Dec 3, 2021 ESPN News Services PORTLAND, Ore. — New Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups questioned his team’s effort after a 114-83 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night. The Blazers were without All-Star guard Damian Lillard but still put up little fight against a Spurs team which came into the

Dec 2, 2021 LOS ANGELES — LeBron James has been cleared to return to the lineup for the Lakers‘ game against the LA Clippers on Friday after a brief stint in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the league announced Thursday. James has returned eight negative tests since returning to Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon,

2:41 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN METAIRIE, La. — Zion Williamson‘s return to the NBA floor has been delayed because of soreness in his surgically repaired right foot, the New Orleans Pelicans announced Thursday afternoon. Williamson was supposed to participate in his first full practice on Thursday but was held out because of the soreness he

3:02 PM ET Associated Press MILWAUKEE — Bucks center Brook Lopez has undergone surgery to address the back injury that has kept him from playing since the opening game of the season. The Bucks announced Thursday that Lopez had back surgery earlier that day in Los Angeles. “He’s basically been making very, very slow but

5:25 PM ET Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol and is out indefinitely, the team announced Thursday. Gilgeous-Alexander suffered the concussion after two common fouls late in Wednesday’s loss to the Houston Rockets, a game in which he scored a season-high 39 points. There is no timetable

12:12 PM ET After a four-month investigation, the NBA has punished the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat with the loss of second-round draft picks because of premature discussions into the free agency of guards Lonzo Ball and Kyle Lowry, the league announced Wednesday. Chicago and Miami will lose their next available second-round pick after the

11:26 PM ET ESPN News Services X-rays on the lower back of Karl-Anthony Towns came back negative Wednesday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves star told reporters. Towns had to leave the game with 2:14 remaining after injuring himself on a dunk during the team’s 115-107 loss to the Washington Wizards. Towns scored only two of his

11:07 AM ET Denver Nuggets guards Bones Hyland and Austin Rivers have entered into the league’s health and safety protocols, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday. If they test positive for the virus, they will be away from the team for at least 10 days, which would result in at least six missed games.

6:14 PM ET The NBA has completed a study with infectious disease specialists and testing manufacturers on the preseason antibody test results of 2,300 players and staff, citing further evidence of a need for booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines for league personnel, according to a copy of the study’s findings obtained by ESPN. The NBA’s

8:30 PM ET Orlando Magic rookie Jalen Suggs will not need surgery on his fractured right thumb and will be reevaluated every two weeks before a decision is made on his return to the court, the team said Tuesday. Per the Magic, Suggs’ return “will ultimately depend on the healing of the bone.” Suggs fractured