one more big man for the playoffs. NBA rumors say they may turn to some familiar faces. The buyout market quieted quite a bit after the March 1 deadline. A player is only eligible for the playoffs if he was waived on or before that
In a season of on-court chaos and volatility, Austin Reaves has been a consistent bright spot. He may have earned himself a big new extension along the way. The Lakers have been slammed by injuries all season long and turned their roster over with a series of trades that brought in four new key contributors.
7:39 AM ET The Memphis Grizzlies are hopeful to get Ja Morant back on the floor Wednesday against the Houston Rockets. Morant’s recent eight-game suspension shook some of the momentum the Grizzlies were riding to a potential top seed in the West prior to March 4. But with its star point guard returning to practice,
Tuesday’s are for bounce backs. After a dreadful 0-5 night on Monday which included bad beats in the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks matchups, I have three NBA bets to get us back on track tonight. It’s still been a great season (up over 18 units), but that’s no reason to get complacent. Here are
These three first-round NBA Draft prospects have all impressed during March Madness and may be moving up draft boards as a result. Yesterday, we took a look at a few NBA Draft prospects who may have cost themselves with poor showings in the first two rounds of the tournament. Today, we’re looking at a trio
12:58 AM ET LOS ANGELES — LA Clippers star Paul George left Tuesday night’s 101-100 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder late in the fourth quarter with an apparent right leg injury. As George went up for a rebound, his right knee seemingly collided with Thunder guard Luguentz Dort‘s knee in the air. George landed