MIAMI — In these days of social correctness, the phrase “spare the rod and spoil the child” probably has moved on from the vernacular.

But the concept assuredly remains in play. And for more than kid stuff.

That, in many ways is how the Miami Heat got here, to this point of no return with now-suspended Jimmy Butler.

Without ground rules...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Kawhi Leonard took the final shot of his pregame routine Saturday and ran off the Intuit Dome court. With fans chanting, “Kawhi! Kawhi! Kawhi!” he glanced up at the crowd and pointed his finger in acknowledgment before running into the tunnel toward the locker room.

It was a rare show of excitement by a player usually devoid...Read more

If only Pacome Dadiet and Ariel Hukporti were on New York’s bench, and not on G-League assignment with the Westchester Knicks.

Maybe then Tom Thibodeau would have had two extra sets of fresh legs to use in his team’s second leg of a back-to-back against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.

But he didn’t, and for the second game in a row, the ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — The numbers that might define the direction of the Warriors might be easy as one, two, three. And they have nothing to do with 2- or 3-pointers.

Jonathan Kuminga left Saturday night’s game with a right ankle sprain. If it’s a Grade 1 strain, he’ll be back on the court in no time. If it’s Grade 2, returning before ...Read more

The Wolverines kicked off the new year and their Los Angeles trip with a wild tale of two halves.

Michigan welcomed Southern California to the Big Ten with a 3-point barrage in the first half and a healthy helping of points in the paint in the second half en route to an 85-74 win on Saturday at Galen Center.

Danny Wolf stuffed the stat sheet ...Read more

DETROIT — Paul Reed quickly got the Detroit Pistons to stay focused Friday night. Inside the locker room at Little Caesars Arena, the Pistons celebrated a thrilling victory against the Charlotte Hornets. Although he saw nothing wrong with his teammates celebrating the win, Reed reminded the team that it had another game in less than 24 hours. ...Read more

CHICAGO — For a half-hour interlude in an otherwise unimportant game between the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks on Saturday night, the city of Chicago sank into nostalgia.

It wasn’t the way most of the city had dreamed it up over the last eight years. But that didn’t matter. Fans lined up for hours in the subfreezing temperatures ...Read more

MIAMI — As bad as it had gotten with Jimmy Butler and his indifference and indignation, it got even worse Saturday night for the Miami Heat.

With Butler serving the first game of a seven-game team suspension imposed Friday for “conduct detrimental to the team,” Erik Spoelstra’s team offered its own version of detriment, falling 136-100 ...Read more

BOISE, Idaho — It was San Diego State against Boise State, which means we might as well have just fast-forwarded through pre-game introductions, the entire first half, all of halftime, and all of the second half until the closing few minutes.

Six of the last seven meetings have gone down to the wire, all decided by two possessions or less, ...Read more

NEW YORK — One of the best parts about having an 82-game regular season is that it allows NBA teams to recognize an area of weakness and then take the steps to address it.

The 76ers struggled mightily in many areas during Thursday’s blowout loss to the Golden State Warriors. One of those areas was transition defense, and they were ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — In the preseason, one of the major knocks on the prospects for Mark Pope’s first Kentucky team was that the Wildcats lacked star power.

A collection of good players — no great player — was the consensus.

Well, don’t look now, but the Wildcats have flipped their perceived weakness into their greatest strength.

...Read more

DETROIT — Two nights after Anthony Edwards described how the constant double teams he was facing made it hard for him to score, he got what he wanted. Scoring was no problem for Edwards against the Pistons on Saturday night, as he set a career high with 53 points.

The problem was, nobody else on the Wolves could score ... nor could they ...Read more

NEW YORK — Had the NBA offseason played out differently, Jimmy Butler would have been at Barclays Center on Saturday night.

The Philadelphia 76ers tried to engage the Miami Heat about a potential trade for Butler over the summer, Yahoo Sports reported Friday, but a deal never came to fruition.

Instead, the Sixers signed fellow forward Paul ...Read more

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Even while still basking in the good feelings — joy, satisfaction, relief — Saturday afternoon immediately after a win that was as triumphant as it was larcenous, Elliot Cadeau couldn’t help recalling the abuse he took after missing what could have been a game-tying 3-pointer at Kansas.

Such tribulations die hard, and...Read more

NEW YORK — The last time Joel Embiid played a game in New York, the Philadelphia 76ers superstar declared his love.

“New York is my favorite city in the world,” Embiid said on April 30 after his Sixers beat the Knicks at Madison Square Garden in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series. “I’ve had a place here for the past five years...Read more

It only took one Saturday in the Southeastern Conference for Missouri men's basketball to learn the difference between good and great.

Mizzou has been good this season, even very good at moments. That dried up in the face of No. 2 Auburn, which has been great, played against great opponents and flexed that fact against MU during both teams' SEC...Read more

MIAMI — Moments after the Miami Heat said Saturday that coach Erik Spoelstra would not comment on the seven-game team suspension issued Friday to forward Jimmy Butler, Spoelstra on Saturday commented on the situation prior to his team’s game against the Utah Jazz at Kaseya Center.

“I know there’s been a lot over the last 48 hours that ...Read more

NEW YORK — Recent trades and ceaseless injuries have made it nearly impossible for the Nets to establish on-court continuity this season.

Nearly a week after acquiring D’Angelo Russell and Maxwell Lewis in a trade that sent Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn announced on Saturday that Cam Thomas will be...Read more

LINCOLN, Neb. — With its best all-around player out and its point guard falling into a deeper funk, UCLA needed some step-up performances to beat Nebraska.

What did the Bruins get?

Sebastian Mack made three of 11 shots and committed four turnovers before fouling out.

Kobe Johnson and Lazar Stefanovic combined to make six of 18 shots.

The ...Read more

DENVER — The most compelling possible 1-on-1 matchup to decide an NBA game transpired on the third night of 2025.

Nikola Jokic holding the basketball at the free-throw line. Victor Wembanyama defending the basket and protecting a one-point lead.

Nine years of age separated them as Jokic tried to get to his patented shot, the Sombor Shuffle, ...Read more