MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo celebrated his most famous 50-point performance by ordering 50 chicken nuggets at a Chick-fil-A drive-through the next day.
He already has an idea how to commemorate reaching that plateau for the third time in the last month.
Mya Smiley is a student at the University of Akron thanks to an assist from LeBron James, and she is determined upon graduation to become a social worker that helps foster kids.
Her education and career path would not have been possible, the sophomore says, were it not for a scholarship and counseling that she received from the LeBron James Family Foundation.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — LeBron James had 26 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and pulled within 63 points of becoming the NBA’s career scoring leader as the Los Angeles Lakers rallied to beat the Indiana Pacers 112-111 on Thursday night.
DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray just nodded when asked if this might be the most confident he’s ever been.
DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks barely held on after leading by 27 points when Luka Doncic exited the game with a right heel injury on a hard fall.
The New Orleans Pelicans thought their one chance to finish the rally and end a long losing streak was taken away by the officials, who acknowledged two incorrect calls in the final seconds.
CHICAGO (AP) — Ayo Dosunmu matched a season high with 22 points, Coby White scored 20 points and the Chicago Bulls overcame shaky outings by DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine to beat the Charlotte Hornets 114-98 on Thursday night.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell took his most vicious shots at Dillon Brooks after the game.
Accusing Brooks of being a dirty player, Mitchell said the NBA needs to do something about the Memphis guard's unruly bad behavior after he smashed Cleveland's All-Star guard in the groin during the Cavaliers' 128-113 victory over the Grizzlies on Thursday night.
NEW YORK (AP) — RJ Barrett never gave his coach a chance to sit him for long Thursday night.
Barrett rebounded from a late-game benching with 30 points, Isaiah Hartenstein made big plays on both ends of the floor in the final minute and the New York Knicks beat the Miami Heat 106-104.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — LeBron James just put his head down and repeatedly drove to the basket Thursday night.
It was his vintage move.
The same late-game philosophy that led to four NBA championships and has him on the precipice of becoming the NBA's new career scoring champ worked perfectly again at Indiana.
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has been ruled out of a game against New Orleans after exiting in the third quarter with a right heel injury.
Doncic stayed in the game after taking a hard fall Thursday night when he was winding up for a one-handed dunk on a drive and Brandon Ingram knocked the ball out of his hand as Doncic was bumped by Jonas Valanciunas.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell was ejected in the third quarter Thursday night against Memphis for throwing the ball at Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks after the players tangled under the basket.
A look at LeBron James’ pursuit of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the NBA’s scoring record. Abdul-Jabbar has held the record since April 5, 1984:
NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has further adjusted the schedule of nationally televised games with LeBron James closing in on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the league’s scoring record.
James is on pace to break the record Tuesday at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Philadelphia's Joel Embiid, Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Portland's Damian Lillard had to have known they were going to the All-Star Game. Players averaging more than 30 points per game typically don't have to worry about not hearing their name called.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was set to resume his NBA scoring-record chase Thursday night at Indiana after being cleared to start.
James entered the day 89 points away from breaking Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s mark of 38,387.
As LeBron James closes in on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and is about to become the NBA's career scoring leader the journey has included several memorable moments.
PHOENIX (AP) — Trae Young rose up for a 3-pointer in the second half that left his hands way too hard, hurtling toward the basket before slamming off the backboard and through the hoop.
Atlanta's star guard shrugged and ran back down the court with a sheepish grin.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Lauri Markkanen had 28 points and 13 rebounds and Mike Conley added a three-point play and two clutch free throws in the closing minutes to lift the Utah Jazz to a 131-128 win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum had 31 points and nine rebounds and the NBA-leading Boston Celtics rolled to a 139-96 victory over the short-handed Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.
Jaylen Brown added 26 points as both of Boston’s stars hit seven 3-pointers in a game the Celtics never trailed and led by 49 points.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — D'Angelo Russell scored 14 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, Anthony Edwards took over in overtime after Russell fouled out and the Minnesota Timberwolves outlasted the Golden State Warriors 119-114 on Wednesday night.
HOUSTON (AP) — Eric Gordon had a season-high 25 points and rookie Tari Eason added career-high 20 to lead the Houston Rockets to a 112-106 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
The Rockets (13-38), who have the worst record in the Western Conference, have won three of their last five games after dropping 18 of the previous 19.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Domantas Sabonis scored a season-high 34 points and had 11 rebounds and the Sacramento Kings beat San Antonio 119-109 on Wednesday night, handing the beleaguered Spurs their seventh straight loss.
BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and had nine rebounds and the Boston Celtics rolled to a 139-96 win over the short-handed Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.
Jaylen Brown added 26 points as both of Boston’s stars knocked down seven 3-pointers in a game the Celtics never trailed and led by as many as 49 points.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Damian Lillard had 42 points and 10 assists, Anfernee Simons added 26 points and the Portland Trail Blazers rallied to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 122-112 on Wednesday night.
Jerami Grant had 18 points in the first half, before leaving because of concussion symptoms.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — James Harden refused to stump for an all All-Star bid. After another standout game in a Philadelphia 76ers win in which he fell one rebound shy of a triple-double, Harden can let his statistics sell his candidacy.
Michael Malone might coach Nikola Jokic in the All-Star Game. He might get the rare chance to coach against him, too.
Malone and the staff of the Denver Nuggets have clinched their trip to Salt Lake City for All-Star weekend. Malone will coach Team LeBron — the team that will be drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James — in the Feb.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are getting a national television audience on Saturday.
Just in case.
With James closing in on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's career scoring record, the NBA has moved the Lakers' game at New Orleans up two hours to a 6 p.m.
DETROIT (AP) — The NBA game between the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons scheduled for Wednesday night was postponed because the Pistons were stranded in Dallas amid a winter storm.
The Pistons were unable to fly home to Detroit following their game Monday against the Mavericks, the NBA announced about 6 1/2 before tipoff.
Max Abmas of Oral Roberts won the NCAA scoring title as a sophomore, averaging 24.5 points and he helped his team become just the second No.
Pat Riley remembers just about every detail surrounding the events of Dec. 29, 1961. It was a cold night in Schenectady, New York. A little snowy, the roads a little icy. And when the bus carrying the opposing team from New York City arrived, all of Riley’s Linton High teammates peered out the window.
DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray is locked in right now — with his shot, with his swagger and especially with his confidence in his team.
“It’s fun to play basketball," the Denver point guard said. “But we still have room to improve.