1:35 AM ET LOS ANGELES — Dallas Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic briefly entered the concussion protocol during Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers after suffering a hard fall to the court during a first-half drive to the hoop. Doncic was fouled on the drive and stayed in to sink a pair of free

6:54 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN NEW ORLEANS — Houston Rockets guard James Harden missed his first game of the season Sunday night with a toe sprain. “He probably could [play], but given the circumstances it’s better that he doesn’t,” coach Mike D’Antoni said before the game. “He’s banged up a little bit.” With Russell Westbrook

1:37 PM ET Associated Press He left Cleveland for Miami, finally became a champion, went back to his beloved northeast Ohio, delivered on another title promise, then left for the Los Angeles Lakers and the next challenge. He played in eight straight finals. No NBA player won more games or more MVP awards over the

3:31 AM ET PORTLAND, Ore. — It was just more than a week ago when Kyle Kuzma sat out in Milwaukee and could only watch as the Los Angeles Lakers mustered a season-low four bench points in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks without him. That was fifth straight game he missed, as he, in

9:49 PM ET PORTLAND — LeBron James started Saturday against the Portland Trail Blazers. James, who aggravated a right groin contusion in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ Christmas Day loss to the LA Clippers, was listed as questionable coming into the game. The 17-year veteran reported feeling improvement with the injury at the team’s shootaround Saturday

2:54 PM ET Giannis Antetokounmpo will sit for a second straight game Saturday as his Milwaukee Bucks host the Orlando Magic. The NBA’s reigning MVP missed Friday’s victory over the Atlanta Hawks due to back soreness. He will now have an additional two days of rest before the team’s next game on Monday at the

2:51 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Draymond Green called his team’s shot. The veteran forward could see that his Golden State Warriors were improving in practice, and he could feel the camaraderie of the group improving on a daily basis. So as the group went through a practice last week, he let Warriors swingman Alec

9:14 PM ET Associated Press ATLANTA — Hawks guard Trae Young sprained his right ankle Friday and will miss at least one game. Young had to be helped off the floor and was ruled out for the rest of the night late in the second quarter of a 112-86 loss to Milwaukee. He said after

1:54 PM ET Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon is expected to play in Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans after missing nearly seven weeks because of a knee injury. Gordon practiced with the Rockets on Friday, but coach Mike D’Antoni said Gordon would not play Saturday against the Brooklyn Nets — the first game

1:11 AM ET DALLAS — The right ankle that Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic sprained two weeks earlier felt fine during his return. His lungs were another story. “I’m not going to lie, I was pretty tired going to the end of the game,” Doncic said after the Mavs’ 102-98 win over the San Antonio Spurs