NBA

4:40 PM ET Chris Paul returned in the second quarter of the Phoenix Suns‘ first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday after suffering a right shoulder contusion. With the Suns up 11 in the second quarter, LeBron James leaped over Paul for an offensive rebound and putback layup, drawing L.A. within 38-29 with

2:53 AM ET Facing the presumptive MVP of the league, the Portland Trail Blazers approached Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets with a bold strategy: Let Nikola Jokic score. “We want him to score and not get his teammates involved,” Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic said. “When he scores, I think we have a better chance.

12:51 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Ever since the Brooklyn Nets put together their Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden four months ago, the basketball world has waited to see what these Nets would look like in the playoffs. While it took a bit for the show to get

12:50 PM ET After a second surgery in 28 months to repair his right quadriceps tendon, Miami Heat guard Victor Oladipo could be cleared to return to full-contact basketball as soon as November, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jonathan Glashow told ESPN. Glashow performed the procedure on May 13, and he expressed surprise that Oladipo had even

2:50 AM ET LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was found to be in breach of the NBA’s health and safety protocols this week, a league spokesperson told ESPN on Friday night. James was one of several high-profile guests present at a promotional event for Lobos 1707, a tequila brand he backs,

1:15 AM ET Brianna Williams Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email print Ja Morant was “on his grizzly” as he led the Memphis Grizzlies to a playoff spot with a win over league MVP finalist Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Read more: Lessons from the wildest NBA season on record The 21-year-old put

2:01 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Friday said his personal preference is for the play-in tournament to continue after this season, and that it was a success because of the incentive it gave teams to care until the end of the regular season. “I haven’t made any secret that I want

10:05 AM ET Two 6-foot-9 Florida twins ranked among the top 15 high school juniors in the country — Matt and Ryan Bewley — are signing two-year deals with the Overtime Elite professional league, sources told ESPN, marking the first prep underclassmen to sign contracts with an American professional basketball league. Matt, who is ranked

1:24 AM ET During an impassioned speech that took place in the middle of the season after a loss, Russell Westbrook told the Washington Wizards that they were going to make the playoffs despite all the injuries, a COVID-19 outbreak and losing streaks the team had to endure this season. On Thursday night, Westbrook delivered

2:51 PM ET All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell practiced Thursday for the first time since spraining his right ankle more than a month ago and plans to play in the Utah Jazz‘s playoff opener. “That’s the goal,” Mitchell said. “Barring any setbacks, God forbid – knock on wood – that’s the goal. I’m just trying to

1:30 AM ET LOS ANGELES — By all accounts, the play-in tournament has been a resounding success for the NBA this year. It created exciting new scenarios toward the end of the regular season and mostly stemmed the widespread tanking which had made a mockery of the final month of play for the 14 teams

12:57 AM ET LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers‘ postseason run opened with Wednesday’s winner-take-all play-in game against the Golden State Warriors. And it took everything the defending champions had to win it, 103-100. LeBron James‘ 34-foot 3-point heave to beat the shot-clock buzzer fell through the net with 58.2 seconds remaining, breaking a

7:00 AM ET NBA Insiders A season after winning an NBA championship in the bubble, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in the NBA’s play-in round, needing to win a game just to reach the postseason. The Golden State Warriors, who bounced back after a dismal, injury-plagued 2019-20 to put themselves in a position to

12:00 AM ET The 2020-21 NBA playoffs — and play-in! — are finally here. And this thing is as wide open as ever. But before we lock in the full 16-team field, here’s a look at the first round of the play-in tournament, during which two teams from each conference will secure the Nos. 7

May 15, 2021 The season has been a slog for the Boston Celtics. There was a spate of COVID-related absences that shut down practice for a stretch, a knee injury that hampered Kemba Walker, nine straight games missed by key mid-season acquisition Evan Fournier, and finally a devastating season-ending injury to Jaylen Brown. The Celtics

7:00 AM ET The 2021 NBA postseason officially tips off Tuesday with the play-in tournament followed by the first round of the playoffs on Saturday. After a thrilling end of the regular season with seeds finally decided on the last day, the Charlotte Hornets and the Indiana Pacers will start things on Tuesday in the

1:10 PM ET Bradley Beal said his strained left hamstring won’t be 100 percent and that he will have to manage it when the Washington Wizards play the Boston Celtics in the play-in tournament on Tuesday. Beal said his hamstring did not worsen after scoring 25 points and grabbing six rebounds in 35 minutes during

11:44 PM ET The Sacramento Kings will bring head coach Luke Walton back for a third season, sources confirmed to ESPN. The Kings extended their record-tying 15-year playoff drought after a second consecutive 31-41 season under Walton, who has two years left on his deal. Sacramento is in the midst of a multiyear rebuilding process