NBA

Ja Morant delivered brief and measured responses Wednesday as questions surrounding his future with the Memphis Grizzlies intensified, acknowledging ongoing trade speculation while emphasizing that the situation remains out of his control. Morant traveled with the Grizzlies on their European trip but was ruled out of Thursday’s game against the Orlando Magic in Berlin because of a right calf contusion that has sidelined him since Jan. 2. He said earlier in the day that he hop

Detroit — Duncan Robinson scored 19 points and Jalen Duren delivered a dominant interior performance as the Detroit Pistons erased a 16 point deficit to defeat the Phoenix Suns 108 to 105 on Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena. Detroit trailed after each of the first three quarters but surged ahead midway through the fourth when Tobias Harris knocked down a go ahead jumper over Dillon Brooks. The Pistons closed out their fourth win in five games by forcing late stops and s

Inglewood, Calif — Kawhi Leonard delivered an efficient 33 point performance as the Los Angeles Clippers continued their midseason surge, defeating the Washington Wizards 119 to 105 on Wednesday night at Intuit Dome. Kawhi scored 33 points in just 30 minutes while operating under a minutes restriction, shooting 7 of 11 from three point range and closing the game with a decisive fourth quarter stretch. James Harden added 22 points and continued to anchor the offense as Los Ang

Indianapolis — Scottie Barnes delivered a complete performance and Toronto set the tone early Wednesday night, pulling away from the Indiana Pacers for a 115 to 101 victory that underscored the Raptors growing cohesion in the Eastern Conference race. Barnes finished with 26 points and 13 assists, controlling pace and consistently creating advantages as Toronto never trailed. RJ Barrett added timely scoring on the wing, while Gradey Dick provided a major boost off the bench wi

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Malik Monk delivered a sharp shooting performance Monday night, knocking down seven 3-pointers and scoring 26 points as the Sacramento Kings defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 124–112. DeMar DeRozan led all scorers for Sacramento with 32 points and added six assists, while Russell Westbrook contributed 22 points and seven assists against his former team. The Kings, now 10–30, earned their second consecutive victory after a seven-game losing streak and recor

SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry delivered another clutch performance, scoring 31 points and knocking down a step-back three-pointer with 26 seconds remaining to lift the Golden State Warriors past the Milwaukee Bucks, 120–113, on Wednesday night at Chase Center. Curry also contributed seven assists and seven rebounds while shooting 12-of-21 from the field, including three shots from beyond the arc. He scored 14 points by halftime after hitting his first three-pointer midway thr

Oklahoma City — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 46 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Utah Jazz 129–125 in overtime Wednesday night, snapping a brief two-game losing streak. Gilgeous-Alexander forced overtime by calmly knocking down a jumper near the free-throw line at the end of regulation. He then took control in the extra period, scoring nine of Oklahoma City’s points. The reigning NBA MVP extended his streak of 20-point performances to 109 games, the seco

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Immanuel Quickley delivered a dramatic finish Wednesday night, sinking a 3-pointer as time expired to give the Toronto Raptors a thrilling 97–96 comeback victory over the Charlotte Hornets. The win marked Toronto’s fifth in its last six games. Toronto erased a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter behind strong performances from RJ Barrett, who scored 28 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and Quickley, who finished with 21 points. Scottie Barnes added 17 p

PORTLAND Ore. — Deni Avdija delivered a career defining night as the Portland Trail Blazers rolled past the Utah Jazz 137 to 117 on Monday, producing one of their most complete performances of the season and continuing a noticeable upward trend in the Western Conference. Avdija finished with 33 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds in just three quarters, narrowly missing a triple double while dictating the pace from the opening tip. His scoring efficiency and playmaking opened t

INGLEWOOD Calif. — Kawhi Leonard delivered a steady two way performance and the Los Angeles Clippers survived a chaotic finish to beat the Golden State Warriors 103 to 102 on Monday night in a game defined by late drama, officiating controversy, and rare exits from two central figures on the Golden State sideline. Leonard finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds, anchoring the Clippers on both ends as they won without James Harden, who was a late scratch because of right shoul

Houston — Kevin Durant provided the defining moment Monday night, scoring 26 points and drilling a go ahead three with 1.1 seconds remaining as the Houston Rockets secured a 100 to 97 win over the Phoenix Suns in a tightly contested matchup. The game was tied in the closing seconds when Durant stepped into a 27 foot attempt from the wing and converted, giving Houston the lead against his former team. Phoenix had one final opportunity, but Devin Booker’s three point attempt bo

Toronto Raptors rookie Collin Murray-Boyles scored 17 points, along with seven rebounds and seven assists, leading Toronto to a 118-100 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night. Murray-Boyles started in place of injured center Jakob Poeltl, who was sidelined with a back strain but had been cleared for contact prior to the game. Scottie Barnes contributed a near triple-double with 18 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds, helping the Raptors complete a two-game sweep of Atl

PHILADELPHIA — Bruce Brown scored 19 points and secured the game-winning basket in overtime on a goaltending call against Joel Embiid, helping the short-handed Denver Nuggets defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 125-124 on Monday night. Jalen Pickett led Denver with 29 points. The decisive moment came with 5.3 seconds remaining when Embiid was called for goaltending while attempting to block Brown’s running layup. Tyrese Maxey missed a potential game-winning floater at the buzzer. E

OKLAHOMA CITY — Brandon Miller led the Charlotte Hornets with 28 points as they defeated the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder 124-97 on Monday night. Kon Knueppel contributed 23 points, helping Charlotte bounce back from a three-loss stretch and handing the Thunder their largest defeat of the season. The Thunder also scored under 100 points for the first time this season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points, marking his 108th consecutive game with at least 20 points, th

LOS ANGELES — Luka Dončić and LeBron James took control down the stretch as the Los Angeles Lakers overcame the Memphis Grizzlies 128–121 on Friday night, opening a two-game series at home. Dončić led all scorers with 34 points, converting frequently at the free-throw line, and added eight assists and six rebounds. James followed closely with 31 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Together, the two stars fueled a decisive fourth-quarter run that shifted the game in the La

CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points, and Darius Garland added 18 points with eight assists, helping the Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the short-handed Denver Nuggets 113-108 on January 2. The Cavaliers overcame a 105-101 deficit with 4:43 remaining, scoring 10 unanswered points to secure the victory. Garland's three-pointer at 2:13 gave Cleveland the lead for good. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 34 points, 28 of which came in the first half. Denver played without su

The Denver Nuggets are struggling recently, dropping three of their last five games, highlighting the need for their injured players to return. Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cam Johnson are all sidelined, leaving three-time MVP Nikola Jokic to carry the team. With their key starters out, head coach David Adelman is experimenting with different lineup combinations to find a workable rotation. Adelman discussed his plans following the Nuggets’ loss to the Orlando Magic, sa

Jamal Murray has emerged as the Denver Nuggets’ key player as the team faces a series of injuries to its starters. By New Year’s Day, Murray was the only starter still active after teammate Nikola Jokić suffered a left knee injury expected to keep him out for at least a month. Other injured players include Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, and backup center Jonas Valanciunas, placing significant responsibility on Murray as the Nuggets aim to remain competitive in th

The Denver Nuggets earned a narrow 106–103 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, winning their first game since losing star center Nikola Jokić to injury. Peyton Watson led Denver with 24 points, while Jamal Murray added 21 in a resilient team effort. Entering the matchup, Denver had struggled historically without Jokić, posting a 13–23 record over the past five seasons when he was sidelined. Despite that trend and several other injuries, the Nuggets managed to

Nikola Jokić has long been the driving force behind the Denver Nuggets’ success, and concern spread quickly after he suffered a knee injury during Monday night’s game against the Miami Heat at the Kaseya Center. The injury occurred late in the second quarter, when Jokić appeared to grab his left knee and showed visible discomfort. Despite the scare, Jokić was able to leave the court under his own power, offering some early optimism for the Nuggets and their fans. Still, the t