Apparently, the Charlotte Hornets’ alarm clocks didn’t quite make it through U.S. Customs.

Whatever the reason for their slumber in the Midwest on Wednesday night, one thing is certain: The season is rapidly spiraling in the wrong direction and is about to get away from the Hornets really quickly if they can’t reverse the disturbing trend...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Tyrese Maxey continued to shine against the Toronto Raptors. However, he must take more than 14 shot attempts for the 76ers to win.

The team must do a better job of handling the ball.

And it is becoming evident that the Sixers may never get over their third-quarter blues.

Those three things stood out in the Sixers’ 121-112 ...Read more

MIAMI — A week ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers returned to Kaseya Center risking that they could win while giving Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley the night off.

They did, the Miami Heat losing by 14.

Wednesday night, the Golden State Warriors took the notion of opposing rest to a higher level, going without Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, ...Read more

The Timberwolves have taken care of every bad team they have faced this season, typically in easy fashion.

Wednesday was a different experience, as the Wolves gave up almost all of a 25-point lead before ultimately getting the win over the Wizards, 120-109, at Target Center.

Some lackadaisical basketball in the third and early fourth quarters ...Read more

NEW ORLEANS — Life was detected in the most cavernous building in the NBA for a few minutes on Wednesday, as the New Orleans Pelicans flew to an early 13-point lead over their lethargic visitors.

Life was briefly detected again toward the end of the proceedings, when the Pelicans sliced a 19-point deficit to six after Nikola Jokic fouled out....Read more

Sacramento Kings coach Doug Christie got the effort he wanted in Wednesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but not the outcome.

The Kings suffered their seventh consecutive loss, falling, 113-99, to the defending NBA champions at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.

“There are always points in it you’re not happy with, but I thought...Read more

BALTIMORE — Maryland men’s basketball coach Buzz Williams earned a win Wednesday, and it didn’t have anything to do with the team’s game against Mount St. Mary’s.

After spending the offseason retooling a roster pillaged in the transfer portal, the Terps’ first-year coach continued his impressive recruiting efforts Wednesday when he ...Read more

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — No tense finish was needed this time.

After surviving a couple close calls last week, No. 7 Michigan used a strong second half to pull away and cruise to a comfortable 86-61 win over Middle Tennessee State at Crisler Center.

Yaxel Lendeborg had 25 points and 12 rebounds to lead the way for the Wolverines (4-0), who shot 52...Read more

STORRS, Conn. – What already figured to be one of the toughest challenges of the season for the UConn men’s basketball team became even tougher before Wednesday’s opening tip.

It was announced that the Huskies would be down not one, but two starters, after center Tarris Reed Jr. tweaked his ankle and rejoined five-star freshman Braylon ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — While the game didn't provide any definitive answers about what LeBron James will do in his record-breaking 23rd season, it offered promising signs about what he won't do.

He won't disrupt what the Los Angeles Lakers are doing.

James indirectly said that leading up to his season debut on Tuesday and he indirectly said that ...Read more

LeBron James stepped onto the Crypto.com Arena court about an hour before the Lakers were getting ready to play the Utah Jazz to start his pre-game routine, the buzz building from his every movement, everyone anticipating him playing in his first game of the season.

And so it began for James, the start of his NBA-record 23rd season, the right ...Read more

NEW YORK — There were Duke players who had literally never seen anything like this. The big, strong, tough, swarming defense Kansas plays, annually, regardless of changing names and faces, was not only a significant step up in competition five games into some very young careers, it was an awakening.

For Cameron and Cayden Boozer, for Dame ...Read more

NEW YORK — About 25 minutes before Kansas basketball tipped off against Duke, a decades-long KU fan, Dave Roberts, took his seat perhaps a dozen rows behind the basket at Madison Square Garden.

He was decked out in KU gear, intently watching warmups — even without the Jayhawks’ best player and No. 1 draft prospect on the court. He said he...Read more

The Brooklyn Nets made the Boston Celtics sweat Tuesday night at the Barclays Center.

Boston committed a season-high 20 turnovers — including eight by Jaylen Brown and another seven from Derrick White and Payton Pritchard — and trailed the Nets early in the fourth quarter.

But Brooklyn’s upset bid fell short, with the Celtics seizing ...Read more

ATLANTA — The Detroit Pistons fended off multiple rallies from the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night, ultimately securing a 120-112 victory at State Farm Arena. The Pistons extended their winning streak to 11, while improving their overall record to 13-2.

The Pistons had a commanding 19-point lead midway through the second quarter, but the Hawks...Read more

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — A good portion of the Navy bench was already standing and applauding before 5-foot-11 Austin Benigni drilled a 3-pointer to cut the Midshipmen’s deficit to single digits entering halftime at North Carolina. Two more Navy buckets to start the second half made it an even closer affair.

But a Jarin Stevenson dunk soon ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James will make his his season debut Tuesday when the Lakers host the Utah Jazz, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity, after sciatica kept him sidelined for the Lakers' first 14 games.

James is "trending in the right direction," coach JJ Redick said before Tuesday's ...Read more

Not even another magical Steph Curry performance at Orlando’s Kia Center was enough to propel the Golden State Warriors to a fourth consecutive victory.

After putting 56 points on the Magic in his last visit to Orlando in February, Steph Curry scored 22 of his 34 points in the first half. It moved him to No. 22 on the all-time scoring list, ...Read more

DENVER — Cam Johnson’s shooting funk wasn’t a case of the yips. It was a waste of his dips.

“(There) was a little bit of a momentum transfer that I was working on the last couple days,” the Nuggets forward explained to me after a 19-point breakout night against the Chicago Bulls. “Momentum transfer and just a little bit more of a ...Read more