5:08 PM ET Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James got another birthday greeting after he turned 38 on Friday. This time from the man he is chasing on the NBA’s all-time scoring list: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Abdul-Jabbar, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and six-time NBA champion, shouted out LeBron on Saturday morning. Happy birthday, LeBron.
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10:49 PM ET ATLANTA – Coming into a Friday night showdown with the Hawks on his 38th birthday, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James told his teammates he had a gift in store for them. He was going to score 40 points to get them back on track after L.A. had lost five of its
12:33 AM ET ESPN News Services MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 43 points and 20 rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks snapped a four-game losing streak with a 123-114 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night. Antetokounmpo finished two points off his season high and also had five assists to join Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin
7:16 PM ET Associated Press ATLANTA — Hawks coach Nate McMillan said Friday he has no plans to retire in the middle of the season, brushing back a report citing unnamed sources. The Athletic reported that McMillan is considering stepping down before the season ends, but McMillan said that’s not true. “We have a race
8:04 PM ET Buddy Hield wasted no time finding the scoring column Thursday night. And he did so in record-breaking fashion. The Pacers sharpshooter grabbed the game-opening jump ball out of midair that Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen had swatted his way, pivoted at the top of the key and coolly connected on a 3-pointer
10:13 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Detroit guard Killian Hayes and Orlando’s Moritz Wagner were each given multigame suspensions for their roles in a scuffle, while the NBA suspended eight Magic players one game apiece Thursday for leaving the bench area during an altercation. Hayes, who struck Wagner in the back of the
9:11 PM ET ESPN News Services DETROIT — Orlando’s Moritz Wagner appeared to briefly get knocked out by a punch to the back of the head after starting a fight in the first half against the Pistons that led to three ejections Wednesday night in a scene that triggered memories of an ugly brawl outside
12:59 AM ET Andrew LopezESPN With time ticking away in the fourth quarter and the New Orleans Pelicans trailing the Minnesota Timberwolves, CJ McCollum joked that the Pelicans’ game plan became quite simple. “Get the ball to Z and get the f— out the way,” he said. Zion Williamson finished with a career-high 43 points,
12:24 AM ET MIAMI — Back in the arena where he played arguably the best basketball of his career, LeBron James was asked to look to the future rather than back into the past and share how much longer he plans to play in the NBA. “I don’t have a number,” James said Wednesday after
2:13 PM ET Associated Press PHOENIX — Suns All-Star guard Devin Booker will miss at least four weeks with a left groin strain. The team confirmed Booker’s injury on Wednesday and said he’ll be reevaluated after the four weeks. “It’s the nature of a guy who puts in a lot of work and lays everything
8:00 AM ET One Eastern Conference contender is streaking up the NBA standings. With a win on Monday over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Brooklyn Nets have run their streak to nine games, tying the longest in the league this season. (The other two teams to pull it off, the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, sit
11:35 PM ET Luka Doncic is unreal. Get exclusive access to more than 3,000 premium articles a year from top writers.• Miller: Ranking CFB’s top players »• Givony: New 2023 NBA mock draft »• Doolittle: Post-FA MLB stock watch » More ESPN+ content » The Dallas Mavericks star put up a triple-double for the ages
6:19 PM ET Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the team announced Tuesday. He will miss Tuesday night’s home game against the Denver Nuggets, which will be coached by associate head coach Jordi Fernandez. Brown has mild symptoms and hopes to be cleared to coach soon, a source
12:16 AM ET CLEVELAND — Prior to leading his team to its ninth straight win — a 125-117 triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night — Brooklyn Nets coach Jacque Vaughn acknowledged what he thought was the key to his team’s recent hot play. “Basketball,” Vaughn said before the game. “We have not steered
7:51 PM ET Sacramento Kings All-Star center Domantas Sabonis has been diagnosed with an avulsion fracture of the ulnar collateral ligament of the right thumb, the team announced Monday. The Kings said he will be listed as questionable for Tuesday’s home game against the Denver Nuggets, indicating he may try to play through the injury.
7:55 PM ET DALLAS — The Los Angeles Lakers‘ Christmas Day took a turn for the worse after halftime, with the Mavericks blitzing L.A. in the third quarter to win 124-115, L.A.’s fourth straight loss without Anthony Davis. Lakers coach Darvin Ham has continued to start the 6-foot-1 Patrick Beverley alongside the 6-1 Dennis Schroder
10:38 PM ET Jamal CollierESPN BOSTON — Jayson Tatum scored 41 points, including 20 during the third quarter, to lead the Boston Celtics to a 139-118 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, turning a marquee Christmas Day matchup featuring the two teams with the best records in the league into a blowout. Boston held a one-point
2:23 AM ET ESPN News Services DENVER — Nikola Jokic authored a triple-double and the Denver Nuggets outlasted the short-handed Phoenix Suns 128-125 in overtime Sunday night, bringing a grand conclusion to the NBA’s annual Christmas Day slate. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, Jokic’s effort, which closed with 41 points, 15 rebounds and