SAN ANTONIO — Playing without LeBron James, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, the Lakers wilted on the second night of a two-game trip, falling 107-91 to the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center.

With three starters out, Luka Doncic tried to will the Lakers to a victory with a 38-point, 10-rebound, 10 assist triple-double. He played 38 ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO – On one side was the game’s most unstoppable inside scorer. On the other, one of the few defenders who has proven he is capable of putting up a challenge.

Draymond Green, as he often does, took on the challenge of guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo in the Warriors’ 120-113 victory the visiting Bucks in the first of an eight-...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid is, once again, a constant for the 76ers.

With Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford back, we’ll finally get a glimpse of how competitive the team is.

And Wednesday was one of those performances when Paul George let people know he still got it.

Those things stood out in the 131-110 victory over the Washington ...Read more

When the Big Ten announced the 2025-26 men’s basketball schedule last summer, Danny Sprinkle felt a sense of déjà vu and knew January was going to be a difficult month for the Washington Huskies.

“We’re going to be tested early,” the UW coach said at Big Ten Media Day. “The league didn’t do us any favor. It’s going to be tough. ...Read more

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Anything can happen at Amica Mutual Pavilion.

The Providence faithful was ready to explode as its Friars led the fourth-ranked UConn men’s basketball team by 11 points with 3:12 left in regulation on Wednesday. But the Huskies roared back with clutch shooting from veterans Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr., whose put-back ...Read more

NEW YORK — Jalen Brunson was driving the ball, but his intention is to pass, not to score.

It’s was the Knicks’ first offensive possession in their Wednesday night 123-111 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at Madison Square Garden, and New York — riding a season-worst four-game losing streak — desperately needed a victory.

...Read more

Speaking prior to tipoff, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley shared two things he wanted to see from his team when it took to the court against the Nets inside Barclays Center on Wednesday night less than 24 hours after falling to the Wizards in the nation’s capital.

Mosley challenged his team to take care of the basketball and play with better energy...Read more

BOSTON — Finishing their seven-game road trip with a losing record wasn’t what the Denver Nuggets had in mind, but under the circumstances, they’ll happily take 3-4.

Less undermanned than they were in Philadelphia but still fending without a traditional center, the Nuggets completed their Eastern Conference marathon with a 114-110 win ...Read more

DETROIT — Without Cade Cunningham, the Detroit Pistons encountered two main dilemmas: who would step up to fill the scoring void, and who would take on the playmaking duties?

Isaiah Stewart and Daniss Jenkins rose to the occasion, addressing both of the Pistons' concerns. Their contributions helped lead the Pistons to a 108-93 victory over ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A night filled with drama ended with another loss for the Kentucky Wildcats.

Mark Pope got his first technical foul as UK’s head coach, Otega Oweh hit a three-quarters-court shot to beat the halftime buzzer, and the Wildcats came back from yet another second-half deficit to take a lead into the final minute of their SEC ...Read more

BOSTON — The Denver Nuggets closed out a taxing seven-game road trip Wednesday night at TD Garden. They were tired, banged up and missing arguably the best player in the NBA.

But that depleted Denver group had enough juice to take down the red-hot Celtics, whose four-game win streak ended with a 114-110 home loss.

Denver broke the game open ...Read more

CHICAGO — Yuki Kawamura is back in the NBA.

The Chicago Bulls re-signed the Japanese point guard to a two-way contract this week. The acquisition occurred after Kawamura, 24, was medically cleared following a 12-week recovery from a blood clot in his lower right leg, which originally was diagnosed in October.

Although he was waived at that ...Read more

SAN ANTONIO — LeBron James will miss the game against the San Antonio Spurs with right sciatica and left foot arthritis, the Lakers announced Wednesday.

James has starred for the Lakers (23-11) during their three-game winning streak, averaging 29 points in victories against the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans. He’s paired ...Read more

TCU basketball blew a 15-point second-half lead in a shocking overtime defeat to No. 22 Kansas on the road Tuesday night in Lawrence, Kan.

Despite giving up the lead, the Horned Frogs still had a chance to pull off the upset in overtime as Jayden Pierre knocked down a 3 to cut the Jayhawks’ lead to 97-94 with 50.4 seconds remaining.

Pierre ...Read more

After the Magic gave up 127 points in an eight-point victory over the Pacers on Sunday at Kia Center, coach Jamahl Mosley made it clear his team needed to be better on defense when it hit the road this week.

Orlando, however, lacked urgency, intensity and intentionality on both ends of the court throughout most of the night Tuesday against the ...Read more

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Coach Todd Golden’s suddenly unranked Florida Gators were desperate for a win.

Avoiding a loss to former coach Mike White’s No. 18 Georgia Bulldogs was critical for a Florida team riding a 13-game winning streak at the O’Connell Center and 0-1 in SEC play.

The Gators found their offensive flow and applied the ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — It is sometimes hard to recognize a turning point of a team’s season’s in real time. That usually only comes with the benefit of hindsight.

But it’s hard not to watch the Timberwolves these past three games and feel like their spiritless losses to Brooklyn and Atlanta represented a shift in the team’s overall demeanor ...Read more