LEXINGTON, Ky. — It was looking rough for the Kentucky Wildcats in their return to Rupp Arena on Tuesday night.

And then the shots started falling.

Mark Pope’s No. 8-ranked Cats weathered an early storm before coming on toward the end of the first half and staying in control from there for a 81-69 victory over No. 11 Texas A&M, its ...Read more

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — TRADE JIMMY BUTLER NOW.

TAKE THE LOSS, PAT RILEY.

PARDON ME FOR … being so loud, but I’m typing this column with overcaffeinated fingers thanks to a latte at Jimmy Butler’s newly opened BigFace coffee shop in the Miami design district.

Butler says he has four such drinks a day. That explains everything from his...Read more

The Golden State Warriors have given up.

Try as they might, there’s no other way to sell it; no other way to spin it.

The Dubs might provide lip service, saying they can put this season back on the right track and that there’s another 12-3 run in them. But they know what the score is: It’s their sub-.500 record in the standings and their...Read more

NEW YORK — Rejoice, Nets fans. We now know when Brooklyn will receive its prize after a lost 2024-25 season.

The NBA announced on Monday that the 2025 draft lottery will take place on May 12 in Chicago. Scouts will get a closer look at this year’ top draft prospects at the draft combine May 11-18.

The Atlanta Hawks selected French forward ...Read more

SEATTLE — Turns out, Gabby Williams will not become an unrestricted free agent after all, and the Storm will use their core designation on the sixth-year forward, according to an ESPN report.

After her late arrival in August, Williams said she re-signed with the Storm in part because the team promised not to designate her a core player and ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — When Anthony Davis described watching the flames approaching his family home, he didn't sound like a star player on the Lakers.

He sounded like a concerned father.

When JJ Redick recalled Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul of the San Antonio Spurs presenting his sons with autographed game-worn jerseys to rebuild memorabilia ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A Texas man has been charged in Indiana with felony stalking after he allegedly sent Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark a barrage of text messages that she told prosecutors left her "very fearful" and forced her to become wary of going out in public.

Michael Thomas Lewis, 55, appeared Tuesday in Marion County Superior Court in ...Read more

With the Miami Heat’s seven-game unpaid suspension of forward Jimmy Butler scheduled to be completed with Wednesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.Com Arena, it is what follows the next day that could determine what comes next in the ongoing saga.

That is when Heat owner Micky Arison is expected to meet with Butler ...Read more

TORONTO — The Raptors proved what has been fairly clear for the past six weeks or so: the Golden State Warriors aren’t a good enough team to pencil them in over anyone.

The Warriors are leaving The Six with their woes.

Steph Curry forced a tough 3-pointer with 40 seconds left down one, leading to a breakaway for Toronto in crunch time. ...Read more

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has preached ball movement and team effort since taking over the franchise as coach of the Detroit Pistons in July. But when it comes to Cade Cunningham, Bickerstaff recently revealed that his starting point guard will always have the "green light."

"There is not a light green enough that Cade does not have," Bickerstaff ...Read more

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — It’s only getting worse.

No matter what Mick Cronin says or does, his team keeps falling into a deeper funk.

The UCLA coach ripped his players. He shook up his starting lineup. He tinkered with rotations.

None of it has made a difference.

On the same day the Bruins fell out of the Associated Press rankings, they might...Read more

WASHINGTON – For three quarters Monday, the Minnesota Timberwolves looked as if they wanted to give an easy win away to the league-worst Wizards. They got their act together in the fourth quarter and staved off disaster for a 120-106 victory. The reason? Anthony Edwards turned it on.

The Wolves entered the fourth quarter ahead 82-79 before ...Read more

A Texas man who sent violent, explicit messages to WNBA star Caitlin Clark and stalked her has been arrested in Indianapolis, authorities announced Monday.

Cops said Michael Lewis, 55, traveled from his hometown of Denton, Texas, to the city where Clark plays for the Indiana Fever in the WNBA, the Indianapolis Star reported. He was arrested ...Read more

BOSTON — One of the NBA’s worst teams nearly knocked off the Celtics on their home floor Sunday.

Boston trailed the lowly New Orleans Pelicans late in the fourth quarter and needed a last-second stop to escape with a 120-119 victory at TD Garden.

The game, which pitted the defending NBA champions against the last-place team in the Western ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — Another night, another undermanned game involving the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Sixers and the Orlando Magic were both without six players for their game Sunday night at the Kia Center, but the hosts found a way to post a come-from-behind 104-99 victory.

The loss dropped the Sixers to 15-22 and marked their fifth setback in ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The 76ers are going to stay in South Philly after all, according to City Council members and a key labor leader.

The team has struck a deal with Comcast Spectacor to remain in the South Philadelphia sports complex, after more than two years of heated debate over moving to a potential new arena on East Market Street.

Ryan Boyer...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The 76ers and Comcast still expect to submit a bid for a Philadelphia WNBA team, a source familiar with the situation told The Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday.

The Sixers making such a bid was part of a late-September PowerPoint presentation about the proposed Center City arena, a sentiment echoed by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker in...Read more