SEATTLE — You could make the case that players have never been better. But can the same be said of the game?

Never has basketball been played so efficiently. But can it engage audiences effectively?

This seems to be a lingering question as a Sonics return becomes increasingly likely. It’s still a long way from official, but next week’s ...Read more

SEATTLE — Seattle basketball is having a moment.

The Washington Husky men are missing it.

They are an outlier amid the optimism, as a seventh consecutive men’s NCAA Tournament begins without Washington. Meanwhile, the Husky women are dancing for a second straight March, with Tina Langley’s team earning a No. 6 seed. Professional ...Read more

The season has ended for USF’s basketball team, and that’s regrettable.

It was, by no means, a star-studded group but it was imminently fascinating. These Bulls played an unselfish, high-energy, relentless brand of basketball that turned heads and warmed hearts.

The bigger question, however, is whether USF’s momentum ends with this team....Read more

The Philadelphia 76ers dominated the Kings in Sacramento, picking up a 139-118 road win behind career nights from VJ Edgecombe and Justin Edwards.

The Kings (18-53) aren’t the most competitive opponent the Sixers have seen recently, but there was plenty to like from the under-manned Sixers on Thursday.

Here’s what we learned:

—The new ...Read more

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Illinois needed a get-right game. The fans at Bon Secours Wellness Arena probably needed a rest from the nail-biters.

The third-seeded Illini delivered both late Thursday night with a good old-fashioned blowout of No. 14 seed Penn in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Illinois turned a 10-point halftime lead into a ...Read more

The Detroit Pistons have faced significant challenges this season, but their toughest moment began to occur early Thursday morning. Detroit's All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham had been diagnosed with a collapsed lung. The timing for Cunningham's return is uncertain, but he will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Cunningham's status for the ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Long before pulling into the arena in a white luxury SUV, which arrived some three hours before the actual event, the magnitude of it all registered.

After taking part in a favorite pastime and firing a 73 on a sunshine-splashed day, and away from the camaraderie of former teammates, Dell Curry’s mind wandered as he ...Read more

MIAMI — This is 41.

On the same night he tied Robert Parish for the NBA record in regular-season games played, ageless wonder LeBron James had a 19-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in Thursday’s 134-126 win over the Miami Heat. The 41-year-old playing in his 1,611th game helped the Los Angeles Lakers (45-25) win their season-best...Read more

Magic coach Jamahl Mosely stressed the importance of Orlando slowing down the Hornets from 3-point range and in transition when speaking with the media ahead of Thursday’s game at Charlotte.

The Magic failed to accomplish both tasks, and Mosley was unavailable for more than half the contest inside Spectrum Center.

With Orlando trailing by 15...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The NCAA Men’s Tournament is back in Philadelphia on Friday, and it has brought plenty of blue bloods to town: Connecticut, UCLA, Tennessee and Virginia.

But none of them has either the record or the sizzle of Miami (Ohio), the Mid-American champion from Ohio that is the toast of the nation.

The RedHawks went 31-0 in the ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dell Curry goes by a lot of names in his family.

His boys — Steph and Seth, who followed in his NBA footsteps — have long called him “Pops.” His daughter, social media influencer Sydel Curry-Lee, calls him “Dad.” His 10 grandchildren have labeled him “G Daddy.”

But in our recent conversation, in advance of ...Read more

Duke, the No. 1 overall seed in the entire NCAA Tournament, came very close to losing to No. 16 Siena on Thursday in the NCAA Tournament.

Trailing by 11 points at halftime and losing for most of the game, Duke needed a late surge to win, 71-65, and avoid the third “16 vs. 1” upset in tournament history. Duke coach Jon Scheyer said he and ...Read more

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Ten years and a day to Michigan State’s infamous loss to Middle Tennessee State, the Spartans made sure there would be no upset in Buffalo.

No. 3 seed Michigan State fired on all cylinders for a smooth 92-67 win over No. 14 seed North Dakota State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday before 17,182 at KeyBank...Read more

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Siena coach Gerry McNamara said he never mentioned UMBC or Fairleigh Dickinson to his team, never told them of how as a No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament they stunned everyone by upsetting No. 1.

“I just said it had happened before,” McNamara said.

No one expected it to happen again Friday. Not against Duke, the No. 1...Read more

Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham has suffered a collapsed lung and will miss at least two weeks with less than a month remaining in the NBA's regular season, the team announced Thursday.

Cunningham was injured Tuesday night when he collided with Washington's Tre Johnson while diving for a loose ball during the first quarter of the Pistons' ...Read more

MIAMI — While guard Terry Rozier remains on the Miami Heat’s roster, his release is expected in the coming weeks.

Rozier likely won’t be on the Heat’s postseason roster, according to a league source.

With Rozier away from the team and not expected back this season in the wake of his Oct. 23 arrest stemming from a federal investigation ...Read more

GREENVILLE, S.C. — TCU men’s basketball avoided a massive collapse in the NCAA Tournament as the No. 9 seed Horned Frogs defeated No. 8 seed Ohio State 66-64 in a first-round game Thursday.

“Really happy for our guys, they earned it. They earned it all year long,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. “It’s been quite a journey for this team,...Read more

For the better part of four months, outside shooting defined the USF basketball team.

Outside shooting drove the Bulls, it carried them, it legitimized them.

And on Thursday, it killed them.

No. 11 seed USF lost, 83-79, to sixth-seeded Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Buffalo, N.Y., thanks mostly to missing 17 ...Read more