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Dieter Kurtenbach: Jonathan Kuminga finally has a role for the Warriors. Can he fill it?

Sports / Basketball /

Paul Pierce was The Truth.

Allen Iverson was The Answer.

Jonathan Kuminga might as well be called The Question.

The Golden State Warriors are riding high in a post-Jimmy Butler trade world. The team’s two stars have the Dubs playing 48 full minutes of competitive basketball, not just the 33 minutes Steph Curry is on the court. The team’s ...Read more

Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS

Otega Oweh powers Kentucky past his old team as Cats beat Oklahoma on the road

Sports / Basketball /

NORMAN, Okla. — Playing against his former team, Otega Oweh found a way to lift his current one to a victory Wednesday night.

Oweh scored the final 18 points of the game for Kentucky in an 83-82 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners at the Lloyd Noble Center, his home court for his first two seasons of college basketball.

The former Oklahoma ...Read more

Megan Briggs/Getty Images North America/TNS

Heat regain their offensive footing, load up on 3s in 131-109 victory over Hawks

Sports / Basketball /

MIAMI — The post-Jimmy Butler reality for the Miami Heat remains similar to the reality of when Butler still was around: Make your 3s, win the game.

So after a dreadful performance from beyond the arc in Monday night’s road loss to the Atlanta Hawks, when his team was 7 of 40 on 3-pointers, Erik Spoelstra this time saw the other side of the...Read more

Al Bello/Getty Images North America/TNS

Jalen Brunson's clutch heroics power Knicks to 110-105 victory over 76ers

Sports / Basketball /

NEW YORK — Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau always preaches the value of learning through winning. Thanks to another clutch performance from their captain, the Knicks get to absorb their lessons from the win column rather than the loss column.

Jalen Brunson poured in a game-high 34 points on 8-of-17 shooting, once again delivering in crunch time to...Read more

Sarah Stier/Getty Images North America/TNS

Nets put forth valiant effort against Thunder, but fall, 129-121

Sports / Basketball /

NEW YORK — Entering Wednesday’s home matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder without Nic Claxton, D’Angelo Russell and Cam Thomas felt like a recipe for disaster, to some, for the Nets.

The visitors were 16.5-point favorites for good reason. Two losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves were the only blemishes on Oklahoma City’s schedule ...Read more

Al Bello/Getty Images North America/TNS

Jalen Brunson's big fourth quarter helps Knicks hand Sixers their ninth straight loss, 110-105

Sports / Basketball /

NEW YORK — Kelly Oubre Jr. blew a kiss to the Knicks’ bench following a 3-pointer. Tyrese Maxey then sank another of his trademark floaters to give the Sixers a 102-98 lead with under three minutes to play.

And then Jalen Brunson went to work.

The Knicks’ All-Star point guard, and former Villanova standout, calmly sank two free throws. ...Read more

Greg Fiume/Getty Images North America/TNS

Michigan State stuns Maryland on Tre Holloman bucket from beyond half-court

Sports / Basketball /

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — In fables and Big Ten basketball games, sometimes the tortoise beats the hare. But who wins a race between two tortoises?

Wednesday night at XFINITY Center, No. 8 Michigan State won a war of attrition against No. 16 Maryland, with both teams fighting off slow offense and frequent misses en route to a 58-55 finish. After ...Read more

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Celtics' winning streak ends with blowout loss to red-hot Pistons

Sports / Basketball /

The Boston Celtics’ six-game win streak is over, snuffed out by one of the NBA’s hottest and most surprising teams.

The Detroit Pistons dominated the second half of Wednesday’s matchup at Little Caesars Arena, cruising to a 117-97 victory over a Boston team that was playing without injured All-Star Jaylen Brown (thigh contusion).

It was ...Read more

Nic Antaya/Getty Images North America/TNS

Pistons beat defending champion Celtics for eighth consecutive victory

Sports / Basketball /

DETROIT — Coach J.B. Bickerstaff entered his first season with the Detroit Pistons with an open mind and no specific expectations for the franchise. His main priority was to ensure that the Pistons improved their performance in all aspects of the game as the season unfolded.

After 59 games, it's hard for Bickerstaff to pinpoint where the ...Read more

Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS

In return to LA, Anthony Davis recounts 'all the emotions' since his shocking trade

Sports / Basketball /

LOS ANGELES — About halfway through the first quarter of Tuesday night's game, Anthony Davis looked up at the video board inside Crypto.com Arena and watched a tribute the Lakers produced for him. He was being recognized by his former team for his 5 1/2 years in L.A.

But the reality is the reality — Davis was receiving this homage because ...Read more

Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Jim Alexander: Luka Doncic, Lakers survive emotional game against Mavericks

Sports / Basketball /

LOS ANGELES — The chant started late in the first half on Tuesday night, in the 200 level of the arena. By game’s end, as the Lakers were finally putting away the Dallas Mavericks, it had spread throughout the building.

“Thank you, Nico … thank you, Nico … thank you, Nico …”

It was directed at Dallas Mavericks general manager ...Read more

Mac Engel: Luka Doncic's first game against Mavericks illustrates how we all made same mistake

Sports / Basketball /

Luka Doncic burying 3-pointers, berating referees and throwing no-look passes in a L.A. Lakers No. 77 jersey was more than enough to send a Mavericks fan back to the fridge for another beer, a second bowl of ice cream or straight to the medicine cabinet for some “help.”

Doncic’s first game against his old team was one of those few times ...Read more

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Ex-NBA player Patrick Beverley sued by two fans after balls he threw into stands hit them

Sports / Basketball /

LOS ANGELES — Former NBA player Patrick Beverley has been sued by two Indiana Pacers fans who say they suffered "physical, mental and emotional damage" after being struck by a ball he threw into the stands twice during a game last year.

Indiana residents Jessica Simmons and Katie Lanciotti filed the lawsuit Friday in Marion County Superior ...Read more

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images North America/TNS

Warriors swat Hornets, 128-92, for fourth straight win

Sports / Basketball /

SAN FRANCISCO — Steph Curry jumped up and down in front of his seat on the Warriors’ bench early in the first quarter, playfully taunting his brother for missing a technical free throw.

What’s really funny is how much the Warriors’ outlook has changed since acquiring Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline.

Had the Warriors stayed on their ...Read more

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images North America/TNS

Luka Doncic has his struggles against his old team, but Lakers beat Mavericks

Sports / Basketball /

The emotion inside the building was impossible to ignore, the crowd oohing and aahing at every crossover, gasping at every shot and desperately trying to will the ball into the basket each time a Lakers player launched it.

It felt like the playoffs.

It was the first quarter.

The crowd had met the moment, Luka Doncic’s first game against the...Read more

No. 14 Missouri bounces back to breeze past South Carolina

Sports / Basketball /

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Caleb Grill returned to his usual shooting form, turnover issues evaporated into the springtime thaw and No. 14 Missouri men's basketball cruised past South Carolina on Tuesday.

The Tigers beat the struggling Gamecocks, 101-71 — the heavy home favorites leaving no doubts in securing a bounce-back victory.

Mizzou (21-7, 10-5...Read more

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Magic shellacked by top-seeded Cavs in playoff rematch

Sports / Basketball /

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Cavaliers on Tuesday night accomplished something at Kia Center that they didn’t do in all seven games during last year’s first-round playoff series against the Magic.

Cleveland won at Orlando.

In front of a national TV audience on TNT, the Cavs led the entire game and by as many as 42 points in the 122-82 road ...Read more

Jason Getz/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS

Another costly win: 3 takeaways as Duke routs Miami, loses starter to injury

Sports / Basketball /

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — No. 2 Duke winning yet another ACC game in lopsided fashion took a backseat to an injury to a starter on Tuesday night.

While the Blue Devils routed Miami, 97-60, junior guard Tyrese Proctor missed the second half after injuring his left knee late in the first half.

Proctor limped off the court with 36 seconds left in ...Read more

Kevin Sousa/Getty Images North America/TNS

Depleted Celtics rotation no problem for Boston in 111-101 win over Raptors

Sports / Basketball /

Joe Mazzulla’s core rotation consists of nine Boston Celtics players. Nearly half of them were unavailable Tuesday night in Toronto.

No Jrue Holiday and Al Horford, who both sat out on the first night of a back-to-back. No Luke Kornet, who was ruled out for personal reasons. No Kristaps Porzingis, who was expected to play before being ...Read more

Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Bill Plaschke: Mick Cronin can coach, but can he chill? His long-term UCLA future may depend on it.

Sports / Basketball /

LOS ANGELES — He has the uncanny ability to coach toughness into overachieving teams.

He also has the audacity to publicly humiliate them.

He wins games, one Final Four and two Sweet 16 appearances in his first four seasons that featured postseasons.

He also loses fans, longtime boosters fed up with his unhinged sideline behavior, his rude ...Read more