The Utah Jazz made quite the splash this past summer when they signed free agent Bojan Bogdanovic and traded for 12-year veteran point guard Mike Conley. Those were followed up by a fury of additional moves on a lesser scale that had the Jazz looking like title contenders once again. Conley got off to a
Clippers ‘still learning each other’ despite hanging 150 on Wizards For the second time this season, the Clippers scored 150 points at home, this time in a rout of the Wizards. But Kawhi Leonard remained humble, saying, “It’s going to take time, just learning each other, playing in these games,” referring to Paul George.
With the NBA season a little more than a month old, we’re looking at the most surprising trend for each team in the Eastern Conference. A bit more than a month into the 2019-20 season, so much has happened. Some of what has gone on was widely expected (the Lakers are good and the Knicks
8:34 PM ET LOS ANGELES — A lackluster 114-100 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday did not cause the Los Angeles Lakers to adjust their expectations of themselves. If anything, the result — stemming from a disastrous 55-38 second half that snapped L.A.’s 10-game winning streak just as their schedule starts to get tougher
Ivy Leaguers are hard to come by in professional basketball. Coming into this season, there have only been 45 players in NBA history whose alma mater come from Ivy League schools. The most notable names among them have been Bill Bradley (Princeton), Rudy LaRusso (Dartmouth), Chris Dudley (Yale) and, of course, the most recent one,
6:24 PM ET Memphis Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant did not travel with the team to Minnesota for Sunday’s game and is listed as week-to-week after experiencing aggravated back spasms in Friday night’s 103-94 loss to the Utah Jazz. Memphis said the guard needs a “period of short-term off-loading” in a statement on Saturday. Morant first
Memphis Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant will be listed as week-to-week due to back spasms. Here’s a quick look at the ripple effects of this minor injury. As if missing the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft wasn’t irritating enough for basketball fans, the No. 2 overall pick will also be sidelined for the
8:43 AM ET Orlando Magic forward Al-Farouq Aminu suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee and will be out indefinitely, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Magic are determining if Aminu’s injury can be treated without surgery, sources said. Aminu joined Orlando as a free agent this offseason and is averaging 4.3 points
The Utah Jazz made quite the splash this past summer when they signed free agent Bojan Bogdanovic and traded for 12-year veteran point guard Mike Conley. Those were followed up by a fury of additional moves on a lesser scale that had the Jazz looking like title contenders once again. Conley got off to a
10:40 PM ET James Harden scored a season-high 60 points in three quarters and the Houston Rockets sent the struggling Atlanta Hawks to their 10th straight loss with a 158-111 romp on Saturday night. Harden joins Klay Thompson and Kobe Bryant as the only players to hit 60 points in just three quarters. He exited
With the NBA season a little more than a month old, we’re looking at the most surprising trend for each team in the Western Conference. A bit more than a month into the 2019-20 season, so much has happened. Some of what has gone on was widely expected (the Lakers are good and the Knicks
3:50 PM ET Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters issued a statement Saturday expressing remorse for an airplane incident that led to the veteran being suspended for 10 games. “I would like to apologize to my teammates, coaches, basketball staff, the fans and the entire organization for the incident that happened on the team plane,” Waiters
Ivy Leaguers are hard to come by in professional basketball. Coming into this season, there have only been 45 players in NBA history whose alma mater come from Ivy League schools. The most notable names among them have been Bill Bradley (Princeton), Rudy LaRusso (Dartmouth), Chris Dudley (Yale) and, of course, the most recent one,
7:37 AM ET Following their latest loss Friday, Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin says his team is lacking “fight.” “Right now we haven’t shown that we’re willing to do things to win,” Griffin told reporters after the 110-107 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. “I think it’s real light in here after a win, so it
The Washington Wizards may have a losing record and a terrible defense, but their surprisingly potent offense is continuing to catch opponents off guard. On Wednesday, an Eastern Conference team with a 5-10 record came into Phoenix, on the second night of a back-to-back, and manhandled an above-average defense. The Phoenix Suns were down a
11:47 PM ET Associated Press PHOENIX — Luka Doncic tied a career high with 42 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. added 26 and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Phoenix Suns 120-113 on Friday night. Doncic just missed a triple-double with 11 assists and nine rebounds. Hardaway shot 6-of-9 from 3-point range to help offset a quiet
It was only last February when Rodney Hood was traded for the second time in a two-year span. The Cleveland Cavaliers — a franchise that hoped to simultaneously vie for a championship in 2018 and build a core with eyes on the future — first acquired Hood from the Utah Jazz, the team that drafted
10:32 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN NEW ORLEANS — As the lights dimmed in the Smoothie King Center for the national anthem and a calm came over the crowd, one New Orleans Pelicans fan let Anthony Davis know exactly what he thought about his return to the city he once called home. “AD’s a sellout!” It
Kyrie Irving to miss Friday’s game against Boston Celtis with a right shoulder injury, according to Sports Center. News broke on Thursday afternoon that Brooklyn Nets’ Kyrie Irving will, in fact, miss Friday’s game against the Boston Celtics following a reported right shoulder injury. This does not bode well for Irving just days after fans
The Phoenix Suns were widely criticized for signing Ricky Rubio over the summer, but he’s already paying dividends for one the NBA’s biggest pleasant surprises. When the Phoenix Suns gave Ricky Rubio a three-year, $51 million contract in free agency this summer, pundits put the “critical” in “hypocritical” with their evaluations. Although the Suns had
2:52 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr cut his right hand during Wednesday night’s 104-90 win over the Chicago Bulls after breaking a clipboard in frustration. Kerr made light of the situation after the game, as he wore a bandaid on his hand while speaking to reporters at the podium.
Peruse the NBA leaderboard for the season and you will by-and-large find the usual suspects near the top. The Utah Jazz and Milwaukee Bucks are first and second in defensive rating. The Bucks and the Houston Rockets are both sitting squarely in the top five in offensive rating. All is as expected in the association.
6:45 PM ET Kyrie Irving will miss Friday’s game against the Boston Celtics in Brooklyn, the Nets announced Thursday, the eighth game Irving has missed due to a right shoulder impingement. Irving did not make the Nets’ most recent road-trip, including a game in Boston on Wednesday night. His absence was noted by fans in
With a game that transcends categorization and convention, Bam Adebayo is carving out a niche as one of the best big men in the NBA. Alvin Gentry did not want to talk about Bam Adebayo. The Pelicans head coach didn’t brush off the question, didn’t act put upon in any way. But when asked about
7:00 AM ET Andrew LopezESPN It was going to be the shining moment in Carmelo Anthony’s return to the NBA. Just 15 minutes into his debut with the Portland Trail Blazers, the 10-time All-Star rose up for an epic posterizing slam. There was just one problem, and his name was Jaxson Hayes. “I thought he
Arizona freshman guard Nico Mannion isn’t the flashiest of players, but his well-rounded offensive arsenal should be a clear plus in the NBA. Head coach Sean Miller arrived at Arizona in the fall of 2009. Over the past 10 years, he’s welcomed seven top-10 recruits to Tucson. Prior to this season, all five were forwards
It was only last February when Rodney Hood was traded for the second time in a two-year span. The Cleveland Cavaliers — a franchise that hoped to simultaneously vie for a championship in 2018 and build a core with eyes on the future — first acquired Hood from the Utah Jazz, the team that drafted
3:20 AM ET NEW ORLEANS — Late in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 114-110 win over the New Orleans Pelicans in Anthony Davis‘ homecoming Wednesday, LeBron James visited the ESPN broadcast table to express his disappointment with a call that was being reviewed. With the Lakers leading the Pelicans 108-107 with 1:22 left in the fourth
The Charlotte Hornets nailed the draft during the tail end of the Kemba Walker era and hired the right coach, meaning they could compete in the Eastern Conference soon. While Kemba Walker thrives in Boston, the team that let him go for nothing has charted a course forward. The Charlotte Hornets, subjected to the worst
11:39 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN BOSTON — It was a long five days between when Kemba Walker crashed to the floor in Denver on Friday and when he took the court with his Boston Celtics teammates here Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets. But on a night that was supposed to be all about Kyrie