MILWAUKEE — Just when you thought Jimmy Butler v. Miami Heat had traversed every pathway of the absurd came background issued Thursday, a day after the Heat suspended Butler for two games for missing a team flight.

As for the rest of the story?

That followed from a subject line of: Jimmy Butler unexpectedly attends Reserve Cup Draft Dinner ...Read more

MILWAUKEE — The delicate dance continued for the Miami Heat at Thursday morning’s shootaround at Fiserv Forum, the ongoing discussion about Jimmy Butler’s absences amid the team stressing in advance that coach Erik Spoelstra would not be taking questions on the subject.

So a few more zigs, a few more zags, and the reality that Butler ...Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. — At one point Tuesday night, Dan Hurley was so thrilled to see a play made, he ran over to the scorer’s table and planted a kiss on Aiden Mahaney, who was waiting to check in.

At another point, he put his arms around both Butler coach Thad Matta and referee Pat Driscoll.

At another, the FS1 cameras caught him barking at a ...Read more

The Kings overcame an 18-point deficit to remain unbeaten at home under interim coach Doug Christie with a wild 123-117 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

DeMar DeRozan scored 32 points to lead the Kings (23-20), who improved to 10-2 overall and 7-0 at home since Christie took the helm after ...Read more

ATLANTA — Like the rest of the city of Atlanta, the frigid temperatures infiltrated State Farm Arena on Wednesday. The Hawks could not buy a bucket despite attempting 38 shots from deep and it sucked the life out of their efforts to the quickly rising Detroit Pistons.

The Hawks fell 114-104, dropping their second meeting of the series in what...Read more

DENVER — If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, Nikola Jokic believes. And in this case, it’s only sprained.

Jokic has used a shooting sleeve on his right arm three consecutive games after sustaining a mysterious elbow injury last Wednesday, purportedly while warming up for a game against Houston that night — even though he was already ...Read more

ATLANTA — Leaving Houston was an event for the Detroit Pistons. Due to an uncommon winter storm, the Pistons spent Monday night in Birmingham, Ala., before they arrived in Atlanta the following day. Before getting to Atlanta by bus, the Pistons made a pit stop at Buc-ee's.

An unorthodox travel schedule can typically cause a team's production...Read more

NEW YORK — This season was supposed to be about player development. While Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns handed the Nets their fifth straight loss on Wednesday at Barclays Center, 108-84, fans could see flashes of the future.

Brooklyn was once again decimated by injuries entering the night. D’Angelo Russell, Ben Simmons and five other ...Read more

DALLAS – If there was ever a time for the Minnesota Timberwolves to face the Dallas Mavericks on the road, it was Wednesday. Luka Doncic was still out because of a calf injury he suffered when the teams last met on Christmas Day. Center Dereck Lively II is also out for multiple months because of a foot injury. Klay Thompson was also watching ...Read more

After the Warriors beat Jordan Poole and the Wizards at Chase Center last weekend, Poole’s comments about how he loves “most of the guys over there” reverberated through Golden State’s locker room.

At least they reached Draymond Green.

Green, who infamously punched Poole in a preseason practice before the 2022-23 season, publicly ...Read more

FORT WORTH, Texas — So far, the loss of senior forward KJ Adams hasn’t adversely affected the Kansas basketball team where it counts the most ... the win-loss column.

Freshman Flory Bidunga — the injury replacement for Adams in the starting lineup the past two games — scored 10 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked four shots as the ...Read more

DENVER — Out of sight, out of pined. Who needs Joel Embiid? Nikola Jokic-vs.-Victor Wembanyama is the NBA’s best big man tussle now, by default. The fault, in this case, being Embiid’s bum left knee.

“I always say this: I think the No. 1 thing for players that you can measure them on (is not) wins, losses, stats — but availability,�...Read more

MILWAUKEE — After missing Wednesday’s team flight for the Miami Heat’s two-game trip to Milwaukee and Brooklyn, forward Jimmy Butler has been suspended again by the team, for those two games, an NBA source familiar with the action confirmed to the Sun Sentinel.

That follows Butler’s previous seven-game unpaid team suspension that ended ...Read more

DURHAM, N.C. — As No. 2 Duke basketball keeps piling up wins, Cooper Flagg is compiling a statistical achievement rarely seen for a freshman.

The 6-9 Flagg leads the Blue Devils in scoring (19.2), rebounding (8.1), assists (4.1), steals (1.6) and blocked shots (1.2) per game.

According to ESPN Research, provided to Duke athletics, no ACC ...Read more

Two days after the Lakers were saying it would almost never be easy, almost never came to town.

The Washington Wizards, who have won a league-low six times, were the cure for the Lakers after a loss Sunday to the Clippers exposed a number of their weaknesses. The postgame morale was low, LeBron James and JJ Redick openly discussing how their ...Read more

TJ Bamba spent three years tormenting the Washington men’s basketball team while starring at Washington State, and Tuesday marked a reunion of sorts between the Huskies and the former WSU point guard who transferred to Oregon.

Proving that some things never change, Bamba terrorized UW once again, and the 15 th-ranked Ducks beat the Huskies 82...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Having been just a bit player in his 1 1/2 college seasons, Aday Mara moved to the forefront Tuesday night.

In a massive way.

The 7-foot-3 center left a giant imprint all over what might have been UCLA’s most significant victory of the season.

Grabbing rebounds flatfooted, blocking shots and making every shot he took, Mara ...Read more