NBA

9:57 AM ET ESPN News Services The Charlotte Hornets have had four players — LaMelo Ball, Jalen McDaniels, Mason Plumlee and Terry Rozier — enter into the NBA’s health and safety protocols, it was announced Saturday. The Hornets have sent players and staff home from their practice facility as there’s concern of possible positive COVID-19

3:25 AM ET LOS ANGELES — LeBron James said his brief stint in the NBA’s health and safety protocols left him feeling “confused,” “frustrated” and “angry” after his first game back in the Lakers’ 119-115 loss to the LA Clippers on Friday night. James missed the Lakers’ game against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday after

12:41 AM ET DALLAS — Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic complained to the officiating crew early and often during a 107-91 home loss Friday night to the New Orleans Pelicans. Too often, in the opinion of first-year Mavs coach Jason Kidd, who wants his franchise player to be more selective in picking his spots to lobby

12:14 PM ET The Portland Trail Blazers have fired general manager and president of basketball operations Neil Olshey following an investigation into workplace misconduct, the team announced Friday. “Following the conclusion of the independent review of concerns and complaints around our workplace environment at the practice facility, the Portland Trail Blazers organization has decided to

1:57 AM ET ESPN News Services PORTLAND, Ore. — New Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups questioned his team’s effort after a 114-83 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night. The Blazers were without All-Star guard Damian Lillard but still put up little fight against a Spurs team which came into the

11:37 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN Even with history looming as it approached a franchise record win streak, Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams said he tried not to bring it up to his team. But after a 114-103 victory Thursday night over the visiting Detroit Pistons set a franchise mark with 18 consecutive wins, Williams allowed

2:41 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN METAIRIE, La. — Zion Williamson‘s return to the NBA floor has been delayed because of soreness in his surgically repaired right foot, the New Orleans Pelicans announced Thursday afternoon. Williamson was supposed to participate in his first full practice on Thursday but was held out because of the soreness he

1:26 AM ET Jamal Collier MILWAUKEE — As Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo charged toward the basket during the closing seconds of a tie game against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night, he knew he was going to have to get creative to score. So, Antetokounmpo flipped the ball off the bottom of the glass with

12:12 PM ET After a four-month investigation, the NBA has punished the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat with the loss of second-round draft picks because of premature discussions into the free agency of guards Lonzo Ball and Kyle Lowry, the league announced Wednesday. Chicago and Miami will lose their next available second-round pick after the

3:20 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Miami Heat All-Star center Bam Adebayo will undergo surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb, the team announced Wednesday. Sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that Adebayo is expected to be out for four to six weeks, which would cause him to miss between 15 to

11:10 PM ET PHOENIX — Devin Booker left the Phoenix Suns‘ big matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night with a left hamstring injury and did not return. He suffered the injury during the second quarter, grabbing his leg after a drive six minutes before halftime. He left the game moments later. Booker

6:51 PM ET SACRAMENTO — LeBron James has entered the league’s health and safety protocols and will miss Tuesday’s game against the Kings, the Los Angeles Lakers announced. James has already missed 11 of the Lakers’ 22 games coming into Tuesday because of injuries and a suspension. L.A. is 7-4 with James this season and

3:41 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN BOSTON — Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter Freedom said he would welcome the opportunity to speak to Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James — who he has criticized, along with Nike, for hypocrisy due to not speaking out about human rights violations in China — and “educate” him on the

2:18 AM ET Andrew LopezESPN Jonas Valanciunas wasn’t exactly a marksman when he entered the NBA in 2012. In fact, in his first five seasons in the league, he went 1-of-4 from 3-point range. But those days are long gone. Valanciunas hit his first seven 3-pointers on Monday night — all in the first half

2:52 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters Monday afternoon that he is removing guard Kemba Walker from not only the team’s starting lineup but also the rotation as a whole, beginning with Tuesday’s showdown with the crosstown-rival Nets in Brooklyn. “It’s a tough decision to make, but you always

7:35 AM ET The battle for No. 1 in the NBA Power Rankings is on. The Golden State Warriors, winners of seven straight games, take their league-best 18-2 record into Tuesday night’s Western Conference showdown with the Phoenix Suns. Phoenix, meanwhile, hasn’t lost in over a month and is one win shy of matching the

8:38 PM ET Stephen Curry was angry at the officials during Sunday’s 105-90 victory over the Clippers in Los Angeles, then made the other team pay for it. The Golden State Warriors star scored 13 of his team-high 33 points in the fourth quarter and caught fire with just over nine minutes left, after a

4:45 PM ET The Milwaukee Bucks are signing four-time All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins, sources told ESPN on Sunday. Cousins, 31, will sign a non-guaranteed deal to join the defending NBA champions, sources said. Teams must guarantee contracts for the balance of the season by January 7. The Bucks have been without center Brook Lopez with