NBA News

Sixers list stars as questionable for matchup with Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia The Sixers listed the trio of Joel Embiid, James Harden and Jalen McDaniels as questionable for their matchup Friday night against the Warriors. Embiid didn’t play in the second half of the Sixers’ blowout win Wednesday over the Bulls because of right calf tightness. Sixers …

NBA: Draymond’s screen on Steph’s late layup vs. Mavs was legal originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea Steph Curry’s layup with 8.5 seconds remaining in regulation just about sealed the Warriors’ massive 127-125 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night at American Airlines Center, and he had a little help from one of his oldest running mates. As Curry …

The Boston Celtics are nearly done with their 2022-23 slate of regular season games, with only the tilts against the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks remaining as games likely circled on the calendar for most Boston fans given the potential for each to impact the 2023 NBA Playoffs seeding. The Bucks in particular loom largest if the Celtics hope to …

A Western Conference tilt has the Oklahoma City Thunder (36-36) and the Los Angeles Clippers (38-35) squaring off on Thursday night. With the regular season rapidly approaching the end, these contests become more crucial. The Clippers are currently the fifth seed in the conference standings, while Oklahoma City is eighth, just 1.5 games behind Los Angeles. Paul George (knee) and Norman …

The Philadelphia 76ers will continue their road trip on Friday when they take on the Golden State Warriors out in The Bay for the second of this four-game trip. They are dealing with some recent injury issues to some key players entering this contest that are worth monitoring for this team’s playoff chances. Joel Embiid left Wednesday’s 116-91 win over …

Avdija credits coaches, teammates for increased confidence originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington It’s hard to overstate how immense an impact confidence can have on the success of a young, budding NBA player. For Deni Avdija, whose confidence seems to grow with every dribble in what is now his third season in Washington, his confidence didn’t manifest out of thin …

The Philadelphia 76ers (49-23) are in third place in the Eastern Conference with 10 games left before the playoffs begin. They have played excellent basketball since the beginning of December, and they have positioned themselves to make a deep run in the playoffs. Led by stars Joel Embiid and James Harden and possessing a strong supporting cast, the Sixers seem …

Gary Payton II could make his re-debut for the Golden State Warriors on Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The team announced on Thursday that Payton has “intensified his on-court workouts over the last week” and his status for Sunday’s game will be determined after he practices on Saturday. Payton broke out for the Warriors last season and helped them win a …

Michigan freshman Jett Howard will declare for the 2023 NBA draft and forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility, the program announced on Thursday. Howard, the son of Wolverines head coach Juwan Howard, was named to the All-Big Ten third team after averaging 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and two assists on 36.8% shooting from 3-point range. He was ranked third in the …

The Boston Celtics went to the NBA Finals as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference last season, and based on how the standings are shaping up, they may need to repeat that performance if they want to win their first title since 2008. Let Derrick White tell it, that’s fine with them. They don’t care about the No. …

When Kings could clinch first playoff berth in 16 years originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea In case you haven’t heard, the Kings are closing in on their first playoff berth in 16 years. It’s just a matter of days before the purple victory beam atop Golden 1 Center will indicate a trip to the postseason bracket. Entering Thursday’s slate …

The Denver Nuggets ended their East Coast road trip on Wednesday night with a comfortable 118-104 victory over the Washington Wizards thanks to 31 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists from Nikola Jokic. After the game, head coach Michael Malone stole the headlines with a strong statement condemning the state of this season’s MVP race, which, of course, involves his …

The big 2022-23 “Tanking for Wemby” campaign has been largely, surprisingly and refreshingly interrupted with three full weeks left in the regular season. Victor Wembanyama has been as great as advertised, pumped up by many as the best prospect in eons — in the same class as Tim Duncan and LeBron James, without much hyperbole. Scoot Henderson has been spectacular …

The Dallas Mavericks are unhappy with the way that a particular play during their 127-125 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night was officiated, and they plan to a formal protest with the NBA.  The play occurred after a timeout was called late in the third quarter of the contest. After the break, the Mavericks lined up on …

The fantasy basketball playoffs are nearly over, so it’s past time to start thinking about matchups and strategizing how to maximize your roster moves for a final championship run. No matter when your playoffs started, I’ll lay out the teams you’ll want to avoid and exploit each week with player recommendations and some look-ahead planning if you’re moving onto the …

There’s been quite a bit of talk about the Rookie of the Year race in recent weeks, as we’ve seen Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Jalen Williams take a huge leap since the start of 2023. It’s true, Williams seems to be progressing at a rapid rate, constantly outdoing his numbers from the month prior and playing an essential role in …

As March Madness is in full swing, we decided to examine the college alumni who have achieved the greatest financial success in the NBA. A few years ago, players from North Carolina would have topped the list; however, this has changed significantly. The Tar Heels’ recent inability to recruit star talent, coupled with the influx of Kentucky’s one-and-done players in …

USATSI Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has resumed “on-court activity” and has begun a “gradual basketball movement progression,” according to the team, via the Los Angeles Times. James has not played since Feb. 26 because of a right foot tendon injury.  Nine games remain on the Lakers’ regular-season schedule, and there is no official timeline for James’ return to …

Forsberg: Gallinari still motivated by a potential playoff return originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston Boston Celtics forward Danilo Gallinari kept alive hopes of a postseason return Thursday while suggesting that possibility has motivated him in the six months since undergoing ACL surgery. Gallinari routinely posts videos of his progress on social media, which has sparked conversation about whether he …

The Dallas Mavericks are unhappy with the way that a particular play during their 127-125 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night was officiated, and they plan to a formal protest with the NBA.  The play occurred after a timeout was called late in the third quarter of the contest. After the break, the Mavericks lined up on …

Jaylen Brown may have one more year on his contract after this one — a fully guaranteed $28.5 million — but in today’s NBA, it’s already time to talk about his next contract. That next deal will not be a simple extension with the Celtics (unless the extension rules change dramatically under the new CBA being negotiated). Under the current …

Oh, you thought March Madness was confined to the college ranks? Not so fast my friend. Take a look at how things have played out this month… The Nuggets only have one more win than the Spurs.The Rockets have as many wins as the Suns.The Thunder have the second-best record in the NBA.The Blazers have the third-worst record in the …

The Golden State Warriors are in a battle for a playoff spot as the regular season winds down. The defending NBA champions currently hold the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot, barely ahead of the surging Oklahoma City Thunder and a bevy of other teams. Stephen Curry has missed several games due to injuries this season, and he’s played chiefly …

After the Phoenix Suns’ 122-111 loss against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, coach Monty Williams was displeased with the officiating. More specifically, he was irked by the Lakers having attempted 26 more free throws than the Suns. In his postgame press conference, Williams repeatedly referenced this disparity. And he did not limit his comments to that night’s game. He …

Dallas Mavericks rookie Jaden Hardy continued a hot month of March on Wednesday and put up another 20-point performance in a loss to the Golden State Warriors. Hardy produced 27 points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal and one blocked shot in 25 minutes of work off the bench. He went 10-of-18 from the field, including a career-high 6-of-9 from …