SEATTLE — The real story would have been if the vote went the other way, but this still feels like progress you can touch.

The NBA’s board of governors did what was expected Wednesday, but a lack of surprise doesn’t mean a lack of elation.

All 30 of the league’s owners voted in favor of exploring expansion in Seattle and Las Vegas. The...Read more

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — When Bill Belichick was introduced as North Carolina’s football coach in December 2024, athletic director Bubba Cunningham opened his news conference remarks with a brief quip.

“Over the last four or five years, anytime there’s been a search anywhere in the country, they thought the first two people you should call ...Read more

The Timberwolves are a volatile team, but never in a season filled with ups and downs have they had as many highs and lows as they had in Wednesday’s 110-108 victory over Houston.

They were winning by nine late in the fourth at Target Center, then lost the lead and Jaden McDaniels to injury.

Rudy Gobert fouled out in regulation and Naz Reid ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors, injured and depleted and undermanned as any team in the league, are now guaranteed a spot in the postseason.

All it took was Memphis losing to the Spurs Wednesday night, rendering Golden State’s 109-106 win over the Nets irrelevant.

That said, the Warriors’ first home game since returning from a six-game ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — With Paul George and Joel Embiid back in the lineup, the Sixers dominated the Chicago Bulls in a 157-137 win, the most points they’ve scored in a game since 1970.

Here are three things we learned from the Sixers’ healthiest lineup in a long time:

George starts slow in return

Before Wednesday’s game, George said he ...Read more

CLEVELAND – Considering the torment of the five-game losing streak the Miami Heat carried into the night – from the buzzer-beating loss in Houston, the Luka Doncic 60 for the Los Angeles Lakers to the fourth-quarter blitz by the Charlotte Hornets – there likely was going to be no easy way out for Erik Spoelstra’s team.

So what had stood...Read more

BOSTON — The Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics are the betting favorites to meet in the 2026 NBA Finals.

If that comes to fruition, the league is in for one heck of a series.

Two weeks after its dramatic two-point loss in Oklahoma City, Boston took down the defending champions in another thriller Wednesday night, winning 119-109 at TD...Read more

DETROIT — With every fan inside Little Caesars Arena on their feet, the Detroit Pistons trailed the Atlanta Hawks 121-119 with just 13.1 seconds remaining. After a timeout, Coach JB Bickerstaff called a play for Tobias Harris, who made a mid-range jumper to tie the game at 121.

The Hawks held the offensive possession with 9.5 seconds left in ...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Even in a Sweet 16 matchup packed with blue-blood history, elite coaching minds and a floor full of proven college talent, the brightest spotlight figures to fall on two freshmen.

Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. and Arizona’s Brayden Burries have quickly become the headliners. The kind of young stars capable of tilting a ...Read more

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self told The Kansas City Star on Wednesday morning that internet reports of an imminent retirement announcement are incorrect.

“No news. All b.s. Bad info,” Self, Kansas’ 23rd-year head coach, said in a text message.

He also told The Star he had no timeframe to report for a ...Read more

HOUSTON — On the day Illinois’ Keaton Wagler scored a Mackey Arena-record 46 points at Purdue in January, Kingston Flemings was having a pretty good showing too.

The Houston standout put up 42 points in a loss at Texas Tech. Both continued on from their best performances of the season to become among the six freshmen to be named to ...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Jordan Pope’s homecoming has been a long time coming.

“It’s good to be back in the Bay Area,” Pope said. “I haven’t been here since my days at Oregon State.”

In the brave new world of college basketball, which has moved on swiftly without a requiem for the old Pac-12, Pope swapped one shade of orange for a ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — As the Philadelphia 76ers wrapped Monday’s shootaround, Paul George lingered on the court with rookie VJ Edgecombe to work on midrange moves. A few minutes later, George and All-Star Tyrese Maxey lined up along the baseline for a footrace.

And before the media was permitted to view the team’s session to prepare for that ...Read more

NEW YORK — With one affirmative vote, the NBA appears to be on the doorstep of a return to the Emerald City.

The NBA Board of Governors gave the go-ahead for Commissioner Adam Silver to begin holding formal talks with prospective ownership groups in Seattle and Las Vegas, with the possibility of adding two expansion franchises to the league ...Read more

NEW YORK — The NBA is officially looking into bringing an expansion franchise to Las Vegas after a Wednesday vote by the league’s board of governors.

The board voted to explore expansion in Las Vegas and Seattle, the NBA announced.

“Today’s vote reflects our Board’s interest in exploring potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle �...Read more

SAN DIEGO — Darryn Peterson was the last Kansas player to leave the floor Sunday, a slow pace to his final steps in a college uniform. He glanced up ever-so-briefly but closed his eyes as his head tilted toward the sky.

In a matter of months, he will trade the most turbulent half-year of his basketball life to be the face of some NBA team’s...Read more

CHICAGO — The first weekend of March Madness had a little bit of everything, including a Big Ten rager for the ages.

There were buzzer beaters, bracket busters and more annoying commercials than ever, most of which featured Charles Barkley.

All in all, it was four days that lived up to the hype with made-for-March moments that transcend ...Read more

NEW YORK — Not all games against losing teams are created equal. Because some losing teams are better than the sum of their win-loss records, some losing teams are a turn of events away from competing for a playoff spot, if not something greater.

There may not be a team embodying the discrepancy between record and reality more than the New ...Read more