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While things can certainly still change over the remaining three quarters, now feels like the perfect time to take stock in this year’s MVP race. We’ve seen just enough to properly rank players based on their individual and team performances, but it’s still early enough that one bad week could drastically change the order. Players like Jayson Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo have led their teams to the top two records in the NBA, respectively, while others like Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic have put up insane numbers to keep their teams alive in the playoff hunt early on....

The 24-year-old said both of his parents weren’t feeling well last week, and he urged them to see a doctor. Cruz had to be hospitalized as her condition continued to deteriorate. (Towns’ father, Karl Sr., was released from the hospital and is under quarantine.) MORE: Sports figures who have tested positive for COVID-19 “She just wasn’t getting better. Her fever was never cutting from 103, maybe go down to 101....

The 2019-20 season was suspended for more than four months because of the coronavirus pandemic. It ended Oct. 11 with the Lakers winning the championship. The next campaign is set to begin just before Christmas following a vote by the National Basketball Players Association. It will be 10 games shorter than the usual 82-game slate. “The Board of Player Representatives of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) has tentatively approved a start date of December 22, 2020 for the 2020-2021 NBA season and a 72-game schedule,” the NBPA said a statement Thursday night....

Manu Ginobili scored 20 points, Danny Green added 16 points and Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard had 15 points apiece for San Antonio. The Spurs advance to face the fifth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers, who upset the Houston Rockets in a six-game series. Dirk Nowitzki had 22 points and nine rebounds to lead Dallas. Last season ended for the Spurs with a Game 7 loss in the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat....

The Hawks showed why they led the Eastern Conference most of the year, and the Grizzlies beat up on the injured Trail Blazers. MORE: Irving shines in playoff debut | Griffin dunks all over Baynes PHOTOS: Pictures of the first round The day’s finale was much anticipated, as both teams could make a run to the Finals, but the Clippers cruised to victory over the Spurs with a 107-92 win....

Detroit Pistons sign LiAngelo Ball on a non-guaranteed contract The Detroit Pistons have reportedly signed LiAngelo Ball to a one-year non-guaranteed contract as per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The deal is signed as an Exhibit 10 deal. An Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year deal that guarantees that LiAngelo Ball will get an invitation to training camp and will get a bonus of $50,000 to play with the team’s G-League affliliate if he gets waived....

Nevertheless, Anthony is believed to be targeting a comeback next season, and the rumors suggest that the New York Knicks remain an option. In case you didn’t know… Anthony is a 10-time All-Star, who is widely regarded as one of the best offensive forces in recent NBA history. During seven seasons with the Knicks, Anthony established himself as one of the league’s best players. However, subsequent stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets were disappointing....

TMZ Sports first reported earlier this month that several NBA teams have stopped using the term “owner,” but recently caught up with Silver for an interview where he confirmed the change in style. “I don’t want to overreact to the term because, as I said earlier, people end up twisting themselves into knots avoiding the use of the word ‘owner,’” Silver told TMZ Sports. “But we moved away from that term years ago with the league....

According to a report from The Athletic, the top point guard prospect (behind Murray State sensation Ja Morant) left the combine Thursday, sparking speculation he “could have a promise in the lottery.” Garland suffered a season-ending knee injury just five games into his freshman season. He joined the Commodores as a five-star recruit and averaged 19.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists through his first four games. Despite his injury and lack of game tape, Garland is still a top prize in an otherwise weak draft class behind Morant and Duke stars Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett....

New York is weighing the move in an effort to acquire pieces that would “better complement” star free agents like Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving. The report adds a trade of this nature likely wouldn’t happen until the draft starts because both teams would want to know which players are available when the No. 8 pick is on the clock. The Knicks finished this past season with the worst record in the league at 17-65 and many projected New York would earn the No....

Not because he didn’t get invited like Indiana’s Yogi Ferrell, but rather because Simmons has chosen not to attend. Simmons is represented by Klutch Sports, run by LeBron James’ longtime friend Rich Paul. Fellow Klutch draft prospect Dejounte Murray, a point guard from Washington, also is not attending the combine, nor is Gonzaga big man Domantas Sabonis. MORE: NBA Draft prospect rankings: Simmons or Ingram? Simmons is the big name, though....

Both prospects delivered stat lines worthy of their big board rankings. Sexton scored 30 points on a 68.1 true shooting percentage while dishing out a pair of assists and committing just two turnovers. He finished as a team high plus-4 in 32 minutes. Ayton, meanwhile, put up a career-high 29 points on a 67.4 true shooting percentage and grabbed 18 rebounds as the Wildcats snagged an 88-82 win. NBA DRAFT 2018: Five under-the-radar players who could sneak up big boards...

In fact, Thursday’s series opener delivered a 13.1 overnight rating, ABC’s highest-rated Game 1 ever, according to Nielsen. MORE: Ranking every NBA Finals rematch, from Bill Russell to LeBron The telecast broke ABC’s previous record (12.9) reached last year in the NBA Finals opener between the same teams, and was up 26 percent from Game 1 of the 2014 NBA Finals (10.4) between the Heat and Spurs. The 13.1 overnight rating was the highest mark for an NBA Finals Game 1 in 15 years (15....

Green met the rapper — along with teammate Alfonzo McKinnie and an extended party — in a private room at the Cactus Club Cafe’s downtown location near Scotiabank Arena, according to NBC Sports Bay Area. “We was talking s—,” Green told NBC Sports Bay Area of Thursday’s incident. “And we live in a day and age where people — we live in a soft-ass world to where everything is a problem, and everything is a major issue....

As two of the NBA’s most historic franchises, both the Warriors and Celtics have iconic looks. Golden State’s royal blue and “California Golden Yellow” accompanying the Bay Bridge logo have become synonymous with the franchise’s excellence over the past eight seasons, while Boston’s home and away uniforms have largely remained unchanged for 50-plus seasons. MORE: Ranking the top 15 players in 2022 NBA Finals When Nike took over as the NBA’s official outfitter ahead of the 2017-18 season, the brand introduced multiple uniform designations: Association — White uniform Icon — Primary color uniform Statement — Third or alternate uniform City — Alternate uniform inspired by the team’s home area...

That’s the predicament the two-time defending champions are in after a 123-109 loss to the Raptors in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday. If Stephen Curry’s 47 points weren’t enough, then what will be the formula that helps the Warriors even the series at Oracle Arena on Friday? MORE: How will the NBA Finals impact Kevin Durant’s free agency? The Warriors have trailed after three games in only four series in the last five postseasons....

Unlike other strugglers around the NBA, the Hornets do not have the cap space to make a major splash this summer, and Walker has been continually linked with a move away from the team that he has been with since 2012. Walker is entering free agency following the best season of his career, and if he opts to leave Charlotte, there will be no shortage of interest in a man that averaged 25....

Some would say the Warriors are cheating and the players are too soft for choosing the easiest path to an NBA championship but what they forget is that the biggest reason for this roster has been possible due to the decision made by the NBPA years ago of not letting the salary cap to smooth out after the NBA signed a nine-year, $24 billion broadcasting deal with ESPN & Turner Sports....

Did you know? Ever since drafting Smart with the 6th overall pick in 2014, the Celtics have made the playoffs every year, and improved their record on a season-by-season basis as they went from 40 wins in 2014-15 to 55 wins in 2017-18. The heart of the matter Amid the helter-skelter start to free agency, Smart and the Celtics camp deliberated over a long-term deal. Celtics GM Danny Ainge has always maintained his love for Smart’s tough-nosed style of play, and it was generally looked upon as a matter of time before the two parties reached an agreement over the terms of Smart’s contract....

Power forward is one of the weaker ones. That’s not to say that there aren’t power forwards who can make a difference, but it isn’t headlined by a rising star like Deandre Ayton, a multi-time All-Star like Zach LaVine or a former MVP like James Harden. Rather, it’s mostly a group of veterans and role players. The Sporting News is here to provide you with positional breakdowns for all the best players available in free agency....