PHILADELPHIA — James Harden took a sensational step forward in the postseason for the 76ers with step-back 3s that rekindled his dominant form. Joel Embiid is playing better by the game, and the MVP finalist might have his best basketball ahead of him. Embiid is ready. So is Harden. And if the Miami Heat can’t … Read more
Knicks free-agent target Jalen Brunson is a poker-faced point guard on the court, rarely given to emotion, stoic and steady as the Mavericks’ quarterback. But in the interview room during his postgame press conference Sunday afternoon in Dallas, Brunson broke into a smile when somebody asked him what it was like to ruin Chris Paul’s … Read more
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — James Harden scored 31 points, Joel Embiid had 24 points and 11 rebounds and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Miami Heat 116-108 on Sunday night in Game 4 to even the Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Heat won the first two games in Miami with Embiid out with a right orbital fracture … Read more
The Sacramento Kings have agreed to hire Golden State assistant Mike Brown as their head coach. A person familiar with the decision confirmed on Sunday that Brown will take over the franchise with the longest playoff drought in NBA history. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t announced the hiring. ESPN … Read more
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 26 points and the Dallas Mavericks took advantage of foul trouble for Chris Paul to beat the Phoenix Suns 111-101 on Sunday, evening the Western Conference semifinal series at 2-2. Paul was out of Game 4 early in the fourth quarter, the period when he often dominated the Mavericks … Read more
Commercial Content 21+ The first Game 4s of the second round of the NBA playoffs tip off Sunday with two series locked into 2-1 battles. The Phoenix Suns face the Dallas Mavericks at 3:30 pm ET and the Philadelphia 76ers host the Miami Heat at 8 pm ET. We have the best NBA player prop … Read more
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Now, Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies are calling out the Golden State Warriors for causing unnecessary injury. Morant re-injured his troublesome right knee late in the game when Jordan Poole grabbed it as they fought for a loose ball late in the Warriors’ 142-112 victory that embarrassed the Grizzlies on … Read more
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo found a way to get better shots and recapture his peak form just in time to help the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks regain the lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. But it was the Boston Celtics’ bad timing that made the difference in the end. Antetokounmpo bounced back from a … Read more
Excuse me while I slip into something a little less comfortable … For some reason — mindless pandering makes for an educated guess — the NBA and its TV partners have determined that unless you’re a big fan of rap music, the uglier and louder stuff, you can’t possibly be a basketball fan. Not that … Read more
The Knicks’ plan to find a point guard through free agency doesn’t have to be “Jalen Brunson or Bust.” If Brunson sticks with the Mavericks, after his heady playoff performance, which continued with a 28-point outburst in a Game 3 victory over the Suns on Friday night, there’s another true point guard playing in the … Read more