The Phoenix Suns barely escaped with a win against the Utah Jazz on Saturday, and they face another tough Western Conference opponent when they get back to work against the Sacramento Kings on Monday. The matchup is one of the biggest on the day’s NBA schedule, but how judicious should you be when it comes to picking players from it …

It didn’t take long for the country to notice the talent of Alabama freshman forward Brandon Miller. North Carolina head basketball coach Hubert Davis spoke with the media following the Tar Heels’ quadruple overtime loss to Alabama. He was complimentary of Miller and expressed how good the freshman actually is. “First of all, Brandon Miller is a pro. Plain and …

Kerr pushing Poole to be one of Warriors’ ‘best defenders’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea DALLAS — Steve Kerr knows Jordan Poole can score points in bunches. He knows the young guard can set up his Warriors teammates with a handful of dimes every game, and can make an opposing defense look silly with his sizzle and handles. If …

During Michigan State basketball’s win over Portland on Sunday in the Phil Knight Invitational, a rather peculiar turn of events happened when the Spartans were able to score seven points on a single possession. Here is what happened: Mady Sissoko scores basket Mady Sissoko fouled on the play and there was also a flagrant foul Sissoko was given three total …

Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) grabs a rebound away from Indiana Pacers forward Jalen Smith. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press) Ivica Zubac is the longest tenured Clipper — and perhaps the quickest to be overlooked. The 7-footer is vital to a Clippers team with little size — yet his presence can be taken for granted. Coach Tyronn Lue ensured …

Houston will take the court as the nation’s top-ranked team for the first time in nearly 40 years Tuesday when the Cougars host Norfolk State. Houston (6-0) ascended one spot by receiving 45 of 63 first-place votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll of national media. North Carolina (5-2), which had been No. 1 all season, dropped all the …

The Atlanta Hawks (11-9) head over to Wells Fargo Center to play the Philadelphia 76ers (11-9) on Monday evening. The Hawks have dropped two games in a row and now face the top defense in the league. The Sixers rank first in the league in points allowed (106) while Atlanta averages 114 points per game. James Harden (foot) and Tyrese …

No. 3 Virginia already has victories over a pair of ranked teams yet sees Tuesday’s road matchup against unranked Michigan as perhaps the biggest obstacle to date. The teams will square off in the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge at Ann Arbor, Mich. “Every game will present different challenges,” Virginia head coach Tony Bennett said. “Now you’ll go in a hostile …

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Stephen A. Smith admits Tatum should be ‘a leading’ NBA MVP candidate originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston A Boston Celtics player hasn’t won the NBA MVP since 1985-86 when Hall of Fame forward Larry Bird won the award for the third consecutive …

With the Thanksgiving tournaments in the rear-view mirror, it’s time for the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and the beginning of ACC play. Of course, we only will be getting a small taste of conference action. That will begin in earnest right before New Year’s Eve. In the meantime, here’s who’s been handling nonconference opponents the best so far: Scoring and minutes: …

Sometimes, there are trade proposals the fans of both sides are immediately out on, and it seems Fox’s Colin Cowherd has managed to hit that sweet spot with a recent trade proposal that would see the Boston Celtics swap Robert Williams III and salary filler for Anthony Davis in a recent video. “Are the Lakers close to a championship team?” …

No. 6 Baylor will hit the road to face Marquette on Tuesday and both teams will bring some concerns along with some momentum when they square off in a Big East/Big 12 Battle matchup at Milwaukee. The Bears (5-1) head north after an 89-60 victory at home over visiting McNeese State on Thanksgiving eve. Keyonte George scored 17 points and …

The deeper into the 2022-23 season the Boston Celtics get without their starting center Robert Williams III, the more it seems they may not need reinforcements in their frontcourt. Backup big man Luke Kornet has been proving a reliable option off of the bench to help the Celtics weather Timelord’s absence and after another double-digit scoring night from the 7-foot …

Who’s Playing McNeese State @ UT Martin Current Records: McNeese State 2-4; UT Martin 3-4 What to Know The McNeese State Cowboys will face off against the UT Martin Skyhawks on the road at 7 p.m. ET Monday at Skyhawk Arena. Given that these two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation …

The Utah Jazz (12-10) came within a single basket of snapping a three-game skid on Saturday night, but instead, extended their current losing streak to four games ahead of Monday’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls (8-11). After their first 19 games last season, the Bulls were also a 12-win team, but things haven’t gone as well for them to start …

Who’s Playing Troy @ No. 9 Arkansas Current Records: Troy 6-1; Arkansas 5-1 What to Know The #9 Arkansas Razorbacks will look to defend their home court Monday against the Troy Trojans at 8 p.m. ET. These two teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous games. Arkansas has more to be thankful for after their matchup …

The load management gods giveth; the load management gods taketh away, it seems. One game after a single-contest absence due perhaps as much by a need for rest with Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum being the league leader in minutes played as it was for a sprained ankle, we are hearing from the Celtics that the St. Louis native …

The Pittsburgh Panthers will try to extend their three-game winning streak when they face the Northwestern Wildcats on Monday night. This will be Pittsburgh’s first true road game of the season after playing its last three games at home. Northwestern had its five-game winning streak snapped in a 43-42 loss to No. 13 Auburn on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for …

After a 4-3 start, the Oklahoma City Thunder (8-12) have only won four of their last 13 games. They will try to get things cleaned up on Monday against a New Orleans Pelicans (11-8) team that figures to be without several of its top players. CJ McCollum (health and safety protocols) has been out for the past two games, and …

The Minnesota Golden Gophers will try to bounce back from a loss to UNLV when they face the Virginia Tech Hokies on Monday night in the 2022 ACC/Ben Ten Challenge. Minnesota is heading on the road for its first true road game of the season after participating in the SoCal Challenge. Virginia Tech bounced back from a loss to Charleston …

PORTLAND, Oregon — The college basketball season is underway and a few players are emerging as early draft stock risers after a week of Thanksgiving tournaments from Hawaii to the Bahamas. Arkansas freshman Anthony Black averaged 22.3 points over three games during the Maui Invitational. Alabama freshman Brandon Miller showed why he could potentially be a top-five draft pick after …

USATSI The two PK85 events in Portland designed to honor Nike co-founder Phil Knight featured a total of 16 schools — six of which were ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll, among them preseason No. 1 North Carolina and preseason No. 2 Gonzaga. So, naturally, two teams that were unranked in the preseason AP poll emerged as …

Sacramento Kings star De’Aaron Fox says his surprising mid-season change of representation to Klutch Sports is purely a business move and not about forcing a trade, in a new interview with Chris Haynes.  “When you’re an athlete who has any notoriety and you make a major change, it’s going to circulate and people are going to speculate. But for me, I …

There’s a new No. 1 at the top of the Associated Press Top 25 college basketball rankings as Houston took over the top spot from North Carolina after a major shakeup in Monday’s poll, marking the first time in 39 years the Cougars are at the top of the AP rankings. Houston improved to 6-0 after a 49-44 win over …

There’s a sense of optimism around the Lakers: They have won 5-of-6 and are expected to have both Anthony Davis and LeBron James healthy Monday night, plus Russell Westbrook has found a role and comfort level off the bench and other players are settling into roles. They may be 7-11, but it’s early enough there is a sense this could …