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1:04 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN MIAMI — The Boston Celtics found themselves trailing the Miami Heat by five, on the road, at halftime of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night. And yet, the Celtics felt just fine. They couldn’t have played much worse in the first half, committing 10 turnovers and

2:31 AM ET MIAMI — In late January, the San Antonio Spurs traded backup guard Bryn Forbes to the Denver Nuggets. Five months later, that unassuming move has made a major impact on the 2022 Eastern Conference finals. It was the opening of an opportunity for the Boston Celtics that has been fully realized as

2:49 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN MIAMI — In three of the first four games of the Eastern Conference finals, the team leading at the end of the first quarter has come out on top each time. So, as the Boston Celtics prepare to take on the Miami Heat in Game 5 here at FTX Arena

8:45 AM ET Hanif Abdurraqib If I am being honest with myself, I probably do not love beautiful basketball as much as I’ve convinced myself I do over the past handful of my adult years. Of course, what registers as beautiful is subjective, but in this instance, I am talking specifically about the kind of

1:54 AM ET DALLAS — Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic doesn’t necessarily see any honor in avoiding being swept in the Western Conference finals. He remains focused on beating the Golden State Warriors in the series, regardless of the long odds. The Mavs are attempting to become the first team in NBA history to overcome a

9:09 PM ET Kendra AndrewsESPN DALLAS — Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr didn’t want to talk about basketball in his pregame news conference heading into Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night. Basketball, he said, didn’t matter. “Since we left shootaround, 14 children were killed, 400 miles

1:37 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN BOSTON — When things have gone poorly for the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals, it’s been when they’ve lost focus and allowed the Heat to speed them up and turn them over, leading to fast break points — the one consistent way Miami has scored in this series.

2:06 AM ET BOSTON — Midway through the third quarter Monday night as the Celtics were pushing their lead to as much as 32 points, Rudy Gobert couldn’t resist. “This Boston defense is tough” the Utah Jazz center tweeted. This was both innocuous and accurate at a time when the Celtics were smothering the Miami

3:37 PM ET Denver Nuggets president Tim Connelly has agreed to a five-year deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves that is worth over $40 million and includes ownership equity, making Connelly one of the league’s highest-compensated executives, sources told ESPN. Connelly becomes the second consecutive top basketball executive to leave the Nuggets for a significantly more

1:10 PM ET BOSTON — Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro will not play in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals because of a left groin strain. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra made the announcement after Monday’s shootaround and said that Herro would be “day-to-day” moving forward. “We just had to be responsible and take the

1:28 AM ET DALLAS — Superstar Luka Doncic, moments after his Dallas Mavericks were pushed to the brink of elimination in the Western Conference finals, viewed the situation through a long-term lens. Doncic scored a game-high 40 points in Sunday’s 109-100 Game 3 loss to the Golden State Warriors, including 21 while the Mavs attempted

2:04 PM ET University of Michigan coach Juwan Howard recently declined a Los Angeles Lakers overture for the franchise’s coaching job, electing to remain at his alma mater, where Howard will coach his two sons next season, sources told ESPN. The Lakers have a formal search process in place, but courting college coaches typically requires

8:22 AM ET AS THE FINAL seconds wind down in the first quarter of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Mavericks, Spencer Dinwiddie drives toward the right side of the paint. But Draymond Green is perched there, already anticipating what is to come — a Dinwiddie pass to Dorian Finney-Smith in

10:15 PM ET BOSTON — Miami Heat swingman Jimmy Butler will not return to Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Celtics because of right knee inflammation. The Heat made the announcement just after the start of the third quarter. It is unclear when Butler suffered the injury, but he did not warm

8:13 PM ET Kendra AndrewsESPN DALLAS — Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins has been listed as questionable with left ankle soreness ahead of Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. Wiggins appeared to have tweaked his ankle late in the third quarter of Game 2 on Friday when he landed

12:49 PM ET Nick Friedell BOSTON — Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry will warm up “with the intention to play” in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics on Saturday night, according to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. Lowry has not played since re-injuring his left hamstring in Game 4 of the

1:55 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Coach Jason Kidd blamed the Dallas Mavericks‘ one-dimensional offensive approach for blowing a 19-point lead in Friday’s 126-117 loss to the Golden State Warriors, criticizing his team for relying too heavily on the 3-point shot during Game 2 of the Western Conference finals. The Mavs made 21 of 45

10:00 AM ET All odds are provided by Caesars Sportsbook. What you need to know for Game 2 Shining stars: Stephen Curry’s 3-point prop sits at 3.5 for Game 2, despite the fact he has averaged at least 12 attempts from deep over the past four games. For the Mavs, Reggie Bullock has lofted at

8:00 AM ET MIAMI — The Boston Celtics are a team of long-distance runners. For years, former Celtics president Danny Ainge employed a consultant that would identify draft picks and free agents’ “brain types” under the belief that certain personality traits made for better players. Ainge and that system are gone, but the Celtics —

1:04 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN MIAMI — For the first few minutes of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, it appeared the Boston Celtics could be in some trouble. They left Miami’s shooters open for three quick 3-pointers. They allowed the Heat to get multiple second-chance opportunities. Robert Williams looked uncomfortable defending in space,

12:35 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN MIAMI — The Boston Celtics say center Al Horford is available to play in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals after he missed the series-opening loss to the Miami Heat following his entry into the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Horford abruptly entered the protocols shortly before Tuesday’s Game

8:00 AM ET Mark Fainaru-Wada Close ESPN Staff Writer Investigative reporter for ESPN’s Enterprise and Investigative Unit since 2007 Co-author of New York Times best-selling books “League of Denial” and “Game of Shadows” Co-winner, 2004 George Polk Award Steve Fainaru Close ESPN Senior Writer Winner, 2008 Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting Four-time first-place winner in

1:22 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Something has dawned on Stephen Curry as the Golden State Warriors stage their first legitimate title quest in nearly three years: He’s now the old guy. “When I look at some of those guys, you’re reminded of how young they are,” Curry said, contemplating the NBA’s starscape while the

6:59 AM ET All odds are provided by Caesars Sportsbook. What you need to know for Game 1 Interesting interior: The Warriors are the most perimeter-oriented team in the league, and the Mavs will likely attempt to limit the 3-point damage during this series. Considering that 68.3% of Andrew Wiggins‘ field goal attempts this postseason

1:37 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN MIAMI — The Boston Celtics exited their locker room at halftime Tuesday night firmly in control of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. But then the third quarter happened. And, after the Miami Heat demolished the Celtics, outscoring them 39-14 and using their physicality to send Boston into a

2:00 AM ET MIAMI — Jimmy Butler is worth the drama. That isn’t exactly how Erik Spoelstra termed Butler’s game on Tuesday night, of course. The Miami Heat coach was his usual controlled self after guiding his team to a 118-107 victory over the Boston Celtics, fueled by Butler’s greatness, to take a 1-0 lead

6:03 PM ET The Boston Celtics say Al Horford and Marcus Smart are both out for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Heat on Tuesday night in Miami. Horford is in the league’s health and safety protocols, the team announced. Smart won’t play due to midfoot sprain suffered in Boston’s Game 7

8:00 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN To understand the depths of animosity between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics entering this year’s NBA Eastern Conference finals, you have to go back to an otherwise nondescript regular-season night in March 2013. That night in New Orleans, a Heat public relations official approached the team’s traveling media contingent

9:24 PM ET The NBA on Monday said it’s in the process of gathering more information after veteran point guard Rajon Rondo allegedly threatened a woman with a gun at her house last week. The woman filed for an emergency protective order against Rondo on Friday in Louisville, Kentucky, a copy of which was obtained

3:26 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart is questionable for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat with a right midfoot sprain, coach Ime Udoka said Monday. Sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that Smart had an MRI on the foot Monday that came back clean, and that Smart