Category: Basketball

Basketball News

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No. 2 Arizona freshmen dominate Denver with career-high performances

Brayden Burries and Ivan Kharchenkov each scored a career-high 20 points and No. 2 Arizona got 72 points from freshmen in a 103-73 win over Denver on Monday night. Burries was 7 of 13 from the field, making 3 of 7 from 3-point range, and added seven rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Kharchenkov was 9 for 12 from the field as the Wildcats (6-0) won their 41st consecutive home game against an unranked opponent. Fellow freshman Dwayne Aristode had a career high with 17 points, making 4 of 8 from 3-point range, while Tobe Awaka and Koa Peat each had 12 points.

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Sharp, Uzan power No. 3 Houston past Syracuse in OT

MICHIGAN 94, SAN DIEGO STATE 54 LAS VEGAS (AP) — Yaxel Lendeborg scored 15 points and Michigan routed San Diego State in the opening round of the Players Era tournament. Elliot Cadeau and Morez Johnson Jr. each had 13 points. Nimari Burnett and Rodd Gale Jr. scored 11 apiece and Will Tschetter added 10.

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Karl-Anthony Towns 'trusting the work' after carrying Knicks to win over Nets

It took a decent chunk of time --  perhaps 15 games, in an attempt to quantify the stretch -- for Karl-Anthony Towns to discover his purpose and play with confidence in a reworked Knicks offense under new head coach Mike Brown. 

But the veteran superstar finally found what he was looking for.

While the Knicks didn't need Towns to assert much dominance in order to clinch a 12th straight win over the city-rival Nets on Monday night, he immediately commanded the spotlight and delivered welcomed efficiency. Not only did he score a game-high 37 points with 12 rebounds in their 113-100 win at Barclays Center, he shot 14-of-20 from the floor.

Towns didn't rely on three-point attempts this time. Yes, he still took a few jumpers from beyond the arc, making three on four tries, but the big man's attack plan sparked a breakout effort. He attacked the rim instead, asserting his dominance in the paint as the Knicks' go-to weapon. He was an aggressor, not a settler.

"I've had slumps before, experience teaches me a lot. Keep shooting, keep trusting the work," Towns said after the win. "I know it's disappointing, especially for me who puts so much time in the gym and you're not seeing the results every day you'd like at the standard you anticipate. But never change the grind."

The Knicks fell just short of attempting 40 threes in Brooklyn -- they were five off from the number Brown hopes the team averages this season -- but high-octane offense can be displayed in different ways. And what the team received was Towns contributing in all spaces.

Of course, Towns exploited weaker competition. It shouldn't matter to the Knicks, though. They're allowed to be pleased this version of him showed up. They're allowed to believe this performance returns and lifts the offense to an even higher level.

"He was really good. Again, trying to move him around quite a bit," Brown said of Towns. "Tried to have him at the elbow, in the post, in the pick-and-roll game. You can see his comfort level is starting to get there... Great game by KAT, picking his sports to drive it, shoot it, spray it."

Towns is averaging 21.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 3.4 rebounds with nearly one-fifth of the regular-season in the books. He's still searching for that valuable groove from three, though -- his shot percentage of 31.4 is currently a career-low.

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Knicks use big second half to put away Nets, secure second road win of season

The Knicks picked up their 12th consecutive win over the Nets, 113-110, on Monday night at Barclays Center. 

Here are some takeaways...

- Mike Brown turned to a smaller lineup with Mitchell Robinson (illness) and OG Anunoby (hamstring) sidelined, as Josh Hart received his first start of the season alongside Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns. 

- That group got off to an extremely sloppy start on both ends of the floor. The Knicks shot 4-of-14 from the field over the opening few minutes and continued giving up open looks from downtown, allowing Brooklyn to hold a slim two-point advantage when the first quarter came to a close (26-24). 

Noah Clowney got off to a strong start for the Nets, leading the team with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting. 

- New York's second unit of Hart, Towns, Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson, and Ariel Hukporti got them going early in the second. Even with Brunson resting on the bench, they were able to put together a commanding 11-0 run to open their largest lead of the first half, at the time (eight). 

The Knicks looked like they were ready to put this one away as they pushed the advantage out to as many as a dozen, but Brooklyn answered back with a late first-half surge, and they were able to cut it all the way back down to a one-possession game heading into the break (51-48). 

Both teams shot a combined 25 percent from behind the arc over the first two quarters (NY 3/14, BKN 7/26). 

- Things were back-and-forth coming out of the break before the Knicks took over and opened a comfortable double-digit advantage that they never looked back from. New York scored a game-high 38 points in the third quarter while shooting 64 percent from the field, including 5-of-9 from behind the arc. 

- Towns led the way in perhaps his best offensive showing of the season, finishing with 37 points on 14-of-20 shooting (just 3-of-4 from three) while reeling in 12 rebounds and dishing three assists. The big man did have a bit of a scare after falling hard on his hip on a drive to the basket early in the fourth, but he returned to the court after a timeout.

Brunson had 27 points, Bridges chipped in 16 points, and Hart did it all (seven points, 12 rebounds, seven assists). 

- Jordi Fernandez's young and hungry squad showed much more fight this time compared to the last meeting. Clowney finished with a career-high 31 points on the night including seven threes, Drake Powell pitched in 15 on 5-of-10 shooting, and big man Nic Claxton had eight points. 

New York picked up their second road win of the season in seven tries. 

Game MVP: Karl-Anthony Towns

The big man dominated the paint all night, finishing with a game-high 37 points. 

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks close their road trip with an NBA Cup matchup with the Hornets on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.

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Sharp and Uzan shine in OT as No. 3 Houston outlasts Syracuse 78-74 at Players Era

Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan each scored 26 points, teaming for all 11 of No. 3 Houston's points in overtime, in the Cougars' 78-74 victory over Syracuse on Monday in the opening round of the Players Era. Uzan, playing in his hometown, scored six points in OT and Sharp had five to keep the Cougars (6-0) undefeated. Chris Cenac Jr. scored all eight of his points after halftime and had 12 rebounds.

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Wizards rookie Tre Johnson to miss weeks due to hip injury

Tre Johnson, the rookie guard who is one of the lone bright spots in Washington's ugly start to the season, will miss multiple weeks dealing with a hip flexor issue, Varun Shankar of the Washington Post reports.

Johnson was out for the Washington on Saturday, then on Monday the team confirmed the injury but did not provide an official return timeline.

This is the same injury that caused Johnson to miss time last season at Texas, and he had been playing through some pain there, according to Shankar at the Post.

Johnson is averaging 11.5 points a game and shooting 39.5% from 3-point range. Because of the injury, Johnson had seen his minutes drop, playing fewer than 20 in his last three before being ruled out. Look for Cam Whitmore and Corey Kispert to get more run with Johnson sidelined.

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Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups pleads not guilty in rigged poker games case

NEW YORK (AP) — Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, pleaded not guilty Monday to charges he profited from rigged poker games involving several Mafia figures and at least one other ex-NBA player.

Billups, a five-time All Star who won a championship with the Detroit Pistons, was arraigned in a federal court in Brooklyn on money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy charges, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors say he was involved in a scheme to rig mob-backed illegal poker games in Manhattan, Las Vegas, Miami and the Hamptons. Others face charges of running an illegal gambling business, robbery conspiracy and extortion conspiracy. Prosecutors said Monday that plea negotiations have begun with some defendants but did not identify them.

U.S. District Court Judge Ramon Reyes said he hopes to bring the sprawling case to trial by next September, telling lawyers to "do what you have to do.”

Billups, dressed in a dark grey suit, spoke only to answer yes-or-no questions from the judge. His lawyer, Marc Mukasey, entered his plea. They declined to comment after the hearing. Last month, another Billups lawyer called him a “man of integrity” who denies the allegations.

“To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his Hall of Fame legacy, his reputation and his freedom,” attorney Chris Heywood said after Billups first appeared in court on Oct. 23, when prosecutors first announced the indictment.

Billups, 49, was released on a $5 million bond secured by his family’s Colorado home. He must refrain from gambling, avoid contact with other defendants or alleged victims, surrender his passport and limit travel to seven states, including Oregon and New York, and Washington, D.C.

Inducted last year into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, Billups was arguably the most prominent among more than 30 people charged in last month’s sprawling federal takedown of illegal gambling operations linked to professional sports.

Ex-NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones was also charged in the poker scheme, as well as another separate scheme to let gamblers exploit insider information about players to win NBA bets that implicated Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.

In addition to Monday's arraignment, Billups and his co-defendants attended a status conference and are due back in court March 4.

Prosecutors say the poker-rigging scheme used altered card-shuffling machines, hidden cameras in chip trays, special sunglasses and X-ray equipment built into the table to read cards. They allege the operation defrauded victims of an estimated $7 million starting in at least 2019.

Billups allegedly served as a celebrity “face card” that could draw wealthy, unsuspecting players to the games. Prosecutors said organizers texted during one game that a victim “acted like he wanted Chauncey to have his money” because he was “star struck.”

Prosecutors say Billups received a portion of the ill-gotten gains. including a $50,000 wire transfer after a rigged game in October 2020.

Organizers also had to share their proceeds with the Gambino, Genovese and Bonanno mob families for operating within the illegal poker games run by the New York criminal enterprises, prosecutors said. In return, Mafia members allegedly carried out assault, extortion and robbery to collect debts and protect the operation.

During his NBA career, Billups earned about $106 million. After retiring in 2014, he embarked on a career as a TV analyst before pivoting to coaching.

Billups was selected as the third overall pick in the 1997 draft by the Boston Celtics after starring in college for the Colorado Buffaloes. He played 17 years in the NBA, with stints with the Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers.

But he is perhaps most beloved in the Motor City, where he earned the nickname “Mr. Big Shot” for his knack of making clutch shots.

Billups was named the NBA Finals MVP during the Pistons' title run in 2004 and had his No. 1 jersey retired by the team.

He was hired as Portland’s coach in 2021 and signed a multiyear extension with the Trail Blazers earlier this year after the team missed out on the playoffs for the fourth straight season in 2024. Billups previously served as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers.

After his arrest, he was placed on unpaid leave and the Trail Blazers named assistant coach and former NBA player Tiago Splitter as interim coach.