12:26 PM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — Cavaliers forward Kevin Love has apologized for his on-court tantrum Monday night, saying his behavior was out of line and out of character. “That wasn’t me,” Love said. The five-time All-Star spoke Wednesday following Cleveland’s shootaround practice before facing the Orlando Magic. Love did not take any questions
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Three teams in the Eastern Conference are expected to compete for a spot in the NBA Finals. The Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks are clearly head-and-shoulders above the next tier of teams in the East. Still, those organizations are not going to just lay down and concede defeat. Last year the Miami HEAT
7:00 AM ET Eric WoodyardESPN HEATHER MAYFIELD WAS five months pregnant when she went to Mercy Health Saint Mary’s hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with her husband, Brian, accompanying her for an ultrasound appointment on a chilly January day in 2000. Upon the revelation that their first child would be a boy, the couple quickly
Cavaliers forward Kevin Love couldn’t look more unenthusiastic right now. His frustration cost Cleveland on an embarrassing throw-in. Kevin Love doesn’t look like he loves playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers right now. In case you needed video proof, Love provided it on Monday as the Cavaliers fell to the Toronto Raptors, 112-96. Late in the
Tyler Herro has had his struggles this season, but should the Miami Heat legitimately be concerned about his focus? After a trip to the NBA Finals in the bubble last season, things haven’t quite been the same for the Miami Heat this season. Tyler Herro is one example of the drop-off, particularly with a markedly
Jimmy Butler oozes confidence ahead of Miami Heat’s pivotal game against the Atlanta Hawks and buoys Heat’s playoffs hopes. Riding off last year’s magical run to the NBA Finals, Jimmy Butler and the Heat have every intention of getting to the playoffs. The Heat’s win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night gave Miami
12:10 AM ET The Brooklyn Nets clinched a playoff berth on Tuesday night, after defeating the Toronto Raptors 116-103. They are the first Eastern Conference team to confirm a spot in the postseason. Now, the Nets can slip no lower than sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. “It’s great,” Nets coach Steve Nash said of
Three teams in the Eastern Conference are expected to compete for a spot in the NBA Finals. The Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks are clearly head-and-shoulders above the next tier of teams in the East. Still, those organizations are not going to just lay down and concede defeat. Last year the Miami HEAT
7:00 PM ET Josh Giddey — a 6-foot-8 Australian playmaking guard — is entering the 2021 NBA draft, his agents Daniel Moldovan and Alex Saratsis of Octagon Sports told ESPN on Tuesday. Giddey is the No. 13 prospect in ESPN’s Top 100 NBA draft rankings, and could climb higher in the lottery. Giddey, 18, has
Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul ended New York Knicks’ nine-game winning streak with dagger shots on Monday night. The New York Knicks of old are no more, as they are an entertaining, tough team in the Eastern Conference. Entering Monday night, the Knicks were looking to increase their win streak to 10 straight games at
LeBron James could be back as early as next week for the Los Angeles Lakers. To no one’s surprise, the Los Angeles Lakers have struggled over the last few months with LeBron James and Anthony Davis sidelined. While AD recently returned to the lineup and has since seen his nightly minutes limit upgraded to 25
The Los Angeles Lakers need point guard Dennis Schröder to keep playing at this high level. Dennis Schröder has helped keep the Los Angeles Lakers afloat with its two star players Anthony Davis and LeBron James missing significant time this spring due to injury. Schröder’s latest performance vs. the struggling Orlando Magic on Monday night was
9:02 AM ET The Golden State Warriors launched a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) collection on the OpenSea platform Tuesday morning, becoming the first professional sports team to do so. “This is the wave of the future,” new Warriors president Brandon Schneider said. “So we’ve been studying what the best way for us to get involved and
Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant and Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr. won an Oscar as producers of a live-action short honored at the Academy Awards. Kevin Durant was a big winner as the Nets star returned from injury with 33 points off the bench against the Suns on Sunday. He won again on Sunday
The LA Clippers’ injury woes continue, with Kawhi Leonard now out for at least one week. The LA Clippers look like legitimate title contenders in the NBA‘s Western Conference … if they can just get everyone healthy, that is. In what’s been an injury-ravaged season for both the Clippers and the league at large, Tuesday
The LA Clippers are finalizing a deal to keep DeMarcus Cousins for the remainder of the 2020-21 season. Boogie’s staying in Los Angeles. It took a 20-day trial period, but the LA Clippers decided to keep Boogie on board for … well, at least the rest of this season. After starting this year with the
1:07 AM ET Chants of “Defense!” echoed through Madison Square Garden when Chris Paul pulled out a cross over, spun and then flung up an 18-foot fadeaway over Julius Randle that silenced the Garden and ultimately snapped the New York Knicks’ nine-game winning streak. The Phoenix Suns’ All-Star point guard scored seven points in the
The New York Knicks are currently on their longest winning streak since 2014. Along the way, they’ve defeated several teams with whom they’re competing for a playoff spot – and unbelievably, home-court advantage in the first round – including the Atlanta Hawks and the Charlotte Hornets. While the Knicks still have the sixth-hardest remaining schedule,
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner is out indefinitely after suffering a partial tear in his right great toe. The Indiana Pacers currently sit two games behind the Charlotte Hornets for the 8-seed in the Eastern Conference. With a month remaining in the regular season, the Pacers need to have all hands on deck. Unfortunately, they
Orlando Magic guard Devin Cannady had to be removed from the court on a stretcher after suffering a scary injury against the Pacers. After the UFC had a terrible injury scare on Saturday night, the sports world could have gone a while without having to see another. Unfortunately, a similar injury struck the NBA less
7:07 PM ET Houston Rockets point guard John Wall is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain, sources told ESPN. The typical recovery time for such an injury is approximately three weeks, and the Rockets have no intention of rushing Wall back with the team
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. Last week we looked at the surging New York Knicks through the prism of the individual improvement of Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett. Randle will likely run away with
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANUARY 30: Sterling Brown #0 of the Houston Rockets reacts against the New Orleans Pelicans during a game at the Smoothie King Center on January 30, 2021 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to
Kevin Porter Jr. tried to protect his Houston Rockets teammate Sterling Brown during an assault at the strip club on Monday and faces severe consequences. More details are coming to light about a bloodied assault on Houston Rockets player Sterling Brown at a strip club in Miami. Apparently, teammate Kevin Porter Jr. stepped in to
7:00 AM ET If the NBA season ended today, Madison Square Garden would be hosting Game 1 of a first-round playoff series. The New York Knicks have won nine straight games for the first time since the 2012-13 season, the year they finished as the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed. While Julius Randle & Co.
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors. (Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports) Russell Westbrook recreated his own meme when he was told an interesting stat (Video) by Kristen Wong Steph Curry believes he is the only choice for NBA MVP this season. Steph Curry is the reason why the Golden State Warriors remain in the Western Conference playoff
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) Ryan Garcia withdraws from bout due to ‘health and wellbeing’ concerns by Curtis Calhoun The Golden State Warriors’ road game vs. the New Orleans Pelicans will be Marvel-themed. If you are really into The Avengers, then you are really going to be into ESPN’s May 3 telecast of
3:01 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry‘s record-setting month of April rolled on Sunday night against the Sacramento Kings, as Curry hit seven 3-pointers in a 117-113 Warriors victory to set a new NBA record for most 3s in a calendar month with 85 and counting. The previous record was held by Brooklyn’s James
New York Knicks fans are so excited about their team they got a NSFW chant about the Brooklyn Nets going. Following the New York Knicks‘ 120-103 win over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday afternoon, basketball fans in the Big Apple were feeling pretty pumped about their team. And why wouldn’t they? The Knicks have won
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. It’s been a rough year for the Pistons in terms of the standings, but from a player development perspective, they’ve had plenty of wins. Jerami Grant has thrived in