3:23 AM ET PHOENIX — After Russell Westbrook blocked Devin Booker‘s drive to the basket with 10 seconds remaining, the LA Clippers point guard unleashed a scream and a scowl. On a night when Westbrook labored with his shot and went 3-for-19 from the field, he made up for all the misfires by doing a

10:52 PM ET CLEVELAND — As the New York Knicks crept closer to Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, they did so believing that Julius Randle would find a way to play. After spraining his left ankle March 29 against the Miami Heat, there was some question as to

Apr 15, 2023 The NBA playoffs are where the best players shine. But who are those players? We turned to our experts to find out, asking them to rank the top 25 players participating in the 2023 NBA playoffs, then created a composite ranking from those individual lists. It has been nearly seven months since

7:00 PM ET MEMPHIS — For just the second time in LeBron James‘ 16 trips to the NBA playoffs, he’ll start off a first-round series on the road Sunday when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Grizzlies (3 p.m. ET, ABC). While the Lakers are the No. 7 seed facing off against No. 2 Memphis,

Apr 14, 2023 Jamal CollierESPN MIAMI — DeMar DeRozan‘s daughter, Diar, was escorted out of Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena by team security Wednesday night following the Chicago Bulls‘ 109-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors after the NBA notified the team of online threats directed at the nine-year old, Beth Esler of Bulls PR confirmed to ESPN.

12:28 AM ET Andrew LopezESPN MINNEAPOLIS — It didn’t click for Nickeil Alexander-Walker right away. Earlier Friday morning, Minnesota Timberwolves coaches and players were telling him to “just be ready” for that night’s play-in matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Alexander-Walker thought it was just normal pre-game talk. He knew his matchup would be against

5:35 PM ET New York Knicks All-Star forward Julius Randle, who has been out since March 29 with a left ankle sprain, is targeting a return against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, sources told ESPN on Friday. Randle, 28, has been steadily improving and plans to test his left ankle prior to game time before

5:19 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Before the LA Clippers gathered for a film session and practice, Paul George was working up a sweat, shooting 3-pointers at the team’s practice facility Friday. George remains out with a sprained right knee, but this is the second time this week the All-Star could be seen on the

4:00 PM ET The 2023 NBA playoffs are here! Eighteen teams still have a chance — some, uh, smaller than others — to take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June. But first, two more teams need to come out of the play-in tournament. After losing to the Lakers, can the No. 8 seed Minnesota

2:55 PM ET After orchestrating one of the most dramatic turnarounds in the league in years and ending a 16-year playoff absence, Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown has been voted the National Basketball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year, the organization announced Thursday. The award, named in honor of late NBCA executive director Michael H.