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11:12 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The Boston Celtics had a players-only meeting ahead of Wednesday’s 92-79 win in Orlando over the Magic, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The meeting came in the wake of Boston’s fourth-quarter meltdown Monday against the Chicago Bulls, as Boston went from being up 14 at the start of the fourth

Monty McCutchen, the NBA’s vice president of referee development and training, said Tuesday afternoon that he’s pleased with the league’s progress toward eliminating foul calls on non-basketball moves. He added that his officials are still working to strike the right balance between not calling those non-basketball moves and missing some defensive fouls, and that the

1:26 PM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — Cavaliers forward Lauri Markkanen has joined teammate Kevin Love and entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols. The team said Markkanen will miss Wednesday’s game against Portland and his status will be updated “at the appropriate time.” The 7-foot Markkanen is in his first season with Cleveland after

11:12 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul moved into No. 3 on the all-time assists list with his eighth against the visiting New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. With 1:34 left in the second quarter, on a 3-pointer by Jae Crowder, Paul notched career assist No. 10,336 to push past Suns legend

5:13 PM ET Ramona Shelburne Close ESPN Senior Writer Senior writer for ESPN.com Spent seven years at the Los Angeles Daily News Adrian Wojnarowski Close Senior NBA Insider Host of The Woj Pod Joined ESPN in 2017 The Philadelphia 76ers are increasingly frustrated with Ben Simmons‘ refusal to accept organizational assistance to address his mental

11:39 PM ET ESPN News Services BOSTON — Marcus Smart called out Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown after the Boston Celtics lost their third game in a row on Monday night, saying the star duo needs to get their teammates more involved. “Every team knows we’re trying to go to Jayson and Jaylen,” Smart said

11:04 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN PHILADELPHIA — After yet another ugly individual performance Monday night in a season full of them so far, Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard said his poor start is a chance for him to show the world what he’s really about. “I always look at struggles as an opportunity to

3:20 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN METAIRIE, La. — New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is “progressing” in his recovery from a fractured right foot, but his return to play is still up in the air. Pelicans coach Willie Green told reporters on Monday that doctors were encouraged by the latest set of scans on Williamson’s

8:00 AM ET After falling to 3-4, the Milwaukee Bucks have forfeited the No. 1 spot this week. The Utah Jazz, who were the league’s final unbeaten team before falling to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, handed Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks their third straight loss on their way to the top of our list.

3:23 AM ET LOS ANGELES — With Carmelo Anthony‘s solid start to his Lakers tenure continuing Sunday — his game-high 23 points helped lift Los Angeles to a 95-85 win over the Houston Rockets — the 19-year veteran wanted to clear something up about his reputation. “I think people don’t really understand me,” Anthony said.

7:36 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Trae Young was fined $15,000 by the NBA on Friday for making contact with a referee. The star guard was penalized for his actions with 6:41 left in the second quarter of Atlanta’s 122-111 loss to Washington on Thursday. Young was driving left and bumped by defender

6:52 PM ET Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant was fined $25,000 by the NBA for “forcefully throwing the game ball into the spectator stands” during the third quarter of Friday’s Nets win over the Indiana Pacers. After play was stopped with a foul while Durant was driving, he fired the basketball into the stands with

1:43 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Draymond Green is enjoying basketball a lot more these days. And it’s not just because his Golden State Warriors have started the season 5-1 after a 103-82 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday. “Can I also say how satisfying it’s been to watch the game of basketball

5:33 PM ET Eric WoodyardESPN DETROIT, Mich. — The wait is over. A new era of Detroit Pistons basketball is officially underway as No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham will make his debut on Saturday against the Orlando Magic, coach Dwane Casey announced ahead of the 7 p.m. ET tipoff. Cunningham missed the entire preseason and

12:47 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The Milwaukee Bucks are scheduled to make a trip to the White House to celebrate winning the 2021 NBA title on Nov. 8, sources told ESPN. The Bucks will be the first NBA team to visit the White House since the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers visited former President Barack Obama. Milwaukee

12:49 AM ET NEW YORK — James Harden was in his bag Friday night, dribbling, creating space, draining 3’s and letting everyone know that he was starting to feel more like himself as he yelled out during a timeout while clenching his fists and flexing his arms. Harden also was finally back at a place

2:39 PM ET Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams will undergo surgery to repair a dislocated left wrist and is expected to miss the rest of the regular season, sources told ESPN. Williams tumbled out of the air on a flagrant foul by New York’s Mitchell Robinson on Thursday night, landing on his left wrist and

7:03 PM ET Bob Ferry, who guided the Washington Bullets to their only title in 1978 as part of a prolific 17-year run as general manager, died Wednesday at age 84. Ferry ran the Bullets from 1973 to 1990, and the team made the playoffs 13 times in that 17-year span, including three Finals appearances.

11:51 PM ET Associated Press WASHINGTON — Trae Young paused in the middle of his postgame comments, perhaps wondering if he was going too far — or sensing that he already had. “I don’t want to get fined too much, but it’s frustrating,” the Atlanta star said. There’s no telling how the league will receive

5:08 PM ET HOUSTON — The NAACP sent a letter to the players’ associations in five professional sports Thursday asking players to reconsider signing with teams in Texas due to recent laws passed in the state. In a two-page letter signed by NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson that was sent to the MLB, NBA,

12:31 AM ET NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden said he is regaining his confidence but that his offensive game is limited right now as he makes his way back from an offseason spent rehabbing his hamstring injury. Harden’s slow start to the season continued Wednesday night when he finished with 14 points,

1:31 AM ET OKLAHOMA CITY — Russell Westbrook said, “It’s my fault, it’s on me,” when asked about his double-digit turnovers in the Lakers‘ 123-115 loss to the Thunder on Wednesday. But he stood by his actions that led him to be ejected in the final seconds, marring his return to OKC. “How I play

5:28 PM ET After medical testing Wednesday, there was no structural damage found in Denver Nuggets center and reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic‘s knee, a source confirmed to ESPN. Jokic suffered a right knee contusion late in the second quarter Tuesday night against the Jazz and was held out of the remainder of the 122-110

12:10 PM ET Jamal Collier Chicago Bulls All-Star Zach LaVine underwent an MRI on Tuesday, which revealed a left thumb injury that he plans to play through, sources told ESPN. The injury is in his non-shooting hand and had been bothering him entering the Bulls’ 111-108 victory against the Toronto Raptors on Monday night. The

7:06 PM ET SAN ANTONIO — LeBron James will not play in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ game against the Spurs on Tuesday because of a sore right ankle, the team announced. Lakers coach Frank Vogel, when asked about James’ injury, said the team is taking “a marathon approach” with him. Malik Monk will start in

9:29 PM ET OKLAHOMA CITY — Draymond Green is going to celebrate another one of Stephen Curry‘s historical feats with an expensive bottle of wine — and for the second year in a row he’s going to put it on Warriors owner Joe Lacob’s tab. In honor of Curry making the NBA’s 75th anniversary team,

8:00 AM ET Jamal Collier MILWAUKEE — Before winning his first NBA championship, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo used to imagine how it would change his life: how it would be a weight lifted off his shoulders and how he’d finally be able to exhale. “But it’s false,” Antetokounmpo said after the Bucks received their

11:57 PM ET Jamal Collier The Chicago Bulls are off to the franchise’s best start since the 1996-97 season. They improved to 4-0 on Monday night with a 111-108 victory against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena, making Chicago the last remaining unbeaten team in the Eastern Conference. After overhauling their roster in free agency,

3:27 AM ET LOS ANGELES — Carmelo Anthony said the best part about passing Moses Malone for No. 9 on the all-time scoring list in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 121-118 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday is the level he’s been able to sustain nearly two decades into his NBA career. “I’m still here

8:00 AM ET The small sample size of the NBA’s opening week usually provides an interesting look at the standings. The start of the 2021-22 season was no different. The Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets, two teams that missed the Eastern Conference playoffs last season, are each off to 3-0 starts. (The latter spoiled the