CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls weren’t expecting any gifts Monday evening when they played host to the Milwaukee Bucks in a pre-holiday game at the United Center.

But the Bucks provided a couple anyway.

Coach Doc River played the role of Secret Santa by sitting the Bucks’ two biggest stars — Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was dealing with ...Read more

BOSTON — Christmas Day will conclude a stretch that served as a barometer for the Philadelphia 76ers.

They are in Beantown to face the Boston Celtics in a 5 p.m. ET tilt at TD Garden. The marquee game will wrap a three-game stretch that started with Saturday’s road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Monday’s home game vs. the San ...Read more

CHICAGO — When the Chicago Bulls dealt Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder in June, many fans scratched their heads.

It was no secret that Bulls vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas was going to make some changes, but Caruso seemed like he’d made a new home in Chicago, a town that appreciates players who put ...Read more

DENVER — With sincerity and a sense of humor, Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. discussed his reaction to hearing his name in trade rumors on Monday, reflecting on his career in Denver and saying the front office has told him there’s no interest in trading him at the moment.

That could change, of course. As The Denver Post reported last ...Read more

MIAMI — The sense of dread proved all too real Tuesday, with the Miami Heat announcing that guard Dru Smith sustained a season-ending torn left Achilles tendon in Monday night’s victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Having recently emerged as a prime rotation component in his comeback from his season-ending knee injury a year ago, Smith was ...Read more

ATLANTA – As Anthony Edwards was finishing his pregame warmup Monday with his usual set of halfcourt shots, he got word from his cameraman and content creator Dontre’ McCain to look behind him at the opposite baseline.

Edwards glanced and gave a quick smile as he saw his grandfather, Ben Edwards, sitting there watching his grandson warm up....Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Detroit Pistons are usually the team that suffers from their lack of ball security. They came into Los Angeles tied with the Toronto Raptors for the sixth-most turnovers, averaging 16.2. However, inside Crypto.com Arena Monday night, the Pistons were the beneficiary of a team that could not hold on to the ball.

The Los ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — The talking point around the Warriors over the past two days has been about how their young players can better play around Steph Curry.

But against the Pacers on Monday, they weren’t the problem. Curry was.

Head coach Steve Kerr directed pointed comments toward Jonathan Kuminga and others about passing the ball and avoiding...Read more

MIAMI – The Miami Heat already were at an emotional loss watching Dru Smith being escorted off the court in the second period with a leg injury.

For a while, they also seemed at a loss against a team trying to lose.

Eventually, if not emotionally, order was restored enough for Erik Spoelstra’s team to snap a three-game losing streak with ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid lost his cool and was ejected.

Andre Drummond had his ejection rescinded only to miss the second half with a left big toe contusion. And their 76ers held on to get a much-needed victory over a team with a winning record.

Friday’s 111-106 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at the Wells Fargo Center was indeed one ...Read more

ATLANTA – Before Monday’s game in Atlanta, Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said his team’s offense was “going through it” after two rough outings at home. The Wolves’ first quarter backed that up as they fell behind Atlanta by 19.

They got it together for the middle quarters before their shooting dried up again in the ...Read more

NEW YORK — All aboard the Knicks Express. The train just keeps rolling at Penn Station.

The Knicks picked up their 14th win in the last 18 games with a dominant wire-to-wire 139-125 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night, extending their winning streak to four games.

With Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs set to visit ...Read more

The Boston Celtics expected to have their entire roster available Monday night for just the second time this season.

Minutes before tipoff, plans changed.

Jayson Tatum, two nights removed from his sensational 43-point triple-double against Chicago, was added to Boston’s injury report with what the team called a non-COVID illness. That was at...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif.— Stanford and Oregon aren’t members of the Pac-12 Conference anymore.

But for one Saturday night in San Jose, the two longtime Pacific Coast rivals could play against each other and pretend.

“It was just nice,” said Stanford coach Kyle Smith. “It was a Pac-12 game, an old throwback. We’d like to play some of those...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Big Blue Express was rolling. Kentucky basketball owned a 10-1 record. A No. 4 ranking in the AP Top 25. Enviable positions in both the KenPom and NET metrics. Universal praise for what new coach Mark Pope had accomplished. Then splat — New York happened.

Call it the Big Apple Bashing. The Cats delivered lumps of coal ...Read more

Every Denver Nuggets comeback needs a stroke of inspiration, and this one fittingly occurred without Nikola Jokic on the floor. With 9:18 remaining in a game Denver trailed 100-90, Julian Strawther was barreled over away from the ball while Jamal Murray buried a corner 3-pointer.

A flagrant foul. A free throw for Strawther. A lob from Russell ...Read more

LAWRENCE, Kan. — No matter what shot Kansas guard Zeke Mayo took on Sunday, it felt like it was going in.

While Mayo wasn’t perfect against Brown, it sure felt like it. A week after setting a KU career-high with 26 points against NC State, the South Dakota State transfer followed that up with 25 points.

No. 8 Kansas defeated Brown 87-53 on...Read more

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Wolverines entered the holiday break on a cheerful note.

No. 24 Michigan turned in a dominant performance and snapped a two-game skid by steamrolling Purdue Fort Wayne, 89-58, in a matinee matchup on Sunday at Crisler Center.

Following four consecutive games that went down to the wire and were decided by three points ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Magic‘s worst fear came true Sunday afternoon after center Moritz Wagner suffered a left knee injury in the first quarter of Saturday’s game against the Miami Heat at Kia Center.

Wagner underwent an MRI on Sunday and results revealed he sustained a torn ACL in his left knee, the Orlando Sentinel learned.

Wagner will ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — This was yet another moment of maturity, of which there have been many for Tyler Herro this season.

In the wake of Monday night’s crushing overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons, Herro was asked in the intervening days about his chances for an All-Star breakthrough in this sixth Miami Heat season.

Amid a selfless season that ...Read more