1:34 AM ET Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Dennis Murphy, a sports entrepreneur who co-founded professional leagues in basketball, hockey, tennis and roller hockey that featured innovations in marketing, rules and playing style, died Thursday. He was 94. Murphy died of congestive heart failure at an assisted living facility in the Orange County city of

2:52 AM ET MILWAUKEE — The ball was in their veteran leader’s hands, and the Phoenix Suns were trying to pull out a win during the final minutes of Game 4 of the NBA Finals when not once, but twice, Chris Paul turned the ball over late in Wednesday’s 109-103 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

2:04 AM ET MILWAUKEE — When are we going to see a Khris Middleton game? From the Deer District to the bluffs of Lake Michigan, this has been the persistent question around town since the Bucks returned to Milwaukee down 2-0 to the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals. Giannis Antetokounmpo will get his

12:07 PM ET Denver Nuggets assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. and Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham are the front-runners in the Washington Wizards‘ coaching search, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Bucks assistant Charles Lee also has emerged as a finalist for the job, sources said. Unseld, who has served as a Nuggets assistant since

10:16 AM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Candace Parker grew up playing video games, and now she’ll be the first female basketball player on the cover of one. The Chicago Sky star will appear on the NBA 2K22 cover for the WNBA 25th anniversary special edition when it’s released Sept. 10. “I grew up

4:39 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN MILWAUKEE — After dominating the first three games of the NBA Finals, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to do more of the same in Game 4 on Wednesday night, as he and his teammates hope to even this series with the Phoenix Suns. Phoenix, like every other team that

12:17 PM ET The New Orleans Pelicans are progressing on a deal to hire Phoenix Suns assistant Willie Green as head coach, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. A 12-year NBA veteran, Green has been an assistant with the Suns for the past two seasons and spent the previous three seasons on the Golden State Warriors‘

8:53 PM ET LA Clippers All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard underwent successful surgery Tuesday to repair a partial tear of the ACL in his right knee, the team announced. In their release, the Clippers said there was no timetable for his return. Leonard was injured during the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the Western Conference

2:45 AM ET MILWAUKEE — In the immediate aftermath of his team’s 120-100 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams said he wasn’t going to use his postgame news conference to gripe about the officiating. And then he did just that. “I’m not going to

4:08 AM ET Team USA’s Kevin Durant found himself on the receiving end of a mighty block by Nigeria’s Precious Achiuwa, which sent him crashing into the protective padding around the court. Ethan Miller/Getty Images Nigeria became the first African country to beat Team USA when it shocked the No. 1 side 90-87 in a pre-Olympics