8:00 AM ET Health and safety protocols continue to be a concern around the league. Several stars sat out their teams’ Christmas Day matchups, including Trae Young, Luka Doncic and Kevin Durant, though James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to action for Saturday’s slate of games. Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks past the Boston Celtics,
NBA
12:47 AM ET ESPN News Services SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kings interim coach Alvin Gentry lashed out at his team after a 127-102 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night, calling its performance “absolutely ridiculous.” “It’s the most disappointed I’ve been in 34 years in the NBA, I can honestly say that,” said Gentry, who
5:22 PM ET Utah Jazz star guard Donovan Mitchell will miss at least the next two games due to a left lower back strain, the team announced Sunday. Mitchell will remain in Salt Lake City to receive treatment during the Jazz’s two-game road trip to San Antonio and Portland. Mitchell suffered the strain during the
2:17 PM ET Jamal Collier Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball became the team’s third player to enter the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols on Sunday, joining forward Alfonzo McKinnie and center Tony Bradley as players sidelined ahead of the Bulls’ matchup against the Indiana Pacers. Chicago will also be without coach Billy Donovan, who
12:22 PM ET Atlanta Hawks forwards John Collins and Jalen Johnson have entered the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Hawks now have 10 players in the protocol, including starters Collins, Trae Young and Kevin Huerter. Collins led the team with 20 points in Atlanta’s 101-87 Christmas Day loss
1:46 AM ET LeBron James passed Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer on Christmas Day. James’ 13th point of the first half, coming on a free throw with 3 minutes, 52 seconds remaining in the second quarter, gave him 396 career points on the holiday, eclipsing Bryant’s 395. James
1:28 AM ET When the NBA schedule makers locked in the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets to play on Christmas Day, the vision was to pit L.A.’s big three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook against Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden in a star-studded affair. Thanks to a left
10:13 PM ET PHOENIX — Stephen Curry knew the answer. The Golden State Warriors‘ star guard knew that after leading his undermanned team to an impressive 116-107 win over the Phoenix Suns on Christmas Day on Saturday in front of a loud, sold-out crowd at Footprint Center, the proud team had just pulled out its
9:04 PM ET There’s renewed momentum for the creation of a future in-season NBA tournament among the league’s 30 teams, sources told ESPN. The NBA and National Basketball Players Association have been discussing elements of the tournament, which could become part of the calendar as soon as the 2022-2023 or 2023-2024 seasons, sources said. Negotiations
7:29 PM ET Kelly CohenESPN If you are a fan of Wisconsin sports, specifically the Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Bucks, you got two extra gifts on Christmas Day. Led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks erased a 19-point deficit against the Boston Celtics and won their 22nd game of the season 117-113. The Bucks’ comeback
7:50 PM ET Jamal Collier MILWAUKEE — Although Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo would never prefer to sit out for an extended stretch of games, he acknowledged after Milwaukee’s 117-113 victory over the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day that his stint in the NBA’s health and safety protocols gave him an opportunity for a much-needed mental
6:46 PM ET LA Clippers All-Star Paul George suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will rest the injury for the next three-to-four weeks prior to a revaluation, the team announced Saturday. There’s no clear timetable on a return to play, but the hope is that resting the injury over the
3:48 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN NEW YORK — Kemba Walker‘s Christmas began with him being officially given back his starting point guard spot. He then delivered Knicks fans a 101-87 victory over the Trae Young-less Atlanta Hawks here at Madison Square Garden, and did so in style: by recording the third triple-double of his career,
Dec 24, 2021 After clearing the NBA’s health and safety protocols on Friday, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was in the starting lineup against the Boston Celtics on Saturday. Antetokounmpo, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, planned to get on the court Friday for a workout. In the protocols and unable to work out since Dec.
1:20 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The Boston Celtics saw their 13th player enter the NBA’s health and safety protocols in a little more than a week when guard Dennis Schroder entered Saturday, a couple of hours before the team is set to play the Bucks in a Christmas Day matinee in Milwaukee. Schroder is one
11:37 AM ET Minnesota Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Russell is the eighth Timberwolves player to enter the protocols, along with starters Karl-Anthony Towns, Patrick Beverley, Anthony Edwards and Jarred Vanderbilt. Russell is averaging 18.7 points, 6.7 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game
10:40 AM ET Amid a dramatic franchise transformation, Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff has agreed on a long-term extension that will keep him under contract through the 2026-27 season, sources told ESPN on Saturday. Bickerstaff and general manager Koby Altman have worked together to reshape the Cavaliers around a young core — including guard Darius
1:23 PM ET After clearing the NBA’s health and safety protocols, there’s optimism that Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will be in the lineup against the Boston Celtics on Saturday, sources told ESPN. Antetokounmpo, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, planned to get on the court Friday for a workout. He will make a decision on