The Atlanta Hawks getting blown out by the Philadelphia 76ers clearly didn’t sit well with Kris Dunn, who got a silly technical over a high five. There are a lot of reasons to get mad on a basketball court. A high five isn’t one of them. Kris Dunn of the Atlanta Hawks didn’t get that
2:40 PM ET Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who has been out since March 20 with a high-ankle sprain, could return from the longest absence of his career against the Sacramento Kings on Friday night, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. James plans to test his ankle and make a game-time decision, sources said. He
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images Charles Snowden is ready for his NFL Draft moment by Matt Verderame Adam Schefter throws cold water on hot and heavy Jimmy Garoppolo trade rumors by John Buhler Anthony Davis is back in the Los Angeles Lakers’ lineup but the team is still losing and things are looking increasingly dire.
Orlando Magic head coach Steve Clifford will miss multiple games. On Saturday, it was reported that Orlando Magic head coach Steve Clifford had tested positive for COVID-19. While the initial test results seemed inconclusive, and the team hoped he’d be able to remain on the sidelines following two negative test results, it appears that won’t
12:49 AM ET Steve Kerr believes there is a fundamental flaw plaguing this era’s NBA game. After watching his Golden State Warriors get outrebounded 57-34 in Thursday night’s 126-114 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kerr spoke matter-of-factly about the lack of boxing out he sees in today’s game. Brushing off the idea that his team
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
The Boston Celtics lost to the tanking Oklahoma City Thunder, and NBA Twitter let them have it. The Boston Celtics have had some head-scratching losses this year, but Tuesday’s defeat might be their most confounding and inexcusable one yet. In a 119-115 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Celtics gave up a very winnable
11:02 PM ET ESPN News Services HOUSTON — Kevin Porter Jr. scored a career-high 50 points to go along with 11 assists, becoming the youngest player ever to log a 50-point double-double with assists. The performance helped Houston snap a five-game losing streak as they beat the the Milwaukee Bucks 143-136 on Thursday night. Porter
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. If you live on the east coast or just go to bed at a reasonable hour, you likely missed another incredible offensive performance by the Utah Jazz on Wednesday
Back in 2010, the New York Knicks tried getting James Gandolfini to try and help the team recruit LeBron James to Madison Square Garden. How in the heck was Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James able to say no to this? That’s what countless NBA fans must be asking themselves after they found out the
Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images The New York Knicks could splurge on one of these top players this free agency to cement their place as a winning team in the East. It started out as a whisper, just barely discernible across slowly filled-in seats at Madison Square Garden. Late Monday night, it turned into an
1:37 AM ET Andrew LopezESPN New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is second in the NBA in free throw attempts and fourth in the league in free throw attempts per game, but head coach Stan Van Gundy thinks he should be shooting even more. On Wednesday night against the Denver Nuggets, Williamson had a chance
The New Orleans Pelicans shopped Lonzo Ball at the trade deadline, and the door is open to an offseason deal. As a looming restricted free agent, Lonzo Ball drew a lot of interest at the trade deadline. The New Orleans Pelicans ultimately hung onto him, after discussions with multiple teams. But the questions about his
Zion Williamson came up big for the New Orleans Pelicans over the weekend and joined an exclusive club for his record-breaking performance. On Saturday night, the Pelicans suffered a critical loss to the San Antonio Spurs which could possibly squash their playoff hopes this season. Now for the good news: Williamson broke a pretty incredible
12:49 AM ET Associated Press PHOENIX — Chris Paul scored 28 points, Devin Booker added 21 and the Phoenix Suns beat the LA Clippers 109-101 on Wednesday night to clinch a spot in the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. The Suns finally figured out a way to beat the Clippers, who won
In this week’s NBA Power Rankings we’re looking at all the records Steph Curry has broken, the enormous offensive load of Luka Doncic and the icon status of Trae Young. Our new look NBA Power Rankings are back, a non-traditional structure for a non-traditional era of professional basketball. The world is no longer just about
Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Anthony Edwards points to the reason why the team has performed better in the fourth quarter throughout the season. The Minnesota Timberwolves are well out of a playoff spot, but they are embracing the role of spoiler. That was evident on Saturday, when the Timberwolves defeated the first-place Utah Jazz 101-96. Plenty
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
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