CHICAGO (AP) — Zion Williamson scored 13 points and grabbed four rebounds over 15 minutes in his return after a lost season with a broken foot, and the New Orleans Pelicans held on to beat the Chicago Bulls 129-125 on Tuesday night.
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Victor Wembanyama didn’t wait long to make an impression.
The 7-foot-4 French phenomenon from the club Metropolitans 92 blocked shots at the rim and on the perimeter, got rebounds, ran the floor, set screens, scored on a nifty spin move, showed off his ability to dribble, dove for a loose ball and even played point guard on one possession.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Victor Wembanyama’s favorite players in the NBA right now are Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo. That makes sense, given that they’re both taller than just about everyone else in the league and have all-world all-around games.
NEW YORK (AP) — Ben Simmons streaked behind the defense and caught a pass in transition that he dunked. About a minute later, he fired a cross-court pass to a Brooklyn Nets teammate for a 3-pointer.
NEW YORK (AP) —
Tyrese Maxey scored 20 points, Julian Champagnie and Furkan Korkmaz finished with 15 each as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated Brooklyn 127-108 on Monday night as the Nets finally had all three of their big stars on the floor at the same time.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers starting forward Evan Mobley will miss time with a sprained right ankle suffered during practice, an injury that could sideline him for the start of the regular season in two weeks.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson have been linked constantly over the last couple years, with just about every prognosticator anointing them as the top two picks in the 2023 NBA draft.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns has returned to the court for practice with the Minnesota Timberwolves, after a delayed start to training camp due to an unspecified illness that was serious enough to warrant hospitalization.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Doc Rivers is at ease using his platform as an NBA coach to fight bigotry and racial injustice, campaign for politicians he believes in and advocate for social change on themes ranging from poverty to police brutality.
BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 24 points and Jayson Tatum added 16 on Sunday as the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics opened under new coach Joe Mazzulla with a preseason 134-93 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
BOSTON (AP) — Not too many NBA first-timers get to take over a reigning conference champion and oddsmakers’ favorite to win an NBA title.
MIAMI (AP) — Tyler Herro's future is secure, and the Miami Heat have him locked up for five years.
Herro signed a four-year contract extension with the Heat on Sunday. A person with knowledge of the details said the deal could be worth as much as $130 million — less than the maximum that Herro could have gotten, but a significant commitment from Miami nonetheless.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Rookie David Roddy scored 18 points, two-way signee Kenny Lofton Jr. added 17 and the Memphis Grizzlies used a late run to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 107-102 on Saturday night in the opening preseason game for both teams.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans and forward Larry Nance Jr. have agreed to a two-year extension worth $21.6 million, his agent, Mark Bartelstein, said Saturday.
“Larry has fallen in love with New Orleans and the entire Pelicans organization — front office, coaching, players,” Bartelstein said.
TOKYO (AP) — James Wiseman, who missed all of last season while rehabilitating after a knee injury, scored 20 points Friday as the defending champion Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Wizards 96-87 to open the NBA preseason.
SEATTLE (AP) — An NBA preseason game may not seem like a benchmark moment, even in a basketball-hungry city like Seattle, but Jamal Crawford believes there's value even in an exhibition.
“It reignites a whole new generation of kids who need to see this,” said Crawford, a Seattle native who has been a basketball ambassador for the city through a 20-year NBA career and now with a pro-am that brings in NBA players every summer.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Tyler Conklin had childhood dreams of the NBA hardwood, shooting jumpers and dunking at arenas around the country.
His journey took a few twists and dribbles — and he ended up catching passes in NFL stadiums instead.
At the Orlando Magic training facility on Friday, the lights were on and the water was running. Not everybody in the storm-ravaged state of Florida can say that right now, and some may not be able to for weeks.
BOSTON (AP) — Veteran big man Blake Griffin has agreed to a contract with the Boston Celtics, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Friday.
The person confirmed the move to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — James Harden and Joel Embiid are beefing over who has been the most unbeatable Sixer during 1-on-1 competition at training camp. The smack talk escalated this week after a recent practice, each one badgering the other over who really is the alpha dog in Philly.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Joel Embiid has tried to keep the ruse alive — that he was nothing more than a 7-foot couch potato this summer. To hear Embiid tell it, every day was easy like a lazy Sunday morning.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren is experiencing the rehab process for the first time.
The No.
TOKYO (AP) — Before Stephen Curry makes a single 3-pointer, before Rui Hachimura gets his first ovation from Japanese fans who came to cheer one of their own, the NBA Japan Games are already a huge win in one regard.
Virginia (2-2, 0-1 ACC) at Duke (3-1, 0-0), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (RSN)
Line: Duke by 2 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Doc Rivers was not expecting guests one day this summer when members of his staff turned up uninvited at his house with a direct demand of the Philadelphia 76ers coach: Tyrese Maxey needed an intervention.
BOSTON (AP) — Joe Mazzulla didn’t want his first practice as the Celtics interim coach to feel any different than his previous three years as an assistant.
So when he arrived at the team’s facility Tuesday for Boston’s first training camp workout, he did his best to keep everything about his routine the same, right down to where he parked.
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball said Tuesday he can't run at full speed or jump and still experiences pain in his left knee walking up stairs.
Ball spoke ahead of his scheduled surgery in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Joel Embiid slung a towel over his shoulder and ditched his sneakers somewhere on the McAlister Field House court as he walked toward an ice tub. He stripped his socks, sunk his size-17 feet into the frosty water and started shooting the breeze with P.J.
NEW YORK (AP) — The final days of a disappointing Brooklyn Nets season ended not with Ben Simmons on the floor with his teammates, but on the floor of his home, the pain from a back injury shooting through his lower body.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The NCAA put Memphis on three years of probation with a public reprimand and a fine Tuesday, but declined to punish Tigers coach Penny Hardaway or hand down an NCAA Tournament ban.
The NBA unveiled a reimagined app on Tuesday, with the league saying it will help bring fans closer to the game by offering better streaming options and access to more highlights as close to real-time as possible.
Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs know they cannot erase the pain that the residents of Uvalde, Texas have felt since May 24.
They can, however, continue reminding the city of 16,000 people that they’re not forgotten.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Mike Brown has history with De’Aaron Fox.
The first-year Sacramento Kings coach, who spent the last six seasons with the Golden State Warriors as an assistant, first got a glimpse of Fox while helping at an Adidas Nations Camp.
GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — It is a new day for the New York Knicks.
That was the collective message by the Knicks on Monday during media day at the team's training center.
Coming off a 2020-21 season in which New York compiled a 41-31 record and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2012-13, the Knicks stumbled to a 37-45 mark last season and missed the playoffs.
PHOENIX (AP) — All-Stars Devin Booker and Chris Paul, along with freshly paid Deandre Ayton and coach Monty Williams, are back together for another run at an elusive NBA title.
One man who apparently won't be along on the journey — team owner Robert Sarver.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Trail Blazers' new starting duo of Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons has been years in the making.
Even though Portland had a long-established backcourt with Lillard and CJ McCollum, behind the scenes Lillard helped guide Simons' development.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Andre Iguodala rode his Peloton bike a couple of times last week and took note that “I ain't in that bad of shape.”
Now, he will see how that translates back onto the basketball court again.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nothing put a bigger smile on Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer's face than seeing a healthy Kawhi Leonard walking around the team's practice facility.
Ballmer hopes to be feeling even better when the Clippers open training camp Tuesday in Las Vegas and Leonard is testing out his surgically repaired knee.
CLEVELAND (AP) — When Darius Garland learned about Cleveland's stunning trade, the Cavaliers' All-Star point guard first promised to keep it a secret and then ran around a basketball court in Nashville screaming.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson said little to temper the expectations of those eagerly anticipating his return to an NBA court.
The 2019 first overall draft choice out of Duke — who has missed more games than he's played in his first three pro seasons because of knee and foot injuries — didn't request patience as he re-integrates his unusual combination of size, explosiveness and skill back into New Orleans' lineup for the first time in more than a year.
CANTON, Mass. (AP) — As the longest-tenured player on the Celtics, Marcus Smart has been in Boston long enough to appreciate what Bill Russell meant to the team, the city and the country.
“We’ve heard things like ‘pioneer,’ ‘trailblazer,’” Smart said Monday while wearing a patch honoring the Celtics Hall of Famer who died this summer.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards said he's “willing to do whatever it takes to make it right” with the LBGTQ community and Minnesota Timberwolves fans following the homophobic remarks he recently made on social media.
CHICAGO (AP) — Zach LaVine had quite the offseason.
The Chicago Bulls' two-time All-Star and Olympic gold medalist landed the richest contract in franchise history when he agreed to a $215 million, five-year contract.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Myles Turner looks around the Indiana Pacers locker room and sees the changes.
After eight years in town, the 26-year-old is the longest-tenured and most accomplished Pacers player.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A dramatic roster overhaul has left the Utah Jazz with a load of new faces entering this season.
Utah traded Royce O’Neale, Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and Bojan Bogdanovic in separate deals over the summer, effectively tearing down a team that endured a series of disappointing early playoff exits.