MIAMI — The trade speculation surrounding Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler has grown louder this week, but Butler doesn’t mind.

“I actually like it,” Butler said following the Heat’s practice at Kaseya Center on Wednesday. “It’s good to be talked about. I don’t think there’s such a thing as bad publicity to a point. But if ...Read more

MIAMI — The Miami Heat in its Jimmy Butler era has been consistently good enough to tease and tantalize but not good enough to turn the hope into celebration. So it is again now, just past the quarter mark of his sixth NBA season in South Florida, with a team 12-10 after three impressive straight wins.

You can predict how this will play out, ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Go to Phoenix on Monday, play Tuesday. Fly to San Antonio late Tuesday and play the next day. Back to Los Angeles late on Thanksgiving eve, off for the holiday and then play the Thunder on Friday. Fly to Utah the next day, play the Jazz on Sunday. Then off to Minnesota on Sunday night, land late and play the Timberwolves on ...Read more

CHICAGO — In the celebration after Nikola Vučević’s 39-point eruption in the Chicago Bulls’ beatdown of the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, teammate Ayo Dosunmu had a message ready: “Start the Vooch All-Star campaign.”

In the early weeks of the season, the idea was something of a joke. Vučević was on a tear, going 21 for 44 from 3-...Read more

NEW YORK — Michigan had a chance to back up its massive jump into the national rankings at the mecca of basketball.

Instead, the No. 14 Wolverines had cold water thrown on their hot streak in a wild game at Madison Square Garden that came down to the final possession.

After letting a 15-point first-half lead slip away, Michigan couldn’t ...Read more

The slumping Miami Hurricanes had a chance to make a major statement on Tuesday night against top-ranked Tennessee at Madison Square Garden in front of an ESPN audience.

They held their own, took a brief lead midway through the first half, got within seven late in the game, but fell short 75-62 in the Volunteers’ closest game of the season. ...Read more

It was always going to be an uphill battle for the Orlando Magic without Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.

Despite missing its star duo, along with key reserves Jonathan Isaac and Gary Harris, Orlando fought valiantly in its 114-109 road loss in the NBA Cup quarterfinals at Fiserv Forum.

Jalen Suggs ...Read more

DURHAM, N.C. — No. 4 Duke washed away the stench of a subpar first half with second-half surge that blew away Incarnate Word on Tuesday night.

After struggling to pull away from the Cardinals, Duke scored the first 11 points after halftime and rolled to a 72-46 nonconference basketball win at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Duke (8-2) shot a lowly ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Clippers were in the midst of a drill when suddenly, and even surprisingly, Kawhi Leonard joined their practice session Tuesday.

"We were doing a shooting drill at the beginning of practice and we go back and forth passing and I'm passing it to Kawhi, I go, 'Oh, snap! That's Kawhi!' Know what I mean?" guard Jordan Miller ...Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. — It was like something out of NBA 2K.

Tyrese Martin, an unheralded second-round pick on a two-way contract and in his second year in the league, finally getting his chance at extended playing time and getting buckets.

The 25-year-old former UConn star was draining threes left and right— and from the top of the key too, ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Dear LeBron, … ask out.

Dear A.D., ... follow him.

This is my Christmas wish for a Lakers franchise that has lost the town to the Dodgers, lost the season because of a lousy roster, and just lost by 41 points to Pat Riley.

After a quarter of the season, the Lakers are no better than a bottom seed in the Western Conference, ...Read more

First Scottie Barnes. Then Karl-Anthony Towns. Finally, Jalen Brunson. Something is in the Toronto waters. Or maybe there’s something new in the air.

Barnes had already missed three weeks of action earlier in the season before he severely sprained his ankle in a third-quarter, Monday-night collision with Towns. He hopped on one foot from the ...Read more

PARIS — After a day that will live in infamy to the people of Serbia, a handful of old friends talked deep into the night. It was Aug. 8, and then it was Aug. 9, and they couldn’t sleep. So in the treatment room of their team hotel, a few Serbian basketball players ordered a drink and decompressed.

They relived moments from their game that ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Billy Lange doesn't like fishing. It takes too much time and there are so many other things to do. But Erik Reynolds II, he likes to fish. The St. Joseph's basketball star grew up outside of Washington D.C. in Temple Hills, Md., where Henson Creek flows through and eventually drains into the Potomac River. Reynolds will sit on a...Read more

The Lakers had little choice Sunday night in their return to Los Angeles, a style of play chosen for them instead of them choosing it.

LeBron James, upgraded to probable earlier in the day, was suddenly on his way out of the lineup, his sore foot severe enough that his dream of an 82-game season ended Sunday evening.

Without James and still ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — Having scored one point in five minutes, seeing an 11-point lead dissipate into a deficit, the Golden State Warriors went to a Steph Curry pick-and-roll on the wing with Jonathan Kuminga.

Kuminga slipped to the rim at an angle, catching a pocket pass off the bounce and elevating for a two-handed dunk.

The Warriors want to ...Read more

ATLANTA — The Denver Nuggets handed the Hawks a 141-111 loss on Sunday after jumping on them early in the matchup at State Farm Arena. The 30-point blowout snapped the Hawks’ six-game win streak.

Here are five observations:

— 1. Despite playing back-to-back nights, the Nuggets looked like the team with fresher legs, especially early. ...Read more

MIAMI – The search is over. This is the statement win the Miami Heat have been needing and seeking.

Yes, the Cleveland Cavaliers were without Evan Mobley for the second half with an ankle sprain. Yes, they were playing for the third time in four days.

But still, they entered a league-best 21-3, still had Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and ...Read more

EUGENE, Ore. — It was UCLA-Oregon, so weird things were bound to happen.

Into a rivalry that once saw Bruins guard Bryce Alford, one of the nation’s leading free-throw shooters, miss a late foul shot in a loss and UCLA come back from nine points down in the final 51 secfonds to win came more unusual things Sunday afternoon at Matthew ...Read more