NEW YORK — The Knicks could be without OG Anunoby for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The forward has been diagnosed with a right hamstring strain ahead of Friday night’s game in Philadelphia and is considered day-to-day.

Anunoby appeared to tweak his leg with about three minutes left in the Knicks’ 108-102 win over the ...Read more

DENVER — After a black and blue series, Christian Braun left the Denver Nuggets red-faced.

Denver capitulated to the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games, a championship bid ending in vacant stares and shaking heads. Braun accepted responsibility. Then he elaborated.

“I just think I’m the leader of this team,” Braun said. “I’m the ...Read more

SAN ANTONIO – Any time a road team gets a victory to start a playoff series, they can feel content with what they did, knowing that if they take care of business at home, they can now win the series.

That was the position the Timberwolves were in for Game 2 against the Spurs — and they played like they were simply content with claiming Game...Read more

NEW YORK — Tyrese Maxey stood a few feet behind the 3-point line, bent at the waist, his weight supported by fistfuls of basketball shorts. There were 22 seconds left and the Sixers were down by two possessions. Reality’s harsh fatigue was settling in.

The hope for the Sixers is that their 108-102 loss in Game 2 against the Knicks wasn’t ...Read more

NEW YORK — The New York Knicks had every reason to expect a simpler night.

Joel Embiid was out for the Philadelphia 76ers, though Mitchell Robinson was a late scratch for the Knicks. And somehow, even without Philadelphia’s franchise center on the floor, the Knicks still spent most of Game 2 fighting whistles, foul trouble and a team that ...Read more

BOSTON — During his end-of-season news conference Wednesday, Brad Stevens offered his take on an eye-opening rumor regarding Celtics star Jaylen Brown.

Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady, who is close with Brown, shared on his podcast this week that Brown has “frustration (that) lies deeply within the (Celtics) organization.”

Stevens...Read more

CHICAGO — Bryson Graham isn’t afraid to admit that this is a dream come true.

When the new top basketball executive for the Chicago Bulls received the job offer over the phone from President and CEO Michael Reinsdorf, Graham broke down in tears.

It wasn’t out of surprise. Graham couldn’t be surprised by a moment he worked this hard and...Read more

CHICAGO — When he finished his introductory news conference Wednesday at the Advocate Center, new Chicago Bulls executive Bryson Graham walked off the podium and ventured into the media seating section.

He proceeded to introduce himself to the writers, TV and radio reporters, cameramen, podcasters and anyone else in the room. Whether he would...Read more

Though Jarred Vanderbilt suffered a gruesome dislocated right pinky injury during the Lakers' loss in Game 1 against the Thunder on Tuesday, coach JJ Redick said his forward has been listed as day-to-day for the second-round series.

Vanderbilt, who is left-handed, was injured in the second quarter trying to block a dunk by Oklahoma City's Chet ...Read more

NEW YORK — The illustrious basketball career of Tina Charles came to an end Tuesday, with the sure-fire Hall of Famer announcing her retirement.

The former New york Liberty star ended her career after 15 WNBA seasons. And players that crossed paths with the Queens native reminisced about her greatness throughout the years.

“Tina is a ...Read more

OKLAHOMA CITY — Congratulations, Lakers!

You held Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to fewer than 20 points for the first time since Game 3 of the Western Conference finals last May 24. You forced him into a season-high seven turnovers. And — get this, this part is really wild — you afforded the man who basically lives at...Read more

OKLAHOMA CITY — With the Lakers down 1-0 in the Western Conference semifinals, Luka Doncic has not yet ramped up to on-court contact drills while recovering from an injured left hamstring that had an initial eight-week timeline for his return.

Doncic, speaking to reporters for the first time since he hobbled off the court at Oklahoma City's ...Read more

CHICAGO — Michael Reinsdorf took over the reins of the Chicago Bulls from his famous father in 2010, but mostly remained in the shadows over the last 16 years until firing executives Artūras Karnišovas and Marc Eversley last month.

On Monday, the Bulls president and son of Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf left no doubts that he’s ready to leave ...Read more

OKLAHOMA CITY — Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick was succinct about what it was like for his group to face the defending NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder during the regular season.

“We sucked against this team,” he said pregame.

The Lakers lost all four regular-season games against the Thunder by double figures, making L.A.’s 108...Read more

DETROIT — No team wants a playoff series to go the distance of seven games. Not only can it take a lot out of a team in terms of energy, but the quick turnaround also leaves no time to prepare for the next opponent. For the Detroit Pistons, coach J.B. Bickerstaff understands how grueling a seven-game series can be. However, similar to how the ...Read more

BOSTON — Jaylen Brown’s explosive comments about NBA officials earned him a hefty fine.

The Boston Celtics star was fined $50,000 “for public criticism of officiating,” the league announced Tuesday.

Brown made his remarks Sunday night during a stream on his Twitch channel. While breaking down film of Boston’s Game 7 loss to the ...Read more

NEW YORK — You could say the Philadelphia 76ers ran into a buzz saw on Monday night, but then you’d be crediting them with running.

They didn’t even deserve that much on Monday night. Game 1 of this Eastern Conference semifinals was an ambush, plain and simple. Rarely will you find a game where a team was as thoroughly and unrelentingly ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — This is how it should end.

This is how it’s supposed to end.

Billy Donovan back in Orlando — not as a punchline, not as a “what if,” but as the perfect full-circle moment nearly two decades in the making. A chance to right one of the strangest detours in modern basketball history and, in the process, possibly deliver ...Read more

HARTFORD, Conn. — UConn legend Tina Charles ended her remarkable career in quiet fashion on Tuesday morning, releasing a statement on her social media accounts announcing her retirement from professional basketball.

Charles concludes her 15-year career as one of the greatest centers in WNBA history, finishing as the league’s all-time leader...Read more