7:00 AM ET A few quality wins have propelled the Philadelphia 76ers back into our No. 1 spot. Joel Embiid and the 76ers have won four straight, with the past three coming against playoff teams in the LA Clippers, Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks. The Utah Jazz, meanwhile, have dropped two of their past four

11:32 PM ET How does the NBA play-in tournament work and which teams will participate during the 2020-21 season? The league first tested the play-in round during the 2020 NBA restart in Orlando, Florida, with the Portland Trail Blazers topping the Memphis Grizzlies to get the final spot in the Western Conference playoffs. In November,

4:54 PM ET The New Orleans Pelicans are finalizing a multiyear deal with Brazilian guard Didi Louzada, league sources told ESPN on Sunday. The Pelicans acquired Louzada with the No. 35 pick in the 2019 NBA draft in the same draft-night deal that netted New Orleans center Jaxson Hayes and guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Louzada has

11:50 AM ET ESPN News Services Jimmy Butler has labeled the Miami Heat as “soft,” saying the reigning Eastern Conference champions need a wake-up call and for All-Star center Bam Adebayo to get back to playing “bully ball.” Miami suffered its third straight loss with a 119-111 loss to Minnesota, who entered Friday’s game with

1:59 AM ET DALLAS — Tom Thibodeau, the notoriously gruff first-year New York Knicks head coach, cracked a hint of a grin when asked about his demeanor following a 117-109 win Friday night over the Dallas Mavericks. It was New York’s fifth consecutive victory, marking the franchise’s longest winning streak in seven years. The Knicks,

8:14 PM ET NEW YORK — Ten days after James Harden was diagnosed with a right hamstring strain, Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks said that the All-Star guard is “progressing well.” Marks added that Harden will need “at least one or two” practice days when he plays 4-on-4 and 5-on-5 before returning to the

12:19 PM ET Three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade has purchased an ownership stake in the Utah Jazz, joining majority owner and team governor Ryan Smith with plans to take an active role in the franchise and region. Wade, an eight-time All-NBA player with the Miami Heat, is the latest of several Hall of Fame-level players

Apr 15, 2021 LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis has been cleared for full-contact practice and his return to game action is imminent, Lakers coach Frank Vogel said Thursday. It has been a while since Vogel has had a reason to smile when asked about the health of his players. However, Vogel

Apr 15, 2021 NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets center LaMarcus Aldridge announced on Twitter on Thursday that he is retiring from the NBA after experiencing an irregular heartbeat during his final appearance with the team. “For 15 years I’ve put basketball first,” Aldridge wrote. “And now, it is time to put my health and family

1:25 AM ET In the midst of one of the hottest streaks of his brilliant 12-year career, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry had to chuckle when asked if he would like the NBA single-game 3-point record back from his longtime teammate Klay Thompson. “Absolutely,” Curry said after scoring 42 points during Wednesday’s 147-109 win