11:57 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN CHICAGO — It was a step forward for New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson on Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls. But it was also a step back for the Pelicans’ defense. Despite a game-high 29 points for Williamson through just the 3:54 mark of the third quarter, New Orleans

5:33 PM ET President Donald Trump, in his first public comments about the NBA’s relationship with China, criticized Warriors coach Steve Kerr and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich for their response to questions about the controversy. Trump weighed in on the topic Wednesday afternoon, saying the NBA has to “work out their own situation” with China

1:13 PM ET The 76ers said two fans were removed from Tuesday’s preseason game for “their continuing disruption of the fan experience,” with the fans saying they were kicked out for showing support for Hong Kong. The team and the Wells Fargo Center both released statements Wednesday saying they received multiple complaints about the two

1:01 AM ET ESPN News Services The NBA Cares event in Shanghai involving the Los Angeles Lakers was canceled on Wednesday just hours before it was scheduled to begin, adding to the fallout from a recent tweet by Rockets GM Daryl Morey that showed support for anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. The NBA did not

8:48 PM ET Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons hit the first 3-pointer of his NBA career in a preseason game against the Guangzhou Long-Lions on Tuesday night. The 6-foot-10 point guard pulled up from deep beyond the arc seconds before halftime with the Sixers up big. He was treated to rapturous applause by the home

11:46 AM ET Kevin Durant said Tuesday that the New York Knicks can’t rely on their “brand” to land the best players, many of whom don’t even remember the franchise being good. “I think a lot of fans look at the Knicks as a brand and expect these younger players in their lifetime don’t remember

9:00 AM ET Some people like power rankings. I prefer tiers. It’s a big-picture method of capturing how good teams are today, and where they are in the NBA’s rise-and-fall cycle. It is an especially interesting exercise approaching the most wide-open season in recent memory. More teams than usual have claims to membership in the

6:27 PM ET ESPN News Services DETROIT — Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores said keeping Andre Drummond in the fold is a top priority and that the team needs to take another step forward after making the playoffs a season ago. Gores was on hand Monday at the opening of the Pistons’ new training center

6:42 AM ET Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors have agreed on a one-year, $31 million contract extension that takes the five-time All-Star guard out of July’s free-agent market, agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports told ESPN. The extension guarantees Lowry two years and $64 million on the books — including the $33.3 million left

10:28 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN BOSTON — Celtics rookie Tacko Fall sat on the bench for the first three quarters of Sunday’s preseason opener at TD Garden against the Charlotte Hornets hearing fans repeatedly chant his name. But when the 7-foot-7 center finally got a chance to check into an NBA game for the first