DURHAM, N.C. — As history will have it, someday, Saturday’s game at North Carolina is the last semi-meaningless game this Duke team will play, the last time a loss won’t have consequences that threaten the legacy this group is trying to build.

That might even be true.

If Duke wins the ACC championship and goes on to celebrate in San ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic stared at officials and argued for a call while the New York Knicks drove with the ball in the other direction, his frustration dangerously close to boiling over.

It was that kind of night.

LeBron James pushed and shoved Karl-Anthony Towns in the paint, working with everything he had to get a stop, only to roll his ...Read more

Coby White doesn’t dunk often. But when he does, it makes a statement.

It wasn’t hard to translate the message White was trying to send the host Orlando Magic on Thursday evening as he slammed the ball through the rim to cut the Chicago Bulls’ deficit to one with 2 minutes, 42 seconds remaining. But just in case it wasn’t clear, White ...Read more

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Of course, this is how Michigan State would clinch its outright Big Ten championship.

With a 91-84 win Thursday night at Iowa, No. 8 Michigan State guaranteed its spot atop the conference. Getting there was tricky, with a double-digit deficit in the first half, and a frustrating start to the second. But in what's been the ...Read more

BOSTON — In between championship celebrations and Olympic basketball games, Derrick White spent a lot of time in a dentist’s chair this summer, repairing the front teeth he mangled during Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Nightmares of more dental work had to have flashed through the Celtics guard’s mind Thursday night.

A shot to the face from ...Read more

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The Warriors followed up one of their most inspired wins of the season with an ugly one across the Brooklyn Bridge.

So sluggish early on they fell behind by 22, the Warriors needed to scratch and claw to beat Tyrese Martin and the plucky Nets. They even had to survive a near-collapse in the final minute.

It took another ...Read more

The Celtics’ long list of unavailable players Thursday night included, once again, Kristaps Porzingis.

Porzingis’ illness now has sidelined the center for four straight games and five of Boston’s last six. Details about the nature of his ailment are scarce, but Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis has been able to visit the team facility daily.

�...Read more

FORT WORTH, Texas — Jamie Dixon made it when he finally became an idiot.

The TCU men’s basketball coach has been back at his alma mater long enough now that people take him for granted, and think he’s simply “awful,” a “horrible coach who doesn’t have a clue," and “an idiot.” In his twisted profession, these insults are often ...Read more

CHICAGO — Ayo Dosunmu still isn’t sure exactly when he got hurt.

At some point in the last two years, the Chicago Bulls guard suffered a fracture along the back of his left shoulder. Dosunmu can’t point to a game — or even a week or month — when the initial break occurred. But over the next two seasons, his shoulder began to slip out ...Read more

In one of their more peculiar games of this season, the Nuggets won the hard way.

Losing Nikola Jokic’s minutes by seven points but winning the minutes without him by 13, Denver overcame a 14-point deficit in the second half to beat the Kings 116-110 on Wednesday night at Ball Arena.

Led by Zeke Nnaji’s star turn in the backup center role,...Read more

STORRS, Conn. — Alex Karaban loves March, and March loves him back.

The UConn men’s basketball captain squared his shoulders from the wing in front of the Huskies’ bench and nailed a deep 3-pointer with 25 seconds to go in a crucial game Wednesday night against No. 20 Marquette. Hassan Diarra nailed a pair of free throws and the Huskies ...Read more

Say goodbye to the double bye.

No. 15 Missouri men's basketball took itself out of contention for a top-four finish in the Southeastern Conference and extended a three-game road losing streak in a 96-84 loss at Oklahoma on Wednesday.

Freshman sensation Jeremiah Fears scored 26 points to lead Oklahoma (18-12 overall, 5-13 SEC), which entered ...Read more

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Wolverines entered the final week of the regular season with their sights set on earning at least a share of the Big Ten championship.

Those banner dreams took a big blow in Wednesday’s home finale at Crisler Center.

No. 17 Michigan made a second-half charge but couldn’t complete a comeback in a 71-65 loss to No. ...Read more

BOSTON — Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were one of the most prolific perimeter shooting duos in NBA history. But even they never accomplished what Payton Pritchard and Derrick White did Wednesday night.

Pritchard and White became the first pair of NBA teammates ever to make nine or more 3-pointers in the same game, doing so in a 128-118 win...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Earlier this season, when the Minnesota Timberwolves were struggling through the first half of their season, Julius Randle was trying to find his best fit with the team while Jaden McDaniels was struggling to see the ball go through the hoop.

Wednesday’s 125-110 win over Charlotte was an example of how far both have come ...Read more

CLEVELAND – For weeks now, Erik Spoelstra has stressed the fight of a team fighting to stay afloat in the wake of the Jimmy Butler trade.

That fight, against all odds, was on display again Wednesday night from the Miami Heat at Rocket Arena.

What wasn’t on display was enough to overcome the odds in what turned into a 112-107 loss to the ...Read more

DURHAM, N.C. — One of Jon Scheyer’s top assistant coaches has a new job, just as the Blue Devils are on the verge of the postseason.

Jai Lucas, Duke’s associate head coach, signed a deal Wednesday to become the Miami Hurricanes’ new head coach, with an official announcement scheduled for Thursday, the Miami Herald reported.

Duke ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Another night, another milestone for LeBron James, although this one did indeed resonate more than most.

Becoming the first NBA player to reach 50,000 career points created a particularly alluring way to express and appreciate James' sustained excellence over 22 seasons. Just another number, sure, but a very large one, ...Read more

DURHAM, N.C. — It wasn’t just the skill. It was the impertinence.

Cameron Hildreth was the last man between Cooper Flagg and the basket in the open floor. Even in the best of circumstances, there probably wouldn’t be much he could do.

In this circumstance, gamely standing in the path of the best player in college basketball, there was ...Read more