NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 22: Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles against Joe Harris #12 of the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at Barclays Center on December 22, 2020 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or
Paul George reverted back into Pandemic P for one play during the LA Clippers’ season opener. All in all, it was a very good first quarter for the LA Clippers in their 2020-21 NBA season opener Tuesday night. Facing the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, the Clippers unleashed a couple months’ worth of pent-up rage
DENVER, COLORADO – DECEMBER 25: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Los Angeles Clippers is injured against the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter at Ball Arena on December 25, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms
11:33 AM ET Four Houston Rockets players — center DeMarcus Cousins, point guard John Wall, shooting guard Eric Gordon and two-way guard Mason Jones — who were considered close contacts under the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols will be forced to quarantine until Wednesday, a league source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The players had already been ruled
1:15 AM ET A bloodied Kawhi Leonard was forced to leave the LA Clippers‘ 121-108 win at the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter after taking an inadvertent elbow to the face from teammate Serge Ibaka. Ibaka was going up for a rebound when his elbow collided with Leonard’s face. Leonard immediately collapsed to the
The Staples Center took down a Taylor Swift banner, but it was not meant to throw shade at the music star. In Los Angeles, the Staples Center hosts not only four professional sports teams (Lakers, Clippers, Kings, and Sparks), but also a ton of entertainment events and concerts. One of music’s biggest stars is Taylor
The NBA has hit James Harden with a hefty fine for violating league protocols. The Houston Rockets‘ season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder was postponed Wednesday night due to a lack of players for the home team, but the NBA is doling out some extra punishment. The league announced Wednesday evening that Rockets superstar
Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Patrick Mahomes singing ‘Rudolph’ will put you in the Holiday spirit (Video) by Scott Rogust The Houston Rockets are dealing with yet another positive COVID-19 test, forcing many close contacts to enter quarantine. The Houston Rockets were supposed to being their season on Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. However,
6:03 PM ET The Houston Rockets are traveling to Portland with nine players — one more than the minimum required to play an NBA game — for Saturday’s road game against the Trail Blazers. The Rockets, whose season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder was postponed due to a lack of available players, have six
James Wiseman made his NBA debut for the Golden State Warriors, assembling an impressive box score line in just 24 minutes. For a depressing and injury-ravaged season, the Golden State Warriors were rewarded with the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. The assumption was that they would try to flip it for a
The Golden State Warriors really missed Draymond Green in their season opener. The Golden State Warriors have fallen on hard times after one of the most dominant five-year stretches in NBA history. Despite appearing in five straight Finals and winning three of them, the Dubs were repeatedly bitten by the injury bug in the 2019
2:44 PM ET K.C. Jones, who personified winning as a hard-nosed point guard and then coach of the Boston Celtics during a Hall of Fame career has died, the Celtics confirmed Friday. He was 88. K.C. was Jones’ given name, although some joked the “C” stood for championships. It was easy to see why. He
Dec 23, 2020; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) attempts a free throw against the Boston Celtics during the first half at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports WWE NXT Results: Adam Cole defeats Velveteen Dream in main event by Raphael Garcia Christmas Eve hours 2020: Is McDonald’s open?
6:56 PM ET The NBA delivered a warning to teams on Thursday that franchises are forbidden from pursuing and administering newly released coronavirus vaccines on a team-wide basis ahead of public health guidelines for prioritization, according to a memo obtained by ESPN. In informing teams that medical experts advising the NBA are in agreement with
ALERT. ALERT. ALERT. The NBA’s 2020-21 season is scheduled to begin in less than a month. If it feels like we just crowned the 2020 NBA Champions, that’s because we did. The Los Angeles Lakers secured their 17th championship on October 11, just over a month ago. Still, the new season kicks off in less
The Nuggets are reportedly not interested in trading for James Harden if it means parting ways with Michael Porter Jr. James Harden reportedly wants a trade away from the Houston Rockets, and the team is calling around hoping for a trade partner. The Denver Nuggets are one team that has popped up recently in the
DENVER, CO – DECEMBER 23: Buddy Hield #24 of the Sacramento Kings drives to the basket against Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) 3 big Steelers problems aside from JuJu Smith-Schuster’s dancing by Steven Kubitza The Sacramento Kings pulled out a win against the Denver Nuggets in spectacular fashion.
7:00 AM ET Since Rudy Gobert entered the NBA in 2013 as the 27th overall pick of the Utah Jazz, he has been known as an affable French import, a 7-foot-1 “Stifle Tower” — with a remarkable 7-foot-9 wingspan — who won consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards anchoring his team’s elite defense. But
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. The Phoenix Suns didn’t play their finest game in Wednesday night’s season opener, and neither did their most-heralded new pieces from the offseason. Chris Paul finished with just
Jalen Brunson had to wear an embarrassing jersey after losing a bet to Luka Doncic. Before the Dallas Mavericks‘ preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves Thursday night, Jalen Brunson showed up to the American Airlines Center donning a Dallas Cowboys jersey. Normal enough for an NBA player living in Dallas, right? Wrong. As the cameraman
Luka Dončić and the Mavericks surged into the playoffs last season behind a historically efficient offense. Does the 2021 season have another leap in store? 1. Will Dallas’ push for a more balanced roster impact their league-leading offense from last year? Probably, but not so much that the Mavericks can’t contend for the top spot
11:15 AM ET Houston Rockets star James Harden will be required to isolate until Friday and continue to test negative for the coronavirus before being cleared to return to play, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Harden should be available to play against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday. Harden was fined $50,000 by the NBA
What’s the best-case scenario for the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ young trio of guards? How do Kevin Love and Andre Drummond work together? We answer these questions and more in our Cavaliers 2020-21 season preview. 1. Who is the Cavaliers’ best youngster in 2020-21? It’s Collin Sexton. This is absolutely not the Collin Sexton that you saw
11:43 PM ET Russell Westbrook needed only three quarters to get his first triple-double as a Washington Wizard, but he will have to wait a bit longer to get his first victory. The All-Star point guard made his Washington debut in typical Westbrook fashion with 21 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds. But it wasn’t
Dec 15, 2020; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) passes the ball to forward Mike Scott (1) during the fourth quarter against the Boston Celtics at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports Pierre Garcon battles to come up with new nickname for Washington Football Team by Mark Carman Tyrese
Coby White had yet another strong preseason performance for the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. Back in 2019, the Chicago Bulls were hoping to land the first overall selection in the NBA Draft Lottery so they could select Duke superstar Zion Williamson. That didn’t happen, as they ended up with the seventh overall pick. But with
5:29 PM ET The Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder game for Wednesday night has been postponed as the Rockets do not have the league-required eight available players needed to proceed with the game, the NBA announced. The NBA said three Rockets players have returned tests that were either positive or inconclusive for coronavirus under
ALERT. ALERT. ALERT. The NBA’s 2020-21 season is scheduled to begin in less than a month. If it feels like we just crowned the 2020 NBA Champions, that’s because we did. The Los Angeles Lakers secured their 17th championship on October 11, just over a month ago. Still, the new season kicks off in less
Charlotte Hornets wing Gordon Hayward has suffered an avulsion fracture in his finger. There are just some NBA players who cannot stay healthy, and for whatever reason, Gordon Hayward is one of those routinely snakebitten guys. On Wednesday, the Charlotte Hornets announced their recent free-agency acquisition had sustained an avulsion fracture of his fifth metacarpal
The Charlotte Hornets landed LaMelo Ball in the draft and Gordon Hayward in free agency. What does the 2020-21 season have in store for them? 1. Who is the Hornets’ third-most important offensive player? P.J. Washington. The Hornets‘ offense is going to rely heavily, on the talents of their individual shot creators and, when healthy,