PHILADELPHIA — Hell hath no fury like that which the city of Philadelphia reserves for players and teams that overpromise and underdeliver. That can be a difficult truth to understand for those who hail from locales where people do not regard local professional teams as fundamental components of their personal identities. A sports fan in ...Read more

PHOENIX – The Minnesota Lynx announced Saturday that star forward Napheesa Collier is out for Sunday’s win-or-go home Game 4 in the WNBA semifinal series against the Phoenix Mercury due to a left ankle injury.

Collier exited Friday’s Game 3 loss in Phoenix with 21.8 seconds remaining after rolling her left ankle.

As Collier dribbled near...Read more

PHOENIX – The WNBA announced Saturday that Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve would be suspended for her team’s must-win Game 4 Sunday against the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA semifinals.

Reeve’s suspension comes after her ejection at the end of the Lynx’s 84-76 loss in Game 3, picking up a second technical foul after questioning the game...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Alyssa Thomas stole the basketball with a nice poke away from the Lynx’s Napheesa Collier with 21 seconds left in Friday night’s Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals in Phoenix. There was a collision of knees after that and down went Collier to the court after badly rolling her left ankle.

This steal was going to solve the issue in...Read more

DENVER — MPJ with a mic is OMG. Michael Malone remains an angry emoji.

And without these two, the Nuggets are no longer bitter and a whole lot better.

This is not a reset. It is a cleansing of negative vibes, paranoia and a bench that was thinner than Flat Stanley.

When last season ended, there was a feeling the Nuggets were going to run it...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Sitting in the Joe Craft Center just days before the first official practice of the Kentucky basketball preseason, Jaland Lowe was practically glowing with anticipation.

“Oh, we’re super excited,” said UK’s presumed starting point guard for the 2025-26 season, a wide grin on his face. “We know that it’s getting ...Read more

NEW YORK — Can Knicks head coach Mike Brown unlock Karl-Anthony Towns’ full offensive potential? The new shot-caller at Madison Square Garden certainly has ideas — and perhaps more importantly, experience that translates.

During his tenure in Sacramento, Brown built one of the league’s most dynamic offenses around a versatile big and a ...Read more

The Aces beat the Indiana Fever, 84-72, on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in Game 3 of their best-of-five WNBA playoffs semifinals series to pull ahead 2-1.

Guard Jackie Young led the No. 2-seeded Aces with 25 points, while forward NaLyssa Smith added 16 points and four blocks. Point guard Chelsea Gray recorded 15 points and ...Read more

PROSPECT, Conn. — The “Basketball Capital of the World” isn’t just a slogan for Geno Auriemma, or merely words to greet motorists crossing over the state line. He puts in his time, and spins his odometer to support basketball in all corners of Connecticut.

That’s part of the reason he took his national champion UConn women’s ...Read more

BOSTON — Flanked by four of his top lieutenants, Bill Chisholm addressed reporters Thursday for the first time as the new majority owner of his childhood team: the Boston Celtics.

“I’ve loved the Celtics my entire life,” Chisholm said in his opening remarks. “My wife Kimberly and I have raised a family of diehard Celtics fans. The ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Lakers have given second-year coach JJ Redick a contract extension, details of which were not given when Rob Pelinka, president of basketball operations and general manager, made the announcement during a news conference Thursday at the team's training facility in El Segundo.

Pelinka began the media session by saying, "We ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Jared McCain suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb during a workout on Thursday, the 76ers confirmed.

It is another injury setback for McCain, who last season was an early Rookie of the Year front-runner before he suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee in mid-December. He averaged 15.3 points while ...Read more

NEW YORK — Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb emphasized the decision to part ways with head coach Sandy Brondello “was in no way punitive, nor was it reactive, but it’s instead rooted in being proactive.”

And Kolb, who spoke to reporters for nearly 45 minutes Thursday, stated that he felt Brondello did “a good job” navigating ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Knicks have a problem — the good kind.

Too many capable players. Not enough room under the second apron to keep them all.

And new head coach Mike Brown? He’s in no rush to make a decision.

At all.

The Knicks enter training camp with only one minimum salary slot beneath the NBA’s $207 million second apron — and two ...Read more

NEW YORK — Cam Thomas lingered in restricted free agency for much of the summer, hoping for a big contract that never came. Now, armed with just a one-year, $6 million qualifying offer, he enters another prove-it season in Brooklyn, gambling on himself to shape his future.

The Nets reportedly put two offers on the table for Thomas: a two-year...Read more

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Aces beat the Indiana Fever 90-68 in Game 2 of their WNBA semifinals series Tuesday at Michelob Ultra Arena, evening the matchup 1-1.

WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson scored a game-high 25 points. Forward NaLyssa Smith added 18, her season-high with the No. 2 Aces. Guard Jackie Young scored 13 points, while guard Jewell Loyd ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota was supposed to be the second-half team, making adjustments at halftime, heating up in the clutch, and closing out games when they counted most — if the past week was anything to go by.

The Lynx did it in their first-round sweep of Golden State, and again on Sunday in Game 1 against Phoenix.

Not Tuesday.

In Game 2 ...Read more

NEW YORK — Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. drew viral attention this summer for the wrong reasons, making a series of controversial comments on his podcast and during appearances on influencer streams.

As expected, both Porter and the team’s front office were asked to address the issue when media day opened Tuesday in Brooklyn.

“Those ...Read more