NBA

7:00 AM ET The 2023 NBA playoffs are here! Twenty teams have a chance — some, uh, smaller than others — to take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June. But first, four teams need to come out of the play-in tournament. Can the No. 8 seed Minnesota Timberwolves overcome Rudy Gobert‘s suspension and Jaden

7:00 AM ET NBA insiders The regular season has come to an end, but there are still key seedings being fought for ahead of the 2023 NBA playoffs. The play-in tournament is in its third year and will feature perhaps the most high-stakes matchups in its existence. Editor’s Picks 2 Related In the Eastern Conference,

7:46 PM ET ESPN News Services Bradley Beal, speaking Monday at the Washington Wizards‘ end-of-season availability, addressed the postgame incident with a fan in Orlando, Florida, last month that landed him under police investigation. After a loss to the Orlando Magic, Beal and the Wizards were exiting the court and in the visitors’ tunnel headed

3:46 PM ET The NBA established records for total attendance, average attendance, percentage of capacity and sellouts this season, the league announced in a news release on Monday. A record 791 sellouts easily surpassed the 760 figure set during the 2018-19 season. And the league’s arenas were filled to an all-time-high 97% capacity, according to

3:29 PM ET Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Hornets coach Steve Clifford said it’s critical for the team to start winning if it intends to keep star point guard LaMelo Ball, who is considered a cornerstone of the franchise. Ball, the No. 3 overall draft pick in 2020, never has been in a playoff

2:37 PM ET MIAMI — Jimmy Butler said he knows that many inside the NBA world don’t believe the seventh-seeded Miami Heat can again make it all the way through the Eastern Conference playoffs this season, but he doesn’t care. As he prepares to take the organization into its first play-in game against the No.

1:43 PM ET Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has been hit with a one-game suspension, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, for his verbal and physical altercation with a teammate in Sunday’s win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Gobert will not travel to Los Angeles with the team and will not play against the Lakers on

11:47 AM ET Associated Press DURHAM, N.C. — Duke guard Jeremy Roach is entering his name into the NBA draft but maintaining his college eligibility. The 6-foot-2 junior announced his decision in a social-media post Monday, saying he was looking forward to getting feedback on his game during pre-draft workouts. Roach was the team’s No.

12:00 AM ET The NBA postseason is here, with 20 teams still fighting for the 2022-23 title. And after a campaign of blockbuster trades, record scoring numbers, the end of a historic playoff drought and a wild race to the finish to decide play-in tournament seeding, who is going to win this thing? The No.

8:38 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Back in training camp, the Lakers made it known their mission was to get back to the playoffs after last season’s disappointment. Sunday’s regular-season finale, a 128-117 win over the Utah Jazz, didn’t guarantee L.A. a first-round berth, but it will be playing beyond game No. 82. The Lakers

8:13 PM ET The LA Clippers needed everything they had to beat the Phoenix Suns to secure the fifth seed in the Western Conference playoffs, including overcoming a brief heated disagreement on the bench between Mason Plumlee and Bones Hyland in between the third and fourth quarters. At the end of the third quarter of

7:56 PM ET DALLAS — All-Star guard Luka Doncic attempted to ease concerns about his long-term commitment to the franchise after the Dallas Mavericks‘ disappointing season ended Sunday. “I’m happy here, so there’s nothing to worry [about],” Doncic said after sitting out the Mavericks’ 138-117 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The Mavs finished 38-44

4:29 PM ET DALLAS — San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich’s pregame media availability on Sunday opened with the NBA’s all-time wins leader declining to discuss whether he would consider retirement this offseason and ended with an unprompted, passionate speech lobbying for gun control legislation in America and criticizing “cowardly legislators who are selfish.” Popovich,

5:02 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert swung at teammate Kyle Anderson during a second-quarter timeout and was escorted to the locker room during Sunday afternoon’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Just after halftime, the Timberwolves announced Gobert was out for the remainder of the game. Video of the

5:02 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Timberwolves lost two starters before locking up the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference on Sunday with Rudy Gobert being sent home for swinging at teammate Kyle Anderson and Jaden McDaniels fracturing his right hand, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Gobert was escorted to the

3:28 PM ET The Houston Rockets are declining to pick up the fourth-year option on coach Stephen Silas’ contract, ending his three-year run leading the franchise’s rebuild, sources told ESPN on Sunday. Rockets general manager Rafael Stone and Silas are expected to meet Monday morning and formalize the parting, sources said. Editor’s Picks Silas, 49,

3:48 PM ET Dwane Casey announced Sunday that he will step down from his role as coach of the Detroit Pistons and will move into a front-office role. Speaking after Detroit concluded its season with a 103-81 loss to the Chicago Bulls, Casey walks away after the Pistons stumbled through a 17-65 season. “Tom is

1:21 PM ET MIAMI — As the Miami Heat prepare for life without trusted veteran Udonis Haslem, coach Erik Spoelstra reiterated Sunday just how much he is going to miss having the 42-year-old in the locker room next season. Haslem, who is expected to play during Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Orlando Magic, will retire