5:38 PM ET The Brooklyn Nets were fined $50,000 for allowing Kyrie Irving to enter the team’s locker room during halftime of Sunday’s 110-107 win at Barclays Center. Irving, who is unvaccinated, was allowed to attend Sunday’s home game as a spectator for the first time this season. However the league said in a statement
NBA
2:01 AM ET PHOENIX — LeBron James created a statistical category all to himself Sunday, becoming the first player in league history to reach the 10,000 plateau in points, rebounds and assists in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 140-111 loss to the Phoenix Suns. “To now sit alone at a statistical category in this league that
8:00 AM ET As college basketball prepares to kick off the men’s and women’s tournaments this week, the NBA is quietly entering the home stretch of the regular season. And while the Phoenix Suns have run away with the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors trail the Memphis Grizzlies by just half a game —
5:52 PM ET NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets star forward Kevin Durant has been so dominant for so long that he admits he feels “at ease” on the floor. It certainly didn’t look difficult in Sunday’s 110-107 win over the New York Knicks as Durant dropped 53 points, dished out 9 assists and grabbed 6
7:54 PM ET Jamal CollierESPN CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls will be without guard Zach LaVine for Saturday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers because of his left knee discomfort, but the team will have guard Alex Caruso in the lineup for the first time since he had wrist surgery in January. LaVine has been
1:20 AM ET Kendra AndrewsESPN SAN FRANCISCO — Klay Thompson walked down the hall from the court to the Golden State Warriors‘ locker room to the sound of fans shouting “Good game, Klay” and clapping their hands. “That one felt good,” Thompson said, as he high-fived a few of the people along the way. As
7:17 PM ET Associated Press MIAMI — Miami Heat forward Markieff Morris was cleared to play Saturday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves following a four-month absence because of a whiplash injury. Morris was injured in a Nov. 8 scuffle with Denver’s Nikola Jokic. He missed 58 games. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before the game
11:12 PM ET San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich never had spent a moment thinking about NFTs until his longtime assistant, Brett Brown, raised the idea on a phone call to coincide with his inevitable breaking of Don Nelson’s record for regular-season career coaching victories. What inspired enthusiasm about the idea for Popovich is that
3:57 AM ET LOS ANGELES — LeBron James continues to redefine the standard for what a star is capable of at such a late stage of his career. James, 37, scored 50 points for the second time in his past three games in lifting the Lakers to a much-needed 122-109 win over the Washington Wizards
6:34 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN One day after announcing Brandon Ingram would miss at least a week with an injury, the New Orleans Pelicans suffered another blow Thursday when the team announced it was placing guard CJ McCollum in health and safety protocols. McCollum had 32 points and eight assists for the Pelicans on Wednesday
8:00 AM ET For nearly two decades, Manu Ginobili has had hundreds of dinners and countless talks with San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, discussing everything from “politics, war, the game, or kids.” Popovich even showed up at Ginobili’s door at 1 in the morning with wine to cheer him up after a tough game.
10:31 PM ET PHILADELPHIA — Ben Simmons endured all the boos that came his way during an emotionally charged return to Philly — and his new Brooklyn Nets teammates made sure they got the last laugh with a dominant 129-100 win over the 76ers on Thursday night. Making his first appearance in Philadelphia since requesting
5:18 PM ET New York Knicks forward Cam Reddish will miss the rest of the season with a right shoulder separation, the team announced Thursday. Reddish’s timeline for recovery will be six weeks, so he is expected to be able to have a full summer of work ahead of the 2022-23 season, sources told ESPN.
10:37 AM ET The ESPN fantasy and betting cheat sheet is your pregame destination for our best intel and data to help you make smart fantasy and wagering decisions. NBA game odds are provided by Caesars Sportsbook, and fantasy advice is based on ESPN 10-team leagues. Jump ahead: Game of the night | Picks and
2:03 AM ET HOUSTON — A triple-double from LeBron James and a high-scoring effort from Russell Westbrook weren’t enough to halt the Los Angeles Lakers‘ self-destruction tour, with Wednesday’s 139-130 overtime loss to the Rockets being the latest lowlight in a season full of them. “We kind of messed around with the game and they
10:51 PM ET ESPN News Services MIAMI — Not that there was any doubt about this, but the Phoenix Suns are going to the playoffs. The Suns didn’t leave any doubt in a matchup of conference leaders, either. Devin Booker scored 23 points, Mikal Bridges added 21 and the Suns shook off a slow start
3:24 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN CAMDEN, N.J. — Even with Ben Simmons not playing in Thursday night’s game between the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, there is plenty of excitement in Philadelphia. Sixers coach Doc Rivers said after practice Wednesday that while he isn’t a fan of the way this Atlantic Division rivalry began, he
8:07 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram has a mild right hamstring strain and will be reevaluated in seven to 10 days, the team announced Wednesday night. The Pelicans started a four-game, seven-night homestand Wednesday against the Orlando Magic. 1 Related Ingram injured his hamstring late against the Denver Nuggets on