National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

He was hopping on one foot after releasing the shot and hopped right off the platform, grabbing immediately for his left leg. When he hobbled to the locker room, Doncic could barely put any weight on his leg. "It is absolutely a safety hazard," Lakers coach JJ Redick said after Doncic was able to return later in the first quarter.

Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes and San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant have accepted invitations to the NBA Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.

"Just a basketball play, it's unfortunate," Brown said. "Okongwu's a good player, and I know from my own experience with a fractured face and chipped teeth. ... It wasn't intentional, and I know it's going to be a long day at the dentist for him, so hopefully he has a good recovery."

He hears it in nearly every arena the Lakers enter. "We want Bronny. We want Bronny." But on Monday night in Cleveland's Rocket Arena, where the familiar chant reached arena-filling decibels, it felt different. It felt like home. Bronny James provided some of the few Lakers highlights in the team's worst loss of the year - a 129-99 drubbing by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday - to turn an emotional homecoming for his father into a happy return for the 21-year-old.

Through the first half of last season, Illinois looked like a legitimate Final Four contender. The Fighting Illini started 12-3, with wins over Wisconsin, Missouri, Oregon and Arkansas. But they would go 5-8 in their next 13 games, proving to be something of a paper tiger. In games against Quad 4 opponents, they had the best defensive rating in the country at CBB Analytics. In Quad 1 games, they were 82nd.

The Jordan Poole experience in Washington was quite the ride for an abundance of reasons. Between major offensive performances, unreal shot-making, nights where his inefficiency stood out and others where his decision-making simply caused frustration stemming from the coaching staff to the fans at home. Regardless, there's no doubt that while having the Michigan product on your team can cause a roller coaster ride of emotions, it rarely translates to winning.

"While he's been out, I think [Kasparas Jakucionis] and [Dru Smith] have done a very good job with (team's point of attack defense, pace)," Spoelstra said, according to Clutch Points' Zachary Weinberger. "We miss him, but we want to be smart about it. ... We're going to continue to treat him. He's doing more and more on the court, and when he's ready, he'll be ready."

If the Miami Heat is going to have a realistic opportunity to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, they're going to need to find a way to add an additional first-round pick or two. That's the clearest pathway that the Heat has to pulling off the blockbuster move. The good news for the Heat is that they may have the exact player they'll need to pull off such a move before putting their best Giannis trade offer on the table.

Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum told ESPN on Wednesday night that he hasn't made a decision about whether he will return from a torn Achilles tendon this season because he "wants to get it right the first time, so it's just a lot to think about." Tatum said he's been progressing well in his rehabilitation and is feeling stronger every week, but he's waiting to make a decision because of the severity of the injury.

WNBA expansion team the Portland Fire has unveiled its inaugural game jerseys. The white home jersey has Fire emblazoned on the front, and the away red jersey showcases the city's name. The secondary logo is PDX, shorthand for the city, with the P as an outline of Mt. Hood and design of the P and D reflecting the flow of the Willamette River.

Wonder what Caitlin Clark thinks about the confusion surrounding Austin Reaves' imminent return to the Lakers lineup? Or whether Jeanie Buss has turned on LeBron James? Or if she has nothing but praise for Luka Doncic? Tune in to the Lakers' matchup against the New York Knicks on the NBC Sports debut of "Basketball Night in America" on Sunday night to find out. Clark, the uber-popular WNBA star, will serve an analyst on the pregame show, beginning at 3 p.m. PT, one hour before tipoff.

Adams, 32, suffered the injury in a Jan. 18 victory against the New Orleans Pelicans while guarding Zion Williamson at the rim. Sliding over to help Alperen Sengun defend Williamson, Adams jumped to contest a shot from the Pelicans forward and immediately grabbed at his left ankle upon landing. Adams is averaging 5.8 points and 8.6 rebounds in 22.8 minutes per game for a Rockets team that leads the NBA in rebounding (49 per game).

In June, he became their first lottery pick in 15 years. And now he's the first Net named to the Rising Stars Competition at All-Star Weekend since 2019. The tanking Nets headed into Tuesday's tilt in Phoenix with the fifth-worst record in the NBA, but they're the youngest team in the league. They have a record five first-round rookies on the roster, led by Dëmin, and the teenage point guard will be Brooklyn's first representative at All-Star weekend since Kevin Durant in 2022.

Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware will be a part of the 2026 All-Star Weekend in Inglewood, Calif.! The second-year big was named to the NBA Sophomores team for the Rising Stars Game on Feb. 13, the league announced. Among his teammates will be Spurs' reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, Houston's Reed Sheppard, Memphis' Cam Spencer and Jaylen Wells plus Portland's Donovan Clingan.