2:44 AM ET PORTLAND — Portland Trail Blazers All-Star Damian Lillard continued his historic streak of dominant play with his third 50-point performance in his past six games Saturday as the Blazers defeated the visiting Utah Jazz 124-107 to win their fourth consecutive game. According to Elias Sports Bureau research, Lillard is the first player
Before we begin, something, or someone, needs to be addressed- the death of one Kobe “Bean” Bryant. The NBA community lost one of its biggest icons over the weekend when Bryant lost his life in a helicopter crash. This news is very tragic seeing how popular Kobe was both during and after his time in
3:42 PM ET Point guard Mike Conley will return to the Utah Jazz‘s starting lineup Saturday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, league sources told ESPN. Conley will replace Royce O’Neale in the starting lineup, according to sources. The Jazz’s starting lineup without Conley, who has come off the bench since returning from an extended
The Indiana Pacers’ best player is back, but how will they reintegrate Victor Oladipo now that he’s got so many new teammates on this new-look roster? How do you reintegrate a star player who has been out for over a year? How do you even begin to devise the answer to that question when your
9:00 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN BOSTON — Al Horford became a five-time All-Star and developed a reputation as one of the NBA’s most underrated players in part because of one key attribute: versatility. Drafted as a power forward by the Atlanta Hawks, he became the rare center who could grab a rebound and lead the
Before we begin, something, or someone, needs to be addressed- the death of one Kobe “Bean” Bryant. The NBA community lost one of its biggest icons over the weekend when Bryant lost his life in a helicopter crash. This news is very tragic seeing how popular Kobe was both during and after his time in
1:37 AM ET LOS ANGELES — Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard put on a commanding performance in Friday night’s 127-119 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring 48 points, dishing out 11 assists and grabbing nine rebounds. On a night when the Lakers honored Kobe Bryant in the organization’s first game since the former
The Philadelphia 76ers probably won’t split up Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons at the NBA trade deadline but what crazy deals could they make if they wanted to? The Philadelphia 76ers have two All-Stars in Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid supplemented by some terrific players, such as Al Horford and Tobias Harris, among others. And
Jayson Tatum is a misunderstood player in the public eye but is undoubtedly deserving of an All-Star nod, largely thanks to pull-up shooting and team defense. Jayson Tatum is only 19 years old. Wait. No. Scratch that. Rewind. Jayson Tatum is 21 years old and now, he’s one of the NBA’s best players, solidifying himself
4:14 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Portland Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony, who was close with Lakers star Kobe Bryant, will not play in Friday’s game against Los Angeles for what the team is officially calling personal reasons. Friday’s game will be the first for the Lakers since Bryant’s death, and Anthony is still feeling
On Sunday, the world lost Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash – and everybody, basketball and beyond, began to mourn. Bryant, 41, and his win-at-all-costs mindset changed the course of professional basketball through his five championships, one MVP and over 20 incredible seasons. In a year, Bryant will undoubtedly
8:58 AM ET Here are 11 things — all “likes.” This is a week to appreciate the beauty and ruggedness of the game. 1. The magic and malleability of the reigning MVP The power of Giannis Antetokounmpo: He can morph into any player type depending on what Milwaukee wants, and perform each at an All-Star
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 29: The referees try to break up a fight between Jae Crowder #99 of the Memphis Grizzlies and Elfrid Payton #6 of the New York Knicks as the benches clear in the final minute of the game at Madison Square Garden on January 29, 2020 in New York City.The
1:25 AM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said he was pushed by a fan when he dove into the stands going after a loose ball during Thursday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The play occurred late in the fourth quarter of Toronto’s 115-109 victory. Lowry retrieved a missed shot
The 2020 NBA trade deadline approaches. A number of formerly highly-touted young guns could use a new beginning to jump-start their promising careers. Be wary be wary, the 6th of February. That day, at 3 p.m. ET, marks the 2020 NBA trade deadline. It looms just around the corner. Of course, no one knows if
On Sunday, the world lost Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash – and everybody, basketball and beyond, began to mourn. Bryant, 41, and his win-at-all-costs mindset changed the course of professional basketball through his five championships, one MVP and over 20 incredible seasons. In a year, Bryant will undoubtedly
5:06 PM ET The NBA has informed teams of 2020-2021 salary-cap and luxury tax estimates, including a $2 million drop in the tax threshold that brings a costly impact to teams facing that penalty, league sources tell ESPN. The league informed teams of estimates of a $115 million salary cap and $139 million luxury tax
In honor of Marcus Morris’ misogynistic comments from Wednesday night, here are some of my favorite ‘female tendencies’ on the court. Frustrations boiled over for the Knicks in a blowout loss to the Grizzlies Wednesday night, with Elfrid Payton shoving Jae Crowder out of bounds late in the fourth quarter. A scuffle ensued, which included
9:46 PM ET INDIANAPOLIS — It took nearly 375 days, but Victor Oladipo is back making 3-pointers, and he did it at the most opportune time Wednesday. The Indiana Pacers guard, playing in his first game in more than a year, made a 3-pointer from the left wing with 10.3 seconds remaining to force overtime
On Sunday, the world lost Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash – and everybody, basketball and beyond, began to mourn. Bryant, 41, and his win-at-all-costs mindset changed the course of professional basketball through his five championships, one MVP and over 20 incredible seasons. In a year, Bryant will undoubtedly
12:59 AM ET The NBA has alerted teams to the impending release of adjusted 2020-2021 salary and luxury tax projections, signaling the likelihood that a decline in revenue will cause a drop in the figures, league sources tell ESPN. The league office is expected to deliver revised projections as soon as Thursday, an accommodation that
Robert Covington will be one of the most hotly pursued players ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline. Which teams should be after him? With the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline less than two weeks away, the Minnesota Timberwolves appear poised to cash in. According to Ben Cohen of the Wall Street Journal, the
All 30 teams are looking for something at the NBA Trade Deadline. So why not throw them all into one big mega-trade and see if we can’t make everyone happy? Spoiler: We can’t For a lot of NBA fans, this time of year is about constructing elaborate fantasy universes where their team’s unwanted assets are
Down big deep into the fourth quarter Monday night, the Sacramento Kings pulled off a historic comeback. Monday night’s game between the Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves looked entirely uninteresting, as both teams sit near the bottom of the Western Conference. The Wolves led by 18 at halftime, and 19 through three quarters, to the
4:28 PM ET Carmelo Anthony is hoping his stay in Portland lasts longer than this season. The veteran forward, who’s on a one-year, $2.2 million deal with the team, told the Portland Tribune earlier this week that he’s hoping to finish his career with the Trail Blazers. “I would love to stay,” he said as
The Raptors have overachieved in a ridiculous way in 2019-20. They were +700 to repeat as NBA champions prior to the 2019 free agency period, according to the Draft Kings. Immediately after Kawhi Leonard fled West, the Raptors’ odds grew to +2200 to repeat – tied with the Celtics, who just lost Kyrie Irving, and
8:34 PM ET Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant died Sunday at age 41. Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, a source confirmed to ESPN. Bryant entered the NBA straight out of high school in 1996 and won five championships and one regular-season
Is Dedmon still going to be moved? Dewayne Dedmon is one of the most likely players to be moved at the deadline — he’s out of the rotation in Sacramento and has been vocal about his frustrations, asking for a trade. Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee has reported that the Kings are willing to
1:06 AM ET Eric WoodyardESPN MILWAUKEE — The league-leading Milwaukee Bucks will clearly go as far as Giannis Antetokounmpo can take them this season. But there are nights when others steal the show. And Tuesday was one of them. Khris Middleton posted a personal-best 51 points, 10 rebounds and six assists on 16-for-26 shooting, leading
The Lakers trading Kyle Kuzma ahead of the NBA trade deadline might be their best chance to secure a title run but what deals could they make? As the NBA trade deadline and All-Star break approach, the Los Angeles Lakers sit in the catbird seat of the Western Conference. With a 36-10 start to the