NBA

6:35 PM ET MEMPHIS, Tenn. — All-Star point guard Ja Morant will come off the bench for the first time in his career Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets, a situation he suggested to the Memphis Grizzlies‘ coaching staff as he returns from an eight-game suspension. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said Morant, who sat out

5:35 PM ET Andre SnellingsESPN After making an improbable run to the NBA Championship last season, the Golden State Warriors are battling to even make the playoffs and avoid the play-in tournament this season. What has gone wrong? And can it be fixed in time for them to make another playoff run? Let’s explore. Defensive

5:35 PM ET William E. Ricks The artist responsible for Zion Williamson‘s first tattoo showed the process behind the body art, which carries familial and biblical significance. The New Orleans Pelicans star received a large back tattoo that reads: “Mount Zion.” Anthony Michaels, an artist who works at Twenty Five Twelve Collective, a tattoo and

3:10 PM ET LA Clippers All-Star guard Paul George will miss at least the next two weeks with a sprained right knee, the team announced Wednesday. George will be reevaluated in two to three weeks and is expected to miss the remaining nine regular-season games the Clippers have left. George’s timeline for a potential return

2:55 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN METAIRIE, La. — New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has returned to on-court activities but will still be reevaluated in two weeks from his right hamstring strain that has kept him out since Jan. 2. A two-week reevaluation would be April 5, with the Pelicans having just three regular-season games

2:05 PM ET Associated Press DALLAS — Mavericks star Luka Doncic has been upgraded to probable against Golden State, likely signaling his return from a five-game injury absence for a game Wednesday night with significant playoff implications. Doncic has been out with a left thigh strain that required an MRI. The test didn’t show significant

12:17 PM ET ESPN Fantasy The fantasy basketball playoffs are in full swing and every roster decision matters more than ever. For fantasy managers, this is crunch time. So which players on the waiver wire can provide a huge boost for the rest of the week? Here are the players that our experts — André

11:07 AM ET After missing nearly four months with a Grade 3 calf strain, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns plans to return for Wednesday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, he told ESPN. Towns will do a final check before the game, but he said he expects to play for the first time since Nov. 28.

7:39 AM ET The Memphis Grizzlies are hopeful to get Ja Morant back on the floor Wednesday against the Houston Rockets. Morant’s recent eight-game suspension shook some of the momentum the Grizzlies were riding to a potential top seed in the West prior to March 4. But with its star point guard returning to practice,

12:58 AM ET LOS ANGELES — LA Clippers star Paul George left Tuesday night’s 101-100 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder late in the fourth quarter with an apparent right leg injury. As George went up for a rebound, his right knee seemingly collided with Thunder guard Luguentz Dort‘s knee in the air. George landed

5:29 PM ET Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns has been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, the first time the big man’s status has changed since he suffered a calf strain five months ago. Anthony Edwards, who has missed the past two games with a right ankle sprain, is also listed

5:14 PM ET MEMPHIS — All-Star point guard Ja Morant, who participated Tuesday in his first practice with the Memphis Grizzlies following an eight-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the NBA, described his attempt to find better ways to manage stress through counseling as “an ongoing process.” Morant, who the Grizzlies anticipate will make his

3:06 PM ET Willis Reed, who won two NBA championships during his legendary career with the New York Knicks, has died, the team confirmed in a statement on Tuesday. He was 80. Reed played 10 seasons in the NBA from 1964 to ’74, all with the Knicks. He was named to the All-NBA team five

4:12 AM ET DAKAR, SENEGAL — Heading into the final day of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Sahara Conference in Dakar, there is still no team which can say beyond doubt that they have qualified for the playoffs. After ABC Fighters beat Kwara Falcons 79-76 and US Monastir beat REG 84-79 on Monday, there is

1:38 AM ET MEMPHIS — For the second time this month, Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks faces an automatic one-game suspension due to his technical fouls total for the season. In yet another eventful performance for the pesky defender known as Dillon “The Villain,” Brooks picked up his 18th technical foul of the season for

12:21 AM ET Andrew LopezESPN HOUSTON — Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he couldn’t even remember the last time his team won a road game before Monday night. When told it was Jan. 30, Kerr briefly paused. “Thanks, that doesn’t make me feel any better,” he said. Golden State snapped an 11-game road

10:18 PM ET NEW YORK — Julius Randle scored a career-high 57 points, but that wasn’t enough to save the New York Knicks from a disappointing 140-134 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. Randle’s dominance was apparent throughout the first three quarters of a defenseless showcase in which the

7:41 PM ET MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Grizzlies anticipate that All-Star point guard Ja Morant, who rejoined the team Monday after serving an eight-game suspension, will play in Wednesday night’s home game against the Houston Rockets. “We’re hopeful for Wednesday, so long as everything medically clears out,” coach Taylor Jenkins said before Monday’s game against