SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The right to extend their season and play postseason basketball was on the line when Pitt traveled to the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday afternoon for the 130th all-time meeting with Syracuse. It was win or go home and the Panthers didn’t want to go home just yet.

With an 71-69 win against long-time rival Syracuse (15-16, 6-...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS —The Timberwolves offense can click in and out of rhythm throughout the course of a game or season, but rarely has it come as screeching of a halt as it did in the second quarter of their 119-92 loss to the Magic. It tied their most lopsided loss of the season.

The Wolves scored only two points over the final 7 minutes, 3 seconds...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Lakers won, Luka Doncic dominated and then the conversation moved forward, because even though a 128-117 win over the slumping Indiana Pacers on Friday counts all the same in the tight Western Conference standings, it doesn't say as much about the Lakers as what comes next.

Buoyed by four recent wins over struggling teams, ...Read more

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — A sellout crowd of 7,972, the first of the season, packed the Watsco Center Saturday afternoon and was treated to a thriller as the 22nd-ranked Miami Hurricanes, the most improved team in the nation, came 30 seconds from making history against Louisville.

A victory over the Cardinals on Senior Day would have been the 25th...Read more

MILWAUKEE — The UConn men’s basketball team saw its chance at a share of a record 12th Big East championship go by the wayside in Fiserv Forum on Saturday as it dropped its regular-season finale at Marquette, 68-62.

Silas Demary Jr. had a chance to tie the game with a layup in the final seconds and was met with contact at the rim, but no ...Read more

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri almost did it again, the recurring bit where it falls into a double-digit hole against a ranked opponent but comes back to win a gritty, physical game.

There was an opportunity at the end of regulation. A couple more in overtime.

But almost couldn't cut it on Saturday.

No. 20 Arkansas beat MU, 88-84, dealing the ...Read more

MIAMI — Women’s professional basketball player Arike Ogunbowale was arrested by Miami police Thursday morning at a downtown Miami nightclub for punching a security guard, police said. Ogunbowale and her teammates were celebrating their victory in the Unrivaled championship game just hours earlier.

A Miami Police Department report said ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic finished with 44 points despite not playing in the fourth quarter and the Lakers defeated the struggling Indiana Pacers 128-117 on Friday night despite LeBron James and Deandre Ayton not playing because of injury.

Doncic showcased his offensive wizardry from the start, joining Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor and Jerry West...Read more

DENVER — The Nuggets waited four months to get their starting lineup healthy. On its first night back together, it didn’t last half of the game.

Jamal Murray was helped off the court during the second quarter of Denver’s 142-103 loss to the Knicks on Friday. The 29-year-old point guard sprained his left ankle, the team said, after ...Read more

For weeks, the Miami Heat have been searching for a road statement, a victory away from Kaseya Center with substance.

For the entire season, the Heat have been searching for a comeback win on the road.

Mission accomplished ... and accomplished, with Friday night’s 128-120 victory over the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center.

Rebounding ...Read more

BOSTON —Just as they got Jayson Tatum back from Achilles surgery, the Celtics lost another veteran contributor to injury.

Center Nikola Vucevic suffered a fractured right ring finger during the first quarter of Friday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden. He will undergo surgery and is expected to miss “approximately one ...Read more

BOSTON — At 7:09 p.m. on Friday, TD Garden public address announcer Eddie Palladino shouted the words Celtics fans had waited nearly 10 months to hear:

“Aaannd from Duke, No. 0, Jayyyson Taaaatum!”

Two hundred ninety-eight days removed from Achilles surgery, the Celtics’ All-NBA superstar was officially back. And though he didn’t ...Read more

Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas has never been shy when making his points.

As one of several high-profile speakers at the funeral for Rev. Jesse Jackson in Chicago on Friday, Thomas mentioned the "five" former presidents in attendance. It wasn't a slip of Thomas' tongue.

Thomas went on to call them "President Harris" and "President Clinton...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Russell Westbrook doesn’t shy from confrontation. He made that clear again after the Kings’ loss Thursday night, this time in the media room.

“What I don’t like,” Westbrook said near the top of a roughly 6-minute media availability, “and I’ve been around the league a long time, and I’ve been around a lot ...Read more

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Caleb Wilson’s freshman season at UNC has come to an abrupt end.

The school announced Friday afternoon that Wilson broke his right thumb during a non-contact drill in practice on Thursday. The injury requires surgery and Wilson will miss the rest of the season, per UNC. ESPN first reported the news.

Wilson was injured ...Read more