HARTFORD, Conn. — Things had gotten off to a sluggish start at People’s Bank Arena, Butler off to a seven-point lead at the first timeout, four minutes in.

The huddle was heated, even by Dan Hurley standards, apparently.

“That was just total BS, I mean, a total joke,” Hurley said, after UConn’s 79-60 victory Tuesday night, “to ...Read more

NEW YORK — With NBA All-Star voting now underway, fans have a chance to help the Nets do something they haven’t done since 2023: send one of their own to the league’s marquee weekend.

Ballots, which are weighted across fan, player and media votes for starters and then handed to coaches to select the reserves, will run daily through Jan. ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Timberwolves have been able to find a way to win in recent weeks both with key personnel out and while not playing their best basketball.

Even though Memphis was more shorthanded coming into Target Center, the Wolves and Grizzlies were in a rock fight, with neither team shooting particularly well.

In a game the Wolves would...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic was back at it again, this time surprising the Lakers and staff members with more than 100 e-bikes for Christmas gifts.

Doncic, who took his teammates to a Porsche Driving Experience in October as a way to bond, gave the gifts away Tuesday after practice.

"I just wanted to give everybody something," he said. "...Read more

NEW YORK — Victor Wembanyama played in the NBA Cup final against the Knicks with a heavy heart.

The San Antonio Spurs star was moved to tears during his postgame press conference because of a loss in his personal life.

“Sorry, I just lost somebody today,” Wembanyama said from the podium at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Wembanyama learned...Read more

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr says he isn’t doing a good job.

I’m inclined to believe him.

Because right now, the Dubs aren’t a basketball team. They are a desperation experiment. It’s no longer “Strength in Numbers,” it’s “Throw Spaghetti at the Wall and Pray it Looks Like Art.”

Spoiler alert: It doesn’t. It ...Read more

This is what it could all feel like one day.

On one side, complete euphoria, adulation, celebration and relief. The feeling of a job, at long last, well done. On the other, disappointment, anguish, embarrassment and resentment. The feeling that a lot more was left on the table than was taken home at the end of the day.

The Knicks just got ...Read more

LAWRENCE, Kan. — No Darryn Peterson, no problem for the Kansas men’s basketball team.

At least in Tuesday’s game, a dominant wire-to-wire victory over Towson.

No. 17 KU defeated Towson, 73-49, in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks improved to 9-3. They are 4-0 all time against the Tigers.

Fans learned about two hours before the game that ...Read more

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — It took the Tar Heels a little while to get there, but North Carolina looked like a team that took last week’s lessons to heart.

Behind a renewed defensive effort late in the first half and a hot start to the second, No. 12 UNC rolled past East Tennessee State on Tuesday night at the Dean E. Smith Center, 77-58. The Tar ...Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. — The UConn men’s basketball team beat Butler, 79-60, in a slugfest to open Big East play at PeoplesBank Arena Tuesday night.

Solo Ball led the way with a career-high 26 points on an efficient 8-for-14 shooting from the field and his junior classmate Jayden Ross brought the fireworks with 13 points and eight rebounds, half ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday that the league should have clarity on the potential to expand to new markets, including Las Vegas, sometime in 2026.

During a news conference at T-Mobile Arena ahead of the NBA Cup championship game between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, Silver said the conversations with ...Read more

DURHAM, N.C. — The most noteworthy thing about Duke’s win Tuesday over Lipscomb was that it gave Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer his 100th career win.

But few could have expected No. 100 to be quite as hard to get.

The No. 3 Blue Devils, coming back from end-of-semester exam break, took a 97-73 victory over the Bisons in a game that was too ...Read more

EAST LANSING, Mich. — It took one half of the game to figure out that Michigan State would beat Toledo handily Tuesday night at Breslin Center. In some respects, the warning signs showed as early as warmups.

An undersized Toledo roster had no answers for Michigan State forward Jaxon Kohler, who had a double-double by halftime and led Michigan...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Warriors coach Steve Kerr is juggling an ever-changing rotation, a lineup that shifts nightly and injuries to key players.

An email from team owner Joe Lacob to a fan that made its way to social media? Not high on the longtime coach’s list of priorities.

“It’s not a big deal. I’m not concerned about anything like that...Read more

LOS ANGELES — USC and Brown have mutually agreed to cancel their upcoming men's basketball game at Galen Center on Sunday, in light of the recent mass shooting on Brown's campus.

USC announced the cancellation Tuesday morning while sending its support to Brown and those affected. The school said in a statement that it plans to announce a new ...Read more

MIAMI – The payoff for five days off? A fifth straight loss.

Whether playing games in bunches or otherwise, it is not going well for the Miami Heat, this time falling 106-96 Monday night to the Toronto Raptors at Kaseya Center.

Still without a victory since Dec. 1, the Heat this time could not overcome another injury absence from guard Tyler...Read more

NEW YORK — Rick Pitino doesn’t expect St. John’s to go 18-2 in Big East play again.

But the head coach believes his Johnnies have what it takes to repeat as conference champions, even if this season’s team remains a work in progress.

“We’re not as good as UConn right now, but you wouldn’t expect that because UConn had three ...Read more

The Detroit Pistons returned to the site where their 13-game winning streak was snapped less than a month ago. After taking extra time to review film and address some issues, the Pistons successfully avenged their early-season loss with a 112-105 victory over the Boston Celtics Monday night at TD Garden.

Cade Cunningham led the way with 32 ...Read more