NBA

3:02 PM ET After missing the past 13 games, LeBron James is available to play for the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday against the Chicago Bulls. James has been dealing with a tendon injury in his right foot. He was initially upgraded Saturday to doubtful for Sunday’s game, then Sunday was deemed questionable before testing

2:55 PM ET Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is facing a one-game suspension after being called for his 16th technical foul of the season during Sunday’s road game against the Charlotte Hornets. Doncic was whistled for a technical foul with 7:51 remaining in the third quarter for arguing a no-call after missing a shot on

6:50 PM ET Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young was ejected from Saturday’s game against the Indiana Pacers for heaving the ball at a referee in the middle of the third quarter. Young had just been called for an offensive foul that led to a game-tying 3-pointer from Tyrese Haliburton, resulting in a timeout by

7:21 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Lakers star LeBron James has been upgraded from out to doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bulls, the team announced Saturday. James, sidelined the past 13 games since suffering a tendon injury in his right foot on Feb. 26, tweeted earlier this week that he was working out

5:07 PM ET Kendra AndrewsESPN SAN FRANCISCO — Gary Payton II is considered probable for the Golden State Warriors‘ game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, coach Steve Kerr said. Payton scrimmaged on Friday and was a full participant at the team’s light practice Saturday afternoon. He will warm up on Sunday with the intent

3:09 AM ET Kendra AndrewsESPN SAN FRANCISCO — As the Golden State Warriors go through the final games of the 2022-23 regular season, they are operating with one clear goal in mind: Finish in the top six in the Western Conference. “We definitely want to stay out of the play-in tournament,” Stephen Curry said following

2:52 AM ET LOS ANGELES — The Lakers‘ 116-111 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday brought their record to .500 for the first time all season, needing 74 games to get even after a 2-10 start. “Now it’s time, instead of constantly facing a deficit, we get to try to create a surplus,

1:39 AM ET DALLAS — The home crowd loudly booed at the American Airlines Center during a timeout midway through the third quarter Friday night, when the Dallas Mavericks trailed the Charlotte Hornets by 18 points. “We probably should have been booed in the first quarter,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said after a 117-109 loss

9:43 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell will not play against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night because of a sore right hip, coach Darvin Ham said. “He was evaluated today, has a little something going on with his hip, so it’s best that we hold him out tonight,” Ham

6:48 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The Brooklyn Nets announced Friday evening that Ben Simmons has been diagnosed with a nerve impingement in his back, putting the former All-Star forward’s potential return to the court this season in doubt. Simmons, who hasn’t played since Brooklyn’s final game before the All-Star Break last month with a combination

2:52 PM ET DALLAS — Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic has been fined $35,000 for “directing an inappropriate and unprofessional gesture toward a game official,” the NBA announced Friday. Doncic rubbed his fingers together, in an apparent reference to money, while staring down a referee with 1.7 seconds remaining in Wednesday’s 127-125 loss to the Golden

1:22 PM ET ESPN News Services Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams’ complaints about the free throw margin in Wednesday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers have proved costly. Williams was fined $20,000 on Friday for public criticism of the officiating, the NBA announced. The fine stems from Williams’ comments ripping game officials and describing what

9:23 AM ET Jaylen Brown talks about the rest of his career and more from our NBA quotes of the week. “We’ll see how they feel about me over time and I feel about them over time. Hopefully, whatever it is, it makes sense. But I will stay where I’m wanted. I will stay where

8:00 AM ET Steve Alexander Now that the fantasy basketball playoffs are here, there’s never a more important time to pay attention to which direction players are trending. Here are five guys currently exceeding expectations and five others who are struggling as the season winds down. Risers Brook Lopez, C, Milwaukee Bucks: Bro-Lo cooled off

7:25 AM ET ANTHONY DAVIS SAT in the corner of his bedroom closet, overwhelmed. It was a couple days after another injury threatened to derail yet another season for him, and the Los Angeles Lakers big man was at his breaking point. “I’m like, shaking,” Davis told ESPN last week, jittering his hand to illustrate

11:02 PM ET LOS ANGELES — LA Clippers star Paul George avoided torn ligaments in his sprained right knee and is not expected to require surgery. While George will miss the remainder of the regular season and will not be reassessed for two to three weeks, the Clippers breathed a sigh of relief that he

5:25 PM ET Michigan freshman guard Jett Howard will declare for the 2023 NBA draft, he told ESPN on Thursday. “This was a great learning year for me,” Howard told ESPN. “It’s what I needed. It taught me how to play within a pro-style offense and be effective, to get out of my comfort zone,

2:10 PM ET Dave McMenamin Close Dave McMenamin ESPN Staff Writer Lakers and NBA reporter for ESPN. Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09. Adrian Wojnarowski Close Adrian Wojnarowski Senior NBA Insider Host of The Woj Pod Joined ESPN in