MILWAUKEE — Damian Lillard let a 3-pointer fly early in the fourth quarter, before Brook Lopez fired two deep shots of his own. Then, Lillard launched another from the left corner.

Splash, splash, splash, and splash.

That barrage of deep shots created the scoring distance that propelled the Milwaukee Bucks (and former Philadelphia 76ers ...Read more

The Denver Nuggets avoided the Rocky Mountain cold this weekend by escaping to Florida, and they picked up two wins while they were away.

They’ll return to Denver to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday after a 113-100 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday.

Nikola Jokic amassed 20 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and three ...Read more

A challenging six-game West Coast swing for the Brooklyn Nets culminated with a matchup against the Western Conference’s undisputed No. 1 seed at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.

It went how you’d expect.

Brooklyn, to its credit, did not get embarrassed like it did against the Los Angeles Clippers earlier in the week. But Sunday’s 127-101...Read more

MIAMI — A sense of a drama has been in the air for weeks with the Miami Heat, and drama was exactly what was delivered Sunday at Kaseya Center.

Even more dramatic was the drama did not involve Jimmy Butler.

Instead, the waiting game for the next big thing for the Heat is over, delivered by coach Erik Spoelstra when he paired rookie 7-footer ...Read more

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — For the second time in four days, the Wolverines found themselves in a Big Ten rock fight that went to overtime.

This time, No. 20 Michigan found a way to do just enough and prevail in an 80-76 grind-it-out victory over Northwestern on Sunday at Crisler Center.

Vlad Goldin had 31 points and eight rebounds and Nimari ...Read more

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State remains undefeated in Big Ten play.

Facing its toughest test of the conference season Sunday, the No. 12 Michigan State men’s basketball team (16-2, 7-0 Big Ten) won a tightly contested game against No. 19 Illinois, 80-78 at Breslin Center. Taking advantage of foul trouble and making a number of finishes...Read more

MIAMI — With Thursday marking the one-year anniversary of what could go down as one of the worst trades in the Miami Heat’s 37 seasons, it also stands as a time to consider what the franchise has done in its laudable-yet-concerning constant bid to remain relevant, to live in the moment.

Such consideration seems particularly apropos in light...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When the Charlotte Hornets left town on Jan. 8, flying across country to start things off with a pair of outings in Los Angeles, a unique itinerary awaited LaMelo Ball.

The Hornets’ superstar was in for a family affair in more ways than one, beginning with his first game action in his native area in years. But Southern ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Chris Finch was concerned about how his Minnesota Timberwolves would handle back-to-back games coming off a road trip — and doing it against one of the NBA’s hottest teams Saturday night at Target Center.

The Cleveland Cavaliers showed up at the end of a three-game road swing exuding the same “youthful spirit” that was ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — It wasn’t always pretty, but the Warriors got it done when it mattered most.

After a sluggish first half, Golden State’s offense found life in the final two quarters and held on to beat the last-place Washington Wizards, 122-114, to open its two-game home stand.

Stephen Curry scored 26 points and Andrew Wiggins had a game...Read more

SAN DIEGO — The halftime entertainment at Viejas Arena on Saturday night for San Diego State’s basketball game against UNLV was two roller skaters on a tiny octagonal platform that could barely fit them.

They didn’t fall off, despite spinning and performing acrobatics at dizzying speeds.

Metaphorically, the Aztecs did.

Splat.

The ...Read more

INDIANAPOLIS — Ricky Council IV shook free for a driving dunk, cutting what had been a double-digit Pacers lead to six. But then Myles Turner took a methodical bounce pass and knocked down the elbow jumper before Ben Sheppard buried a corner 3-point shot.

Those buckets helped the Pacers finish off a 115-102 victory over the still-shorthanded ...Read more

BOSTON — Scattershot shooting and poor late-game execution doomed the shorthanded Celtics on Saturday night.

Playing without big men Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, Boston squandered a three-point lead in the final seconds of regulation and lost to the Atlanta Hawks 119-115 in overtime at TD Garden.

Jayson Tatum missed a would-be game-...Read more

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — As Cooper Flagg played the closest thing to a home game he’ll get as a college player, Boston College bloodied but couldn’t stop the superstar freshman.

A Maine native, cheered on by the hundreds of fans from his home state in his return to New England, scored 28 points to lead No. 3 Duke to a 88-63 ACC basketball ...Read more

DETROIT — On Saturday, the Detroit Lions had the city in the palm of their hands. Nearly everyone at Little Caesars Arena wore Honolulu blue in preparation for the Lions' divisional playoff contest against the Washington Commanders. Even All-Star guard Devin Booker had his mind on the Lions' postseason run, confirming to The Detroit News that ...Read more

ATHENS, Ga. — The scene at Stegeman Coliseum on Saturday has become routine lately. Georgia students were lined up around the corner more than an hour before the game, waiting to get in. Bulldogs football coach Kirby Smart was in the building. They came to see the Bulldogs treat No. 1 Auburn like they did then-No. 6 Kentucky and No. 17 ...Read more

MIAMI — Friday night was not the end, even with Jimmy Butler’s seven-game unpaid Miami Heat suspension drawing to a close.

Instead, based on Butler’s postgame comments, as the Heat turned from Friday night’s loss to the Denver Nuggets to Sunday’s visit by the San Antonio Spurs, the page has merely turned to the next chapter in the ...Read more