Category: Basketball

Basketball News

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Kawhi Leonard leads Clippers to a dominant win over the Pelicans amid playoff push

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard drives past Pelicans forward Keion Brooks Jr. Wednesday at the Intuit Dome.
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard drives past Pelicans forward Keion Brooks Jr. during a win Wednesday night at the Intuit Dome. (William Liang / Associated Press)

The teams the Clippers are chasing for a top-six spot in the Western Conference standings keep winning and that means the Clippers have to continue their pursuit of wins until the final seedings are decided.

His team understands “what’s at stake” and “what’s at risk,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said, and that has kept his group on high alert as it seeks to avoid the NBA’s play-in tournament by earning a top-six seed.

As it stands, even after the Clippersdefeated the depleted New Orleans Pelicans 114-98 on Wednesday night at the Inuit Dome, the Clippers remain a play-in team.

The Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies all have identical 44-32 records, all of them a half-game behind the fifth-seeded Golden State Warriors. If the season ended today, the Timberwolves would get the No. 6 seed, the Clippers the No. 7 seed and the Grizzlies the No. 8 seed based on tiebreakers.

“Everyone is paying attention to the standings,” guard James Harden said. “But I think we control our own destiny, you know what I mean? So, we just want to be playing well, no matter who we’re playing against. Obviously, it’s going to work out how it’s going to work out. But for us it’s just playing well and controlling what we can control.”

With six regular-season games left, Lue said the Clippers want to play their best, hunt for a top-six position and stay healthy.

“Health is important,” Lue said. “But like you said, trying to get the top-six seed is very important as well, because you don’t want to go into the play-in game because in one or two games anything can happen. So that’s been our focus and our mindset and I give our guys credit. They’ve been doing a good job with that.”

The Clippers stayed in contention for a top-six seed because they had a balanced attack with six players scoring in double figures, led by strong performances from Kawhi Leonard and Harden.

Leonard was efficient, scoring 28 points, shooting 11 for 18 from the field and three for five from three-point range.

Read more:Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell lead Clippers to win over Magic

Harden had a double-double with 21 points and 10 assists. He was was seven for 14 from the field and had three blocks. After going one for five from three-point range, Harden has made 404 three-pointers as a Clipper, pushing him past Eric Gordon for sole possession of 10th place on the all-time list.

Ivica Zubac had 17 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and Bogdan Bogdanovic had 16 points off the bench.

The Clippers won for the ninth time in 10 games but it wasn’t easy at times.

New Orleans just shut down Zion Williamson (bone bruise in his back) and CJ McCollum (bone bruise in his right foot), and other players missed the game too. But the Pelicans didn’t just roll over, forcing the Clippers to stay alert.

It took a three-pointer from Bogdanovic, an offensive rebound and put-back along with two free throws from Zubac, and a three pointer from Leonard for the Clippers to open a 20-point lead late in the fourth quarter.

“I think we’re playing the right way,” said Zubac, whom the Clippers are promoting for defensive player of the year, including handing out T-shirts. “We’re building our team defensively. Just the level of how everyone is on a string, everyone is playing together, covering each other on defense. It’s been a higher level than it was earlier in the year. So, everyone has the right mindset. Everybody is focused on us getting wins.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Knicks run out of gas in second half, fall to Cavaliers, 124-105

The Knicks saw a 34-point second-half swing doom them in their 124-105 loss to the Cavaliers in Cleveland.

The loss broke a streak of 71 consecutive wins when they were up by 15-plus points in a game.

Here are the takeaways...

-The last time these two teams met, the Cavaliers took it to New York in the form of a 142-105 beatdown back in February. It was a different story on Wednesday but ultimately the same result.

The Knicks, coming off the second of a back-to-back, were ready to shoot from the jump, as their first nine field goals (that also came on nine assists) helped them climb to a strong 11-point lead midway through the opening period. They took advantage of sloppy possessions from the Cavs, scoring 10 of their 34 first-quarter points on four turnovers.

Coming off a game-high 27 points against the Sixers on Tuesday, winger OG Anunoby set the team’s torrid first-half pace with contributions as a scorer and facilitator. At the half, Anunoby led all scorers with 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting, and a team-high five assists.

Karl-Anthony Towns, who missed Tuesday's game with knee soreness, dropped seven points but pulled down seven boards on Wednesday. Josh Hart helped Anunoby in the scoring department, posting 12 points on 5 of 11 shooting (2-for-6 from three) to go along with two rebounds and two assists.

-The Knicks enjoyed a double-digit lead for most of the first half, but the Cavaliers made a late push in the second quarter to cut the Knicks' lead to 60-53 at halftime. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 11 points, while De'Andre Hunter scored 10 points off the bench.

-The second half didn't start off great for the Knicks. Anunoby picked up his fourth foul early on and had to sit, and the Cavs took advantage by taking the lead with seven minutes remaining in the third on the back of Mitchell, who scored nine points in the frame. A 7-0 run for New York was fueled by a Precious Achiuwa steal that resulted in a clear-path foul, but Cleveland answered with an 8-0 run of its own to take a 91-85 lead heading into the fourth.

-The Knicks' defense began to fade as the fourth quarter went on, as Cleveland would get to the basket with extra passes with ease and open threes were aplenty. The Cleveland bigs took it to the Knicks, cutting to the basket and getting offensive rebounds. New York was out-rebounded 44-39, and turned the ball over 14 times to Cleveland's 13.

Anunoby scored just four points in the second half after his hot start.

Towns (25), Hart (19), Mikal Bridges (8) and Delon Wright (7) rounded out the scoring for the Knicks' starters. Achiuwa (13) led the scoring for the bench. Landry Shamet, after making six threes on Tuesday, hit just one in his five-point performance.

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks (48-28) enjoy a few days off before they travel to Atlanta to take on the Hawks for a 3 p.m. tip on Saturday.

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Maryland’s Buzz Williams confident in school’s commitment as he takes over basketball program

Whatever misgivings Kevin Willard may have had about coaching basketball at Maryland, Buzz Williams' arrival shows the job is still pretty enticing. In Williams, the Terrapins hired an experienced replacement who has had some success in highly competitive leagues. “Relative to what I thought was important on the commitment going forward, on what is needed to be successful at the highest level, there was never any question from (Maryland) on the commitment for us, me, the staff, NIL, the players, the resources,” Williams said.

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76ers' Joel Embiid will 'undergo arthroscopic surgery next week to address his left knee'

Joel Embiid had said earlier this season his troublesome left knee might require another surgery and a "lengthy recovery" process. He was not wrong.

Embiid is set to "undergo arthroscopic surgery next week to address his left knee," the 76ers announced Wednesday.

This is the same knee Embiid had meniscus surgery on in early 2024. After that, he pushed to return for last season's playoffs. While he averaged 33 points and 10.8 rebounds a game, Embiid was not his dominant self, shot 44.4%, and both he and the 76ers were bounced in the first round by the Knicks.

Embiid won gold playing for USA Basketball in the Paris Olympics, but his knee was never right this season and he played only 19 games for the Sixers. With Embiid having a setback every time he tried to ramp up and play more, the 76ers shut him down for the season back on February 28. Even with this surgery, it is likely this is a chronic condition that will limit how much Embiid can play during the regular season in the future.

Just before this season, Embiid signed a three-year, $192.9 million contract extension with Philadelphia, which kicks in next season and is fully guaranteed.

After a massively disappointing season in Philadelphia that will see them miss even the play-in, there will be calls for change. However, the max contracts for Embiid and Paul George are two of the most untradable ones in the league, and the 76ers are not going to trade Tyrese Maxey. While Philadelphia has some hard questions to answer about who to bring back next season — the Sixers want to re-sign Kelly Oubre, Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele but likely can't afford all three and staying under the second apron of the luxury tax — they are largely going to run it back next season and hope for better health and a bounce-back year.

One where Embiid plays far more than 19 games.

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Freshman Jeremiah Fears declares for NBA draft after one standout season at Oklahoma

Jeremiah Fears has declared for the NBA draft after one standout season at Oklahoma.

Fears made the announcement on a social media post Wednesday. The 6-foot-4 guard is projected by many to be a lottery pick. He averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists this season and helped the Sooners reach the NCAA Tournament.

“This year has been an incredible journey, and I am grateful for all the love and support I have received from the OU fan base!” he said in a statement on social media. “I want to express my gratitude to coach (Porter) Moser and the entire coaching staff, who believed in me and allowed me to showcase my abilities at the University of Oklahoma.”

The previous high-profile freshman at Oklahoma, Trae Young, has kept in contact with Fears. Young was the No. 5 pick in the 2018 draft and was an All-Star for the Atlanta Hawks this season.

“Jeremiah is going to be a really good player,” Young said in January. “I mean, being one of the highest recruits that we’ve got at OU in a while, I’ve been keeping up.”

Fears had plenty of big games that boosted his stock. He scored 26 points against Arizona. He hit a 30-footer, drew a foul and completed a four-point play late that pushed the Sooners to an 87-86 win over Michigan in the Jumpman Invitational. He scored 22 points on 7-for-15 shooting and made four 3-pointers in a loss to No. 2 Florida.

He scored 29 points in an Southeastern Conference Tournament win over Georgia. In a loss to Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament, he scored 20 points and kept the Sooners in the game.

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NBA investigating Ja Morant doing finger gun motions at Warriors bench

The NBA is investigating Ja Morant — who has been suspended multiple times by the NBA for waiving a gun on social media — for using a gun gesture toward the Golden State bench and in celebration of 3-pointers during the Grizzlies' loss to the Warriors Tuesday night, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

Morant made the gun gesture multiple times during the game, usually aimed at the nearest defender, and in celebration of one of his five 3-pointers. Late in the game when the Warriors were in complete control, Golden State's Buddy Hield mocked Morant by making the gun gesture back at him. Morant saw that and made the gesture back toward the Warriors bench, with some trash talk involved.

Morant and Hield were given technical fouls for the exchange, and the league is also investigating Hield, according to the report.

Morant has used this celebration before on 3-pointers, and he is not the only player to use a gun gesture or something similar to celebrate a 3. The NBA has no rule explicitly banning a gesture, but it has fined players for things such as a throat-slashing gesture or the big balls celebration.

Because of Morant's history, the gun gesture takes on a different significance. Morant was suspended for eight games near the end of the 2022-23 season after he showed off a gun on Instagram Live while at a strip club in Colorado. Morant told NBA Commissioner Adam Silver at the time he had learned his lesson, however, that summer Morant was seen again on Instagram Live with a gun while riding in a friend's car. This time, the league suspended Morant 25 games at the start of the 2023-24 season.

If the NBA cracks down on gun gestures, it cannot just go after Morant, other players have used that celebration as well. The NBA also would be following in the footsteps of the NFL, which cracked down on finger gun celebrations (players have been fined).

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'Make a name for myself': How the Lakers' Jaxson Hayes shows his worth

EL SEGUNDO, CA - APRIL 02: Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes speaks with the media during a Lakers practice at UCLA Health Training Center on Wednesday, April 2, 2025 in El Segundo, CA.(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, speaking with reporters after practice Wednesday in El Segundo, said of his occasional frustration with officials, "I gotta remember they're human too and gotta just focus on the game, focus on myself." (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

The stakes here in early April for the Lakers are easy to see, the trophies that sit in owner Jeanie Buss’ window overlooking the practice courts a constant reminder of what the goals are for the team, particularly at a time when the talent on the roster looks formidable.

But for a player like center Jaxson Hayes, there are other things at play, the free-agent-to-be in the most important role of his career on the best team for which he's played.

“I just view it as opportunity to make a name for myself, an opportunity to go win some games and win a ring,” Hayes said after the Lakers held a rare practice Wednesday. “And I just look at it as I gotta come in locked in every day and just try to make the most out of every day, be the best version of myself.”

The best version of Hayes has been fully optimized with Luka Doncic now on the Lakers, the trade doing more than leaving Hayes as the lone option to lead the frontcourt with Anthony Davis off to Dallas. It also paired Hayes with Doncic, a maestro when it comes to playing with athletic centers who he can find space for lobs near the rim.

Hayes is averaging nearly 9.0 points per game while shooting 76.9% from the field since the trade. And even when Hayes is not scoring easy baskets, his rim-running has forced defenses to suck into the paint and create more open shots on the perimeter.

“When teams do that, man, it's either Luka's gonna get a bucket or one of the shooters gonna get a bucket,” Hayes said.

Read more:Lakers hold off Rockets to score important home win amid playoff seeding race

It’s made him one of the most important Lakers, a player with a skill set the team can’t really replace when he’s not on the court. When he missed four games in early March, the Lakers lost all four.

“I've told him this a number of times over the last week or so, he's so important for us,” coach JJ Redick said before a win over Houston on Monday. “If we're wanting to win at the highest level, he's gotta be elite. And that's not to put pressure on him because he has guys that can take that pressure off of him. But we need him on the floor. We need him to stay out of foul trouble. We need him to lay off the referees. He's gotta be locked in.”

Hayes’ frustration with the officials has been an issue as his minutes have increased, and he acknowledged he’s trying to find more empathy during emotional moments of the game.

“It's been a very big topic of discussion, and it's something I'm trying to work on,” he said. “Obviously I play with a lot of passion and I'm a very passionate player and very energetic player. So sometimes I get on the refs when I feel like they miss 'em, but I gotta remember they're human too and gotta just focus on the game, focus on myself. So that's been a big point of emphasis for us and just leaving them alone and focus on myself.”

Playoff preview?

The Lakers host Golden State on Thursday, the first time the teams meet since both squads reconfigured their rosters.

Since acquiring Jimmy Butler from Miami, the Warriors (44-31) have rocketed up the standings and could be a first-round opponent for the Lakers (46-29).

Stephen Curry had 52 points, including 12 three-pointers, Tuesday in a win over Memphis.

“Jimmy's just such a competitor and everyone knows that,” Hayes said. “We see what he's done with Miami the past few years, so just changed the whole game. We gotta deal with him and Draymond [Green], two very big competitors. And obviously Steph is Steph.

“Yeah, it definitely brings a lot of differences and more energy to the game.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Carmelo Anthony to be inducted into Hall of Fame on first ballot

One of the pure bucket getters the game has ever seen — whether he was winning an NCAA title, winning one of his three Olympic gold medals, or averaging 22.5 points a game in the NBA — there has been nobody like Carmelo Anthony.

Now he is deservingly going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer, which was expected but has been officially broken by Shams Charania of ESPN.

Anthony averaged 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists over his 19-year career, which started with the Nuggets, moved on to the Knicks, and also included stops with the Thunder, Rockets, Trail Blazers, and Lakers. 'Melo led the NBA in scoring in 2012-13, was a 10-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA player, ranks 12th on the league's all-time points list, and was named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary team.

Tributes poured in for Anthony, but the best one came from the Atlanta Hawks.

(For those that don't remember, Anthony was traded from the Thunder to the Hawks in the summer of 2018, he was technically a member of the Atlanta franchise for five days before he was waived.)

The official announcement of the Neismith Basketbal Hall of Fame class of 2025 will come this weekend during the Final Four in San Antonio. Other locks to make the Hall of Fame out of this class include Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Dwight Howard, and the 2008 USA Basketball men's Olympic team — which included both Anthony and Howard.

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Nik Graves leaving Charlotte for Creighton, Aztecs’ 7-footer Magoon Gwath takes name out of portal

Nik Graves will transfer to Creighton after leading Charlotte in scoring this season, and Mountain West freshman and defensive player of the year Magoon Gwath of San Diego State announced he would remove his name from the transfer portal. Ascension Sports, which represents Graves, made the announcement about Graves' decision on social media Wednesday. Graves is the second major transfer portal addition for the Bluejays.

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Report: Sixers plan to sign Colin Castleton to 10-day contract

Report: Sixers plan to sign Colin Castleton to 10-day contract  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers’ 10-day contracts keep on coming in.

The team plans to sign Colin Castleton to a 10-day deal, Jake Fischer reported Wednesday.

Castleton is a center listed at 6-foot-10, 250 pounds who’s played 36 NBA games over the past two years with the Lakers, Grizzlies and Raptors. The 24-year-old played regularly for Toronto during a 10-game stretch in March, averaging 6.9 points and 7.4 rebounds in 25.9 minutes per contest. 

Castleton has posted 16.8 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in 53 total G League appearances.

With their roster light on healthy players, the Sixers signed Oshae Brissett, Chuma Okeke, Marcus Bagley and Phillip Wheeler to 10-day contracts in March. 

Given the state of the 23-53 Sixers’ frontcourt, Castleton may very well step right into some minutes.

Rookie Adem Bona started the last three games at center. Guerschon Yabusele has missed the past two games with a right knee injury and Andre Drummond is out with a left big toe sprain. 

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Acuff, Thomas show out in McDonald’s All-American Game

The next step for five-star guards Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas is to step foot on campus, as the two Arkansas signees competed in the McDonald's All-American Game on Tuesday night. Acuff and Thomas were pitted against each other, as Acuff played for the West Team while Thomas played for the East Team. The West Team won 105-92, which ended a four-game skid against the East Team.