7:59 AM ET While the East gets ready for the conference semifinals this weekend, spots in the West are still up for grabs. What are the biggest things to watch in Game 6 of Golden State Warriors vs. LA Clippers (10 p.m. ET, ESPN)? Do the Warriors have a defense problem, and are their title

1:20 AM ET SAN ANTONIO — About two hours before Thursday night’s Game 6, a relaxed Gregg Popovich sat down for his pregame session with the media and was amiable with reporters despite the fact his San Antonio Spurs were facing elimination. “He always has a calm to him,” DeMar DeRozan said of Popovich, who

9:40 PM ET Hall of Famer John Havlicek, the Boston Celtics‘ all-time leading scorer, died Thursday in Jupiter, Florida. He was 79. Havlicek spent all 16 seasons of his NBA career with the Celtics and won eight NBA titles. He was named to the All-Star team 13 times. He had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

4:03 PM ET OKLAHOMA CITY — After a contentious series against the Trail Blazers that ended in another first round elimination and what some perceive as a dent in his reputation, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook shrugged off criticism on Thursday. “If you want to determine my career and what I’ve done over two,

3:26 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif. — Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant acknowledged one of the hard truths about his team’s up-and-down season in the wake of a surprising 129-121 Game 5 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night — the group doesn’t show a consistent killer instinct when it needs one, and

10:13 PM ET The NBA informed teams Tuesday that 233 players have filed as early-entry candidates for the 2019 NBA draft, including 175 from the college ranks and a record 58 internationals. The deadline for underclassmen and international players to submit paperwork to the league office making themselves eligible for the draft was Sunday night.

3:32 PM ET NEW YORK — All Star guard D’Angelo Russell “definitely” hopes to return to the Brooklyn Nets next season but knows that, as a restricted free agent, much of what happens in the offseason will be beyond his control. “I definitely want to be here. But I also know it’s a business, too.

4:25 AM ET PORTLAND, Ore. — It’s a shot that will be replayed for years to come, one of the all-time postseason moments as Damian Lillard closed the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games from almost 40 feet out to give himself an even 50 points and berth in the second round. The official play-by-play

11:14 PM ET TORONTO — Raptors guard Kyle Lowry injured the ring finger on his right hand Tuesday night in Toronto’s 115-96 series-clinching win over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of their first-round matchup. Lowry’s ring finger was struck by the ball in the second quarter. During the subsequent timeout, the Raptors’ medical staff

7:00 AM ET IT’S SATURDAY, SEPT. 8, in Tyler, Texas, and it is officially “Jimmy Butler Day.” The chancellor of Tyler Junior College has just bestowed an honorary degree on its most famous alumnus, followed by the city council handing the key to the city to the Sixers swingman, an honor not even bestowed upon