Spreads and totals listed are as of early Sunday morning. Visit our odds page for current Las Vegas lines. Cleveland Cavaliers (2-1 ATS) at Boston Celtics (1-2 ATS) Series: Cavs lead 3-0 Game 4 Line: Cavs -7.5, Total: 203 With zero wins to show, the Celtics have actually played a good series. Boston was always going to be outmatched against Cleveland, but head coach Brad Stevens has his team fighting....
It was a back-and-forth affair and with the series on the line, some great defensive effort was exhibited by both the teams. At the half-time, the Raptors led the Sixers 44-40. The things got only more closer in the second half and the home team eventually held on to the victory. Kawhi Leonard led both the teams in scoring with 41 points and Joel Embiid led the Sixers scoring with 21 points....
These are the marquee matchups this week in the NBA, along with the full schedule. MORE: Watch the NBA live and on-demand on fuboTV (7-day free trial) Boston Celtics at New York Knicks Thursday, Dec. 21, 8 p.m. on TNT | fuboTV Kyrie Irving and the Celtics, the top team in the East, face Kristaps Porzingis and the Knicks in the Big Apple. The Knicks’ loaded frontcourt should match up well with the Celtics’ group of energetic and efficient-shooting guards....
NBA scouts came into the season hopeful that LeVert would establish himself as a top-tier prospect on the perimeter, which would be vital considering how few wing players are expected to be on the board in June. This year’s draft will be dominated by bigs. MORE: Injury bug hits hyped 2014 NBA Draft class “He had a chance to be a lottery pick, I think,” one scout here told Sporting News....
The NBA took this time to remind teams that hazing will in no way be tolerated by the league, ESPN.com Marc Stein reported, citing league sources. In the memo, the Miami Dolphins were referenced explicitly, with the remainder of the letter urging players to report any instance of bullying, which a violation of NBA policy. There was a long list of violations that included physical abuse or threats of violence; verbal abuse focused on an individual's race, nationality, color, gender, age, religion, sexuality, etc; destruction, defacement or theft of a fellow player's personal property; and the list continued on to mention many others....
The 76ers are coming off a disappointing defeat against the Atlanta Hawks, whereas the Bucks beat the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. Let us analyse how things stand for both teams tonight. The Milwaukee Bucks perspective The Bucks have been dominating the East, and there is no doubt that they are one of the top contenders this season. As a team, the Bucks are shooting 47.6% from the field and 35....
With so many players all vying to make an NBA roster for the following season, you just know that the best of the bunch will show out. Teams can put up big scoring numbers, while individual players are all trying to get theirs as well, while showing teams that they can do it all within the flow of the offense. The Sporting News has you covered on all the records that have been set at Las Vegas Summer League since 2006 - the tournament’s inception....
Philadelphia has the No. 1 pick and has already made a verbal promise to Ben Simmons. The LSU forward has been criticized for his outside shooting and isn’t a great fit in the crowded Philly frontcourt, but there aren’t many 6-10 players with his court vision, rebounding ability and overall feel for the game. This is the right selection for long-suffering 76ers fans. The Lakers are next and will almost certainly draft Brandon Ingram....
Below are the draft picks for Rounds 1 and 2 of the 2018 NBA Draft with results featuring pick number, team and player. Deandre Ayton went No. 1 overall to the Suns (no surprise there), but the trade betwen the Hawks and Mavericks shook up the top five. Here is the complete round-by-round NBA Draft order along with the full results… NBA DRAFT GRADES: Instant analysis for every pick...
When the camera panned to former President Barack Obama late in the second quarter, fans in Scotiabank Arena erupted into an “MVP” chant while giving him a standing ovation. Obama’s plans to attend the game were not announced until just a few hours before tipoff. He was reportedly going to accompany Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, however Trudeau stayed home. Instead, Obama entered beside Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri....
The Warriors topped the Clippers and Rockets in the first two rounds of the playoffs before advancing to the championship round with a sweep of the Trail Blazers in the Western Conference finals. They’ll be playing for their third straight title and fourth in the last five seasons. Warriors star Kevin Durant has been out since straining his calf in Golden State’s Game 5 win over the Rockets. He will not play in the opener but could return during the series against Toronto....
NBA Finals odds: Current Game 1 lines from Vegas This is the matchup just about everyone had hoped for. It features two superstars – the 2015 NBA MVP and the best player on the planet – going head-to-head. The format for the NBA Finals went back to the 2-2-1-1-1 format last season, and not having to play three straight games at Cleveland makes Golden State’s home-court advantage even greater. Under the old 2-3-2 format, the home edge could be flipped more dramatically if the higher seed lost one of the first two at home....
Davis agreed to a two-year, $2 million deal with the Lakers on Wednesday night, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The person requested anonymity because an official announcement has not been made. The deal includes a player option for the second season, giving him the chance to get back on the market quickly if things go well. Toronto made Davis the 13th overall pick in 2010, hoping the forward would add a dynamic element to its frontcourt....
Boston’s center will decline his $30.1 million option this offseason and become an unrestricted free agent, but he is doing so in hopes of working out a new deal with the Celtics, according to ESPN. Horford, 33, is coming off of a season in which he averaged 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 53.5 percent from the floor and 36.0 percent from beyond the arc. He is starting to get older and the team may want to restructure his deal so it can have more flexibility in free agency....
Anthony, one of the top free agents remaining on the market, will attend the Knicks’ informal 5-on-5 scrimmages Thursday in New York, according to Sports Illustrated, which cited unidentified sources. Anthony also participated in workouts and scrimmages with the Nets in Los Angeles that were organized by Kyrie Irving earlier this month, according to SNY. One anonymous person in the gym during Anthony’s scrimmages with the Nets said the 35-year-old forward “was one of the best players in the workouts and that his body looked great,” SNY notes....
Los Angeles is signing big man Ivica Zubac to a four-year, $28 million deal, according to a report from ESPN. The Clippers acquired Zubac from in trade with the Lakers in 2018-19 and his stats received a healthy boost after making the move. The 22-year-old went from averaging 8.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game to 9.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. He said he was happy to be playing “good basketball” with his new team in April, and it appears like there could be a lot of that ahead given the Clippers’ rapidly improving roster....
His sheer leaping ability came across on this defensive play, however. With the Miami Heat steamrolling toward Henderson in transition, he waited back in the lane and jumped to block Udonis Haslem's dunk attempt. MORE: Jefferson plays through foot injury | Eastern Conference in photos
MIAMI — LeBron James leaped onto a courtside table as the postgame celebration was starting, thumped his chest and punched the air. Next stop: The Eastern Conference finals. Again. James scored 29 points, Dwyane Wade added 28 and Ray Allen delivered two huge plays in the final seconds as the Heat rallied to beat the Brooklyn Nets 96-94 on Wednesday night, winning the second-round matchup 4-1. DEVENEY: What’s next for Nets?...
