NBA

9:45 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Dennis Schroder will miss the Lakers’ game against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday because of the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the team announced about an hour before tipoff. Schroder has started all 29 of the Lakers’ games this season, averaging 14.2 points, 4.3 assists and 3.6 rebounds. Wesley

7:27 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant were named the captains for next month’s NBA All-Star Game on Thursday night. James and Durant will pick their respective teams from the remaining 22 All-Stars between now and the All-Star Game, which the NBA officially announced earlier

1:25 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The NBA officially announced Thursday that it will be holding the All-Star Game on March 7 in Atlanta and will partner with the NBPA to give more than $2.5 million to HBCUs as well as to support awareness around equity and access to COVID-19 care, relief and vaccines. Due to

3:13 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry couldn’t buy a basket. After spending the first half of the season full of knocking down shots from all over the floor, while re-inserting himself into the MVP conversation, Curry came into the fourth quarter of Wednesday night’s 120-112 overtime win over the Miami Heat having already

1:15 AM ET NBA Insiders The NBA will announce the starters for the 2021 All-Star Game on Thursday, and there has been plenty of debate about who should be on its rosters. But Wednesday night, some of the league’s up-and-coming stars took to the court to make their case for a spot in the big

1:18 AM ET Andrew LopezESPN NEW ORLEANS — Another night, another clutch performance from Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard. Sure, this one featured another game-sealing bucket from Lillard — his 25th game-tying or go-ahead field goal in the final 20 seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime, most in the NBA since he entered

6:46 PM ET Kevin Durant will not play against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, missing his third consecutive game with a left hamstring strain. Durant traveled with the Nets on their five-game road trip and continues to get treatment on his hamstring. Brooklyn initially said Durant would miss at least two games. The team

5:09 PM ET ESPN News Services As the decision to bench center Andre Drummond while the team pursues a trade has drawn criticism — most notably from Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green — Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said “nobody’s decision should be muted.” Bickerstaff said Drummond was not with the team Wednesday, and

4:53 PM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — Kevin Love took part in most of practice for the Cavaliers on Wednesday, moving the five-time All-Star closer to playing after missing most of the season with a calf injury. Love has been out since Dec. 27, when he aggravated a calf strain he initially incurred in the

5:30 PM ET Who is trending up? Which rotations are changing? And what’s the latest with the notable injuries around the NBA? Here’s a look at the most fantasy relevant news and notes for all 30 teams: Atlanta Hawks: First it was Bogdan Bogdanovic who went down for the Hawks. Then, it was De’Andre Hunter,

1:26 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz will coach the Western Conference entry in next month’s All-Star Game, sources told ESPN. While the league has not officially announced the game is taking place March 7, if it holds to its typical timeline of selecting the coach of the team with the

1:44 PM ET Many of the NBA’s top players are expressing apprehension about accepting invitations to participate in league-sponsored public service announcements to bolster broader acceptance of the coronavirus vaccine, sources told ESPN. The NBA’s outreach to the agents of many of the league’s elite players — with hopes of getting stars to participate in

2:41 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN The Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder are both planning to travel later Wednesday afternoon for games set to be played in other cities on Wednesday night. After meeting Tuesday night in Oklahoma City, both the Blazers and Thunder had issues leaving because of snow in the area. The

8:41 AM ET ESPN News Services MADISON, Wis. — Democrat Alex Lasry, a 33-year-old Milwaukee Bucks executive and son of a billionaire, announced Wednesday that he’s running for the U.S. Senate in 2022 for the seat currently held by Republican Ron Johnson. Lasry made the announcement with a YouTube video, saying “we need a new

10:00 AM ET The Utah Jazz are on a remarkable run against the point spread. Entering Wednesday’s game at the Los Angeles Clippers, the Jazz have covered the spread in eight straight games and 18 of their last 20 overall, with one push. Utah’s 18-1-1 against the spread (ATS) is the second-best mark during a

7:25 AM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — – NBA All-Star Chris Paul has an off-court project in the works: His first book. Paul’s “Sixty-One: Life Lessons from Papa, On and Off the Court” will come out in September, St. Martin’s Press announced Wednesday. Co-written with journalist and ESPN broadcaster Michael Wilbon, the memoir by

12:53 AM ET OKLAHOMA CITY – With 5:28 remaining in the fourth quarter, Damian Lillard hit two hard dribbles with his left hand, putting his man on his hip and squaring up the help defender, Al Horford. It was a one-point game, the Oklahoma City Thunder leading, and as Lillard does, he hit the eject

1:03 AM ET Eric WoodyardESPN The mood inside the Milwaukee Bucks‘ locker room was “kind of quiet,” according to newcomer Bobby Portis, following a 124-113 loss to the visiting Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. But although reigning back-to-back MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo acknowledged some frustration after the Bucks’ fourth straight loss, he said there’s no reason