12:35 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson has been fined $15,000 for making an “inappropriate gesture” to a spectator. The NBA announced the punishment Thursday. Thompson’s action came at the end of the Cavaliers’ 99-97 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday at the Barclays Center. Thompson finished with

3:38 AM ET LOS ANGELES — After a whirlwind week in Laker Land in which Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and even Kevin Durant weighed in publicly about how LeBron James should play, or in Durant’s case what it’s like to play with him, James capped the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 4-0 homestand with 42 points in

12:19 AM ET LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram injured his left ankle in the first quarter of Wednesday night’s game against San Antonio when he landed on the foot of Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge. After an official’s review, Aldridge was called for a flagrant foul 1 for sticking his foot

2:32 PM ET The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t landed a superstar player yet to pair with LeBron James — and Kevin Durant thinks they may struggle in that effort. In a recent interview with Bleacher Report, Durant discussed the challenges associated with playing with James. “It depends on what kind of player you are,” Durant

8:33 AM ET All terms being equal, would I want to play here? How the best basketball players in the world answer this question governs the entire power structure of the NBA. No two players hold every team in the same regard, and the impressions of these teams fluctuate day to day. But it’s not

11:17 PM ET There was a noticeable hole on the Heat bench in the closing seconds of Tuesday night’s loss to the Magic. It was about 7-foot, 265 pounds. Center Hassan Whiteside abruptly left the bench and went to the locker room by himself with less than a minute to go in Miami’s 105-90 home

2:51 PM ET Malika AndrewsESPN INDIANAPOLIS — Chicago Bulls players have had 24 hours, one practice and a shootaround to digest the dismissal of Fred Hoiberg as head coach and Jim Boylen’s promotion from associate head coach. “It’s tough,” Zach LaVine said after shootaround on Tuesday morning. “I texted [Hoiberg] right afterwards and let him

2:20 AM ET LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant says the growing pains LeBron James and the Lakers have endured for much of this season are a necessary evil but that they will square things away soon enough. “They have a determination to figure it out,” Bryant told Lakers play-by-play announcer Bill MacDonald at the team’s

11:58 PM ET ATLANTA — In just his second game since returning from a strained left groin injury, Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry scored 30 points in 29 minutes during Monday night’s 128-111 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night. Curry outscored the Hawks by himself in the first quarter 18-17, going 6-of-7

3:46 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN TORONTO — The Raptors announced that guard Kay Felder, who was playing for the team’s G League affiliate, has been released following his arrest on a charge of domestic violence Monday morning. Raptors 905 released a statement Monday afternoon: “On Monday, Dec. 3, 2018, Raptors 905 guard Kay Felder was