5:35 PM ET The NBA is placing a significant burden on team officials to monitor and mete out discipline in cases of COVID-19 protocol violations among players and staff, the league told teams on Thursday in a memo obtained by ESPN. The memo comes on a day when four Chicago Bulls players — Lauri Markkanen,

5:23 PM ET Associated Press ATLANTA — Atlanta Hawks guard Kris Dunn will rest his right ankle for two weeks after having arthroscopic surgery to remove loose cartilage. Dunn, who has not played this season, will be placed in a walking boot, and his status will be updated after the two weeks. The Hawks said

11:23 PM ET Becky Hammon made history Wednesday by becoming the first woman to act as head coach during an NBA regular-season game. The San Antonio assistant coach filled in for head coach Gregg Popovich after he was ejected in the first half of the Spurs‘ 121-107 loss to the visiting Los Angeles Lakers. “Obviously,

1:01 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — NBA viewers watched 81.5 million hours of live games on ABC, ESPN and TNT in the opening week of the season, up 95% from opening week in 2019. In terms of total hours, this season’s opening week was the most viewed since 2011, the league said Wednesday.

1:58 AM ET Eric WoodyardESPN The top of the standings is where the Milwaukee Bucks have finished at the end of the past two regular seasons in the Eastern Conference. However, through the first five games of the 2020-21 campaign, the Bucks find themselves off to a slow start, at 2-3. Like last season, the

9:13 PM ET LOS ANGELES — The LA Clippers were able to rebound from their most lopsided loss in franchise history without Kawhi Leonard. Leonard did not suit up in a 124-101 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night as the All-Star forward missed his second consecutive game because of a mouth laceration. Leonard

11:48 PM ET With their 144-97 win on Tuesday night, the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t just beat the Miami Heat on Tuesday night, they showered them with an unprecedented flurry of 3-point shots, setting an NBA record with 29 long baskets made in their 51 attempts. They tied the previous mark of 27 with just under

12:13 PM ET ESPN News Services Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love will miss at least the next three to four weeks with a calf injury. Love, 32, suffered a calf strain in the preseason and aggravated the injury during Sunday’s 118-94 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. The Cavs said Love will get treatment and rehab

2:25 PM ET Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has been fined $50,000 for violating the NBA’s anti-tampering policy, the league office announced Monday. The fine is in response to a Dec. 20 tweet about Houston Rockets superstar James Harden. The tweet, which was deleted several minutes later, celebrated the one-year anniversary of

11:31 PM ET Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young took issue with a play by Memphis Grizzlies guard Grayson Allen from Saturday’s game, apparently feeling Allen tried to intentionally trip him. Young was coming off a screen as Allen trailed behind and their feet tangled, with Young stumbling a bit on the play. “Damn… tell me