7:55 PM ET DALLAS — Tears streamed down Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle’s face after a tribute video honoring him played on the American Airlines Center video boards before Saturday night’s game with the Dallas Mavericks. It was the first time Carlisle had faced the Mavericks since the franchise’s all-time winningest coach resigned last summer,

12:52 AM ET ESPN News Services NEW ORLEANS — Nikola Jokic scored 22 of his 29 points in the second half to go with 13 rebounds and 10 assists as the Denver Nuggets held off the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans 116-105 on Friday night. It was the reigning NBA MVP’s sixth triple-double in January, tied

2:30 PM ET Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a right ankle sprain and will be sidelined at least through the All-Star Break, the team said on Saturday. The Thunder said he will be reevaluated after the break in mid-February. Gilgeous-Alexander was injured early in the third quarter of the Thunder’s 113-110 overtime loss

7:47 PM ET Less than 2 weeks after being a 50-1 longshot to win NBA MVP, Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Joel Embiid is now the favorite (+260) at Caesars Sportsbook. Embiid, listed at 50-1 on January 16, is in the midst of a 16-game stretch in which he is averaging 34 points and 10 rebounds per

Jan 27, 2022 Tim BontempsESPN LeBron James and Kevin Durant again will be the captains of the two teams in this year’s All-Star Game, as the NBA announced on Thursday night the starters for its annual midseason showcase to be held Feb. 20 in Cleveland. James, who now has been a captain in each of

9:16 PM ET The fan who taunted Los Angeles Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony during the Philadelphia 76ers‘ game against L.A. on Thursday has been banned indefinitely from Sixers games and all future events at Wells Fargo Center, a 76ers spokesperson told ESPN on Friday. Anthony confronted the fan standing behind the row of courtside seats

8:00 AM ET In a first for a high-profile ex-professional athlete, North Carolina A&T freshman golfer J.R. Smith — a retired 16-year NBA guard — has signed with Excel Sports for NIL representation, agent Lance Young told ESPN. Smith, 36, is beginning his second semester for the Aggies, and his emergence as perhaps the most

2:24 PM ET PHILADELPHIA — Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James didn’t play in Thursday night’s 105-87 loss to the 76ers because of left knee soreness. Coach Frank Vogel made the announcement that his star player was out about 90 minutes before tipoff. He said James woke up with some soreness in his left knee.

8:42 PM ET It’s almost time for the NBA’s midseason showcase. The 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend is set for Feb. 18-20 in Cleveland, and as of Thursday, the starters and captains are now known. LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) and Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets) again will be the captains of the two teams in this

8:00 AM ET IT WAS THE start of the fourth quarter and the Boomers, the Australian Olympic men’s basketball team, were in a tight game against Italy in an important group stage match. The Aussies had inched ahead and a finishing kick would guarantee advancement to the medal round. Coach Brian Goorjian peered down the