National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

The Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Hornets are on two completely different planes in the NBA's Eastern Conference, with the Raps surging right now as the second seed, while the Hornets hold the twelve seed. Right now, of course, the talk of the town over in Charlotte has been the stellar first-year campaign of Kon Knueppel, who's looking like the odds-on favorite to take home the Rookie of the Year award at season's end.

"I guess it's fitting that it came on the eve of Thanksgiving," Spoelstra told reporters. "I just feel incredible gratitude for this organization and all of these years. I'm having a helluva time. I love what I do. I love coaching. I love this profession. I love working for this organization. I love working for, and with, amazing players and staff -- too many to count over the years."

San Antonio Spurs rookie Dylan Harper expects to make his return Wednesday at Portland after missing 10 games due to a strained left calf, Harper divulged his plan to play against the Trail Blazers to the San Antonio Express-News during the team's morning shootaround at the Moda Center.

Over two days, Iowa State defeated St. John's, the reigning Big East champion, on Monday and then dominated Creighton by 18 points a day later, despite playing without star Tamin Lipsey. Yet, the Cyclones were matched Wednesday against Syracuse, which had lost both of its games in Las Vegas, because Iowa State's overall margin of victory (plus-19) wasn't sufficient enough to earn a spot in the championship or third-place games.

PHILADELPHIA -- The Orlando Magic's Jalen Suggs was ejected with 27 seconds left in the first half of Tuesday night's game against the Philadelphia 76ers after receiving two technicals during a heated altercation between the teams. Philadelphia's Andre Drummond squared off with Orlando's Wendell Carter Jr. near the Magic's free throw line, though no punches were thrown. Suggs came in and shoved Drummond.

Finishing with 27 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals, Sarr looked like the franchise player the Wizards drafted him to be when they selected him No. 2 overall last offseason. Receiving the first MVP chants of his career not only prove that the fanbase is behind him, but it proves that the big man is putting a sense of belief into a fanbase that has desperately needed something to believe in over the course of the last few years.

I personally learned that lesson right after buying my first car. Before you ask, it was nothing serious - the only injury suffered was to my ego. I had hardly driven since getting my licence, so a midnight cruise after bringing the car home felt right. The longer I drove around the empty neighbourhood streets, the more comfortable (overconfident) I felt, and the more pressure my foot applied on the accelerator.

James, standing on the right side of the court by the Crypto.com Arena logo, passed the ball to Luka Doncic, who was positioned on the perimeter to his left. Once James released the ball, Austin Reaves sprung up from the paint to the 3-point line to set a back screen on Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, who was guarding the Lakers star. The action freed James to advance toward the basket

Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II will miss at least the next three games while being evaluated for swelling and discomfort in his surgically repaired right foot, the team announced Tuesday. Lively underwent surgery on the foot in July to clean out bone spurs. He missed more than two months last season due to a stress fracture in his right ankle.

To say that Powell has been fantastic this season would be a massive understatement. With Tyler Herro out during the first month of the season, Powell helped power the Heat to an 11-6 start to the year. He still is the team's leading scorer and has been thriving in Erik Spoelstra's new offensive system that is predicated on pace and space.

That swish you hear? That's the latest NBA 2K26 ratings update. 2K Games has announced its next round of changes to ratings for NBA 2K26 to better reflect players' real-life ability on the court. Donovan Mitchell is in his prime and the latest stats reflect that, moving the Cleveland Cavaliers guard up one point to a 94 OVR. Over the last two weeks, Mitchell has posted 32.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game.

In bouncing back from a sophomore slump a year ago, Jaquez Jr. is averaging 17 points, seven rebounds, and six assists per game on 53 percent shooting from the field. He's been one of the most important players for the Heat this season, and his versatility on both ends of the floor has been a natural fit for Erik Spoelstra's new offensive philosophy.

Claire Rothman, a trailblazing sports and entertainment industry executive indelibly tied to the Los Angeles Lakers during their 1980s heyday, has died. Family members confirmed her death, on Saturday, was due to complications from a fall. She was 97. As the president and general manager of the "Fabulous Forum," Rothman was pivotal in bringing big-name musicians to the Inglewood venue and had deep ties to the Lakers when it was the team's home during the "Showtime" era, when the Lakers won five championships in a decade.