NBA

2:56 AM ET LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers have hit their first true challenge of their title defense, with Saturday’s 96-94 loss to the Miami Heat marking the third defeat in their past four games since Anthony Davis aggravated his Achilles tendinosis and suffered a calf strain in his right leg. A question

2:56 AM ET In the Washington Wizards locker room, coach Scott Brooks stood at the front of the room, acknowledging players for their impact on a big win in Portland. He started with Isaac Bonga, who played only five minutes, but was a plus-five in the box score. “Those five minutes were huge,” Brooks said.

2:48 PM ET Kevin Durant will miss his fourth consecutive game on Sunday, sitting out against the Los Angeles Clippers as he continues to get treatment on a strained left hamstring. Steve Nash said on Saturday that the plan was for Durant to continue to do strengthening exercises while being monitored for any inflammation. Nash

10:25 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN In a season full of dominant performances for Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, none have been more dominant than the display he put forth Friday night against the Chicago Bulls. Embiid finished with a career-high 50 points to go along with 17 rebounds, five assists, two steals, four blocks and

11:02 PM ET Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray dropped 50, and so did Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. Both were career highs in scoring. Murray accomplished his in a 120-103 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, while Embiid did it in a win over the Chicago Bulls. 1 Related This is the second time this month

2:06 PM ET The NBA is expected to share with teams a draft of the league’s second-half schedule as early as this weekend, or likely next week, sources told ESPN. The NBA released only the first half of the schedule in order to build in flexibility to make up games postponed due to health and

7:27 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant were named the captains for next month’s NBA All-Star Game on Thursday night. James and Durant will pick their respective teams from the remaining 22 All-Stars between now and the All-Star Game, which the NBA officially announced earlier

1:10 AM ET ESPN NBA reporters The Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers entered Thursday’s game with plenty of star power even with the Nets missing Kevin Durant and the Lakers without Anthony Davis. Besides Davis, LeBron James and the Lakers were also without starting point guard Dennis Schroder Thursday night. James faced Kyrie Irving,

1:25 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The NBA officially announced Thursday that it will be holding the All-Star Game on March 7 in Atlanta and will partner with the NBPA to give more than $2.5 million to HBCUs as well as to support awareness around equity and access to COVID-19 care, relief and vaccines. Due to

6:46 PM ET Kevin Durant will not play against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, missing his third consecutive game with a left hamstring strain. Durant traveled with the Nets on their five-game road trip and continues to get treatment on his hamstring. Brooklyn initially said Durant would miss at least two games. The team

1:18 AM ET Andrew LopezESPN NEW ORLEANS — Another night, another clutch performance from Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard. Sure, this one featured another game-sealing bucket from Lillard — his 25th game-tying or go-ahead field goal in the final 20 seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime, most in the NBA since he entered

5:09 PM ET ESPN News Services As the decision to bench center Andre Drummond while the team pursues a trade has drawn criticism — most notably from Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green — Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said “nobody’s decision should be muted.” Bickerstaff said Drummond was not with the team Wednesday, and

1:06 AM ET The Brooklyn Nets are the NBA’s latest superteam, an offensive juggernaut featuring two former MVPs in Kevin Durant and James Harden and the owner of one of the biggest shots in NBA Finals history in Kyrie Irving, who also is widely considered to have the best handles the sport has seen. But

12:53 AM ET OKLAHOMA CITY – With 5:28 remaining in the fourth quarter, Damian Lillard hit two hard dribbles with his left hand, putting his man on his hip and squaring up the help defender, Al Horford. It was a one-point game, the Oklahoma City Thunder leading, and as Lillard does, he hit the eject

3:39 PM ET Kyrie Irving will not play against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. The Brooklyn Nets star is listed as out with a sore lower back. Irving is coming off a season high 40-point performance against the Sacramento Kings on Monday night. He played 31 minutes in the 136-125 win against the Kings while

2:21 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green devoted almost the entirety of his postgame news conference Monday night to calling out the NBA’s treatment of its players, while citing various examples of double standards around the league. Green’s unprompted, three-minute tirade came on the heels of the Cleveland Cavaliers —

12:55 AM ET For John Wall, returning to Washington D.C. for the first time since the Wizards traded him to the Houston Rockets brought with it the standard emotions, but it also brought something else: closure. “I think I spoke on it with The Athletic what I wanted to get off my chest and let

5:02 PM ET Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis will be re-evaluated in two to three weeks after suffering a calf strain during Sunday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets, a source told ESPN. Davis underwent an MRI on Monday which revealed an aggravation near his Achilles, the source said. The Lakers and Davis will be