11:17 PM ET TORONTO — Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant scored 51 points in Thursday’s 131-128 overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors, marking the first time in his storied career he scored 40 or more points in three consecutive games. Durant finished the night 18-for-31 from the field, 4-for-7 from beyond the arc and

12:37 PM ET Nine-year-old Riley Morrison needed shoes for the new hoops season, but after deciding she liked Under Armour’s Stephen Curry model, she couldn’t find them. So she took her problem straight to the top, writing the Golden State Warriors star a letter. Saying she’s a big fan, Morrison wrote that she and her

12:15 AM ET HOUSTON — For the Houston Rockets, the best thing about their fourth consecutive loss was that it was lopsided enough for coach Mike D’Antoni to decide to pull his overworked starters with more than seven minutes remaining. The injury-riddled Rockets’ lack of depth was exposed in Wednesday’s 128-108 loss to the Dallas

11:09 PM ET Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY — Russell Westbrook moved into a tie for third place on the NBA list for triple-doubles with 23 points, 19 rebounds and 15 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder completed a regular-season sweep of the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers with a 100-83 victory Wednesday night. Westbrook’s triple-double was his

2:21 PM ET Nick DePaulaESPN After a stalemate over long-term extension talks with current endorser Jordan Brand, Toronto Raptors All-Star wing Kawhi Leonard has agreed to a multi-year shoe deal with re-emerging brand New Balance, according to league sources. The deal was first reported by Yahoo Sports. “It’s not official,” Leonard said at Wednesday morning’s

12:57 AM ET DENVER — Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball sprained his left ankle in a 117-85 loss to the Denver Nuggets but said he will be ready to play against Indiana on Thursday. X-rays on Ball’s ankle were negative, and he is considered day-to-day. Ball injured the ankle late in the second

9:52 AM ET The LA Clippers are the biggest surprise in the league. Just ask Vegas. The Clips are on pace to win about 18 more games than their preseason over/under suggested. It’s the biggest such deviation in the NBA, and it’s all thanks to an efficient offense engineered by Doc Rivers and fueled by

2:50 AM ET OAKLAND, Calif — Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant is so good that after scoring 49 points in a 116-110 comeback win over the Orlando Magic, he was frustrated he didn’t get 50. “I still missed 17 shots,” Durant said. “Tricked off a 50 piece. I felt like I had some shots

2:35 AM ET Jerry Bembry WASHINGTON — On one hand you had Houston Rockets guard James Harden, who was named the NBA’s MVP last season behind his lethal combination of 3-point shooting and his uncanny ability to get to the rim. On the other hand you had the Washington Wizards duo of John Wall and

9:34 PM ET Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said on Monday that guard Stephen Curry should be a full-go at practice on Tuesday. Kerr wanted to make sure Curry had a couple of practice days before returning to game action. Curry hasn’t played since injuring his left groin in a Nov. 8 loss to