INSIDER
Minnesota tops Dallas, sweeps 2-game NBA preseason set in Abu Dhabi
Read full article: Minnesota tops Dallas, sweeps 2-game NBA preseason set in Abu DhabiKarl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid each scored 14 points, and the Minnesota Timberwolves topped the Dallas Mavericks 104-96 to complete a two-game sweep of the NBA Abu Dhabi Games.
Bucks use lopsided run after Nash ejected, beat Nets 110-99
Read full article: Bucks use lopsided run after Nash ejected, beat Nets 110-99Giannis Antetokounmpo had 43 points, 14 rebounds and five assists as the Milwaukee Bucks went on a lopsided run after Brooklyn coach Steve Nash was ejected in the third quarter and beat the Nets 110-99.
Lakers rally late in regulation, hold off Heat 120-117 in OT
Read full article: Lakers rally late in regulation, hold off Heat 120-117 in OTMalik Monk scored five of his season-high 27 points in overtime, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from a big deficit in the final minutes of regulation before surging in overtime for a 120-117 victory over the Miami Heat.
Jokic, Morris fracas mars Nuggets' 113-96 win over Heat
Read full article: Jokic, Morris fracas mars Nuggets' 113-96 win over HeatNikola Jokic had 25 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists before the NBA MVP was ejected for violently slamming his shoulder into Markieff Morris, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Miami Heat 113-96 on Monday night.
Home sweet home: Clippers beat Mavs 126-111 to win series
Read full article: Home sweet home: Clippers beat Mavs 126-111 to win seriesKawhi Leonard scored 28 points, Marcus Morris added 23 and the Los Angeles Clippers finally won at home, finishing off the Dallas Mavericks 126-111 on Sunday in Game 7 of the first-round playoff series.
Suns dismantle Lakers 115-85 to take 3-2 series lead
Read full article: Suns dismantle Lakers 115-85 to take 3-2 series leadDevin Booker scored 30 points after two quiet games and the Phoenix Suns sent LeBron James to the locker room early, dismantling the Los Angeles Lakers 115-85 to take a 3-2 first-round series lead.
Lakers pull away after ejections, rout Nets 126-101
Read full article: Lakers pull away after ejections, rout Nets 126-101Andre Drummond had 20 points and 11 rebounds, Dennis Schroder scored 19 points before he and Kyrie Irving were ejected in the third quarter and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Brooklyn Nets 126-101.
Ingram, Williamson pace Pelicans in 128-111 win over Lakers
Read full article: Ingram, Williamson pace Pelicans in 128-111 win over LakersNew Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) goes to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Tuesday, March 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)NEW ORLEANS – Brandon Ingram scored a season-high 36 points, Zion Williamson had 27 points and nine rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 128-111 on Tuesday night. Ingram helped keep the Pelicans comfortably in front with 17 points in the third quarter, showcasing his mid-range repertoire of pull-ups, fades and turnaround jumpers. Pelicans guard Josh Hart — like Ingram an ex-Laker who was part of the trade that sent Anthony Davis to Los Angeles — grabbed 15 rebounds to go with five steals. ... Steven Adams had 12 points and seven rebounds.
Suns roll past LeBron-less Lakers for 111-94 win
Read full article: Suns roll past LeBron-less Lakers for 111-94 winPhoenix Suns guard Chris Paul gets fouled by Los Angeles Lakers guard Dennis Schroder (17) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 21, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)PHOENIX – Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton both had 26 points, Chris Paul had a triple-double with 11 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds and the Phoenix Suns beat the LeBron-less Los Angeles Lakers 111-94 on Sunday night. The Lakers were playing without 17-time All-Star LeBron James for just the second time this season and the team fell to 0-2 in his absence. Montrezl Harrell led the Lakers with 23 points off the bench on 10-of-13 shooting. The Lakers won the NBA championship last season in a COVID-19 delayed season that ended on Oct. 11.
James scores 19 in 1,300th regular-season game in Lakers win
Read full article: James scores 19 in 1,300th regular-season game in Lakers win(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers blew a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead in their first meeting against the Golden State Warriors. LeBron James scored 19 points in his 1,300th regular-season appearance as the Lakers routed the Warriors 117-91. He was one of six Los Angeles players to score in double figures in a game that was never in doubt. The Lakers were up 20 at the end of the first quarter and had a 73-44 lead at halftime. This is the first matchup between the teams this year after Los Angeles won all three games last season.
NBA Finals get intense, and Game 6 of Lakers-Heat looms
Read full article: NBA Finals get intense, and Game 6 of Lakers-Heat loomsThe Heat have talked since the NBA Finals started about a need to play almost perfect basketball against the Lakers. “One thing about this team that we are playing, they make you pay for every mistake,” James said after Game 5. So, we have to understand that.”James is about to set the record for NBA playoff game appearances. Nobody has had more 40-point NBA Finals games in a loss than he has — the record-setting fifth entry on that list coming Friday in Miami’s 111-108 win. “We’re motivated to win Game 6 and they are motivated to win Game 6,” Davis said.
King James scores 40, but a Lakers coronation has to wait
Read full article: King James scores 40, but a Lakers coronation has to waitJames was trying to do everything it took to knock out the Miami Heat and deliver the Lakers a championship, but he needed one more chance. The Lakers took their last timeout after Jimmy Butler's free throws gave the Heat a 107-106 lead with 16 seconds to play. A third defender came and so with three guys on you, he made the right play. James had never missed a chance to close out an NBA Finals series after getting to three wins. There's been only one 3-1 lead overcome in the NBA Finals, and James was the catalyst that time with Cleveland in 2016.
Lakers top Heat 102-96, take 3-1 lead in NBA Finals
Read full article: Lakers top Heat 102-96, take 3-1 lead in NBA FinalsJames and the Lakers are back in control of these NBA Finals, one win away from the franchise's 17th championship. James finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, Anthony Davis' 3-pointer with 39.5 seconds left finally settled matters and the Lakers beat the Miami Heat 102-96 in Game 4. The Lakers lead 3-1 and can win the title when the series resumes Friday. 3-1 LEADSThis is the 36th time that a team has held a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals. It was just the third time in the last 26 NBA Finals games that neither team reached 50 points in the first 24 minutes.
Butler's big night helps Heat cut Lakers' Finals lead to 2-1
Read full article: Butler's big night helps Heat cut Lakers' Finals lead to 2-1With a triple-double, he joined NBA Finals lore — and the short-handed Miami Heat might have made this title matchup a series after all. Miami's starters outscored the Lakers' starting five 89-51, and the Heat held the Lakers to a 14-for-42 night from 3-point land. It’s going to be a tough game, Game 4," Herro said. ... Nick Aquilino, the son of Heat neuromuscular therapist Vinny Aquilino, performed the anthem -- a recording from a Heat game with fans in Miami. BUTLER’S TRIPLE-DOUBLEButler became the 21st player to have a triple-double in the NBA Finals — and four of the 21 were part of Sunday’s game.
Halfway home: Lakers top Heat 124-114 for 2-0 Finals lead
Read full article: Halfway home: Lakers top Heat 124-114 for 2-0 Finals leadThe NBA Finals are halfway to a coronation. And the last time the Lakers’ franchise has wasted a 2-0 lead was in the 1969 finals against Boston. The Heat have rallied from a 2-0 series hole only once in eight previous tries, that one being the 2006 NBA Finals. ... James, in his 10th NBA Finals, has a 2-0 lead in the title series for the first time. YOUNGEST STARTERHerro, at 20 years, 256 days, became the youngest player to start an NBA Finals game.
Welcome back: Lakers, LeBron headed to the conference finals
Read full article: Welcome back: Lakers, LeBron headed to the conference finalsJames scored 29 points and the Lakers wrapped up their first trip to the Western Conference finals since 2010 by topping the Houston Rockets 119-96 on Saturday night in Game 5 at Walt Disney World. Kyle Kuzma scored 17 points, Markieff Morris had 16, Danny Green added 14 and Anthony Davis finished with 13 for the top-seeded Lakers. James is going to the conference finals for the 11th time overall — six with Cleveland, four with Miami and now with the Lakers. The Lakers scored the next 15 points, and the lead was 95-69 going into the final quarter. Lakers: Los Angeles went seven years without a conference-final appearance from 1991 through 1998, the team's longest drought before this 10-year run.
James, Davis help Lakers hold on to beat Rockets, tie series
Read full article: James, Davis help Lakers hold on to beat Rockets, tie seriesMarkieff Morris scored 16 points for the Lakers. James took only 15 shots in Game 1 and was scoreless in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 112-97 loss, but he was dominant on both ends in the final period of this one. He had eight points in the quarter and a powerful blocked shot on Russell Westbrook that flew far out of bounds. James Harden scored 27 points and Eric Gordon made six 3-pointers and added 24 for the Rockets, who made 22 3-pointers. Tucker had 18 points and Robert Covington 17, but Westbrook finished only 4 for 15 while scoring 10 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
Rose, Mykhailiuk spark Pistons to easy win over Hawks
Read full article: Rose, Mykhailiuk spark Pistons to easy win over HawksATLANTA – Derrick Rose had 27 points and nine assists, Svi Mykhailiuk added 25 points in a reserve role, and the Detroit Pistons won their second straight game with an easy 136-103 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night. The Pistons went up 65-45 with 3:42 left before halftime on a pair of free throws by Langston Galloway. TIP-INSPistons: Rose, who went 12 for 17 from the field and played 26 minutes, started his second straight game. ... C Alex Len missed his third straight game with lower back pain. I want to watch football, but I don't want to watch because I don't want to see them win.
Snell perfect from field as Pistons rout Knicks 122-102
Read full article: Snell perfect from field as Pistons rout Knicks 122-102DETROIT Tony Snell connected from beyond the arc to open the scoring in the first few seconds of the game. Snell scored 24 points on 9-of-9 shooting, and the short-handed Detroit Pistons had little trouble with New York, beating the Knicks 122-102 on Wednesday. Im confident as well.Andre Drummond had 27 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, and Markieff Morris added 22 points for Detroit. Detroit still shot 56 percent from the field and dropped the Knicks to an NBA-worst 1-7. They hit shots, Knicks guard RJ Barrett said.
Detroit Pistons roster: A look at who's new and who left
Read full article: Detroit Pistons roster: A look at who's new and who leftDETROIT, MICHIGAN - FEBRUARY 11: Ish Smith #14 of the Detroit Pistons passes away from Trevor Ariza #1 of the Washington Wizards during the second half at Little Caesars Arena on February 11, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. Derrick RoseThe Detroit Pistons reached an agreement with former NBA MVP Derrick Rose, of the Minnesota Timberwolves. This past season Morris averaged 9 points, four rebounds and one assist with the Oklahoma Thunder. Tim FrazierThe Detroit Pistons signed veteran point guard Tim Frazier, from the Milwaukee Bucks. Christian WoodThe Detroit Pistons picked up former New Orleans Pelican Christian Wood off waivers.
Detroit Pistons roster: A look at who's new and who left
Read full article: Detroit Pistons roster: A look at who's new and who leftDuring free agency the Pistons picked up Christian Wood, Markieef Morris, Derrick Rose and Tim Frazier. Derrick RoseThe Detroit Pistons reached an agreement with former NBA MVP Derrick Rose, of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Markieef MorrisAs the twin of former Piston Marcus Morris, Markieff Morris brings a great skill set to the Pistons. This past season Morris averaged 9 points, four rebounds and one assist with the Oklahoma Thunder. This is his fifth NBA season.