USA Basketball has finalized its schedule of exhibition games leading into this summer’s FIBA World Cup, announcing Tuesday that it will open the five-game slate against Puerto Rico in Las Vegas on Aug.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Doc Rivers' penchant for playoff collapses and second-round exits cost him his coaching job with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 76ers fired Rivers on Tuesday following a third straight exit in the second round of the playoffs, and the second time over that span he lost a series lead and a Game 7.
All-NBA Teams
May 11, 2023 GMTGuards: Ja Morant, Memphis 44; Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee 39; Jalen Brunson, New York 23; Devin Booker, Phoenix 10; James Harden, Philadelphia 6; Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana 1; Trae Young, Atlanta 1.
Former NBA player and executive Lance Blanks, 56, dies
May 4, 2023 GMTDALLAS (AP) — Lance Blanks, who played in the NBA for three seasons and later worked as a scout and front office executive, has died, his family announced Thursday. He was 56.
Blanks died Wednesday in Dallas, his family said in a statement distributed by the NBA.
Nuggets try to make star-studded Suns look average again
April 30, 2023 GMTThe Phoenix Suns' star quartet of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton looked mighty average in their Game 1 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Lillard, Trail Blazers to visit Westbrook, Clippers
April 28, 2023 GMTPortland Trail Blazers (33-47, 13th in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (42-38, fifth in the Western Conference)
Los Angeles; Saturday, 4 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Clippers host the Portland Trail Blazers in Western Conference action Saturday.
Clippers: Leonard has meniscus tear, will be ready next year
April 27, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has a meniscus tear in his right knee, although his surgically repaired right ACL is intact.
The team had said Leonard sustained a right knee sprain after playing in the first two games of the Clippers’ first-round loss to Phoenix but didn't provide further details.
Booker scores 47, leads Suns past Clippers to win series
April 26, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker unleashed a torrent of offense in the third quarter rarely seen in NBA playoff history, hitting shots from every corner of the gym.
The Phoenix Suns needed just about every one of them.
Clippers’ Leonard expected to miss Game 5 vs. Suns
April 25, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Kawhi Leonard is expected to miss a third straight playoff game for the Los Angeles Clippers, who are facing elimination against the Phoenix Suns.
The Clippers listed the five-time All-Star as out in their injury update on Monday night.
Booker and the Suns try to clinch series against Los Angeles
April 24, 2023 GMTLos Angeles Clippers (44-38, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. Phoenix Suns (45-37, fourth in the Western Conference)
Phoenix; Tuesday, 10 p.m. EDT
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NBA LINE: Suns -12; over/under is 224
Durant scores 31, Suns beat Clippers 112-100 for 3-1 lead
April 22, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Phoenix' big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Paul were all in go-mode.
Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard to miss 2nd straight playoff game
April 22, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard will miss Game 4 for the Clippers against the Phoenix Suns, leaving Los Angeles without its superstar for a second straight playoff game.
Leonard has a right knee sprain, the same injury that has sidelined teammate Paul George since March 21.
LeBron not trading trash talk with Brooks before Game 3
April 22, 2023 GMTEL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James has seemed wise beyond his years since the start of his basketball journey, and he wasn't about to drop down to Dillon Brooks' level of discourse heading into a pivotal game for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Booker has 45 points, Suns top Leonard-less Clippers 129-124
April 21, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — With Kevin Durant drawing defenders, Devin Booker found his way to the basket again and again.
Phoenix takes 2-1 lead into game 4 against Los Angeles
April 21, 2023 GMTPhoenix Suns (45-37, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (44-38, fifth in the Western Conference)
Los Angeles; Saturday, 3:30 p.m. EDT
WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Suns lead series 2-1
Kawhi Leonard out for Clippers in Game 3 against Suns
April 21, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard won’t play for the Los Angeles Clippers against the Phoenix Suns in Game 3 of their Western Conference playoff series Thursday night.
He has a sprained right knee that he aggravated at the end of Game 1 last Sunday, according to Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations.
NBA Sixth Man Award Winners
April 20, 2023 GMT2023 — Malcolm Brogdon, Boston
Warriors in 0-2 hole, Suns-Clippers even as Game 3s arrive
April 19, 2023 GMTTime for the Golden State Warriors to show this will be a long series, not a short title reign.
The defending champions — without the suspended Draymond Green — will begin trying to climb out of a hole their current group has never faced when they host the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night in one of three games on the NBA playoff schedule.
Los Angeles, Phoenix tied 1-1 heading to game 3
April 19, 2023 GMTPhoenix Suns (45-37, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (44-38, fifth in the Western Conference)
Los Angeles; Thursday, 10:30 p.m. EDT
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NBA LINE: Clippers -2.5; over/under is 228
Booker scores 38 points, Suns beat Clippers to even series
April 19, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Kevin Durant is the shiny new toy for the Phoenix Suns. Devin Booker is still the team's heart and soul.
Booker — the three-time All-Star who has spent all eight of his NBA seasons in Phoenix — scored 38 points, Durant added 25 and the Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 123-109 on Tuesday night in Game 2 to tie the Western Conference first-round series.
Suns beat Clippers 123-109 in Game 2 to tie series
April 19, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker scored 38 points, Kevin Durant had 25 and the Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 123-109 on Tuesday night in Game 2 to tie the Western Conference first-round series.
Clippers take 1-0 lead into game 2 against the Suns
April 17, 2023 GMTLos Angeles Clippers (44-38, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. Phoenix Suns (45-37, fourth in the Western Conference)
Phoenix; Tuesday, 10 p.m. EDT
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NBA LINE: Suns -7.5; over/under is 225
Leonard scores 38 to lead Clippers past Durant, Suns 115-110
April 17, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Kawhi Leonard had a great shooting night while Russell Westbrook had a horrible one.
Both players nonetheless had a huge impact for the Los Angeles Clippers in their 115-110 win over the Phoenix Suns in the teams' Western Conference playoff series opener on Sunday.
What to know entering the NBA playoffs, which start Saturday
April 15, 2023 GMTHere’s a rarity: All five teams from one division are going to the NBA playoffs.
And they pulled that off in a year where a division champion almost didn’t get there.
All five teams from the Pacific Division — Sacramento, Phoenix, the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers — have made the playoffs, which start Saturday.
Ready or not, Durant, Suns prepare for Clippers series
April 15, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Kevin Durant's arrival in the desert hasn't gone exactly to plan. Because of injuries, the 13-time All-Star has played just eight games with the Phoenix Suns since he was acquired in a mid-February franchise shakeup.
Phoenix starts playoffs against Los Angeles
April 15, 2023 GMTLos Angeles Clippers (44-38, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. Phoenix Suns (45-37, fourth in the Western Conference)
Phoenix; Sunday, 8 p.m. EDT
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NBA LINE: Suns -7; over/under is 226
The field is set: Warriors, Clippers are in the playoffs
April 10, 2023 GMTGolden State is in the playoffs. LeBron James is heading to the play-in tournament.
Clippers rally past Suns, secure No. 5 playoff spot in West
April 9, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers rallied for a 119-114 win on Sunday over the Phoenix Suns, earning the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference playoff bracket and a first-round rematch against those same Suns.
Embiid wins NBA’s scoring race, Harden takes assist title
April 9, 2023 GMTMIAMI (AP) — The individual stat races in the NBA saw two repeat winners this season. Philadelphia's Joel Embiid is now a back-to-back scoring champion, and Memphis' Jaren Jackson Jr. won the blocks race for the second consecutive year.
Celtics, Bulls, Nets win on final day of NBA regular season
April 9, 2023 GMTTORONTO (AP) — Gary Trent Jr. scored 23 points, Precious Achiuwa had 14 points and 13 rebounds and the Toronto Raptors beat the Milwaukee Bucks 121-105 on Sunday in a matchup of short-handed teams whose postseason fates already were sealed.
Malgin helps Avalanche keep rolling in 4-3 win over Kings
April 9, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Denis Malgin scored twice and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.
Brad Hunt and Alex Newhook also scored, Alexandar Georgiev made 37 saves and the Avalanche kept pace with Dallas for first place in the Central Division and still have a game in hand.
Phoenix faces Los Angeles, seeks 7th straight home win
April 9, 2023 GMTLos Angeles Clippers (43-38, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. Phoenix Suns (45-36, fourth in the Western Conference)
Phoenix; Sunday, 3:30 p.m. EDT
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NBA LINE: Suns -12.5
Clippers beat Blazers to bolster hopes of avoiding play-in
April 8, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 27 points, Norman Powell added 23 and the Los Angeles Clippers solidified their hopes of avoiding the play-in game with a 136-125 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.
Jazz beat conference-leading Nuggets 118-114
April 8, 2023 GMTSALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Ochai Agbaji scored 28 points to lead the Utah Jazz to a 118-114 victory over the Western Conference leading Denver Nuggets on Saturday, snapping a four-game losing streak.
Luka Samanic finished with a career-high 23 points and eight rebounds for Utah.
NBA set for final day, and West race will go to the wire
April 8, 2023 GMTThe NBA will get what it wanted — drama to end the regular season.
All 30 teams will play their 82nd game of the season on Sunday, with four matchups — New Orleans at Minnesota, Utah at the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State at Portland and the Los Angeles Clippers at Phoenix — set to decide how the Western Conference playoff and play-in bracket will look.
Lillard, Trail Blazers to visit Westbrook, Clippers
April 7, 2023 GMTPortland Trail Blazers (33-47, 13th in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (42-38, fifth in the Western Conference)
Los Angeles; Saturday, 4 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Clippers host the Portland Trail Blazers in Western Conference action Saturday.
Powell and Leonard lead Clippers over Lakers, 125-118
April 6, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — The battle of Los Angeles was no contest. The quest for the highest possible playoff seed is another story for the Clippers and Lakers.
Norman Powell scored 27 points, Kawhi Leonard added 25 in a game-high 43 minutes and the Clippers improved their playoff seeding chances with a 125-118 win over LeBron James and the Lakers on Wednesday night.
Clippers face the Lakers after Leonard’s 40-point game
April 5, 2023 GMTLos Angeles Lakers (41-38, seventh in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (41-38, sixth in the Western Conference)
Los Angeles; Wednesday, 10 p.m. EDT
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NBA LINE: Clippers -2.5
Ingram’s 36 points lead Pelicans past Clippers, 122-114
April 2, 2023 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — When Clippers star Kawhi Leonard hit big shots in the closing minutes, the Pelicans answered with Brandon Ingram, whose recent form has sent his team surging up the standings.
Ingram scored 36 points, bringing fans to their feet with an array of clutch, mid-range jump shots, and New Orleans beat Los Angeles 122-114 on Saturday night.
Ingram scores 36, leads Pelicans over Clippers 122-114
April 2, 2023 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Brandon Ingram scored 36 points, bringing fans to their feet with an array of clutch, mid-range jump shots, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Los Angeles Clippers 122-114 on Saturday night.
Westbrook and the Clippers visit conference foe New Orleans
April 1, 2023 GMTLos Angeles Clippers (41-37, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (39-38, eighth in the Western Conference)
New Orleans; Saturday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NBA LINE: Pelicans -3
Bane, Kennard help Grizzlies rally to beat Clippers 108-94
April 1, 2023 GMTMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Desmond Bane scored 22 points and Luke Kennard had 17 as the Memphis Grizzlies overcame a 20-point first-half deficit and beat the Los Angeles Clippers 108-94 on Friday night.
Morant, Grizzlies square off against the Clippers
March 30, 2023 GMTLos Angeles Clippers (41-36, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (48-28, second in the Western Conference)
Memphis, Tennessee; Friday, 8 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Russell Westbrook and the Los Angeles Clippers take on Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies in Western Conference action.
Westbrook has season-high 36 points, Clippers beat Grizzlies
March 30, 2023 GMTMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Russell Westbrook had a season-high 36 points, Robert Covington also had a season best with 27 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 141-132 on Wednesday night to open a two-game set.
Grizzlies face the Clippers on 7-game win streak
March 29, 2023 GMTLos Angeles Clippers (40-36, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (48-27, second in the Western Conference)
Memphis, Tennessee; Wednesday, 8 p.m. EDT
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NBA LINE: Grizzlies -4.5
Monday’s Sports In Brief
March 28, 2023 GMTCOLLEGE BASKETBALL
SEATTLE (AP) — Elizabeth Kitley scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Georgia Amoore added 24 points and top-seeded Virginia Tech advanced to the Final Four for the first time in school history with an 84-74 win over No.
Nicolas Batum hits 8 3-pointers, Clippers beat Bulls 124-112
March 28, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Nicolas Batum got all of his season-high 24 points on eight 3-pointers, and Eric Gordon added 22 points in the Los Angeles Clippers' comfortable 124-112 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.
Chicago puts road win streak on the line against Los Angeles
March 27, 2023 GMTChicago Bulls (36-38, 10th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (39-36, fifth in the Western Conference)
Los Angeles; Monday, 10:30 p.m. EDT
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NBA LINE: Clippers -5.5
Pelicans ride 21 3-pointers to 131-110 win over Clippers
March 26, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Trey Murphy III scored 32 points, Brandon Ingram had 32 points and 13 assists, and the New Orleans Pelicans never trailed in a 131-110 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.
Conference leaders clash as Nuggets top Bucks 129-106
March 26, 2023 GMTDENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 31 points and 11 assists, Jamal Murray finished with 26 points and nine assists, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Milwaukee Bucks 129-106 on Saturday night in a late-season showdown of the NBA’s conference leaders.
Clippers’ Leonard to team: ‘dial in deeper’ without George
March 24, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — That sound heard this week was the Los Angeles Clippers breathing a sigh of relief that Paul George's knee injury wasn't as devastating as it first appeared.
Pelicans play the Clippers, aim for 4th straight win
March 24, 2023 GMTNew Orleans Pelicans (36-37, 10th in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (39-35, fifth in the Western Conference)
Los Angeles; Saturday, 10:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: New Orleans will attempt to keep its three-game win streak alive when the Pelicans take on Los Angeles.
Leonard scores 32, Clippers beat Thunder without George
March 24, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 32 points on 15 shots, and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 127-105 on Thursday night in their first game since losing Paul George to a knee injury.
Clippers’ George has knee sprain, reevaluated in 2-3 weeks
March 22, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers may be without All-Star Paul George to start the postseason.
The team said Wednesday that George has a sprained right knee and he will be reevaluated in two to three weeks.
George leaves with injury as Clippers lose to Thunder
March 22, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Paul George went down hard in the fourth quarter. He may have taken the Los Angeles Clippers' championship hopes with him.
Los Angeles and Oklahoma City square off in conference matchup
March 22, 2023 GMTOklahoma City Thunder (36-36, seventh in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (38-35, fifth in the Western Conference)
Los Angeles; Thursday, 10:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder visit Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
Paul has 29 and Clippers down Blazers 111-102
March 20, 2023 GMTPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Paul George had 29 points and the Los Angeles Clippers handed the Portland Trail Blazers their sixth straight loss with a 117-102 victory on Sunday night.,
Kawhi Leonard added 24 for the Clippers as they fight for home-court advantage in the playoffs.
Jokic triple-double leads Nuggets to 108-102 win over Nets
March 20, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 22 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists in his 28th triple-double of the season, Michael Porter Jr. had 28 points and nine rebounds, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Brooklyn Nets 108-102 on Sunday.