Month: November 2015

Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant, arguably the best player of his generation, announced on Sunday he will retire after the 2015-16 National Basketball Association season.

The decision by the Lakers’ shooting guard, not totally unexpected, was announced in a post on The Players’ Tribune on Sunday.

Power forward Zach Randolph posted a double-double and point guard Mike Conley scored a game-high 20 points as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated Philadelphia 92-84 on Sunday, sending the 76ers to their 18th consecutive loss to start the season.

Kobe Bryant scored 13 points on 4-of-20 shooting after declaring he will retire at the end of the season, and the Indiana Pacers hung on to send his Los Angeles Lakers to their sixth consecutive defeat, 107-103 Sunday night.

Playing without Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks were blindsided by a late Rockets comeback and squandered a 15-point lead before losing to Houston in overtime.

The Philadelphia 76ers were again poised to end their losing streak. And, as has happened lately, they were unable to close the deal.

Trevor Ariza hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:14 left in overtime and Marcus Thornton made two free throws with less than a second left as the Houston Rockets beat the New York Knicks 116-111 on Sunday night.

The Nets scored the final 6 points after trailing by 2 with 1 minute 21 seconds remaining for the win at home.

Eric Bledsoe wasted little time atoning for a missed free throw with just 12.3 seconds to go.

Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant, arguably the best player of his generation, announced on Sunday he will retire after the 2015-16 National Basketball Association season.

Each game for Stephen Curry and Golden State is a must-watch event right now, but San Antonio Coach Gregg Popovich takes a longer view of the regular season.

Victor Oladipo scored 19 points and Nik Vucevic added 18 points and 10 rebounds to help the Orlando Magic beat the Boston Celtics 110-91 on Sunday night for their third straight victory.

Thaddeus Young had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Brook Lopez scored 15 points and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Detroit Pistons 87-83 on Sunday night.

The Los Angeles Lakers star announced Sunday on The Players’ Tribune website that he will retire after this season, his 20th in the N.B.A.

Forward Blake Griffin had 26 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, leading the Los Angeles Clippers to 107-99 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

Kobe Bryant is the closest thing to a Michael Jordan clone the NBA has ever seen, and Bryant's former teammate, Sasha Vujacic, said he wouldn't be surprised to see the Lakers legend emulate the former Bulls' star when he finishes his final season. "He'll be bored with retirement, so he might come back,” Vujacic said…

Dear Basketball: Overtime turned into a painful reality for the Knicks and rookie Kristaps Porzingis. Kobe Bryant wrote an online poem Sunday entitled "Dear Basketball'' to announce he was saying goodbye to the sport after the season. For nearly 3 ½ quarters Sunday, the Knicks were weaving a more pleasant fairy tale. The club soldiered…

It was just two points on the first play of overtime, but it seemed symbolic – a sign of where this was headed.

Doc Rivers rested all of his starters throughout the fourth quarter against New Orleans on Friday night, a rarity for the Clippers coach this season.

The Golden State Warriors rained 3s in the desert and pushed their NBA-record start to 17-0.

Golden State guard Stephen Curry scored 41 points and made nine 3-pointers as the Warriors extended their unbeaten streak to start the season to an NBA-record 17 games in a 135-116 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday at the Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Kawhi Leonard is on quite a roll. The reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year also is being noticed for his play on the offensive end.

Andrew Wiggins scored 22 points, Zach LaVine added 19 points and eight rebounds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves got a big game from their reserves in a 101-91 win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.

Gerald Green scored a season-high 25 points in Miami’s 97-78 win over New York on Friday, but his defensive effort against Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony might have been the most impressive part of his performance.

With Philadelphia desperately for its first win, James Harden took over for the Houston Rockets.

James Harden had 50 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, and the Rockets beat the 0-17 Philadelphia 76ers, 116-114, in Houston.

Jamal Murray had 21 points and No. 1 Kentucky scored the final 15 points of the first half on the way to beating South Florida, 84-63, in the Hoop-Hall Miami Invitational.

The Mexican basketball federation was suspended by the world governing body FIBA because of the national government’s interference in how the sport is run.

Paul George and the Indiana Pacers picked up right where they left off before a three-day break.

Elfrid Payton has been inconsistent this season for the Orlando Magic.

Paul Millsap had 23 points and 14 rebounds, one of six Atlanta Hawks players who scored in double figures during a 116-101 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

The Knicks withered against the Miami Heat, their third consecutive defeat. The ugly loss ensured that the searching and tinkering would need to continue for the team.

Kevin Durant had 34 points and 13 rebounds to help the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Detroit Pistons 103-87 Friday night for their fourth straight win.

LeBron James extended his personal run of dominance against the Charlotte Hornets by leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 95-90 victory Friday night.

Gerald Green scored a season-high 25 points while starting in place of Luol Deng, and the Miami Heat beat New York 97-78 on Friday night for their second victory over the Knicks this week.

Jared Sullinger had 18 points and 15 rebounds in three quarters and Isaiah Thomas scored 21 points, leading the Boston Celtics to a 111-78 rout of the Washington Wizards on Friday night.

LeBron James had 25 points and 13 rebounds, extending his personal run of dominance against the Charlotte Hornets by leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 95-90 victory Friday night.

Black Friday traditionally signifies the start of the holiday shopping season, but the carnage inside the Garden mostly was tinted Green.

There was a time when the rival Heat sharing an in-season holiday meal with anyone on the Knicks was unthinkable.

The Knicks probably would have ended up happy either way. Once in consideration to be taken by the Knicks with the fourth overall pick in the draft, used on Kristaps Porzingis, Heat forward Justise Winslow displayed the two-way skills that made the Duke swingman such an attractive rebuilding piece in Miami's 97-78 win at the…

The Knicks brought in Derrick Williams for his offense, for his ability to provide a spark and change the pace with his athleticism.

Lewis coached the Cougars for 30 years, and to five Final Fours, but he is best remembered for his squads of the 1980s and their thunderous style of play.

Gordon Hayward uncorked the emotions that had been building through nearly four years of losing to the Clippers.

Anthony Davis crashed to the floor going for a rebound of a missed shot in the closing seconds of the New Orleans Pelicans’ game against the Phoenix Suns game. It was a hard fall.

Someone is going to be the unfortunate first team to lose to the winless Philadelphia 76ers. It could be the Houston Rockets in the next game. Or the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.

Rudy Gay scored 36 points and the Sacramento Kings beat the Milwaukee Bucks 129-118 on Wednesday night for their second road victory of the season.

Kawhi Leonard is getting more secure with the ball in his hands and the game on the line and his success in that role has been an important part of the San Antonio Spurs hot start.

Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 28 points, but the Knicks’ bench contributed only 12 in 100-91 loss.

Anthony Davis tipped in a missed shot with 20.6 seconds left for the go-ahead basket and the New Orleans Pelicans pulled away to beat the Phoenix Suns 120-114 on Wednesday night.

No one Minnesota Timberwolves player dominated on Wednesday night. It was different players at different points of the game coming up with timely shots, tough defense or the extra pass.

Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points and the San Antonio Spurs never trailed, holding on for an 88-83 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.

Kevin Durant scored 30 points, Russell Westbrook added 27 points and 13 assists and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Brooklyn Nets 110-99 on Wednesday night.

The Philadelphia 76ers found a way to tie the longest losing streak in major U.S. professional sports history.

The 76ers’ defeat on Wednesday was their 26 straight. The consecutive losses matches the team’s — and the N.B.A.’s — worst losing streak.

Victor Oladipo scored a season-high 24 points, Nik Vucevic added 22 points and 12 rebounds and the Orlando Magic beat the New York Knicks 100-91 on Wednesday night.

Kyle Lowry scored 27 points and DeMar DeRozan added 20 as the Toronto Raptors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-99 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory.

Jeff Green scored 20 points and Courtney Lee had 10 of his 17 in the fourth quarter to help the Memphis Grizzlies beat the struggling Houston Rockets 102-93 on Wednesday night.

Andre Drummond had 18 points and 20 rebounds as the Detroit Pistons ended a two-game losing streak with a 104-81 rout of the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.

Jeremy Lamb had 18 points and seven rebounds, Nicolas Batum added 16 points and 11 assists and the Charlotte Hornets closed with a 25-2 run to beat the Washington Wizards 101-87 on Wednesday night.

Maybe I'm just getting a little sentimental in my old age. Maybe it's because I look out the window and what I see — sharp sunshine, long shadows, orange and brown colors scattered across the back yard — yells "Thanksgiving” to me. Whatever it is, I am in an especially thankful mood. And it goes…

Another Kristaps Porzingis block party couldn’t overcome the poor shooting night from the rookie and another ugly outing from the bench.

Even though he hasn’t been in his usual spot on the bench, ailing coach Steve Kerr has contributed plenty to Golden State’s record start.

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Lakers 111-77 and broke the record for the best start to an N.B.A. season.

As the Golden State Warriors steamrolled Los Angeles Lakers to a historic start on Tuesday, aging star Kobe Bryant sank to a new low in a trying season expected to be his last.

The Golden State Warriors registered the best start in NBA history with their 16th straight victory in a blowout win over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night at Oracle Arena.

Interim coach Luke Walton believes the time will come when the Golden State Warriors finally lose a game.

The defending champion Golden State Warriors set the record for best start in NBA history at 16-0, as Stephen Curry had 24 points and nine assists in a 111-77 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.

Jimmy Butler scored 22 points, Derrick Rose added 17 in his return to the lineup and the Chicago Bulls held off the Portland Trail Blazers 93-88 on Tuesday night.

Golden State, the defending league champion, is the first team to open a season 16-0. Stephen Curry had 24 points and 9 assists.

Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan each scored 18 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Denver Nuggets 111-94 on Tuesday night to snap a three-game losing streak.

Indiana finished 73.1 percent (19 of 26) from 3-point range, crushing its previous season high of 44.4 percent (12 of 27).

Indiana forward Paul George thinks his team doesn’t get enough attention.

Mike Conley scored 21 points, Jeff Green added 19 and seven Memphis players reached double figures in a 110-96 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.

Paul Millsap scored 25 points, Jeff Teague added 16 and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Boston Celtics 121-97 on Tuesday night.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis said Tuesday the kid shown on TV on draft night holding his head in his hands and appearing to cry after the 7-foot-3 Latvian was selected fourth in the draft now has his No. 6 jersey. Doing a drive-time radio tour while with the club in Orlando Tuesday,…

Not many NBA players had competed against Kristaps Porzingis before this season, but Orlando rookie Mario Hezonja has a history with him.

The blowout loss in Miami Monday demonstrated a fickle nature to New York’s construct.

If Phil Jackson wasn’t already making the maximum allowable he would certainly deserve a raise for drafting Kristaps Porzingis.

New York’s winning streak and the Kristaps Porzingis train hit a dune in South Beach.

Amar’e Stoudemire once transformed the Knicks from miserable to relevant.

Kevin Durant quickly answered any questions about his hamstring injury.

Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs kept taking the ball away from the Phoenix Suns. Over and over. All night long.

Christmas might still be a month away but the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns are already in a giving mood, or so it seems from the two teams’ combined 49 turnovers in the Spurs’ 98-84 win versus the Suns Monday.

Through another seemingly interminable losing streak, the Philadelphia 76ers have been done in by some of the NBA’s biggest names.

The Miami Heat’s sputtering offense continued but they used an improving defense to defeat the New York Knicks 95-78 on Monday.

James joins Oscar Robertson as the only players in league history to rank in the top 25 in career points and assists.

Atlanta Hawks Coach Mike Budenholzer was fined $25,000 for making incidental contact with an official.

No player in NBA history stuffed a stat sheet quite like Oscar Robertson. The “Big O” was a triple-double machine.

No one had a big scoring night for Miami, which was not an issue. Having great defensive numbers is considerably more important to the Heat right now anyway.

The 2013 trade with the Celtics for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett may not be the worst in Nets history, but since future draft picks are involved, there is still time.

Greg Monroe had 20 points and 13 rebounds in his first game against his former team, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 109-88 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Monday night.

Kristaps Porzingis was productive once again, collecting 20 points and 14 rebounds. But he worked for everything, shooting 7 of 18 from the field against waves of defenders.

Kemba Walker scored 39 points, and the Charlotte Hornets battled back from 22 points down in the second half to beat the Sacramento Kings 127-122 in overtime Monday night.

Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer apologized Monday for bumping an official, an incident that drew a $25,000 fine from the NBA and led to a call from the referees’ union that he be suspended.

Make room, Big O.

Long before Phil Jackson compared Kristaps Porzingis to Shawn Bradley, he said Porzingis reminded him of Pau Gasol.

MIAMI — Carmelo Anthony never objected to Knicks president Phil Jackson selecting Kristaps Porzingis at No. 4, but had told insiders he wouldn't have minded Duke swingman Justise Winslow or Arizona forward Stanley Johnson at that slot either. Of course, Anthony is ecstatic how it is playing out for the surging Knicks, who face the…

Pat Riley played alongside Jerry West and Gail Goodrich, the guards whose exploits from the early 1970s still have the Miami Heat president saying they were the best backcourt he ever saw.

Damian Lillard saw potential in the Los Angeles Lakers’ talented young guards. The Portland star guard also demonstrated just how far D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson have got to go to catch up with the Trail Blazers’ brilliant young backcourt.

Golden State guard Klay Thompson scored 21 points, Stephen Curry had 19 and seven assists, and the Warriors won their 15th straight to match the best start in league history with a 118-105 win over the Denver Nuggets.

Brook Lopez and Jarrett Jack combined for 55 points to lead the Nets over the Celtics, who had beaten them by 25 points two days earlier.

Who’s counting? The Golden State Warriors certainly are. The wins are piling up, and they’re moving closer to NBA history.

Even though Oklahoma City have a team full of veteran and experienced players, this season they have had problems closing out games. While playing without forward Kevin Durant is a factor, it is only one reason for fourth-quarter meltdowns.

Brook Lopez and Jarrett Jack combined for 55 points to lead the Nets over the Celtics, who had beaten them by 25 points two days earlier.

Pelicans first-year coach Alvin Gentry is starting to see evidence that his team can overcome its dismal start to the season.

The Knicks and Miami play twice this week, but the game to watch will be Friday’s at Madison Square Garden, where Kristaps Porzingis is stirring crowds the way Jeremy Lin once did.

Russell Westbrook had 31 points and 11 assists, hitting two key baskets in the final 63 seconds, and the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from a double-digit third-quarter deficit to beat Dallas 117-114 on Sunday night, ending the Mavericks’ six-game winning streak.

Grayson Allen lifted No. 5 Duke over Georgetown, 86-84, in the championship of the 2K Classic at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon.

Brook Lopez had 23 points and 10 rebounds, Jarrett Jack scored 13 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Boston Celtics 111-101 on Sunday for a split of a home-and-home series.

The Toronto Raptors shut down Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, and then had enough to hold off the Los Angeles Clippers at the very end.