News

12:54 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN MILWAUKEE — It took all of 51 seconds for Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to declare to the world — and, more importantly, to the Toronto Raptors — how Game 2 was going to proceed. A rim-rattling dunk of his own miss between two defenders. A vicious rejection of what looked

7:36 PM ET The Houston Rockets are not renewing the contract of associate head coach Jeff Bzdelik, one of the architects of the team’s defensive turnaround this past season. “Jeff’s contract was up. It will not be renewed,” Rockets general manager Daryl Morey told the Houston Chronicle. “We’re looking for any way to improve. That

4:09 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN TORONTO — After dropping the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals, the Toronto Raptors returned home knowing the odds — at least historically — are against them in their matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks. But when told that 94 percent of the teams with 2-0 leads have gone

7:25 AM ET Down 2-0 in the NBA Western Conference finals, the Portland Trail Blazers find themselves in a must-win predicament on their home floor Saturday night. One big reason the Golden State Warriors are in the driver’s seat: their ability to shut down Damian Lillard, who must get going if Portland has a chance

9:02 PM ET Reigning NBA MVP James Harden of the Houston Rockets is one of three finalists for the award for the 2018-19 season, the league announced Friday. Joining Harden, who led the league in scoring with 36.1 points per game, in the top three are Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Paul George

5:17 PM ET The NBA announced Friday that guard Tyreke Evans has been dismissed and disqualified from the league for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program. He is eligible to apply for reinstatement in two years under the program. Evans, 29, played for the Indiana Pacers this season, averaging 10.2 points, 2.9 rebounds

3:27 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — The fact that Sonya Curry sent a group text to her extended family on the eve of the Western Conference finals is not surprising. She’s always sending inspirational texts to the family. Or as she pronounces it, “texes, like Texas.” But this “texes” message was special, because her sons

12:10 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — Golden State Warriors star forward Kevin Durant will miss Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Portland Trail Blazers. The plan is for him to be evaluated in one week, the Warriors said in a statement released Thursday night. Durant, who hasn’t played since he

4:33 PM ET Malika AndrewsESPN MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo admits this isn’t how he envisioned the Milwaukee Bucks‘ season playing out. At the beginning of the season, Antetokounmpo couldn’t have known his team would make it all the way to the Eastern Conference finals. The landscape of the Eastern Conference changed drastically in the summer

2:27 AM ET MILWAUKEE — At the moment Kawhi Leonard shook Khris Middleton on a backdoor cut for an easy layup midway through the third quarter of Game 1 on Wednesday night, the Toronto Raptors looked like their best selves. The Raptors had managed only five shot attempts at the rim in the first half,

7:44 AM ET Malika AndrewsESPN MILWAUKEE — One by one, the Milwaukee Bucks players pulled into the garage in the team’s practice facility. It was Thursday, less than 12 hours removed from their series-clinching Game 5 victory over the Boston Celtics, and Mike Budenholzer had given the team the day off. Yet there was Giannis

3:21 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, whose coast-to-coast rivalry in the 1980s propelled the NBA to a new level of popularity, will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The league and Turner Sports announced Wednesday that the Hall of Famers and 1992 U.S. Olympic teammates will receive

1:32 AM ET TORONTO — Over six months, Kawhi Leonard endured “82 practices,” then another 11 in the postseason. But there’s no preparation for the individual burden he placed on his broad shoulders Sunday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. Leonard launched more field goals through three quarters than either Kobe Bryant or LeBron James have

11:54 PM ET Marc Spears New Orleans Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry apologized for cursing in the NBA draft lottery room Tuesday night. But it was for good reason. Gentry learned that the Pelicans won the right to draft Duke sensation Zion Williamson despite the team having just 6 percent odds to land the No.

3:26 PM ET With both the Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors each four wins away from a matchup in the NBA Finals, plans are being made to ensure Blazers starting center Enes Kanter can participate — safely — in all the games. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden is sending a letter to Canadian Prime Minister

7:14 AM ET Tim Bontemps Brian Windhorst Close ESPN Senior Writer ESPN.com NBA writer since 2010 Covered Cleveland Cavs for seven years Author of two books CHICAGO — When the way the pingpong balls bounced is revealed to the world Tuesday night here at the Drake Hotel, the immediate focus will be on who gets

11:27 PM ET Adrian WojnarowskiESPN Brett Brown will return as the Philadelphia 76ers coach for the 2019-20 season, managing partner Josh Harris told ESPN on Monday night. There had been some uncertainty about Brown returning for his seventh season, but Harris eliminated that doubt in a lengthy meeting with Brown and general manager Elton Brand

2:46 PM ET Phoenix Suns forward Josh Jackson was arrested in Miami this weekend and faces a felony charge of escape and a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest, according to online court records. Jackson has an arraignment hearing scheduled for June 10, according to the records. SlaterScoops.com reported that Jackson was arrested at the Rolling

2:06 AM ET TORONTO — Joel Embiid walked off the court in tears following the Philadelphia 76ers‘ 92-90 Game 7 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, as Philadelphia’s playoff run ended in the final seconds of the final game of the Eastern Conference semifinals. He’d played 45 minutes, more than he ever had before

10:39 PM ET DENVER — Dell Curry and Sonya Curry emerged from a restaurant inside the Pepsi Center and shouted with joy as they hugged Seth Curry. The Curry family celebrated the Portland Trail Blazers’ 100-96 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 7, setting up a Western Conference Finals that will be a Curry

9:54 AM ET WHEN JAMAL MURRAY is asked about playing the two-man game with Nikola Jokic, he replies, “The best part is we don’t really don’t know what is going to happen.” “And the beauty of that,” Paul Millsap adds, “is if we don’t know, then [the defense] can’t possibly know.” The pick-and-roll partners are

10:14 PM ET DENVER — Nuggets coach Michael Malone dismissed the notion that a shoving match between Denver’s Will Barton and Portland’s Seth Curry in Game 6 might carry over into Game 7 on Sunday at Pepsi Center, especially after the Trail Blazers guard called the Nuggets “sassy.” “To me, that’s weak,” Malone said Saturday,

10:14 PM ET Adrian WojnarowskiESPN Frank Vogel has agreed to a three-year deal to become the next coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, league sources told ESPN. Vogel met with Lakers management Thursday and talks escalated quickly toward an offer Saturday to end the franchise’s tumultuous coaching process with his hiring, sources said. The Lakers

12:46 PM ET Adrian Wojnarowski Ohm Youngmisuk Close ESPN Staff Writer Ohm Youngmisuk has covered the Giants, Jets and the NFL since 2006. Prior to that, he covered the Nets, Knicks and the NBA for nearly a decade. He joined ESPNNewYork.com after working at the New York Daily News for almost 12 years and is

3:39 AM ET HOUSTON — Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry scored all 33 of his points in the second half, including 23 in the fourth quarter, to propel the Warriors to a series-clinching 118-113 Game 6 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday night. After shooting 0-for-5 from the field in the first half

9:48 PM ET The Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers will be at full strength for Game 7 after the NBA did not levy any suspensions or fines from a fourth-quarter skirmish between both teams in Game 6. The NBA confirmed Denver’s Will Barton and Torrey Craig and Portland’s Seth Curry and Zach Collins will

2:42 PM ET Adrian WojnarowskiESPN In moves that will reshape the front office of one of the Western Conference’s perennial playoff franchises, the Utah Jazz are promoting general manager Dennis Lindsey to executive vice president of basketball operations and assistant GM Justin Zanik to GM, league sources told ESPN. Lindsey, the Jazz’s general manager since

4:04 AM ET PORTLAND, Ore. — It was about four minutes into the third quarter of Game 6, and Damian Lillard peeled off a high screen, sizing up Nikola Jokic in front of him. He had Jokic leaning, and Lillard saw his opportunity. One hard dribble, stop, pop and fire. Except Jokic saw it coming.

10:01 PM ET HOUSTON — Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant will not play in the rest of his team’s Western Conference semifinals series against the Houston Rockets because of a right calf strain, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr says he is confident Durant will be able to return in the conference finals if Golden

1:32 PM ET The Los Angeles Lakers have regrouped from Wednesday’s breakdown with head coaching candidate Tyronn Lue and plan to interview Frank Vogel for the position, ESPN confirmed. Vogel was flying out to Los Angeles on Thursday for the interview, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Vogel, 45, last coached for the Orlando Magic,