National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

NEW YORK -- Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson was fined $50,000 by the NBA for "aggressively pursuing, berating, and making inadvertent contact with a game official" during a game on Friday night. The NBA's head of basketball operations James Jones made the announcement on Saturday. The incident happened after Atkinson was called for his second technical foul and ejected from the game with 10:59 remaining in the fourth quarter of a 126-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

The Cavaliers turn Hunter's salary slot into two guards for their depth in point guard help with Schroder and a top defender on the market with Ellis. The Cavaliers also save about $50 million in salary and luxury tax bills this season due to the transaction and drops their tax bill from $164 million to $120 million, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.

Trent Perry hit a game-tying three-pointer from the top of the key with 1.1 seconds left in regulation before the UCLA men's basketball team went on to lose to Indiana 98-97 in double overtime Saturday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion. Freshman Trent Sisley made the first of two free throws with 0.3 seconds left to give the Hoosiers a one-point lead in the second overtime period.

Amid absences to Coby White, Josh Giddey and Nikola Vucevic, the shorthanded Bulls were led by guard Ayo Dosunmu, who had one of his best games of the season. He scored 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting - including 5-of-6 from deep - with eight rebounds and nine assists in 36 minutes. Chicago outscored the Heat 69-55 in the second half, including 35-21 in the third quarter.

When the Raptors handed Immanuel Quickley a five-year, $175 million extension in the 2024 offseason, many were left wondering about the hefty price tag for a restricted free agent. But in today's NBA, where contracts keep getting bigger, there was also a chance this deal could turn out to be a smart financial move down the line - especially if Quickley makes a significant leap to stardom.

For two weeks, West Coast Conference basketball fans have wondered: Will injured Gonzaga star Graham Ike be ready to play Saturday night when Saint Mary's visits the nation's sixth-ranked team? Do they have Ike or not? I don't know, Gaels coach Randy Bennett pondered on Thursday after practice. We're prepared for either team. Gonzaga coach Mark Few said he expects the two-time All-WCC forward to play after missing the past three games with an ankle injury. Still out is Ike's frontcourt mate Braden Huff, likely

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Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic plans to return to action on Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers at home after being sidelined since Dec. 29 with a bone bruise in his hyperextended left knee, sources told ESPN. Jokic is also set to play in Sunday's showdown against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Denver and be eligible for season awards such as MVP and All-NBA.

The Lakers have upgraded guard Austin Reaves (left calf strain) to questionable from out and listed guard Luka Doncic (left ankle soreness) as questionable for Friday night's game against the Washington Wizards. Reaves has been out since getting injured on Christmas Day against the Houston Rockets, a span of 17 games. In the 23 games this season Reaves played, Reaves is averaging career highs in points (26.6), assists (6.3) and rebounds (5.2). Reaves is shooting 50.7% from the field and 36.5% from three-point range.

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."